bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new species of Aboilus (Insecta, Orthoptera, Prophalangopsidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: FANG YAN , ZHANG HAICHUN , WANG BO
Published: August 2019

A new species, Aboilus chinensis sp. nov., is described and attributed to Aboilus (Insecta, Orthoptera, Prophalangopsidae, Aboilinae), from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou in Inner Mongolia, China. The tegminal diagnostic characters for Aboilus Martynov, 1925 are revised. The fossil record of Aboilus from China is reviewed.
A review of the eastern and southern African blind-snakes (Serpentes: Typhlopidae), excluding Letheobia Cope, with the description of two new genera and a new species
Authors: BROADLEY DONALD G. , WALLACH VAN
Published: August 2019

All eastern and southern African species of Typhlopidae (excluding Letheobia) are reviewed with synonymies, diagnoses, and distribution maps. The 27 species from this region are arranged as follows: three species remain in Typhlops (with T. cuneirostris calabresii elevated to full species status), 16 species are transferred from Typhlops to a new genus endemic to Africa (including a new species described from Kenya), three species remain in Rhinotyphlops, four species are transferred from Rhinotyphlops to a new genus endemic to Africa (with R. schlegelii brevis and R. s. mucruso elevated to full species status), and one invasive species of Ramphotyphlops is included, which has been established in a few areas. Keys to the included species and all six African typhlopid genera are provided. A current taxonomic synopsis is provided for extralimital African and Southwest Asian typhlopid species.
A revision of the Southern African species of Meliturgula Friese (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae: Panurginae)
Authors: EARDLEY CONNAL
Published: August 2019

Nine species of Meliturgula are known from southern Africa. This includes Meliturgula bonheimi sp. nov., which is here described as new from Namibia. A key to the southern African species is given to facilitate identification.
Synopsis of the genus Meridiotroctes Martins & Galileo (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Authors: MACHADO VANESSA S. , MONNÉ MARCELA L.
Published: August 2019

Martins & Galileo (2007) proposed the genus Meridiotroctes to accommodate Meridiotroctes meridionale Martins & Galileo, 2007. They considered the new genus near Ozotroctes Bates, 1861 and to all the other genera recently described by Tavakilian & Néouze (2007): Formozotroctes, Psapharoctes, Punctozotroctes, and Spinozotroctes. All of these genera have in common the truncated apical segment of the labial palps (Tavakilian & Néouze, 2007: 20, figs. 21-33). Meridiotroctes meridionale, the only species of the genus, occurs in the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Description of the lucky Cophyla (Microhylidae, Cophylinae), a new arboreal frog from Marojejy National Park in north-eastern Madagascar
Authors: RAKOTOARISON ANDOLALAO , SCHERZ MARK D. , BLETZ MOLLY C. , RAZAFINDRAIBE JARY H. , GLAW FRANK , VENCES MIGUEL
Published: August 2019

We describe a new species of arboreal microhylid frog from northern Madagascar. The new species is assigned to the genus Cophyla based on molecular phylogeny and morphological similarities to other species of this genus. Molecular phylogenetic analysis resolved Cophyla fortuna sp. nov. as closely related to C. noromalalae. However, the two species were reciprocally monophyletic both in a tree reconstructed from a combination of mitochondrial genes, and in a tree based on the nuclear RAG-1 gene. The new species, previously identified as candidate species Cophyla sp. Ca4, occurs in lowland bamboo forests around the Marojejy Massif in northeastern Madagascar. It differs from the allopatric C. noromalalae, so far only known from the Montagne d’Ambre Massif in northern Madagascar, by slightly smaller body size and shorter duration and higher spectral frequency of advertisement calls. Several additional genetically divergent mitochondrial lineages of Cophyla, related to the C. fortuna/noromalalae complex and to C. phyllodactyla, occur in intervening areas between Montagne d’Ambre and Marojejy, and their status requires further study.
New species of Lepidodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from New Guinea and adjacent islands
Authors: KRAUS FRED
Published: August 2019

I describe five new species of Lepidodactylus from New Guinea or adjacent islands that are members of Brown & Parker’s (1977) phenetic Groups I and II and belong to the clades identified as the L. orientalis, L. pumilus, and L. novaeguineae groups of Oliver et al. (2018a). One of the new species is restricted to an isolated mountain range on New Guinea; the remainder inhabit offshore islands ranging from 3–250 km from New Guinea. These species are distinguished from their congeners primarily by unique combinations of toe lamellar numbers and shape, numbers and distribution of enlarged precloacal/femoral scales and pores, toe webbing, toe width, and color pattern. These clades are ancient, and the ancestor of one of them has been on the East Papuan Composite Terrane for at least 28 MY, highlighting the long-term importance of that former large island in generating regional biodiversity. At least one, and probably three, of the new species are inhabitants of forest interiors; one occupies disturbed coastal areas; and the habitat of the last is currently unsurmisable. All of the new species likely have restricted geographic distributions, with four of them being limited to one or a few small islands. As a result of their small ranges, rapid habitat conversion in the ranges of some of these species, and the threat of further habitat loss in the others, most of these species are of conservation concern although it is uncertain if any of them is under immediate threat.
Descriptions of species of Acrobeles von Linstow, 1877 (Nematoda, Rhabditida, Cephalobidae) from Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA
Authors: BOSTRÖM SVEN , HOLOVACHOV OLEKSANDR
Published: August 2019

Populations of three rare species of the genus Acrobeles are described from the Kelso Dunes area, Mojave National Preserve, southern California. One population is identified as belonging to A. undulatus and is compared with the type population from Venezuela and one population from Iran. Males of this species are described for the first time. Another population identified as belonging to A. ornatus is compared with the type population from Colorado, USA. Specimens identified as belonging to A. dimorphus are compared with the type population from Namibia. Descriptions of the new material add morphological data important for species identification, broaden the diagnosis of Acrobeles and increase the distribution patterns of these three species.
Tropical Deep Convection Impact on Southern Winter Stationary Waves and Its Modulation by the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation
Authors: Peña-Ortiz Cristina , Manzini Elisa , Giorgetta Marco A.
Published: August 2019

The impact of tropical deep convection on southern winter stationary waves and its modulation by the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) have been investigated in a long (210 year) climate model simulation and in ERA-Interim reanalysis data for the period 1979–2018. Model results reveal that tropical deep convection over the region of its climatological maximum modulates high-latitude stationary planetary waves in the southern winter hemisphere, corroborating the dominant role of tropical thermal forcing in the generation of these waves. In the tropics, deep convection enhancement leads to wavenumber-1 eddy anomalies that reinforce the climatological Rossby–Kelvin wave couplet. The Rossby wave propagates toward the extratropical southern winter hemisphere and upward through the winter stratosphere reinforcing wavenumber-1 climatological eddies. As a consequence, stronger tropical deep convection is related to greater upward wave propagation and, consequently, to a stronger Brewer–Dobson circulation and a warmer polar winter stratosphere. This linkage between tropical deep convection and the Southern Hemisphere (SH) winter polar vortex is also found in the ERA-Interim reanalysis. Furthermore, model results indicate that the enhancement of deep convection observed during the easterly phase of the QBO (E-QBO) gives rise to a similar modulation of the southern winter extratropical stratosphere, which suggests that the QBO modulation of convection plays a fundamental role in the transmission of the QBO signature to the southern stratosphere during the austral winter, revealing a new pathway for the QBO–SH polar vortex connection. ERA-Interim corroborates a QBO modulation of deep convection; however, the shorter data record does not allow us to assess its possible impact on the SH polar vortex.
Robust and Nonrobust Aspects of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Variability and Mechanisms in the Community Earth System Model
Authors: Danabasoglu Gokhan , Landrum Laura , Yeager Stephen G. , Gent Peter R.
Published: August 2019

Robust and nonrobust aspects of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) variability and mechanisms are analyzed in several 600-yr simulations with the Community Earth System Model. The simulations consist of a set of cases where a few loosely constrained ocean model parameter values are changed, a pair of cases where round-off level perturbations are applied to the initial atmospheric temperature field, and a millennium-scale integration. The time scales of variability differ among the cases with the dominant periods ranging from decadal to centennial. These dominant periods are not stationary in time, indicating that a robust characterization of AMOC temporal variability requires long, multimillennium-scale simulations. A robust aspect is that positive anomalies of the Labrador Sea (LS) upper-ocean density and boundary layer depth and the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation lead AMOC strengthening by 2–3 years. Respective contributions of temperature and salinity to these density anomalies vary across the simulations, but in a majority of the cases temperature contributions dominate. Following an AMOC intensification, all cases show that advection of warm and salty waters into the LS region results in near-neutral density anomalies. Analysis of the LS heat budget indicates that temperature acts to increase density in all cases prior to an AMOC intensification, primarily due to losses by sensible and latent heat fluxes. The accompanying salt budget analysis reveals that the salt contribution to density anomalies varies across the cases, taking both positive and negative values.
Investigating the Determinants of Students’ Intention to Use Business Simulation Games
Authors: Wang Yu-Yin , Wang Yi-Shun , Jian Shi-En
Published: August 2019

Business simulation games (BSGs) are educational tools that help students develop business management knowledge and skills. However, to date, relatively little research has investigated the factors that influence students’ BSG usage intention. Grounded on the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, this study helped to fill this gap by exploring intention to use BSGs. Specifically, this study investigated the influence of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and price value on behavioral intention to use BSGs. Data collected from 141 useful respondents were tested against the research model using partial least square approach. The results of this study indicated that behavioral intention to use BSGs was influenced by facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and price value. Unexpectedly, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence were not predictive of students’ behavioral intention to use BSGs. These findings enhanced our understanding of students’ BSG usage behavior and provided several important theoretical and practical implications for the application of BSG in the context of business and management education.
Evidence-Based Cannabis Policy: A Framework to Guide Marketing and Public Policy Research
Authors: Kees Jeremy , Fitzgerald Paula , Dorsey Joshua D. , Hill Ronald Paul
Published: August 2019

As more states legalize marijuana, policy makers are left with a “brave new world” and little direction regarding how to navigate this burgeoning marketplace. Comparisons to currently controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco are helpful but incomplete, as consumers use and distribute cannabis differently than these products, and these products have a different physical and psychological impact on consumers. As a result, states have taken diverse approaches with regard to medicinal and recreational cannabis legalization. The current public policy regarding cannabis legalization lacks a clear framework and can be uniquely informed by marketing and public policy researchers. The purpose of this article is to provide a solid starting place for these conversations and to offer ideas about scholarly efforts and research opportunities.
The Theological Significance of the Secular
Authors: Hübenthal Christoph
Published: August 2019

In this article, the notion of the secular is defended as a meaningful and relevant concept in order to determine the role of theological reasoning in the public sphere. For this purpose, in the first section, it is shown that John Duns Scotus already developed a provisional account of the secular and, moreover, provided it with a theological justification. The second section starts off with a brief sketch of the secular’s main characteristics as they can be deduced from Scotus’s account. Building on Thomas Pröpper, it is demonstrated how a transcendental analysis of freedom as the basic rationale of the secular brings to the fore a fundamental ethical principle as well as an idea of the secular’s ultimate destination. Theological reasoning in the public sphere or public theology, so it will be argued, aims primarily at making visible the ethical implications and the ultimate destination of the secular.
Productivity Analysis of Coal-fired Thermal Power Plants in India Using Malmquist Index Approach
Authors: Dhillon Amritpal Singh , Vachharajani Hardik
Published: August 2019

The sustainable socio-economic growth of any country depends on the availability of adequate and reliable power at reasonable rates. This is even true in case of a rapidly developing country like India where coal-based power plants account for the majority of electricity generation. Making use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Malmquist productivity index (MPI), this study analyses the productivity change of coal-fired power plants during 2002–2012. Productivity change is further decomposed into technical efficiency change (EFFCH), technological change (TECHCH), scale efficiency change (SECH), pure technical change (PECH) and total factor productivity change (TFPCH). The study revealed that 0.70 per cent of average annual total factor productivity (TFP) growth was witnessed from 2002–2003 to 2011–2012 indicating overall progress. The contribution of TECHCH in TFP growth is positive, that is, 1.3 per cent per annum. It demonstrates that expansion of the efficient frontier. However, there was a decrease in technical EFFCH of −0.6 per cent per year, indicating the adverse sign of progress. Plants in the central sector achieved maximum growth of 4.6 per cent annually. A total of 54.05 per cent of plants have recorded negative TFP growth. Power plants between 500 and 999 MW achieved the highest operational performances in all indices except SECH.
Do Indian Companies Manage Earnings Before Share Repurchase?
Authors: Jena Sarthak Kumar , Mishra Chandra Sekhar , Rajib Prabina
Published: August 2019

This article aims to detect the opportunistic EM before share buyback and its impact on the short-term and long-term abnormal return. The study also examines the relationship between EM and promoters’ holdings in the company. A sample of 117 companies over 1998–2013 is analyzed in the study. The quality of earnings is measured using discretionary accruals (DAs), and it is calculated by four different methods, that is, the Healy model (1985), DeAngelo model (1986), modified Jones model (1995) and performance-matched model (2005). Cumulative abnormal return (CAR) is calculated for a short-term abnormal return at around 3 days of the share repurchase announcement. Post-buyback buy hold abnormal return (BHAR) for 1 year is calculated for long-term performance. The regression model is used to examine the impact of DA on both CAR and BHAR. The findings of the article show that share buyback companies manage their earnings downward in the previous year of share repurchase than the year of share purchase and the next year of share repurchase. The sample firms deflate their earnings more as compared to matching non-buyback firms. Firms manage their earnings downward before open market share repurchase than the tender offer. There is a significant and negative relationship between abnormal accruals and 1-year buy hold abnormal return post-open market share repurchase. The study further observed that there is a negative relationship between promoters’ holdings and EM. The study is constrained by the small sample size, so the results should be viewed by keeping these limitations in mind. The article is the first study on the detection of the opportunistic EM before buyback and examination of the relationship between the earnings quality and abnormal return in the Indian context.
PCR monitoring of parasitemia during drug treatment for canine Chagas disease
Authors: Zao Chih-Ling , Yang Ya-Chin , Tomanek Lisa , Cooke Anthony , Berger Ron , Chien Lung-Chang , Madigan Roy
Published: August 2019

To date, there is no clear standard to monitor drug treatment for canine Chagas disease. We used 2 real-time PCR (rtPCR) assays targeting Trypanosoma cruzi kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and nuclear satellite DNA (nDNA) to detect T. cruzi in canine whole blood. Samples were collected randomly from 131 untreated dogs with unknown T. cruzi infection status in Texas. The kDNA-based rtPCR was slightly more sensitive (diagnostic sensitivity of kDNA = 49% vs. nDNA = 44%; p = 0.5732) but slightly less specific (diagnostic specificity of kDNA = 96% vs. nDNA = 97%; p > 0.9999) than the nDNA-based rtPCR. However, the differences in sensitivity and specificity between the nDNA- and kDNA-based rtPCR assays were not statistically significant. Using the nDNA- and kDNA-based qualitative rtPCR assays to monitor parasitemia from 137 itraconazole- and amiodarone-treated cases with nDNA- and kDNA-based PCR–positive baselines showed that the PCR positive rate decreased to 0% in 30 d. Using kDNA-based quantitative rtPCR to monitor normalized T. cruzi DNA copies in 4 representative dogs demonstrated that drug treatment could reduce parasite loads within 7–30 d. The kDNA-based qualitative rtPCR may be used for routine parasitemia screening of drug-treated Chagas-positive dogs, whereas nDNA-based qualitative rtPCR may be used for confirmation.
Screening for hemodialysis graft stenosis and short-term thrombosis risk: A comparison of the available tools
Authors: Tessitore Nicola , Lipari Giovanni , Contro Alberto , Moretti Francesca , Mansueto Giancarlo , Poli Albino
Published: August 2019

Introduction:

Guidelines recommend hemodialysis graft screening to identify and repair significant (>50%) stenosis at high risk of thrombosis, but there is insufficient evidence to prefer one or other screening tool due to the lack of studies comparing all available options.

Methods:

Seeking an optimal screening approach, we compared the performance of all currently used tools (duplex ultrasound to detect significant stenosis (StD) and measure access blood flow (QaD), ultrasound dilution access blood flow (QaU), static venous intra-access pressure ratio (VAPR), dynamic arterial and venous pressures measurement, and monitoring) for diagnosing significant angiography-proven stenosis (StA) and predicting incipient thrombosis (occurring within 4 months) in 62 grafts. All thrombotic and symptomatic acute hypotension episodes were recorded during follow-up.

Results:

VAPR > 0.70 and QaU < 1600 mL/min were the best indicators to angiography for those aiming to identify the majority of StA (91% sensitivity) and QaU < 1000 mL/min or StD for those aiming to avoid unnecessary angiograms (95%–93% positive predictive value). At Cox’s analysis, the only significant thrombosis predictors were acute hypotension episodes (relative risk = 4.4 (95% confidence interval = 2.2–8.8), p < 0.0001) and QaU or QaD (14% (95% confidence interval = 8–21) or 16% (95% confidence interval = 6–25) increased risk per 100 mL/min drop in Qa, p < 0.003). Thrombosis risk (adjusted for acute hypotension) became significantly higher at QaU = 1000–700 mL/min (relative risk = 3.6 (95% confidence interval = 1.6–8.2), p < 0.001) and QaD = 1300–1000 mL/min (relative risk = 3.1 (95% confidence interval = 1.1–12.8), p = 0.031). The proportion of thromboses attributable to acute hypotension was 40% (95% confidence interval = 24–57).

Conclusions:

Our comparative study showed that an effective screening for graft stenosis and short-term thrombosis risk can rely on Qa surveillance alone, and suggested that avoiding acute hypotension and correcting stenosis at QaU < 1000 mL/min or QaD < 1300 mL/min can contain thrombosis risk.
Angiotensinogen and interleukin 18 in serum and urine of children with kidney cysts
Authors: Plesiński Krzysztof , Adamczyk Piotr , Świętochowska Elżbieta , Morawiec- Knysak Aurelia , Gliwińska Aleksandra , Bjanid Omar , Szczepańska Maria
Published: August 2019

Background:

The most common disease associated with the presence of kidney cysts in the population is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which finally leads to end-stage renal disease.

Method:

The study evaluated serum and urinary concentration of angiotensinogen (AGT) and interleukin 18 (IL-18) in a group of 39 children with renal cysts of different aetiology.

Results:

Serum and urinary AGT concentration in children with renal cysts was higher compared to controls, regardless of the underlying background and gender. Serum IL-18 concentration was lower, in contrast, and the concentration of IL-18 in the urine did not differ between affected and healthy children. Negative correlation between urinary IL-18 concentration and systolic and mean arterial blood pressure was noted.

Conclusions:

Higher AGT levels in serum and urine in children with renal cysts may indicate the activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, including its intrarenal part, even before the onset of hypertension. Lower serum concentration of IL-18 in children with kidney cysts may indicate the loss of the protective role of this cytokine with the occurrence of hypertension.
Real-time damage detection of degrading systems
Authors: Tripura Tapas , Bhowmik Basuraj , Pakrashi Vikram , Hazra Budhaditya
Published: August 2019

In this article, a robust output-only real-time damage detection technique for multi-degree-of-freedom degrading systems using recursive canonical correlation analysis is presented. It has been observed that the impact of damage to a vibrating system gradually advances with time that sustains until the system degrades up to a considerable extent. Of significant interest is the effect of sudden damage in presence of continuous degradation in real-time, which is studied in the form of a sudden stiffness reduction in a separate floor. The proposed recursive canonical correlation analysis algorithm estimates the iterative update of eigenspace at each instant from the response data, thereby capturing the features of a time varying degrading structure in an online framework. Furthermore, recursive canonical correlation analysis algorithm is shown to reduce the computational cost by updating the eigenspace at each instant of time. This article explores newly developed recursive condition indicators: recursive Mahalanobis distance and recursive Itakura distance that elicit damage information from the eigenspace. In order to model degradation, simulations aimed at successfully capturing the behavior of the process in real-time becomes imperative. A general stochastic formulation of the coupled response-degradation problem accounting for the evolution of degradation is presented in the light of stiffness degradation problems. The evolution of time varying system responses is generated using a newly proposed Ito–Taylor expansion-based stochastic numerical integration formulation. Numerically simulated structural vibrating systems, namely, 2-degree-of-freedom base-isolated and 4-degree-of-freedom linear systems, have been used to check the performance of the recursive canonical correlation analysis method. The spatial damage detectability of the algorithm in real-time is explored through identifying crack location on a beam traversed by a vehicle. Finally, an experimental case study has been carried out to verify the robustness of the proposed algorithm. The identification results for both numerical and experimental cases demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm in identification of nonlinear and time varying behavior associated with degrading structural systems.
Clinical and Antimicrobial Efficacy of a Silver Foam Dressing With Silicone Adhesive in Diabetic Foot Ulcers With Mild Infection
Authors: Lázaro-Martínez José Luis , Álvaro-Afonso Francisco Javier , Sevillano-Fernández David , Molines-Barroso Raúl Juan , García-Álvarez Yolanda , García-Morales Esther
Published: August 2019

The use of an antimicrobial dressing instead of a non-antimicrobial dressing may increase the number of diabetic foot ulcers healed over a medium-term follow-up period. The study aim was to evaluate the clinical and microbiological efficacy of a silver foam dressing in the management of diabetic foot ulcers. We conducted a single-center, prospective, open, noncontrolled study involving 21 outpatients with diabetic foot ulcers with mild infection. All patients received standard of care for their wounds and a silver foam dressing with silicone adhesive was applied twice per week for wound management during a 6-week treatment period. Soft tissue punch biopsies were taken every second week for qualitative and quantitative microbiological analysis. Wounds were assessed at patient admission, and wound bed tissue was evaluated for presence, quality, and consistency of granulation tissue. Clinical evaluation revealed improvements in wound conditions as a result of treatment with the silver dressing. Wollina wound scores improved significantly, from a mean score of 3.9 ± 1.6 points at inclusion to 6.1 ± 1.3 points at the end of the study (n = 19, P < .001). Treatment with the silver dressing resulted in significant decreases in the bioburden of classically considered diabetic foot ulcer pathogenic organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and other nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli. Findings revealed that the use of silver foam dressing significantly reduced the pathogenic bacterial load and markedly improved the clinical outcome in patients with diabetic foot ulcer with mild infection over a 6-week treatment period.
Clinical response to linaclotide at week 4 predicts sustained response in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and improvements in digestive and extra-digestive symptoms
Authors: Serrano-Falcón Blanca , Delgado-Aros Sílvia , Mearin Fermín , Ciriza de los Ríos Constanza , Serra Jordi , Mínguez Miguel , Montoro Huguet Miguel , Perelló Antonia , Santander Cecilio , Pérez Aisa Ángeles , Bañón-Rodríguez Inmaculada , Rey Enrique
Published: August 2019

Background:

Linaclotide is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with constipation (IBS-C) in adults. This study aimed to assess factors predictive of a clinical response and improvements in non-IBS symptoms with linaclotide treatment in a Spanish patient population.

Methods:

In this open-label phase IIIb study, patients with moderate-to-severe IBS-C received linaclotide 290 μg once daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was clinical response at week 12, defined as >30% reduction in IBS symptom severity score (IBS-SSS) or IBS-SSS <75 plus self-reported response of feeling ‘better’ or ‘much better’ versus the baseline. Digestive nonintestinal and extra-digestive symptom scores were assessed. Baseline characteristics and week 4 clinical response were assessed as predictors of week 12 clinical response.

Results:

A total of 96 patients were eligible; 91 were female and the mean age was 47.4 years. Mean (SD) baseline IBS-SSS was 371 (72.5). In the intention-to-treat and per-protocol populations, 22.9% and 31.7% were clinical responders at week 4, respectively, and 25.0% and 36.7% were clinical responders at week 12. Digestive nonintestinal and extra-digestive symptom scores were significantly improved at weeks 4 and 12. Baseline characteristic was not associated with week 12 clinical response; however, clinical response at week 4 was predictive of response at week 12 (OR: 6.5; 95%IC: 2.1–19.8). The most common adverse event was diarrhea inclusive of loose or watery stools (35.4%).

Conclusions:

Linaclotide improves IBS-C symptoms, including digestive nonintestinal and extra-digestive symptoms. A clinical response at week 4 may predict response at week 12.
Patient Complaints: Patients’ and Physicians’ Interaction in Handling Complex Requests of Care
Authors: Ryynänen Sanna
Published: August 2019

Objective:

The study report focuses on the interaction of patients’ complaint cases and their related physicians’ responses in handling patients’ complex requests based on the dynamics of power and ideology.

Method:

Data consist of 3 selected patients’ complaints and 7 physicians’ responses in a specialized medical care organization in December 2016. Data of the qualitative case study were used in narrative analysis.

Results:

The study revealed storylines of narratives ending in physicians’ collective ideology of encounters with dissatisfied patients.

Conclusion:

The interaction between patients’ complaints and physicians’ responses showed emergent patterns of conflicts, which were both constraining and enabling.
Antiplatelet therapy in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled proof-of-concept trial
Authors: Kunadian Vijay , Wilson Nina , Stocken Deborah D. , Ali Hani , McColl Elaine , Burns Graham , Howe Nicola , Fisher Andrew , De Soyza Anthony
Published: August 2019

The APPLE COPD-ICON2 trial is a prospective 2×2 factorial, double-blinded proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial targeting patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) without prior history of cardiovascular disease. The primary goal of this trial is to investigate if treatment with antiplatelet therapy will produce the predefined cut-off of platelet inhibition measured using the Multiplate test in COPD patients.

Eligible patients were randomised to aspirin plus placebo, ticagrelor plus placebo, aspirin plus ticagrelor or placebo only for 6 months. The primary outcome comprises inhibition (binary response) of arachidonic acid- (ASPI test, cut-off <40) and adenosine diphosphate- (ADP test, cut-off <46) induced platelet aggregation at 6 months.

543 patients were screened and 120 patients were recruited with mean age of 67.5 years; 47.5% patients were male. The per-protocol ASPI test response rate to aspirin was 68.3% (95% CI 52.3–80.9%). The per-protocol ADP test response rate to ticagrelaor was 68.8% (95% CI 50.4–82.6%).

Platelet response to antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and ticagrelor was not observed in nearly one-third of COPD patients without prior history of cardiovascular disease. These findings support the high pro-thrombotic milieu and the need for further research to determine the effect of antiplatelet/antithrombotic therapy on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in COPD patients.
Rethinking self-injury recovery: a commentary and conceptual reframing
Authors: Lewis Stephen P. , Hasking Penelope A.
Published: August 2019

A growing body of research has focused on understanding what may contribute to cessation of self-injury. Although these efforts are of value, cessation represents just one component of self-injury recovery. Exclusive or primary focus on cessation may foster unrealistic expectations for those with lived experience of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Accordingly, this commentary discusses the importance of expanding the concept of NSSI recovery beyond cessation in both research and clinical domains. We conclude by presenting a person-centred and non-stigmatising conceptual reframing of recovery.
Atypical, Non-V600 BRAF Mutations as a Potential Mechanism of Resistance to EGFR Inhibition in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Johnson Benny , Loree Jonathan M. , Jacome Alexandre A. , Mendis Shehara , Syed Muddassir , Morris II Van K. , Parseghian Christine M. , Dasari Arvind , Pant Shubham , Raymond Victoria M. , Vilar Eduardo , Overman Michael , Kee Bryan , Eng Cathy , Raghav Kanwal , Kopetz Scott
Published: August 2019

PURPOSE

Atypical, non-V600 BRAF (
aBRAF
) mutations represent a rare molecular subtype of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Preclinical data are used to categorize
aBRAF
mutations into class II (intermediate to high levels of kinase activity,
RAS
independent) and III (low kinase activity level,
RAS
dependent). The clinical impact of these mutations on anti-EGFR treatment efficacy is unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data from 2,084 patients with mCRC at a single institution and from an external cohort of 5,257 circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) samples were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS) was calculated using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests. Statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

BRAF mutations were harbored by 257 patients, including 36 with
aBRAF
mutations: 22 class III, 10 class II, four unclassified. For patients with
aBRAF
mCRC, median OS was 36.1 months, without a difference between classes, and median OS was 21.0 months for patients with

BRAF
V600E

mCRC. In contrast to right-sided predominance of tumors with

BRAF
V600E

mutation, 53% of patients with
aBRAF
mCRC had left-sided primary tumors. Concurrent
RAS
mutations were noted in 33% of patients with
aBRAF
mCRC, and 67% of patients had microsatellite stable disease. Among patients with
aBRAF RAS
wild-type mCRC who received anti-EGFR antibodies (monotherapy, n = 1; combination therapy, n = 10), no responses to anti-EGFR therapy were reported, and six patients (four with class III
aBRAF
mutations, one with class II, and one unclassified) achieved stable disease as best response. Median time receiving therapy was 4 months (range, 1 to 16). In the ctDNA cohort, there was an increased prevalence of
aBRAF
mutations and subclonal
aBRAF
mutations (
P
< .001 for both) among predicted anti-EGFR exposed compared with nonexposed patients.

CONCLUSION

Efficacy of anti-EGFR therapy is limited in class II and III
aBRAF
mCRC. Detection of
aBRAF
mutations in ctDNA after EGFR inhibition may represent a novel mechanism of resistance.
Synergistic Highly Potent Targeted Drug Combinations in Different Pheochromocytoma Models Including Human Tumor Cultures
Authors: Fankhauser Maria , Bechmann Nicole , Lauseker Michael , Goncalves Judith , Favier Judith , Klink Barbara , William Doreen , Gieldon Laura , Maurer Julian , Spöttl Gerald , Rank Petra , Knösel Thomas , Orth Michael , Ziegler Christian G , Aristizabal Prada Elke Tatjana , Rubinstein German , Fassnacht Martin , Spitzweg Christine , Grossman Ashley B , Pacak Karel , Beuschlein Felix , Bornstein Stefan R , Eisenhofer Graeme , Auernhammer Christoph J , Reincke Martin , Nölting Svenja
Published: August 2019

There are no officially approved therapies for metastatic pheochromocytomas apart from ultratrace 131I-metaiodbenzylguanidine therapy, which is approved only in the United States. We have, therefore, investigated the antitumor potential of molecular-targeted approaches in murine pheochromocytoma cell lines [monocyte chemoattractant protein (MPC)/monocyte chemoattractant protein/3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT)], immortalized mouse chromaffin Sdhb−/− cells, three-dimensional pheochromocytoma tumor models (MPC/MTT spheroids), and human pheochromocytoma primary cultures. We identified the specific phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase α inhibitor BYL719 and the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor everolimus as the most effective combination in all models. Single treatment with clinically relevant doses of BYL719 and everolimus significantly decreased MPC/MTT and Sdhb−/− cell viability. A targeted combination of both inhibitors synergistically reduced MPC and Sdhb−/− cell viability and showed an additive effect on MTT cells. In MPC/MTT spheroids, treatment with clinically relevant doses of BYL719 alone or in combination with everolimus was highly effective, leading to a significant shrinkage or even a complete collapse of the spheroids. We confirmed the synergism of clinically relevant doses of BYL719 plus everolimus in human pheochromocytoma primary cultures of individual patient tumors with BYL719 attenuating everolimus-induced AKT activation. We have thus established a method to assess molecular-targeted therapies in human pheochromocytoma cultures and identified a highly effective combination therapy. Our data pave the way to customized combination therapy to target individual patient tumors.
The Indian Loom, Climate Change, and Democracy
Authors: Uzramma
Published: August 2019

Weaving on the handloom in India remains in the twenty-first century a large industry practiced by several million people, including, besides weavers themselves, others engaged in supporting activities. Indian hand weaving is a potentially viable ecological textile industry for the future, particularly if factors such as environmental damage and social costs are included in measuring viability. However, Indian hand weaving suffers from the perception that it is a relic of the past. Too, in the market it is undercut by cheaply made machine-produced cloth fraudulently sold as handmade. Research into the history of hand weaving revealed that there were two distinct modes of production, one in which expensive cloth was made for the elite, and another in which ordinary cloth was made for ordinary people. Since the making of expensive fabrics needed expensive raw materials, the weavers were dependent on an investor to supply these materials, creating a hierarchic dependency. The vernacular production of cloth, on the other hand, was democratic with lateral relations between the different stages of production. Malkha has simplified spinning by avoiding bale-pressing cotton lint, a technology introduced in colonial times to carry cotton long distances from the field. Malkha spinning centers are substantially smaller in size than conventional mills, closer to the small scales of Indian cotton farming and hand weaving.
Two Concepts of Conversion at Meenakshipuram
Authors: Baxter Matthew H.
Published: August 2019

The 1981 Dalit mass conversion to Islam at Meenakshipuram, Tamil Nadu, arguably began the Hindu Right's political rise. The conversion raises two different concepts for understanding mass conversion's relationship to democracy. Though it is commonly framed in terms of B. R. Ambedkar's thought, whereby conversion's core is an interior psychic process of changing principles to see the world differently, I suggest that Meenakshipuram's event may more appropriately be framed by E. V. Ramasami's [EVR] thought, whereby conversion's core is an exterior somatic process of changing appearances to be seen differently in the world. These concepts of conversion raise alternative engagements with issues of text, force, foreignness, time, and Marxism. The argument is prefaced by a discussion of freedom's typology (Berlin), subaltern representation (Spivak), and religious mass (Geertz/Asad), which I argue favors EVR's concept of conversion over Ambedkar's. Such issues are not unimportant in an age of rising right-wing populisms globally.
The Outside (Kharij) of Tradition in the Aftermath of the Revolution
Authors: Odabaei Milad
Published: August 2019

After Iran's 1979 revolution, the energies that had animated the struggle for a modern Islamic government were partially redirected to the task of the renewal of the Islamic tradition. Paradigmatic of this effort is “the Cultural Revolution” that has sought to combat what Islamic activists perceive as the destructive effects of Western culture and to align the production of knowledge with the teachings of Shi'i Islam. The effort to produce modern Islamic knowledge, however, has paradoxically intensified the translation of European thought and invested it with the ethos of seminary education. Drawing on a long-term engagement with postrevolutionary Iranian intellectuals, including fieldwork in Tehran and Qom, this article offers a historical and anthropological exploration of the interrelated questions of tradition, transmission, and translation. It is ethnographically centered in a seminar in which seminarian-academics translate Carl Schmitt, among others, to make sense of, and intervene in, Islamic politics. It highlights how European concepts and forms of thought come to mediate the relation between seminarian-academics and the Islamic tradition, its forms of knowledge, and its modern politics and argues that the elision of the historical incommensurability of European discourses renders the enacted tradition foreign to itself.
Circulating miR-21 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Mahmood Nosheen , Hanif Muhammad , Ahmed Akhtar , Jamal Qamar , Mushtaq Shamim , Khan Adnan , Saqib Muhammad
Published: August 2019

Background & Objective: The high-throughput analysis of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) is an active area of biomarker research. The oral cancer remains a common cancer among Pakistani males that continues to present at an advance stage, thus exhibiting poor survival. MiRNA 21 (miR-21) is the most consistently over-expressed miRNA in different types of tumor tissues. However, information regarding expression of miR-21 in plasma remains to be resolved. Therefore, present study was designed to investigate if miR-21 was expressed in plasma of patients with oral cancer, and further explore its diagnostic and prognostic potential.

Methods: Present study was conducted at Ziauddin University and Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (KIRAN). Histologically confirmed cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were recruited from Oncology Department of Ziauddin Hospital between 2013 and 2017. Controls were carefully selected after considering age, gender and socioeconomic condition. MiRNA was extracted and immediately reverse transcribed to cDNA. MiR-21 expression was evaluated using probes specifically designed for Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results: A significant over expression of miRNA 21 was observed in histologically confirmed cases as compared to controls. The increased expression of miRNA 21 was also reported to be associated with tumor size, metastasis and local invasion (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The expression of circulating miR-21 in plasma samples of oral cancer patients makes it a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.331

How to cite this:Mahmood N, Hanif M, Ahmed A, Jamal Q, Mushtaq S, Khan A, et al. Circulating miR-21 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(5):1408-1412. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.331

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comparison of surgical and audiological outcomes of endoscopic and microscopic approach in stapes surgery
Authors: Gülşen Secaattin , Karataş Erkan
Published: August 2019

Objective: The main objectives of the present study were to compare the surgical and audiological outcomes of endoscopic and microscopic approach in stapes surgery.

Methods: Sixty-one patients who underwent the stapes surgery with the endoscopic and microscopic approach between January 2012-November 2018 were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups as a Group-I (endoscopic) and Group-II (microscopic). The audiometric measurements, duration of surgery, intraoperative findings and complications were recorded and evaluated retrospectively.

Results: Mean operative time for the Group-I and II was 45.1±8.4 minutes and 48.7±5.6 minutes, respectively (p>0.05). The preoperative and postoperative average air-bone gap in the Group-I was 27.8±7.2 dB and 8.7±3.4 dB and these values in Group-II were 30.2±5.1 dB and 7.4±4.8 dB, respectively (p<0.001). The requirement of chorda tympani nerve manipulation and scutum curettage were significantly less in Group-I as compared Group-II (p<0.05). Dysgeusia and postoperative pain were observed significantly higher ratios in Group-II relative to Group-I (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between endoscopic and microscopic approach in stapes surgery in terms of difficulty of prosthesis insertion (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Endoscopic stapes surgery provides comparable audiological outcomes, shorter operative times, fewer complications rates, and more minimally invasive surgery, relative to the microscopic approach.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.439

How to cite this:Gulsen S, Karatas E. Comparison of surgical and audiological outcomes of endoscopic and microscopic approach in stapes surgery. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(5):1387-1391. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.439

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.