bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of bilateral transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation on constipation severity in geriatric patients: A prospective clinical study
Authors: Gokce Aylin Hande , Gokce Feridun Suat 
Published: December 2019

AimConstipation is the most common digestive complaint in the general population, and one of the most frequently encountered health problems in the geriatric population. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether bilateral transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation affects constipation severity in geriatric patients with refractory chronic constipation.MethodsBilateral transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation was carried out three times per week for 30 min in geriatric patients aged >65 years with less than three defecations per week. The patients were evaluated, and constipation severity was compared before the treatment, at the end of the 6‐week treatment and 12 weeks after the end of the treatment.ResultsAssessment carried out using the Constipation Severity Instrument showed that the scores for subscales; that is, obstructive defecation, colonic inertia and pain, improved significantly by the end of the treatment compared with the scores obtained before the treatment. Furthermore, the improvement in pain continued for 12 weeks after the treatment, and although there was a slight decrease in the scores for the other subscales, they significantly improved compared with the scores obtained before the treatment.ConclusionsDuring the 12‐week follow‐up period, bilateral transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation significantly improved constipation severity in geriatric patients with refractory chronic constipation. We believe that this easy‐to‐use and low‐cost method can be applied to eligible geriatric patients who cannot be treated through dietary adjustments and/or medical interventions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 101–105.
Nail manifestations in atopic dermatitis: a systematic review
Authors: Chng Wei Qiang , Yew Yik Weng 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundNail involvement is not well‐studied in atopic dermatitis but is believed to be more common than what is known. The spectrum of nail disorders that result from underlying atopic dermatitis (AD) is wide and has been reported in several studies, but there has been no systematic review so far to understand and quantify its prevalence.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and type of nail disorders seen in AD, either as a complication of the underlying condition or as a clue to its early diagnosis.MethodsThe authors performed a systematic review of English and non‐English articles using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane which reported the proportion of nail changes among AD patients. Only studies specifically looking at AD and its associated nail manifestations were included. Data were extracted and summarized descriptively.ResultsTwelve studies reported proportion of nail changes among AD patients. One study reported numbers in both adults and children cohorts, allowing 13 cohorts for final systematic review.ConclusionsKnowledge of the types and prevalence of nail changes in AD raises awareness among physicians managing AD.
The outcome of using different surgical modalities and laser therapy in the treatment of small‐ and medium‐sized congenital melanocytic nevi: a systematic review
Authors: ALMutairi Hanadi M. , Al‐hothali Ghadah I. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to review the published articles regarding different surgical modalities including laser therapy in the treatment of congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN).MethodsA systematic review was done using several databases including PubMed, Ovid Medline, Google Scholar, and Medline to search for articles related to surgical excisions and different treatment modalities of CMN.ResultsFourteen studies were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results have shown that the Q‐switched ruby laser therapy was the most commonly used laser therapy to treat CMN. Overall, using laser therapy had positive outcomes in CMN treatment. However, limited knowledge was available regarding patient satisfaction with the outcomes of laser therapy.ConclusionWe concluded that the most acceptable surgical choice was using excision with tissue expanders. Laser‐intense pulsed light (IPL) alone and in combination with Erbium:yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet (Er:YAG) has a risk of recurrence. Combination of types of the laser is more effective than a single one.
Effect of ageing process on carcinogen ethyl carbamate (EC), its main precursors and aroma compound variation in Hakka Huangjiu produced in southern China
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Qian Min , Dong Hao , Bai Weidong , Zhao Wenhong , Li Xiangluan , Liu Gongliang 
Published: December 2019

SummaryWine ageing is of great importance to the quality and organoleptic properties of Huangjiu. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of ageing temperature on the content changes in ethyl carbamate (EC) and its precursors including citrulline, arginine, ornithine and urea in Hakka Huangjiu. Aroma compound changes were also detected using headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography spectrometry. Results indicated that with the increase in ageing temperature, citrulline and EC concentrations increased, whereas arginine and ornithine concentrations decreased. Urea was decreased slightly from 4 to 20 °C while increased at 37 °C. Pearson test demonstrated that ageing temperature had significant correlation with EC and arginine. The concentrations of aroma compounds, especially esters, alcohols, acids and heterocyclic compounds were different in different ageing temperatures. Ageing temperature of Hakka Huangjiu was suggested setting in a lower temperature as for strictly controlling contents of urea and citrulline, as well as EC.
Reaction of food‐specific antibodies with different tissue antigens
Authors: Vojdani Aristo 
Published: December 2019

SummaryWheat, milk, peanuts, soy, egg and corn are among the most major sources of immunoreactive proteins. The first goal of this study was to examine the reactivity of food‐specific antibodies with human tissue antigens. Affinity‐purified rabbit anti‐food antibodies were applied to sixty‐five tissue antigens. Anti‐peanut antibody had the most reactions with twenty‐four out of the sixty‐five antigens, followed by anti‐alpha‐gliadin with twenty, anti‐egg with seventeen, anti‐wheat with fifteen, anti‐milk with fourteen, and both anti‐corn and anti‐soy with ten each tissue antigens. Serial dilutions and inhibition study confirmed that these reactions were specific. The second goal was to determine the percentage of blood donors with elevations in IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE antibodies against these food antigens. A significant percentage of the tested blood samples showed elevations in antibodies against different food antigens. This reaction of food‐specific antibodies with different tissue antigens indicates that cross‐reactivity between food and human tissue antigens exists, and these antibodies, if detected in blood, may contribute to different autoimmune diseases.
Product design crowdsourcing in a dual‐channel supply chain: joint reviews from manufacturer and consumers
Authors: Li Jizi , Yu Yue , Liu Chunling 
Published: December 2019

AbstractAs an effective paradigm to aggregate a crowd's wisdom for new product development, crowdsourcing has attracted much attention in recent years. This paper investigates the issue of joint online reviews on crowdsourcing in a dual‐channel supply chain with one manufacturer and one retailer. The manufacturer makes customized products of two types: crowdsourcing products (CPs) and noncrowdsourcing products (NCPs), designed by crowdsourcees and the interfirm employees, respectively. We formulate a utility model composed of a pool of consumers who make utility maximizing choices. Utilizing this model, a supply chain framework related to ex ante joint online reviews is developed under the decentralized and centralized setting, to find the joint online review conditions under which the crowdsourcing solutions are accepted prior to putting into production, then derive the CP's and NCP's optimal demand and price and review level. Furthermore, comparison study is conducted concerning the three scenarios: without any online reviews, with only online reviews from consumers, and with joint online reviews from manufacturer and consumers, to examine the impacts of crowdsourcing, online reviews, and both interactions on supply chain performance. The results show, although public opinion suggests that increase in crowdsourcing customized degree facilitates widespread adoption of crowdsourcing design, we find some conditions impede firms from implementing it. Meanwhile, among different combinations of online reviews and decision‐making settings, only in joint online reviews and centralized setting, the objective of selecting crowdsourcing design is aligned to maximizing the total supply chain's profit. Additionally, when the customized degree ratio is at a medium level, even if the CP demand is less than NCP, the manufacturer and the retailer gain more payoffs from CPs than from NCPs.
The supplier's optimal guarantee policy in newsvendor finance
Authors: Li Yanhai , Jiang Xuan 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe retailer is a capital‐constrained newsvendor and can borrow money from the bank if necessary. To help the retailer get a bank loan at a lower interest rate, the supplier provides guarantee for the retailer's loan up to a prespecified amount. In a Stackelberg game, the supplier decides the wholesale price and the guarantee amount as a leader, and then the retailer determines the order quantity and the amount of the loan as a follower. The supplier is risk‐neutral while the retailer's risk preference is reflected by a spectral risk measure (risk‐neutral, risk‐averse, or risk‐seeking). For a given wholesale price and guarantee amount, the retailer's objective function is quasi‐concave in the order quantity. The optimal solutions for the supplier and the retailer are derived. The supplier's expected profit with optimized wholesale price increases with the guarantee amount, and thus the supplier's optimal policy is to provide a full guarantee for the retailer's loan. When the supplier can limit his guarantee responsibility by a proportion of the outstanding loan obligation, the supplier's optimal policy is also to provide a full guarantee. Even if the retailer incurs bankruptcy costs in the event of repayment default, the supplier's optimal guarantee policy remains the same in these two different forms of limited guarantee. However, when the wholesale price is exogenous, that is, not a decision variable, the full guarantee is not necessarily optimal for supplier.
Redesign of vaccine distribution networks
Authors: Lim Jung , Norman Bryan A. , Rajgopal Jayant 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIn most low‐ and middle‐income countries supported by the World Health Organization's Expanded Program on Immunization, vaccines are distributed through a legacy medical supply chain that is typically not cost‐efficient. Vaccines require storage and transport in a temperature‐controlled environment; this requires a “cold” distribution chain with capacity constraints on cold storage and cold transport. We propose an approach to redesigning the vaccine distribution chain that includes locating a set of intermediate distribution centers (DCs) and determining the flow paths from the central store (where vaccines are received into a country) through one or more of these to health clinics where vaccination actually occurs. In addition, the transport vehicles to allocate to each flow path, and the cold storage devices to use at each clinic or intermediate DC are determined. The redesigned network does not have to follow the current four‐tiered, arborescent structure commonly found in practice, but can use alternative network structures. To redesign this network optimally, we develop a mixed‐integer programming (MIP) model that can be used for small‐to‐medium‐sized problems and also present a hybrid heuristic–MIP method to obtain good solutions for larger problems. Numerical results are shown using data reflecting distribution networks in several countries in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Outrage and the emotional labour associated with environmental activism among nurses
Authors: Terry Louise , Bowman Karen 
Published: December 2019

AbstractAimTo investigate the emotions associated with environmental activism among nurses.BackgroundNursing has a long history of political activism in relation to social justice issues. Some nurses are environmental activists.DesignEthnography.MethodsFocus groups and individual interviews were triangulated with additional observational data. The 40 participants (USA = 23, UK = 17) were nurses actively engaged with environmental/sustainability issues. Data collection was from March–October 2017. Data were analysed using discourse analysis.ResultsThe trigger for nurses' environmental activism was a strong emotional response to recognizing risks to human health. Their activism results in an additional emotion burden above which they routinely experience in caring for patients. Many feel over‐whelmed by the magnitude of the issues. Nurses in America feel more supported and empowered to be activists than UK nurses.ConclusionThis study reveals for the first time that advocating for the environment is emotional labour, additional to the previously recognized emotional labour associated with caring for patients. Encouragement and support from others, particularly fellow nurses, helps nurse environmental activists continue to fight for the health of communities and the planet.ImpactOutrage at threats to human health triggers nurses' environmental activism. Environmental activism creates an additional emotional burden above that routinely experienced in caring for patients. Nurses in America feel more supported and empowered to be activists than UK. Nurses whose practice embraces environmental activism need practical and emotional support from other nurses.
IL‐8 promotes cell migration through regulating EMT by activating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway in ovarian cancer
Authors: Wen Jirui , Zhao Zhiwei , Huang Liwei , Wang Ling , Miao Yali , Wu Jiang 
Published: December 2019

AbstractInterleukin‐8 (IL‐8), as an inflammatory chemokine, has been previously shown to contribute to tumorigenesis in several malignancies including the ovarian cancer. However, little is known about how IL‐8 promotes the metastasis and invasion of ovarian cancers cells. In this study, we found that IL‐8 and its receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2 were up‐regulated in advanced ovarian serous cancer tissues. Furthermore, the level of IL‐8 and its receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2 expression were associated with ovarian cancer stage, grade and lymph node metastasis. In vitro, IL‐8 promoted ovarian cancer cell migration, initiated the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) program and activated Wnt/β‐catenin signalling. However, when treated with Reparixin (inhibitor of both IL‐8 receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2), effect of both endogenous and exogenous IL‐8 was reversed. Together, our results indicated that IL‐8 triggered ovarian cancer cells migration partly through Wnt/β‐catenin pathway mediated EMT, and IL‐8 may be an important molecule in the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer.
The Patient‐Oriented Eczema Measure: estimating the minimal important change in an outpatient clinic cohort
Authors: Yew Y.W. , Zhao X. , Apfelbacher C.J. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundPatient‐Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) measures patient‐reported symptoms in atopic dermatitis (AD). It is the recommended core outcome instrument to capture the symptoms domain in AD clinical trials. Understanding the minimal important change (MIC) in the POEM score is therefore important in both trial and clinical care settings. Previous studies have mainly evaluated MIC estimates among children in trial settings. The MIC estimate for POEM in a clinical setting is often lacking.ObjectivesWe aim to estimate the MIC of the POEM using both distribution‐based and anchor‐based methods in a clinical cohort of adult eczema patients.MethodsBoth distribution‐based and anchor‐based methods were used to calculate the MIC of the POEM in a clinical cohort of Asian adult patients attending the eczema clinic at a tertiary dermatology centre in Singapore. Scoring AD (SCORAD) was used as the disease severity anchor for the anchor‐based methods. The smallest detectable change (SDC) for POEM was also calculated as the threshold for any measurement error.ResultsThere were a total of 85 adult AD patients in the cohort that contributed a total of 114 paired measurements of both POEM and SCORAD. The SDC in our study was 1.68. The MIC estimates were 3.64 and 1.46 based on 0.5 standard deviation (SD) and 0.2 SD distribution‐based methods. Anchor‐based methods such as the receiver operating curve and predictive modelling methods yielded MIC values of 0.50 and 1.05, respectively.ConclusionsMinimal important change for POEM varied according to the methods and approaches used. Only a change of two points or more in POEM could be considered beyond any measurement errors and clinically important. This finding is consistent even in a clinical setting of Asian adults with eczema.
Increased frequency of interleukin‐4 and reduced frequency of interferon‐γ and IL‐17‐producing CD4+ and CD8+ cells in scleromyxedema
Authors: Kalli F. , Cioni M. , Parodi A. , Altosole T. , Ferrera F. , Barra G. , De Palma R. , Fenoglio D. , Filaci G. , Rongioletti F. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about the pathogenesis of scleromyxedema, a life‐threatening fibromucinosis disease with immunological dysregulation.ObjectivesTo investigate on T‐cell phenotype, function and cytokine biology in search of new insights supporting the immunopathogenesis of the disease.MethodsWe analysed the frequency of circulating lymphocyte subsets, the T‐cell maturation stage, the generation of antigen‐specific T‐cell lines and T‐cell cytokine secretion.ResultsThe analysis of T‐cell maturation stage and the TCR spectratyping findings revealed that scleromyxedema patients showed clear immunological signs of long‐lasting immune system activation and stimulation leading to a skewed T‐cell repertoire. Moreover, these analyses showed that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from scleromyxedema patients have a profound deficiency (even after stimulation) relatively to the production of IFN‐γ and IL17 with respect to healthy donor control cells, while they are massively skewed towards IL4 secretion after stimulation.ConclusionsOur data indicate that a chronic Th2‐skewed T‐cell response against an unknown target antigen leading to abnormally high IL4 secretion, a pro‐fibrotic cytokine, is a main immunological hallmark of scleromyxedema patients. These results, never reported before, may have a translational therapeutic value due to the availability of anti‐IL4 agents such as dupilumab.
Everything you always wanted to know about sex and dopamine, but were afraid to ask
Authors: Müller Christian P. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBehavioral neuroscience has taken a long time to finally recognize that the largely distinct behavioral repertoires of males and females may arise from differences in brain function. This may in particular apply for the neurochemistry of the dopamine systems and their roles in the organization of emotion, learning, and reinforcement in health and in pathological conditions. The current Editorial highlights a study by Egenrieder and colleagues published in the current issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry, in which the authors have analyzed extracellular dopamine neurochemistry from females and males in a meta‐analysis. Largely surprising, they report that after detailed control of methodological differences between studies, no major differences in basal or drug‐induced extracellular dopamine activity emerged between sexes in rodents. The locally dissociating effects of ovariectomy in females reported in the Egenrieder et al. study, may furthermore suggest that there may be different sex effects in the distinct dopaminergic projections of the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine system. However, this may only be the beginning of a system's analysis of dopaminergic sex differences that calls for further meta‐analyses of the existing studies.
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Role of fasciae around the median nerve in pathogenesis of carpal tunnel syndrome: microscopic and ultrasound study
Authors: Stecco Carla , Giordani Federico , Fan Chenglei , Biz Carlo , Pirri Carmelo , Frigo Anna Chiara , Fede Caterina , Macchi Veronica , Masiero Stefano , De Caro Raffaele 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThis study investigated the connections between the median nerve paraneural sheath and myofascial structures near it, from both macroscopic and microscopic points of view. Four samples of median nerve and surrounding tissues were excised from nine non‐embalmed upper limbs for microscopic analysis. Ultrasound images were analysed in 21 healthy subjects and 16 carpal tunnel syndrome patients to evaluate median nerve transversal displacement during finger motion at carpal tunnel and forearm levels. An anatomical continuity between epimysium and paraneural sheath and a reduction of paraneural fat tissue from proximal to distal was found in all samples. Median nerve displacements at both levels were significantly reduced in carpal tunnel syndrome subjects (P < 0.001). It was observed that the median nerve is not an isolated structure but is entirely connected to myofascial structures. Therefore, unbalanced tension of epimysial fasciae can affect the paraneural sheath, limiting nerve displacement, and consequently this must be included in carpal tunnel syndrome pathogenesis.
Comparative skeletal anatomy of neonatal ursids and the extreme altriciality of the giant panda
Authors: Li Peishu , Smith Kathleen K. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractMammalian neonates are born at a wide range of maturity levels. Altricial newborns are born with limited sensory agency and require extensive parental care. In contrast, precocial neonates are relatively mature physically and often capable of independent function shortly after birth. In extant mammals, placental newborns vary from altricial to precocial, while marsupials and monotremes are all extremely altricial at birth. Bears (family Ursidae) have one of the lowest neonatal−maternal mass ratios in placental mammals, and are thought to also have the most altricial placental newborns. In particular, giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are thought to be exceptionally altricial at birth, and possibly marsupial‐like. Here we used micro‐computer (micro‐computed) tomography scanning to visualize the skeletal anatomy of ursid neonates and compare their skeletal maturity with the neonates of other caniform outgroups. Specifically, we asked whether ursid neonates have exceptionally altricial skeletons at birth compared with other caniform neonates. We found that most bear neonates are similar to outgroup neonates in levels of skeletal ossification, with little variation in degree of ossification between ursine bears neonates (i.e. bears of the subfamily Ursinae). Perinatal giant pandas, however, have skeletal maturity levels most similar to a 42−45‐day‐old beagle fetus (~70% of total beagle gestation period). No bear exhibits the skeletal heterochronies seen in marsupial development. With regards to skeletal development, ursine bears are not exceptionally altricial relative to other caniform outgroups, but characterized largely by the drastic difference between newborn and adult body sizes. A review on the existing hypotheses for ursids’ unique reproductive strategy suggests that the extremely small neonatal−maternal mass ratio of ursids may be related to the recent evolution of large adult body size, while life history characteristics retained an ancestral condition. A relatively short post‐implantation gestation time may be the proximal mechanism behind the giant panda neonates’ small size relative to maternal size and altricial skeletal development at birth.