bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influences of CD8+ Tregs on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Allergic Rhinitis Patients
Authors: Lin Lin , Dai Fei , Wei Jinjin , Chen Zheng
Published: May 2020

Objectives

CD8+(or CD4+) CD25+fork‐head box transcription factor (Foxp3)+ regulatory T cells (CD8+ or CD4+ Tregs) all play a significant role in immune homeostasis and tolerance. However, the role of CD8+ Tregs in allergic rhinitis (AR) have not been clearly elucidated. The present study was aimed to assess the influence of CD8+ Tregs on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AR patients.

Study Design

Prospective cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Patients with AR were enrolled. PBMCs were obtained, and CD4+ and CD8+ Tregs were separated from PBMCs and cultured in vitro. We examined percentages of these Tregs in total CD4+ or CD8+ T cells, respectively. After that, we evaluated levels of interleukin (IL)‐10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β in Tregs cultures. Finally, we administered CD4+ and CD8+ Tregs from AR patients into PBMCs cultures and examined contents of IL‐4 and IL‐5.

Results

The percentages of CD4+ or CD8+ Tregs in the total CD4+ or CD8+ T cells from PBMCs in AR patients were reduced compared to normal subjects. However, IL‐10 and TGF‐β and their mRNAs were increased in CD4+ and CD8+ Tregs cultures from AR patients, and there were no significant differences in their levels between these two Tregs cultures. IL‐4 and IL‐5 were increased in AR subjects’ PBMCs compared to normal ones and decreased after the AR CD4+ or CD8+ Tregs administration. However, there were no statistical differences in IL‐4 and IL‐5 concentrations between these two Tregs treatments.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate that CD8+ Tregs may alleviate inflammatory responses in AR condition.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 131:E316–E323, 2021
Correlated ab initio calculations of one‐bond 31P77Se and 31P125Te spin–spin coupling constants in a series of PSe and PTe systems accounting for relativistic effects (part 2)
Authors: Rusakova Irina L. , Rusakov Yuriy Yu
Published: May 2020

Synthetic chalcogen–phosphorus chemistry permanently makes new challenges to computational Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which has proven to be a powerful tool of structural analysis of chalcogen–phosphorus compounds. This paper reports on the calculations of one‐bond 31P77Se and 31P125Te NMR spin–spin coupling constants (SSCCs) in the series of phosphine selenides and tellurides. The applicability of the combined computational approach to the one‐bond 31P77Se and 31P125Te SSCCs, incorporating the composite nonrelativistic scheme, built of high‐accuracy correlated SOPPA (CC2) and Coupled Cluster Single and Double (CCSD) methods and the Density Functional Theory (DFT) relativistic corrections (four‐component level), was examined against the experiment and another scheme based on the four‐component relativistic DFT method. A special J‐oriented basis set (acv3z‐J) for selenium and tellurium atoms, developed previously by the authors, was used throughout the NMR calculations in this work at the first time. The proposed computational methodologies (combined and ‘pure’) provided a reasonable accuracy for 31P77Se and 31P125Te SSCCs against experimental data, characterizing by the mean absolute percentage errors of about 4% and 1%, and 12% and 8% for selenium and tellurium species, respectively. The present study reports typical relativistic corrections to 77Se31P and 125Te31P SSCCs, calculated within the four‐component DFT formalism for a broad series of tertiary phosphine selenides and tellurides with different substituents at phosphorus.
Characterization of Comb Shaped MAA‐co‐PEGMA Copolymers Synthesized by Free‐Radical Polymerization
Authors: Emaldi Iñaki , Agirre Amaia , Etxeberria Agustin , Erkizia Edurne , Dolado JorgeS. , Leiza Jose R.
Published: May 2020

Methacrylic acid‐co‐polyethylene glycol methacrylate (MAA‐co‐PEGMA) copolymers (also known as MPEG‐type polycarboxylate ether (PCE) superplasticizers) present comb‐shaped microstructure and they are generally used as dispersants of inorganic particles in cementitious formulations. Application properties of the PCEs strongly depend on the molecular structure and therefore accurate characterization of the microstructure is necessary to fully understand the structure–property relationship. In this work, MAA‐co‐PEGMA copolymers with various lateral size chain lengths and homogeneous copolymer compositions are synthesized by starved‐feed semibatch copolymerization. Molar mass and radius of gyration distributions and monomer sequence distribution are measured using size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi angle light scattering (SEC/MALS/refractive index, RI) and 1H and 13C NMR, respectively. Furthermore, it is proved that the experimental radius of gyration compares well with the prediction of a theoretical model for the radius of gyration that uses characteristic parameters of the microstructure of the PCEs (e.g., average molar masses). This confirms the accuracy of the measurements of the absolute molar masses for the MPEG‐type PCEs synthesized by free‐radical (co)polymerization.
Development of computationally efficient augmented Lagrangian SPH for incompressible flows and its quantitative comparison with WCSPH simulating flow past a circular cylinder
Authors: Kolukisa Deniz Can , Ozbulut Murat , Pesman Emre , Yildiz Mehmet
Published: May 2020

In Lagrangian particle‐based methods such as smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), computing totally divergence‐free velocity field in a flow domain with the smallest error possible is the most critical issue, which might be achieved through solving pressure Poisson equation implicitly with higher particle resolutions. However, implicit solutions are computationally expensive and may be particularly challenging in the solution of multiphase flows with highly nonlinear deformations as well as fluid‐structure interaction problems. Augmented Lagrangian SPH (ALSPH) method is a new alternative algorithm as a prevalent pressure solver where the divergence‐free velocity field is achieved by iterative calculation of velocity and pressure fields. This study investigates the performance of the ALSPH technique by solving a challenging flow problem such as two‐dimensional flow around a cylinder within the Reynolds number range of 50 to 500 in terms of improved robustness, accuracy, and computational efficiency. The same flow conditions are also simulated using the conventional weakly compressible SPH (WCSPH) method. The results of ALSPH and WCSPH solutions are not only compared in terms of numerical validation/verification studies, but also rigorous investigations are performed for all related physical flow characteristics, namely, hydrodynamic coefficients, frequency domain analyses, and velocity divergence fields.
German translation, cultural adaptation and testing of the Person‐centred Practice Inventory – Staff (PCPI‐S)
Authors: Weis Maya L. D. , Wallner Martin , Köck‐Hódi Sabine , Hildebrandt Christiane , McCormack Brendan , Mayer Hanna
Published: May 2020

Aim

The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the PCPI‐S into German and to eventually test its psychometric properties in long‐term care settings.

Background

Person‐centred practice has been widely adopted internationally as a best‐practice model in nursing and health care. To ensure a sustainable implementation of this practice and to successively promote it, person‐centred practice should be evaluated on a regular basis. The Person‐centred Practice Inventory—Staff (PCPI‐S), which is based on McCormack & McCance's Person‐centred Practice Framework, is a new instrument for this purpose by assessing perceptions of person‐centredness among healthcare staff.

Design

A two‐phase research design was used involving the translation and cultural adaption of the PCPI‐S from English to German (PCPI‐S‐G; Phase 1) and a quantitative cross‐sectional survey (Phase 2).

Methods

Construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's α.

Results

Phase 1 was conducted using an internationally recommended checklist for translations and cultural adaptations. In Phase 2, the PCPI‐S‐G was tested in 15 residential care homes in Austria with a sample of 255 staff members. The CFA showed good construct validity and supported the theoretical framework. The internal consistency for the three constructs of the PCPI‐S was excellent, revealing Cronbach's α‐scores from 0.902–0.941.
Nexus between energy consumption, information and communications technology, and economic growth: An enquiry into emerging Asian countries
Authors: Sharma Gagan Deep , Rahman Mohammad Mafizur , Jain Mansi , Chopra Ritika
Published: May 2020

The development of every economic sector is significantly affected by information and communication technology (ICT), especially during the liberalization process. Though several studies have focused on economy–environment–financial development nexus, yet very limited literature has highlighted the impact of ICT on the relationship between economic growth, energy consumption, and financial development. We address this gap in the existing literature by investigating the nexus between ICT, energy consumption, and economic growth for a panel of 10 emerging and developing Asian countries selected on the bases of the highest current gross domestic product price (in US dollars), for a span of 17 years ranging from 2000 to 2017. Unlike the previous studies, this study employs the advanced econometric techniques that are robust to heterogeneities across nations and have proven to produce more reliable and efficient results. Our findings opine a bidirectional causality between ICT, energy consumption, and economic growth. Additionally, internet and mobile cellular subscriptions have a positive impact on economic growth, while energy consumption report negative impact, and the results for medium and high technological export reveals an insignificant impact on the economic growth of the 10 countries under study. Overall, the results are consistent for all the countries analyzed in this empirical study. The study provides valuable policy lessons to adopt ICT‐enabled technologies that will bring innovative changes and further lead to increased economic growth. It is recommended that the government must promote green ICT technology and enhance the technological industry that shall lead to higher productivity and sustainable development.
Creep analysis of E‐glass/vinyl‐ester laminated composites for underground vault structures
Authors: Youssef George
Published: May 2020

Creep is eminent in fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite materials given the susceptibility of polymers to constant loading. The response of polymer matrix composites used in retrofitting vital infrastructure to long‐term flexural loadings is investigated to elucidate the effect of creep. The experimental approach consisted of first establishing a benchmark of the quasi‐statically tested flexural properties. A fresh set of samples were then flexural tested for an extended period. Failure was determined to be strain‐driven in both quasi‐static and long‐term testing conditions. The mechanical properties were found to be insensitive to the strain rate (in the low strain regime), while being mildly sensitive to creep loading. The flexural response also showed dependence on the historic creep loading. The creep strain was successfully fitted into Baily‐Norton power law, which allowed for forecasting the creep life based on the critical strain failure criteria. The overall results explicate the interrelation between long‐term loading and fidelity of composites‐based infrastructures.
Polyvinyl butyral‐based composites with carbon nanotubes: Efficient dispersion as a key to high mechanical properties
Authors: Lavagna Luca , Marchisio Silvia , Merlo Alessandra , Nisticò Roberto , Pavese Matteo
Published: May 2020

Even if the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their derivatives are commonly used as reinforcing phase in composite materials, also in commercial products, their tendency to agglomerate generally determines a scarce dispersion, thus not maximizing the effect due to the second phase. In this article, a perfect dispersion of highly entangled nanotubes was achieved by using a very simple approach: exploiting the dispersing effect of a low‐cost polymer, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), coupled with standard ultrasound sonication. Several dispersion approaches were tested in order to develop a consistent and widely applicable dispersion protocol. The tape casting technology was subsequently used to produce 100 to 300 μm thick PVB‐matrix composite tapes, reinforced by multiwall CNTs dispersed according to the optimized protocol. Their mechanical properties were evaluated, and a simple model was used to demonstrate that the effective dispersion of CNTs is the key to obtain significantly improved properties.
Mechanical response and equilibrium swelling of thermoresponsive copolymer hydrogels
Authors: Drozdov Aleksey D , deClaville Christiansen Jesper
Published: May 2020

Covalently crosslinked thermoresponsive (TR) gels form a special class of hydrogels that swell noticeably below their volume phase transition temperature Tc and shrink above Tc. As the critical temperature is weakly affected by the preparation conditions and molar fractions of monomers and crosslinkers in the pre‐gel solution, a facile method to modulate Tc (which is required for biomedical applications of TR gels and their use as temperature‐triggered actuators) is to incorporate relatively small amounts of neutral monomers whose hydrophilicity differs from that of the basic monomers. Although observations on copolymer gels confirm the effectiveness of this method, the molar fractions of comonomers necessary for the tuning of Tc remain unknown. A model was developed for the mechanical response and equilibrium swelling of TR gels. Adjustable parameters in the governing relations were found by fitting equilibrium swelling diagrams for poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) homopolymer and copolymer gels. Good agreement is demonstrated between the experimental data and the results of simulation. Based on the model, an analytical formula is derived that expresses the volume phase transition temperature in terms of the molar fraction of comonomers. Its ability to predict the critical temperature is confirmed by comparison with observations on several copolymer gels. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Recent progress in microporous polymers from thermally rearranged polymers and polymers of intrinsic microporosity for membrane gas separation: Pushing performance limits and revisiting trade‐off lines
Authors: Lee Won Hee , Seong Jong Geun , Hu Xiaofan , Lee Young Moo
Published: May 2020

Polymers are promising materials for gas separation membranes. However, the trade‐off relationship between gas permeability and selectivity remains an obstacle for achieving polymer membranes that exhibit high gas permeation with desirable separation efficiency. Improving polymer microporosity is of interest in gas separation membranes to enhance gas transport behavior. Polymer modifications by (a) incorporating intrinsically microporous units and/or (b) increasing chain rigidity can enhance microporosity in conventional polymer membrane materials such as polyimides. These strategies are adopted for new classes of microporous polymers, thermally rearranged (TR) polymers, and polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), to maximize gas transport properties. Their outstanding gas separation performances have redefined the traditional trade‐off lines. This review aims to explore the advances in microporous polymers for gas separation applications. The approaches on TR polymers and PIMs to enhance their microporosity are listed, and their developments are evaluated in the context of revisiting performance limits for industrially relevant gas separation applications.
Preparation, Thermal and Sensitivity Properties of Nano‐Sized Spherical Nitrocellulose Composite Crystal
Authors: Meng Xiangjun , Pu Chengkai , Cui Pengteng , Xiao Zhenggang
Published: May 2020

The sensitivity study of propellants has been the concern of many researchers, and many achievements have been gained in this field. Nitrocellulose was replaced by some energetic thermoplastic elastomers to prepare insensitive high energy propellants, which is an effective method for reducing the sensitivity of propellants. However, the propellants based on these binders still have some defects. Preparation and application of insensitive nitrocellulose may overcome these drawbacks and becomes a potential candidate to be used as an ingredient of insensitive high energy propellants without energetic thermoplastic elastomers. To reduce the sensitivity of nitrocellulose, a nano‐sized spherical nitrocellulose composite crystal was prepared by pretreatment, degradation and nitration of microcrystalline cellulose. The products were characterized by TEM, FT‐IR, XRD, XPS, elemental analysis, TGA, DSC and sensitivity tests. Results show that the prepared nano‐sized cellulose is spherical with a diameter in the range of 15–30 nm and displays a composite crystal with two kinds of crystalline structure. The nano‐sized spherical nitrocellulose composite crystal has a higher crystallinity and nitrogen content and less impact sensitivity in comparison with the common nitrocellulose. The improvement of crystal quality of nitrocellulose using composite crystal method is beneficial for reducing the impact sensitivity of nitrocellulose.
Rapid Assembly and Preparation of Energetic Microspheres LLM‐105/CL‐20
Authors: Zhang Yuanping , Hou Conghua , Li Congcong , Zhang Xin , Tan Yingxin , Wang Jingyu
Published: May 2020

A novel composite microsphere of 2,4,6,8,10,12‐hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL‐20) and 2,6‐diamino‐3,5‐dinitropyrazine‐1‐oxide (LLM‐105) were fabricated by spray drying technology. The morphology, structure and thermal behavior of the obtained particles were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), powder x‐ray diffraction (PXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEM results demonstrated that LLM‐105/CL‐20 microspheres in range of 1–3 μm are relatively uniform. PXRD and FT‐IR indicated that the peak patterns of the composite LLM‐105/CL‐20 has shifted slightly from the raw material. Thermal analysis implied that energetic microspheres LLM‐105/CL‐20 has lower decomposition. In addition, a possible formation mechanism for energetic microsphere was proposed. Moreover, the impact sensitivity of composite microspheres could be reduced 5 times compared to the raw CL‐20. This work may introduce a novel idea towards fabricating the composite microspheres.
Absolute configuration of four chiral isomers of pyrisoxazole and their bioactivity
Authors: Li Ziliang , Cong Yunbo , Ma Xiaohua , Wei Zhenyun , Cheng Chunsheng , Shi Fanian , Li Sanxi
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Pyrisoxazole is a fungicide that has two chiral carbon atoms and four isomers: (3S,5R)‐, (3R,5S)‐, (3S,5S)‐, and (3R,5R)‐pyrisoxazole.

RESULTS

Pure crystals of four pyrisoxazole isomers were prepared by chiral separation and single‐crystal cultivation. Their absolute configurations were established by X‐ray single crystal diffraction analysis. Bioassays indicated that compound (3S,5R)‐pyrisoxazole showed excellent fungicidal activity with a median effective concentration (EC50) value of 0.14 μg mL−1 and protective activity with an EC50 value of 13.29 μg mL−1. These values are superior to the commercial fungicides boscalid and racemic pyrisoxazole.

CONCLUSIONS

The biological activity of racemic pyrisoxazole is due almost exclusively to the isomer (3S,5R)‐pyrisoxazole; the other three isomers had very low activity. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Uptake and translocation of imidacloprid via seed pathway and root pathway during early seedling growth of corn
Authors: Tang Xiujun , Hao Fengjiao , Yuan Huizhu , Yan Xiaojing , Yang Daibin , Taylor Alan G
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

A systemic seed treatment can be taken up into shoot tissues during early corn seedling growth. However, the pathway that a systemic compound is taken up, either from seed or root uptake to shoot tissues is not fully understood. To study the single contributions of seed pathway and root pathway for the uptake and translocation of imidacloprid seed treatment, two methods were developed: A seed treatment method and a growing media/hydroponic solution delivery method. The seed treatment method employed a live and dead seed separated with plastic wrap to provide a barrier. The growing media/hydroponic solution delivery method quantified the capacity for uptake by seeds and roots.

RESULTS

The seed pathway transported 1.9–2.5 times more imidacloprid into shoot tissues when compared to the root pathway at the same dosage rate. The higher amount of imidacloprid taken up and translocated by the seed pathway was attributed to the fact that the corn seeds were in direct contact with high provided concentrations of imidacloprid. However, the root pathway showed 7.9–9.5 times higher capacity for transporting imidacloprid into shoot tissues when compared with the seed pathway. Whenever imidacloprid was taken up by seed or root, amounts of imidacloprid were measured in both tissues of seed and root.

CONCLUSION

The seed pathway transported more imidacloprid than the root pathway during early seedling growth since corn seeds were contacted by higher concentrations of imidacloprid. Both seed pathway and root pathway were occurring concurrently during early seedling growth of corn. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Soil infiltration and conservative solute transport characteristics with different viscosity of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose
Authors: Ren Min , Wu Junhu , Shao Fanfan , Liu Xia
Published: May 2020

Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), a potential soil improver with the ability to hold water, has practical applicability in alleviating soil and water nutrient loss. By using Cl− as tracer ions, we evaluated the effects of different HPMC viscosities on soil water infiltration characteristics and conservative solute migration characteristics. Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose with viscosities of 2 × 104, 6 × 104, 10 × 104, and 20 × 104 mPa s−1 was selected. Experimental results revealed that the cumulative infiltration amount, wetting front migration distance, and infiltration rate decreased significantly with increased HPMC viscosity. The addition of HPMC delayed the soil solute transport process, and HPMC with a higher viscosity caused greater soil solute transport delay. Both the convection‐dispersion equation (CDE) and the two‐region model (TRM) accurately simulated solute transport, but the simulation accuracy of the TRM was higher. Results of parametric fitting based on the TRM indicated that the average pore water velocity, hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient, and dispersion degree decrease with increased HPMC viscosity. The average pore water velocity decreased by 13.6–28.2% relative to the control group (CG). Compared with the CG, the water content ratio in movable water of HPMC groups changed irregularly with an increase in viscosity. The mass exchange coefficient increased significantly compared with the CG, with an irregular trend. These data will be useful in the application and promotion of HPMC as a soil improver.
Rural World, Migration, and Agriculture in Mediterranean EU: An Introduction
Authors: Nori Michele , Farinella Domenica
Published: May 2020

This book investigates the dynamics that are reshaping human and natural landscapes in the European agrarian world, with a specific focus on Mediterranean Europe. We focus here on more marginal rural settings, where the potential for agricultural intensification is structurally limited. These areas in particular have suffered from the geographical and socio-economic polarization of development patterns and have paid a relevant burden to the recent crisis.
Be Content and Cherish the Present
Authors: Zhang Zhuojun , Huang Xiangmeng
Published: May 2020

C, female, born in 1992. The only child in the family. Grade III intellectual disability. Graduated from a special education school. Started working at Shanghai Papa John’s in 2014.
Live Strong
Authors: Tang Chenyi
Published: May 2020

ZH, female, born in 1988. The only child in the family. Grade IV intellectual disability. Graduated from a special education school (Shanghai Primary Vocational and Technical School of Changning District). Started working at Shanghai Papa John’s in 2009.
The usefulness of the retinal sensitivity measurement with a microperimetry for predicting the visual prognosis of branch retinal vein occlusion with macular edema
Authors: Fujino Ryosuke , Asaoka Ryo , Aoki Shuichiro , Sugiura Aya , Kusakabe Mari , Asano-Shimizu Kimiko , Nomura Yoko , Aoki Aya , Hashimoto Yohei , Azuma Keiko , Inoue Tatsuya , Obata Ryo
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the usefulness of the retinal sensitivity in branch retinal vein occlusion (BVO) with macular edema (ME) following the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment.

Methods

Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), microperimetry, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements were carried out in 20 patients with BVO with ME, at baseline and 1 month after the anti-VEGF treatment. The relationships among BCVA, mean retinal sensitivity (MS), macular volume (MV), central retinal thickness (CRT), integrity of ellipsoid zone (EZ), mean retinal sensitivity in the most affected quadrant (qMS), and macular volume in the most affected quadrant (qMV) were investigated. In addition, the relationships among the change in BCVA at 1 month (ΔBCVA1m), mean sensitivity in the most affected quadrant at 1 month (ΔqMS1m), MV in the most affected quadrant at 1 month (ΔqMV1m), and CRT at 1 month (ΔCRT1m) were analyzed. The optimal model for BCVA at 3 months after the treatment (BCVA3m) was identified.

Results

There was not a significant difference in BCVA (paired Wilcoxon test, p = 0.058) between at baseline and after the treatment, but there were significant differences in MS, MV, CRT, qMS, and qMV (p < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between ΔqMS1m and ΔMV1m, ΔCRT1m, and ΔqMV1m, respectively. ΔMS1m or ΔqMS1m and BCVA at baseline and ΔBCVA1m were selected as explanatory variables in the optimal model for BCVA3m.

Conclusion

Retinal sensitivity was related to retinal structure, whereas this was not the case with BCVA. In addition, retinal sensitivity was useful to predict BCVA after anti-VEGF therapy.
Hochtemperaturprozesstechnik
Authors: Doschek-Held Klaus , Raupenstrauch Harald
Published: May 2020

Die Hochtemperaturprozesstechnik als Arbeitsgruppe des Lehrstuhls für Thermoprozesstechnik beschäftigt sich mit konkreten metallurgischen und verfahrenstechnischen Problemstellungen bei Temperaturen über 1000 °C. Die gegenwärtig behandelten Schwerpunkte der Arbeitsgruppe sind Recycling- bzw. Wärmerückgewinnungsprozesse sowie Brenner- und Industrieofentechnik. Die grundlegende Motivation liegt dabei in der nachhaltigen Primärressourcenschonung, Abfallvermeidung sowie der Energieeffizienzsteigerung von Gesamtprozessen.

In Folge werden die Bestrebungen anhand der Kompetenzen und Anlagenausstattung sowie der aktuellen Forschungsprojekte am Lehrstuhl im Bereich der Hochtemperaturprozesstechnik dargelegt.
EORTC QLU-C10D value sets for Austria, Italy, and Poland
Authors:   the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group, Gamper E. M. , King M. T. , Norman R. , Efficace F. , Cottone F. , Holzner B. , Kemmler G.
Published: May 2020

Objective

To develop Austrian, Italian, and Polish general population value sets for the EORTC QLU-C10D, a cancer-specific utility instrument based on the EORTC QLQ-C30, and to descriptively compare their index scores for distinct health states.

Methods

The QLU-C10D descriptive system comprises 10 health attributes and each can take on 4 levels. A standardised and pre-tested methodology has been applied for valuations including a web-based discrete choice experiment (DCE). It was administered in 1000 general population respondents per country recruited via online panels, aiming at representativeness for core socio-demographic variables.

Results

In all three countries, the attributes with the largest impact on utility were physical functioning, pain, and role functioning. Cancer-specific dimensions with the largest impact were nausea and fatigue or bowel problems. Utility values of the worst health state (i.e. severe problems on all 10 dimension) were -0.111 (Austria), 0.025 (Italy), and 0.048 (Poland). Country-specific utilities differed for a selection of health states across the continuum. Austrian utilities were systematically lower for moderately and severely impaired health states.

Conclusion

QLU-C10D cancer-specific utilities can now be calculated in three more countries. Differences between countries indicate that careful consideration is required when using non-country-specific value sets in economic evaluations.
The relationship between sclerostin and carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with stage 3–5 chronic kidney disease
Authors: Zhao Ban , Chen Aiqun , Wang Haitao , Cui Ju , Sun Ying , Xu Lengnan , Mao Yonghui
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Sclerostin is an antagonist of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. We previously reported that sclerostin is closely related to carotid artery atherosclerosis and long-term outcome in hemodialysis patients. The present study investigated the association between sclerostin, renal function, and carotid artery atherosclerosis in non-dialysis patients with stage 3–5 chronic kidney disease (CKD 3–5ND).

Methods

A total of 140 patients with CKD 3–5ND were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation was used to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery were detected by B-mode Doppler ultrasound. Blood samples were collected to assess serum sclerostin levels. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

Results

The median eGFR was 24.9 ml/min/1.73 m2 (interquartile range [IQR] 10.0–40.3 ml/min/1.73 m2) and median serum sclerostin level was 46.76 pmol/l (IQR 30.18–67.56 pmol/l). Carotid atherosclerotic plaques were detected in 104 subjects (74.3%). There was a negative association between sclerostin level and eGFR (r =  − 0.214, p = 0.011). Unconditional logistic regression analysis revealed that sclerostin level was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of carotid plaques, with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.026 (1.003, 1.051).

Conclusion

Serum sclerostin increases with declining renal function in patients with CKD 3–5ND. Sclerostin is an independent risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis.
A Note on Exploratory Item Factor Analysis by Singular Value Decomposition
Authors: Zhang Haoran , Chen Yunxiao , Li Xiaoou
Published: May 2020

We revisit a singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm given in Chen et al. (Psychometrika 84:124–146, 2019b) for exploratory item factor analysis (IFA). This algorithm estimates a multidimensional IFA model by SVD and was used to obtain a starting point for joint maximum likelihood estimation in Chen et al. (2019b). Thanks to the analytic and computational properties of SVD, this algorithm guarantees a unique solution and has computational advantage over other exploratory IFA methods. Its computational advantage becomes significant when the numbers of respondents, items, and factors are all large. This algorithm can be viewed as a generalization of principal component analysis to binary data. In this note, we provide the statistical underpinning of the algorithm. In particular, we show its statistical consistency under the same double asymptotic setting as in Chen et al. (2019b). We also demonstrate how this algorithm provides a scree plot for investigating the number of factors and provide its asymptotic theory. Further extensions of the algorithm are discussed. Finally, simulation studies suggest that the algorithm has good finite sample performance.
Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking and Associated Risk Factors among Bangladeshi University Students: An Exploratory Pilot Study
Authors: Ahmed Md. Sabbir , Sen Liton Chandra , Khan Safayet , Yunus Fakir Md , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: May 2020

Over the past two decades, there has been a global rise in the prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking. Waterpipe tobacco smoking involves the inhalation of heated tobacco smoke after passing through water, and it has been associated with an identified dependence effect similar to that found with cigarette smoking. Despite the popularity of waterpipe tobacco among youth (and in particular, university students) in many countries, detailed data of its usage are lacking in Bangladesh. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore waterpipe tobacco smoking behavior and normative beliefs among university students in Bangladesh and to assess the factors associated with waterpipe tobacco use. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was carried out among 340 Bangladeshi university students (64.4% male; mean age 21.6 years). Among participants, 13.5% reported they had ever smoked tobacco from a waterpipe and 9.4% had it in past 30 days. Among past 30-day users, 72% were categorized as having waterpipe smoking dependence (n = 23). No females in the sample had ever smoked using a waterpipe. Maternal occupation, monthly expenditure, and regular smoking status were major predominant factors associated with waterpipe smoking behavior of the students. The study is of existential value given that there are no prior studies ever carried out in Bangladesh previously. Recommendations are provided based on the study’s findings, particularly in relation to what action is needed from universities in Bangladesh.
Medizinische Versorgung in Medizinischen Behandlungszentren für Erwachsene mit geistiger und schwerst-mehrfacher Behinderung (MZEB): eine qualitative Studie zu aktuellen Herausforderungen aus Sicht der Behandler_innen
Authors: Rathmann Katharina , Kostka Jacqueline , Olukcu Sema
Published: May 2020

Hintergrund

Durch das GKV-Versorgungsstärkungsgesetz wurde die Grundlage zur medizinischen Versorgung von erwachsenen Menschen mit Behinderung (MmB) in Medizinischen Behandlungszentren für Erwachsene mit geistiger Behinderung oder schweren Mehrfachbehinderungen (MZEB) geschaffen, um die Versorgungslücke im Anschluss an die Versorgung in Sozialpädiatrischen Zentren (SPZ) für Minderjährige mit Behinderung zu schließen.

Fragestellung

Bislang fehlt Kenntnis darüber, a) wie sich Zugang zu und Inanspruchnahme medizinischer Versorgung im MZEB gestaltet und b) welche förderlichen oder hinderlichen Faktoren sich dabei beobachten lassen.

Material und Methode

Es wurden insgesamt acht leitfadengestützte Experteninterviews mit Behandler_innen im MZEB sowie einem Vertreter der Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft (BAG) MZEB geführt. Anhand vorab festgelegter Kategorien wurde das Material mittels der strukturierenden und zusammenfassenden Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse

Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass organisatorisch strukturelle Faktoren (u. a. Definition der Zielgruppe) sowie die finanzielle Ressourcenausstattung derzeit den Zugang zu und die Inanspruchnahme medizinischer Leistungen hemmen. Als förderliche Faktoren im MZEB werden die multiprofessionelle Zusammenarbeit, die zeitlichen Ressourcen einer zielgruppenadäquaten Versorgung sowie die Unterstützung durch Angehörige oder Betreuungspersonal genannt.

Schlussfolgerungen

Organisatorische, strukturelle und finanzielle Faktoren erschweren den Zugang zum MZEB. Weitere Forschung ist erforderlich, um den Etablierungsprozess der MZEB in Deutschland zu untersuchen und um überdies die Perspektive der Zielgruppe selbst hinsichtlich des Zugangs und der Inanspruchnahme sowie förderlicher und hinderlicher Faktoren zu erfassen.
Das Gesundheitsverhalten von Pflegekräften – aktueller Forschungsstand, Potenziale und mögliche Herausforderungen
Authors: Mojtahedzadeh Natascha , Neumann Felix Alexander , Augustin Matthias , Zyriax Birgit-Christiane , Harth Volker , Mache Stefanie
Published: May 2020

Der Artikel bietet eine Übersicht zum aktuellen Forschungsstand bezüglich des Gesundheitsverhaltens von Beschäftigten aus der Pflegebranche. Trotz der wachsenden Anzahl an ambulant gepflegten Personen und damit dem Beschäftigtenwachstum in dieser Branche existieren aktuell kaum Erkenntnisse und empirische Befunde über das Gesundheitsverhalten von deutschen Pflegekräften. Die bisher verfügbare Informationslage deutet allerdings auf eine ungesunde Ernährungsweise, mangelhafte körperliche Aktivität sowie auf mangelnde Möglichkeiten von Pausen- und Regenerationseinheiten hin. Forschungs- und Interventionsarbeiten zur Analyse des Arbeits- und Gesundheitsverhaltens als Grundlage zur Entwicklung bedarfsgerechter gesundheitsförderlicher Maßnahmen sind unabdingbar.
The European Supervisory Authorities: role-models or in need of re-modelling?
Authors: Botopoulos Kostas
Published: May 2020

The three European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) are, for almost a decade now, part of the financial landscape, arbiters as well as players in what has turned out to be a complex and frail system. They have served well, but should they remain unchanged? The present article analyses the way they were conceived and set up, their architecture, their legal and substantive characteristics and deals with the question of their reform.
SNORA71B promotes breast cancer cells across blood–brain barrier by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition
Authors: Duan Sijia , Luo Xuliang , Zeng Huihui , Zhan Xiang , Yuan Chunlei
Published: May 2020

Background

Brain metastasis (BM) is a dreadful complication that significantly impacts the quality of life in breast cancer patients. A key process during brain metastasis is the migration of cancer cells across blood–brain barrier (BBB). However, the role of snoRNAs regulating BBB in BM is still unknown.

Methods

Here SNORic and GEO databases were used to identify differentially expressed snoRNAs between brain metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancer (BC) tissues. The effects of SNORA71B on the capacities of proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and BBB invasion of BC cells were evaluated by CCK8, transwell, western blot, and BBB model, respectively.

Results

SNORA71B was highly expressed in high BM BC tissues and cells compared to low BM BC controls. Survival analysis revealed high expression of SNORA71B was significantly associated with poor PPS and OS in breast cancer patients. ROC curve showed that SNORA71B might act as biomarker for breast cancer. Moreover, SNORA71B significantly promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of BC cells with different BM abilities. Importantly, SNORA71B promoted the EMT process of low BM BC cells. SNORA71B knockdown inhibited the high BM BC cells across BBB, while EMT activator dramatically abrogated this inhibited effect.

Conclusions

In conclusion, SNORA71B promotes BC cells across the BBB partly via inducing EMT.
Dynamic Spatio-Temporal Tweet Mining for Event Detection: A Case Study of Hurricane Florence
Authors: Farnaghi Mahdi , Ghaemi Zeinab , Mansourian Ali
Published: May 2020

Extracting information about emerging events in large study areas through spatiotemporal and textual analysis of geotagged tweets provides the possibility of monitoring the current state of a disaster. This study proposes dynamic spatio-temporal tweet mining as a method for dynamic event extraction from geotagged tweets in large study areas. It introduces the use of a modified version of ordering points to identify the clustering structure to address the intrinsic heterogeneity of Twitter data. To precisely calculate the textual similarity, three state-of-the-art text embedding methods of Word2vec, GloVe, and FastText were used to capture both syntactic and semantic similarities. The impact of selected embedding algorithms on the quality of the outputs was studied. Different combinations of spatial and temporal distances with the textual similarity measure were investigated to improve the event detection outcomes. The proposed method was applied to a case study related to 2018 Hurricane Florence. The method was able to precisely identify events of varied sizes and densities before, during, and after the hurricane. The feasibility of the proposed method was qualitatively evaluated using the Silhouette coefficient and qualitatively discussed. The proposed method was also compared to an implementation based on the standard density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm, where it showed more promising results.
The overlooked governance issues raised by facial recognition
Authors: Varley-Winter Olivia
Published: May 2020

From the start of the 21st century to 2020, we have seen a growing market penetration of connected smartphones capable of photo, video and voice recordings. Silicon Valley companies such as Facebook and YouTube, as well as Chinese internet firms such as AliPay and TikTok, have enjoyed record valuations: these technology platforms have become the primary avenues for communications and cultural development around the world.
Covid-19, Adverse Scrutiny and The Journey to Code: where next for biometric tech?
Authors: Room Stewart
Published: May 2020

Between leaving a Big Four accountancy firm on New Year's Eve and joining DWF Law as head of data protection and cyber-security, I spent a month developing a new business plan – fine-tuning a number of ideas I'd been working on concerning the future of data protection and privacy. This time allowed me to confirm the business plan should focus on two core ideas: namely ‘Adverse Scrutiny’ and ‘The Journey to Code'.
STAR-EM: An innovative summer research program for medical students
Authors: Friedman Steven Marc , Porplycia Danielle
Published: May 2020

We describe a novel 10-week summer research program aimed at developing academic emergency medicine (EM) interest among medical students. A cohort of students was recruited to participate in the Summer Training and Research in Emergency Medicine (STAR-EM) program with the primary goal of completing and disseminating a scholarly project. Curriculum development and program evaluation were informed by Kern's model and Kirkpatrick's hierarchy, respectively. Students and faculty demonstrated interest in academic EM and research productivity during the curriculum. This program provides a model for other emergency departments seeking to foster the development of academic EM at their institution.
COARSE AND FINE GEOMETRY OF THE THURSTON METRIC
Authors: DUMAS DAVID , LENZHEN ANNA , RAFI KASRA , TAO JING
Published: May 2020

We study the geometry of the Thurston metric on the Teichmüller space of hyperbolic structures on a surface$S$. Some of our results on the coarse geometry of this metric apply to arbitrary surfaces$S$of finite type; however, we focus particular attention on the case where the surface is a once-punctured torus. In that case, our results provide a detailed picture of the infinitesimal, local, and global behavior of the geodesics of the Thurston metric, as well as an analogue of Royden’s theorem.
Suicide on Facebook-the tales of unnoticed departure in Bangladesh
Authors: Soron Tanjir Rashid , Shariful Islam Sheikh Mohammed
Published: May 2020

Facebook has transformed social communication and offers the opportunity to share personal thoughts to people including suicide ideas, plans and attempts. Suicide after Facebook posts has been reported in different parts of the world and it has become a potential area of research for suicide prevention. The analysis of Facebook posts prior to suicide or Facebook live streaming may help in understanding the etiological factors, patterns of communication and possible prevention approaches for a particular community. However, there is a dearth of evidence about suicide incidents after Facebook posts and Facebook live streaming in low and middle-income countries. This study aims to explore the trends and phenomena of suicide after Facebook posts and live streaming in Bangladesh. We conducted an online search using the Google, Facebook and five daily online newspaper archives from 15th August to 15th September 2019. Two research assistants independently conducted the initial searching to find out people who committed suicide after Facebook posts or live streamed suicide in Bangladesh and documented 21 cases. After further evaluation of each of the 21 cases we confirmed 19 cases that met the selection criteria. All of them were under 35-years of age. We observed sucide after Facebook posts were more common in male(78%) e and students. Hanging was the most frequently used method of suicide followed by poisoning. Their Facebook posts and livestream videos indicated relationship problems, academic stress and mental disorders were the common stressors for their suicide. This study lays the foundation for the future researchers to work on suicidal posts on Facebook in Bangladesh and develop culture-specific, real-time suicide preventive systems using a social media platform.
A randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy of trial-based cognitive therapy compared to prolonged exposure for post-traumatic stress disorder: preliminary findings
Authors: Duran Érica Panzani , Corchs Felipe , Vianna Andrea , Araújo Álvaro Cabral , Del Real Natália , Silva Cláudio , Ferreira Ana Paula , De Vitto Francez Paula , Godói Cláudio , Silveira Helena , Matsumoto Lina , Gebara Cristiane Maluhy , de Barros Neto Tito Paes , Chilvarquer Raquel , de Siqueira Luciana Lima , Bernik Marcio , Neto Francisco Lotufo
Published: May 2020

Background

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent mental health condition that is often associated with psychiatric comorbidities and changes in quality of life. Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) is considered the gold standard psychological treatment for PTSD, but treatment resistance and relapse rates are high. Trial-based cognitive therapy (TBCT) is an effective treatment for depression and social anxiety disorder, and its structure seems particularly promising for PTSD. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of TBCT compared to PE in patients with PTSD.

Methods

Ninety-five patients (77.6% females) who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, criteria for PTSD were randomly assigned to receive either TBCT (n = 44) or PE (n = 51). Patients were evaluated before and after treatment, and at follow-up 3 months after treatment. The primary outcome was improvement in PTSD symptoms as assessed by the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS). Secondary outcomes were depression, anxiety, and dysfunctional attitudes assessed by the Beck Depression/Anxiety Inventories and Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, as well as the dropout rate.

Results

A significant reduction in DTS scores was observed in both arms, but no significant difference between treatments. Regarding the secondary outcomes, we found significant differences in depressive symptoms in favor of TBCT, and the dropout rate was lower in the TBCT group than the PE group.

Conclusion

Our preliminary results suggest that TBCT may be an effective alternative for treating PTSD. Further research is needed to better understand its role and the mechanisms of change in the treatment of this disorder.