bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Airflow relieves chronic breathlessness in people with advanced disease: An exploratory systematic review and meta-analyses
Authors: Swan Flavia , Newey Alison , Bland Martin , Allgar Victoria , Booth Sara , Bausewein Claudia , Yorke Janelle , Johnson Miriam
Published: March 2019

Background:

Chronic breathlessness is a neglected symptom of advanced diseases.

Aim:

To examine the effect of airflow for chronic breathlessness relief.

Design:

Exploratory systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources:

Medline, CINAHL, AMED and Cochrane databases were searched (1985–2018) for observational studies or randomised controlled trials of airflow as intervention or comparator. Selection against predefined inclusion criteria, quality appraisal and data extraction was conducted by two independent reviewers with access to a third for unresolved differences. ‘Before and after’ breathlessness measures from airflow arms were analysed. Meta-analysis was carried out where possible.

Results:

In all, 16 of 78 studies (n = 929) were included: 11 randomised controlled trials of oxygen versus medical air, 4 randomised controlled trials and 1 fan cohort study. Three meta-analyses were possible: (1) Fan at rest in three studies (n = 111) offered significant benefit for breathlessness intensity (0–100 mm visual analogue scale and 0–10 numerical rating scale), mean difference −11.17 (95% confidence intervals (CI) −16.60 to −5.74), p = 0.06 I2 64%. (2) Medical air via nasal cannulae at rest in two studies (n = 89) improved breathlessness intensity (visual analogue scale), mean difference −12.0 mm, 95% CI −7.4 to −16.6, p < 0.0001 I2 = 0%. (3) Medical airflow during a constant load exercise test before and after rehabilitation (n = 29) in two studies improved breathlessness intensity (modified Borg scale, 0–10), mean difference −2.9, 95% CI −3.2 to −2.7, p < 0.0001 I2 = 0%.

Conclusion:

Airflow appears to offer meaningful relief of chronic breathlessness and should be considered as an adjunct treatment in the management of breathlessness.
Coordinated Optimization Model for Signal Timings of Full Continuous Flow Intersections
Authors: You Xiaoming , Li Li , Ma Wanjing
Published: March 2019

The continuous flow intersection (CFI) was invented by Francisco Mier to improve traffic operation in intersections that suffer from traffic problems caused by high numbers of left-turn movements. Although the CFI has been developed for 25 years and some built CFIs have achieved good results, it lacks a general model of signal timings and offsets. This paper (a) describes the main relationships needed to develop a CFI model; (b) builds a detailed model for optimization of phase sequence scheme, length of cycle, phase durations, and offsets between successive signals; and (c) compares the computing results of minimum cycle, capacity, and average delay of CFIs with those of conventional intersections. The results show that CFI has a clear advantage and a wide range of application. In the proposed model and algorithm, the location of the subintersection as a design parameter need not be input, but it is affected by offset and queue length. The solving process and algorithms of all critical features, such as average delay, are provided. The simplified solving process makes this model easy to apply; the computation is not onerous and can be made with the help of a simple procedure running on a personal computer.
Evaluation of Microwave Radar Vehicle Detectors at a Signalized Intersection under Adverse Weather Conditions
Authors: Medina Juan C. , Ramezani Hani , Benekohal Rahim (Ray) F.
Published: March 2019

Two microwave radar systems for vehicle detection, manufactured by Wavetronix and MS SEDCO, were evaluated at stop bar and advance zones of a signalized intersection under three adverse conditions: (a) high wind speeds, (b) rain, and (c) fully or partially snow-covered roadway. Data under normal (favorable) weather conditions were also analyzed and used for comparison. Results show that the performance of the two systems deteriorated during adverse weather, and the type of detection errors and their frequency were system dependent. In general, wind increased false calls at the advance detection zone by more than 50%, depending on the location and sensor type; snow-covered roadway had more widespread effects and increased false calls at stop bar and advance zones, depending on the system, and also increased missed calls at stop bar zones; and rain affected the two systems by increasing false calls and stuck-on calls at the stop bar and false calls at the advance zones. Data also showed that frequencies of false and missed calls were likely to increase as precipitation intensity and wind speeds increased. Results from this evaluation show significant effects of adverse weather on microwave radar detection systems, providing information to researchers and practitioners regarding the potential performance of similar setups under such conditions. Details on the detection errors offer insight on situations that should be monitored and could be used to improve performance under adverse weather.
Statistical Study of the Impact of Adaptive Traffic Signal Control on Traffic and Transit Performance
Authors: Slavin Courtney , Feng Wei , Figliozzi Miguel , Koonce Peter
Published: March 2019

The Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) is designed to improve mobility on congested corridors with variable demand; SCATS is expected to improve transit performance. Because many urban corridors are heavily used by transit routes, it is important to determine how SCATS affects transit performance on congested corridors. However, there is limited research on evaluating the impact of SCATS on transit performance. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research presents the first field evaluation of SCATS with transit signal priority in the United States. The case study is based on before-and-after traffic and transit data along Powell Boulevard, one of the most congested urban arterials in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan region. Using permanent traffic data collection stations, bus automated vehicle location and automatic passenger count data, and transit signal priority request data, this work presents the results of statistical tests and regressions to determine the impacts of SCATS. Statistically significant differences were observed in travel times and SCATS-related regression parameters. Overall, travel time changes or improvements related to SCATS seemed to depend greatly on the direction of travel and time of day.
When a Woman Kills Her Man: Gender and Victim Precipitation in Homicide
Authors: Suonpää Karoliina , Savolainen Jukka
Published: March 2019

This research revisited the claim that victim precipitation (VP) is especially prevalent in situations where women kill their male intimate partners. Using administrative data from the Finnish Homicide Monitor ( N =1,494), we created a typology of homicide incidents to examine variation in VP across three factors: the gender of the offender, the gender of the victim, and the intimacy of the victim–offender relationship. The results from regression models demonstrated strong support for the assumption that killings by women of their male intimate partners are more likely to have been victim precipitated than other types of homicide. This homicide type stood out as having the strongest association with each measure of VP included in the analysis. We did not observe statistically significant differences in VP among other homicide types. For example, we did not observe gender differences in VP in homicides that did not involve intimate partners. This pattern of results contradicts prior evidence suggesting that VP is a general feature of female-perpetrated killings, independent of the gender of the victim and the intimacy of the victim–offender relationship. As such, the present study underscores the importance of replication in studies of interpersonal violence. Theoretically, the results support the gender–partner interaction hypothesis over gender differences hypothesis of VP.
Optimization of roller burnishing process using Kriging model to improve surface properties
Authors: Nguyen Trung-Thanh , Le Xuan-Ba
Published: March 2019

The objective of this work is to investigate the influences of three machining factors (burnishing speed V, feed rate f, and depth of penetration a) on the improved rate of arithmetic average roughness Δ Ra, improved rate of maximum height roughness Δ Ry, and improved rates of surface hardness Δ SH. The internal roller burnishing experiments were conducted with the aid of the computer numerical control machining center and Box–Behnken experimental design. The Kriging models were used to render the highly nonlinear relationships between inputs and outputs. An integrative approach combining a Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution was adopted to generate a set of feasible optimal solutions and determine the best machining conditions. The scanning electron microscopy images were depicted to investigate the surface morphology at the different conditions. The X-ray diffraction was applied to measure the compressive stresses at the external surface. The results showed that the predicted values of the objectives have good agreement with the experimental ones. High surface quality is characterized by an improved average roughness of 95.80%, an enhancement in the maximum roughness of 91.98%, and an improvement in surface hardness of 45.44%, compared to pre-machined surfaces. The selection of optimum process parameters could help the burnishing operators to save the machining costs and time. The combination of Kriging model, Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II, and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution is considered as an intelligent approach for modeling and optimization of burnishing processes.
Bee for mining (B4M) – A novel rule discovery method using the Bees algorithm with quality-weight and coverage-weight
Authors: Packianather Michael S , Al-Musawi Ammar K , Anayi Fatih
Published: March 2019

This paper proposes a novel tool known as Bee for Mining (B4M) for classification tasks, which enables the Bees Algorithm (BA) to discover rules automatically. In the proposed B4M, two parameters namely quality-weight and coverage-weight have been added to the BA to avoid any ambiguous situations during the prediction phase. The contributions of the proposed B4M algorithm are two-fold: the first novel contribution is in the field of swarm intelligence, using a new version of BA for automatic rule discovery, and the second novel contribution is the formulation of a weight metric based on quailty and coverage of the rules discovered from the dataset to carry out Meta-Pruning and making it suitable for any classification problem in the real world. The proposed algorithm was implemented and tested using five different datasets from University of California, at Irvine (UCI Machine Learning Repository) and was compared with other well-known classification algorithms. The results obtained using the proposed B4M show that it was capable of achieving better classification accuracy and at the same time reduce the number of rules in four out of five UCI datasets. Furthermore, the results show that it was not only effective and more robust, but also more efficient, making it at least as good as other methods such as C5.0, C4.5, Jrip and other evolutionary algorithms, and in some cases even better.
The Dual Impact of Early and Concurrent Life Stress on Adults’ Diurnal Cortisol Patterns: A Prospective Study
Authors: Young Ethan S. , Farrell Allison K. , Carlson Elizabeth A. , Englund Michelle M. , Miller Gregory E. , Gunnar Megan R. , Roisman Glenn I. , Simpson Jeffry A.
Published: March 2019

Major life stress often produces a flat diurnal cortisol slope, an indicator of potential long-term health problems. Exposure to stress early in childhood or the accumulation of stress across the life span may be responsible for this pattern. However, the relative impact of life stress at different life stages on diurnal cortisol is unknown. Using a longitudinal sample of adults followed from birth, we examined three models of the effect of stress exposure on diurnal cortisol: the cumulative model, the biological-embedding model, and the sensitization model. As its name implies, the cumulative model focuses on cumulative life stress. In contrast, the biological-embedding model implicates early childhood stress, and the sensitization model posits that current life stress interacts with early life stress to produce flat diurnal cortisol slopes. Our analyses are consistent with the sensitization model, as they indicate that the combination of high stress exposure early in life and high current stress predict flat diurnal cortisol slopes. These novel findings advance understanding of diurnal cortisol patterns and point to avenues for intervention.
Beyond reporting statistical significance: Identifying informative effect sizes to improve scientific communication
Authors: Hanel Paul HP , Mehler David MA
Published: March 2019

Transparent communication of research is key to foster understanding within and beyond the scientific community. An increased focus on reporting effect sizes in addition to p value–based significance statements or Bayes Factors may improve scientific communication with the general public. Across three studies ( N = 652), we compared subjective informativeness ratings for five effect sizes, Bayes Factor, and commonly used significance statements. Results showed that Cohen’s U3 was rated as most informative. For example, 440 participants (69%) found U3 more informative than Cohen’s d, while 95 (15%) found d more informative than U3, with 99 participants (16%) finding both effect sizes equally informative. This effect was not moderated by level of education. We therefore suggest that in general, Cohen’s U3 is used when scientific findings are communicated. However, the choice of the effect size may vary depending on what a researcher wants to highlight (e.g. differences or similarities).
Does Firm’s Size Speak of Its Reputation? Indian Evidence
Authors: Kaur Amanpreet , Singh Balwinder
Published: March 2019

Good reputation carries a significant value for organization. Although firms make every effort to earn respect among stakeholders, it is difficult on the part of stakeholders to judge firm’s quality. Myriad signals confuse rather than assisting them in framing perceptions about a firm. Hence, market demands some conspicuous clues like firm size to assess its worthiness. Since little is known about how corporate reputation is affected by firm size, the study attempts to examine the role of firm size in building reputation of Indian companies. The dataset comprises of 403 Indian companies over 10 year time frame, that is, from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2012. Results of panel regression reveal firm size as a crucial antecedent of corporate reputation. Significant differences are discovered in the firm size of highly reputed and low reputed firms. The study adds up to the research on determinants of corporate reputation that firm size can serve as a surrogate clue in times of information glut obscure in the market. The study offers significant repercussions for stakeholders who can make informed judgements by interpreting firm size as a signal of firm’s competencies.
When Family Don’t Acknowledge: A Hermeneutic Study of the Experience of Kinship Stigma in Community-Dwelling People With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Dibley Lesley , Williams Ellen , Young Patricia
Published: March 2019

Recent evidence suggests that kinship stigma—the experience of being or feeling stigmatized by family members—arises in the stories of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Adopting Goffman’s definition of stigma as “an attribute which is deeply discrediting,” we used hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenology to further explore the meaning of kinship stigma for people with IBD and reveal its significance. In total, 18 unstructured interviews took place in participants’ own homes in the United Kingdom, between July 2015 and April 2016. Transcripts were analyzed using a hermeneutic method to reveal three relational themes and one constitutive pattern. Referring to relevant literature, the presence and impact of kinship stigma on people with IBD is revealed. Kinship stigma—experienced as and meaning a lack of acknowledgment—may have wide-ranging implications for health and social care professionals caring for persons with IBD or other chronic illness and their families.
Operative Treatment for Hallux Valgus With Moderate to Severe Metatarsus Adductus
Authors: Shima Hiroaki , Okuda Ryuzo , Yasuda Toshito , Mori Katsunori , Kizawa Momoko , Tsujinaka Seiya , Neo Masashi
Published: March 2019

Background:

Operative treatment is indicated for patients who have symptomatic hallux valgus (HV) with moderate to severe metatarsus adductus (MA). However, there is limited information available on the operative procedures and outcomes for the treatment of HV with MA. We aimed to investigate the average 10-year follow-up clinical and radiologic outcomes.

Methods:

Seventeen patients (21 feet, average age: 60.1 years) with symptomatic HV with moderate to severe MA were operatively treated. Mean postoperative follow-up duration was 114.4 (24-246) months. All feet had metatarsus adductus angle ≥20 degrees on dorsoplantar weight-bearing radiograph. The procedure included a proximal crescentic osteotomy of the first metatarsal and abduction osteotomy of the proximal third of the second and third metatarsals.

Results:

The mean American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society scale score improved significantly postoperatively ( P < .001). The mean postoperative visual analog scale score (17 feet) was 2.0 (0-6). Preoperative metatarsalgia was severe in 2 feet, moderate in 17, and mild in 2. At the most recent follow-up evaluation, 11 feet had no pain, 9 had mild pain, and 1 had moderate pain. The mean hallux valgus angle, intermetatarsal angle, and metatarsus adductus angle significantly decreased postoperatively ( P < .001 for all). Recurrence of HV (HV angle ≥ 20 degrees) was observed in 4 feet.

Conclusion:

The clinical and radiologic results indicated that our novel operative treatment for HV with moderate to severe MA can achieve significant correction of HV with MA deformities and significant improvement in pain and function.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Femtosecond-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis for high myopia correction: Long-term follow-up outcomes.
Authors: Vega-Estrada Alfredo , Alio Jorge L
Published: March 2019

Objective:

Report the outcomes of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for high myopia correction after long-term follow-up.

Methods:

Retrospective, consecutive, clinical study including 70 eyes that underwent LASIK using a 500 Hertz (Hz) repetition rate excimer laser and femtosecond technology for flap creation. Visual, refractive, corneal aberrations, and correlation among the variables were evaluated during 3 years. In addition, 34 eyes were followed during 5 years.

Results:

Significant improvement of 17 logMAR lines was observed in uncorrected vision at 5 years (p < 0.01). This was consistent with spherical equivalent reduction that came from mean preoperative –7.79 diopters (D) to 5 years postoperative –0.24 D (p < 0.01). Significant induction of primary spherical aberration and coma aberration was also found (p < 0.01) at 3 months with levels of 0.61 µm and 0.47 µm, respectively, with no further changes at 5 years (p > 0.05). Pearson correlation showed that the amount of high-order aberrations at 3 months postoperativeley was significantly correlated with the changes in the keratometry throughout the 5 years (delta K) (R2 0.242 p = 0.05). Finally, preoperative corneal asphericity showed an inverse correlation with the delta K (R2 –308 p = 0.01).

Conclusions:

Results from this study suggests that LASIK for high myopia correction using 500 Hz repetition rate excimer laser provides stable visual, refractive and aberrometric results after 5 years of follow-up. A more prolate cornea and the amount of higher-order aberrations induced after LASIK are factors that negatively impact in the long-term stability of the procedure.
A Review of MicroRNA Biomarkers in Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Atif Hamna , Hicks Steven D
Published: March 2019

There is growing public concern surrounding traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI can cause significant morbidity, and the long-term sequelae are poorly understood. TBI diagnosis and management rely on patient-reported symptoms and subjective clinical assessment. There are no biologic tools to detect mild TBI or to track brain recovery. Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) may provide information about the injured brain. These tiny epigenetic molecules are expressed throughout the body. However, they are particularly important in neurons, can cross the blood-brain barrier, and are securely transported from cell to cell, where they regulate gene expression. miRNA levels may identify patients with TBI and predict symptom duration. This review synthesizes miRNA findings from 14 human studies. We distill more than 291 miRNAs to 17 biomarker candidates that overlap across multiple studies and multiple biofluids. The goal of this review is to establish a collective understanding of miRNA biology in TBI and identify clinical priorities for future investigations of this promising biomarker.
Rethinking intra-party cohesion: Towards a conceptual and analytical framework
Authors: Close Caroline , Gherghina Sergiu
Published: March 2019

Intra-party cohesion (IPC) is a concept extensively used to assess institutional change and behaviour in legislative and party politics. In spite of its popularity, there is confusion about its meaning mostly derived from its multidimensional nature. This article aims to clarify the understanding of this term across three different fields of research (legislative studies, party factionalism and Hirschman’s theory applied to intra-party dynamics) and to build a conceptual framework that integrates several analytical dimensions. It uses quantitative network-based analysis of bibliographic data to provide a descriptive account of connections between these fields of the literature. Based on this, it identifies major challenges in the study of IPC and reveals the necessity to investigate it beyond ideology and legislative arena. To this end, we argue and illustrate how Hirschman’s theory applied to three levels of analysis allows us to formulate a framework suitable for the study of IPC.
‘Doing’ media studies: The media lab as entangled media praxis
Authors: Thayne Martyn , West Andrew
Published: March 2019

Typically understood in relation to innovations in new media and modes of peer-production, the ‘media lab’ has emerged as a contemporary phenomenon encompassing a variety of ‘maker-spaces’, ‘fablabs’ and ‘hackathons’. This article seeks to resituate the ‘media lab’ in the context of media research and education, drawing inspiration from the recent ‘nonrepresentational’ and ‘nonhuman’ turns in media and cultural theory that examine our entanglement with media on a social, cultural and biological level (Grusin, 2015b; Thrift, 2007; Vannini, 2015; Zylinska, 2012). This article contributes to such debates by presenting the lab as entangled media praxis as a set of 10 principles for teaching media as mediation: a reflexive form of ‘doing’ contemporary media studies that is primarily concerned with developing an embodied ‘attunement’ to the entangled relations of media lab participants. This framework calls for transdisciplinary modes of practice research and ‘critical making’, whereby students, artists, creative technologists and academics work collaboratively to address the affective and subjective conditions of contemporary digital culture. This article will explore these methods in relation to the concept of media entanglement, drawing out the underlying principles of the ‘entangled media praxis’ framework by examining two pilot media labs facilitated by the Arts Council England-funded project, 1215.today.
Essential activities for electronic health record safety: A qualitative study
Authors: Ash Joan S , Singh Hardeep , Wright Adam , Chase Dian , Sittig Dean F
Published: March 2019

Electronic health record-caused safety risks are an unintended consequence of the implementation of clinical systems. To identify activities essential to assuring that the electronic health record is managed and used safely, we used the Rapid Assessment Process, a collection of qualitative methods. A multidisciplinary team conducted visits to five healthcare sites to learn about best practices. Although titles and roles were very different across sites, certain tasks considered necessary by our subjects were remarkably similar. We identified 10 groups of activities/tasks in three major areas. Area A, decision-making activities, included overseeing, planning, and reviewing to assure electronic health record safety. Area B, organizational learning activities, involved monitoring, testing, analyzing, and reporting. Finally, Area C, user-related activities, included training, communication, and building clinical decision support. To minimize electronic health record-related patient safety risks, leaders in healthcare organizations should ensure that these essential activities are performed.
Research on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of opposed high-speed gas bearing systems
Authors: Wang Cheng-Chi , Lee Rong-Mao , Lin Chih-Jer , Huang Chih-Yung , Lee Tsui-Er
Published: March 2019

In recent years, the opposed high-speed gas bearing system has been gradually valued and used in the field of precision machinery, especially for precision instruments and mechanisms requiring high speed, high precision, and high rigidity. Although the bearing capacity is not as good as the oil film bearings, it can provide a working environment where the rotor can generate high speed and low heat without deformation of the shaft, and the gas pressure distribution of clearance in bearing also has better stability. Due to the strong nonlinearity of the gas film pressure function of gas bearings and the fact that the actual shaft system possesses dynamic problems including critical speed, spindle imbalance or improper bearing design, it will cause the rotation process of the shaft to produce a nonperiodic motion and instability, and even chaotic motion under certain parameters. And these irregular movements can even cause machine damage or process delays when serious, so in order to understand the process of working under the conditions where the system will have a nonperiodic phenomenon and to avoid the occurrence of irregular vibration especially chaos. In this paper, the opposed high-speed gas bearing system feature will be discussed in detail with three different numerical analysis methods, i.e. the finite difference method, perturbation method, and mixing method. The relevant theories include dynamic trajectories, spectrum analysis, bifurcation diagram, Poincare map, and the maximum Lyapunov exponents. From the results of nonlinear dynamic behavior of the rotor center, periodic and nonperiodic motions occur at different rotor masses and bearing parameters, respectively. Especially, for the chaos of shaft exists at specific intervals and can be distinguished efficiently. Meanwhile, it is found to ensure that the bearing system can suppress the phenomena of chaos actively by adjusting the bearing parameters, and reduce the system loss caused by irregular vibration. It is expected to be an important basis for designing a precision shaft or mechanism and to enhance the stability and performance of bearing system.
Do the rules of private nuisance breach the principles of environmental justice?
Authors: Porter Sam
Published: March 2019

This article explores the potential distributive consequences of the tort of private nuisance, through the lens of environmental justice. Firstly, the theoretical underpinnings of this concept are set out. The principal concern of environmental justice is the unfair burdening of disadvantaged groups with societies’ environmental ‘bads’; but the concept can also be manipulated to form a coherent set of principles, enabling the assessment of social institutions. For brevity’s sake, a detailed investigation of the theory of environmental justice or its procedural elements is excluded in favour of a more rigorous practical application of substantive environmental justice. The second and largest part of this article applies this framework for environmental justice to private nuisance. This application serves to demonstrate that the tort has significant potential to perpetuate or even exacerbate environmental inequality. The so-called locality rule – the relative standard used to identify actionable nuisances – appears to ‘lock-in’ environmental injustice, as does the standing rule, which prevents certain classes of claimant – potentially the most disadvantaged – from seeking refuge in this tort. In addition, the increased willingness of judges to issue damages instead of the traditional remedy of an injunction may go further than merely ‘locking in’ environmental injustice by widening environmental inequality.
An African American Perspective on Familial Notification of Becoming a Registered Organ Donor
Authors: DuBay Derek A. , Ivankova Nataliya V. , Herbey Ivan , Redden David T. , Holt Cheryl , Siminoff Laura , Fouad Mona N. , Morinelli Thomas A. , Martin Michelle Y.
Published: March 2019

Introduction:

Studies demonstrate that family notification is much less frequent in African Americans than in Caucasians. Familial notification of one’s decision to become a registered organ donor (ROD) is important to ensure adherence to the decedent’s donation decision and to disseminate prodonation attitudes. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of familial notification among recent African American RODs and to identify intervention strategies to overcome potential barriers to the notification process.

Methods/Approach:

The study used a qualitative focus group approach. An inductive thematic analysis identified common categories and themes in the recorded and transcribed discussions.

Findings:

The focus groups consisted of 50 African American participants who had recently visited Alabama Department of Motorized Vehicles and made the voluntary decision (yes or no) about becoming an organ donor. Three major themes describing the African American experiences with notifying their family members about their decision to become a ROD emerged. These themes were as follows: motivation for the notification, notification conversation, and promoting familial notification. Specific discussions centered upon the importance of and barriers to familial notification, information, and strategies needed for successful notification. Strategies identified were use of media and social networks to provide enhanced knowledge on the notification process and the importance of health-care, community-provided knowledge about the donation process.

Discussion:

Findings from this study provide a framework for future interventions designed to assist African American RODs in notifying family members of their status.
Aging alters signaling properties in the mouse spinal dorsal horn
Authors: Mayhew JA , Callister RJ , Walker FR , Smith DW , Graham BA
Published: March 2019

A well-recognized relationship exists between aging and increased susceptibility to chronic pain conditions, underpinning the view that pain signaling pathways differ in aged individuals. Yet despite the higher prevalence of altered pain states among the elderly, the majority of preclinical work studying mechanisms of aberrant sensory processing are conducted in juvenile or young adult animals. This mismatch is especially true for electrophysiological studies where patch clamp recordings from aged tissue are generally viewed as particularly challenging. In this study, we have undertaken an electrophysiological characterization of spinal dorsal horn neurons in young adult (3–4 months) and aged (28–32 months) mice. We show that patch clamp data can be routinely acquired in spinal cord slices prepared from aged animals and that the excitability properties of aged dorsal horn neurons differ from recordings in tissue prepared from young animals. Specifically, aged dorsal horn neurons more readily exhibit repetitive action potential discharge, indicative of a more excitable phenotype. This observation was accompanied by a decrease in the amplitude and charge of spontaneous excitatory synaptic input to dorsal horn neurons and an increase in the contribution of GABAergic signaling to spontaneous inhibitory synaptic input in aged recordings. While the functional significance of these altered circuit properties remains to be determined, future work should seek to assess whether such features may render the aged dorsal horn more susceptible to aberrant injury or disease-induced signaling and contribute to increased pain in the elderly.
Dealing With False Memories in Children and Adults: Recommendations for the Legal Arena
Authors: Otgaar Henry , Howe Mark L. , Muris Peter , Merckelbach Harald
Published: March 2019

Children are often viewed as poor eyewitnesses. Fact-finders, lawyers, and researchers assume that children are exceptionally prone to accept external suggestive (leading) questions and to create false memories. Is this assumption justified? This review will show it is not. First, studies on spontaneous false memories—elicited without any suggestive pressure—reveal that children are less likely than adults to produce them. Second, under certain circumstances, children are even less prone to accept external suggestions than adults. This counterintuitive finding happens when false suggestions contain information that is associatively related but in actuality not experienced by children or adults. Using empirically based interview protocols can maximize the retrieval of accurate memories in children and adults. Furthermore, expert witnesses should use alternative scenarios to better evaluate whether statements by children or adults are based on truth or fiction.
Salivary Biomarkers in Denture Stomatitis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Khiyani M.F. , Ahmadi M. , Barbeau J. , Feine J.S. , de Souza R.F. , Siqueira W.L. , Emami E.
Published: March 2019

Objective

Denture stomatitis (DS) is an oral biofilm–associated inflammation of the denture-bearing mucosa. The objective of this review was to identify and evaluate the quality of evidence on the association between the levels of salivary biomarkers and DS among adults with and without palatal DS.

Materials and methods:

Following the PRISMA guidelines, Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials were searched for eligible studies from the beginning of the archives until December 2018. Experimental and observational studies with adult participants were included that had a control group or subgroup analysis and provided data on salivary biomarkers and DS. Articles in languages other than English or French were excluded. The level of evidence and grades of recommendation were established with the 2011 scale of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Additionally, the assessment of methodological quality was conducted with the STROBE statement (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) and graded according to the Olmos scale.

Results:

From 1,008 citations, 9 studies were included in the systematic review (8 observational, 1 clinical trial). Seven studies suggested a statistically significant difference in the levels of salivary cytokines (IL-6, CCL3, TGF-β, CXCL8, GM-CSF, and TNF-α) between participants with DS and controls ( P < 0.05). In contrast, 2 studies concluded that the difference in the levels of several salivary cytokines (IL2, IL12, IFN-g, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and ICAM-1) between the groups was not statistically significant. The level of evidence for the majority of studies was 3, while the grade of recommendation for all the studies was B, interpreted as “favorable.” In terms of methodological quality, most studies met 50% to 80% of STROBE criteria and were graded B.

Conclusion:

Palatal inflammation in DS is significantly associated with the levels of salivary cytokines.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

The results of this study identified altered levels of specific salivary biomarkers associated with denture stomatitis, which may aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Venetoclax plus R- or G-CHOP in non-Hodgkin lymphoma: results from the CAVALLI phase 1b trial
Authors: Zelenetz Andrew D. , Salles Gilles , Mason Kylie D. , Casulo Carla , Le Gouill Steven , Sehn Laurie H. , Tilly Herve , Cartron Guillaume , Chamuleau Martine E. D. , Goy Andre , Tam Constantine S. , Lugtenburg Pieternella J. , Petrich Adam M. , Sinha Arijit , Samineni Divya , Herter Sylvia , Ingalla Ellen , Szafer-Glusman Edith , Klein Christian , Sampath Deepak , Kornacker Martin , Mobasher Mehrdad , Morschhauser Franck
Published: March 2019

Novel strategies, such as chemosensitization with targeted agents, that build on the success of standard immunochemotherapy show promise for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Here, we report a phase 1b study investigating dose escalation of the BCL2 inhibitor, venetoclax, in combination with rituximab or obinutuzumab and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-/G-CHOP) chemotherapy in B-cell NHL. Objectives included safety assessment and determination of a recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Fifty-six patients were enrolled, most with follicular lymphoma (43%) or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL; 32%). Dose-limiting toxicities were reported in 3/14 patients at the first venetoclax dose (200 mg/d), after which dosing was changed from daily to 10 days per cycle and escalated to 800 mg. A further reduction to 5 days per cycle occurred at the 800-mg dose level in the G-CHOP arm. Cytopenias were predominant among grade 3/4 events and reported at a higher rate than expected, particularly in the G-CHOP arm; however, safety was manageable. Overall response rates were 87.5% (R-CHOP and G-CHOP combinations); complete response (CR) rates were 79.2% and 78.1%, respectively. Most double-expressor (BCL2+ and MYC+) DLBCL patients (87.5%; n = 7/8) achieved CR. Although the maximum tolerated dose was not reached, the RP2D for venetoclax with R-CHOP was established at 800 mg days 4 to 10 of cycle 1 and days 1 to 10 of cycles 2 to 8; higher doses were not explored, and this dosing schedule demonstrated an acceptable safety profile. This regimen is subsequently being evaluated in first-line DLBCL in the phase 2 portion of the study. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02055820.
Oncolytic immunotherapy and bortezomib synergy improves survival of refractory multiple myeloma in a preclinical model
Authors: Thirukkumaran Chandini M. , Shi Zhong Qiao , Nuovo Gerard J. , Luider Joanne , Kopciuk Karen A. , Dong Yuan , Mostafa Ahmed A. , Thakur Satbir , Gratton Kathy , Yang Ailian , Chin Alex C. , Coffey Matt C. , Jimenez-Zepeda Victor H. , Stewart Douglas , Chesi Marta , Bergsagel P. Leif , Morris Don
Published: March 2019

The oncolytic reovirus (RV) has demonstrated clinical efficacy and minimal toxicity in a variety of cancers, including multiple myeloma (MM). MM is a malignancy of plasma cells that is considered treatable but incurable because of the 90% relapse rate that is primarily from drug resistance. The systemic nature of MM and the antitumor immunosuppression by its tumor microenvironment presents an ongoing therapeutic challenge. In the present study, we demonstrate that RV synergizes with the standard-of-care MM drug bortezomib (BTZ) and, importantly, enhances its therapeutic potential in therapy-resistant human MM cell lines in vitro. Using the syngeneic Vk*MYC BTZ-resistant immunocompetent transplantable MM murine model, we also demonstrate that mice harboring BTZ-insensitive MM tumors respond to the RV/BTZ combination treatment in terms of decreased tumor burden and improved overall survival (P < .00001). We demonstrate that BTZ augments RV replication in tumor-associated endothelial cells and myeloma cells, leading to enhanced viral delivery and thereby stimulating cytokine release, immune activity, apoptosis, and reduction of the MM-associated immune suppression. We conclude that combined RV/BTZ is an attractive therapeutic strategy with no safety signals for the treatment of MM.
High Beclin-1 and ARID1A expression corelates with poor survival and high recurrence in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a histopathological retrospective study
Authors: Bi Chao , Liu Mei , Rong Weiqi , Wu Fan , Zhang Yang , Lin Shengtao , Liu Yunhe , Wu Jianxiong , Wang Liming
Published: March 2019

Background

Although surgical resection provides a cure for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), the risk of mortality and recurrence remains high. Several biomarkers are reported to be associated with the prognosis of ICC, including Beclin-1, ARID1A, carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9) and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1), but results are inconsistent. Therefore, a histopathological retrospective study was performed to simultaneously investigate the relationship of these four potential biomarkers with clinicopathological parameters and their prognostic values in patients with ICC.

Methods

A total of 113 patients with ICC were enrolled from Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between January 1999 and June 2015. The expression of Beclin-1, ARID1A, IDH1 and CA9 were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The prognostic values of the four biomarkers were analyzed by Cox regression and the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

Beclin-1, ARID1A, CA9 and IDH1 were highly expressed in ICC tumor tissues. Higher mortality was positively associated with Beclin-1 expression (HR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.09–5.24) and higher recurrence was positively associated with ARID1A expression (HR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.06–2.78). Neither CA9 nor IDH1 expression was significantly associated with mortality or disease recurrence. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that ICC patients with higher Beclin-1 and ARID1A expression had a lower survival rate and a worse recurrence rate than patients with low Beclin-1 and ARID1A expression (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

High Beclin-1 and ARIDIA expression are strongly associated with poor prognosis in ICC patients, and thus Beclin-1 and ARID1A should be simultaneously considered as potential prognostic biomarkers for ICC patients.
An evaluation system for the development of scaling off at earthen sites in arid areas in NW China
Authors: Cui Kai , Du Yumin , Zhang Yinghui , Wu Guopeng , Yu Li
Published: March 2019

Earthen sites are valuable cultural heritage sites in arid regions of NW China, where a series of serious deteriorations have developed. Scaling off is a typical type of deterioration that greatly threatens the long-term preservation of earthen sites. To date, there are insufficient studies on the formation mechanisms and influence factors of scaling off, leading to a lack of a theoretical foundation for further consolidation research. Therefore, establishing a scientific evaluation system to explore the formation mechanisms of scaling off and assess its degree of development has become a very significant topic for earthen site conservation. In this study, we selected 18 earthen sites to survey scaling off in the field, and data from geotechnical tests and meteorology were then collected to fit the characteristic values to determine the influencing factors. Finally, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (Fuzzy-AHP) was applied to build a system to evaluate scaling off. The mechanisms of scaling off formation were explained by comparing and analyzing the porosity, shrinkage limit, particle size distribution of rammed earth and environmental factors combined with soluble salt contents in rammed earth. This research reveals the formation mechanisms and influencing factors of scaling off from a new perspective, which will lay a beneficial foundation for further consolidation research.
Research on using Six Sigma management to improve bank customer satisfaction
Authors: Zhuo Zhiyi
Published: March 2019

In the banking industry, which aims to serve customers, management level and service level are one of the criteria for measuring the core competitiveness of banks. An important indicator of management and service levels is to ensure customer satisfaction with the bank used. Six Sigma management is customer-centric, based on data and facts, adopting improvement measures for the process, focusing on preventive control, emphasizing borderless cooperation, continuous improvement, and the pursuit of quality and efficiency management mechanisms. In this paper, we empirically analyze the reasons why banks affect customer satisfaction and design the bank’s Six Sigma service process based on empirical analysis. Finally, in the “Conclusion and discussion” section, the research suggestions for improving bank customer satisfaction are given.
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression in endometrial carcinoma: association with histopathologic parameters
Authors: Hashmi Atif Ali , Hussain Zubaida Fida , Irfan Muhammad , Naeem Maheen , Hashmi Shumaila Kanwal , Asif Huda , Baloch Samina , Faridi Naveen
Published: March 2019

Background

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a cellular oncoprotein which is overexpressed in many human cancers including a subset of endometrial cancers. Immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of EGFR has been investigated in previous studies; Role of EGFR in endometrial carcinoma as a prognostic biomarker has not been studied in our population; therefore we aimed to evaluate the expression of EGFR in cases of endometrial carcinoma in loco-regional population and its association with histologic variables.

Methods

Total 89 cases of endometrial carcinoma were selected from records of pathology department archives. All patients underwent surgeries at Liaquat National hospital, Karachi from January 2012 till December 2017 over a period of 6 years. Slides of all cases were retrieved and reviewed by two senior histopathologists and pathologic characteristics were evaluated. Moreover, representative tissue blocks of all 89 cases were selected for EGFR immunohistochemistry.

Results

73% (65 cases) showed no EGFR expression, while 21.3% (19 cases) showed low EGFR expression and 5.6% (5 cases) revealed high EGFR expression. Significant association of EGFR expression was noted with histologic type. Serous carcinoma and carcinosarcoma showed high expression of EGFR. On the other hand, no significant association of EGFR with other histopathologic parameters was found.

Conclusion

Overall, we found a low EGFR expression in endometrial carcinoma in our population without any significant pathological association except for its high expression in serous carcinoma and carcinosarcoma; however, more large scale studies are warranted to validate these findings.