bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TH-302 in Combination with Radiotherapy Enhances the Therapeutic Outcome and Is Associated with Pretreatment [18F]HX4 Hypoxia PET Imaging
Authors: Peeters Sarah G.J.A. , Zegers Catharina M.L. , Biemans Rianne , Lieuwes Natasja G. , van Stiphout Ruud G.P.M. , Yaromina Ala , Sun Jessica D. , Hart Charles P. , Windhorst Albert D. , van Elmpt Wouter , Dubois Ludwig J. , Lambin Philippe
Published: March 2015

Purpose: Conventional anticancer treatments are often impaired by the presence of hypoxia. TH-302 selectively targets hypoxic tumor regions, where it is converted into a cytotoxic agent. This study assessed the efficacy of the combination treatment of TH-302 and radiotherapy in two preclinical tumor models. The effect of oxygen modification on the combination treatment was evaluated and the effect of TH-302 on the hypoxic fraction (HF) was monitored using [18F]HX4-PET imaging and pimonidazole IHC stainings.

Experimental Design: Rhabdomyosarcoma R1 and H460 NSCLC tumor-bearing animals were treated with TH-302 and radiotherapy (8 Gy, single dose). The tumor oxygenation status was altered by exposing animals to carbogen (95% oxygen) and nicotinamide, 21% or 7% oxygen breathing during the course of the treatment. Tumor growth and treatment toxicity were monitored until the tumor reached four times its start volume (T4×SV).

Results: Both tumor models showed a growth delay after TH-302 treatment, which further increased when combined with radiotherapy (enhancement ratio rhabdomyosarcoma 1.23; H460 1.49). TH-302 decreases the HF in both models, consistent with its hypoxia-targeting mechanism of action. Treatment efficacy was dependent on tumor oxygenation; increasing the tumor oxygen status abolished the effect of TH-302, whereas enhancing the HF enlarged TH-302′s therapeutic effect. An association was observed in rhabdomyosarcoma tumors between the pretreatment HF as measured by [18F]HX4-PET imaging and the T4×SV.

Conclusions: The combination of TH-302 and radiotherapy is promising and warrants clinical testing, preferably guided by the companion biomarker [18F]HX4 hypoxia PET imaging for patient selection. Clin Cancer Res; 21(13); 2984–92. ©2015 AACR.
Nrf2 Activation Protects against Solar-Simulated Ultraviolet Radiation in Mice and Humans
Authors: Knatko Elena V. , Ibbotson Sally H. , Zhang Ying , Higgins Maureen , Fahey Jed W. , Talalay Paul , Dawe Robert S. , Ferguson James , Huang Jeffrey T.-J. , Clarke Rosemary , Zheng Suqing , Saito Akira , Kalra Sukirti , Benedict Andrea L. , Honda Tadashi , Proby Charlotte M. , Dinkova-Kostova Albena T.
Published: March 2015

The transcription factor Nrf2 determines the ability to adapt and survive under conditions of electrophilic, oxidative, and inflammatory stress by regulating the expression of elaborate networks comprising nearly 500 genes encoding proteins with versatile cytoprotective functions. In mice, disruption of Nrf2 increases susceptibility to carcinogens and accelerates disease pathogenesis. Paradoxically, Nrf2 is upregulated in established human tumors, but whether this upregulation drives carcinogenesis is not known. Here we show that the incidence, multiplicity, and burden of solar-simulated UV radiation–mediated cutaneous tumors that form in SKH-1 hairless mice in which Nrf2 is genetically constitutively activated are lower than those that arise in their wild-type counterparts. Pharmacologic Nrf2 activation by topical biweekly applications of small (40 nmol) quantities of the potent bis(cyano enone) inducer TBE-31 has a similar protective effect against solar-simulated UV radiation in animals receiving long-term treatment with the immunosuppressive agent azathioprine. Genetic or pharmacologic Nrf2 activation lowers the expression of the pro-inflammatory factors IL6 and IL1β, and COX2 after acute exposure of mice to UV radiation. In healthy human subjects, topical applications of extracts delivering the Nrf2 activator sulforaphane reduced the degree of solar-simulated UV radiation–induced skin erythema, a quantifiable surrogate endpoint for cutaneous damage and skin cancer risk. Collectively, these data show that Nrf2 is not a driver for tumorigenesis even upon exposure to a very potent and complete carcinogen and strongly suggest that the frequent activation of Nrf2 in established human tumors is a marker of metabolic adaptation. Cancer Prev Res; 8(6); 475–86. ©2015 AACR.
Combination Therapy with Infliximab and Thiopurine Compared to Infliximab Monotherapy in Maintaining Remission of Postoperative Crohn's Disease
Authors: Sakuraba Atsushi , Okamoto Susumu , Matsuoka Katsuyoshi , Sato Toshiro , Naganuma Makoto , Hisamatsu Tadakazu , Iwao Yasushi , Ogata Haruhiko , Kanai Takanori , Hibi Toshifumi
Published: March 2015

Background and Aims: Infliximab is an efficacious agent used for the induction and maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease (CD), and recent studies suggested that it may also prevent the recurrence of this disease after surgery. The present study was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of infliximab in the postoperative setting, and to identify whether combination treatment with thiopurines had any additional beneficial effect as compared to mono-therapy. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study to compare the efficacy of infliximab mono-therapy and combination treatment with a thiopurine in preventing recurrence after surgery. Results: Forty-one patients who received infliximab as maintenance treatment following surgery from May 2002 to April 2010 were identified. Twenty-four were naive to infliximab, and 17 who underwent surgery during infliximab treatment were continued on it following surgery. The median follow-up period was 27 months (range 12-66 months). All patients continued infliximab as maintenance treatment, but 10 required dose intensification due to clinical recurrence. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the use of concomitant thiopurine was correlated with the continuation of infliximab treatment at an 8-week interval (log-rank test p = 0.018). The rate of adverse event was 9.8% with no patient experiencing severe adverse reactions. Conclusion: Infliximab appears to be safe and it prevented clinical recurrence after surgery. Concomitant thiopurine use predicted response toward continuation of therapy at an 8-week interval. Prospective controlled studies to assess the efficacy of combination treatment in the postoperative setting are warranted.
Confocal Microscopic Analysis of the Spindle and Chromosome Configurations of in vitro-Matured Oocytes from Different Types of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients
Authors: Zhu Liang , Han Chun-Sheng , Cao Ze-Lei , Wang Zhen-Bo , Han Rui-Gang , Wang Bing , Sun Qing-Yuan
Published: March 2015

Objective: To evaluate the meiotic spindle and chromosome distribution of in vitro-matured oocytes from infertile nonobese or obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to compare in vitro maturation (IVM) rates between groups. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Hospital-based IVF center. Patients: A total of 99 patients (26 obese women with PCOS, 25 nonobese women with PCOS, and 48 controls) undergoing stimulated cycles for intracytoplasmic sperm injection had immature oocytes for IVM. Interventions: Immature oocytes (germinal vesicle and metaphase I stages) were collected from obese and nonobese PCOS patients and controlled infertile patients. The meiotic spindle and chromosome configurations in oocytes matured in vitro were studied by confocal microscopy, with fluorescent labeling techniques for visualization of both microtubules and chromosomes. Main Outcome Measures: Meiotic spindle and associated chromosome configurations. Results: There were no significant differences between the different types of PCOS and the control group with respect to IVM rates (61.8, 63.8, and 63.2%, respectively), the percentage of spindle abnormalities in metaphase II oocytes (40.6, 42.9, and 37.5%, respectively) or chromosome abnormalities in metaphase II oocytes (31.2, 34.3, and 33.3%, respectively). Conclusions: In vitro-matured oocytes obtained from stimulated cycles had a high ratio of meiotic abnormalities. The different types of PCOS had the same ratio of meiotic abnormalities.
Association of a 62 Variants Type 2 Diabetes Genetic Risk Score With Markers of Subclinical Atherosclerosis
Authors: Dauriz Marco , Porneala Bianca C. , Guo Xiuqing , Bielak Lawrence F. , Peyser Patricia A. , Durant Nefertiti H. , Carnethon Mercedes R. , Bonadonna Riccardo C. , Bonora Enzo , Bowden Donald W. , Florez Jose C. , Fornage Myriam , Hivert Marie-France , Jacobs David R. , Kabagambe Edmond K. , Lewis Cora E. , Murabito Joanne M. , Rasmussen-Torvik Laura J. , Rich Stephen S. , Vassy Jason L. , Yao Jie , Carr Jeffrey J. , Kardia Sharon L.R. , Siscovick David , O’Donnell Christopher J. , Rotter Jerome I. , Dupuis Josée , Meigs James B.
Published: March 2015

Background—

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and cardiovascular disease share risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) predicts events in those with and without diabetes mellitus. T2D genetic risk may predict both T2D and SCA. We hypothesized that greater T2D genetic risk is associated with higher extent of SCA.

Methods and Results—

In a cross-sectional analysis, including ≤9210 European Americans, 3773 African Americans, 1446 Hispanic Americans, and 773 Chinese Americans without known cardiovascular disease and enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy studies, we tested a 62 T2D-loci genetic risk score for association with measures of SCA, including coronary artery or abdominal aortic calcium score, common and internal carotid artery intima-media thickness, and ankle-brachial index. We used ancestry-stratified linear regression models, with random effects accounting for family relatedness when appropriate, applying a genetic-only (adjusted for sex) and a full SCA risk factors–adjusted model (significance,
P
<0.01=0.05/5, number of traits analyzed). An inverse association with coronary artery calcium score in Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Europeans (fully-adjusted
P
=0.004) and with common carotid artery intima-media thickness in the Framingham Heart Study (
P
=0.009) was not confirmed in other study cohorts, either separately or in meta-analysis. Secondary analyses showed no consistent associations with β-cell and insulin resistance genetic risk sub-scores in the Framingham Heart Study and in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults.

Conclusions—

SCA does not have a major genetic component linked to a burden of 62 T2D loci identified by large genome-wide association studies. A shared T2D-SCA genetic basis, if any, might become apparent from better functional information about both T2D and cardiovascular disease risk loci.
Production of Near-Surface Vertical Vorticity by Idealized Downdrafts
Authors: Parker Matthew D. , Dahl Johannes M. L.
Published: March 2015

This study uses an idealized heat sink to examine the possible roles of the wind profile in modulating the production of surface vertical vorticity by a downdraft. The basic vorticity evolution in these idealized simulations is consistent with previous work: the process is primarily baroclinic and produces near-ground vertical vorticity within the outflow. Sensitivity experiments affirm that the only fundamental requirement for downdrafts to produce surface vertical vorticity is the existence of ambient downdraft-relative flow. Vertical vorticity production increases monotonically as the low-level downdraft-relative flow increases from zero up through intermediate values (in these experiments, 10–15 m s−1), followed by a monotonic decrease for greater values. This sensitivity has to do with the degree of cooling acquired by parcels as they pass through the idealized heat sink as well as the degree to which horizontal vorticity vectors subsequently attain an orientation that is normal to isosurfaces of vertical velocity. Although the addition of vertical wind shear is not directly helpful to surface vertical vorticity production in these simulations, increased realism of outflow structure is attained in hodographs with ambient streamwise vorticity. Furthermore, the necessary condition of flow through a region of downdraft forcing would in nature probably require the existence of ambient vertical shear. Therefore, shear in the lower troposphere has a possibly important indirect role in modulating the initial production of near-ground rotation.
The provocative poetry of Galileo Galilei
Authors: Fontanella Luigi
Published: March 2015

This article focuses on Galileo’s poetic – sparing but enjoyable – production, which in general has been disregarded in comparison to the numerous studies of his work as a physicist, mathematician and astronomer. In particular, this contribution analyzes Galileo’s long poem Capitolo contro il portar la toga (‘Against the Donning of the Gown’), written by the great scientist in Dante’s terza rima but in the parodic spirit of Francesco Berni’s poetry and Ludovico Ariosto’s Satires, mocking the custom of professors at the University of Pisa of wearing the academic gown. The Capitolo is mainly a witty divertissement, both linguistically reckless (often based on the figure of the calembour) and thematically daring for its sexual allusions. At the same time, it represents a ‘counterbalance’ to Galileo’s very committed scientific research; overall, a moment of private pleasure that would be easily extended to an intelligent circle of letterati, perfectly in tune with the best Florentine tradition.
Manufacture and model calculation of porcelain-like microcellular low-density polystyrene foam
Authors: Horacek H
Published: March 2015

It is a well known that nucleation by gases in the supercritical state lead to high-density nanocellular foams, but the aim of this article was to find a route to microcellular low-density closed-cell foam with expected low heat conductivity and high mechanical properties. Polystyrene was impregnated with carbon dioxide or propane at room temperature and 70 bar pressure. Pentane served as a reference substance. The samples were investigated by electron microscopy. The specimens comprising carbon dioxide and propane showed bubbles surrounded by a ring of lamellas. The samples were foamed in hot bathes of silicone, of saturated NaNO3 water solution, and in water vapor under stretching conditions at 100℃ or 110℃. The foaming was registered continuously on a balance by buoyancy experimentally and calculated in diffusion as well as viscosity-controlled foaming models. A microcellular foam with 35 kg/m3 density, 1.5 µm or 1500 nm cell diameter, 5.5 MPa tear strength, and 0.027 W/m.K heat conductivity was obtained, which looked like porcelain. The continuous manufacture of low-density carbon dioxide or propane foam by extrusion did not lead to microcellular foam, because the necessary high-pressure, low-temperature nucleation conditions could not be performed.
Formation mechanism and structural characteristics of unfoamed skin layer in microcellular injection-molded parts
Authors: Dong Guiwei , Zhao Guoqun , Guan Yanjin , Li Shuai , Wang Xiaoxin
Published: March 2015

The microcellular injection-molded part usually consists of a foamed core region and two unfoamed skin layers on the cross section. This paper investigated the formation process, formation mechanism and structural characteristics of the unfoamed skin layers in microcellular injection-molded part. It is found that the unfoamed skin layers are formed in two processes namely “during filling” process and “after filling” process. The shear flow and the fountain flow behaviors of the melt in the filling stage are the main controlling factors on the formation of the unfoamed skin layer in “during filling” process, and the cooling solidification of the melt in cooling stage is the fundamental reason for the formation of the unfoamed skin layer in “after filling” process. Further studies found that the unfoamed skin layer in microcellular injection-molded part has two distinct regions, the outer region is a thin frozen layer which contains deformed and broken cells, and the inner region is a relatively thick solid-like layer which has no visible cells in. The unfoamed skin layer has a minimum thickness in the gate location. The whole thickness of the unfoamed skin layer is decreased with the increase of injection speed and mold temperature, but is slightly affected by melt temperature.
A decision-making model for selecting the most appropriate natural fiber – Polypropylene-based composites for automotive applications
Authors: AL-Oqla Faris M , Sapuan S M , Ishak M R , Nuraini A A
Published: March 2015

Recent emphasis on the proper utilization of the available natural resources as well as the compatibility between industrial sustainability and the environment have recognized the natural fiber reinforced polymer composites as a valuable type of materials. The final features of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites are strongly influenced by the characteristics of their constituents. Several factors affect implementing natural fiber reinforced polymer composites in automotive applications, which make it a matter of multi-criteria decision making problem. In this work, a decision-making model is introduced to evaluate and select the most appropriate non-woven natural reinforcement fiber/polypropylene-based composites for interior parts in the automotive industry considering various evaluation criteria simultaneously. The analytical hierarchy process was utilized to assess 15 potential alternatives of different natural fiber/polypropylene composites. The evaluation process considered simultaneous six evaluation criteria, namely tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, impact strength and the maximum water absorption of the composites. Such approach is implemented here for the first time to enhance the selection process of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites for automotive application and to expand the future sustainable design possibilities in this sector. Both impact and flexural strengths were found to have the major priority in the evaluation process. The treated flax/polypropylene composite with 30 wt% fiber loading alternative was found to be the best with regard to the overall evaluation criteria. Date palm fiber/polypropylene composites were found to be potential considering the whole desired evaluation criteria.
Developing a critical understanding of smart urbanism?
Authors: Luque-Ayala Andrés , Marvin Simon
Published: March 2015

Smart urbanism is emerging at the intersection of visions for the future of urban places, new technologies and infrastructures. Smart urbanism discourses are deeply rooted in seductive and normative visions of the future where digital technology stands as the primary driver for change. Yet our understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and implications of smart urbanism is limited. Research in this field is in its infancy, fragmented along disciplinary lines and often based on single city case studies. As a result, we lack both the theoretical insight and empirical evidence required to assess the implications of this potentially transformative phenomenon. Given the significant implications of smart urbanism there is an urgent need to critically engage with why, how, for whom and with what consequences smart urbanism is emerging in different urban contexts. The aim of this review is to unpack the different logics and rationales behind smart urbanism discourses and proposals, and in this way understand the ways by which imaginaries of urban futures are currently being constructed, along with their socio-technical and political implications for future research priorities.
Conceptual approaches to service provision in cities throughout history
Authors: Smith Michael E , Dennehy Timothy , Kamp-Whittaker April , Stanley Benjamin W , Stark Barbara L , York Abigail
Published: March 2015

All cities, from the distant past to the present, provide services for their residents, but the nature and level of urban services vary widely, as do the providers. How are we to understand this variation? We examine the major theoretical and conceptual approaches to urban services, and find that none is sufficiently comprehensive to explain patterns of service provision in all types of cities: public choice theory, co-production, critical theory, urban political ecology, collective action theory, and social integration. We use two premodern cities – Zanzibar and Tikal – to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of these theories. A major challenge is to account for both central administrative control of services and more generative, bottom-up service provision.
The Evil in Technical Communication
Authors: Boedy Matthew
Published: March 2015

Ethics and technical communication have a long history. Much of the discussion has ignored, though, the evil in language—overnaming. We see clearest this evil in what some have called “administrative evil.” Technical communicators, like all good rhetoricians, need to understand how to respond to it. Overnaming as part of “administrative evil” is that evil which grounds all other evils. It is a certain understanding of language and what naming can do. When we overname, we try to control words to mean one thing eternally. Rhetoric is a move of renaming those words that have been overnamed. Such invention is needed as part of any rhetorical education for technical communicators.
A Critical Test of the Assumption That Men Prefer Conformist Women and Women Prefer Nonconformist Men
Authors: Hornsey Matthew J. , Wellauer Richard , McIntyre Jason C. , Barlow Fiona Kate
Published: March 2015

Five studies tested the common assumption that women prefer nonconformist men as romantic partners, whereas men prefer conformist women. Studies 1 and 2 showed that both men and women preferred nonconformist romantic partners, but women overestimated the extent to which men prefer conformist partners. In Study 3, participants ostensibly in a small-group interaction showed preferences for nonconformist opposite-sex targets, a pattern that was particularly evident when men evaluated women. Dating success was greater the more nonconformist the sample was (Study 4), and perceptions of nonconformity in an ex-partner were associated with greater love and attraction toward that partner (Study 5). On the minority of occasions in which effects were moderated by gender, it was in the reverse direction to the traditional wisdom: Conformity was more associated with dating success among men. The studies contradict the notion that men disproportionately prefer conformist women.
The Informedness Effect and Volume of Trade
Authors: Atiase Rowland K. , Gift Michael J.
Published: March 2015

Theoretical models of trade show that information-based trading is a consequence of four fundamental determinants: heterogeneous prior beliefs, differential interpretations, the consensus effect, and the informedness effect. Although the effects of these determinants on trading volume are clear theoretically, there is no prior empirical evidence on the relation between the informedness effect and the volume of trade, nor is there any empirical evidence on the incremental effect of each of the four determinants on the volume of trade. This study provides empirical evidence to fill this void. Consistent with theoretical predictions in Holthausen and Verrecchia, we find a significantly positive relation between the informedness effect and trading volume reactions to quarterly earnings announcements. We also find that the proxies for each of the four fundamental determinants of trading volume—prior belief heterogeneity, differential interpretation, the consensus effect, and the informedness effect of quarterly earnings signals—play a significant incremental role in explaining trading volume, thereby corroborating the theoretical results of financial economists. An important implication of our results is that empirical models of trade should consider controlling for each of these determinants.
Unveiling television’s apparatus on screen as a ‘para-interactive’ strategy
Authors: Klein Shagrir Oranit
Published: March 2015

Broadcast television faces new challenges in the rapidly changing media environment. This article proposes ‘para-interactivity’ as a concept that identifies the ways television addresses its audiences in the digital age. Para-interactivity is a term that brings together several salient elements in contemporary television texts as well as positing a contemporary context for established and familiar television strategies. It identifies elements embraced by television, which echo interactive communication processes and are characteristic of digital media and participatory culture, but when employed by and adapted to television, they do not usually construct communication that is actually interactive. This article focuses on one of these para-interactive strategies: unvelling television’s apparatus on screen. This strategy implies an inclusive viewing experience and a seemingly more equal and reciprocal relationship between television and its viewers. However, I argue that what is presented to the viewers is nothing but a ‘staged backstage’, while television industry surrounds itself in real and legal fences. Drawing on Israeli commercial television texts, this article contributes to the understanding of contemporary transformations in television as a medium and as a cultural industry.
2014 Rossi Award Lecture
Authors: Orr Larry L.
Published: March 2015

Background:

For much of the last 40 years, the evaluation profession has been consumed in a battle over internal validity. Today, that battle has been decided. Random assignment, while still far from universal in practice, is almost universally acknowledged as the preferred method for impact evaluation. It is time for the profession to shift its attention to the remaining major flaws in the “standard model” of evaluation: (i) external validity and (ii) the high cost and low hit rate of experimental evaluations as currently practiced.

Recommendations:

To raise the profession’s attention to external validity, the author recommends some simple, easy steps to be taken in every evaluation. The author makes two recommendations to increase the number of interventions found to be effective within existing resources: First, a two-stage evaluation strategy in which a cheap, streamlined Stage 1 evaluation is followed by a more intensive Stage 2 evaluation only for those interventions found to be effective in a Stage 1 trial and, second, use of random assignment to guide the myriad program management decisions that must be made in the course of routine program operations. This article is not intended as a solution to these issues: It is intended to stimulate the evaluation community to take these issues more seriously and to develop innovative solutions.
The effect of founder experience on the performance of philanthropic venture capital firms
Authors: Scarlata Mariarosa , Zacharakis Andrew , Walske Jennifer
Published: March 2015

This article assesses the relationship between the experiences of the philanthropic venture capital firm’s founding team and the venture firm’s subsequent economic, social, and total performance. Results indicate that commercial and social experiences help economic and social performance, respectively. However, when pursuing the maximization of both social and economic performance, philanthropic venture capital firms perform best when the founding team has high levels of commercial experience and low levels of social experience.
Transforming practice: Re-linking professional experience and the curriculum
Authors: Pooley Alison
Published: March 2015

We are experiencing environmental and social degradation on a global scale, our built environment. The construction industry makes a significant contribution to the problem; the UK is no exception. This paper presents a summary of research exploring the concept of environmental responsibility 1 with reference to learning within the UK construction industry. Examining professional practice through individual experience and a prosopographic lens provides an insight into learning outside of formal education. One of the challenges this paper poses is how we translate professional experience into strategies for education for sustainable development and address the need for an industry to transform in order to build an environment for the future. Embedding a sense of learning for life, transformation and ecological awareness into the curriculum by perceiving learning as part of who we are, part of the development of the whole person, could be one way.
The effects of compression gloves on hand symptoms and hand function in rheumatoid arthritis and hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review
Authors: Hammond Alison , Jones Vivienne , Prior Yeliz
Published: March 2015

Objective:

to evaluate the effects of compression gloves in adults with rheumatoid arthritis and hand osteoarthritis.

Data sources:

Systematic review of randomized controlled trials identified from MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, PEDro, OT Seeker, The Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct and PubMed from their inceptions to January 2015.

Review methods:

Methodological quality of identified trials was evaluated using the PEDro scale by three independent assessors. Effects were summarized descriptively.

Results:

Four trials ( n=8-24; total n=74), comparing night wear of full-length finger compression gloves with placebo gloves, were assessed. Three were of moderate (PEDro score 4-5) and one low (score 3) methodological quality. Effect sizes or standardized mean differences could not be calculated to compare trials due to poor data reporting. In rheumatoid arthritis, finger joint swelling was significantly reduced, but results for pain and stiffness were inconclusive and no differences in grip strength and dexterity were identified. One study reported similar effects in pain, stiffness and finger joint swelling from both compression and thermal placebo gloves. Only one study evaluated gloves in hand osteoarthritis ( n=5) with no differences.

Conclusions:

All the trials identified were small with a high risk of Type I and II errors. Evidence for the effectiveness of compression gloves worn at night is inconclusive in rheumatoid arthritis and hand osteoarthritis.
Privacy Perception of Adolescents in a Digital World
Authors: Soffer Tal , Cohen Anat
Published: March 2015

Privacy is a sociocultural perception, depending on the dominant values of a society, sociocultural heritage, and contemporary technological developments. This article focuses on privacy perception among adolescents based on a European school survey (PRACTIS), and presents comparative results of an exploratory study conducted among over 1,428 adolescents in six countries. The results reveal that adolescents attribute high value to privacy and are prepared to actively oppose if an online corporation is challenging their personal interests. However, they tend to trade off privacy for other perceived benefits. Adolescents’ privacy perception and data protection are affected by cultural diversity, age, gender, and most of all their various social network sites activities and their attitudes toward importance of sharing and controlling personal information.
Model tuning in engineering: Uncovering the logic
Authors: Steele Katie , Werndl Charlotte
Published: March 2015

In engineering, as in other scientific fields, researchers seek to confirm their models with real-world data. It is common practice to assess models in terms of the distance between the model outputs and the corresponding experimental observations. An important question that arises is whether the model should then be ‘tuned’, in the sense of estimating the values of free parameters to get a better fit with the data, and furthermore whether the tuned model can be confirmed with the same data used to tune it. This dual use of data is often disparagingly referred to as ‘double-counting’. Here, we analyse these issues, with reference to selected research articles in engineering (one mechanical and the other civil). Our example studies illustrate more and less controversial practices of model tuning and double-counting, both of which, we argue, can be shown to be legitimate within a Bayesian framework. The question nonetheless remains as to whether the implied scientific assumptions in each case are apt from the engineering point of view.
Chronic fatigue syndrome: Features of a population of patients from northern Italy
Authors: Capelli E , Lorusso L , Ghitti M , Venturini L , Cusa C , Ricevuti Giovanni
Published: March 2015

In this study we analyzed the clinical features of a population of Italian patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) diagnosed according to the CDC-1994 criteria. The aim was to investigate CFS patients and their relatives, in order to search for events related to the onset of the disease and to identify correlations with other diseases. The analysis was carried out by examining medical records belonging to 82 patients suffering from the syndrome. The documentation was collected between 2008 and 2011 and provided by the non-profit Italian organization AMCFS (Associazione Malati di CFS). The influence of gender on the age of onset and association with potential risk factors were investigated in patients and in their relatives. From the results a significant correlation between the age of onset and autoimmunity was observed.
Bilateral Warthin tumor in psoriatic patients in therapy with multiple immunosuppressive therapy
Authors: Burlando M , Cozzani E , Chinazzo C , larosa M , Boggio M , Parodi A
Published: March 2015

Anti-TNFα drugs have strongly changed the way in which we deal with moderate and severe psoriasis. However, it is debatable whether biological drugs could increase the risk of developing cancer. The correlation between anti-TNFα drugs and lymphomas is well-known and is reported in all the technical details of biologic drugs. However, the association between anti-TNFα agents and solid tumors is still controversial. The authors report a case of bilateral salivary gland tumor in a psoriatic patient treated with several immunosuppressive therapies including anti-TNFα inhibitors.
Biomass-based palm shell activated carbon and palm shell carbon molecular sieve as gas separation adsorbents
Authors: Sethupathi Sumathi , Bashir Mohammed JK , Akbar Zinatizadeh Ali , Mohamed Abdul Rahman
Published: March 2015

Lignocellulosic biomass has been widely recognised as a potential low-cost source for the production of high added value materials and proved to be a good precursor for the production of activated carbons. One of such valuable biomasses used for the production of activated carbons is palm shell. Palm shell ( endocarp) is an abundant by-product produced from the palm oil industries throughout tropical countries. Palm shell activated carbon and palm shell carbon molecular sieve has been widely applied in various environmental pollution control technologies, mainly owing to its high adsorption performance, well-developed porosity and low cost, leading to potential applications in gas-phase separation using adsorption processes. This mini-review represents a comprehensive overview of the palm shell activated carbon and palm shell carbon molecular sieve preparation method, physicochemical properties and feasibility of palm shell activated carbon and palm shell carbon molecular sieve in gas separation processes. Some of the limitations are outlined and suggestions for future improvements are pointed out.
Centers of gravity and war outcomes
Authors: Quackenbush Stephen L.
Published: March 2015

Bargaining models argue that wars usually terminate when the information gap closes enough to create a bargaining range. Although this convergence is assumed to be straightforward, factors that identify the information regarding the likely military outcome to the belligerents have not been identified. One of Clausewitz’s main ideas was that states can win wars by attacking the enemy’s centers of gravity, which I argue provide an important way through which information convergence is achieved. I examine the importance of three centers of gravity—capturing the enemy’s capital, destroying the enemy’s military forces, and eliminating enemy allies from the war—on war outcomes through a quantitative analysis of wars from 1816 to 2007.
Toward a Typology of Acculturative Stress
Authors: Salas-Wright Christopher P. , Robles Eden H. , Vaughn Michael G. , Córdova David , Pérez-Figueroa Rafael E.
Published: March 2015

The objective of this study is to identify latent classes of Hispanic immigrants on the basis of acculturative stress and, in turn, examine the links between membership in acculturative stress classes and the prevalence of mental disorders. We use latent class analysis (LCA) and multinomial logistic regression with data from a population-based study of Hispanic immigrants in the United States ( n = 1,630). Classes were identified as “Low Acculturative Stress” (38.40%); “Social and Linguistic Stress” (32.27%); “Acculturative Stress, No Fear of Deportation” (20.06%); and “Acculturative Stress, Fear of Deportation” (9.26%). Members of the “Acculturative Stress, Fear of Deportation” class were significantly more likely than members of the “Low Acculturative Stress” class to meet criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (risk ratios [RR] = 3.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.00, 12.56]). The present study represents an important step in the development of a typology of acculturative stress among Hispanic immigrants in the United States.
Preformed chitosan cryogel-biphasic calcium phosphate: a potential injectable biocomposite for pathologic fracture
Authors: Abueva Celine DG , Padalhin Andrew R , Min Young-Ki , Lee Byong-Taek
Published: March 2015

The increasing interest in chitosan-based biomaterials stems from its desirable physicochemical properties. Although calcium phosphates have been mixed with chitosan to form injectable scaffolds, its application for bone tissue engineering has been limited and is still being explored to improve its clinical translatability. We report a biocomposite comprised of preformed chitosan cryogel with dispersed biphasic calcium phosphate that can flow under moderate pressure allowing passage through a small gauge needle, while maintaining sufficient integrity and strength during injection for gel recovery. The formed samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and protein adsorption measurements. Composite with 1% w/v biphasic calcium phosphate (CSG1) resulted in a homogeneous and rigid final structure. Injectable composite cryogel CSG1 (2.5 ± 0.2 N, 23G needle) exhibited good protein adsorption and biocompatibility. Results of subcutaneous implantation in rats reveal relatively high presence of polymorphonuclear cells but with no fibrous encapsulation with the composites, allowing further infiltration of cells within the sample implants. The biocomposite system presents a less-invasive delivery of bone filling material for stabilizing pathologic fractures.
Types of Apparel Mass Customization and Levels of Modularity and Variety
Authors: Yang Jung-ha , Kincade Doris H. , Chen-Yu Jessie H.
Published: March 2015

Mass-customization (MC) is a hybrid of mass production and customization, and it offers potential solutions for problems in the apparel industry. This theoretical study contemplates on the contradicting concepts that are combined in the configuration of apparel MC. The study uses the segmentation principle of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving for an analysis framework. Terms for apparel MC including the levels of modularity and variety and the attributes of design and fit are clarified. This study provides a theoretically grounded explanation of how an effective implementation of apparel MC can solve existing problems in the ready-to-wear industry. To offer a managerial tool to identify an efficient scope of apparel MC, this study proposed structured categories of apparel MC in a matrix based on modularity and variety levels for the attributes of design and fit. Examples of the implementation of MC using the proposed matrix were also provided.
Breastfeeding Supportive Hospital Practices in the US Differ by County Urbanization Level
Authors: Allen Jessica A. , Perrine Cria G. , Scanlon Kelley S.
Published: March 2015

Background:

Breastfeeding rates are lower among infants living in rural areas of the United States, yet there are limited data on whether hospital breastfeeding support differs between rural and urban areas.

Objective:

This study aimed to describe whether maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding vary by level of urbanization.

Methods:

We linked data from the 2007, 2009, and 2011 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) surveys with Rural-Urban Continuum Codes to categorize hospital counties as metropolitan urbanized, nonmetropolitan urbanized, less urbanized, and thinly populated.

Results:

From 2007 to 2011, the average hospital mPINC score, a composite quality score ranging from 0 to 100, increased from 64 to 71 in metropolitan urbanized counties and from 54 to 65 in thinly populated areas. Scores were lowest in thinly populated counties in 2007 and 2009 and in less urbanized counties in 2011. Examination of 2011 mPINC scores by 7 domains of care revealed that hospitals in less urbanized counties had lower scores than those in metropolitan urbanized counties for feeding of breastfed infants, breastfeeding assistance, staff training, and structural and organizational aspects of care delivery; for 3 of these practices, scores were 10 or more points lower—breastfeeding assistance, structural and organizational aspects of care, and staff training. In contrast, hospitals in thinly populated areas had higher scores than in metropolitan areas for mother–infant contact and facility discharge care; differences were less than 10 points.

Conclusion:

Interventions that specifically target rural hospitals may reduce the gap in access to hospital maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding by population density.
Type of Insurance and Use of Preventive Health Services Among Older Adults in Mexico
Authors: Rivera-Hernandez Maricruz , Galarraga Omar
Published: March 2015

Objective: The main purpose of this article was to assess the differences between Seguro Popular ( SP) and employer-based health insurance in the use of preventive services, including screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer among older adults at more than a decade of health care reform in Mexico. Method: Logistic regression models were used with data from the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey, 2012. Results: After adjusting for other factors influencing preventive service utilization, SP enrollees were more likely to use screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, and cervical cancer than the uninsured; however, those in employment-based and private insurances had higher odds of using preventive care for most of these services, except Pap smears. Discussion: Despite all the evidence that suggests that SP has increased access to health insurance for the poor, inequalities in health care access and utilization still exist in Mexico.
Characteristics Associated With Fear of Falling and Activity Restriction in South Korean Older Adults
Authors: Choi Kyungwon , Ko Young
Published: March 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics associated with fear-induced activity restriction and determine those that distinguish older adults with fear-induced activity restriction from those with fear of falling alone. Method: Data taken from the survey of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging in 2010 were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with fear of falling and fear-induced activity restriction. Results: A total of 22.5% of the participants reported no fear of falling, 48.6% reported fear of falling alone, and 28.9% reported fear-induced activity restriction. Characteristics independently associated with fear-induced activity restriction were low socioeconomic status, cognitive impairment, difficulty with activities of daily living, and a history of injurious falls. Discussion: The differences between older adults with fear-induced activity restriction and those with fear of falling alone may guide refinement of intervention and preventive programs.
Surface integrity and fatigue behavior in shot-peening for high-speed milled 7055 aluminum alloy
Authors: Yao Changfeng , Ma Lufei , Du Yongxia , Ren Junxue , Zhang Dinghua
Published: March 2015

The influence of shot-peening parameters on surface integrity of 7055 aluminum alloy is investigated based on shot-peening experiments. Surface integrity measurements, fatigue fracture analysis and fatigue life tests are conducted to reveal the effect of surface integrity on crack initiation and fatigue life. The results show that surface roughness increases significantly, and irregular pits and bumps appear on surface after shot-peening; grain on subsurface is refined and produces a shift and distortion in the pellets hit direction; compressive stress can be detected on all machined surfaces. Shot-peening parameters have significant impact on micro-hardness. In comparison with the milled specimen, fatigue life of peened specimens is improved by about 23.8, 3.96 and 1.01 times. Fatigue source zone transfers from stress concentration location on surface to subsurface due to the lower surface roughness and lager residual compressive stress.
Real-time estimation of the volumetric efficiency in spark ignition engines using an adaptive sliding-mode observer
Authors: Hassani Monir Vahid , Salehi Rasoul , Salarieh Hassan , Alasty Aria , Vossoughi Gholamreza
Published: March 2015

Proper operation of an engine requires accurate measurement or estimation of the engine’s air charge provided to the control unit which reduces both the engine’s fuel consumption and the emissions. The volumetric efficiency of the engine is a key variable in computations using the engine control unit to estimate the air charge using the speed–density equation. This paper presents a new approach for real-time estimation of the volumetric efficiency using the sliding-mode methodology. An adaptive sliding-mode observer is proposed which relies on measurements from the engine’s conventional sensors. The observer is shown to estimate asymptotically the volumetric efficiency of the engine for different operating conditions. A method for eliminating the chattering effects caused by the sign function in the estimation of the volumetric efficiency, which improves the performance of the sliding-mode observer in terms of the accuracy and the response time, is also given. The experimental results from a modern spark ignition engine show a good performance of the sliding-mode observer for estimating the engine air charge compared with the measured data.