bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probe‐based confocal laser endomicroscopy in the margin delineation of early gastric cancer for endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Park Jun Chul , Park Yehyun , Kim Hyun Ki , Jo Jeong‐Hyeon , Park Chan Hyuk , Kim Eun Hye , Jung Da Hyun , Chung Hyunsoo , Shin Sung Kwan , Lee Sang Kil , Lee Yong Chan
Published: November 2016

Background and Aim

We evaluated probe‐based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) in the margin delineation of early gastric cancer (EGC) for endoscopic submucosal dissection in comparison with white‐light imaging with chromoendoscopy (CE).

Methods

We conducted a prospective, randomized controlled study from November 2013 to October 2014 in a tertiary referral hospital. A total of 101 patients scheduled for endoscopic submucosal dissection due to differentiated EGC were randomized into pCLE and CE groups (pCLE 51, CE 50). Markings were made by electrocautery at the proximal and distal tumor margins, as determined by either pCLE or CE. The distance from the marking to the tumor margin was measured in the resected specimen histopathologically and was compared between the two groups by a linear mixed model.

Results

Among 104 lesions, 80 lesions with 149 markings (pCLE 68, CE 81) were analyzed after excluding undifferentiated EGCs (n = 8) and unidentifiable markings (n = 13). Although the complete resection rate showed no difference between the groups (94.6% vs 93.2%, P = 1.000), the median distance from the marking to the margin was shorter in the pCLE group (1.3 vs 1.8 mm, P = 0.525) and the proportion of the distance <1 mm was higher (43.9% vs 27.6%, P = 0.023) in the pCLE group. Finally, subgroup analysis with superficial flat lesions (18 lesions, 31 marking dots) showed a significantly decreased distance in the pCLE group (0.5 vs 3.1 mm, P = 0.007).

Conclusions

Among EGCs with superficial flat morphology, in which the accurate evaluation of lateral extent is difficult with CE, pCLE would be useful for more precise margin delineation.
Mild Thyrotoxicosis Leads to Brain Perfusion Changes: An Arterial Spin Labelling Study
Authors: Göbel A. , Heldmann M. , Sartorius A. , Göttlich M. , Dirk A.‐L. , Brabant G. , Münte T. F.
Published: November 2016

Hypo‐ and hyperthyroidism have effects on brain structure and function, as well as cognitive processes, including memory. However, little is known about the influence of thyroid hormones on brain perfusion and the relationship of such perfusion changes with cognition. The present study aimed to demonstrate the effect of short‐term experimental hyperthyroidism on brain perfusion in healthy volunteers and to assess whether perfusion changes, if present, are related to cognitive performance. It is known that an interaction exists between brain perfusion and cerebral oxygen consumption rate and it is considered that neural activation increases cerebral regional perfusion rate in brain areas associated with memory. Measuring cerebral blood flow may therefore represent a proxy for neural activity. Therefore, arterial spin labelling (ASL) measurements were conducted and later analysed to evaluate brain perfusion in 29 healthy men before and after ingesting thyroid hormones for 8 weeks. Psychological tests concerning memory were performed at the same time‐points and the results were correlated with the imaging results. In the hyperthyroid condition, perfusion was increased in the posterior cerebellum in regions connected with cerebral networks associated with cognitive control and the visual cortex compared to the euthyroid condition. In addition, these perfusion changes were positively correlated with changes of performance in the German version of the Auditory Verbal Learning Task [AVLT, Verbaler Lern‐und‐Merkfähigkeits‐Test (VLMT)]. Cerebellar perfusion and function therefore appears to be modulated by thyroid hormones, likely because the cerebellum hosts a high number of thyroid hormone receptors.
Chinese women health ambassadors programme: A process evaluation
Authors: Wong Janet Yuen Ha , Chan Maggie Mee Kie , Lok Kris Yuet Wan , Ngai Vivian Fei Wan , Pang Michelle Tsz Ha , Chan Claudia Kor Yee , Yau Jessie Ho Yin , Choi Edmond Pui Hang , Fong Shirley Siu Ming
Published: November 2016

Aims and objectives

The aim of this study was to assess a community‐women health ambassadors programme and report the areas that were successful and those that required improvement. The objectives were to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, implementation and sustainability of the programme.

Background

Health promotion for the prevention of chronic diseases has always been the top priority in the health sector. To ensure that the relevant health messages are well received in local communities, a health promotion programme must be accessible, acceptable and culturally relevant.

Design

We conducted and evaluated a women health ambassador programme based on the lay health advisor model for health promotion in Hong Kong during November 2014 to February 2015. Health needs and the subsequent focus of the programme were determined by underprivileged Chinese women.

Methods

University health educators from different disciplines trained the women (N = 80) to be health ambassadors through mini‐lectures and training workshops. The trained women raised awareness about the importance of health within their families and social networks. The programme was evaluated through attendance rates, questionnaires and quizzes, changes in knowledge and behaviour, as well as qualitative discussion.

Results

While the majority of participants found the programme valuable and useful, retention rates were unideal. A statistically significant improvement was found in eating habits, but no significant change was identified for other knowledge and behaviour assessments.

Conclusions

The programme empowered underprivileged women to reflect on the importance of health, take responsibility for their own health and actively promote health to their families and personal communities.

Relevance to clinical practice

Our study supports that health promotion programmes based on the lay health advisor model are effective and encourage large‐scale programmes of this nature. Our results also support that future health promotion efforts should deliver brief, clear and simple content as opposed to intricate information.
Pain assessment and management in paediatric oncology: a cross‐sectional audit
Authors: Plummer Karin , McCarthy Maria , McKenzie Ian , Newall Fiona , Manias Elizabeth
Published: November 2016

Aims and objectives

To describe the pain assessment and management practices documented by health professionals within a tertiary‐level Children's Cancer Centre and to evaluate how these practices were compared with international recommendations.

Background

Children with cancer are vulnerable to pain due to the intensity of antineoplastic therapy. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that current pain management practices provided to paediatric oncology inpatients are of a high quality.

Design

A single‐site cross‐sectional audit.

Methods

A 24‐hour period of documented pain‐related care in randomly selected inpatients of an Australian tertiary‐level Children's Cancer Centre was examined. The current pain management practices were audited over a two‐month period resulting in 258 episodes of pain‐related care being reviewed.

Results

Pain related to medical treatment for cancer was common (n = 146/258, 57%) and persistent. The presence of pain was not consistently recorded by health professionals (n = 75/146, 51%). Pain was mild (n = 26/75, 35%) and opioids were the mainstay of pain management interventions (n = 63/112, 56%). Adjuvants were an important component of pain management (n = 47/112, 42%), and nonpharmacological methods of managing pain were under‐represented in this audit (n = 38/146, 26%). According to the Pain Management Index, pain was appropriately managed for the majority of children (n = 65/76, 87%).

Conclusions

Pain management practices did not fully reflect the recommendations of contemporary paediatric pain management. Due to limitations in the documentation of children's pain, it was difficult to determine the effectiveness of pain management interventions.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study highlights the ongoing problem of pain for children receiving antineoplastic therapy. It is recommended that health professionals routinely screen for the presence of pain during hospitalisation and assess the efficacy of pain‐related care.
Signs of Change? At‐Home and Breadwinner Parents' Housework and Child‐Care Time
Authors: Chesley Noelle , Flood Sarah
Published: November 2016

The authors analyze American Time Use Survey data to examine patterns in domestic work among at‐home and breadwinner parents to gauge how time availability, relative earnings, and gender shape time use in couples with extreme differences in earnings and work hours. They find that involvement in female‐typed housework is an important driver of overall housework time. It is counternormative housework behavior by at‐home fathers that shapes conclusions about how time availability, relative resources, and gender influence parents' housework. Although time availability appears to shape child care in comparable ways across parents, mothers are more engaged in child care than similarly situated fathers. Overall, comparisons point to the importance of distinguishing among gender‐normative housework tasks and accounting for differences in engagement on work and nonwork days. The results provide a basis for assessing the social significance of growing numbers of parents in work–family roles that are not gender normative.
Testing for Asymmetric Information in Insurance Markets: A Multivariate Ordered Regression Approach
Authors: Dardanoni Valentino , Forcina Antonio , Donni Paolo Li
Published: November 2016

The positive correlation (PC) test is the standard procedure used in the empirical literature to detect the existence of asymmetric information in insurance markets. This article describes a new tool to implement an extension of the PC test based on a new family of regression models, the multivariate ordered logit, designed to study how the joint distribution of two or more ordered response variables depends on exogenous covariates. We present an application of our proposed extension of the PC test to the Medigap health insurance market in the United States. Results reveal that the risk–coverage association is not homogeneous across coverage and risk categories, and depends on individual socioeconomic and risk preference characteristics.
The structure of everyday narrative in a city market: An ethnopoetics approach
Authors: Blackledge Adrian , Creese Angela , Hu Rachel
Published: November 2016

This paper considers the value of Hymesian ethnopoetics as a means of analysing everyday narrative in conditions of mobility and change. The paper offers an account of the development of ethnopoetics as a means to make visible and valorize narrative in the Native American oral tradition, and as a method of revealing culturally specific relations of form and meaning. Hymes’ ethnopoetic approach viewed narrative structure as a reflection of a cultural tradition of meaning‐making. Hymes’ analysis proposed that traditional narrative was a culturally shaped way of speaking, and analysis of narrative structure could reveal and recreate culture. His orientation rested on an assumption that the culture of a group was more or less stable and fixed. This paper adopts an approach to analysis based on ethnopoetics, representing everyday narrative dramatically, organized not only as lines and verses, but also as scenes and acts. Representation in scenes and acts makes visible the dynamic nature of the narrative. The paper asks whether Hymes’ ground‐breaking work on ethnopoetics still has currency and purchase in 21st‐century conditions of mobility, change, and unpredictability. Analysis of everyday narrative in a city market concludes that, notwithstanding the complexity of notions of ‘culture’ and ‘language’ in such conditions, ethnopoetics can be productively applied to everyday contexts for the analysis of narrative.
Egg production performance, egg yolk antioxidant profile and excreta concentration of corticosterone in golden pheasants (Chrysolophus pictus) fed diets containing different levels of green vegetables
Authors: Kullu S. S. , Das A. , Bajpai S. K. , Garg A. K. , Yogi R. K. , Saini M. , Sharma A. K.
Published: November 2016

In order to study the effect of feeding graded levels of green vegetables on egg production performance and egg yolk antioxidant status, 27 female golden pheasants (GP) were randomly distributed into three groups of nine each in an experiment based on completely randomized design. The diets of the birds in groups T1, T2 and T3 contained 1.4%, 2.7% and 5.0% of green vegetables respectively. Feeding of experimental diets started on 12th February (day 1) and was continued till 30 June 2012. Average number of eggs laid and egg mass produced by the hens in group T3 was higher (p < 0.004) than those of T1 and T2. Hen day egg production was lowest (p < 0.001) in group T1. Roche yolk colour score was highest (p < 0.01) in T3 followed by T2 and was lowest in T1. Other external and internal egg quality parameters were similar among the groups. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of egg yolk was higher (p < 0.04) in group T3 as compared to other two groups. Egg yolk concentration of total carotenoids, β‐carotene, total sulfhydryl, protein‐bound sulfhydryl and non‐protein‐bound sulfhydryl was higher (p < 0.05), whereas concentration of malondialdehyde was lower (p < 0.024) in group T3 as compared to other two groups. Excreta concentration of corticosterone was highest (p < 0.012) in T1, followed by T2, and was lowest in T3. Egg yolk concentration of TAC and TSH was positively and that of malondialdehyde was negatively correlated with carotenoids intake. Excreta concentration of corticosterone was negatively correlated with carotenoids intake. It was concluded that incorporation of green vegetables in the diet at 5% on dry matter basis would improve egg production, egg yolk antioxidant status and the ability of the captive GP to combat stress.
Understanding Zika virus
Authors: Murray John S.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

This article describes what pediatric healthcare professionals should know about Zika virus (ZIKV).

Literature Review

ZIKV is classified as an arthropod‐borne, single‐stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family and genus Flavivirus. ZIKV is not new. The virus was first discovered almost 70 years ago in Uganda. The first isolate of the virus was found in rhesus monkeys in the Zika Forrest, hence the nomenclature. The primary route of ZIKV transmission to humans is through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito—primarily Aedes aegypti. When the mosquito bites individuals infected with the virus, mosquitos then become the vector of transmitting the infection to others. Women can also pass ZIKV to their fetus during pregnancy and at the time of delivery. ZIKV can also be transmitted through sexual activity from an individual who is infected with the virus to his or her partners. It is estimated that approximately 18% of individuals infected with ZIKV will go on to develop symptoms. When symptoms develop, it is usually within 3–12 days, although this may vary. Most often, symptoms are mild and self‐limited. The most common symptoms are fever, arthralgia, maculopapular rash, and conjunctivitis lasting up to seven days. Less frequent symptoms include headache, vertigo, myalgia, vomiting, and diarrhea. At present, there is no vaccine available to prevent ZIKV and no specific antiviral treatment. Supportive care consisting of rest, hydration, analgesics, antihistamines, and antipyretics is recommended as needed. Given that there is no vaccine or treatment for ZIKV, considerable efforts must be focused on prevention. One of the most effective ways of preventing ZIKV infection is through avoiding mosquito bites, especially when traveling to or residing in areas where transmission is present. Precautions should include wearing appropriate attire with the objective of having as little skin exposed as possible, use of screens for windows and doors, and use of insect repellent.

Practice Implications

What is known about ZIKV changes continually. An infectious threat that was relatively obscure just a few months ago has now become a topic of heightened interest worldwide. Pediatric healthcare professionals must remain cognizant of evolving developments and emerging new evidence.
Robust Optimal Lane Allocation for Isolated Intersections
Authors: Yu Chunhui , Ma Wanjing , Lo Hong K. , Yang Xiaoguang
Published: November 2016

Lane allocation including approach and exit lane numbers and lane markings of approach lanes plays an important role in improving the capacity of an intersection. Conventional approaches for optimizing lane allocation often ignore fluctuations in traffic demand (TD). This article presents a stochastic model for robust optimal lane allocation of an isolated intersection under stochastic traffic conditions. This model is built in three steps. In the first step, an enhanced lane‐based model in the form of a binary mixed‐integer nonlinear program is proposed to optimize lane allocation and traffic signals for both vehicles and pedestrians in a unified framework under deterministic traffic conditions. In the second step, a two‐level stochastic model is developed to obtain a robust lane allocation that is less sensitive to traffic flow fluctuations considering the flexibility of traffic signals. In the third step, the two‐level model is further transformed into a TD‐based stochastic model in a two‐phase form to reduce the solution dimension for efficient computation. A TD‐based genetic algorithm procedure is presented for solvability. Numerical studies are conducted to validate the model formulations and solution algorithms.
Wavelet Filter Design for Pavement Roughness Analysis
Authors: Alhasan Ahmad , White David J. , De Brabanter Kris
Published: November 2016

Control and characterization of pavement roughness is a major quality assurance requirement. With emerging technologies in real‐time monitoring and increasingly stringent requirements to minimize localized roughness features, there is an opportunity to improve upon the traditional quarter‐car (QC) algorithm used to qualify roughness. Current methods suffer from phase lag that mislocates roughness features and require relatively long profiles to achieve high accuracy. In this study, continuous and discrete wavelet bases were modified in the frequency domain to design 116 new QC‐wavelet filters in the spatial domain that were used to analyze 30 road profiles. QC‐wavelet filters were compared to the currently used finite difference algorithm and filtering in the frequency domain. QC‐wavelet filters design based on a Daubechies and nonanalytic Morlet (i.e., db21 and morl0) wavelets outperformed the other filters and algorithms in terms of characterizing overall profiles and accurately quantifying localized features. The major advantages of the new approach include accurately estimating the position and severity of localized feature, and accurately analyzing short profile segments (i.e., <7.62 m).
Frontiers for research on the ecology of plant‐pathogenic bacteria: fundamentals for sustainability
Authors: Morris Cindy E. , Barny Marie‐Anne , Berge Odile , Kinkel Linda L. , Lacroix Christelle
Published: November 2016

Methods to ensure the health of crops owe their efficacy to the extent to which we understand the ecology and biology of environmental microorganisms and the conditions under which their interactions with plants lead to losses in crop quality or yield. However, in the pursuit of this knowledge, notions of the ecology of plant‐pathogenic microorganisms have been reduced to a plant‐centric and agro‐centric focus. With increasing global change, i.e. changes that encompass not only climate, but also biodiversity, the geographical distribution of biomes, human demographic and socio‐economic adaptations and land use, new plant health problems will emerge via a range of processes influenced by these changes. Hence, knowledge of the ecology of plant pathogens will play an increasingly important role in the anticipation and response to disease emergence. Here, we present our opinion on the major challenges facing the study of the ecology of plant‐pathogenic bacteria. We argue that the discovery of markedly novel insights into the ecology of plant‐pathogenic bacteria is most likely to happen within a framework of more extensive scales of space, time and biotic interactions than those that currently guide much of the research on these bacteria. This will set a context that is more propitious for the discovery of unsuspected drivers of the survival and diversification of plant‐pathogenic bacteria and of the factors most critical for disease emergence, and will set the foundation for new approaches to the sustainable management of plant health. We describe the contextual background of, justification for and specific research questions with regard to the following challenges:

Development of terminology to describe plant–bacterial relationships in terms of bacterial fitness.

Definition of the full scope of the environments in which plant‐pathogenic bacteria reside or survive.

Delineation of pertinent phylogenetic contours of plant‐pathogenic bacteria and naming of strains independent of their presumed life style.

Assessment of how traits of plant‐pathogenic bacteria evolve within the overall framework of their life history.

Exploration of possible beneficial ecosystem services contributed to by plant‐pathogenic bacteria.
Assessment of the anti‐feeding and insecticidal effects of the combination of dinotefuran, permethrin and pyriproxyfen (Vectra®3D) againstTriatoma infestanson rats
Authors: TAHIR D. , DAVOUST B. , VARLOUD M. , BERENGER J.‐M. , RAOULT D. , ALMERAS L. , PAROLA P.
Published: November 2016

This study, based on the rat model, was designed to explore the anti‐feeding and insecticidal efficacy of a topical ectoparasiticide, dinotefuran–permethrin–pyriproxyfen (DPP), againstTriatoma infestans(Hemiptera:Reduviidae), a vector ofTrypanosoma cruzi(Trypanosomatida:Trypanosomatidae), for which dogs are domestic reservoir hosts. Twenty rats were divided into two equal groups: untreated and treated. Each rat was exposed under sedation to 16T. infestansof mixed life stages for 1 h on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 post‐treatment. The anti‐feeding and insecticidal effects ofDPPwere estimated after 1 h of exposure. Insecticidal efficacy was also assessed after incubation of the insects for 24 h post‐exposure. Anti‐feeding efficacy was 96.7, 84.7, 80.5, 81.5 and 42.6% on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28, respectively. Insecticidal efficacy evaluated at 1 and 24 h after exposure on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 was 100, 91.2, 82.5, 80.0 and 29.1, and 100, 100, 100, 96.0 and 49.9%, respectively. This study demonstrates that a single administration ofDPPspot‐on treatment at a dose equivalent to the minimal recommended dose in rats has a powerful effect againstT. infestansstarting from day 1 that lasts for at least 3 weeks.
Variances in family carers' quality of life based on selected relationship and caregiving indicators: A quantitative secondary analysis
Authors: Naef Rahel , Hediger Hannele , Imhof Lorenz , Mahrer‐Imhof Romy
Published: November 2016

Aims and objectives

To determine subgroups of family carers based on family relational and caregiving variables and to explore group differences in relation to selected carer outcomes.

Background

Family caregiving in later life holds a myriad of positive and negative outcomes for family members' well‐being. However, factors that constitute family carers' experience and explain variances are less well understood.

Design

A secondary data analysis using cross‐sectional data from a controlled randomised trial with community‐dwelling people 80 years or older and their families.

Methods

A total of 277 paired data sets of older persons and their family carers were included into the analysis. Data were collected via mailed questionnaires and a geriatric nursing assessment. A two‐step cluster analysis was performed to determine subgroups. To discern group differences, appropriate tests for differences with Bonferroni correction were used.

Results

Two family carer groups were identified. The low‐intensity caregiver group (57% of carers) reported high relationship quality and self‐perceived ease of caregiving. In contrast, the high‐intensity caregiver group (43% of carers) experienced significantly lower relationship quality, felt less prepared and appraised caregiving as more difficult, time intensive and burdensome. The latter cared for older, frailer and more dependent octogenarians and had significantly lower levels of quality of life and self‐perceived health compared to the low‐intensity caregiver group.

Conclusions

A combination of family relational and caregiving variables differentiates those at risk for adverse outcomes. Family carers of frailer older people tend to experience higher strain, lower relationship quality and ability to work together as a family.

Implications for practice

Nurses should explicitly assess family carer needs, in particular when older persons are frail. Family carer support interventions should address caregiving preparedness, demand and burden, as well as concerns situated in the relationship.
Are supervisors and coworkers likely to witness employee counterproductive work behavior? An investigation of observability and self–observer convergence
Authors: Carpenter Nichelle C. , Rangel Bertha , Jeon Gahyun , Cottrell Jonathan
Published: November 2016

Supervisor and coworker ratings (i.e., “observer ratings”) remain a common manner of measuring counterproductive work behavior (CWB) despite long‐standing doubts that observers have the opportunity to witness the work behaviors they are expected to rate. We conducted 2 studies that evaluated the observability of CWB items and consequences of observability. First, we show that many CWBs are unlikely to be witnessed by supervisors or coworkers—specifically, behaviors such as “spends too much time fantasizing or daydreaming instead of working” and “discussed confidential company information with an unauthorized person” were found to be lowest in observability, whereas “cursed at someone at work” or “acted rudely toward someone at work” were relatively higher in observability (though observability was generally low). Second, a meta‐analysis revealed variability in item‐level relationships (correlations and mean differences) between self‐ratings and observer ratings for specific CWB scale items (i.e., items from Bennett & Robinson, 2,000). Important, this variability was partially explained by observability—behaviors with low self–observer convergence tend to have low levels of observability, whereas behaviors with higher levels of convergence tend to have higher levels of observability. This study demonstrates that supervisor and coworker ratings of CWB may be susceptible to an observability bias resulting from rating behaviors they have not likely witnessed.
Shared and unique prototype features of relationship quality concepts
Authors: KITO MIE
Published: November 2016

Previous research on relationship quality concepts suggests they are not as distinct as expected. What aspects are similar and distinct across these concepts? Using a prototype approach, this research identified the commonalities and uniqueness of 7 relationship quality concepts: commitment, intimacy, love, passion, satisfaction, trust, and relationship quality. The results indicated that (a) 4 features were shared across all 7 concepts, and some were exclusive to each concept, and (b) shared features were rated as more important for romantic relationship functioning than unique features both explicitly and implicitly. This research provides a framework to understand overarching and distinct aspects of relationship quality concepts and how this is reflected in people's evaluation of what is important in romantic relationships.
Research gaps in the philosophy of evidence‐based medicine
Authors: Mebius Alexander , Kennedy Ashley Graham , Howick Jeremy
Published: November 2016

Increasing philosophical attention is being directed to the rapidly growing discipline of evidence‐based medicine (EBM). Philosophical discussions of EBM, however, remain narrowly focused on randomization, mechanisms, and the sociology of EBM. Other aspects of EBM have been all but ignored, including (a) the nature of clinical reasoning and the question of whether it can be standardized; (b) the application of EBM principles to the logic, value, and ethics of diagnosis and prognosis; (c) evidence synthesis (systematic reviews and meta‐analyses); and (d) the nature and ethics of placebo controls. Philosophical analysis in each of these areas has the potential to enhance the discussion of EBM methodology and practice.
Modal Semantics without Worlds
Authors: Warmke Craig
Published: November 2016

Over the last half century, possible worlds have bled into almost every area of philosophy. In the metaphysics of modality, for example, philosophers have used possible worlds almost exclusively to illuminate discourse about metaphysical necessity and possibility. But recently, some have grown dissatisfied with possible worlds. Why are horses necessarily mammals? Because the property of being a horse bears a special relationship to the property of being a mammal, they say. Not because every horse is a mammal in every possible world. Some have recently begun to use properties to develop rivals to possible worlds semantics which may someday compare in formal power and capture the different systems of modal logic. In this paper, I do two things. I first offer a quick primer on possible worlds semantics. Then I discuss three rivals and the work they have left to do.
Resatorvid‐based Pharmacological Antagonism of Cutaneous TLR4 Blocks UV‐induced NF‐κB and AP‐1 Signaling in Keratinocytes and Mouse Skin
Authors: Janda Jaroslav , Burkett Nichole B. , Blohm‐Mangone Karen , Huang Vivian , Curiel‐Lewandrowski Clara , Alberts David S. , Petricoin Emanuel F. , Calvert Valerie S. , Einspahr Janine , Dong Zigang , Bode Ann M. , Wondrak Georg T. , Dickinson Sally E.
Published: November 2016

Cutaneous exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major causative factor in skin carcinogenesis, and improved molecular strategies for efficacious chemoprevention of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are urgently needed. Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling has been shown to drive skin inflammation, photoimmunosuppression, and chemical carcinogenesis. Here we have examined the feasibility of genetic and pharmacological antagonism targeting cutaneous TLR4 for the suppression of UV‐induced NF‐κB and AP‐1 signaling in keratinocytes and mouse skin. Using immunohistochemical and proteomic microarray analysis of human skin, we demonstrate for the first time that a significant increase in expression of TLR4 occurs in keratinocytes during the progression from normal skin to actinic keratosis, also detectible during further progression to squamous cell carcinoma. Next, we demonstrate that siRNA‐based genetic TLR4 inhibition blocks UV‐induced stress signaling in cultured keratinocytes. Importantly, we observed that resatorvid (TAK‐242), a molecularly targeted clinical TLR4 antagonist, blocks UV‐induced NF‐κB and MAP kinase/AP‐1 activity and cytokine expression (Il‐6, Il‐8, and Il‐10) in cultured keratinocytes and in topically treated murine skin. Taken together, our data reveal that pharmacological TLR4 antagonism can suppress UV‐induced cutaneous signaling, and future experiments will explore the potential of TLR4‐directed strategies for prevention of NMSC.
Designing Graphs to Communicate Risks: Understanding How the Choice of Graphical Format Influences Decision Making
Authors: Stone Eric R. , Bruine de Bruin Wändi , Wilkins Abigail M. , Boker Emily M. , MacDonald Gibson Jacqueline
Published: November 2016

Previous research suggests that the choice of graphical format for communicating risk information affects both understanding of the risk magnitude and the likelihood of acting to decrease risk. However, the mechanisms through which these effects work are poorly understood. To explore these mechanisms using a real‐world scenario, we examined the relative impact of two graphical displays for depicting the risk of exposure to unexploded ammunition during potential land redevelopment. One display depicted only the foreground information graphically (a bar graph of the number of people harmed), and a second depicted the foreground and background graphically (a stacked bar graph representing both the number harmed and at risk). We presented 296 participants with either the foreground‐only or the foreground and background graphical display and measured a broad set of outcome variables, examining (1) the graphical display effect on each of the outcome measures and (2) the pathways by which any display effects work to influence decision making. We found that the foreground‐only graphical display increased perceived likelihood and experienced fear, which produced greater worry, which in turn increased risk aversion. In addition, a positive evaluation of the communication materials increased support for policies related to land redevelopment, whether those policies were risk taking or risk mitigating. Finally, the foreground‐only graphical display decreased understanding of the risk magnitude, showing that approaches to accomplish one risk communication goal (promoting risk‐averse decisions) may do so at the expense of another goal (increasing understanding).
Bridging the Gap between Social Acceptance and Ethical Acceptability
Authors: Taebi Behnam
Published: November 2016

New technology brings great benefits, but it can also create new and significant risks. When evaluating those risks in policymaking, there is a tendency to focus on social acceptance. By solely focusing on social acceptance, we could, however, overlook important ethical aspects of technological risk, particularly when we evaluate technologies with transnational and intergenerational risks. I argue that good governance of risky technology requires analyzing both social acceptance and ethical acceptability. Conceptually, these two notions are mostly complementary. Social acceptance studies are not capable of sufficiently capturing all the morally relevant features of risky technologies; ethical analyses do not typically include stakeholders’ opinions, and they therefore lack the relevant empirical input for a thorough ethical evaluation. Only when carried out in conjunction are these two types of analysis relevant to national and international governance of risky technology. I discuss the Rawlsian wide reflective equilibrium as a method for marrying social acceptance and ethical acceptability. Although the rationale of my argument is broadly applicable, I will examine the case of multinational nuclear waste repositories in particular. This example will show how ethical issues may be overlooked if we focus only on social acceptance, and will provide a test case for demonstrating how the wide reflective equilibrium can help to bridge the proverbial acceptance‐acceptability gap.
Foreign Language Learning and Trade
Authors: Ginsburgh Victor , Melitz Jacques , Toubal Farid
Published: November 2016

The paper is devoted to an econometric analysis of learning foreign languages in all parts of the world. Our sample covers 193 countries and 13 important languages. Four factors significantly explain learning: world population of speakers of home language, trade with speakers of foreign language, linguistic distance between home and foreign language and literacy. Trade may well deserve more emphasis than the other three factors, not only for its significance, but also because its direction can change faster and by a larger order of magnitude. Controlling for any of the 13 target languages, including English, is of no particular importance.
Prospective Study of Major Loss Life Events and Risk for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Daniel Stephanie S. , Goldston David B. , Erkanli Alaattin , Heilbron Nicole , Franklin Joseph C.
Published: November 2016

This prospective, naturalistic study examined the association between major loss life experiences, other psychiatric risk factors (depression, hopelessness, and anxiety), and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) among adolescents followed through young adulthood for up to 14 years. Major loss life events were related to subsequent increases in STBs. Major loss life events were primarily related to increases in suicide ideation in the presence of lower levels of other risk factors. There was a bidirectional relationship between major losses and other risk factors. Implications for the association between loss experiences, other risk factors, and future STBs are discussed.
The importance of context in task selection
Authors: Weiland Travis
Published: November 2016

Context is at the core of any statistical investigation, yet many statistics tasks barely require students to go beyond superficial consideration of the contexts the tasks are situated in. In this article, I discuss a framework for evaluating the level of interaction with context a task requires of students and how to modify tasks to increase the levels of interaction required.
Treatment outcomes of over 1000 patients on second‐line, protease inhibitor‐based antiretroviral therapy from four public‐sector HIV treatment facilities across Johannesburg, South Africa
Authors: Shearer Kate , Evans Denise , Moyo Faith , Rohr Julia K. , Berhanu Rebecca , Van Den Berg Liudmyla , Long Lawrence , Sanne Ian , Fox Matthew P.
Published: November 2016

Objectives

To report predictors of outcomes of second‐line ART for HIV treatment in a resource‐limited setting.

Methods

All adult ART‐naïve patients who initiated standard first‐line treatment between April 2004 and February 2012 at four public‐sector health facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa, experienced virologic failure and initiated standard second‐line therapy were included. We assessed predictors of attrition (death and loss to follow‐up [≥3 months late for a scheduled visit]) using Cox proportional hazards regression and predictors of virologic suppression (viral load <400 copies/ml ≥3 months after switch) using modified Poisson regression with robust error estimation at 1 year and ever after second‐line ART initiation.

Results

A total of 1236 patients switched to second‐line treatment in a median (IQR) of 1.9 (0.9‐4.6) months after first‐line virologic failure. Approximately 13% and 45% of patients were no longer in care at 1 year and at the end of follow‐up, respectively. Patients with low CD4 counts (<50 vs. ≥200, aHR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.03–3.32) at second‐line switch were at greater risk for attrition by the end of follow‐up. About 75% of patients suppressed by 1 year, and 85% had ever suppressed by the end of follow‐up.

Conclusions

Patients with poor immune status at switch to second‐line ART were at greater risk of attrition and were less likely to suppress. Additional adherence support after switch may improve outcomes.
Technical Evaluation of the Consequence of HCDP Upsets From Gas Producers Along Pipeline Laterals
Authors: Hartloper Colin , Botros Kamal K. , Tittemore Karman
Published: November 2016

Natural gas accepted into the pipeline at receipt points is subject to gas quality specifications to ensure that downstream laterals and mainlines are not subjected to operational upsets, and that the integrity of the pipeline and related facilities is not compromised. One of the specifications is the maximum hydro-carbon dew point (HCDP) at the pipeline operating pressure. Occasionally, gas plants encounter operational upsets that result in a higher HCDP. If the HCDP exceeds the ground temperature, condensation of heavier hydrocarbon can potentially occur along the lateral. Ideally, after an upset has been detected and the producer has been shut in, the lateral would be pigged to remove the condensed hydrocarbons. However, if the lateral is unpiggable, the only way to remove the liquids is to evaporate them into a flow of dryer gas. The present paper compares two potential courses of action which may be taken after a high HCDP is detected at a receipt point on an unpiggable line: (a) flowing dry gas from the producer after the source of upset is corrected, or (b) pulling dryer gas back from the operator’s mainline through the lateral to the producer. In order to determine the most appropriate course of action for a given upset, the state of the lateral during and after the upset must first be accurately quantified. In the present paper, the state was modelled based on the governing equations of fluid flow including heat transfer and condensation, the GERG-2008 equation of state, and empirical liquid-hold-up equations. The effect of flow parameters (e.g., gas composition, lateral elevation profile, ground temperature, etc.) on the upset severity is explored. Subsequently, models for forward flow and pull back are presented, and the criteria for selecting when either course of action is appropriate are discussed.
Application of Error-in-Variable Model (EVM) for Estimating Gas Pipeline Internal Wall Roughness Before and After Pigging
Authors: Leung Teresa , Smith Joel , Glen Trevor , Runciman Will
Published: November 2016

Gas pipeline internal surface typically undergoes degradation for a variety of reasons such as fouling of the pipe inner surface, erosion, corrosion and deposits of objectionable materials that occasionally enter the gas stream at receipt points. Accurate monitoring of the pipe internal surface condition can hugely benefit the planning of cleaning activities. Theoretically the pipe wall roughness for a given pipe segment can be extracted based on measured flow data and other system parameters. The challenge lies in the fact that measured data all contain varying degrees of uncertainty, and the system becomes more complex to analyze when it contains different segments connected in series or parallel like many typical gas gathering and lateral networks. This paper demonstrates the application of the Error-in-Variable Model (EVM) using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) solution method in analyzing a complex pipeline network on the TransCanada NGTL System. EVM, a well-established Bayesian parameter estimation technique, accounts for uncertainties in the measured variables, such as flow and pressure data, when determining the most probable estimates of unknown parameters such as pipe internal wall surface roughness. In this work, the EVM problem is solved using the MCMC Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. The MCMC approach is demonstrated to be robust, easy to implement and capable of handling large quantities of data. It has the potential to analyze complex networks and monitor the pipe wall surface condition on-line with SCADA data. Using this method, the internal wall surface roughness for the segments of interest in this network were extracted from measured data collected before and after the pigging operation. Results demonstrate the model’s capability in estimating the degradation of the pipe wall internal surface and the effectiveness of pigging. Details on implementation and challenges in applying such methodology to analyze complex gas networks are discussed.
Design of In-Service Repair Welding Procedures for Operating Pipelines: Critical Assessment of Variables Affecting Restraint Level and Heat-Affected Zone Microstructures of Vintage Pipelines
Authors: Guest Stuart , Dyck Jason , Egbewande Afolabi , MacKenzie Robert , Sadowski Mark
Published: November 2016

In order to maintain pipeline operation during repair and maintenance work, operators typically install branch (i.e. hot-tap) and repair fittings (i.e. sleeves) onto flowing pipelines. In-service welding procedures must be designed for these installations per code requirement. Welding induced cracking during the installation of pressure containing repair fittings is a major concern when welding onto flowing pipelines. Repair fitting dimensions influence cooling rates and restraint conditions. A combination of high stress and brittle microstructures formed during the rapid cooling of high carbon equivalent vintage pipeline steel can create conditions that promote the formation of cracks. CSA Z662 and API 1104 specify essential variables (requirements) that aim to mitigate risk of cracking by qualifying the weld procedure to equal or more severe conditions than expected in the field. These essential variables can include material carbon equivalent, cooling rate, and level of restraint limitations to be applied during qualification of the weld procedure. This paper will focus on the creation of a safe welding procedure by pre-welding assessment of the phase transformations that occur during welding on liquid product vintage pipelines and modelling the influence of readily quantifiable variables on the level of restraint induced by repair fittings.

Finite element analysis (FEA) was utilized to study the thermal history of simulated in-service weld heat affected zones to approximate the stress and strain magnitudes (level of restraint) at the fillet weld toe of simulated sleeve repairs. Thermal analysis was conducted on various weld bead geometries to simulate the effects of cooling rates and tempering. To aid in the design of a safe weld procedure, two continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were constructed from a vintage 1960s API 5L X52 pipe with a carbon equivalent of 0.51% (CEN and IIW). This enabled the selection of optimal welding parameters that produced desirable HAZ microstructures. The modeling of restraint level accounted for the thermal expansion and contraction of a multi-pass fillet weld sequence on various pipe and sleeve thicknesses. The sleeve-on-pipe configuration was compared to the plate-on-plate configuration. Sleeve wall thickness was varied from 1 to 7 times the pipe wall thickness to account for any possible instances where a very thick fitting, such as emergency fittings (e.g. STOPPLE®), may be installed on a thin pipeline. Test welds were completed on the 1960s vintage pipeline steel with a high volume water flow loop to simulate operating conditions. The heat affected zone hardness values correlated well with those predicted by the FEA and CCT results.
A Different Approach to High Resolution CP Evaluation
Authors: Krissa Len J. , Williams David M. , Janda Dennis C.
Published: November 2016

Assessing the effectiveness of Cathodic Protection (CP) in multiple pipeline corridors can be challenging. Close interval potential (CIS or CIPS) above ground CP surveys rely on interruption of all current sources that affect a particular pipeline and can be especially problematic in multi-pipe corridors involving several operators. Multi-pipe corridors can be very congested and complicated with numerous pipeline crossings and bonds. These circumstances can lead to difficulties in locating and ensuring the above ground survey is being conducted over the pipeline of interest. Inappropriate decisions surrounding the actual integrity of a particular pipeline have been made based on conventional pipe to soil surveys. The use of inline cathodic protection current measurement tools can eliminate a number of errors associated with above ground potential assessment techniques in multiple pipeline corridors and provide more accurate integrity data. CP ILI inspections can conclusively identify undocumented electrical connections to other structures on pipelines in such congested corridors. Active, unbeknownst bonds/connections will cause significant errors in CIS/CIPS data if not properly addressed during data acquisition. Additionally, information collected through the CIS technique is generalized since it is the average gradient being measured from all influencing adjacent lines. Information from an inline cathodic protection current measurement tool is specific to only the pipeline being inspected and therefore eliminates this uncertainty. This paper outlines an alternative approach to above ground close interval survey for assessing CP performance using inline inspection technology.