bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Latin American smart cities: Between worlding infatuation and crawling provincialising
Authors: Irazábal Clara , Jirón Paola
Published: October 2020

Smart city initiatives in Latin America aim to harness information and communication technologies to make urban service provision and management more efficient, transparent and user-friendly. Latin American cities have been relatively slow to adopt such initiatives, but there is inter- and intra-urban variety in the region. We offer illustrative vignettes of Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Medellín, which have experimented with different formats for smart city programme design, implementation and management. While top-down and flashier smart city projects in these cities reflect worlding aspirations on the part of urban elites, mixed and bottom-up approaches serve to provincialise and often informalise the initiatives in manners that destabilise elitism and more equitably distribute costs and benefits. One of the biggest challenges these cities share in developing smarter initiatives is inequality, given that most interventions are located in or benefit higher-income areas and actors. As instruments to provincialise the discourses and practices of smart cityness in the region, we propose that cities adopt the ‘6-Es smart cities framework’ (efficiency, economy, ecology, equity, education and engagement) and mobilise public–private– people partnerships within city plans and implementation processes.
Liver abscess in early infancy with no underlying risk factors: a case series
Authors: Anand Mugdha , Kaur Sahi Puneet , Mantan Mukta
Published: October 2020

Liver abscess in early infancy is uncommon, needs a high index of suspicion for diagnosis and carries a high mortality. It presents most frequently by a fulminant course, generalised sepsis and multiple metastatic abscesses. An underlying predisposing factor is usually attributed in nearly all cases reported to date. These include prematurity, low birth weight, umbilical catheterisation (UC), administration of hypertonic dextrose or total parenteral nutrition via UC, exchange transfusion, blood culture proven sepsis, necrotising enterocolitis, antecedent abdominal surgery, birth asphyxia, omphalitis and underlying immunodeficiency. We present three cases of early infantile liver abscesses without any identifiable predisposing factor despite extensive work-up to search for such. Early recognition and management led to a favourable outcome in all our patients.
Insiders’ Foreknowledge of Earnings Results and Rule 10b5-1 Sales Trades
Authors: Lee Yen-Jung
Published: October 2020

This article investigates the source of 10b5-1 plan insiders’ superior trade performance. Specifically, this article examines whether insiders trade on their private information about the firm’s future earnings performance through 10b5-1 sell trades and the features of 10b5-1 plan trades that are exploited to achieve superior trade performance. I find strong evidence that insiders use 10b5-1 plans to sell stock before disappointing earnings results. However, there is no evidence of earnings management around 10b5-1 sales, consistent with insiders’ good trade timing deriving from their foreknowledge about unfavorable earnings news rather than their ability to influence the timing and recognition of earnings performance. Restricting the sample to insiders who trade both before and after the implementation of Rule 10b5-1, I find that these insiders traded aggressively on earnings information even in the pre-10b5-1 era, but then shifted aggressive trading into 10b5-1 plans after the availability of planned trading, implying an unintended consequence of Rule 10b5-1. Finally, I document that strategic 10b5-1 trades tend to be infrequent, irregularly timed, close to the plan initiation date, and executed during traditional earnings blackout periods, revealing problematic features within 10b5-1 plans.
Mindfulness Training to Improve Nurse Clinical Performance: A Pilot Study
Authors: Zeller Janice M. , Johnson Angela M. , Hoffman Arthur , Hoyem Ruby L , Alexander Michelle B. , Yudkowsky Rachel , Hicks Frank D.
Published: October 2020

Health care errors are a national concern. Although considerable attention has been placed on reducing errors since a 2000 Institute of Medicine report, adverse events persist. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness training, employing the standardized approach of an eight-week mindfulness-based, stress reduction program on reduction of nurse errors in simulated clinical scenarios. An experimental, pre- and post-test control group design was employed with 20 staff nurses and senior nursing students. Although not statistically significant, there were numerical differences in clinical performance scores from baseline when comparing mindfulness and control groups immediately following mindfulness training and after three months. A number of benefits of mindfulness training, such as improved listening skills, were identified. This pilot study supports the benefits of mindfulness training in improving nurse clinical performance and illustrates a novel approach to employ in future research.
Preablation Diagnostic Whole‐Body Scan vs Empiric Radioactive Iodine Ablation in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Cost‐effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Arjani Simran , Quinn Patrick L. , Chokshi Ravi J.
Published: October 2020

Objective

To perform a comparative analysis of postthyroidectomy radioactive iodine ablation dosing with or without the implementation of a diagnostic whole‐body scan in patients with well‐differentiated thyroid cancer.

Study Design

Decision analysis model.

Setting

Hospital or ambulatory center.

Methods

A decision tree model was created to determine the cost‐effectiveness of radioactive iodine ablation dosed with diagnostic whole‐body scans versus empiric radioactive iodine ablation in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer undergoing postthyroidectomy ablation. The decision tree was populated with values from the published literature. Costs were represented by 2020 Medicare reimbursement rates (US dollars), and morbidity and survival data were used to calculate quality‐adjusted life‐years. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio was the primary outcome.

Results

Empiric radioactive iodine dosing was the dominant economic strategy, producing 0.94 more quality‐adjusted life‐years while costing $1250.07 less than management with a diagnostic whole‐body scan. Sensitivity analyses upheld these results except in cases involving a large discrepancy in successful ablation rates between the diagnostic and empiric treatment arms.

Conclusion

For patients with differentiated thyroid cancer requiring postthyroidectomy ablation, it is more cost‐effective to administer radioactive iodine empirically.
Primary Treatment Selection for Clinically Node‐Negative Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck
Authors: Jacobs Daniel , Olino Kelly , Park Henry S. , Clune James , Cheraghlou Shayan , Girardi Michael , Burtness Barbara , Kluger Harriet , Judson Benjamin L.
Published: October 2020

Objective

Merkel cell carcinoma practice guidelines recommend sentinel lymph node biopsy after wide local excision for the initial management of clinically node‐negative disease without distant metastases (cN0M0). Despite guideline publication, treatment selection remains variable. We hypothesized that receipt of guideline‐recommended care would be more common in patients evaluated at academic centers and institutions with high melanoma case volumes and that such therapy would be associated with improved overall survival.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting

The National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2015.

Methods

A total of 3500 patients were included. We utilized Kaplan‐Meier analysis and logistic and Cox proportional hazard regressions. Survival analysis was performed on inverse probability–weighted cohorts.

Results

There has been a trend toward evaluation at academic programs at a rate of 1.58% of patients per year (95% CI, 1.06%‐2.11%) since 2004. However, the percentage of patients receiving guideline‐compliant primary tumor excision and lymph node evaluation has plateaued at approximately 50% since 2012. Guideline‐compliant surgical management was more commonly provided to patients evaluated at academic programs than nonacademic programs but only when those institutions had a high melanoma case volume (odds ratio, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.62‐2.48). Receipt of guideline‐compliant primary tumor excision and lymph node evaluation was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.64‐0.76).

Conclusion

Facility factors affect rates of receipt of guideline‐compliant initial surgical management for patients with node‐negative Merkel cell carcinoma. Given the survival benefit of such treatment, patients may benefit from care at hospitals with high melanoma case volumes.
Comparing the development of Local Industrial Strategies across the Northern Powerhouse: Key emerging issues
Authors: Shutt John , Liddle Joyce
Published: October 2020

Will the UK Industrial Strategy deliver anything substantial to the North of England? This article examines the faltering steps taken to develop Local Industrial Strategies by Local Enterprise Partnerships and Mayoral Combined Authorities and argues Place Leadership and Industrial Strategy will both need to be substantially re-galvanised after COVID 19. It is also still not clear if a significant step change can be made by the Johnson Conservative government of 2019, which will have a major impact on Northern economies. Agencies’ capacity to intervene in the Northern economy and deliver is a major issue, alongside stronger leadership. Analytically the paper uses theory on Multi-Sectoral Collaboration and Place Leadership to show how uniqueness of place, past and current interpersonal connections and networks can facilitate or frustrate economic development. Place leaders must create institutional arrangements, seek agreement over visions, objectives and strategies, otherwise the lack of shared information, resources, activities and capabilities lead to ‘contestation’ over space and action. We analyse the levels of cohesion or contestation in four different localities as each develops a Local Industrial Strategy.
Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) of the kidney: an overview of its management and outcomes
Authors: Yang Yu , Yu Xiaohong , Lu Bo , Shao Zhiqiang
Published: October 2020

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is a rare mesenchymal tumor with unique histological and immunohistochemical characteristics. Malignant renal cell carcinoma is even rarer and its biological behavior is still not clear. We report here a case of malignant PEComa in a male patient. The first symptom of the patient was intermittent hematuria. Ultrasound and computed tomography scan showed a solid mass in the left kidney. Fibrosarcoma was initially diagnosed after radical resection of the tumor. Six years later, the patient had a tumor recurrence and underwent a second operation, through which the diagnosis of renal malignant PEComa was made. Since then, the patient received chemotherapy, a third operation, and interventional treatment because of recurrence and metastasis of the tumor, which prolonged the life of the patient for another 6 years. Malignant PEComa involving the kidney is very rare; it seems to develop slowly but will recur and metastasize. At present, surgical resection remains the best treatment.
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive infective endocarditis complicated by acute kidney injury: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhang Hui , Wu Daoxu , Fu Haiyang , Shi Weiping , Xue Feng
Published: October 2020

Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) may present with multisystem disturbances resembling autoimmune diseases, such as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). The kidneys are susceptible to damage in IE and AAV, which is a source of diagnostic ambiguity. Therefore, distinguishing infection from an inflammatory process is pivotal for guiding appropriate therapy. We report a 22-year-old man with IE characterized by ANCA positivity and complicated by acute kidney injury. A renal biopsy showed crescentic nephritis with tubulointerstitial lesions. However, transthoracic echocardiography and blood culture provided evidence of IE, and AAV was ruled out. Surgical intervention and antibiotic treatments were successful. We summarized previously reported cases of ANCA-positive IE that had renal biopsy data. We found that ANCA-positive IE can involve multiple organs. The representative renal pathology was crescentic nephritis, focal segmental glomerulonephritis, mesangial cell proliferation, tubular injury, and interstitial oedema. Immunofluorescence showed predominate C3 deposits. Electron microscopy showed electron-dense deposits in the subendothelial or mesangial areas. Eight patients received immunosuppressive therapy with excellent results. Repeated testing for bacterial pathogens and multiple renal biopsies may be useful for diagnosing ANCA-positive IE. With ANCA-positive IE, immunosuppressive therapy along with antibiotic treatments may be beneficial for recovery of renal function.
A rare case of short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing with progression to neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Authors: Wang Lu , Su Hong-jun , Song Guan-jie
Published: October 2020

Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) is a rare primary headache syndrome. However, some cases of secondary SUNCT are attributed to underlying diseases such as demyelination. We herein report a case of SUNCT with progression to neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). A 43-year-old woman developed headaches; 6 weeks later, she developed bilateral visual loss and numbness on the left side of her body. She was ultimately diagnosed with NMOSD.
Prognostic impact of serum procalcitonin in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Kajikawa Shigehisa , Ohashi Wataru , Kato Yasutaka , Fukami Masaya , Yonezawa Toshiyuki , Sato Mika , Kosaka Kenshi , Kato Toshio , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Ito Satoru , Yamaguchi Etsuro , Kubo Akihito
Published: October 2020

Introduction:

Increased serum procalcitonin (PCT), a well-known biomarker for sepsis, has been reported in several cancer types. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of PCT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods:

Medical records of 51 consecutive patients with NSCLC (Aichi Medical University Hospital) admitted between July 2017 and July 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into PCT-low (PCT < 0.1 ng/mL) and PCT-high (PCT ⩾ 0.1 ng/mL) groups, and their clinical characteristics and survival were compared.

Results:

In contrast to the PCT-low group (n = 24), the PCT-high group (n = 27) showed significantly worse Performance Status (PS) and overall survival (OS) (PS 0–2/3–4, 16/8 versus 12/15, p = 0.034; median OS, not reached versus 127 days, p < 0.001), irrespective of the presence of infection ( p = 0.785). Multivariate analysis showed that the disease stage (IV versus I–III) and high PCT level (⩾0.1 versus <0.1 ng/mL) were significantly worse prognostic factors with hazard ratios of 3.706 ( p = 0.023) and 3.951 ( p = 0.010), respectively.

Conclusion:

The results suggest that serum PCT in NSCLC was elevated regardless of the presence of infection. Higher PCT levels are associated with poor PS and shorter OS in NSCLC.
Jules Vallès’s L’Insurgé and the Narrative of Popular Revolt
Authors: Kassabova Biliana
Published: October 2020

In this article, I look at Jules Vallès’s L’Insurgé to argue that its narrative style performs the politics of anonymity at the heart of the Paris Commune. To do this, I analyse three key elements of the novel – its autofictionality, its fragmentation and its ubiquitous present tense. By rejecting the exemplarity inherent in autobiography, this autofiction avant la lettre implies that the I of the narrator Jacques Vingtras, himself a stand-in for the author Jules Vallès, can be substituted with any other I. In the ‘révolution anonyme’ of 1871, there can be no leader; in its narrative, the central character is replaceable. The fragmentary writing further resists the unity of nineteenth-century novels to draw portraits of various actors of revolt; centralised revolution is abandoned in favour of communal politics. Finally, the narration in the present tense creates a sense of immediacy which rejects the glorification of the revolutionary past, and instead underscores the Paris Commune’s new politics in the making. The novel is thus enacting the ‘grande fédération des douleurs’ to which it is dedicated.
“Why So Few?”: Differential Effects of Framing the Gender Gap in STEM Recruitment Interventions
Authors: Cowgill Colleen , Halper Leah , Rios Kimberly , Crane Phoenix
Published: October 2020

Interventions designed to increase women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines sometimes emphasize the STEM gender gap. Drawing upon optimal distinctiveness theory, we hypothesized that interventions overtly emphasizing women’s minority status in STEM might lead to less interest in STEM relative to interventions with subtler references to women’s minority status. In Study 1, women who viewed a STEM recruitment presentation drawing direct attention to the STEM gender gap showed lower implicit identification with STEM compared to those who viewed a presentation referencing gender through images alone. In Study 2, women’s greater feelings of unwanted distinctiveness in STEM following a presentation emphasizing the enduring gender gap (relative to one emphasizing the closing gender gap) had a significant indirect effect on their interest in STEM. In Study 3, women who viewed information about the gender distribution of a STEM company expressed less interest in the job when the same information was framed in terms of a continuing gender gap (vs. women’s growing representation), due to reduced feelings of belonging and increased feelings of unwanted distinctiveness. The present findings indicate that those designing STEM interventions targeting women should do so in ways that not only make women feel welcomed into the discipline but also do not place undue emphasis on women’s underrepresentation. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684320965123
Controlling or Channeling Demands? How Schedule Control Influences the Link Between Job Pressure and the Work-Family Interface
Authors: Badawy Philip J. , Schieman Scott
Published: October 2020

Schedule control is theorized as a job resource that should reduce the extent to which work demands bleed into nonwork time and decrease work-to-family conflict. However, schedule control might also come with greater expectations that workers fully devote themselves to work even during non-conventional work times; in this scenario, schedule control might act as a channel through which job demands can more easily permeate nonwork roles and generate conflict. Drawing on four waves of panel data from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (2011–2017), the authors use fixed effects regression techniques to discover some contradictions in the resource functions of schedule control. The authors find that schedule control exacerbates the effect of job pressure on role blurring, and these observed downsides of schedule control are stronger for women. By discovering gendered effects in the moderating role of schedule control, this study sharpens prevailing knowledge about its functions as a resource and the ways that it might channel stressful work-related demands.
Fooled by Success: How, Why, and When Disclosures Fail or Work in Mutual Fund Ads
Authors: Johnson Joseph M. , Tellis Gerard J. , VanBergen Noah
Published: October 2020

Mutual fund advertisers often highlight their funds’ past returns, albeit with a disclosure mandated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). To ascertain whether the SEC disclosure is effective and how it could be improved, the authors conduct seven experiments regarding individuals’ choice of mutual funds with ads touting past success plus disclosures. These experiments lead to several findings: First, current SEC disclosures do not work because investors fall prey to the “hot hand” bias and believe that past performance trends will continue. Second, although investors comprehend the content of the SEC disclosure, they misapply it. Third, an alternate stronger, less ambiguous disclosure effectively attenuates investors’ preferences for funds with longer (vs. shorter) performance runs. Fourth, only a disclosure that directly relates to the beliefs that give rise to the hot hand bias overcomes peoples’ tendency to chase returns. Fifth, these findings generalize to the real estate context. This is the only research that shows that when the SEC disclosure found in mutual fund ads is pitted against the hot hand bias, the hot hand wins out. However, a strongly worded disclosure has some success at debiasing individuals. The authors also discuss implications for policy makers, practitioners, and consumers.
Pre-Stroke Depression in Ghana and Nigeria: Prevalence, Predictors and Association With Poststroke Depression
Authors: Ojagbemi Akin , Akinyemi Joshua , Wahab Kolawole , Owolabi Lukman , Arulogun Oyedunni , Akpalu Josephine , Akpalu Albert , Ogbole Godwin , Akinsanya Cynthia , Wasiu Adeniyi , Tito-Ilori Moyinoluwa , Adekunle Fakunle , Lyrea Ruth , Akpa Onoja , Akinyemi Rufus , Sarfo Fred , Owolabi Mayowa , Ovbiagele Bruce
Published: October 2020

Objectives:

Depression is a risk factor for stroke. There is a knowledge gap on the predictors of prestroke depression in stroke survivors living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We estimated prevalence and predictors of prestroke depression, as well as its association with poststroke depression (PSD) in the largest study of stroke in Africa.

Methods:

We evaluated information collected as part of the Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) study, a multicentre, case-control study conducted at 15 sites in Ghana and Nigeria. Prestroke depression status was ascertained in stroke survivors using a validated self-report tool, while PSD was assessed using a stroke specific screening tool for depression (“HRQOLISP-E”). Independent associations were investigated using complementary log-log regression and binary logit models.

Results:

Among 1,977 participants, prestroke depression was found in 141 (7.1%). In multivariate analyses, prestroke depression was significantly associated with tachycardia (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.37-3.56) and low consumption of green leafy vegetables (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.12-3.24). Forty-one (29.1%) of the prestroke depression sub-sample developed PSD. However, prestroke depression was not significantly associated with PSD.

Conclusion:

The findings should energize before-the-stroke identification and prioritization of limited treatment resources in LMICs to persons with depression who have multiple, additional, risks of stroke.
MHD free convection flow in a vertical porous super-hydrophobic micro-channel
Authors: Jha BK , Gwandu BJ
Published: October 2020

A free convective flow of an incompressible and electrically conducting fluid through a vertical micro-channel of rectangular geometry was considered. Both plates were porous and heated alternately. A transverse magnetic field was applied across the channel. One channel wall surface was no slip and the other was super-hydrophobic. The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of super-hydrophobicity, magnetism and wall porosity on the main characteristics of the flow. The exact solutions of the formulated differential equations were provided. A few highlights of the results obtained include: (1) the magnetic parameter lowered the skin friction at both surfaces when either of them were heated, (2) the suction/injection parameter raised the fluid temperature when the super-hydrophobic surface (SHS) was heated and brought it down when the no slip surface (NSS) was heated, (3) a critical temperature jump coefficient was observed at which the flow rates in both cases (only SHS heated, and only NSS heated) were equal. A few application areas of the research include micro-fluidics and micro-electronics.
Aerodynamic behavior of a high-speed train with a braking plate mounted in the region of inter-car gap or uniform-car body: A comparative numerical study
Authors: Niu Jiqiang , Wang Yueming , Liu Feng , Li Rui
Published: October 2020

The continuous increase in train speed has brought serious challenges to train braking safety. Aerodynamic braking technology can effectively improve the braking effect of trains at high speeds. In this study, an aerodynamic braking device installed in the inter-car gap region (ICG) of a high-speed train is proposed and the aerodynamic performance of the high-speed train with an aerodynamic braking device is assessed by improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) based on the κ-ω turbulence model. The results show that the opening of the plate significantly changes the aerodynamic performance of the train, thereby greatly increasing the aerodynamic forces of the train and their fluctuation degree. The effect of the opening of the plate increases the turbulence of the downstream flow field around the tail car. The affected area is mainly concentrated in the flow field around the location of the plate for the pressure field and the whole flow field behind the plate for the velocity field. The effect of the plate mounted on the uniform-car body region (UCG) on increasing the aerodynamic drag is better than that at the ICG, though the aerodynamic fluctuation and the influence on the surrounding flow field will also be great.
Numerical study of the pseudo-boiling phenomenon in the transcritical liquid oxygen/gaseous hydrogen flame
Authors: Zeinivand Hamed , Farshchi Mohammad
Published: October 2020

The interactions and effects of turbulent mixing, pseudo-boiling phenomena, and chemical reaction heat release on the combustion of cryogenic liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen under supercritical pressure conditions are investigated using RANS simulations. Comparisons of the present numerical simulation results with available experimental data reveal a reasonably good prediction of a supercritical axial shear hydrogen-oxygen flame using the standard k-ε turbulence model and the eddy dissipation concept combustion model with a 23 reaction steps kinetics for H2-O2 reaction. The present simulation qualitatively reproduced oxygen injection and its reaction with the co-flowing hydrogen, which is characterized by rapid flame expansion, downstream flame propagation, and expansion induced flow recirculation. Several turbulence models were used for numerical simulations. It is shown that the selection of an appropriate turbulence model for transcritical reacting flows is crucial and far more important than for subcritical reacting flows. It is indicated that the pseudo-boiling phenomena is the main reason for the considerable differences between the turbulence models in a transcritical flame. Also, it is demonstrated that the liquid oxygen core disappears faster in a non-reacting flow than in a reacting flow. The shear layer in the non-reacting flow is much stronger than reacting case; providing a large transfer of energy from the outer layer to the inner layer. At the supercritical injection conditions, the difference between the turbulence models is much less than the transcritical injection conditions.
Evaluation of modal parameters and static characteristics for composite mono leaf spring
Authors: Samir Mohamed Mohamed Soliman Ehab
Published: October 2020

The objective of this paper was to investigate and evaluate modal parameters and static characteristics for designed carbon/epoxy composite CFRP leaf spring made from carbon ﬁber-reinforced epoxy by comparing its finite element analysis FEA modal, harmonic and static results to that of conventional steel one under the same maximum full bump load. In ANSYS software, finite element modal, harmonic and static analysis for 3D models of conventional steel and designed composite mono leaf springs is carried out. FEA displacements for the steel and designed composite CFRP mono leaf springs at the maximum full bump load were 92.9 mm and 93.1 mm respectively. Compared to the steel mono leaf spring, the composite mono leaf spring has advantages; lower stresses, higher natural frequencies and higher safety in stresses of front and rear eyes. All these advantages let the composite leaf spring can be carried maximum full bump load with enough higher performance over steel one to avoid resonance and satisfy maximum stress failure criterion.
The Roles of γδ T Cells in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Ye Wanyi , Kong Xueting , Zhang Wenbin , Weng Zheng , Wu Xiuli
Published: October 2020

The αβ T-cell-depleted hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) leads to lower relapse and better outcome, and may correlate strongly with expansion of donor-derived γδ T cells. γδ T cells play an important role in immune reconstitution and can exert a graft-versus-leukemia effect after HSCT. This review showed the recent literature on immune functions of γδ T cells after HSCT. The discrepancies between studies of γδ T cells in graft-versus-host disease may cause by its heterogeneous and various distinct subsets. And reconstitution of γδ T cells may play a potential immunoregulatory role in the infections after HSCT.
Experimental study on the behaviour of an electrorheological double miniature valve
Authors: Bauerochs Tobias , Ulrich Stephan , Bruns Rainer
Published: October 2020

In many hydraulic systems, actuators are controlled by conventional valves that require a lot of installation space. They consist of many moving parts which make them prone to errors. Miniature valves with high power densities using the electro-rheological technology can help to reduce the space requirement and possible defects. They can generate a local and reversible viscosity increase to realize higher usable pressure drops. Until now, some valves using this working principle are macro-scaled for the use in conventional hydraulics and needed too much space. Others are microvalves for microfluidics and therefore could not generate a sufficiently high pressure drop. Intermediary sizes such as miniature valves combined with conventional hydraulics have not yet been developed satisfactorily. For this reason, a medium-sized valve was designed to be used in conventional hydraulics but requires considerably less space. Furthermore, it is manufacturable using conventional production methods. The proof of function of this new miniature valve confirmed the concept. Experiments showed that the measured ER behaviour is similar to previous results of macro scale ER valves. The valve reproducibly generated pressures of more than 5 bar without any leakage. This proved that a valve with this novel design is usable in conventional hydraulic systems.
Survival Rate of Colorectal Cancer in Eastern Mediterranean Region Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nikbakht Hossein-Ali , Hassanipour Soheil , Shojaie Layla , Vali Mohebat , Ghaffari-fam Saber , Ghelichi-ghojogh Mousa , Maleki Zahra , Arab-Zozani Morteza , Abdzadeh Elham , Delam Hamed , Salehiniya Hamid , Shafiee Maryam , Mohammadi Salman
Published: October 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Survival rates are among the most important factors in quality control and assessment of treatment protocols. This study was aimed to assess the survival rate of colorectal cancer in Eastern Mediterranean Region Countries. In the present study we comprehensively searched 6 international databases including PubMed/Medline, ProQuest, Scopus, Embase, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar for published articles until November 2018. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Form for Cohort Studies was applied to evaluate the quality of included studies. The heterogeneity of papers was assessed with the Cochran Test and I-Square statistics. Meta-regression test was performed based on publication year, sample size and Human Development Index (HDI) of each study. Among the total of 1023 titles found in the systematic search, 43 studies were eligible to be included in the present meta-analysis. According to the results, the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rate of patients with Colorectal Cancer was 88.07% (95% CI, 83.22-92.92), 70.67% (95% CI, 66.40-74.93) and, 57.26% (95% CI, 50.43-64.10); respectively. Furthermore, Meta-regressions did not show significant correlations between survival rate and year, sample size or Human Development Index. Survival rates, especially the 5-year survival rate in the EMRO were less than European countries and the USA. Documented and comprehensive evidence-based findings of the present meta-analysis can be used to enhance policies and outcomes of different medical areas including prophylaxis, treatment and health related objectives in colorectal cancer.
Correlation of the ORBIT Score With 30-Day Mortality in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Shen Jun-Hua , Wang Hui-Min , Zheng Kou-Long , Lu Hui-He , Zhang Qing
Published: October 2020

A new scoring system Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment (ORBIT) score is used to assess the bleeding risk in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Our aim is to investigate the possible correlations of the ORBIT score with 30-day mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A total of 639 patients with STEMI were enrolled in this study. The ORBIT, HAS-BLED, and TIMI scores were recorded during admission. After 30 days’ follow-up, 639 patients were divided into 2 groups: the survival group and the nonsurvival group. Different clinical parameters were compared. The predictive values of the ORBIT, HAS-BLED, and TIMI scores for 30-day mortality were assessed from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses were applied to evaluate the relationships between variables and 30-day mortality. Sixty-seven deaths occurred after a 30-day follow-up. The ORBIT, HAS-BLED, and TIMI scores in the death group were higher than those in the survival group ( P < .05). The areas under the ROC curve for the ORBIT, HAS-BLED, and TIMI scores to predict the occurrence of 30-day mortality were 0.811 (95% CI: 0.779-0.841, P < .0001), 0.717 (95% CI: 0.680-0.752, P < .0001), and 0.844 (95% CI: 0.813-0.871, P < .0001), respectively. In multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling, the high ORBIT score was positively associated with 30-day mortality (hazard ratio: 1.309, 95% CI: 1.101-1.556, P = .013) after adjustment. A graded relation is found in the elevated ORBIT score and 30-day mortality in patients with STEMI. Thus, the ORBIT score can be an independent predictor of 30-day mortality in patients with STEMI.
Who Joins the Franchise, Affiliation Model of Hospital Networks? An Analysis of Hospital and Market Characteristics of Members
Authors: Jin Bonnie , Nembhard Ingrid M.
Published: October 2020

Joining nonownership based, organization-driven networks and alliances is a common strategy for hospitals to pursue yet little is known about what types of hospitals join these collaborations, due in part to challenges in identifying members. One novel network form that has recently emerged, and made identification feasible, is franchise-like “affiliation networks” in which affiliate hospitals pay an annual membership fee that allows access to the clinical expertise and resources of high-status, nationally ranked sponsor hospitals. Affiliation networks and their members publicize affiliation. Using 2006-2015 data on United States’ hospitals, we find hospitals with higher patient acuity, teaching hospitals, and hospitals located in areas of higher utilization intensity were more likely to join an affiliation network. Joining affiliation networks does not appear to be in response to highly competitive markets because hospitals in less competitive environments are more likely to join and hospitals with higher net incomes are more likely to join.
Don’t Tax My Dreams: The Lottery Sales Response to Gambling Tax Changes
Authors: Rodgers Luke P.
Published: October 2020

Legalized gambling is a popular source of tax revenue in the United States. However, the ability to increase gambling tax revenue through higher tax rates is limited by the presence of nontaxable and cross-border substitutes. In July 2009, New Hampshire introduced a 10 percent tax on gambling winnings, substantially reducing the expected value of a gamble while leaving other aspects of gambling unaffected; the tax was repealed in May 2011. Using a novel data set and a difference-in-differences framework, I document significant reductions in New Hampshire lottery sales under the tax policy and estimate a price elasticity greater than −1. The response is consistent with informed choice by consumers, and larger changes in border areas provide suggestive evidence of cross-border shopping.
Understanding performance variability in standard and pipelined parallel Krylov solvers
Authors: Morgan Hannah , Sanan Patrick , Knepley Matthew , Mills Richard Tran
Published: October 2020

In this work, we collect data from runs of Krylov subspace methods and pipelined Krylov algorithms in an effort to understand and model the impact of machine noise and other sources of variability on performance. We find large variability of Krylov iterations between compute nodes for standard methods that is reduced in pipelined algorithms, directly supporting conjecture, as well as large variation between statistical distributions of runtimes across iterations. Based on these results, we improve upon a previously introduced nondeterministic performance model by allowing iterations to fluctuate over time. We present our data from runs of various Krylov algorithms across multiple platforms as well as our updated non-stationary model that provides good agreement with observations. We also suggest how it can be used as a predictive tool.
Interrogating academic hegemony in community-based participatory research to address health inequities
Authors: Alang Sirry , Batts Hasshan , Letcher Abby
Published: October 2020

Community–based participatory research holds promise for addressing health inequities. It focuses on issues salient to specific populations, prioritizes community engagement and amplifies the voices of marginalized populations in policy formulation and designing interventions. Although communities are partners, academic hegemony limits their level of influence over the research initiative. Drawing from our own collaborative research experiences, we raise questions for community-engaged health services researchers to reflect upon as a means of interrogating academic hegemony in partnerships that seek to address health inequities. We describe what it means for researchers to acknowledge and relinquish the power they wield in the community-engaged health services research enterprise. We propose three guiding principles for advancing equity: authentic engagement, defining and living values, and embracing accountability.
New starts at New Start: Recovery and the work of hikikomori
Authors: Ismail Ramsey
Published: October 2020

Defined by psychologist Tamaki Saito as a period of social isolation in the absence of any other clear mental health issues for a period of six months or longer, hikikomori (social withdrawal) emerged as a condition among Japanese youth in the late 1980s. Used as both a noun to identify those afflicted, as well as describe their condition, the word immediately captured the attention of the Japanese and international public. According to various government and third-party surveys, hikikomori number from approximately 500,000 to two million people. Thus, while hikikomori are understood to struggle with long bouts of loneliness and isolation from their peers and parents, due to constant anxiety over their inability to perform among Japan’s competitive capitalist-oriented social expectations, both academics and professionals continue to struggle to comprehend exactly who hikikomori are and how to help them. Based on fieldwork at New Start, a non-profit organization located just outside the city limits of Tokyo that helps hikikomori recover, this article examines the ways residents at New Start navigate this uncertainty and gain moral agency. Drawing from over a dozen interviews with parents, clients, and staff conducted while working as a volunteer at New Start, I focus on three representative trajectories that demonstrate how residents navigate the competing discourses surrounding the clinical and social categories of hikikomori and NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), through which they embark on a journey from economically unproductive recluses, to productive capitalist citizens pursuing their own version of a “nearly normal” life. I argue that the various accomplishments of hikikomori, as individuals and as a social category, which both support existing social relations and provide an alternative mode of fitting within them, is “the work of hikikomori.”
The emergent potential of mundane media: Playing Pokémon GO in Badalona, Spain
Authors: Richardson Ingrid , Hjorth Larissa , Piera-Jimenez Jordi
Published: October 2020

In mid-2016, the streets of cities around the world were populated by digital wayfarers taking part in the augmented reality (AR) game, Pokémon GO. The game popularized the digital overlay technique of AR, in which real-time pedestrian movement is integrated with mobile location-based functionality and network information. In the years that followed, playing Pokémon GO gradually became a mundane activity, fitting into the everyday routines of millions of people across the globe. It is at this juncture – when the gameplay became a habitual and unremarkable practice – that the research discussed here began. Through ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Badalona in Spain in 2018–2019, this article explores how sedimented and mundane media – those that are already embedded in daily life routines and typical scenarios of use – can become possible conduits for informal care, wellbeing and social change through playful inclusion and connection.
Multidimensional, complex and contingent: Exploring international PhD students’ social mobility
Authors: Roy Rituparna , Uekusa Shinya , Karki Jeevan
Published: October 2020

This paper is a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) by three international PhD students from Bangladesh, Japan and Nepal who pursued (or who are currently pursuing) their studies in New Zealand. In contrast to previous research which largely advanced a simplistic, downward social mobility experience of international PhD students or highly skilled migrants in general, we argue that this experience is dynamic, complex and multidimensional in nature. In doing so, we turn to Bourdieu’s theory of capital. By focusing on less-direct economic resources (e.g. ethnicity, nationality, language and social networks), we explore the multidimensionality and convolution of our social mobility which stems from migration. Setting aside a narrative of adversity and downward social mobility among international PhD students, this paper emphasizes how we actively negotiated and dealt with shifting class identity and social mobility in the host countries.
A facile approach to prepare a flexible and durable electrically driven cotton fabric-based heater
Authors: Du Zhaoqun , Chen Zhiliang , Xu Jiaying , Zheng Dongming , Zou Haochen , Liu Jinkang , Wang Mingxing
Published: October 2020

Flexible and durable electrically driven heaters (EDHs) was prepared by using silver nanowire/polydopamine modified cotton fabric (AgNW/PDA-C) as Joule heat generator and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as stretchable matrix.The electric property of the EDHs was investigated, and it can show excellent electrical property and stability. The EDHs can be seen from the SEM morphology that cotton fabric was well protected by the PDMS and has good conductive network. The EDHs also exhibit excellent electrothermal performance under applied voltage. At low-voltages, it can quickly reach satisfactory steady-state temperatures that meet the needs of wearables. By improving the electrothermal model, it can be verified that there is a quadratic function relationship between electric power and steady-state temperature. Under cyclic voltage and bending tests, the EDHs can well maintain steady-state temperature and exhibit excellent dynamic and static electrothermal performance.
Parents’ Postsecondary Education Expectations for Students with Autism, Intellectual Disability, and Multiple Disabilities: Findings From NLTS 2012
Authors: Qian Xueqin , Johnson David R. , Wu Yi Chen , LaVelle John , Thurlow Martha L. , Davenport Ernest
Published: October 2020

This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 to examine predictors at the individual, family, and school levels associated with parental expectations toward postsecondary education among students with significant support needs, including those with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities. Consistent with previous studies, chi-square tests revealed a positive relation between socioeconomic status such as household income or parental education level and parental expectations. Logistic regression analyses showed that whether parents have a college degree and whether students have participated in college entrance or advanced placement tests are factors that are positively associated with parental expectations toward children’s future education.
Evaluation of the Incidence and Etiology of Unplanned Return to Operating Room Following Open Reduction Internal Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures
Authors: McEntee Richard M. , Wang William L. , Rondon Alexander J. , Tulipan Jacob E. , Lutsky Kevin F. , Schindelar Lili E. , Matzon Jonas L. , Beredjiklian Pedro K.
Published: October 2020

Background:

Distal radius fractures (DRF) are the most common upper extremity fractures in adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, causes, and independent predictors for unplanned return to the operating room (URTO) in a single institution within 90 days following distal radius open reduction internal fixation (ORIF).

Methods:

A retrospective study of 2933 consecutive patients from January 2015 to December 2019 who underwent distal radius ORIF was undertaken. Patients who returned to the operating room within 90 days of the index procedure were identified. Patients with planned return to the operating room for staged procedures were excluded, yielding a patient cohort of those with URTO. Demographic data, causes for reoperation, and final Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand DASH (QuickDASH) scores were collected.

Results:

Overall, 45 patients had URTO (1.5%) occurring a mean of 44 (6-89) days from the index procedure. Reasons for reoperation included nerve complications (n = 14), loss of fixation (n = 11), hardware complications (n = 9), wound complications (n = 7), and tendon complications (n = 4). Neurologic reasons for return included carpal tunnel release (n = 13) and ulnar nerve decompression (n = 1). QuickDASH scores were higher for URTO compared with control cohort at the final follow-up (33 [range: 0-91] vs 14 [range: 0-100], P < .01).

Conclusions:

Mechanical hardware failure and neurologic symptoms were the most common reasons for URTO after distal fracture ORIF.