bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Precision Medicines’ Impact on Orphan Drug Designation
Authors: Mueller Christine M. , Rao Gayatri R. , Miller Needleman Katherine I.
Published: July 2019

The incentives provided under the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) have been credited for catalyzing the marketing approval of drugs for the treatment of rare diseases by the US Food and Drug Administration. Orphan drug designation, the granting of special status to drugs or biologics (“drugs”) for the treatment of rare diseases, one of the ODA's key incentive programs, has seen major increases in volume over recent years. The new era of precision medicine and the development of therapies directed toward smaller “orphan” subsets of common diseases have been suggested as being a major driver. We evaluated the basis for orphan drug designations and orphan subsets in relation to the impact of precision medicines. We found that the increasing numbers of orphan drug designation determinations were not driven by precision medicines separating common diseases into orphan subsets and that orphan subsets overall also represented a relatively small proportion of designations.
Sparse Inverse Covariance Estimation: A Data Mining Technique to Unravel Holistic Patterns among Business Practices in Firms
Authors: Li Mei , Wu Ying , He Yi , Huang Shuai , Nair Anand
Published: July 2019

Firms are seeking ways to improve managerial decision making in order to enhance operational performance. However, the complexities underlying business processes often mean that operational performance depends on a multitude of factors. Yet, at times the number of empirical cases is rather limited. This presents the challenge of discerning meaningful patterns among a large number of variables that can then be used to derive generalized frameworks and mental models for decision making. In this article, we tackle this challenge with an extension of Sparse Inverse Covariance Estimation (SICE), a novel data mining technique, to address decisions in Operations and Supply Chain Management. We conduct a simulation study to validate the effectiveness of this extension in improving the accuracy and stability of pattern detection. We then apply it to an empirical dataset that is characterized by high dimension, low sample size, and lack of multivariate normal distribution. Our study pioneers the application of SICE in Operations and Supply Chain research. We also extend SICE with bootstrapping. The extended SICE is an effective technique for mining a complex empirical dataset and is a valuable aid for decision support.
Cancer prevalence higher in stroke patients than in the general population: the Dutch String‐of‐Pearls Institute (PSI) Stroke study
Authors: Wilbers J. , Sondag L. , Mulder S. , Siegerink B. , van Dijk E. J. ,   the Dutch String‐of‐Pearls Stroke Study Group
Published: July 2019

Background and purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cancer and its characteristics in patients with ischemic stroke and to compare this with cancer prevalence in the general population.

Methods

This was a multicenter cohort study with 2736 patients presenting with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The prevalence of cancer was assessed by interview and verified by reviewing all medical records. In stroke patients with a history of cancer, we studied the subtype of cancer and its treatment characteristics. We used the national database of The Netherlands Cancer Registry to calculate population‐based age and sex cancer standardized prevalence ratios (SPRs) for patients with ischemic stroke.

Results

Cancer prevalence in ischemic stroke patients was 12%, corresponding to an SPR of 1.2 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–1.3]. Increased SPRs were observed for cancer of the central nervous system (SPR, 18.2; 95% CI, 9.0–27.4), head and neck (SPR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.3–4.6), lower respiratory tract (SPR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.5–3.3) and urinary tract (SPR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4–2.9), but not for other cancer types. Cardiovascular risk factors, stroke etiology, treatment and outcome were not different between patients with or without a history of cancer.

Conclusions

In stroke patients, the prevalence of cancer, most prominently cancer of the central nervous system, head and neck, lower respiratory and urinary tract, was higher than in the general population. Medical treatment for the prevention of stroke in cancer survivors deserves further study.
Development of a genomics module within an epilepsy‐specific electronic health record: Toward genomic medicine in epilepsy care
Authors: Delanty Norman , White Maire , Benson Katherine , McCormack Mark , Heavin Sinead , Comerford Elizabeth , Gangadharan Nisha , Power Kevin , Dunleavey Brendan , El‐Naggar Hany , Doherty Colin , Greally Marie , Cavalleri Gianpiero , Fitzsimons Mary
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Both clinical genomics and e‐Health technology are changing the way medicine is being practiced. Although the basic clinical methodology of good medical care will remain unchanged, the combined power of genomics and electronic health records has the capability of enhancing, and in some cases transforming, the practice of medicine. This is particularly true in the care of patients with complex long‐term medical conditions such as chronic refractory epilepsy, especially in those with related complex comorbidities including intellectual disability and psychiatric disease.

Methods

Herein we outline the development and integration of an epilepsy genomics module into a preexisting epilepsy electronic patient record (EPR) system.

Results

We describe how this EPR infrastructure is used to facilitate discussion at multidisciplinary clinical meetings around molecular diagnosis and resulting changes in management.

Significance

This work illustrates the role of eHealth technology in embedding genomics into the clinical pathway.
Identifying the neural basis of a language‐impaired phenotype of temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Kaestner Erik , Reyes Anny , Macari Anna Christina , Chang Yu‐Hsuan , Paul Brianna M. , Hermann Bruce P. , McDonald Carrie R.
Published: July 2019

Objective

To identify neuroimaging and clinical biomarkers associated with a language‐impaired phenotype in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Methods

Eighty‐five patients with TLE were characterized as language‐impaired (TLE‐LI) or non–language‐impaired (TLE‐NLI) based on comprehensive neuropsychological testing. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging, and functional MRI (fMRI) were obtained in patients and 47 healthy controls (HC). fMRI activations and cortical thickness were calculated within language regions of interest, and fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated within deep white matter tracts associated with language. Analyses of variance were performed to test for differences among the groups in imaging measures. Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to determine how well different clinical versus imaging measures discriminated TLE‐LI from TLE‐NLI.

Results

TLE‐LI patients showed significantly less activation within left superior temporal cortex compared to HC and TLE‐NLI, regardless of side of seizure onset. TLE‐LI also showed decreased FA in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus and arcuate fasciculus compared to HC. Cortical thickness did not differ between groups in any region. A model that included language‐related fMRI activations within the superior temporal gyrus, age at onset, and demographic variables was the most predictive of language impairment (area under the curve = 0.80).

Significance

These findings demonstrate a unique imaging signature associated with a language‐impaired phenotype in TLE, characterized by functional and microstructural alterations within the language network. Reduced left superior temporal activation combined with compromise to language association tracts underlies this phenotype, extending our previous work on cognitive phenotypes that could have implications for treatment‐planning or cognitive progression in TLE.
Why do we itch?
Authors: Lerner Ethan A.
Published: July 2019

Why do we have the sensation of itch and the associated scratching response? The conventional explanation is that arthropods and other environmental irritants elicit the sensation of itch that then leads to scratching and removal of the stimulus. This explanation is reasonable yet is too limiting for this fascinating sensory phenomenon and the associated somatic (voluntary) response of scratching. We delve into other explanations here. Some of these explanations fit within current areas of basic and clinical knowledge while others are speculative and may help to frame future discussions and study.
FRET‐based analysis and molecular modeling of the human GPN‐loop GTPases 1 and 3 heterodimer unveils a dominant‐negative protein complex
Authors: Cristóbal‐Mondragón Gema R. , Lara‐Chacón Bárbara , Santiago Ángel , De‐la‐Rosa Víctor , González‐González Rogelio , Muñiz‐Luna Julio A. , Ladrón‐de‐Guevara Ernesto , Romero‐Romero Sergio , Rangel‐Yescas Gisela E. , Fernández Velasco Daniel Alejandro , Islas León D. , Pastor Nina , Sánchez‐Olea Roberto , Calera Mónica R.
Published: July 2019

GPN‐loop GTPases 1 and 3 are required for RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) nuclear import. Gpn1 and Gpn3 display some sequence similarity, physically associate, and their protein expression levels are mutually dependent in human cells. We performed here Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), molecular modeling, and cell biology experiments to understand, and eventually disrupt, human Gpn1–Gpn3 interaction in live HEK293‐AD cells. Transiently expressed EYFP‐Gpn1 and Gpn3‐CFP generated a strong FRET signal, indicative of a very close proximity, in the cytoplasm of HEK293‐AD cells. Molecular modeling of the human Gpn1–Gpn3 heterodimer based on the crystallographic structure of Npa3, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Gpn1 ortholog, revealed that human Gpn1 and Gpn3 associate through a large interaction surface formed by internal α‐helix 7, insertion 2, and the GPN‐loop from each protein. In site‐directed mutagenesis experiments of interface residues, we identified the W132D and M227D EYFP‐Gpn1 mutants as defective to produce a FRET signal when coexpressed with Gpn3‐CFP. Simultaneous but not individual expression of Gpn1 and Gpn3, with either or both proteins fused to EYFP, retained RNAPII in the cytoplasm and markedly inhibited global transcription in HEK293‐AD cells. Interestingly, the W132D and M227D Gpn1 mutants that showed an impaired ability to interact with Gpn3 by FRET were also unable to delocalize RNAPII in this assay, indicating that an intact Gpn1–Gpn3 interaction is required to display the dominant‐negative effect on endogenous Gpn1/Gpn3 function we described here. Altogether, our results suggest that a Gpn1–Gpn3 strong interaction is critical for their cellular function.
Investigation of fatigue and fracture behaviour of sensitized marine grade aluminium alloy AA 5754
Authors: Kumar Pankaj , Singh Akhilendra
Published: July 2019

In the present study, fatigue and fracture characteristics of sensitized marine grade Al‐Mg (AA 5754) alloy are experimentally evaluated. Received alloy is sensitized at temperatures of 150°C (SENS50) and 175°C (SENS75) for 100 hours. Fracture parameters, KIc and JIc, are experimentally evaluated. Slow strain rate tensile tests at a crosshead speed of 0.004, 0.006, and 0.01 mm/min; fatigue crack growth tests at load ratios (R = Pmin/Pmax) of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5; and low cycle fatigue tests at four strain amplitudes of (0.3‐0.6)% are performed for SENS50 and SENS75 alloys. Relatively lower magnitude of fracture toughness values are observed for SENS75 specimen. Severe degradation in tensile properties, fatigue crack growth characteristics, and low cycle fatigue lives are observed for SENS75 samples. Extended finite element method is adopted to simulate the elasto‐plastic crack growth during fracture toughness evaluation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to understand the failure mechanism of sensitized alloys.
The threshold effect of the efficiency of science and technological services on regional environmental governance in China
Authors: Li Congxin , Li Guozhu , Li Zining
Published: July 2019

Through panel data for every province in China from 2006 to 2016, this paper studies the impact of the efficiency of science and technological services and the level of economic development on environmental governance, with the efficiency of science and technological services as the threshold variables. The results of the research indicate that the efficiency of science and technological services in China's provinces is low, while the regional gap is expanding. When the efficiency of science and technological services is the threshold variable, single threshold results are significant. When the efficiency of science and technological services is the threshold variable and when the efficiency of science and technological services is lower than the threshold value, there is a significant impact on environmental governance. If the efficiency of science and technological services crosses the threshold value, the impact of science and technological service efficiency on environmental governance becomes insignificant. For the level of economic development, it is a core explanatory variable and has a significant impact on environmental governance only when the efficiency of science and technological services is below the threshold value. According to the empirical results, this paper proposes corresponding countermeasures and suggestions.
Evaluation of autologous adipose‐derived stem cells vs. fractional carbon dioxide laser in the treatment of post acne scars: a split‐face study
Authors: Abou Eitta Rania S. , Ismail Aisha A. , Abdelmaksoud Rania A. , Ghezlan Naser A. , Mehanna Radwa A.
Published: July 2019

Background

Scarring is a distressing outcome of acne, as it causes cosmetic and psychological problems to the patients. Unfortunately no single treatment is satisfactory; instead, employing multiple modalities may have better outcome. Autologous adipose tissue‐derived adult stem cells (AT‐ASCs) and their secretory factors can stimulate collagen synthesis; angiogenesis and migration of fibroblasts thus regenerate damaged tissues. Also, conventional treatments for acne scarring, such as lasers and topical regimens, induce new collagen synthesis via activation of dermal fibroblasts or growth factors. The aim of the study was to verify the effectiveness of AT‐ASCs for the treatment of acne scarring vs. the fractional carbon dioxide laser (FxCR).

Subjects and methods

Split face comparative study included 10 adult patients with post‐acne scars on both sides of the face. One side received AT‐ASCs single injection while the other received three sessions of FxCR. Scars were then assessed using the global scoring system Goodman and Baron, scar area percent using NIH ImageJ software and functional assessment by measuring the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin hydration. Both sides were followed for three months.

Results

A significant improvement in the degree of scar severity, scar area percent, skin hydration, and TEWL after 3 months of treatment on both sides of the face with insignificant differences between both treatment modalities, provided that AT‐ASCs treatment was employed once vs. three sessions of FxCR.

Conclusion

One injection of AT‐ASCs is as effective as three sessions of FxCR in the treatment of atrophic acne scars.
Barriers to nursing pain management in the emergency department: A qualitative study
Authors: Shoqirat Noordeen , Mahasneh Deema , Singh Charleen , AL‐Sagarat Ahmad Yahya , Habashneh Sakhaa
Published: July 2019

Background

Although pain is a common complaint among patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs), there is a dearth of nursing literature about barriers to pain management.

Purpose

The study aimed to uncover and understand barriers to pain management in the ED from the registered nurse (RN) perspective.

Methods

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 ED nurses in a Jordanian hospital. Data were collected throughout August 2016.

Results

Two broad categories with subcategories emerged. The first category describes the idea of types of patient, which included three particular groups. These were patients who are violent, patients with relatives who are, and patients with expectations of care that nurses view as unrealistic. The second category describes the taxing ED environment, with two subcategories of staff shortages and physician dominance of pain management. Nurses reported feeling as if they are the victims of external factors and perceived that barriers affected teamwork and led to distress which impairs pain management.

Conclusions

The role of ED nurses in pain management is multifaceted. Therefore, implementing policies to overcome barriers such as violence among ED attenders and the perceived hostility of the ED environment through mandatory security systems, and continuing nursing education including for violence prevention may be beneficial.
Investigation of body image, self‐esteem, and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence
Authors: Gümüşsoy Süreyya , Kavlak Oya , Dönmez Sevgül
Published: July 2019

Aim

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of urinary incontinence on body image, self‐esteem, and quality of life.

Methods

The study was conducted with 218 women with urinary incontinence. The study data were collected using the Socio‐Demographic Characteristics Questionnaire, Body Cathexis Scale, Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale, and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire.

Results

There was a weak, statistically significant, positive relationship found between the Body Cathexis Scale total average scores and the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale total average scores of the women and a weak, statistically significant, negative relationship with the Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire total average scores. In addition, a weak, statistically significant, negative relationship was found between the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale total score averages and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire total score averages. Significant effects were seen for body image score with pad usage; for self‐esteem in relation to number of deliveries, duration, and frequency of urinary incontinence; and for incontinence quality of life and duration and frequency of urinary incontinence and pad usage.

Conclusions

It was concluded that most of the women with urinary incontinence had negative body image and that more than half of them had moderate or low self‐esteem and a moderate quality of life.
When Political Freedom Does Not Offer Travel Freedom: The Varying Determinants of Visa‐Free Travel Opportunities
Authors: Thomas Jacob
Published: July 2019

The ease with which a person can travel abroad may greatly impact the possibilities of what they can achieve in life. Previous scholars have found that as a country politically liberalizes and becomes wealthier its nationals can travel to more countries without a visa. After analysing data from Henley and Partners, the World Bank, and Freedom House for 154 countries, I find that this is only true for nationals from countries with above‐average incomes. Among the bottom half of countries in the income distribution and the most unequal societies, nationals in politically free countries do not have greater visa‐free mobility than nationals in less politically free countries. The higher a country's income per capita, the more travel opportunities its citizens lose because their society is not completely politically free. My findings have implications for how policymakers evaluate the costs of both migration policies and policies that politically and economically liberalize societies.
The emergence of object‐based visual attention in infancy: A role for family socioeconomic status and competing visual features
Authors: Werchan Denise M. , Lynn Andrew , Kirkham Natasha Z. , Amso Dima
Published: July 2019

The development of spatial visual attention has been extensively studied in infants, but far less is known about the emergence of object‐based visual attention. We tested 3–5‐ and 9–12‐month‐old infants on a task that allowed us to measure infants’ attention orienting bias toward whole objects when they competed with color, motion, and orientation feature information. Infants’ attention orienting to whole objects was affected by the dimension of the competing visual feature. Whether attention was biased toward the whole object or its salient competing feature (e.g., “ball” or “red”) changed with age for the color feature, with infants biased toward whole objects with age. Moreover, family socioeconomic status predicted feature‐based attention in the youngest infants and object‐based attention in the older infants when color feature information competed with whole‐object information.
Summer drought decreases Leymus chinensis productivity through constraining the bud, tiller and shoot production
Authors: Wang Junfeng , Shi Yujie , Ao Yunna , Yu Dafu , Wang Jiao , Gao Song , Knops Johannes M. H. , Mu Chunsheng , Li Zhijian
Published: July 2019

Extreme drought events can directly decrease productivity in perennial grasslands. However, for rhizomatous perennial grasses it remains unknown how drought events influence the belowground bud bank which determines future productivity. Ninety‐day‐long drought events imposed on Leymus chinensis, a rhizomatous perennial grass, caused a 41% decrease in the aboveground biomass and a 28% decrease in belowground biomass. Aboveground biomass decreased due to decrease in both the parent and the daughter shoot biomass. The decreases in daughter shoot biomass were due to reductions in both the shoot number and each individual shoot weight. Most importantly, drought decreased the bud bank density by 56%. In addition, drought induced a bud allocation change that decreased by 41% the proportion of buds that developed into shoots and a 41% increase in the buds that developed into rhizomes. Above results were supported by our field experiment with watering treatments. Thus, a 90‐day‐long summer drought event decreases not only current productivity but also future productivity, because the drought reduces the absolute bud number. However, plasticity in plant development does partly compensate for this reduction in bud number by increasing bud development into rhizomes, which increases the relative allocation of buds into future shoots, at the cost of a decrease in current shoots.
Data‐driven glass/ceramic science research: Insights from the glass and ceramic and data science/informatics communities
Authors: De Guire Eileen , Bartolo Laura , Brindle Ross , Devanathan Ram , Dickey Elizabeth C. , Fessler Justin , French Roger H. , Fotheringham Ulrich , Harmer Martin , Lara‐Curzio Edgar , Lichtner Sarah , Maillet Emmanuel , Mauro John , Mecklenborg Mark , Meredig Bryce , Rajan Krishna , Rickman Jeffrey , Sinnott Susan , Spahr Charlie , Suh Changwon , Tandia Adama , Ward Logan , Weber Rick
Published: July 2019

Data‐driven science and technology have helped achieve meaningful technological advancements in areas such as materials/drug discovery and health care, but efforts to apply high‐end data science algorithms to the areas of glass and ceramics are still limited. Many glass and ceramic researchers are interested in enhancing their work by using more data and data analytics to develop better functional materials more efficiently. Simultaneously, the data science community is looking for a way to access materials data resources to test and validate their advanced computational learning algorithms. To address this issue, The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) convened a Glass and Ceramic Data Science Workshop in February 2018, sponsored by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMTech) program. The workshop brought together a select group of leaders in the data science, informatics, and glass and ceramics communities, ACerS, and Nexight Group to identify the greatest opportunities and mechanisms for facilitating increased collaboration and coordination between these communities. This article summarizes workshop discussions about the current challenges that limit interactions and collaboration between the glass and ceramic and data science communities, opportunities for a coordinated approach that leverages existing knowledge in both communities, and a clear path toward the enhanced use of data science technologies for functional glass and ceramic research and development.
Reproductive biology and population structure of white warehou Seriolella caerulea and silver warehou Seriolella punctata in the austral zone off Chile
Authors: Chong Liu , Flores Andrés , Quiroz Juan Carlos , Contreras Francisco , Wiff Rodrigo
Published: July 2019

Using an extensive database compiled by scientific observers aboard commercial fishing operations between 1984 and 2014, we describe the maturity and size structures of white warehou Seriolella caerulea and silver warehou Seriolella punctata from by‐catch of the trawling industrial fisheries operating in the austral zone off Chile. Macroscopic maturity stages and gonadosomatic (IGS) index show mature females throughout the year and a pronounced spawning period in both austral autumn and winter seasons, with an IGS peak in July for S. punctata and August for S. caerulea. Reproductive patterns in both species show an extended spawning season (July to September) across the area between 43 and 47° S. Length–mass relationships showed significant differences between sexes in both species, where females reach a larger size. Fork length at 50% maturity was 43.5 cm for S. caerulea and 37.2 cm for S. punctata. Female catch composition is dominated by adult fish (96% for S. caerulea and 86% for S. punctata). Currently, both species are exploited with no assessment and management‐decision framework. Therefore, information regarding reproductive biology and demographic traits becomes an important baseline to ensure adequate fisheries management for both species.
Biomass‐dependent emission of environmental DNA in jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus juveniles
Authors: Horiuchi Tomoya , Masuda Reiji , Murakami Hiroaki , Yamamoto Satoshi , Minamoto Toshifumi
Published: July 2019

Environmental DNA (eDNA) from juvenile jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus was detected in tanks with 1, 3, 10, or 30 individuals per tank. Quantitative PCR using a set of species‐specific primers and a probe revealed that the concentration of eDNA increased almost linearly with the density of fish. The coefficient of determination (R2) in the linear regression was lower than values previously reported for freshwater fishes in similar settings.
A shocking discovery of threat risks on newly described species of weakly electric fishes
Authors: Tagliacollo Victor A. , Camelier Priscila , Zanata Angela M. , Reis Roberto E.
Published: July 2019

This study aims to investigate relationships between species traits and publication date in the weakly electric osteoglossiform Mormyroidea (African knifefish and elephantfishes) and the ostariophysan Gymnotiformes (Neotropical knifefishes). It is investigated whether body size and geographic distribution area are correlated with publication date and whether extinction risk differs between both phylogenetically distant and geographically isolated clades. Statistical modelling indicates that the number of new species described annually is stable in mormyroids and clearly increasing in gymnotiforms. Best‐fitting generalised linear models (GLM) indicate that the newly discovered species are more often of small‐bodied, predominantly narrowly distributed and more likely to be threatened with extinction. These characteristics are more pronounced in mormyroids when compared with gymnotiforms, suggesting that some African electric fishes may live an ephemeral existence after formal description. Despite taxonomic work has been more intense in the Neotropics than in Africa in the recent decades, there is evidence that the African continent represents the next frontier of species descriptions. Taxonomic studies are fundamental for the understanding of richness and distribution and hence extinction risk assessment and conservation, of these remarkable convergent fish clades.
The effect of sacral massage on labor pain and anxiety: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Karaduman Serap , Akköz Çevik Semra
Published: July 2019

Aim

Nonpharmacologic pain control methods, which are increasingly becoming widespread in coping with labor pain, are the methods that allow women to completely relax without using any medication and direct them to perceive the pain at the lowest level. This study was conducted to determine the effect of sacral massage on labor pain and anxiety.

Methods

This study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study at Bağcılar Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic between March and October 2016. In all, 60 women, 30 of whom were in the control group and 30 of whom were in the experimental group, constituted the research sample. The women in the experimental group were administered a massage to the sacral region for 30 min. The questionnaire form, birth action follow‐up form, postpartum interview form, visual analog scale (VAS) and state‐trait anxiety inventory were used to collect data in the study.

Results

The latent phase VAS averages (3.57 ± 1.43), active phase VAS averages (7.03 ± 1.5) and transition phase VAS averages (8.83 ± 1.78) of the experimental group were found to be statistically significantly lower than those of the control group (P < .05).

Conclusion

It was concluded that sacral massage applied during labor reduced women's labor pain, lowered the levels of concern and anxiety, led to greater feelings of satisfaction among pregnant women in terms of labor, positively affected the perception of labor and had no fetal side effects.
Toward safer thanatopraxy cares: formaldehyde‐releasers use
Authors: Varlet Vincent , Bouvet Alain , Cadas Hugues , Hornung Jean‐Pierre , Grabherr Silke
Published: July 2019

Human cadavers constitute very useful educational tools to teach anatomy in medical scholarship and related disciplines such as physiology, for example. However, as biological material, human body is subjected to decay. Thanatopraxy cares such as embalming have been developed to slow down and inhibit this decay, but the formula used for the preservation fluids are mainly formaldehyde (FA)‐based. Very recently, other formulas were developed in order to replace FA, and to avoid its toxicity leading to important environmental and professional exposure concerns. However, these alternative FA‐free fluids are still not validated or commercialized, and their efficiency is still under discussion. In this context, the use of FA‐releasing substances, already used in the cosmetics industry, may offer interesting alternatives in order to reduce professional exposures to FA. Simultaneously, the preservation of the body is still guaranteed by FA generated over time from FA‐releasers. The aim of this review is to revaluate the use of FA in thanatopraxy cares, to present its benefits and disadvantages, and finally to propose an alternative to reduce FA professional exposure during thanatopraxy cares thanks to FA‐releasers use.
Food bolus‐forming ability predicts incidence of aspiration pneumonia in nursing home older adults: A prospective observational study
Authors: Hase Takashi , Miura Yuka , Nakagami Gojiro , Okamoto Shigefumi , Sanada Hiromi , Sugama Junko
Published: July 2019

Background

Food boluses in the pharynx without enough bolus formation sometimes cause aspiration among older adults; however, the relationship between food bolus‐forming ability and incidence of aspiration pneumonia is unclear.

Objective

To investigate the relationship between food bolus‐forming ability and incidence of aspiration pneumonia by evaluating the condition of chew‐swallow managing food transported into the pharynx.

Methods

A prospective observational study conducted in a nursing home for the elderly between April 2016 and February 2018. Seventy‐three residents who swallowed thickened liquids and consistent boluses without aspiration were included. Food boluses were graded into three categories in the pharynx using videoendoscopic evaluation. Boluses that retained their original shape were defined as Grade 1. A mixture of large and small boluses was defined as Grade 2. Boluses that had completely transformed into a paste were defined as Grade 3. The relationship between the bolus formation grade and incidence of aspiration pneumonia over 6‐month follow‐up was investigated.

Results

Seventeen residents developed aspiration pneumonia. The incidence rate of aspiration pneumonia was highest among residents with Grade 1 boluses, at an incidence rate of .187 cases per person‐month (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.097‐0.359). Cox regression showed residents with Grade 1 boluses had a hazard ratio of 4.548 (1.393‐14.85) for incidence of aspiration pneumonia compared with residents who had Grade 2 or 3 boluses.

Conclusion

Insufficient food bolus‐forming ability predicted high incidence of aspiration pneumonia. Healthcare professionals should evaluate the food bolus‐forming ability, as well as swallowing function, to prevent aspiration pneumonia.
Determination of gastrointestinal passage rate using three different markers in laying hens
Authors: Kolakshyapati Manisha , Bailey Craig , Zimazile Sibanda Terence , Morgan Natalie , Ruhnke Isabelle
Published: July 2019

The titanium dioxide (TiO2) marker technique is currently widely practiced as a method to evaluate gastrointestinal (GI) passage rate in poultry. However, this method requires sacrificing the animal to obtain digesta samples, is labour‐intensive and eliminates the possibility of follow‐up studies with the same individual. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the radiographic methods barium‐impregnated polyethylene spheres (BIPS) and barium sulphate (BaSO4) suspension are in agreement with the TiO2 technique and can be used as an alternative method for GI passage rate determination in laying hens. Whole‐body radiographs were taken at different time points. Hens of group 3 (n = 55) were orally inoculated with 5 g of feed mixed with 0.15 g TiO2, 5 hens per time point sacrificed, and whole gastrointestinal organs (crop, proventriculus, gizzard, small intestine and large intestine) were collected and analysed for TiO2 content. The average marker passage rate of hens administered BaSO4 was significantly faster than those administered BIPS (gizzard: 15.2 hr vs. 43.2 hr; small intestine: 15.2 hr vs. 38.4 hr, respectively). A greater percentage of BIPS remained in the crop at 0, 0.5, 2, 3 and 8 hr post‐inoculation (p.i.) and in the gizzard at 2, 24, 36 and 48 hr p.i. (all p < 0.05) compared to TiO2. In conclusion, the evaluation of the GI transit time is feasible using BIPS, TiO2 and BaSO4. The evaluation of the GI transit time using BIPS and BaSO4 needs further investigation.
Treatment adherence and support for people who inject drugs taking direct‐acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C infection
Authors: Read Phillip , Gilliver Rosie , Kearley John , Lothian Rebecca , Cunningham Evan B. , Chronister Karen J. , Dore Gregory J.
Published: July 2019

A community‐based public health facility in Sydney, Australia, the Kirketon Road Centre (KRC), provides health care to people who inject drugs (PWID), homeless and other marginalized people. Since March 2016, KRC has provided treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) with direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs). We aimed to evaluate treatment adherence amongst clients taking DAAs in a highly marginalized population. All clients who commenced DAA therapy prior to March 2018 at KRC were included in this observational cohort with a subset of clients attending daily or weekly for enhanced adherence support and dosing. Demographic, behavioural, clinical measures and medication dosing were recorded, and adherence was calculated as the proportion of doses taken during the expected treatment duration. Factors associated with adherence were examined using logistic regression. A total of 242 individuals commenced DAA therapy, of whom 79 (32%) received enhanced adherence support. Enhanced support was associated with homelessness, daily injecting, Aboriginality, mental health co‐morbidity and poly‐drug use (all P < .001). Overall adherence was 86%, and 92% of patients missed one or more doses (median 10, IQR 4‐24). At least 90% adherence during planned duration was seen in 38%, but increased to 66% by continuing therapy beyond planned duration. Intention‐to‐treat SVR12 was 68% and 66% in the enhanced adherence support sub‐population, with 29% lost to follow‐up by SVR12 testing. There were only 2 (0.8%) documented virological failures. Per‐protocol SVR12 was 99% and 96% in the enhanced adherence support sub‐population. In conclusion, adherence support may benefit those with multiple markers of marginalization. Extension of therapy beyond planned duration is a pragmatic strategy to enhance completion. Strategies to improve follow‐up, particularly post‐treatment are required.
A systematic review and meta‐analyses of the association between 4 mycoplasma species and lower respiratory tract disease in dogs
Authors: Jambhekar Anisha , Robin Elisabeth , Le Boedec Kevin
Published: July 2019

Background

The pathogenic role of mycoplasmas in the lower respiratory tract (LRT) of dogs is debated, because mycoplasmas can be isolated from both healthy and sick dogs.

Objectives

To critically assess available data from controlled observational studies on the role of 4 mycoplasma species in LRT disease of dogs.

Design

Systematic review and meta‐analyses.

Methods

Seven electronic databases were searched for relevant publications. Risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. Meta‐analyses, stratified by mycoplasmal species, were performed using a random effects Bayesian model with noninformative priors to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association betweenMycoplasma cynos,Mycoplasma canis,Mycoplasma spumans, andMycoplasma edwardiiand LRT disease in dogs.

Results

Five studies were included from 1201 references identified. All studies dealt withM. cynos, whereas 3 dealt with the other mycoplasma species. A significant association was found betweenM. cynosand LRT disease (Bayesian OR, 3.60; CI, 1.31‐10.29). Conversely,M. canis,M. spumans, andM. edwardiiwere not significantly associated with LRT signs (Bayesian OR, 1.06; CI, 0.10‐14.63; Bayesian OR, 3.40; CI, 0.16‐54.27; and Bayesian OR, 1.04; CI, 0.05‐23.54, respectively).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Results support a pathogenic role ofM. cynosand a commensal role ofM. canisandM. edwardiiin LRT in dogs. Although the association was not significant based on the CI, the point estimate of the Bayesian OR was relatively high forM. spumans, making its role less clear.Mycoplasma cynos‐specific polymerase chain reaction should be considered on samples from dogs with LRT.
Procedural Change in the UK House of Commons, 1811–2015
Authors: Goet Niels D. , Fleming Thomas G. , Zubek Radoslaw
Published: July 2019

Recent research has shown an increasing interest in the historical evolution of legislative institutions. The development of the UK Parliament has received particularly extensive attention. In this article, we contribute to this literature in three important ways. First, we introduce a complete, machine‐readable data set of all the Standing Orders of the UK House of Commons between 1811 and 2015. Second, we demonstrate how this data set can be used to construct innovative measures of procedural change. Third, we illustrate a potential empirical application of the data set, offering an exploratory test of several expectations drawn from recent theories of formal rule change in parliamentary democracies. We conclude that the new data set has the potential to substantially advance our understanding of legislative reforms in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Conjuring Biosecurity in the Post‐Ebola Kissi Triangle: The Magic of Paperwork in a Frontier Clinic
Authors: Frankfurter Raphael
Published: July 2019

This article considers the increasing centrality of biosecurity and epidemiological surveillance as key priorities for the Sierra Leonean health care system after the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak. Amid this broad shift from conceiving of clinics as sites primarily for the provision of therapeutics to instead sites for disease surveillance and threat mitigation, paperwork regimes have proliferated within remote facilities that are out of stock of nearly all supplies and unable to address even the most basic of infectious diseases. Drawing on fieldwork in one such clinic in the region in which Ebola first emerged, I describe one nurse whose endless paperwork tasks seem to have transformed into a type of magical therapeutic practice, resonant with other forms of local text‐based healing. Thus, I reflect on the ways that the logics of the fetish—and the emergent ambiguities and perils therein—come to operate through paperwork for local healing practices and biosecuritization efforts alike.
Lingering stereotypes: Salience bias in philosophical argument
Authors: Fischer Eugen , Engelhardt Paul E.
Published: July 2019

Many philosophical thought experiments and arguments involve unusual cases. We present empirical reasons to doubt the reliability of intuitive judgments and conclusions about such cases. Inferences and intuitions prompted by verbal case descriptions are influenced by routine comprehension processes which invoke stereotypes. We build on psycholinguistic findings to determine conditions under which the stereotype associated with the most salient sense of a word predictably supports inappropriate inferences from descriptions of unusual (stereotype‐divergent) cases. We conduct an experiment that combines plausibility ratings with pupillometry to document this “salience bias.” We find that under certain conditions, competent speakers automatically make stereotypical inferences they know to be inappropriate.
Identifying a human rights–based approach to obesity for States and civil society
Authors: Patterson David , Buse Kent , Magnusson Roger , Toebes Brigit
Published: July 2019

Obesity and its comorbidities pose daunting challenges to global health and development in the 21st century. This paper reviews some commonalities between obesity and another global health challenge, the pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). International human rights law was an important catalyst for civil society movements that helped to overcome inertia and generate political will for State action in response to HIV and AIDS. Drawing on the HIV experience, the authors propose a conceptual model for a human rights–based response to obesity founded on the twin pillars of State obligations and civil society engagement. Framing States' obligations to address the global obesity pandemic as a matter of international law, informed by the examples of the United Nations “International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights” and the General Comments of the United Nations human rights treaty bodies on HIV and AIDS, provides a normative framework to guide State actions and opportunities to engage the extensive accountability mechanisms of the United Nations international human rights system. In addition, it provides civil society organizations with the language and tools to demand State action on obesity. The authors call for similar authoritative guidance for States on the application of international human rights law to obesity.
Quality of life of older persons in nursing homes after the implementation of a knowledge‐based palliative care intervention
Authors: Bökberg Christina , Behm Lina , Ahlström Gerd
Published: July 2019

Background

The goals of palliative care are to relieve suffering and promote quality of life. Palliative care for older persons has been less prioritised than palliative care for younger people with cancer, which may lead to unnecessary suffering and decreased quality of life at the final stage of life.

Aim

To evaluate whether a palliative care intervention had any influence on the perceived quality of life of older persons (≥65 years).

Methods

This study was conducted as a complex intervention performed with an experimental crossover design. The intervention was implemented in 20 nursing homes, with a six‐month intervention period in each nursing home. Twenty‐three older persons (≥65 years) in the intervention group and 29 in the control group were interviewed using the WHOQOL‐BREF and WHOQOL‐OLD questionnaires at both baseline and follow‐up. The collected data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test to compare paired data between baseline and follow‐up.

Results

In the intervention group, no statistically significant increases in quality of life were found. This result contrasted with the control group, which revealed statistically significant declines in quality of life at both the dimension and item levels. Accordingly, this study showed a trend of decreased health after nine months in both the intervention and control groups.

Conclusion

It is reasonable to believe that quality of life decreases with age as part of the natural course of the ageing process. However, it seems that the palliative care approach of the intervention prevented unnecessary quality of life decline by supporting sensory abilities, autonomy and social participation among older persons in nursing homes. From the ageing perspective, it may not be realistic to strive for an increased quality of life in older people living in nursing homes; maybe the goal should be to delay or prevent reduced quality of life. Based on this perspective, the intervention prevented decline in quality of life in nursing home residents.

Implications for practice

The high number of deaths shows the importance to identify palliative care needs in older persons at an early stage to prevent or delay deterioration of quality of life.
Single and multiple time‐point allergic sensitization during childhood and risk of asthma by age 13
Authors: Schoos Ann‐Marie Malby , Jelding‐Dannemand Ea , Stokholm Jakob , Bønnelykke Klaus , Bisgaard Hans , Chawes Bo Lund
Published: July 2019

Background

The relationship between allergic sensitization during childhood and risk of developing asthma remains unclear.

Objective

To analyze single time‐point and temporal patterns of sensitization in childhood in relation to asthma at age 13.

Methods

Specific IgE (sIgE) level and skin prick test (SPT) toward 22 food allergens and aeroallergens were assessed at 6, 18 months, 4, 6, and 13 years in children from the high‐risk Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood2000 (COPSAC2000) mother‐child cohort. We analyzed the association between single time‐point monosensitization, polysensitization, and quantitative assessment of sensitization, that is, sum of all sIgE levels and SPT wheal sizes, against asthma at age 13. In addition, we analyzed the association between three temporal patterns of sensitization: (a) early‐transient, (b) late‐onset, and (c) persistent sensitization and asthma.

Results

Polysensitization status measured by SPT or sIgE was at all single time‐points associated with increased risk of asthma at age 13: OR range, SPT = 3.0‐15.7, and sIgE = 2.6‐15.7, respectively, whereas monosensitization status was inconsistently associated with asthma. Quantitative assessment of both sIgE and SPT results was associated with asthma at all single time‐points: OR range, SPT = 1.3‐3.6, and sIgE = 1.1‐1.7. Persistent sensitization, but not early‐transient or late‐onset sensitization was associated with asthma by age 13: OR [95% CI], SPT = 8.9 [2.8‐28.23], and sIgE = 2.9 [1.1‐7.6], respectively.

Conclusion

Sensitization to multiple allergens at single time‐points, increasing sIgE levels and SPT wheal sizes, and persistent sensitization during childhood were associated with increased risk of asthma at age 13, suggesting the use of quantitative and repetitive sensitization measurements when assessing risk of developing asthma.