bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface modification of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyglycolic acid (PGA) monofilaments via the cold plasma method for acupoint catgut-embedding therapy applications
Authors: Fu Shaoju , Zhang Peihua
Published: January 2019

Polylactic acid (PLA) and polyglycolic acid (PGA) monofilaments have been the most recently, widely used acupoint catgut-embedding therapy (ACET) biodegradable materials. However, their poor hydrophilicity and cell adhesion are common limitations during applications. To improve their surface properties, modification technologies should be generally applied. This paper firstly adapted polymer chips to produce four types of PLA and PGA monofilaments, and then attempted cold oxygen plasma treatment for surface modification. Afterwards, the modified monofilaments were fully characterized with respect to structure, mechanical and in vitro properties. The results showed that both the PLA and PGA monofilaments became coarser after modification, and their hydrophilicity was improved, while their weight and diameter sizes were slightly decreased. The tensile properties and flexibility of the modified samples changed little, and their swelling ratio increased sharply. All the prepared samples exhibited good cell viability, with more than 75% of cells being viable. Sample PM-PLA2 (plasma-modified PLA2) and sample PM-PGA2 (plasma-modified PGA2) presented the largest cell attachment ratio (cultured for 48 h) at 52.16% ± 1.05% and 58.39% ± 2.07%, respectively. In sum, this cold plasma method successfully improved the hydrophilicity and in vitro properties of PLA and PGA monofilaments, while retaining the other excellent properties, and warrants further study to develop new PLA and PGA-embedding materials with outstanding clinical efficacy.
Digital use and mistrust in the aftermath of the Arab Spring: beyond narratives of liberation and disillusionment
Authors: Moreno-Almeida Cristina , Banaji Shakuntala
Published: January 2019

Through the prism of the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East in 2010–2011, new media has been presented as diametrically opposed to the top-down and mistrusted. Asking the question, ‘In what ways do trust, privacy and surveillance concerns intersect and inflect the individual and collective practices of young people in networks of participation, and their sense of civic connection through old and new media?’, this article presents a nuanced understanding of the relationship between digital media and mistrust. Through the study of original case studies in Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and the UAE, we examine attitudes towards and usage of digital media in creating and maintaining political, civic, cultural and artistic networks among communities. We analyse our abundant qualitative interviews, observations and ethnographic data collected to reveal the continuity of media mistrust as people move into the digital arena. As new tools continue to be launched many young people in the region remain alert to the ways in which these tools can serve or hinder individual and group aims. Beyond narratives of liberation, disillusionment or democratisation, ‘new’ media poses both mundane and surprising challenges in encouraging and engaging networks of participation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Aging Expectations and Attitudes: Associations With Types of Older Adult Contact
Authors: Hawkley Louise C. , Norman Gregory J. , Agha Zia
Published: January 2019

Objectives:

To evaluate the role of contact with older adults in explaining expectations about aging and attitudes toward own aging.

Method:

A representative sample of 3,026 U.S. adults aged 30–89 years completed a survey online or by telephone. The survey assessed types of contact with older adults, anticipated need for help during aging, and attitudes toward their own aging.

Results:

Relative to older adults’ (65+ years) need for help with finances, activities of daily living, social support, and health care during aging, 30- to 64-year-old adults overestimated their expected need for help. Contact with dependent older adults was associated with greater overestimation. Diverse types of contact with older adults were associated with increased positivity toward one’s own aging.

Discussion:

Aging expectations may be ameliorated by exposure to diverse exemplars of aging. Future research should quantify effects of exposure types on both negative and positive attitudes toward own aging.
The interplay of economic stress and mothers’ use of rewards and the relations to prosocial behaviors in low-income adolescents
Authors: Davis Alexandra N. , Carlo Gustavo
Published: January 2019

The role of contextual stressors, such as economic stress, in the development of positive outcomes among adolescents is an important area of inquiry. The current study aimed to examine the links between economic stress and low-income adolescents’ prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions that benefit others) via mothers’ use of material and social rewards. Participants were 311 adolescents ( M age = 16.10 years; 58.7% girls) who reported on their own economic stress experiences, mothers’ use of material and social rewards, and their tendency to engage in six forms of prosocial behaviors. The results demonstrated complex links between stressors, parenting practices, and prosocial behaviors depending on adolescent gender. Discussion focuses on the role of contextual and familial factors in shaping low-income adolescents’ sociobehavioral outcomes.
Value-form and the mystery of money
Authors: Nagatani Kiyoshi
Published: January 2019

Value-form is a theory Marx first developed in Capital vol.1 to solve the mystery of money. He seemed convinced that he had finally solved the mystery of money by reducing the money-form to the general value-form. However, his explanation of the transition from the latter to the former with the phrase ‘by social custom’ is not satisfactory. I consider that, as long as a logical derivation of the money-form from the general value-form is unsuccessful, the mystery of money is not yet completely solved. I attempt first to rehabilitate the simple value-form, comparing it with real value expression in price (money-form), emphasizing the distinction between the expression of value and the measure of value, and the asymmetry of the value-form. Thereby, I explain that Marx’s complicated exposition of the value-form stems from his postulate of the labor substance of value in the first chapter of Capital vol.1, which can be proved and developed later in the production process of capital. Rehabilitation of the value-form can expose a fundamental difference between the general value-form and the money-form, and provide a logical derivation of the money-form. To achieve this aim, it is necessary to reformulate the logical structure of the theory of commodity based on the concept ‘the world of commodities’, which comes to appear more frequently as Marx’s theory of value-form advances.
An Empirical Comparison of Consumer Innovation Adoption Models: Implications for Subsistence Marketplaces
Authors: Hasan Rajibul , Lowe Ben , Petrovici Dan
Published: January 2019

So-called pro-poor innovations may improve consumer well-being in subsistence marketplaces. However, little research has integrated subsistence marketplaces with the vast literature on innovation adoption. Using a questionnaire in which respondents were asked to evaluate a mobile banking innovation, this research fills this gap by providing empirical evidence of the applicability of existing innovation adoption models in subsistence marketplaces. The study was conducted in Bangladesh among a geographically dispersed sample. The data collected allowed for an empirical comparison of models in a subsistence context. The research reveals the most useful models in this context to be the value-based adoption model and the consumer acceptance of technology model. In light of these findings and further examination of the model comparison results, the research also shows that consumers in subsistence marketplaces are not motivated only by functionality and economic needs. If organizations cannot enhance the hedonic attributes of a pro-poor innovation and reduce the internal/external constraints related to adoption of that innovation, then consumers’ adoption intention will be lower.
Automatic Prioritization of Self-Referential Stimuli in Working Memory
Authors: Yin Shouhang , Sui Jie , Chiu Yu-Chin , Chen Antao , Egner Tobias
Published: January 2019

People preferentially attend to external stimuli that are related to themselves compared with others. Whether a similar self-reference bias applies to internal representations, such as those maintained in working memory (WM), is presently unknown. We tested this possibility in four experiments, in which participants were first trained to associate social labels (self, friend, stranger) with arbitrary colors and then performed a delayed match-to-sample spatial WM task on color locations. Participants consistently responded fastest to WM probes at locations of self-associated colors (Experiments 1–4). This self-bias was driven not by differential exogenous attention during encoding or retrieval (Experiments 1 and 2) but by internal attentional prioritization of self-related representations during WM maintenance (Experiment 3). Moreover, self-prioritization in WM was nonstrategic, as this bias persisted even under conditions in which it hurt WM performance. These findings document an automatic prioritization of self-referential items in WM, which may form the basis of some egocentric biases in decision making.
Optimal hydraulic design of an ultra-low specific speed centrifugal pump based on the local entropy production theory
Authors: Hou Hucan , Zhang Yongxue , Zhou Xin , Zuo Zhitao , Chen Haisheng
Published: January 2019

The ultra-low specific speed centrifugal pump has been widely applied in aerospace engineering, metallurgy, and other industrial fields. However, its hydraulic design lacks specialized theory and method. Moreover, the impeller and volute are designed separately without considering their coupling effect. Therefore, the optimal design is proposed in this study based on the local entropy production theory. Four geometrical parameters are selected to establish orthogonal design schemes including blade outlet setting angle, wrapping angle volute inlet width, and throat area. Subsequently, a 3D steady flow with Reynolds stress turbulent model and energy equation model is numerically conducted and the entropy production is calculated by a user-defined function code. The range analysis is made to identify the optimal scheme indicating that the combination of local entropy production and orthogonal design is feasible on pump optimization. The optimal pump is visibly improved with an increase of 1.08% in efficiency. Entropy production is decreased by 16.75% and 6.03% in impeller and volute, respectively. High energy loss areas are captured and explained in terms of helical vortex and wall friction, and the turbulent and wall entropy production are respectively reduced by 3.82% and 14.34% for the total pump.
Laboratory customized online measurements for the prediction of the key-parameters of biomass quality control
Authors: Mancini M , Duca D , Toscano G
Published: January 2019

The European target of ensuring reliable and sustainable energy has led to the increase in biofuel demand. This growth makes necessary the check of the product quality in order to prevent environmental and technical problems during combustion. Technical standard EN ISO 17225 divided the different biofuels into quality classes on the basis of their chemico-physical characteristics and the origin and source. In addition, they define the laboratory methodologies to be performed. These conventional analyses can determine these quality parameters but they are lengthy and expensive compared to the real need of the market. In this study, Vis-NIR spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares regression was used to predict the most important chemical-physical parameters of woodchip and pellet samples as a possible alternative to the conventional laboratory analysis. The results showed the possibility to use spectroscopy to obtain information about biofuel quality. In detail, moisture content and net calorific value of woodchip samples were predicted with RMSEP of 3.78% (r2(pred) = 0.97) and RMSECV of 0.37 MJ/kg (r2(CV) = 0.92), respectively. Ash content and gross calorific value of pellet samples were predicted with RMSECV of 0.44% (r2(CV) = 0.81) and 0.20 MJ/kg (r2(CV) = 0.78), respectively, while ash content and gross calorific value on ground pellet samples were predicted with RMSECV of 0.47% (r2(CV) = 0.78) and 0.19 MJ/kg (r2(CV) = 0.80), respectively. The best results were obtained considering only the near infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, suggesting that the visible part is not influential for the prediction of the parameters of this study. Having such a rapid and economic tool will be fundamental for the biofuel processors in order to check different quality characteristics of the products directly in real time without the time delay of the laboratory analysis and complications of sampling representation.
‘Having a mentor helped me with difficult times’: a trainee-run mentoring project
Authors: Szabo Susana , Lloyd Bonita , McKellar Duncan , Myles Hannah , Newton Heidi , Schutz Jedda , Hahn Lisa , Galletly Cherrie
Published: January 2019

Objective:

A mentoring programme was established in South Australia in 2014 by psychiatry trainees, with the goal of reducing stress and burnout amongst first-year trainees. All first-year trainees are offered the opportunity to have a senior trainee as a mentor. This article describes the mentoring programme, presents feedback from participants and identifies areas for further development.

Method:

The majority (72/76) of first-year trainees entering psychiatry training in South Australia from 2014–2018 were allocated a mentor. Surveys were sent out in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Twenty of 42 (48%) mentors and 17 of 42 (40%) of mentees completed a 10-item questionnaire, with free text responses.

Results:

Mentee feedback was mostly positive, reporting that mentors offered them reassurance and support. The most common challenges were advice about training, managing work-life balance and issues with supervision. The main barrier to the mentoring programme was lack of time to meet. Mentors identified that they would have liked more training in mentoring.

Conclusion:

The trainee mentoring programme has been a useful initiative. As consultant psychiatrists are likely to provide mentoring for more junior colleagues, the authors propose that training in mentoring should be part of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists education programme.
Evaluating the use of responsive art therapy in an inpatient child and adolescent mental health services unit
Authors: Nielsen Fran , Isobel Sophie , Starling Jean
Published: January 2019

Objectives:

We describe the use of responsive art therapy in an inpatient child and adolescent mental health services unit, including its acceptability rated through a satisfaction questionnaire.

Methods:

A patient satisfaction questionnaire was developed to collect feedback from 46 adolescents. Images from therapy were photographed and collated looking for patterns across diagnoses and stages of treatment.

Results:

Adolescents reported that art therapy helped them learn how to express themselves safely (80%) and understand how their thoughts related to their feelings (78%).

Conclusions:

Responsive art therapy was a useful strategy to support the safe expression of distress and was seen as a positive experience by adolescents in inpatient mental health care.
Mediatization of a Research Group: The Estonian Student Satellite ESTCube-1
Authors: Olesk Arko
Published: January 2019

Increased interactions between researchers and the media can change the individual and collective practices in science due to the considerations about media logic. This article uses the example of the team behind the Estonian satellite ESTCube-1 to describe the process of mediatization and its impacts on the research project. The quick and extensive adaption to media logic by the team can be attributed to the interplay of three elements: the role of the group leader, participation in media trainings, and regular interactions with the media. This article provides a model of how micro-level mediatization is likely to take place in science.
Homotopy perturbation method with an auxiliary term for the optimal design of a tangent nonlinear packaging system
Authors: Kuang Wenxuan , Wang Jun , Huang Chongxing , Lu Lixin , Gao De , Wang Zhiwei , Ge Changfeng
Published: January 2019

The homotopy perturbation method with an auxiliary term is applied to obtain an approximate analytical solution for the tangent nonlinear packaging system. To further raise the accuracy of the solution, this work has expanded the possibility of the energy method for the homotopy perturbation method with an auxiliary term. And then, the amplitude and frequency of the tangent nonlinear packaging system can be calculated. The results show that the solution is in good consistent with the numerical solution solved by the Runge–Kutta method. It can be concluded that the proposed method is suitable for the optimal design of a tangent nonlinear packaging system.
Is methanol a dopant under atmospheric pressure photoionization conditions?
Authors: Touboul David
Published: January 2019

Using a modified atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source coupled to a tunable vacuum ultraviolet source at the SOLEIL synchrotron radiation facility, we determined the appearance energy of protonated methanol monomer and dimers at different source temperatures. The experimental data indicated that protonated monomers can be formed through the direct photoionization of neutral methanol by the second emission band of a krypton discharge UV lamp at 116.49 nm (10.64 eV) explaining why methanol can be considered as a weak dopant under APPI conditions. This point is in contradiction with the previously proposed mechanism where photoionization of methanol dimer was followed by the dissociation of the protonated methanol dimer into protonated methanol monomer.
Exploring the randomness of mentally generated head–tail sequences
Authors: Baena-Mirabete S , Espinal Anna , Puig Pedro
Published: January 2019

It is well known that people deviate from randomness as they attempt to mentally generate head–tail sequences as randomly as possible. This deviation from randomness is quantified by an excess of repetitions or alternations between successive responses more than would be expected by chance. We conducted an experiment in which a sample of students was asked to mentally simulate a sequence as if it is produced by a fair coin. We propose several models based on Markov chains for analysing the dynamic of head–tail outcomes in these sequences. First, we explore observed Markov chains and suggest some practical solutions to reduce the number of parameters. However, there is a need for more sophisticated models, and in this case, we propose latent Markov models and mixture of Markov chains to analyse these head–tail sequences. A generalization of the so-called mixture transition distribution (MTD) model is also considered.
Late Dissection of a Contegra Conduit: A Rare Complication
Authors: Ortega-Loubon Christian , Fernández-Doblas Joaquín , Pérez-Andreu Joaquín , Fernández-Molina Manuel , Siliato María Sol , Abella Raúl F.
Published: January 2019

Surgical palliation of many types of congenital heart defects requires the use of a conduit between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Dissections of these conduits are very infrequent. We report a case of a ten-year-old girl who developed acute right heart failure related to a Contegra conduit dissection. She underwent a new conduit replacement on an emergency basis.
Profiles of Helicopter Parenting, Parental Warmth, and Psychological Control During Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Padilla-Walker Laura M. , Son Daye , Nelson Larry J.
Published: January 2019

The current study used a person-centered approach to investigate different profiles of helicopter parenting in conjunction with parental psychological control and parental warmth. Child outcomes of parenting profiles were also examined. Participants consisted of 458 emerging adults who completed questionnaires at age 19 (51% female, 33% from single families, 74% college students). Latent profile analyses were conducted separately for mothers and fathers, and profiles included “warm helicopter” parents (77% of mothers, 50% of fathers), “controlling helicopter” parents (20% of mothers, 12% of fathers), “low-involved” parents (3% of both mothers and fathers), “average” fathers (30%), and “high controlling helicopter” fathers (4%). Parenting profiles were differentially associated with children’s school engagement, depression, and delinquency. Discussion focused on the relatively low salience of helicopter parenting in relation to other aspects of parenting and the implications for emerging adult children’s development.
IL-17F, rather than IL-17A, underlies airway inflammation in a steroid-insensitive toluene diisocyanate-induced asthma model
Authors: Chen Rongchang , Zhang Qingling , Chen Shuyu , Tang Haixiong , Huang Peikai , Wei Shushan , Liang Zhenyu , Chen Xin , Tao Ailin , Yao Lihong
Published: January 2019

Steroid insensitivity constitutes a major problem for asthma management. Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) is one of the leading allergens of asthma that induces both T-helper Th2 and Th17 responses, and is often associated with poor responsiveness to steroid treatment in the clinic.

We sought to evaluate the effects of inhaled and systemic steroids on a TDI-induced asthma model and to find how interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F function in this model. BALB/c mice were exposed to TDI for generating an asthma model and were treated with inhaled fluticasone propionate, systemic prednisone, anti-IL-17A, anti-IL-17F, recombinant IL-17A or IL-17F.

Both fluticasone propionate and prednisone showed no effects on TDI-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), bronchial neutrophilia and eosinophilia, and epithelial goblet cell metaplasia. TDI-induced Th2 and Th17 signatures were not suppressed by fluticasone propionate or prednisone. Treatment with anti-IL-17A after TDI exposure led to increased AHR, aggravated mucus production and airway eosinophil recruitment, accompanied by amplified Th2 responses, whereas anti-IL-17F ameliorated TDI-induced AHR and airway neutrophilia, with decreased Th17 responses. Recombinant IL-17A and IL-17F showed opposite effects to the monoclonal antibodies.

IL-17A and IL-17F exert distinct biological effects during airway inflammation of a TDI-induced asthma model, which is unresponsive to both inhaled and systemic steroids.
Dual bronchodilation with tiotropium/olodaterol further reduces activity-related breathlessnessversustiotropium alone in COPD
Authors: Maltais François , Aumann Joseph-Leon , Kirsten Anne-Marie , Nadreau Éric , Macesic Hemani , Jin Xidong , Hamilton Alan , O'Donnell Denis E.
Published: January 2019

The 3-min constant speed shuttle test (CSST) was used to examine the effect of tiotropium/olodaterol compared with tiotropium at reducing activity-related breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

This was a randomised, double-blind, two-period crossover study including COPD patients with moderate to severe pulmonary impairment, lung hyperinflation at rest and a Mahler Baseline Dyspnoea Index <8. Patients received 6 weeks of tiotropium/olodaterol 5/5 µg and tiotropium 5 µg in a randomised order with a 3-week washout period. The speed for the 3-min CSST was determined for each patient such that an intensity of breathing discomfort ≥4 (“somewhat severe”) on the modified Borg scale was reached at the end of a completed 3-min CSST.

After 6 weeks, there was a decrease in the intensity of breathlessness (Borg dyspnoea score) at the end of the 3-min CSST from baseline with both tiotropium (mean –0.968, 95% CI −1.238– −0.698; n=100) and tiotropium/olodaterol (mean −1.325, 95% CI −1.594– −1.056; n=101). The decrease in breathlessness was statistically significantly greater with tiotropium/olodaterolversustiotropium (treatment difference −0.357, 95% CI −0.661– −0.053; p=0.0217).

Tiotropium/olodaterol reduced activity-related breathlessness more than tiotropium in dyspnoeic patients with moderate to severe COPD exhibiting lung hyperinflation.
Perioperative Teaching and Feedback: How are we doing in Canadian OTL-HNS programs?
Authors: Chaudhry Z. , Campagna-Vaillancourt M. , Husein M. , Varshney R. , Roth K. , Gooi A. , Nguyen Lhp
Published: January 2019

Background

Discrepancies between resident and faculty perceptions regarding optimal teaching and feedback during surgery are well known but these differences have not yet been described in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (OTL-HNS). The objectives were thus to compare faculty and resident perceptions of perioperative teaching and feedback in OTL-HNS residency programs across Canada with the aim of highlighting potential areas for improvement.

Methods

An anonymous electronic questionnaire was distributed to residents and teaching faculty in OTL-HNS across Canada with additional paper copies distributed at four institutions. Surveys consisted of ratings on a 5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Responses among groups were analysed with the Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney test, while thematic analysis was used for the open-ended questions.

Results

A total of 143 teaching faculty and residents responded with statistically significant differences on 11 out of 25 variables. Namely, faculty reported higher rates of pre and intra-operative teaching compared to resident reports. Faculty also felt they gave adequate feedback on residents’ strengths and technical skills contrary to what the residents thought. Both groups did agree however that pre-operative discussion is not consistently done, nor is feedback consistently given or sought.

Conclusion

Faculty and residents in OTL-HNS residency programs disagree on the frequency and optimal timing of peri-operative teaching and feedback. This difference in perception emphasizes the need for a more structured approach to feedback delivery including explicitly stating when feedback is being given, and the overall need for better communication between residents and staff.
Autologous Transplantation, Consolidation, and Maintenance Therapy in Multiple Myeloma: Results of the BMT CTN 0702 Trial
Authors: Stadtmauer Edward A. , Pasquini Marcelo C. , Blackwell Beth , Hari Parameswaran , Bashey Asad , Devine Steven , Efebera Yvonne , Ganguly Siddharta , Gasparetto Cristina , Geller Nancy , Horowitz Mary M. , Koreth John , Knust Kristin , Landau Heather , Brunstein Claudio , McCarthy Philip , Nelson Courtney , Qazilbash Muzaffar H. , Shah Nina , Vesole David H. , Vij Ravi , Vogl Dan T. , Giralt Sergio , Somlo George , Krishnan Amrita
Published: January 2019

PURPOSE

Single-cycle melphalan 200 mg/m2and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) followed by lenalidomide (len) maintenance have improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for transplantation-eligible patients with multiple myeloma (MM). We designed a prospective, randomized, phase III study to test additional interventions to improve PFS by comparing AHCT, tandem AHCT (AHCT/AHCT), and AHCT and four subsequent cycles of len, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (RVD; AHCT + RVD), all followed by len until disease progression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with symptomatic MM within 12 months from starting therapy and without progression who were age 70 years or younger were randomly assigned to AHCT/AHCT + len (n = 247), AHCT + RVD + len (n = 254), or AHCT + len (n = 257). The primary end point was 38-month PFS.

RESULTS

The study population had a median age of 56 years (range, 20 to 70 years); 24% of patients had high-risk MM, 73% had a triple-drug regimen as initial therapy, and 18% were in complete response at enrollment. The 38-month PFS rate was 58.5% (95% CI, 51.7% to 64.6%) for AHCT/AHCT + len, 57.8% (95% CI, 51.4% to 63.7%) for AHCT + RVD + len, and 53.9% (95% CI, 47.4% to 60%) for AHCT + len. For AHCT/AHCT + len, AHCT + RVD + len, and AHCT + len, the OS rates were 81.8% (95% CI, 76.2% to 86.2%), 85.4% (95% CI, 80.4% to 89.3%), and 83.7% (95% CI, 78.4% to 87.8%), respectively, and the complete response rates at 1 year were 50.5% (n = 192), 58.4% (n = 209), and 47.1% (n = 208), respectively. Toxicity profiles and development of second primary malignancies were similar across treatment arms.

CONCLUSION

Second AHCT or RVD consolidation as post-AHCT interventions for the up-front treatment of transplantation-eligible patients with MM did not improve PFS or OS. Single AHCT and len should remain as the standard approach for this population.
Randomized Phase II Trial Comparing Site-Specific Treatment Based on Gene Expression Profiling With Carboplatin and Paclitaxel for Patients With Cancer of Unknown Primary Site
Authors: Hayashi Hidetoshi , Kurata Takayasu , Takiguchi Yuichi , Arai Makoto , Takeda Koji , Akiyoshi Kohei , Matsumoto Koji , Onoe Takuma , Mukai Hirofumi , Matsubara Nobuaki , Minami Hironobu , Toyoda Masanori , Onozawa Yusuke , Ono Akira , Fujita Yoshihiko , Sakai Kazuko , Koh Yasuhiro , Takeuchi Ayano , Ohashi Yasuo , Nishio Kazuto , Nakagawa Kazuhiko
Published: January 2019

PURPOSE

Although gene expression profiling is a promising diagnostic technique to determine the tissue of origin for patients with cancer of unknown primary site (CUP), no clinical trial has evaluated yet site-specific therapy directed by this approach compared with empirical chemotherapy. We therefore performed a randomized study to assess whether such site-specific therapy improves outcome compared with empirical chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with CUP.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Comprehensive gene expression profiling was performed by microarray analysis, and an established algorithm was applied to predict tumor origin. Patients with CUP were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive standard site-specific therapy or empirical paclitaxel and carboplatin (PC). The primary end point was 1-year survival rate.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty patients were randomly assigned and had sufficient biopsy tissue for molecular analysis. Efficacy analysis was performed for 50 and 51 patients in the site-specific therapy and empirical PC arms, respectively. Cancer types most commonly predicted were pancreatic (21%), gastric (21%), and lymphoma (20%). The 1-year survival rate was 44.0% and 54.9% for site-specific treatment and empirical PC ( P = .264), respectively. Median overall and progression-free survival were 9.8 and 5.1 months, respectively, for site-specific treatment versus 12.5 and 4.8 months for empirical PC ( P = .896 and .550, respectively). Median overall survival (16.7 v 10.6 months; P = .116) and progression-free survival (5.5 v 3.9 months; P = .018) were better for predicted more-responsive than less-responsive tumor types.

CONCLUSION

Site-specific treatment that was based on microarray profiling did not result in a significant improvement in 1-year survival compared with empirical PC, although prediction of the original site seemed to be of prognostic value.
Comparison of spectral selection methods in the development of classification models from visible near infrared
hyperspectral imaging data
Authors: Gowen Aoife , Xu Jun-Li , Herrero-Langreo Ana
Published: January 2019

Applications of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to the quantitative and qualitative measurement of samples have grown
widely in recent years, due mainly to the improved performance and lower cost of imaging spectroscopy instrumentation.
Data sampling is a crucial yet often overlooked step in hyperspectral image analysis, which impacts the subsequent
results and their interpretation. In the selection of pixel spectra for the calibration of classification models, the spatial
information in HSI data can be exploited. In this paper, a variety of sampling strategies for selection of pixel spectra are
presented, exemplified through five case studies. The strategies are compared in terms of the proportion of global
variability captured, practicality and predictive model performance. The use of variographic analysis as a guide to the
spatial segmentation prior to sampling leads to the selection of representative subsets while reducing the variation in model
performance parameters over repeated random selection.
Intracranial aneurysms at higher clinical risk for rupture demonstrate increased wall enhancement and thinning on multicontrast 3D vessel wall MRI
Authors: Hartman Jason Brett , Watase Hiroko , Sun Jie , Hippe Daniel S , Kim Louis , Levitt Michael , Sekhar Laligam , Balu Niranjan , Hatsukami Thomas , Yuan Chun , Mossa-Basha Mahmud
Published: January 2019

Objective:

Identification of aneurysms at risk for rupture is important and challenging. We sought to evaluate if intracranial vessel wall (IVW) imaging characteristics of unruptured aneurysms correlate with clinical risk factors for rupture.

Methods:

Patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms were prospectively recruited and underwent a multi contrast 3D IVW protocol between April 6, 2016 and August 29, 2017. Two independent raters, blinded to aneurysm vulnerability, evaluated each aneurysm for wall enhancement, extent of enhancement in terms of the numbers of quadrants enhancing circumferentially, intensity of enhancement, and qualitative wall thinning. PHASES score was calculated for each aneurysm. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to compare IVW characteristics between aneurysms at higher clinical risk for rupture (PHASES score > 3) and lower clinical risk for rupture (PHASES score ≤ 3).

Results:

45 patients with 65 unruptured aneurysms were analyzed; 38 aneurysms with PHASES score > 3 (58%) and 27 aneurysms with PHASES score ≤ 3 (42%). Aneurysms with PHASES score > 3 were more likely to demonstrate enhancement (42.1% vs 14.8%, p = 0.022), greater extent of enhancement (mean: 2.9 vs 2.2 quadrants, p = 0.063), and wall thinning (9.2% vs 0%, p = 0.044). Inter-reader agreement was moderate-to-good for the presence (κ = 0.64), extent (κ = 0.64), and intensity of enhancement (κ = 0.60) but relatively low for wall thinning (κ = 0.25).

Conclusion:

Aneurysms at higher risk of rupture by PHASES score are more likely to demonstrate wall enhancement, more diffuse enhancement, and wall thinning on IVW.

Advances in knowledge:

This study prospectively compares IVW-detected wall enhancement and thinning between unruptured aneurysms stratified into high and low risk groups by clinical scores (PHASES) of vulnerability.
Disease staging according to international scoring system in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Sheikh Saira Parveen , Irfan Syed Muhammad , Sheikh Sadia Sultan
Published: January 2019

Objective: To determine the frequency of disease staging according to international scoring system in patients who are newly diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (MM) at a tertiary care hospital at Karachi.

Methods: This single center, non probability consecutive, cross sectional study was conducted from Nov 11, 2015 to May 11, 2016. After taking informed written consent, detailed history was taken and serum β2 microglobulin and albumin levels were checked to assess the study outcome variable i.e. stage of MM. All the collected information was entered in the prescribed performa.

Results: Eighty newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma as per inclusion criteria were included. Sixty seven (83.75%) were male and 13(16.25) were females, with mean age of 58.35+10.077 years. Twenty seven patients (33.75%) were found to have stage-I disease, in 23 (28.75%) stage-II and stage-III in 30 (37.5%).

Conclusion: Multiple myeloma is relatively common in 5th decade, with male predominance. International Staging System have great potential for characterizing and stratifying multiple myeloma and revealed a predominance of advanced stage III disease in our setting.

How to cite this:Shaikh SP, Irfan SM, Sheikh SS. Disease staging according to international scoring system in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(1):90-94. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.1.173

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The effects of participating in nursing student congress and other motivation sources on occupational motivation states of Nursing students: Toros University example
Authors: Sancar Behire , Akan Nazife
Published: January 2019

Objective: To investigate the effects of participation in nursing student congresses and other motivation sources on students’ occupational motivation states.

Methods: This descriptive pilot study covers 29 students who are studying in nursing department. The answers given to the “Motivation’s Resources and Problems Scale” (MRPS) were evaluated with Mann-Whitney U (MWU) test which is one of the non-parametric tests.

Results: The mean age of participants was 19.2±0.9 years. There was no significant difference between the students who participated and those who did not participate in MRPS total scores. However, even though the difference was not significant, medical vocational high school students’ internal motivation levels were found to be higher than the other school graduates.

Conclusions: There was no significant difference between the ranking of the scores that are acquired from motivation scale and participation status of nursing student in the congress. On the other hand, there are other factors that motivate occupational learning of students. Planning studies about increasing nursing students’ positive motivation sources is suggested.

How to cite this:Sancar B, Akan N. The effects of participating in nursing student congress and other motivation sources on occupational motivation states of Nursing students: Toros University example. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(1):271-276. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.1.403

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
A physiological examination of perceived incorporation during trance
Authors: Wahbeh Helané , Cannard Cedric , Okonsky Jennifer , Delorme Arnaud
Published: January 2019

Background:Numerous world cultures believe channeling provides genuine information, and channeling rituals in various forms are regularly conducted in both religious and non-religious contexts. Little is known about the physiological correlates of the subjective experience of channeling.

Methods:We conducted a prospective within-subject design study with 13 healthy adult trance channels. Participants alternated between 5-minute blocks of channeling and no-channeling three times while electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and respiration were collected on two separate days. Voice recordings of the same story read in channeling and no-channeling states were also analyzed.  

Results:The pre-laboratory survey data about demographics, perception of the source, purpose and utility of channeled information reflected previous reports. Most participants were aware of their experience (rather than in a full trance) and had varying levels of perceived incorporation (i.e. control of their body). Voice analysis showed an increase in voice arousal and power (dB/Hz) differences in the 125 Hz bins between 0 and 625 Hz, and 3625 and 3875 Hz when reading during the channeling state versus control. Despite subjective perceptions of distinctly different states, no substantive differences were seen in EEG frequency power, ECG measures, GSR and respiration.

Conclusions:Voice parameters were different between channeling and no-channeling states using rigorous controlled methods, but other physiology measure collected were not. Considering the subjective and phenomenological differences observed, future studies should include other measures such as EEG connectivity analyses, fMRI and biomarkers.
Case Report: Gastric Mucormycosis- a rare but important differential diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in an area of Helicobacter pylori endemicity
Authors: Adhikari Sudeep , Gautam Ajaya Raj , Paudyal Buddhi , Sigdel Keshav Raj , Basnyat Buddha
Published: January 2019

A 57 years female from the hills of Nepal presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding with gastric ulcer evident on endoscopy. Though initially treated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy alone, biopsy later on revealed both mucormycosis and H. pylori infection. She was then treated with antifungals liposomal amphotericin B followed by posaconazole which led to complete recovery. Mucormycosis is a rare but life-threatening fungal disease of immunocompromised host though our patient was immunocompetent. If recognized and treated at early stage, as in our patient, prognosis is good. A high index of suspicion is required for considering this disease in H. pylori endemic regions such as Nepal, and is crucial for early recognition and treatment.
A organização dos comunistas na região Sul Fluminense no período pré-golpe civil-militar (Barra Mansa, Volta Redonda, Barra do Piraí e Piraí)
Authors: Carneiro André Rocha , De Assis Lúcia Maria
Published: January 2019

Neste artigo trataremos da organização dos comunistas na região do vale do Paraíba fluminense, mais especificamente nos municípios de Barra Mansa, Volta Redonda, Barra do Piraí e Piraí, no período que antecede o golpe civil-militar de 1964. Esta região se encontrava com grande concentração de operários devido à presença, entre outras indústrias, da CSN (Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional), a maior siderúrgica da América Latina, base da política do desenvolvimentismo nacional do governo Getúlio Vargas. Devido a essa concentração de trabalhadores, os comunistas procuraram se estabelecer a fim de criar bases partidárias. Também por esse motivo foi instalado, em Barra Mansa, o Primeiro Batalhão de Infantaria Blindada (1º BIB), com o objetivo de proteger as instalações industriais da região. A presença do 1º BIB na vida cotidiana dos habitantes desses municípios foi fator fundamental para apoiar o golpe civil-militar e reprimir os seus opositores, entre eles os comunistas.
Lepra e exílio: a biopolítica da monarquia havaiana no século XIX
Authors: Oliveira André Luiz de Souza Oliveira , Blanchette Thaddeus Gregory
Published: January 2019

O presente artigo pretende analisar, sob perspectiva foucaultiana, como a biopolítica se consolidou através da influência ocidental no Havaí durante o século XIX. Para tal, tomamos o Act to prevent the Spread of Leprosy (1865) e suas consequências políticas e sociais como objeto de análise. Primeiramente, fazemos uma breve contextualização do cenário político e social do Havaí durante esse período, assunto pouco discutido na historiografia brasileira. Em seguida, diferenciamos os conceitos de poder soberano e biopoder para indicar como a criminalização da hanseníase (“lepra”) pelo rei Kamehameha V relaciona-se com a teoria de biopoder de Michel Foucault. O Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy, como “biopolítica da espécie humana”, afetou profundamente a vida da população nativa havaiana e revelou se parte da influência americana e europeia que minaria a própria autonomia do país.
Entrevista com a Professora Mariza Soares
Authors: Ferreira Carolina Barcellos
Published: January 2019

Mariza de Carvalho Soares é professora de História da África, aposentada pela Universidade Federal Fluminense e ainda ativa no Programa de Pós-graduação em História. Atualmente, é pesquisadora colaboradora do Departamento de Antropologia do Museu Nacional, onde atua no setor de Etnologia e Etnografia, como curadora da exposição africana, e como consultora do projeto “Marfins Africanos no Mundo Atlântico: uma reavaliação dos marfins luso-africanos”, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia de Portugal, dentre outros projetos. São de sua autoria Devotos da cor. Identidade étnica, relgiosidade e escravidão. século XVIII (Civilização Brasileira, 2000), Rotas Atlânticas da Diáspora Africana: da baía do Benim ao Rio de Janeiro (Ed. UFF, 2007), People of Faith. Slavery and African Catholics in Eighteenth-Century Rio de Janeiro (Duke University Press, 2011), além de diversos outros livros, capítulos e artigos publicados no Brasil e no exterior. Nesta entrevista, contamos com um depoimento colhido antes do incêndio que destruiu grande parte do acervo do Museu Nacional. Além do seu conteúdo, de acentuado interesse para a comunidade de pesquisadores e para a sociedade, consideramos sua publicação pertinente, como forma de memória de uma coleção pouco conhecida. É momento de unir e reconstruir, pois a cultura no país resiste.
Um santo brâmane: a trajetória do oratoriano José Vaz e sua missão em Ceilão
Authors: Sena Gomide Ana Paula
Published: January 2019

O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar a construção da “santidade” de José Vaz, um dos membros fundadores da Congregação do Oratório da Santa Cruz dos Milagres de Goa, em 1682, uma “ordem” formada exclusivamente por brâmanes goeses. Canonizado pela igreja católica em 2014, José Vaz foi um dos grandes responsáveis pela manutenção do catolicismo em Ceilão após a expulsão dos portugueses da ilha pelos holandeses em 1658. Através da leitura da obra de Sebastião do Rego intitulada Chronologia da Congregação do Oratório de Goa, finalizada em 1746, busco analisar o modo foi construída a santidade de José Vaz bem como compreender a formação e ação de um clero nativo em espaços fora do controle da presença da coroa portuguesa no Oriente, contribuindo assim para um alargamento das pesquisas referentes ao catolicismo asiático.
O cristianismo na terra dos lamas: mais uma forma de sagrado chega ao Tibete (sec. XVII e XVIII)
Authors: Soalheiro Bruna
Published: January 2019

Esta nota de pesquisa dedica-se a debater uma possibilidade metodológica de abordagem da questão da chegada do cristianismo no Tibete, no século XVII. Mais do que avaliar as missões evangelizadoras que lá se estabeleceram - tarefa já desenvolvida pela autora e já exposta em outras publicações - importa fundamentalmente no presente momento estabelecer um diálogo com as abordagens teóricas apresentadas no campo da História das Religiões. Além disso, justamente por se tratar de uma nota de pesquisa, o objetivo é apenas apontar os caminhos que a pesquisa encontra no momento atual, indicando possibilidades de desenvolvimentos futuros.
Violent Intersectionalities and Experiences of Marked Arabness in Randa Jarrar's A Map of Home
Authors: Darwich Lynn , Harb Sirene
Published: January 2019

This article proposes an alternative analytical model to examine the shifting devaluation of racialized, classed, and gendered lives in Randa Jarrar's A Map of Home. As the novel depicts powerful instances of nonnormative practices, it lends itself to new analytical approaches for understanding the relationship between power, normativity, and value in Arab American fiction. The intellectual and political frameworks that inform this reading of the novel draw on Arab and Arab American feminisms, women of color feminisms, and queer of color critique. This emphasis marks a shift from existing criticism in proposing to interpret the characters' experiences, not as struggles of identity and belonging but as tense processes of gendered and classed racialization, self-representation, and political determination. In doing so, the discussion moves toward a critique of coercive practices that render Arab and Arab American lives in the United States vulnerable to threats of violence/exploitation in the context of neoliberalism.