bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Increasing Role of English in Thai Academic Publications
Authors: Rhekhalilit Kittinata , Lerdpaisalwong Siriporn
Published: December 2019

The role of English as a medium of communication especially in the academic domain has been accelerated. This is reflected in the growing number of English language academic journals in non-English dominant countries such as: China, India and Spain (Ren and Rousseau 2004; Xian 2006). Similar to other peripheral countries, Thailand is no exception. This situation results in competition between the national language and English. This present study compares the language choice of academic papers published in Thai national journals in two major fields: science, and its counterpart, humanities and social science. The data collection includes a corpus of 663 articles published in 2005 and in 2015, specifically 346 from Science and 317 from Humanities and Social science. We have hypothesized that English plays a more significant role in scientific journals compared to those in Humanities and Social science. In addition to the language choice in Thai academic journals, a questionnaire was also distributed to 73 respondents to investigate the language ideology of Thai scholars in choosing a language for their manuscripts. The result reveals that many Thai scholars choose English in writing manuscripts due to the lack of technical terms in their field in Thai whereas some of them prefer Thai due to the publication process and the Thai readership orientation.
Description of five new Wulfila (Araneae, Anyphaenidae) species from Mexico with comments on the taxonomy of the genus
Authors: RIVERA-QUIROZ F. ANDRÉS , ÁLVAREZ-PADILLA FERNANDO
Published: December 2019

The genus Wulfila O. Pickard-Cambridge 1895 belongs to the family Anyphaenidae Bertkau, 1878, commonly called ghost spiders. Wulfila is endemic to the Americas and currently has 43 valid species; here we describe five new: Wulfila conchamonile spec. nov., W. xilitlensis spec. nov., W. luisi spec. nov., W. unguis spec. nov. and W. phantasma spec. nov. Specimens were collected in Mexico as part of three biological inventories developed in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, and Atotonilco and Xamaticpac, Veracruz, between 2011 and 2014. In addition, we provide an overview of Wulfila taxonomic literature with a discussion on the genus taxonomy, diagnostic characters, species placement, and novel genital characters.
A new species of Oligaphorura Bagnall, 1949 (Collembola: Onychiuridae) from Alaska
Authors: PAŚNIK GRZEGORZ , KAPRUS IGOR
Published: December 2019

The genus Oligaphorura Bagnall, 1949 currently comprises 56 species restricted in distribution to the Holarctic Region (Bellinger et al. 2019). Till now, only six of them have previously been recorded from Nearctic. The current paper presents the description of one new onychiurid species from Alaska.
The Superior Anticancer Effect of Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Paclitaxel Nanoparticles is Mediated Through Autophagic Cell Death
Authors: Yu Na , Li Jun , Singh Pankaj Kumar , Ding Dan , Sun Weihao , Tang Qiyun , Xu Huae
Published: December 2019

Paclitaxel (Ptx) is a first-line chemotherapeutic drug for advanced gastric cancer. However, the poor solubility of Ptx still limits its clinical application. Here, we designed a methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (DSPE-PEG2000-TK-Ptx) nanoparticle loaded
with "ROS sensitive" groups—thioketal (TK) to improve Ptx release in high ROS areas in cells. We evaluated the anticancer effect of the DSPE-PEG2000-TK-Ptx nanoparticles (Ptx-NPs) in the SGC-7901 gastric tumor cell line. The Ptx-NPs-treated group showed superior cytotoxicity
to the same dose of free Ptx by MTT test and clonogenic assay. Autophagy inhibitor 3-MA protected cells from the cytotoxicity of Ptx in tumor cells. More autophagic cells were identified in the Ptx-NPs group via MDC/EB dual staining. NAC, an ROS inhibitor, inhibited cell autophagy induced
by free Ptx or Ptx-NPs. SGC-7901 cells transfected with mCherry-EGFP-LC3II showed much brighter fluorescence in the Ptx-NPs group, while 3-MA markedly suppressed the fluorescence. Western blot verified the protein expression of autophagy, such as P62, Beclin 1 and LC3II. In this study, "ROS
sensitive" conjugated DSPE-PEG2000-TK-Ptx nanoparticles with enhanced cancer-suppressive efficacy were produced. Ptx-NPs could be a promising antitumor agent for gastric cancer treatment with more efficiency and fewer side effects.
Development of a Sequential Antibiotic Releasing System for Two-Stage Total Joint Replacement Surgery
Authors: Aşık Mehmet Dogan , Kaplan Mesut , Yalınay Meltem , Güven Eylem öztürk , Bozkurt Murat
Published: December 2019

In recent years, there has been an increase in nanoparticle research towards creating better release systems that can maintains the effective dosage over desired periods. Conventional nanoparticle systems have not been successful for this goal. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate
the sequential release profiles of hybrid materials, combining nanoparticles, hydrogels and bone cement, for the treatment of arthroplasty infections. In this study, Vancomycin, which is one of the most used antibiotics in orthopedics, was loaded to alginate–chitosan nanoparticles. These
drug-loaded nanoparticles were dispersed in an alginate gel and the gel covered the polymethylmethacrylate bone cement. After the crosslinking of the gel around the bone cement, the sequential release profile was evaluated for 60 days in vitro. The results of the morphological, chemical
characterization and encapsulations studies showed that different loadings of drugs resulted in different encapsulation efficiencies. Although the release profile from the nanoparticles was as expected, the sequential release profile of the combined system has a Fickian type release for a
longer time period. In conclusion, the results indicate that combining different release systems can alter the release profile of the system.
Real-Time Imaging Tracking of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Labeled with Lipid-Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanobubbles
Authors: Liu Hongmei , Liu Sai , Liang Yangbiao , Deng Zhiting , Wang Yu , Yan Fei
Published: December 2019

Stem-cell-based therapy has attracted considerable attention due to the significant benefits to patients experiencing a wide range of diseases and injuries. However, their underlying mechanism of action is not completely understood. One main reason is the lack of imaging tools for real-time
tracking of deep-seated transplanted stem cells. For the present study, we exploited a lipid poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanobubble (LPN) probe with nanoscale size, good compatibility, and strong contrast-enhanced ultrasound signals. Due to the nanoscale particle size, cellular labeling
of mesenchymal stem cells can be achieved via incubation with LPNs. Significantly enhanced ultrasound images of these labeled stem cells were obtained in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, the labeled stem cells could be tracked by ultrasound imaging for up to 5 days. Additional
evaluation found that the in vivo detection limit achieved 2,000 labeled stem cells in the subcutaneous tissues of living mice. Our study presents a strategy to achieve real-time ultrasound imaging tracking, paving the way for an investigation on the underlying mechanism and future
clinical application of stem cell therapy.
Novel Mitochondrial Targeting Multifunctional Surface Charge-Reversal Polymeric Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment
Authors: Fang Lei , Fan Huaying , Guo Chunjing , Cui Linhan , Zhang Peng , Mu Hongjie , Xu Hui , Zhao Feng , Chen Daquan
Published: December 2019

Polymeric nanoparticles were widely used as delivery vehicles for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs, because of their targeting property and versatility. Mitochondria are one of the important organelles that regulate the apoptosis of cancer cells and can be considered as a pivotal
target for cancer treatment. A pH-responsive charge-reversal and mitochondrial targeting nanoparticles, Vitamin B6-oligomeric hyaluronic acid-dithiodipropionic acid-berberine (B6-oHA-SS-Ber), were prepared in this study. Ber is a lipophilic cation that was conjugated with oHA through disulfide
bonds to produce mitochondria-targeted conjugates (oHA-SS-Ber). B6 was conjugated to oHA to obtain B6-oHA-SS-Ber and the two types of Cur-loaded nanoparticles (Cur-NPs) were formulated by the dialysis method. Due to pKa of B6, the charge they carried in the tumor tissue acidic microenvironment
can be transferred from negative charge to positive charge, further targeting mitochondria. In our study, we successfully synthesized B6-HA-SS-Ber and characterized the structure by 1H-NMR. According to the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we found that the B6-oHA-SS-Ber/Cur
micelles could self-assembled in water to form spherical nanoparticles, with a hydrodynamic diameter of 172.9±13 nm. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, lysosome escape and mitochondrial distribution researches revealed the better effect of B6-oHA-SS-Ber/Cur micelles in
comparison to oHA-SS-Ber/Cur. In vivo anticancer activities indicated that the B6-oHA-SS-Ber/Cur micelles exhibited effective inhibition of tumor growth.
Brazilian Coins Recognition Using Histogram of Oriented Gradients Features
Authors: Gupta Sheifali , Kaur Gurleen , Gupta Deepali , Jindal Udit
Published: December 2019

This paper tends to the issue of coin recognition when dealing with shading and reflection variations under the same lighting conditions. In order to approach the problem, a database containing Brazilian coin images (both front and reverse side of the coin) consisting of five different
denominations have been used which is provided by the kaggle-diverse and largest data community in the world. This work focuses on an automatic image classification process for Brazilian coins. The imagebased classification of coins primarily incorporates three stages where the initial step
is Region of Interest (ROI) extraction; the subsequent advance is extraction of features and classification. The first step of ROI extraction is accomplished by segmenting the coin region using the proposed segmentation method. In the second step i.e., feature extraction; Histogram of Oriented
Gradients (HOG) features are extracted from the image. The image is converted to a vector containing feature values. The third step is where the extracted features are mapped to the class and are known as classification. Three classification algorithms i.e., Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial
Neural Network (ANN) and K-Nearest Neighbour are compared for classification of five coin denominations. With the proposed segmentation methodology, the best classification accuracy of 92% is achieved in the case of ANN classifier.
Mining Process in Cryptocurrency Using Blockchain Technology: Bitcoin as a Case Study
Authors: Aljabr Ahmad Abdullah , Sharma Avinash , Kumar Kailash
Published: December 2019

A new digital currency in the form virtual cash, known as Bitcoin was acquainted with the world by Satoshi in 2009. Bitcoin is the most notable computerized money. It is based on peer-to-peer distributed system with no central authority controlling it. It is based on the technique known
as Blockchain, a kind of peer-to-peer ledger system containing the record of all transactions. All set of transactions are logged in the blocks. The new transactions generated by the users are broadcasted using signed blocks to verify over the Bitcoin network. The transaction is verified by
mining process and added to the Blockchain. In order to add the transaction into the block, the miner solves the cryptographic puzzle. The miners are rewarded for their work. This paper is focused on mining strategy and reward mechanism of the Bitcoin. The challenges in mining process are
identified and probable solutions are presented.
Anti-Theft System for Monitoring Wheels of a Vehicle
Authors: Sandhu Amanpreet , Gupta Sheifali , Gupta Rupesh , Gupta Deepali
Published: December 2019

Nowadays, automobiles (vehicles such as two-wheelers, four-wheelers) are increasing due to increment in the human population. Along with the increase in vehicle’s population, thefts and vandalization of vehicles and/or vehicle components such as tyres, engine, doors etc. are also
increasing dynamically and exponentially. This problem of thefts is needed to be solved by detecting the theft and sending an alert to a concerned person. Such type of system has proposed in this paper. The proposed system includes: a navigation unit coupled to wheel of vehicle; a communication
unit; a circuit breaker unit having a button coupled to wheel and wheel hub of vehicle such that when wheel is fitted tightly to wheel hub then button is in the first position to allow flow of current through circuit breaker unit and when wheel is loosened then button is in the second position
such that flow of current is stopped and the first signal is generated, and a control unit to configure and navigate the signal. The proposed system also sends an alert to a concerned person in an effective manner.
Privacy Preservation in Cloud Based Cyber Physical Systems
Authors: Ara Anees
Published: December 2019

The Cyber physical systems (CPS) are integration of tightly coupled resource constrained physical and computational systems,which have several real time critical care applications. These systems depend on sensors to sense the physical environment. To overcome the limitations of computational
power, CPS are supported by cloud computing systems as their backend. The enablement of cloud support to cyber physical cloud computing systemshave seamless advantages of improved efficiency, in same way this leads to major security and privacy concerns. These systems have decentralized and
heterogeneous infrastructure and to fulfill all the security requirements, it is certainly a very complex task. In this paper we propose a generalized system model for securing different types of cloud based cyber physical systems, adversary model and holistic literature review of various
CPS services, attacks, security challenges and the security schemes that can be applied to overcome a given attacks. At the end of the paper we discuss a case study on securing Medical CPS and compare the applicability of security schemes in this scenario.
Analysis on Fog Computing Enabled Vehicular Ad hoc Networks
Authors: Gaba Seema , Kavita  , Verma Sahil
Published: December 2019

The vehicular ad-hoc networks make a simple case of networks which are supposed to be very smart because of the tasks and crucial decision making they have to carry out. Since they are on the move, the transmission and reception of information has to be quick in order to make the networks
efficient in term of computing time. Fog enabled VANET make the systems more capable by processing much of the information locally and only sending crucial decision making to the cloud which saves time and worth for all sub dependent systems. In this work we have reviewed the two fog enabled
VANET schemes, one is SIVNFC (Secure intelligent vehicular network using fog computing) and the other is SOLVE (localization system frameworks).
On Rent—An Android Mobile Application
Authors: Chauhan Harsha , Gupta Deepali , Gupta Sheifali , Verma Vishal
Published: December 2019

In today’s era of development, people are more industry-oriented and hence are shifting in different cities for their jobs as per their requirements. Such citizens are often occupied with their work life and they want everything to be done easily and quickly. They have limited
time to explore and visit different places in order to search required commodities according to their needs. Additionally, traditional way to find anything or to advertise anything on lease is time-consuming and tedious task as one has to explore different applications for searching different
commodities. Hence, to save the time and effort from the hectic schedules of individuals, an android application has developed namely ‘On Rent,’ which provides different services on a single platform. This platform equips the user to borrow and lend equipment like books and electrical
appliances on rent. It also facilitates users to take accommodation on rent according to their needs.
An Internal Schematic View and Simulation of Major Diagonal Mesh Network-on-Chip
Authors: Sharma Sanjeev Kumar , Jain Arpit , Gupta Kamali , Prasad Devendra , Singh Varinder
Published: December 2019

NoC is a competent communication for on chip network architectures. It make more efficient the computational and high congestion communication on a single chip. In this paper, we are proposing a NoC topologies, i.e., Major Diagonal Mesh NoC called MD-Mesh NoC. In MD-Mesh NoC the corner
of major diagonal linked with each other so that the efficiency of the communication among the corner can be increase. The internal semantic view and register transfer logic (RTL) View has been shown. As number of connections among the nodes increases and number of hopes decreases, performance
of packet traversing will get increases. The synthesis and simulation has been done on Vertex 5 FPGA. The hardware parameters like number of slices and memory usage with respect to increase the number of nodes has been calculated on FPGA Vertex 5.
Moored Observations of Transport and Variability of Halmahera Sea Currents
Authors: Li Xiang , Yuan Dongliang , Wang Zheng , Li Yao , Corvianawatie Corry , Surinati Dewi , Sandra Asep , Bayhaqi Ahmad , Avianto Praditya , Kusmanto Edi , Dirhamsyah Dirham , Arifin Zainal
Published: December 2019

The ocean currents in the Halmahera Sea are studied using a subsurface mooring deployed in the Jailolo Strait from November 2015 to October 2017. The subtidal currents of the mooring measurements are characterized by a two-layer system, with the current variability below about 200 m in opposite phases to that in the upper layer. The mean along-strait velocity (ASV) is toward the Indonesian seas in the whole water column, producing an estimated mean transport of 2.44 ± 0.42 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1). The errors of the transport calculation based on the single mooring measurements are estimated to be less than 15% using simulations of high-resolution ocean models. A weak current is observed to flow northward during 2017 at the bottom of the strait. The ASV variability is found to be dominated by an annual cycle both in the upper and lower layers. The total transport, however, is dominated by semiannual variability because of the cancelation of the annual transports in the upper and lower layers. The variability of the transport is suggested to be driven by the pressure difference between the Pacific Ocean and the Indonesian seas, as evidenced by the agreement between the satellite pressure gradient and the two-layer transports. The transport of the Jailolo Strait during the 2015/16 super El Niño is found to be nearly the same as that during the 2016 La Niña, suggesting that the interannual variability of the transport is much smaller than the seasonal cycle.
Interannual Variability of the Global Meridional Overturning Circulation Dominated by Pacific Variability
Authors: Tandon Neil F. , Saenko Oleg A. , Cane Mark A. , Kushner Paul J.
Published: December 2019

The most prominent feature of the time-mean global meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is the Atlantic MOC (AMOC). However, interannual variability of the global MOC is shown here to be dominated by Pacific MOC (PMOC) variability over the full depth of the ocean at most latitudes. This dominance of interannual PMOC variability is robust across modern climate models and an observational state estimate. PMOC interannual variability has large-scale organization, its most prominent feature being a cross-equatorial cell spanning the tropics. Idealized experiments show that this variability is almost entirely wind driven. Interannual anomalies of zonal mean zonal wind stress produce zonally integrated Ekman transport anomalies that are larger in the Pacific Ocean than in the Atlantic Ocean, simply because the Pacific is wider than the Atlantic at most latitudes. This contrast in Ekman transport variability implies greater variability in the near-surface branch of the PMOC when compared with the near-surface branch of the AMOC. These near-surface variations in turn drive compensating flow anomalies below the Ekman layer. Because the baroclinic adjustment time is longer than a year at most latitudes, these compensating flow anomalies have baroclinic structure spanning the full depth of the ocean. Additional analysis reveals that interannual PMOC variations are the dominant contribution to interannual variations of the global meridional heat transport. There is also evidence of interaction between interannual PMOC variability and El Niño–Southern Oscillation.
Lived Experience of Pediatric Home Health Care Among Families of Children With Medical Complexity
Authors: Boss Renee D. , Raisanen Jessica C. , Detwiler Kathryn , Fratantoni Karen , Huff Susan M. , Neubauer Kathryn , Donohue Pamela K.
Published: December 2019

Background. For children with complex medical conditions, pediatric home health care is a chronic need. It is a clinical service delivered entirely outside of clinical settings, granting families unparalleled expertise regarding service quality. Methods. Telephone interviews with parents whose children have extensive experiences with home health care. Results: Five themes emerged: (1) benefits of home health care include child survival and family stability; (2) family life is inextricable from home health care schedules, staffing, and services; (3) home health care gaps threaten family physical, mental, and financial well-being; (4) Out-of-pocket costs are common; and (5) families must fight for services as their children’s medical conditions evolve. Conclusions. Families understand better than prescribers, providers, or policy makers what is working, and what is not, with home health care. Family expertise should be the foundation for training other families, clinicians, and home health care agencies, and should be a central component of policy and advocacy in this area.
Temperature effect on the mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of a glass/thermoplastic laminate
Authors: Cadieu L , Kopp J B , Jumel J , Bega J , Froustey C
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study is to evaluate the temperature effect on the mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of a Glass/Elium 150 laminate composite. Quasi-static indentation tests are carried out at different temperatures to highlight the temperature dependency of different parameters of the samples (stiffness, maximum load, stored elastic energy, and applied energy). The different damage mechanisms involved in the collapse of the composite are observed at the macro-, meso-, and micro-scopic scales using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of temperature on these damage mechanisms is discussed based on post-mortem observations. It has been highlighted that the kind and the severity of damage are strongly temperature dependent. Below 20℃, fiber breakage, strand failure, intra- and inter-laminar crack propagation are identified. At 60℃, plastic flow of the polymer matrix is observed, which modifies micro-crack propagation at the fiber/matrix interface. Above 90℃, only intra-laminar micro-cracking occurs. To conclude, based on all these observations the kinetics of damage appearance are discussed.
The violence of men against women: Medico-legal and psychological issues
Authors: Tullio Valeria , Zerbo Stefania , Lanzarone Antonietta , Spagnolo Elvira Ventura , Malta Ginevra , Argo Antonina
Published: December 2019

Violence against women breaches women’s human rights and is a global public health issue that can cause devastating life-long damage. This study considers the characters of victims, abusers and traumatic bonding in heterosexual couples from a medico-legal and psycological standpoint. After considering the devastating effects on women’s health, and with the objective of preventing future violence, it illustrates the weaknesses and strengths of new Italian guidelines related to violence against women in emergency departments including the use of “Brief Risk Assessment for IPV in the Emergency Department – DA5”.
Diversity, complexity, and structure of social networks: Study of a smallholder dairy project
Authors: Vishnu Sreeram , Gupta Jancy , Padmaja Subash Surendran
Published: December 2019

Network structures have drawn a lot of research interest in recent years. However, little is known about how the diversity, complexity, and structure of the multi-actor networks associated with a project shapes information exchange and linkages in different contexts. This study, conducted in 2017, addresses this deficiency by analyzing the social networks in three villages, and it was directly set up in response to operationalizing a smallholder dairy development project. Social network analysis was used to characterize the networks and to look into network configuration and information exchange dynamics. Data were collected through household-level interviews with the project’s participant farmers and key project stakeholders, supplemented with other Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques. Analysis focused on network visualization and estimation of specific network parameters for comparison. Results indicated that public sector actors were the key drivers in all these smallholder networks. Flow of information was favored both vertically and horizontally in the network, which was configured at a later stage, rather than in the project piloting stages, owing to unique actor alignment and multiplicity of ties. The networks were also found to vary in terms of some of the network attributes, signaling varying levels of network integration and brokerage potential. Better cohesiveness and information spread was observed in the network, which had the right mix of information acquisition and exchange networks. The study offers valuable lessons with respect to connectedness of network actors, need for multi-actor alliance, and implication of centrality measures in determining network dynamics.
Dominant and Shadow Narratives Regarding the Desegregation of North Carolina Public Higher Education
Authors: Harbour Clifford P.
Published: December 2019

Objective: This article reports on a study of archival legal and administrative texts generated during desegregation litigation instituted during the 1970s to enforce Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The specific focus of the research was on North Carolina and actions taken by the University of North Carolina and the state’s Department of Community Colleges. Method: The research method guiding data collection and analysis was hermeneutics and narrative policy analysis. Results: This inquiry revealed the limited but significant role played by the state’s community colleges. Contributions: These findings illuminate the hierarchy that organizes some state’s public higher education systems and the power centers within them.
Parallel distributed compensation controller design for Markovian jump system with time-varying delays using Bessel-Legendre inequality method and improved positive definite rule
Authors: Xu Nuo , Sun Liankun
Published: December 2019

In this paper, based on time-varying delay Markovian jump system (MJS), Bessel-Legendre inequality method and improved positive definite condition of Lyapunov function are used, and parallel distributed compensation (PDC) state feedback controller is also introduced. The conservatism of the system is reduced by using this inequality method and positive definite conditions, and further decreases with the increase of the Legendre parameter N. The PDC controller considers two control parameters simultaneously, which can represent the actual system more truthfully. Finally, Example 1 proves the effectiveness of the improved method in this paper. Example 2 considers time-varying probability transition perturbations. Example 3 obtains the parameters of PDC controller with different parameters N. Example 4 illustrates the practical significance of methods in this paper by introducing a time-delay inverted pendulum system with Markovian parameters.
Understanding what works, why and in what circumstances in hospice at home services for end-of-life care: Applying a realist logic of analysis to a systematically searched literature review
Authors: Hashem Ferhana , Brigden Charlotte , Wilson Patricia , Butler Claire
Published: December 2019

Background:

We have undertaken a systematically searched literature review using a realist logic of analysis to help synthesise the diverse range of literature available on hospice at home services.

Aim:

To find out in the existing literature what features of hospice at home models work best, for whom and under what circumstances.

Design:

A realist logic of analysis was applied to synthesise the evidence focusing on mechanisms by which an intervention worked (or did not work). An initial programme theory was developed using the National Association for Hospice at Home standards, Normalisation Process Theory and through refinement using stakeholder engagement.

Data sources:

PubMed, Science Direct, AMED, BNI, CINAHL, EMBASE, Health Business Elite, HMIC, Medline, PsychINFO, SCOPUS, Web of Science, DARE, Google Scholar, NHS Evidence, NIHR CRN portfolio database, NIHR journal library of funded studies, including searches on websites of relevant professional bodies (August 2014, June 2017, June 2019).

Results:

Forty-nine papers were reviewed, of which 34 contributed evidence to at least one of the eight theory areas: marketing and referral, sustainable funding model, service responsiveness and availability, criteria for service admission, knowledge and skills of care providers, integration and coordination, anticipatory care, support directed at carers.

Conclusions:

Our literature review showed how it was possible to develop a coherent framework and test it against 34 published papers and abstracts. Central to this review was theory building, and as further evidence emerges, our programme theories can be refined and tested against any new empirical evidence.
Involvement of the basal nucleus of Meynert on regional cerebral cortical vasodilation associated with masticatory muscle activity in rats
Authors: Hotta Harumi , Suzuki Harue , Inoue Tomio , Stewart Mark
Published: December 2019

We examined the neural mechanisms for increases in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the neocortex associated with mastication, focusing on the cortical vasodilative system derived from the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). In pentobarbital-anesthetized rats, parietal cortical rCBF was recorded simultaneously with electromyogram (EMG) of jaw muscles, local field potentials of frontal cortex, multi-unit activity of NBM neurons, and systemic mean arterial pressure (MAP). When spontaneous rhythmic EMG activity was observed with cortical desynchronization, an increase in NBM activity and a marked rCBF increase independent of MAP changes were observed. A similar rCBF increase was elicited by repetitive electrical stimulation of unilateral cortical masticatory areas. The magnitude of rCBF increase was partially attenuated by administration of the GABAergic agonist muscimol into the NBM. The rCBF increase persisted after immobilization with systemic muscle relaxant (vecuronium). rCBF did not change when jaw muscle activity was induced by electrical stimulation of the pyramidal tract. The results suggest that activation of NBM vasodilator neurons contributes at least in part to the rCBF increase associated with masticatory muscle activity, and that the NBM activation is induced by central commands from the motor cortex, independently of feedback from brainstem central pattern generator or contracting muscles.
Eribulin plus trastuzumab in pretreated HER2-positive advanced breast cancer patients: safety and efficacy. An Italian experience
Authors: Lutrino Eufemia S. , Orlando Laura , Febbraro Antonio , Giampaglia Marianna , Zamagni Claudio , Schiavone Paola , Scavelli Claudio , Dima Gianluca , Fedele Palma , Giordano Guido , Bilancia Domenico , Quaranta Anna Maria , Rubino Daniela , Filippelli Gianfranco , Fontanella Caterina , Caliolo Chiara , Marino Antonella , Calvani Nicola , Ferrara Pasqualinda , Cinieri Saverio
Published: December 2019

Background:

Chemotherapy plus targeted therapy is the established treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–overexpressing breast cancer (BC). Limited data regarding the safety and activity of the combination of eribulin and trastuzumab (E/T) in pretreated HER2-positive advanced BC (ABC) are available. The aim of this observational, retrospective, multicenter study was to examine the tolerability and the clinical activity of E/T in this setting.

Methods:

Patients treated with eribulin mesylate plus standard dose of trastuzumab were included. Data on overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety were reported.

Results:

Between October 2012 and November 2015, 24 consecutive patients with HER2-positive ABC were included. All patients were heavily pretreated: the median number of prior chemotherapy regimens for ABC was 3 (range 2–9). The median number of cycles with E/T was 11.5 (range 2–26). The ORR was 41.7%. Median PFS was 5.4 months, median postprogression survival was 5.4 months, and median OS was 8 months. Neutropenia was the most common grade 3/4 clinical adverse event (16.7%).

Conclusions:

Tolerability and clinical activity of the E/T combination schedule are encouraging. The results of this study indicate that this combination might be considered for treatment of pretreated HER2 ABC.
Continuous veno-venous hemofiltration in the treatment of severely burned patients with acute hypernatremia: A retrospective study of 13 cases
Authors: Huang Chen , Liu Yirong , Li Li , Liu Hongbao , Zhang Peng
Published: December 2019

Objectives:

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration in the treatment of severely burned patients with acute hypernatremia.

Methods:

A total of 13 severely burned patients with acute hypernatremia admitted to Xijing Hospital were included in this study. All patients received continuous veno-venous hemofiltration treatment in addition to conventional treatment. The original sodium level in the replacement fluid was set to be lower than the serum sodium level by 8 mmol/L and subsequently undergoes a reduction rate of 2.16 ± 0.18 mmol/L every 4 h. Patients’ clinical features, serum laboratory tests, hemodynamic variables, changes in sodium levels in serum, and replacement fluid during continuous veno-venous hemofiltration treatment were monitored.

Results:

Patients had an average total burn surface area of 66.69% ± 20.28%. Two patients died of systematic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, and 11 patients survived. After continuous veno-venous hemofiltration treatment, patients showed a significant reduction in the serum sodium level (168.91 ± 4.88 mmol/L vs 144.62 ± 2.98 mmol/L, p < 0.01). Likewise, the serum levels of urea and creatinine decreased from 24.8 ± 6.5 mmol/L to 14.9 ± 8.3 mmol/L and from 278.6 ± 155.3 μmol/L to 152.6 ± 29.7 μmol/L, respectively (p < 0.05). The patients also displayed improvements in the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Glasgow scores (p < 0.05) and showed a significant reduction in hemoglobin and serum albumin levels (p < 0.05), but no obvious change in levels of platelets, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Our results indicate that continuous veno-venous hemofiltration with gradient sodium replacement fluid is effective in treating hypernatremia in severely burned patients with the controllable sodium reduction rate and satisfactory clinical outcomes.
The possibility of using effluent ionized calcium to assess regional citrate anticoagulation in continuous renal replacement therapy
Authors: Zhang Qi , Zhuang Feng , Fan Qichen , Yu Wenyan , Ding Feng
Published: December 2019

Aim:

This study aimed to investigate whether effluent ionized calcium was an appropriate indicator to assess anticoagulant effect in continuous renal replacement therapy with regional citrate anticoagulation instead of post-filter ionized calcium.

Methods:

In total, 48 paired samples of effluent fluid and post-filter blood were obtained from critically ill patients who required continuous renal replacement therapy. All samples were taken for ionized calcium measurements and were assessed by point-of-care analyzer. Correlations and agreements between two methods were performed by Pearson linear analysis and Bland–Altman analysis accordingly.

Results:

The mean post-filter ionized calcium was 0.42 ± 0.12 mmol/L, and mean ionized calcium level of effluent fluid was 0.39 ± 0.11 mmol/L. The ionized calcium level of effluent fluid was significantly correlated with post-filter ionized calcium in all continuous renal replacement therapy patients. Bland–Altman analysis showed that the mean difference of ionized calcium between two sampling sites in all continuous renal replacement therapy patients was −0.02 mmol/L with 95% confidence interval ranging from −0.09 to 0.04 mmol/L. The significant correlations and agreements were also demonstrated in continuous veno-venous hemofiltration, continuous veno-venous hemodialysis, and continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration modalities separately.

Conclusion:

The effluent ionized calcium could be a considerable substitute for post-filter ionized calcium to monitor the validity of regional citrate anticoagulation in continuous renal replacement therapy with less blood loss.
Biochar of distillers’ grains anaerobic digestion residue: Influence of pyrolysis conditions on its characteristics and ammonium adsorptive optimization
Authors: Zheng Xuebo , Shi Ting , Song Wenjing , Xu Lei , Dong Jianxin
Published: December 2019

To promote the sustainable development of the liquor/ethanol industry and environment protection, alternative ways to dispose of anaerobic digestion residue (ADR) are urgently required. This research aims at studying the effects of different residence times (RTs) (30, 60 and 120 min) and heating rates (HR) (2.5, 5.0 and 10.0°C min-1) under 700°C on characteristics of ADR biochar as well as the optimization of ammonium (NH4+) adsorption. Results showed that, with the increasing RT and HR, the aromaticity as well as the content of fixed carbon and elemental carbon of ADR biochar increased, but the pyrolysis yield, volatile matter content, elemental hydrogen, oxygen and polarity decreased. Biochar prepared at 60 min and 5.0°C min-1 under 700°C presented the best development of orderly and honeycomb shape structures, highest specific surface area and maximal amount of NH4+ adsorption (3.15 mg N g-1). The multilayer heterogeneous adsorption process dominated the NH4+ adsorption behaviour. And the maximal amount of NH4+ adsorption was achieved with 4 g biochar L-1 at pH 11.0 along with the order of the competitive effect of K+ > Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+. Furthermore, NH4+ adsorption was exothermic. Thus, the present study demonstrated that ADR biochar has potential to adsorb NH4+ from NH4+ polluted water to meet environmental standards.
The Clinical Spectrum of Mosaic Neurofibromatosis in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Hom Grant L. , Moodley Sashidaran , Rothner A. David , Moodley Manikum
Published: December 2019

Background:

Segmental neurofibromatosis was initially described by Miller and Sparks (1977) as manifestations of neurofibromatosis limited to a dermatomal, localized distribution. Now termed mosaic neurofibromatosis, previous literature described this disease in children and adolescents with individual case reports and small-numbered case series. This study presents a large series of children and adolescents with mosaic neurofibromatosis.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of a single institution medical record database was performed on all cases of mosaic neurofibromatosis diagnosed between the years 1998 and 2017. Eligible subjects were determined by 2 criteria: (1) segmental or unilateral expression of one of more signs of NF I according to those outlined in the NIH criteria and (2) were under 18 years of age at the time of diagnosis. Select information extracted include location of clinical features, NF manifestations (neurofibromas, plexiform neurofibromas, café-au-lait spots, freckling, Lisch nodules), presence of a diffuse area of cutaneous hyperpigmentation, and other significant medical conditions.

Results:

Sixty-eight cases met established criteria. Average age at diagnosis was 8.28 ± 4.47 years. Thirty-seven (54%) were male and 31 (46%) were female. Localization of the dermatologic manifestations is as follows: left side in 28 (41%) cases, right side in 32 (47%) cases, and bilateral in 8 (11%) cases. Café-au-lait lesions appeared in 64 (94%) of cases and 14 (21%) had axillary and inguinal freckling.

Conclusions:

This study expands our understanding of the disease characteristics seen in children and adolescents with mosaic neurofibromatosis and confirms the need to focus on pigmentary changes in children with mosaic neurofibromatosis.
14 kyr of atmospheric mineral dust deposition in north-eastern China: A record of palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes in the Chinese dust source regions
Authors: Pratte Steve , Bao Kunshan , Sapkota Atindra , Zhang Wenfang , Shen Ji , Le Roux Gaël , De Vleeschouwer François
Published: December 2019

A multi-proxy record of Holocene and late-Pleistocene aeolian mineral dust is reconstructed using a combination of geochemical (trace elements), mineralogical and grain-size analyses on cores from the Hani peatland in north-eastern (NE) China. The dust record displays a sharp increase in dust deposition during the late Holocene in comparison to the rest of the Holocene. This trend is in line with climatic records from the Chinese dust source regions and their downwind areas, which generally show an increase in aridity and aeolian activity during the late Holocene. The larger part of the Chinese dust source regions experienced a gradual increase in effective moisture and vegetation cover reaching maxima during the middle Holocene (6.0–8.0 kyr cal. BP) co-occurring with the minima in dust deposition in Hani. These changes in the dust source regions are likely to have been modulated by the variations in the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM), which is the principal mechanism controlling climate in the region. The intensified EASM during the middle Holocene is also likely to have resulted in a sediment recharge at the margin of the Chinese drylands providing additional material and enhancing the atmospheric dust load after the late-Holocene aridification of the region. Combined together, these changes promoted a remobilization of dust sources increasing the amount of material available for transport by the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and the Westerlies. Human activities might also have played a role in the increased dust emissions during the late Holocene, but further research is needed to assess the extent of those impacts at a regional level.
Measuring Service Quality Perceptions of Indian E-retailers: An Evaluative Study
Authors: Chavadi Chandan A. , Menon Sindhu R. , Sirothiya Monika
Published: December 2019

Indian online retailing landscape is characterized by a plethora of sellers all trying to attract the same set of target customers, making service quality a critical differentiating factor for the players. This study investigates the influence of process quality, outcome quality and service recovery on customer e-satisfaction, and e-loyalty and also the influence of customer e-satisfaction on e-loyalty. Sample size of this quantitative study was 199, sample unit was youth and sampling method was purposive sampling. The study was conducted in April–May 2019 in Bengaluru. Responses were subjected to SEM, factor analysis, hypothesis testing, direct and indirect effects using AMOS20. Process quality, outcome quality and service recovery were seen to significantly influence customer e-satisfaction with process quality having a greater impact. Service recovery positively influences outcome quality. Customer e-satisfaction was found to significantly influence customer e-loyalty. Process quality and service recovery significantly influence customer e-satisfaction while outcome quality did not have any impact on customer e-loyalty. Process quality seem to have more impact than service recovery and outcome quality on customer e-loyalty. The findings are in line with previous study. However, the influence of service recovery on outcome quality is something new this study has revealed.
Cyberspace in the Post-Soviet States: Assessing the Role of New Media in Central Asia
Authors: Reyaz Mohammad
Published: December 2019

Since independence, the five post-Soviet States of Central Asia have taken divergent trajectories of economic growth as well as civil and political liberties. Respective regimes still try to regulate information flow in a continuation of the Soviet era, with the possible exception of Kyrgyzstan. Nonetheless, the overall regulations on media are certainly much more pluralistic now than they were in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Internet and social media, in particular, have emerged as an important platform for communication. But our knowledge about Central Asia in general and the digital space of the region, in particular, is still limited. This article makes a comprehensive country-wise assessment of the cyberspace of the five Central Asian countries to understand better the role and impact of the information and communication technologies in these post-Soviet states.
Scalp-taking
Authors: Piano Ennio E , Carson Byron B
Published: December 2019

At their arrival in North America, travelers from the Old Continent were exposed to a radically different civilization. Among the many practices that captured their imagination was scalp-taking. During a battle, the Native American warrior would often stop after having killed or subdued the enemy and cut off his scalp. In this article, we develop an economic theory of this gruesome practice. We argue that scalp-taking constituted an institutional solution to the problem of monitoring warriors’ behavior in the battlefield under conditions of high information costs.
Occlusion at 5 Years of Age Following Hard Palate Closure With Vestibular Flap
Authors: Otsuki Koichi , Yamanishi Tadashi , Tome Wakako , Shintaku Yuko , Seikai Tetsuya , Fujimoto Yukari , Kogo Mikihiko
Published: December 2019

Objective:

This study aims to assess occlusal relationships and frequency of oronasal fistula at 5 years of age following 2 hard palate closure techniques and to compare results.

Design:

Retrospective longitudinal study.

Setting:

Institutional study.

Patients:

Study patients included 57 patients with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate who were consecutively treated. All patients underwent our early 2-stage protocol for palatoplasty, which consisted of soft palate plasty at 1 year of age and hard palate closure at 1.5 years of age. Twenty-nine patients underwent hard palate closure using vestibular flap (VF group) technique (2009-2011) and 28 patients underwent conventional hard palate closure with local palatal flap (LPF group) technique (2006-2008).

Main Outcome Measures:

Occlusal relationships were assessed with 5-year-olds’ index, and frequency of oronasal fistula was investigated.

Results:

Average 5-year-olds’ index scores for VF and LPF groups were 3.11 and 3.57, respectively ( P < .001). Oronasal fistula occurred in approximately 7% of patients in the VF group and in 18% of patients in the LPF group.

Conclusion:

Hard palate closure with VF technique may provide better occlusal relationships at 5 years of age than does conventional local closure with the LPF.