bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Modified Bovine Pericardium on Human Gingival Fibroblasts in vitro
Authors: Nguyen My Thi Ngoc , Tran Ha Le Bao
Published: July 2019

Supportive membranes have recently been applied to treat periodontal disease in order to achieve periodontal tissue regeneration. The crucial role of these membranes is to facilitate the restoration of the structural and functional periodontium. Bovine pericardium (BP) is mainly composed of collagen type I, which was demonstrated to have good mechanical properties and biological regenerative potential. Our research aimed to extend the application of membrane derived from BP to periodontal disease treatment. However, the fabrication method to achieve a xenogenic-free membrane with the mechanical properties required for periodontal treatment is rarely mentioned. Therefore, a procedure for the extraction and modification of BP using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and glutaraldehyde (GA) was developed. BP was harvested and decellularized using different SDS concentrations (0.05–0.3%). GA was used to further modify the membranes to achieve suitable thickness, mechanical strength, and pore size. A combination protocol of 0.15% SDS treatment for 12 h with continuous agitation combined with 0.1% GA for 6 h for membrane fabricating was applied. The modified BP (mBP) had the targeted characteristics, such as 0.2–0.5 mm thickness, approximately 10 MPa in tensile strength, 30% in strain force, and a pore size <5 µm, which is comparable to commercially available collagen membranes. Findings from this study demonstrated that the established method was effective in preparing BP membrane for periodontal treatment while decreasing the concentration of reagents and processing time. Moreover, our modified membrane was found to have no cytotoxicity but supports the migration, attachment, and proliferation of human gingival fibroblasts in vitro. Taken together, these results confirmed that mBP is suitable for application in periodontal disease treatment and regeneration.
Magnetic Resonance Sentinel Lymph Node Imaging and Magnetometer-Guided Intraoperative Detection in Penile Cancer, using Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: First Results
Authors: Winter Alexander , Kowald Tobias , Engels Svenja , Wawroschek Friedhelm
Published: July 2019

In penile cancer, lymph node (LN) metastasis is the main known prognostic factor that affects survival. Inguinal sentinel LN (SLN) dissection (sLND) using radioactive marking is recommended by the European Association of Urology guidelines to evaluate the nodal status in clinically node-negative penile cancer (cN0; ≥pT1, G2). Dependence on radioisotopes limits the application of this procedure to small parts of the developed world, and imposes restrictions on hospital logistics. To overcome these issues, SLN visualization using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetometer-guided detection after intraprostatic injection of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) has been successfully applied in prostate cancer. Here, we present the first results of magnetic sLND in penile cancer. After peritumoral SPION injection, MR SLN imaging and magnetometer-guided sLND were performed in one cN0 penile cancer patient. Another patient underwent magnetometer-guided sLND only. In the first case, 5 SLNs could be visualized on MRI and intraoperatively detected by magnetometer-guided sLND. In the second patient, 3 SLNs could be detected by magnetic sLND. Neither patient exhibited adverse events attributable to SPION-injection. In conclusion, SPION-guided SLN identification using MRI and a handheld magnetometer is feasible and could provide a radiation-free technique for SLN identification in penile cancer. For further clarification, a multicenter study should be carried out.
Cautious Bully: Reputation, Resolve, and Beijing's Use of Coercion in the South China Sea
Authors: Zhang Ketian
Published: July 2019

Since 1990, China has used coercion in its maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea, despite adverse implications for its image. China is curiously selective in its timing, targets, and tools of coercion: China rarely employs military coercion, and it does not coerce all countries that pose similar threats. An examination of newly available primary documents and hundreds of hours of interviews with Chinese officials to trace the decisionmaking processes behind China's use and nonuse of coercion reveals a new theory of when, why, and how China employs coercion against other states, especially in the South China Sea. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the findings show that China is a cautious bully that does not use coercion frequently. In addition, when China becomes stronger, it tends to use military coercion less often, choosing instead nonmilitary tools. Moreover, concerns with its reputation for resolve and with economic cost are critical elements of Chinese decisionmaking regarding the costs and benefits of coercing its neighbors. China often coerces one target to deter others—“killing the chicken to scare the monkey.” These findings have important implications for how scholars understand states' coercive strategies and the future of Chinese behavior in the region and beyond.
Additions to Taiwan fungal flora 2: Ophiosphaerella taiwanica sp. nov.
Authors: ARIYAWANSA HIRAN A. , JONES E. B. GARETH
Published: July 2019

The genus Ophiosphaerella contains 14 formerly illustrated species and is characterized by papillated ascomata bearing fissitunicate cylindrical asci frequently narrower near the base, with a short furcate pedicel and filamentous, pale brown, multi-septate ascospores without swollen cells or separating into part spores. We describe an Ophiosphaerella taxon that is new to science isolated from Yushania niitakayamensis in Cilai Mountain, Taiwan. We conducted polyphasic methods using single and multi-locus (ITS, LSU, SSU, and tef1-α) phylogenetic reconstruction united with morphology to evaluate the natural classification of the novel taxon. The results show that our Ophiosphaerella isolates are different from closely related species O. aquaticus and O. agrostidis based on distinct size differences of the ascomata, asci, ascospores, host and DNA sequences data, thus should be recognised here as a new taxon Ophiosphaerella taiwanica sp. nov.
New species of the genus Megalothorax Willem, 1900 (Collembola: Neelipleona) from a superficial subterranean habitat at Dobšinská Ice Cave, Slovakia
Authors: PAPÁČ VLADIMÍR , RASCHMANOVÁ NATÁLIA , KOVÁČ ĽUBOMÍR
Published: July 2019

New species of Megalothorax Willem, 1900 from Dobšinská Ice Cave, Slovakia, M. dobsinensis sp. n., is described and illustrated. New species inhabits a cold habitat along an inversed temperature gradient at the cave entrance. M. dobsinensis sp. n. differs from other species of the genus by the lack of chaeta X on Ant. IV and by T-shaped inner chaetae of thoracic and abdominal sensory fields. Only two other species, M. tuberculatus Deharveng & Beruete, 1993 and M. sanctistephani Christian, 1998 lack chaeta X on Ant. IV. M. dobsinensis sp. n. differs from both species by chaetotaxy of antennae and abdomen. Summary tables of antennae and legs chaetotaxy and dichotomous identification key for species with smooth mucro are provided.
Identifying Situational Clustering and Quantifying Its Magnitude in Dominant Case Configurations: New Methods for Conjunctive Analysis
Authors: Hart Timothy C.
Published: July 2019

Steps for conducting Conjunctive Analysis of Case Configurations (CACC) are well documented in the literature; however, methods for identifying and quantifying “situational clustering” vary and are often based on subjective interpretation of a CACC truth table. In response, the current article presents two new techniques that (a) enable researchers to determine whether data used to populate a truth table cluster significantly within dominant case configurations and (b) apply an established metric from the economics literature and modified for configural analysis to quantify its relative magnitude. These new methods are applied to four existing CACC studies, demonstrating how they offer a more systematic, transparent, and replicable approach to analyzing and interpreting case configurations than what is currently used.
Institutional Reforms of 2006 and the Dramatic Rise in Old-Age Employment in Germany
Authors: Riphahn Regina T. , Schrader Rebecca
Published: July 2019

The authors investigate whether a cut in unemployment benefit payout periods enacted in Germany in 2006 affected older workers’ labor market transitions. The authors use rich administrative data and exploit a difference-in-differences approach. During 2004–2007, using monthly observations, they compare a reference group of 40–44 year olds with constant benefit payout periods to older treatment groups with reduced payout durations. Compared to the reference group, those groups with reduced payout periods had lower job exit rates, higher rates of finding a job, higher propensity to remain employed, and lower propensity to remain unemployed. These patterns suggest that the reform may have contributed to the recent rise in old-age employment in Germany.
Metabolic Signaling and Spatial Interactions in the Oral Polymicrobial Community
Authors: Miller D.P. , Fitzsimonds Z.R. , Lamont R.J.
Published: July 2019

Oral supra- and subgingival biofilms are complex communities in which hundreds of bacteria, viruses, and fungi reside and interact. In these social environments, microbes compete and cooperate for resources, such as living space and nutrients. The metabolic activities of bacteria can transform their microenvironment and dynamically influence the fitness and growth of cohabitating organisms. Biofilm communities are temporally and spatially organized largely due to cell-to-cell communication, which promotes synergistic interactions. Metabolic interactions maintain biofilm homeostasis through mutualistic cross-feeding, metabolic syntrophy, and cross-respiration. These interactions include reciprocal metabolite exchanges that promote the growth of physiologically compatible bacteria, processive catabolism of complex substrates, and unidirectional interactions that are globally important for the polymicrobial community. Additionally, oral bacterial interactions can lead to detoxification of oxidative compounds, which will provide protection to the community at large. It has also been established that specific organisms provide terminal electron acceptors to partner species that result in a shift from fermentation to respiration, thus increasing ATP yields and improving fitness. Indeed, many interspecies relationships are multidimensional, and the net outcome can be spatially and temporally dependent. Cross-kingdom interactions also occur as oral yeast are antagonistic to some oral bacteria, while numerous mutualistic interactions contribute to yeast-bacterial colonization, fitness in the oral community, and the pathogenesis of caries. Consideration of this social environment reveals behaviors and phenotypes that are not apparent through the study of microbes in isolation. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the metabolic interactions that shape the oral microbial community.
Learning Lexical Information Depends Upon Task, Learning Approach, and Reader Subtype
Authors: Saha Neena M. , Del Tufo Stephanie N. , Cutting Laurie E.
Published: July 2019

Learning to read relies upon the integration of phonological, orthographic, and semantic information. However, no studies have investigated how children with varying reading abilities learn phonological-orthographic (PO) and semantic aspects of novel words as a function of both learning approach (LA; e.g., learning new words in isolation or context) and outcome (fluency or comprehension). In this study, 45 children participated in three tasks that differentially tested PO and semantic attributes of novel pseudo-words learned through two learning approaches. Children were classified into groups as having dyslexia (DYS), having specific reading comprehension deficits (S-RCDs), or being typically developing readers (TD). Differences were found between groups, with S-RCD poorer than TD on semantic but not PO components of learning. Children with DYS displayed impaired results on both semantic and PO learning but showed an interaction on task by LA performance. Specifically, in the DYS group, isolation LA yielded better performance on PO learning, while context LA was better for semantic learning. These results indicate that (a) children with S-RCDs have a unique learning profile that is dissociable from DYS and TD and (b) reading impairments are not static but rather influence acquisition of reading skill in different ways, depending on reading profile.
Fatal monocrotophos poisoning by cutaneous absorption while sleeping: A remarkable case study
Authors: Bodwal J , Chauhan M , Behera C , Jitendra K
Published: July 2019

Organophosphate poisoning is a continued menace associated with high morbidity and mortality in both resource-crunched developing and developed countries. Cases have been described of deliberate self-poisoning which has higher mortality than accidental exposure. Fatal poisoning by accidental dermal absorption is rarely reported for monocrotophos. Authors detail fatal accidental monocrotophos poisoning in adult female by dermal exposure while sleeping. Pesticide was detected in post-mortem blood and skin by chromatography and spectroscopy. Extraction along with review of literature for monocrotophos poisoning is adjuncted in this study.
Canadians Who Care: Social Networks and Informal Caregiving Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older Adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Ismail Mariam , Hammond Nicole G. , Wilson Kimberley , Stinchcombe Arne
Published: July 2019

Canada is experiencing population aging and evidence on the provision of care is based on data collected from majority populations. This analysis compared social networks and patterns of care provision between heterosexual and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Canadians between the age of 45 and 85 years. Data were drawn from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a large national study of health and aging. The results from analysis of baseline data showed that LGB participants were less likely to have children and reported seeing their friends more recently than heterosexual participants. Gay and bisexual men were more likely to provide care support in comparison to heterosexual men. LGB participants were more likely to provide care to friends. The results highlight the importance of considering distinct social networks in the development of policy and practice approaches to support a diverse aging population.
Making It Count: Using Real-World Projects for Course Assignments
Authors: Wollschleger Jason
Published: July 2019

Previous scholarship has demonstrated the value of high-impact practices of community engagement, inquiry-based pedagogy, and collaborative learning for engagement and learning in sociology courses, especially undergraduate research methods and statistics. This article explores the changes made to an upper-division undergraduate course focused on applied research practices and community-level interventions. After teaching the course once as a lecture-based course with assignments that simulated real projects and receiving poor student evaluation scores, I revised the course by partnering with local nonprofit organizations that were in need of research assistance. I turned the major graded assignments into real-world research projects that would ultimately be presented to the local organization, thus making everything actually count—in the real world. The findings from surveys of students, course evaluations, and assessment of group projects suggest that students found this to improve their experience of the course and to increase their learning and engagement of the material and confidence in their ability to conduct applied research on their own.
Effect of halloysite nanotubes and organically modified bentonite clay hybrid filler system on the properties of natural rubber
Authors: Abhisha VS , Augustine Aneeta , Joseph Jesna , Thomas Selvin P , Stephen Ranimol
Published: July 2019

The versatility and potential have framed natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites as the focal point in the polymer research field and industry. Currently, NR nanocomposites filled with hybrid nanostructures is an interesting area than single filler or conventional filler systems. Halloysite nanotube (HNT) and bentonite clay are well-studied potential fillers of polymers. This work is an attempt to study the effect of hybrid filler system of HNT and organically modified bentonite nanoclay (NC) in the properties of NR. NR/HNT-NC systems with varied filler concentrations were prepared in a two-roll mixing mill. Properties such as cure characteristics, morphology, mechanical, thermal, and transport behavior were analyzed in detail. The prepared composites had better wear properties than gum vulcanizates. Improvement in physical properties was observed due to the increased contact surface area between the filler and the matrix. The nanocomposite with 2 wt% hybrid filler shows a 31% decrease in abrasion loss compared to neat NR composite. Apparently, 4 wt% of hybrid filler could improve modulus at 300% strain and tear by approximately 57% and 14%, respectively. The ability to withstand high strain was evident from the improved crack growth resistance as observed in micrographs. Lorenz–Park plots were employed to analyze the rubber–filler interaction. The activation energy of thermal degradation was calculated using Coats–Redfern equation.
Activist Disconnect: Social Movements, Public Opinion, and U.S. Military Bases in East Asia
Authors: Kim Claudia J. , Boas Taylor C.
Published: July 2019

Do activists seeking to challenge the U.S. military presence overseas succeed in persuading the local population? While the comparative literature on base contestation often makes implicit causal claims about public opinion and behavior, these claims have never been tested empirically using individual-level data. Based on an online survey, experiment with residents of communities hosting U.S. military bases in Korea and Japan, we demonstrate a disconnect between anti-base movements and local residents. Local public opinion is most responsive to pragmatic framing of opposition by social movements and tangible information about the consequences of base expansion. Other common activist tactics have little effect and may even backfire. Our findings fill an important gap in the growing literature on the politics of U.S. military bases abroad.
Chemistry research in Europe: A publication analysis (2006–2016)
Authors: Kaygusuz Hakan
Published: July 2019

In this article, chemistry research in 51 different European countries between years 2006 and 2016 was studied using statistical methods. This study consists of two parts: In the first part, different economical, institutional and citation parameters were correlated with the number of publications, citations and chemical industry numbers using principal components analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results of the first part indicated that economical and geographical parameters directly affect the chemistry research outcome. In the second part, research in branches of chemistry and related disciplines such as analytical chemistry, polymer science and physical chemistry were analysed using principal components analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis for each country. Publication data were collected as the number of chemistry publications (in Science Citation Index–Expanded (SCI-E)) between years 2006 and 2016 in different chemistry subdisciplines and related scientific areas. Results of the second part of the study produced geographical and economical clusters of countries, interestingly, without addition of any geographical data.
Early Marriage in Taiwan: Evidence From Panel Data
Authors: Tai Tsui-o , Yi Chin-Chun , Liu Chia-Hua
Published: July 2019

Using data from the TYP (Taiwan Youth Project) panel survey, we examine factors associated with early marriages in Taiwan and the subsequent risks for negative outcomes in family life and career trajectories. About 7% of Taiwanese people marry early, that is, before the age of 28 years. Among those who marry early, more than 60% report the birth of a child within the first 8 months of marriage (i.e., they form postconception “shotgun” marriages). Compared with the never married respondents, individuals in both preconception and postconception early marriages are likely to come from families of low socioeconomic status. Nonworking young adults and those experiencing parental divorce or parental death during adolescence are at higher risk of entering postconception marriages than those remaining single. Particularly for nonemployed young people and those from lower socioeconomic status background, early marriage means taking on adult responsibilities in a disadvantaged state.
Pediatric Complex Chronic Conditions: Evaluating Two Versions of the Classification System
Authors: Lindley Lisa C. , Cozad Melanie J. , Fortney Christine A.
Published: July 2019

The original pediatric complex chronic conditions (CCC) classification system developed in 2000/2001 is the gold standard in classifying children with life-limiting illnesses. It was significantly modified in 2014; yet the two systems have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agreement and validity of the original versus the modified CCC classification systems. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) data from 2012 was used with a sample of infant decedents less than 1 years. The agreement (i.e., Cohen’s Kappa Statistic) and validity (i.e., sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value [PPV]) statistics were calculated. Among the 10,175 infants that were classified, the modified system performed well in identifying infants who had a CCC, and it captured infants that the original classification did not. The modified system represents an improvement over the original, but additional testing is warranted.
Factors Associated with Quality of Work-Life Among Faculty of Technical Institutes in Punjab
Authors: Singh Agyapal , Maini Jiwan Jyoti
Published: July 2019

Purpose:

The study aims to find out various factors associated with the quality of work-life (QWL) among faculty working in technical institutes in the state of Punjab, India.

Design/Methodology:

Data have been collected by judgement sampling—a non-probability sampling technique with a self-designed questionnaire which has been administered to the faculty of various technical institutes (both private and government promoted) situated in the state of Punjab. The data have been analysed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 20 through Reliability analysis, Kaiser–Meyer–Oklin (KMO) test, Bartlett’s test of sphericity. Thereafter, factor analysis is used to identify the factors associated with the QWL.

Findings:

Seven factors are identified: management policies, work environment, fair salary and rewards, training and development opportunities, job design and life space, job/social security and grievance handling. Besides these, the factorial validity (convergent and discriminant validity) is also established.

Originality:

Vast literature is available on the area under study but perhaps none of the studies has been conducted to investigate QWL of faculty in the technical education sector. The implications of these findings will have a significant role in improving the understanding of factors associated with work-life quality of the faculty.
Management Practice in India: Turning Around a Public Sector Bank
Authors: D’Silva Nelson A.
Published: July 2019

Anil K. Khandelwal, CEO—Chess Master or Gardener? How Game-Changing HR Reforms Created a New Future for Bank of Baroda. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2018, pp. 388, ₹750, ISBN 0-19-948564-X.
A Study of Impact of Quality of Work Life on Work Performance
Authors: Thakur Reetika , Sharma Dinesh
Published: July 2019

Every organization is interested in improving the work performance of its employees. Also, quality of work life (QWL) has become of paramount importance for the smooth functioning of an organization. The present research study, thus, attempts to assess the impact of QWL on Work Performance and its dimensions—task performance, contextual performance and counter-productive work behaviour (CWB) among the employees of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL). The data was collected from a sample of 270 HPPCL employees, selected by using convenience sampling technique. Results of this study show that the QWL experienced by the employees of HPPCL has a significant and positive impact on their task, contextual and overall work performance, and a significant, weak and negative impact on their CWB. Results also reveal that the employees often performed their duties satisfactorily. However, they have been found to have a significant involvement in CWB, which has also been found to deteriorate their overall work performance. Thus, CWB is an area of concern for the organization. The study also discusses its various implications for the concerned organization, viz. improving overall work performance of its employees (emphasizing on enhancing their task and contextual performance and reducing their CWB) by adopting various measures to improve their QWL.
Centrality of Primary Task in Organization Development
Authors: Chattopadhyay Gouranga
Published: July 2019

The idea of organization development (OD) was introduced in India through the work of behavioural scientists working with the technology of sensitivity training (T-Group). In their work, task, perhaps the most important structure of an organization, was ignored which led to focus on creating happy and docile organizational personnel. The approach of social scientists based on Wilfred Bion’s path-breaking work, which led to the development of what came to be known as the work based on the Tavistock framework that focused on creating conditions for the personnel to manage their relationship with various organizational structures and resources, was brought to India by the present author at the end of 1972.
The risks and benefits of yoga for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Cramer Holger , Haller Heidemarie , Klose Petra , Ward Lesley , Chung Vincent CH , Lauche Romy
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

To determine the effectiveness and safety of yoga interventions on disease symptoms, quality of life and function in patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Data sources:

Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were searched through 6 June 2019.

Review methods:

Randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of yoga on quality of life, dyspnea, exercise capacity, and pulmonary function (FEV1) in patients with COPD were included. Safety was defined as secondary outcome. Mean differences (MD) and standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool.

Results:

Eleven randomized controlled trials with a total of 586 patients were included. Meta-analysis revealed evidence for effects of yoga compared to no treatment on quality of life on the COPD Assessment Test (MD = 3.81; 95% CI = 0.97 to 6.65; P = 0.009, I2 = 70%), exercise capacity assessed by the 6-minute walk test (MD = 25.53 m; 95% CI = 12.16 m to 38.90 m; P = 0.001, I2 = 0%), and pulmonary function assessed by FEV1 predicted (MD  = 3.95%; 95% CI = 2.74% to 5.17%; P < 0.001, I2 = 0%). Only the effects on exercise capacity and pulmonary function were robust against methodological bias. Effects were only present in breathing-focused yoga interventions but not in interventions including yoga postures. Adverse events were reported infrequently.

Conclusion:

This meta-analysis found robust effects of yoga on exercise capacity and pulmonary function in patients with COPD. Yoga, specifically yoga breathing techniques, can be an effective adjunct intervention for patients with COPD. Yoga’s safety needs to be assessed in more depth in future studies.
Which patients do not seek additional medical care after a self-management class for low back pain? An observational cohort
Authors: Garcia Alessandra Narciso , Cook Chad , Rhon Daniel
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

(1) To identify baseline variables associated with patients that sought no additional care during the 12 months following a single self-management education session for low back pain (LBP), and (2) in those who sought care, to determine whether the same variables were associated with low versus high downstream LBP-related healthcare utilization.

Design:

An observational cohort.

Setting:

Single large military hospital.

Participants:

A total of 733 patients with LBP.

Intervention:

Single self-management education session.

Main outcomes:

Eleven variables were explored in two distinct logistic regression models: (1) no additional care versus additional care, and (2) low versus high number of additional visits in the additional care group.

Results:

In the first model, not being on active duty service (odds ratio (OR) = 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37–2.86), low baseline disability (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.00–1.04), low baseline fear-avoidance related to work (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.00–1.03), and, in the last year, no opioid prescriptions (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.00–2.07), physical therapy (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.00–2.65), or sleep disorder diagnosis (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.05–2.51) significantly increased the odds that patients would not seek any additional care. In the second model, not being on active duty service (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.38–3.46), low baseline disability (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.02–1.06), and no opioid prescriptions in the prior year (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.42–3.37) increased the odds that patients would have less visits (⩽2 visits).

Conclusion:

Our study found several variables that helped determine whether patients would seek little or no additional care during the 12 months following a self-management education class for LBP.
A systematic review of personal smart technologies used to improve outcomes in adults with acquired brain injuries
Authors: Kettlewell Jade , das Nair Roshan , Radford Kate
Published: July 2019

Objective:

This review aimed to determine the effectiveness of personal smart technologies on outcomes in adults with acquired brain injury.

Data sources:

A systematic literature search was conducted on 30 May 2019. Twelve electronic databases, grey literature databases, PROSPERO, reference list and author citations were searched.

Methods:

Randomised controlled trials were included if personal smart technology was used to improve independence, goal attainment/function, fatigue or quality of life in adults with acquired brain injury. Data were extracted using a bespoke form and the TIDieR checklist. Studies were graded using the PEDro scale to assess quality of reporting. Meta-analysis was conducted across four studies.

Results:

Six studies met the inclusion criteria, generating a total of 244 participants. All studies were of high quality (PEDro ⩾ 6). Interventions included personal digital assistant, smartphone app, mobile phone messaging, Neuropage and an iPad. Reporting of intervention tailoring for individual needs was inconsistent. All studies measured goal attainment/function but none measured independence or fatigue. One study ( n = 42) reported a significant increase in memory-specific goal attainment ( p = 0.0001) and retrospective memory function ( p = 0.042) in favour of the intervention. Another study ( n = 8) reported a significant increase in social participation in favour of the intervention ( p = 0.01). However, our meta-analyses found no significant effect of personal smart technology on goal attainment, cognitive or psychological function.

Conclusion:

At present, there is insufficient evidence to support the clinical benefit of personal smart technologies to improve outcomes in acquired brain injury. Researchers need to conduct more randomised studies to evaluate these interventions and measure their potential effects/harms.
Designing Unforced Choice Experiments to Inform Health Care Decision Making: Implications of Using Opt-Out, Neither, or Status Quo Alternatives in Discrete Choice Experiments
Authors: Determann Domino , Gyrd-Hansen Dorte , de Wit G. Ardine , de Bekker-Grob Esther W. , Steyerberg Ewout W. , Lambooij Mattijs S. , Bjørnskov Pedersen Line
Published: July 2019

Background. Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are increasingly used in the health care context to inform on patient preferences for health care services. In order for such experiments to provide useful and policy-relevant information, it is vital that the design includes those options that the respondent faces in the real-life situation. Whether to include opt-out, neither, or status quo alternatives has, however, received little attention in the DCE literature. We aim to investigate whether the use of different unforced choice formats affects DCE results in different settings: 1) opt-out versus neither in a health care market where there is no status quo and 2) including status quo in addition to opt-out in a health care market with a status quo. Design. A DCE on Dutch citizens’ preferences for personal health records served as our case, and 3189 respondents were allocated to the different unforced choice formats. We used mixed logit error component models to estimate preferences. Results. We found that the use of different unforced choice formats affects marginal utilities and welfare estimates and hence the conclusions that will be drawn from the DCE to inform health care decision making. Conclusions. To avoid biased estimates, we recommend that researchers are hesitant to use the neither option and consider including a status quo in addition to opt-out in settings where a status quo exists.
On the Likelihood of Surrogates Conforming to the Substituted Judgment Standard When Making End-of-Life Decisions for Their Partner
Authors: Batteux Eleonore , Ferguson Eamonn , Tunney Richard J.
Published: July 2019

A considerable proportion of end-of-life decisions are made by the patient’s next-of-kin, who can be asked to follow the substituted judgment standard and decide based on the patient’s wishes. The question of whether these surrogate decision makers are actually able to do so has become an important issue. In this study, we examined how the likelihood of surrogates conforming to the substituted judgment standard varies with individual differences in mortality acceptance and confidence in their decision making. We recruited 153 participants in romantic relationships between 18 and 80 years old from the general population. We asked them to make hypothetical end-of-life decisions for themselves and on behalf of their partner, as well as predict what their partner would do, and complete a series of questionnaires. Participants predicted that their partner would make similar decisions to their own but were more likely to accept a life-saving treatment that could result in reduced quality of life on their partner’s behalf than for themselves. Decisions made by older adults were more likely to conform to the substituted judgment standard, which is encouraging given that they are more likely to be confronted with these decisions in real life, although this was not due to differences in mortality acceptance. Older adults were also more likely to have had previous discussions with their partner and thereby know that person’s wishes and feel confident that they made the right decision, but these factors did not affect their likelihood of conforming to the substituted judgment standard. This shows that encouraging discussions about end of life among families would ease the decision process, but more work is needed to ensure that surrogates can adhere to the substituted judgment standard.
Use of platelet-rich fibrin and surgical approach for combined treatment of osteoradionecrosis: a case report
Authors: Chen Yi-Tzu , Chang Yu-Chao
Published: July 2019

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a complication of radiation therapy for which several treatment options have been reported. The use of platelet‐rich fibrin (PRF), a second-generation platelet concentrate, has been promoted in refractory wounds. A 53-year-old man underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma in the right side of the tongue. Subsequently, he exhibited pus discharge around the right maxillary first molar. Intraoral examination showed mobility and probing depths of >10 mm in teeth 15 and 16. Computed tomography revealed poorly defined osteolytic changes in teeth 15 to 17, indicative of oroantral fistula. Teeth 15 to 17 were extracted and the socket was debrided. Primary closure was achieved after PRF dressing. The wound healed within 2 weeks. The patient returned because of spontaneous loss of tooth 46 and numbness over the right lower lip. Pus was present in premolar areas and in the tooth 46 socket. Radiographic examination showed moth-eaten destruction in right mandibular teeth and better trabecular quality in the right maxilla. A provisional diagnosis of ORN was made. Debridement and primary closure after PRF dressing were performed. The mucosa healed within 3 weeks. Our findings suggest that PRF combined with a surgical approach might be useful for treatment of ORN.
Addictive De-Vices: A Public Policy Analysis of Sources and Solutions to Digital Addiction
Authors: Berthon Pierre , Pitt Leyland , Campbell Colin
Published: July 2019

We spend our days looking at them, talking to them, and touching them. We sleep with them, work with them, and play with them. They increasingly consume our time, attention, and money: we are addicted to our digital devices—or, more precisely, the digital experiences they enable. This addiction is both akratic (we are aware of the negative consequences) and engineered (designed on purpose). Marketers are complicit in this engineering: through digital networks and big data they ubiquitously monitor and experiment on consumers. This knowledge is used to create ever-more addictive digital experiences enabled by devices, their platforms, and their content. In this article, the authors explore marketing’s role in the rise of the phenomenon: from product design, through advertising and big data, to the dynamics of ubiquitous distribution and “free” pricing. The authors then turn to policy solutions and discuss how informing, guiding, and restricting can help ameliorate the problem and promote the public good. The article concludes by outlining multiple areas for marketing and public policy research.
Impact of Poetry on Empathy and Professional Burnout of Health-Care Workers: A Systematic Review
Authors: Schoonover Kimberly L. , Hall-Flavin Daniel , Whitford Kevin , Lussier Mark , Essary Alison , Lapid Maria I.
Published: July 2019

Background:

Narrative medicine (NM) interventions have positively influenced empathy and burnout to varying degrees in health-care workers. We systematically reviewed the impact of poetry, a form of NM, on empathy and professional burnout.

Methods:

A comprehensive search of Ovid MEDLINE(R) and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, and Daily, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid PsycINFO, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus, from inception to September 25, 2018, for articles published in English, was conducted using search terms related to NM, empathy, professional burnout, and health-care personnel.

Results:

Of the 401 abstracts independently screened for inclusion by 2 reviewers, 2 quantitative, 3 qualitative studies, and 1 research letter were included. One research letter, focusing on the use of poetry, found it to increase empathy as measured by a nonvalidated questionnaire. All other studies used mixed NM interventions: 2 quantitative studies, using validated surveys, showed an increase in empathy and 2 qualitative studies showed limited to a prominent finding of increased empathy. There were no studies that used poetry exclusively to assess impact on professional burnout. One quantitative study, utilizing a validated survey, revealed no overall reduced burnout among residents, although high attendance participants had moderately reduced burnout postintervention, and one qualitative study noted limited reduction in burnout.

Conclusion:

There is evidence that poetry as part of a NM intervention may increase empathy and limited evidence that it may reduce professional burnout among health-care workers.
Analysis and Study of Effect of Natural Dye From Bombax malabarica on Silk Fabric
Authors: Swamy V. Narayana
Published: July 2019

The current study deals with the extraction of natural dye from Bombax malabarica flowers, readily available by-product. Dye was extracted under different operating conditions such as time (60–90 min), temperature (90–95 °C), and pH 9. The dyed samples were subjected to CIELAB system using Gretag Macbeth Color Eye 7000A Spectrophotometer for the evaluation of color strength and L*a*b* C and H values. To improve the dye uptake and color fastness, pre and postmordanting was carried out using alum, tannic, and tartaric acid mordants. Dyed silk fabrics were tested for its color fastness when subjected to light, washing, and rubbing. Fastness properties of dyed silk fabric samples were found considerably good. Mordanted silk fabric samples showed increase in dye uptake resulting in high color strength and better fastness properties. The dyed silk samples displayed good antimicrobial activity (reduction rate: 48%) against the bacteria Escherichia coli and (reduction rate: 55%) against Staphylococcus aureus.
“Parent Leadership and Voice”: How Mid-Level Administrators Appropriate Pre-Kindergarten Parent Involvement Policy
Authors: Wilinski Bethany , Morley Alyssa
Published: July 2019

In the United States, where public pre-K has recently undergone rapid expansion, pre-K policies often include a mandate for parent involvement. We analyze a pre-K parent involvement policy in the state of Michigan, demonstrating the ways mid-level administrators appropriated the policy. We show how the silences and tensions embedded in the policy became visible as the policy was appropriated by these actors. We argue that while the policy sought to “empower” parents, it simultaneously created subject positions that reified traditional notions of desirable parent involvement. This study points to the need for policies that address the complex nature of parent involvement and the importance of understanding the role of mid-level actors in policy appropriation.
Knowing savagery: Australia and the anatomy of race
Authors: Buchan Bruce , Andersson Burnett Linda
Published: July 2019

When Australia was circumnavigated by Europeans in 1801–02, French and British natural historians were unsure how to describe the Indigenous peoples who inhabited the land they charted and catalogued. Ideas of race and of savagery were freely deployed by both British and French, but a discursive shift was underway. While the concept of savagery had long been understood to apply to categories of human populations deemed to be in want of more historically advanced ‘civilisation’, the application of this term in the late 18th and early 19th centuries was increasingly being correlated with the emerging terminology of racial characteristics. The terminology of race was still remarkably fluid, and did not always imply fixed physical or mental endowments or racial hierarchies. Nonetheless, by means of this concept, natural historians began to conceptualise humanity as subject not only to historical gradations, but also to the environmental and climatic variations thought to determine race. This in turn meant that the degree of savagery or civilisation of different peoples could be understood through new criteria that enabled physical classification, in particular by reference to skin colour, hair, facial characteristics, skull morphology, or physical stature: the archetypal criteria of race. While race did not replace the language of savagery, in the early years of the 19th century savagery was re-inscribed by race.
A 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenol based on conjugated polymer: Highly selective colorimetric fluorescent chemosensor for F-depending on Si–O bond cleavage reaction
Authors: Liu Yinhong , Wei Yuhan , Bian Yongshuang , He Shengjiao , Wang Xin , Liu Xin , Li Chenglei , Wu Qi , Zeng Xianyin , Wang Hanguang , Liu Kuan
Published: July 2019

Design and synthesis of highly selective fluorine ion probes become particularly important owing to the specific role of fluorine ion in chemical and biomedical progresses. As a new-type of fluorescent material, conjugated polymers with unique photometric properties have been widely researched by scientists in the field of the fluorescence sensors. In this study, the polymer PBTPV-OSi containing benzothiazole moiety is synthesized via palladium-catalyzed Heck coupling reaction. This polymer not only exhibits good solubility in organic solvents but also shows high selectivity for fluorine ion detection in comparison to other anions. Upon addition of F− to PBTPV-OSi solution, Si–O cleavage of PBTPV-OSi leads to the fluorescence quenching of the polymer in tetrahydrofuran dramatically, and the detection limit is 8 × 10−6 mol/L. Moreover, besides detecting fluorine ion from organic phase, the probe can also effectively detect potassium fluoride from inorganic phase. More importantly, a naked-eye detectable chromogenic and fluorogenic dual response to fluorine ion (F−) can be visibly noted and the detection process of fluorine ion is relatively fast.
Cross-border Collaboration Strategies in Academic Entrepreneurship of New R&D Institutions: Insights from Explorative Case Studies in China
Authors: Gaofeng Yi
Published: July 2019

This research aims to understand how certain mechanisms promote cross-border collaboration strategies (CBCS) in new research and development institutions (NRDIs) and improve their academic entrepreneurship within the Triple Helix. Multiple case studies of NRDIs were conducted by proposing a ‘mission-structure-mechanisms-outcomes’ model with the open innovation concept. The findings pinpoint the important role played by CBCS in helping NRDI construct, a micro-collaborative and academic entrepreneurial ecosystem, and improving academic entrepreneurial performance. The following are the key to form CBCS and improve its entrepreneurial performance: to focus the core mission of NRDI on the research results commercialization, to establish cross-border integration, business incubation system and diversified incentives. Results from these case studies provide new insights into the role played by CBCS of NRDIs for practitioners and policymakers in this field.
Institutional Differences, Foreign Ownership Modes, Marketing Capabilities and Domestic Technological Catch-up: Evidence from India
Authors: Song Yang , Konwar Ziko , Berger Ron
Published: July 2019

This research examines FDI-mediated domestic firms’ technological catch-up by considering institutional differences between home and host countries, the role of marketing capabilities, and the joint effects of institutional differences and the degree of foreign ownership. Using firm-level panel data for Indian manufacturing industries, we find that FDI-mediated technological catch-up in domestic firms is conditional on institutional differences between the home and host country of multinational enterprises and the level of marketing capabilities of foreign-owned affiliates. In addition, we find that technological catch-up in domestic firms is likely to be positively influenced by the presence of wholly foreign-owned firms from institutionally close countries, whereas we find some evidence that the presence of minority foreign-owned firms may have a negative effect on domestic technological catch-up, regardless of institutional differences. We also provide theoretical and policy implications of our findings.