bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On Cronbach’s Alpha as the Mean of All Possible k-Split Alphas
Authors: Warrens Matthijs J.
Published: September 2014

Coefficient alpha is the most commonly used internal consistency reliability coefficient. Alpha is the mean of all possible k-split alphas if the items are divided into k parts of equal size. This result gives proper interpretations of alpha: interpretations that also hold if (some of) its assumptions are not valid. Here we consider the cases where the items cannot be split into parts of equal size. It is shown that if a k-split is made such that the items are divided as evenly as possible, the difference between alpha and the mean of all possible k-split alphas can be made arbitrarily small by increasing the number of items.
Alterations of Choline Phospholipid Metabolism in Endometrial Cancer Are Caused by Choline Kinase Alpha Overexpression and a Hyperactivated Deacylation Pathway
Authors: Trousil Sebastian , Lee Patrizia , Pinato David J. , Ellis James K. , Dina Roberto , Aboagye Eric O. , Keun Hector C. , Sharma Rohini
Published: September 2014

Metabolic rearrangements subsequent to malignant transformation are not well characterized in endometrial cancer. Identification of altered metabolites could facilitate imaging-guided diagnosis, treatment surveillance, and help to identify new therapeutic options. Here, we used high-resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance mass spectroscopy on endometrial cancer surgical specimens and normal endometrial tissue to investigate the key modulators that might explain metabolic changes, incorporating additional investigations using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, tissue microarrays (TMA), and uptake assays of [3H]-labeled choline. Lipid metabolism was severely dysregulated in endometrial cancer with various amino acids, inositols, nucleobases, and glutathione also altered. Among the most important lipid-related alterations were increased phosphocholine levels (increased 70% in endometrial cancer). Mechanistic investigations revealed that changes were not due to altered choline transporter expression, but rather due to increased expression of choline kinase α (CHKA) and an activated deacylation pathway, as indicated by upregulated expression of the catabolic enzymes LYPLA1, LYPLA2, and GPCPD1. We confirmed the significance of CHKA overexpression on a TMA, including a large series of endometrial hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia, and adenocarcinoma tissues, supporting a role for CHKA in malignant transformation. Finally, we documented several-fold increases in the uptake of [3H]choline in endometrial cancer cell lines compared with normal endometrial stromal cells. Our results validate deregulated choline biochemistry as an important source of noninvasive imaging biomarkers for endometrial cancer. Cancer Res; 74(23); 6867–77. ©2014 AACR.
A Gnotobiotic Mouse Model Demonstrates That Dietary Fiber Protects against Colorectal Tumorigenesis in a Microbiota- and Butyrate-Dependent Manner
Authors: Donohoe Dallas R. , Holley Darcy , Collins Leonard B. , Montgomery Stephanie A. , Whitmore Alan C. , Hillhouse Andrew , Curry Kaitlin P. , Renner Sarah W. , Greenwalt Alicia , Ryan Elizabeth P. , Godfrey Virginia , Heise Mark T. , Threadgill Deborah S. , Han Anna , Swenberg James A. , Threadgill David W. , Bultman Scott J.
Published: September 2014

Whether dietary fiber protects against colorectal cancer is controversial because of conflicting results from human epidemiologic studies. However, these studies and mouse models of colorectal cancer have not controlled the composition of gut microbiota, which ferment fiber into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. Butyrate is noteworthy because it has energetic and epigenetic functions in colonocytes and tumor-suppressive properties in colorectal cancer cell lines. We used gnotobiotic mouse models colonized with wild-type or mutant strains of a butyrate-producing bacterium to demonstrate that fiber does have a potent tumor-suppressive effect but in a microbiota- and butyrate-dependent manner. Furthermore, due to the Warburg effect, butyrate was metabolized less in tumors where it accumulated and functioned as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor to stimulate histone acetylation and affect apoptosis and cell proliferation. To support the relevance of this mechanism in human cancer, we demonstrate that butyrate and histone-acetylation levels are elevated in colorectal adenocarcinomas compared with normal colonic tissues.

Significance: These results, which link diet and microbiota to a tumor-suppressive metabolite, provide insight into conflicting epidemiologic findings and suggest that probiotic/prebiotic strategies can modulate an endogenous HDAC inhibitor for anticancer chemoprevention without the adverse effects associated with synthetic HDAC inhibitors used in chemotherapy. Cancer Discov; 4(12); 1387–97. ©2014 AACR.

See related commentary by Sebastián and Mostoslavsky, p. 1368

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1355
Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinomas Identifies Recurrent RAF Fusions and Frequent Inactivation of DNA Repair Genes
Authors: Chmielecki Juliann , Hutchinson Katherine E. , Frampton Garrett M. , Chalmers Zachary R. , Johnson Adrienne , Shi Chanjuan , Elvin Julia , Ali Siraj M. , Ross Jeffrey S. , Basturk Olca , Balasubramanian Sohail , Lipson Doron , Yelensky Roman , Pao William , Miller Vincent A. , Klimstra David S. , Stephens Philip J.
Published: September 2014

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas (PACC) account for approximately 1% (∼500 cases) of pancreatic cancer diagnoses annually in the United States. Oncogenic therapuetic targets have proven elusive in this disease, and chemotherapy and radiotherapy have demonstrated limited efficacy against these tumors. Comprehensive genomic profiling of a large series of PACCs (n = 44) identified recurrent rearrangements involving BRAF and RAF1 (CRAF) in approximately 23% of tumors. The most prevalent fusion, SND1–BRAF, resulted in activation of the MAPK pathway, which was abrogated with MEK inhibition. SND1–BRAF-transformed cells were sensitive to treatment with the MEK inhibitor trametinib. PACCs lacking RAF rearrangements were significantly enriched for genomic alterations, causing inactivation of DNA repair genes (45%); these genomic alterations have been associated with sensitivity to platinum-based therapies and PARP inhibitors. Collectively, these results identify potentially actionable genomic alterations in the majority of PACCs and provide a rationale for using personalized therapies in this disease.

Significance: PACC is genomically distinct from other pancreatic cancers. Fusions in RAF genes and mutually exclusive inactivation of DNA repair genes represent novel potential therapeutic targets that are altered in over two thirds of these tumors. Cancer Discov; 4(12); 1398–1405. ©2014 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1355
Foresight, Unpredictability & Chance in Chemistry & Cognate Subjects
Authors: Thomas John Meurig
Published: September 2014

In numerous branches of natural philosophy, the ways in which major, transformative advances are achieved are often cloaked in mystery, or arrived at through a fortunate concatenation of circumstances. This theme is pursued here with the aid of some examples from my own work on catalysis (the speeding up of the attainment of chemical equilibria), as well as from the work of others. The emergence of the maser (forerunner of the laser), the development of positron emission tomography, and the creation of blood-glucose sensors for use by those suffering from type 2 diabetes are among the innovations adumbrated here. In addition to describing the unpredictable nature of much scientific discovery, I also describe areas in which new chemical technology will be especially beneficial to society. I foresee that openstructure solid catalysts are likely to transform many of the ways in which chemicals, now manufactured in an environmentally harmful manner, will be produced in the future. Also outlined is the vital need to understand and exploit photocatalysts so as to harness solar energy. Finally, I touch upon the absolute value of chemistry in the quest for beauty and truth.
Mapping the Universe: Surveys of the Sky as Discovery Engines in Astronomy
Authors: Strauss Michael A.
Published: September 2014

Astronomers can map the sky in many ways: observing in different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, obtaining spectra of stars and galaxies to determine their physical properties and distances, and repeatedly observing to measure the variability, explosions, and motions of celestial objects. In this review I describe recent surveys of the sky astronomers have carried out, focusing on those in the visible part of the spectrum. I describe in detail the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, an ongoing imaging and spectroscopic survey of over one quarter of the celestial sphere. I also discuss some of the major surveys planned for the next decade, using telescopes both on the ground and in space.
The Formation & Evolution of Galaxies
Authors: van Dokkum Pieter
Published: September 2014

Weighing in at 1042 kilograms and measuring 1021 meters across, galaxies are perhaps the most awe-inspiring objects known to mankind. They are also the only places in an otherwise dark and unforgiving universe where stars and planets are able to form. In the past five to ten years we have made enormous progress in understanding when galaxies came into being and how they changed and evolved over the course of cosmic time. For the first time, we have a rudimentary idea of what our own Milky Way looked like in the distant past, and we can now simulate Milky Way–like galaxies inside powerful computers. As we are starting to understand what happened in our galaxy's past, we are now turning to the question of why it happened. Untangling the complex physical processes that shape galaxies is extremely difficult, and will require continued advances in computers and information from powerful new telescopes coming online in the next decade.
Coordinated synchronization of multiple robot manipulators with dynamical uncertainty
Authors: Cicek E , Dasdemir J , Zergeroglu E
Published: September 2014

In this paper, the position synchronization problem of robotic manipulators, in master–slave form, under a coordinated control scheme is addressed in both joint and task/operation space. The manipulators are considered fully actuated, with all system states measurable. The desired trajectory is only accessible to the master robot and information flow is only from master to slaves as opposed to the usual but restrictive assumption of cooperative synchronization scheme. Despite the parametric uncertainty in the system dynamics the proposed adaptive controllers yield asymptotic synchronization of the network in both joint and task space. Lyapunov-based arguments are applied in the stability proofs and controller design. Simulation studies performed on a two-robot manipulator network are presented to demonstrate the viability and performance of the proposed control methods.
‘Isles of Wonder’: performing the mythopoeia of utopic multi-ethnic Britain
Authors: Silk Michael
Published: September 2014

Within this article, I interrogate the mediated ‘narratives of nation’ told through the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. Such narratives are not just pedagogic, they are political and ideological processes that require us to pose questions about the place of the past in the present and with regard to who is entitled to speak that past. I suggest that the ceremony performed an ‘aesthetic of selective silence’ and offered a platform to induce nostalgia and identification beyond our own selves while offering a powerful historical teleology: multi-ethnic Britain was given no past, rather, the ‘noises’ that were amplified in the present provided a common, fixed and concretely grounded past that centred on an Anglicized, simple, stable, safe and pure fantasy in which divisions – gendered, classed, raced – were mere historical artifacts. I argue that the ceremony provided for the delivery of a multi-ethnic national fantasy that highlights central issues of being, belonging, privilege and hierarchy within a postcolonial heterophilic Britain, and which reasserts a utopic abstraction of nation and assimilation to core British values.
Foucault, Butler and corporeal experience
Authors: Vlieghe Joris
Published: September 2014

This article is concerned with the possibility of conceiving a form of social critique that has its locus in the human body. Therefore I engage in a close reading of the (later) work of Butler which can be analysed as an elaboration of a Foucaldian critical ‘virtue’. In order to elaborate and to refine my ideas I go deeper into the criticisms McNay has uttered regarding the very impossibility of taking any distance from a given social or political order within a Foucaldian–Butlerian framework. I show that there is no need to have recourse to a phenomenological perspective, as McNay claims, in order to achieve ‘critical distance’. On the contrary, I argue that it is imperative to explore a register of bodily experience that entails self-expropriation and which is linked to an attitude or ‘ethos’ that renounces any judgemental perspective.
Street-based Corruption in the Philippines: Motives, Ethical Considerations and Organizational Context
Authors: Nolasco Liberty , Sevillano Kurt , Regala Angeli , Tieng Deneisha
Published: September 2014

Mainstream studies generally focus on the formal organizational context of corruption, leaving out its informal complexity. This study seeks to examine street-based corruption, or kotongan, as a case of informal complexity of organizational corruption widely occurring in the major thoroughfares of the Philippines. Kotongan refers to the payment of bribe, called kotong or areglo, by the drivers to the state authorities (for example, police, traffic managers and local government personnel), respectively. This study takes the views of 16 bus and jeepney drivers based in Baclaran, Batangas, Buendia and Molino to explain the practice and enforcement of kotongan. A framework has been developed in this study in which the motives of drivers, their ethical decision-making considerations and the organizational support received by state authorities from connections serve as crucial elements. The study also reveals that corruption involves a process of communication preference for bribery, as well as the negotiation and agreement between drivers and apprehending parties. These processes are all backed up by different sets of motivators and ethical considerations in the decision making of drivers, and the changing configuration of support shown to state authorities by their connections.

JEL: K42
Social Media and the New Organization of Government Communications
Authors: Meijer Albert Jacob , Torenvlied René
Published: September 2014

Do social media de-bureaucratize the organization of government communications? Key features of the bureaucratic ideal-type are centralized and formalized external communications and disconnection of internal and external communications. Some authors argue that this organizational model is being replaced by a less bureaucratic model that better fits the communication demands of the information society. To explore this argument empirically, the use of twitter by Dutch police departments is investigated through an analysis of 982 accounts and 22 interviews. The empirical analysis shows that most twitter communication takes place through decentralized channels. While a minority of police officers use personal names on twitter, most use their formal identity. Twitter is mostly used for external communication but the mutual interest in the twitter communications of other police officers is substantial. The study nuances the idea of transformative change: the old bureaucratic and the new models manifest themselves in the hybrid organization of social media communications.
Patient-specific tube-voltage selection at coronary CT angiography based on the combination of X-ray attenuation on scout views and body mass index: how can appropriate radiation dose be achieved?
Authors: Noto Daichi , Funama Yoshinori , Utsunomiya Daisuke , Oda Seitaro , Yuki Hideaki , Yamashita Yasuyuki
Published: September 2014

Background

Body weight, body mass index (BMI), and scout X-ray radiographic attenuation can be used to predict image noise on computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTCA) images.

Purpose

To use a formula to predict patient-specific image noise and then select an appropriate CTCA patient-specific tube voltage for better radiation control.

Material and Methods

Forty-eight patients who underwent CTCA imaging at 120 kVp were reviewed, and their patient information and scouting X-ray radiographic attenuations were recorded to identify the best correlations between patient data and image noise and to develop a predicted image noise formula. Subsequently, 54 patients subjected to scanning at 100 or 120 kVp, depending on the noise predicted by our formula, were prospectively studied. Two radiologists visually assessed the image quality of the right coronary artery (RCA), left anterior descending artery (LAD), and left circumflex artery (LCX) by consensus readings.

Results

The predicted image noise = 0.939 BMI + 0.025 scouting attenuation + 20.16. The median value of the overall image noise was 30.55 HU at 120 kVp and 29.85 HU at 100 kVp. The mean visual evaluation scores at 100 and 120 kVp were 3.25 and 3.24 for the proximal RCA, 3.40 and 3.26 for the proximal LAD, and 3.30 and 3.15 for the proximal LCX, respectively.

Conclusion

The BMI and scouting X-ray radiographic attenuation can be combined to predict the CTCA image noise. Our prediction formula is useful for deciding when to switch from the 120- to the 100-kVp technique.
Efficiency, Participation, and Quality: Three Dimensions of E-Government?
Authors: Gable Matt
Published: September 2014

This book review essay offers a picture of e-government scholarship that involves three major themes: efficiency, citizen participation, and quality. Two of the themes, efficiency and citizen participation, have sometimes been counterposed in public administration literature, seeing citizen participation coming at the expense of efficiency. In this essay, the effects of the goals of efficiency and citizen participation on the third theme, “quality” in e-government literature, are explored via a thematic map based on multidimensional scaling. This analysis offers that efficiency and political participation in e-government literature stem from macro-political conceptions, and they are separate from “quality” concerns.
The effects of the combustion chamber geometry and a double-row nozzle on the diesel engine emissions
Authors: Choi Seungmok , Shin Seung-Hyup , Lee Jeongwoo , Min Kyoungdoug , Choi Hoimyung
Published: September 2014

This paper presents how injector nozzle distributions and the combustion chamber geometry affect the emission characteristics of diesel engines. The number of nozzle holes was increased from seven to 12 by a using double-row nozzle distribution to enhance the air–fuel mixing and the spatial distribution of the spray while avoiding spray overlap. The combustion chamber geometry was modified to have a wide shallow two-step bowl, which ensured adequate spray penetration with the double-row nozzle, to observe the influence of the spray–piston interaction on the combustion and emissions. Three hardware combinations (a seven-hole single-row nozzle with a conventional piston, a 12-hole double-row nozzle with a conventional piston, and a two-step piston) were tested in a single-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine under three boost and exhaust gas recirculation conditions. The injection timing was adjusted to result in a similar power by maintaining 50% of the total fuel mass fraction burned points for each hardware combination. For a conventional boost pressure (1.10 bar) and 30% exhaust gas recirculation, the 12-hole double-row nozzle with a conventional piston exhibited the best emission characteristics with a significant reduction in the particulate matter emissions. For a high boost pressure (1.30 bar) and 30% conventional exhaust gas recirculation, the nitrogen oxide emissions slightly increased and the particulate matter emissions decreased for the 12-hole double-row nozzle with a conventional piston compared with those for the seven-hole single-row nozzle. The two-step piston resulted in decreased particulate matter emissions but increased nitrogen oxide emissions under a high boost pressure. For 60% high exhaust gas recirculation, which is characterized by low-temperature combustion, the particulate matter emissions, the carbon monoxide emissions, and the total hydrocarbon emissions decreased simultaneously without an increase in the nitrogen oxide emissions using the 12-hole double-row nozzle with a two-step piston.
The mechanical properties of dissimilar resistance spot-welded DP600–DP1000 steel joints for automotive applications
Authors: Aydin Hakan
Published: September 2014

A study was conducted to investigate the microstructure and the mechanical properties of dissimilar resistance spot welds between steel sheets of DP600 and DP1000 using different welding currents for automotive applications. Microstructural characterization, microhardness tests and tensile shear tests of the joints were conducted. The dissimilar joints had three main microstructural zones: the base metals; the heat-affected zones of both steels; the fusion zone. Additionally, the DP1000 side of the joints also had a transition zone between the heat-affected zone and the base metal, which exhibited significant softening. Such a soft transition zone was not observed on the DP600 side. The peak hardness values were observed in the centre heat-affected zones of both sides of the joints. The welding current significantly influenced the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the joints. With increasing welding current, the nugget size increased almost linearly and the widths of the heat-affected zones on both sides became smaller. The use of higher welding currents reduced the microhardness values in the outer heat-affected zones of both sides and the fusion zone of the joints; the hardness values in these zones decreased almost linearly with increasing welding current. For a welding current of up to 10 kA, the tensile shear loads of the joints increased linearly with increasing welding current. The peak values of the tensile shear load and tensile deformation were obtained for the joints welded with a current of 10 kA. All joints exhibited the full button pull-out failure mode under the tensile shear loading test. The failure location of all joints was in the centre heat-affected zone. The joints welded with relatively lower welding currents (8–9.5 kA) failed on the DP1000 side, while the failure of the other joints fabricated with relatively higher welding currents (10–11 kA) was located on the DP600 side of the weld.
Analysis of Impact of Management Control Systems (MCS) on Productivity and Approach to Determining Strength of MCS for Road PPP Projects
Authors: Mony Suresh , Aparna A.
Published: September 2014

Expectations that public–private partnerships (PPPs) in roads will alleviate time overruns and enhance project productivity in India have not materialised. Substantial delays in tackling the attendant risks in the life cycle of the road PPP have occurred presumably because of weak management control systems (MCS) to mitigate risks. Very little research has been done on the influence of MCS on productivity. This article attempts to establish a relationship between MCS and project productivity. A strength index of MCS to serve as a strategic control mechanism is also presented.
Opening the Black Box
Authors: Evenboer K. E. , Huyghen A. M. N. , Tuinstra J. , Reijneveld S. A. , Knorth E. J.
Published: September 2014

Objective:

The Taxonomy of Care for Youth was developed to gather information about the care offered to children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems in various care settings. The aim was to determine similarities and differences in the content of care and thereby to classify the care offered to these children and youth within and across care organizations.

Method:

Interventions ( N = 56) offered in primary health care, child and youth care, and mental health care were assessed by using descriptors. Professionals scored the degree of applicability of these descriptors and interventions with similar descriptors were merged.

Results:

As a result, the interventions could be classified into 7 main types of support and the total number of interventions reduced to 27.

Conclusion:

The descriptors used in this study were able to classify the various kinds of care offered based on their content, thereby creating an overview of distinct interventions.
Powers of Romance
Authors: Clegg Stewart , Pina e Cunha Miguel , Rego Arménio , Story Joana
Published: September 2014

Problematic organizational relationships have recently been at the core of highly visible media coverage. Most analyses of sexual relations in organizations have been, however, simplistic and unidimensional, and have placed insufficient systematic emphasis on the role of governmentality in the social construction of organizational romance. In this article, we proceed in two theoretical steps. First, we elaborate a typology of organizational romance that covers different manifestations of this nuanced process. We think of these as organizational strategies of governmentality. Second, we elaborate and identify liminal cases that fall into the interstices of the four predominant ways of managing sexual relationships in organizations. We think of these as vases of liquid love and life that evade the border controls of regulation by governmentality. Finally, we relate these issues to debates about the nature of the civilizational process and suggest hypotheses for future research.
The Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
Authors: López-Pina José Antonio , Sánchez-Meca Julio , López-López José Antonio , Marín-Martínez Fulgencio , Núñez-Núñez Rosa Maria , Rosa-Alcázar Ana I. , Gómez-Conesa Antonia , Ferrer-Requena Josefa
Published: September 2014

The Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is the most frequently applied test to assess obsessive compulsive symptoms. We conducted a reliability generalization meta-analysis on the Y-BOCS to estimate the average reliability, examine the variability among the reliability estimates, search for moderators, and propose a predictive model that researchers and clinicians can use to estimate the expected reliability of the Y-BOCS. We included studies where the Y-BOCS was applied to a sample of adults and reliability estimate was reported. Out of the 11,490 references located, 144 studies met the selection criteria. For the total scale, the mean reliability was 0.866 for coefficients alpha, 0.848 for test–retest correlations, and 0.922 for intraclass correlations. The moderator analyses led to a predictive model where the standard deviation of the total test and the target population (clinical vs. nonclinical) explained 38.6% of the total variability among coefficients alpha. Finally, clinical implications of the results are discussed.
Random forest and variable importance rankings for correlated survival data, with applications to tooth loss
Authors: Hallett M.J. , Fan J.J. , Su X.G. , Levine R.A. , Nunn M.E.
Published: September 2014

Oral health is a significant issue for adults because of its relationship to quality of life, as well as systematic health and well being. Impaired oral health can lead to significant health problems, such as pain and infection. This article considers a tree-based method to assess tooth loss. In particular, a variable importance measure based on extremely randomized trees ( Geurts et al., 2006 ) is proposed for correlated survival data, and is applied to the VA Dental Longitudinal Study. This new variable importance method aims to remove the bias of the traditional random forest variable selection, which may favour input variables with more categories, as shown by Strobl et al. ( 2007 ). The multivariate exponential tree algorithm of Fan et al. ( 2009 ) is used to build trees, as it has superior prediction accuracy and computational efficiency compared to marginal and semiparametric frailty model-based trees ( Nunn et al., 2011 ). Simulation studies for assessing various variable importance methods are presented. To limit the final number of meaningful prognostic groups, an amalgamation procedure is used to develop tooth prognostic groups from a forest of trees. The resulting prognosis rules and variable importance rankings may be used in clinical practice to increase tooth retention and establish rational treatment plans. By ranking the relative importance of various clinical and genetic factors for tooth loss, we are able to provide clinicians with critical information so that they can develop and implement an effective treatment plan.
Analysis of Vascular Closure Devices After Transbrachial Artery Access
Authors: Mirza Aleem K. H. , Steerman Samuel N. , Ahanchi Sadaf S. , Higgins Jonathan A. , Mushti Sirisha , Panneton Jean M.
Published: September 2014

Introduction:

We seek to determine whether vascular closure devices (VCDs) are safe and effective for brachial artery access.

Methods:

A retrospective review of brachial artery access using either manual compression (MC) or a VCD for hemostasis from November 2005 to February 2011 was performed.

Results:

Brachial artery access was performed on 154 limbs: MC on 134 limbs and VCD on 20 limbs. The incidence of thrombotic (VCD n = 0 [0%] vs MC n = 7 [5.2%], P = .37), hemorrhagic complications (VCD n = 1 [5%] vs MC n = 7 [5.2%], P = .72), or major adverse events (VCD n = 1 [5%] vs MC n = 16 [12%], P = .32) was not significantly different between the techniques. After univariate and multivariate analysis, female sex ( P = .07, relative risk [RR] = 5.7), sheath size > 6F ( P = .008, RR = 14.6), and diagnostic versus interventional procedure ( P = .04, RR = 0.4) all impacted the occurrence of thrombosis.

Conclusions:

Use of VCD in the brachial artery following an endovascular procedure showed equivalence to MC.
Upper gastrointestinal malignancy
Authors: Rance Caroline , Jones Alun E
Published: September 2014

Oesophago-gastric (OG) cancer is the fifth-most-common malignancy in the UK, affecting around 15 000 people in 2013. Therefore, an average-sized general practice can expect to encounter several newly diagnosed patients every year. However, the incidence of OG cancer is rapidly increasing, especially adenocarcinoma of the distal oesophagus and OG junction. This is thought to be related to increases in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and obesity. As prognosis is largely dependent on stage of disease at presentation, general practice has a vital role in the early detection and referral of patients with suspicious symptoms. Furthermore, as most OG cancers present late with advanced disease, the overall prognosis remains very poor, with UK 5-year survival rates approaching 10%. GPs are therefore likely to play an increasingly significant role in the palliative management of patients with incurable disease.
Comparison of two methods of collecting healthcare usage data in chiropractic clinics: patient-report versus documentation in patient files
Authors: Houweling Taco , Bolton Jennifer , Newell David
Published: September 2014

Background

The use of patient-reported questionnaires to collect information on costs associated with routine healthcare services, such as chiropractic, represents a less labour intensive alternative to retrieving these data from patient files. The aim of this paper was to compare patient-report versus patient files for the collection of data describing healthcare usage in chiropractic clinics.

Methods

As part of a prospective single cohort multi-centre study, data on the number of visits made to chiropractic clinics determined using patient-reported questionnaires or as recorded in patient files were compared three months following the start of treatment. These data were analysed for agreement using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the 95% Limits of Agreement.

Results

Eighty-nine patients that had undergone chiropractic care were included in the present study. The two methods yielded an ICC of 0.83 (95% CI = 0.75 to 0.88). However, there was a significant difference between the data collection methods, with an average of 0.6 (95% CI = 0.25 to 1.01) additional visits reported in patient files. The 95% Limits of Agreement ranged from 3 fewer visits to 4 additional visits in patient files relative to the number of visits recalled by patients.

Conclusion

There was some discrepancy between the number of visits made to the clinic recalled by patients compared to the number recorded in patient files. This should be taken into account in future evaluations of costs of treatments.
Diagnostic utility of musculoskeletal ultrasound in patients with suspected arthritis – a probabilistic approach
Authors: Rezaei Hamed , Torp-Pedersen Søren , af Klint Erik , Backheden Magnus , Kisten Yogan , Györi Noémi , van Vollenhoven Ronald F
Published: September 2014

Introduction

This study aimed to assess the utility of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) in patients with joint symptoms using a probabilistic approach.

Methods

One hundred and three patients without prior rheumatologic diagnosis and referred to our clinic for evaluation of inflammatory arthritis were included. Patients were assessed clinically including joint examination, laboratory testing including acute-phase reactants, rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti citrulinated protein antibody (ACPA), and radiographs of hands and feet if clinically indicated. A diagnostic assessment was then performed by the responsible rheumatologist where the probability of a) any inflammatory arthritis and b) rheumatoid arthritis was given on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 to 20% up to 80 to 100% probability. Subsequently, an ultrasound examination of the wrist, metacarpophalangeal (MCP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints 2 to 5 in both hands, metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints 2 to 5 in both feet and any symptomatic joints was performed and the results presented to the same rheumatologist. The latter then assessed the diagnostic probabilities again, using the same scale.

Results

The rheumatologists' certainty for presence/absence of inflammatory arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis was increased significantly following ultrasound performance. The proportion of patient for whom diagnostic certainty for inflammatory arthritis was maximal was 33.0% before and 71.8% after musculoskeletal ultrasound (P <0.001). With regard to a diagnosis of RA, the proportions were 31.1% pre-test and 61.2% post-test (P <0.001). MSUS findings agreed with the final diagnosis in 95% of patients.

Conclusion

Musculoskeletal ultrasound, when added to routine rheumatologic investigation, greatly increases the diagnostic certainty in patients referred for the evaluation of inflammatory arthritis. The changes from pre-test to post-test probability quantify the diagnostic utility of musculoskeletal ultrasound in probabilistic terms.
Multi-Institutional Study of Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide As Single-Agent Graft-Versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation Using Myeloablative Busulfan and Fludarabine Conditioning
Authors: Kanakry Christopher G. , O'Donnell Paul V. , Furlong Terry , de Lima Marcos J. , Wei Wei , Medeot Marta , Mielcarek Marco , Champlin Richard E. , Jones Richard J. , Thall Peter F. , Andersson Borje S. , Luznik Leo
Published: September 2014

Purpose

The clinical safety and efficacy of intravenous busulfan and fludarabine (IV Bu/Flu) myeloablative conditioning as well as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with high-dose, post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) have been demonstrated independently in several single-institutional studies. We hypothesized that combining these two promising approaches in a multi-institutional study of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -matched bone marrow transplantation would provide low rates of severe acute and chronic GVHD, low toxicity, and effective disease control.

Patients and Methods

Ninety-two adult patients (median age, 49 years; range, 21 to 65 years) with high-risk hematologic malignancies were enrolled at three centers (clinical trial No. NCT00809276). Forty-five patients received related allografts, and 47 received unrelated allografts. GVHD prophylaxis was solely with PTCy at 50 mg/kg/day on post-transplantation days +3 and +4.

Results

The cumulative incidences of grades 2 to 4 acute, grades 3 to 4 acute, and chronic GVHD were 51%, 15%, and 14%, respectively. Nonrelapse mortality (NRM) at 100 days and 1 year were 9% and 16%, respectively. With a median follow-up period of 2.2 years, the 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 62% and 67%, respectively. Donor relatedness did not affect NRM, DFS, or OS. Patients in complete remission (CR) without evidence of minimal residual disease (MRD) had markedly better DFS (80%) and OS (80%) than patients in CR with MRD or with active disease at the time of transplantation (DFS, P = .0005; OS, P = .019).

Conclusion

This multi-institutional study demonstrates that PTCy can be safely and effectively combined with IV Bu/Flu myeloablative conditioning and confirms PTCy's efficacy as single-agent, short-course GVHD prophylaxis for both acute and chronic GVHD after bone marrow transplantation from HLA-matched donors.
Shorter-Duration Therapy Using Vincristine, Dactinomycin, and Lower-Dose Cyclophosphamide With or Without Radiotherapy for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Low-Risk Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Report From the Soft Tissue Sarcoma Committee of the Children's Oncology Group
Authors: Walterhouse David O. , Pappo Alberto S. , Meza Jane L. , Breneman John C. , Hayes-Jordan Andrea A. , Parham David M. , Cripe Timothy P. , Anderson James R. , Meyer William H. , Hawkins Douglas S.
Published: September 2014

Purpose

Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group (IRSG) studies III and IV showed improved failure-free survival (FFS) rates with vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide (VAC; total cumulative cyclophosphamide dose, 26.4 g/m2) compared with vincristine and dactinomycin (VA) for patients with subset-one low-risk embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS; stage 1/2 group I/II ERMS or stage 1 group III orbit ERMS). The objective of Children's Oncology Group ARST0331 was to reduce the length of therapy without compromising FFS for this subset of low-risk patients by using VA in combination with lower-dose cyclophosphamide (total cumulative dose, 4.8 g/m2) plus radiotherapy (RT).

Patients and Methods

This noninferiority prospective clinical trial enrolled newly diagnosed patients with subset-one clinical features. Therapy included four cycles of VAC followed by four cycles of VA over 22 weeks. Patients with microscopic or gross residual disease at study entry received RT.

Results

With a median follow-up of 4.3 years, we observed 35 failures among 271 eligible patients versus 48.4 expected failures, calculated using a fixed outcome based on the FFS expected for similar patients treated on the IRSG D9602 protocol. The estimated 3-year FFS rate was 89% (95% CI, 85% to 92%), and the overall survival rate was 98% (95% CI, 95% to 99%). Patients with paratesticular tumors had the most favorable outcome. Three-year cumulative incidence rates for any local, regional, or distant failures were 7.6%, 1.5%, and 3.4%, respectively.

Conclusion

Shorter-duration therapy that included lower-dose cyclophosphamide and RT did not compromise FFS for patients with subset-one low-risk ERMS.
Beating Irrationality: Does Delegating to IT Alleviate the Sunk Cost Effect?
Authors: Herrmann Philipp N. , Kundisch Dennis O. , Rahman Mohammad S.
Published: September 2014

We investigate the impact of delegating decision making to information technology (IT) on an important human decision bias—the sunk cost effect. To address our research question, we use a unique data set containing actual market transaction data for approximately 7,000 pay-per-bid auctions. In contrast with the laboratory experiments of previous related studies, our research presents the unique advantage of investigating the effects of IT-enabled automated bidding agents on the occurrence of a decision bias in real market transactions. We identify normatively irrational decision scenarios and analyze consumer behavior in these situations. Our findings show that participants with a higher behavioral investment are more likely to violate the assumption of normative economic rationality because of the sunk cost effect. More importantly, we observe that the delegation of auction participation, i.e., actual bidding, to IT significantly reduces the occurrence of the sunk cost effect in subsequent decisions made by the same individual. We can attribute this reduction to the comparably lower behavioral investments incurred by auction participants who delegate their bidding to IT. In particular, by mitigating different contributors of behavioral investments, delegating to IT reduces the likelihood of the occurrence of the sunk cost effect by more than 50%.

This paper was accepted by Sandra Slaughter, information systems.
The effects of sensory integration therapy on verbal expression and engagement in children with autism
Authors: Preis Janet , McKenna Meaghan
Published: September 2014

Background/Aim:

Sensory-based interventions, including sensory integration therapy (SIT), are one of the most highly requested and provided services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Although SIT is predominantly provided by occupational therapists, other service providers, including speech-language pathologists, are expected to understand and, on occasion, are requested to integrate SIT into their treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether: (a) SIT improved the communication skills of children with autism, specifically spontaneity, complexity of utterance, and engagement; (b) effects continued following the provision of SIT; and (c) effects were consistent across young children with autism with different learning profiles.

Methods:

A single-subject applied behaviour analysis design was implemented to assess the effectiveness of SIT on verbal spontaneity, grammatical complexity (measured through mean length of utterance) and engagement in four young children with ASD, measuring each area before, during and after SIT. The effects of sensory integration intervention were measured by comparing each participant's expressive language and engagement in a no-treatment phase (A phase) to those same skills in the treatment phase (B phase).

Findings:

All of the participants performed best in the occupational therapy or post-occupational therapy conditions for spontaneity, complexity of utterance, and engagement, and the worst in the pre-occupational therapy condition. Specifically, the greatest percentage of spontaneity was noted post-SIT, with the longest measured length of utterance during SIT, and the greatest engagement found both during and post-SIT. The pre-SIT condition consistently ranked as the lowest for all dependent measures.

Conclusions:

Results from this small study indicate that the SIT condition (occupational therapy) yielded better communication and engagement than the condition immediately prior (pre-occupational therapy); therefore, specific components of SIT need to be examined, particularly issues of motivation and momentum.
The role of nutrition in the management of cats with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Stuttard Gudi
Published: September 2014

As a species, cats have a different nutrient profile requirement to humans and dogs from whom, historically, nutritional information has been extrapolated. The greater understanding of the requirements of both the species and the disease process of diabetes mellitus means that it is now possible to recommend a specific nutrient profile and formulation to help nutritionally support cats with this prevalent disease. A strong link between obesity and feline diabetes mellitus means that weight management is an important part of managing the patient through the disease process and achieving good glycaemic control. Medical treatment with insulin remains the cornerstone of therapy for feline diabetes mellitus; however adaptation of the diet and providing consistency in the type and timings of food will also help in the long-term management process. Specific considerations should be made in relation to protein and carbohydrate content of the diet, not only to the overall quantity in the diet, but also the source and digestibility. It is recommended that cats should remain on a diet specifically formulated for the management of feline diabetes mellitus life-long (unless concurrent disease suggests otherwise), even if the patient enters remission.
The Surface Modification of Zeolite 4A and Its Effect on the Water-Absorption Capability of Starch-G-Poly (Acrylic Acid) Composite
Authors: Yan Zhang , Lin Zhao , Kai Ma , Guozhu Mao
Published: September 2014

The surface modification of Zeolite 4A using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a modifier via an ultrasonic method was carried out and the surface physicochemical properties measured. Response surface methodology (RSM) was developed with CTAB concentration, handling time, and handling temperature as variables, to help predict the performance of the modified zeolite under particular conditions. The influence of organic-modified surface treatment and of the amount of modified zeolite on the water-absorption capability of starch-g-poly (acrylic acid) hydrogel composites was also assessed. The results showed that the channels and skeleton structure of zeolite 4A were unchanged after organic modification by CTAB and the surface modification was effective. The results suggest that organic-modified zeolite 4A has improved the water-absorption capability.
Growth and recruitment after mountain forest selective cutting in irregular spruce forest. A case study in Northern Norway
Authors: Øyen Bernt-Håvard , Nilsen Petter
Published: September 2014

During the last thirty years the interest for the use of selective cutting in the sub-alpine spruce forests of Norway has increased. However, there have been very few investigations on the post harvesting development after such cuttings. Four plots in irregular Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) dominated forests on semi-fertile sites in Northern Norway have been the subjects of a case study. We performed a reconstruction of the stand development by means of biometric assessments and ring widths measurements of all standing trees. Tree ages, stand structure, growth and recruitment were examined. Even though a hypothetical reverse J-curve for the present diameter distribution was identified, the four plots were even-aged. Growth reactions indicate that most of the present sawtimber trees were established after heavy dimension cuttings in the late 19th century. The recruitment situation is characterized as satisfying in one of four plots. The post harvesting mean volume increment on the plots have been about two thirds of the potential yield estimated from site indices and maximum mean annual increment in regular stands. Managing strategies for irregular spruce forest stands are briefly discussed.