bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Concordance between Optimal Care Pathways and colorectal cancer care: Identifying opportunities to improve quality and reduce disparities
Authors: Bergin Rebecca J. , Thomas Robert J. S. , Whitfield Kathryn , White Victoria 
Published: July 2019

AbstractRationale, aims, and objectivesCare pathway policies for cancer aim to reduce variation and improve the quality of patient care, and there is increasing evidence that adherence to such pathways is associated with improved survival and lower health care costs. Australia is implementing Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) for several cancers, including colorectal cancer, but studies evaluating how well care conforms to OCP recommendations are rare. This study examined concordance between OCP recommendations and colorectal cancer care prior to policy rollout and disparities for vulnerable populations.MethodCross‐sectional survey (2012‐2014) of cancer registry‐identified colorectal cancer patients aged ≥40 approached within 6 months of diagnosis (n = 433), their general practitioner (GP, n = 290), and specialist (n = 144) in Victoria, Australia. We measured concordance with 10 OCP recommendations and variation by geography, socio‐economic, and health insurance status using age‐ and sex‐adjusted logistic regression models.ResultsUse of recommended GP investigations varied from 66% for colonoscopy to 13% for digital rectal exam. Recommended waiting times to receive a colonoscopy, see a specialist after referral, and begin adjuvant chemotherapy were exceeded for around a third of patients. Twenty‐eight percent of specialists reported a pretreatment multidisciplinary meeting. Most patients received surgery in a hospital with an intensive care unit (92%) and chemotherapy for high risk disease (84%).In general, care was similar across sociodemographic groups. However, receipt of GP investigations tended to be higher and waiting times longer for rural, low socio‐economic, and non‐privately insured patients. For example, receiving a colonoscopy within 4 weeks was significantly less likely for rural (51%) than urban (78%) patients (odds ratio = 0.30; 95% confidence interval, 0.11‐0.79).ConclusionPrior to implementation, a significant proportion of colorectal cancer patients received care that did not meet OCP recommendations. Low concordance and inequities for rural and disadvantaged populations highlight components of the pathway to target during policy implementation.
Investigation of different interactions between Staphylococcus aureus phages and pomegranate peel, grape seed, and black cumin extracts
Authors: Tayyarcan Emine K. , Acar Soykut Esra , Menteş Yılmaz Ozay , Boyaci Ismail H. , Khaaladi Maha , Fattouch Sami 
Published: July 2019

AbstractToday, antibiotic resistance is one of the most crucial problems so that researchers have begun to search for alternatives to antibiotics. Among these alternatives, phage therapy and phytotherapy became prominent. The present study aims to put forward a different approach by combining these two methods. For this purpose, Staphylococcus aureus phages were isolated from commercial mixtures. After that, extraction of phenolic compounds from pomegranate peels (Ps), grape seeds (GSs), and black cumin (NS) was carried out and antimicrobial activities were determined. Phage‐phenolic interactions were investigated by examining the effect of phenolic extracts on phage plaque sizes and then on phage titer and bacteria count. As a result, it was found that only the NS extract had a positive effect on phage activity and increased the size of phage plaques. However, no synergistic effect was observed in experiments performed in liquid media. It was also found that P and GS extracts inhibited phage activity.Practical ApplicationsThe present study was focused on effects of extracts obtained from pomegranate peel, grape seed, and black cumin on Staphylococcus aureus phage activity. It is known that antibiotic resistance constitutes a major obstacle to the pathogen elimination. In this study, phage therapy and phytotherapy, which are prominent methods in pathogen elimination, have been combined and the effect of phenolic compounds isolated from natural sources on phage activity and bacteria count have been examined. Given the results of the current study, it has been demonstrated that the combined use of phages and antimicrobial compounds could be an important alternative to combating pathogens. It is thought that this combined method should be taken into consideration both in the practice of phage therapy on humans and animals, and in applications in the food industry.
Statin Use Over 65 Years of Age and All‐Cause Mortality: A 10‐Year Follow‐Up of 19 518 People
Authors: Eilat‐Tsanani Sophia , Mor Elad , Schonmann Yochai 
Published: July 2019

OBJECTIVESAs life expectancy continues to rise, the burden of cardiovascular disease among older people is expected to increase, making cardiovascular prevention in older people an issue of growing interest and public health importance. We aimed to explore the long‐term effects of adherence to statins on mortality and cardiovascular morbidity among older adults.DESIGNA historical population‐based cohort study using routinely collected data.SETTINGClalit Health Services Northern District.PARTICIPANTSWe followed members of Clalit Health Services aged 65 years or older who were eligible for primary cardiovascular prevention for a period of 10 years.MEASUREMENTSWe fitted Cox regression models to assess the association between the adherence to statin therapy and all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular morbidity, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and associated morbidity as time‐updated variables.RESULTSThe analysis included 19 518 older adults followed during 10 years (median = 9.7 y). All‐cause mortality rates were 34% lower among those who had adhered to statin treatment, compared with those who had not (hazard ratio [HR] = .66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .56‐.79). Adherence to statins was also associated with fewer atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events (HR = .80; 95% CI = .71‐.81). The benefit of statin use did not diminish among beyond age 75 and was evident for both women and men.CONCLUSIONAdherence to statins may be associated with reduced mortality and cardiovascular morbidity among older adults, regardless of age and sex. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2038–2044, 2019
Modeling hard and soft facts for SMEs: Some international evidence
Authors: Matthias Massimo , Giammarino Michele , Gabbi Giampaolo 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThis paper asks how well the use of quantitative and qualitative variables can improve the assessment of companies' creditworthiness and how this result can be influenced by the economic and financial peculiarities of countries. We harden qualitative variable measures to model soft information aimed at scoring microfirms, small, and medium‐sized firms. The structural survey covers Germany, Italy, and the UK in a sample of about 17 thousand companies observed during the financial crisis. Soft facts are determined within the balanced scorecard framework in order to find out the impact of customers, business processes, learning and growth, and financial perspectives. Our findings show that credit models integrating soft variables optimize the risk estimation, but estimates are country‐specific and should be tailored to the characteristics of each economic system.
General stopping behaviors of naïve and noncommitted sophisticated agents, with application to probability distortion
Authors: Huang Yu‐Jui , Nguyen‐Huu Adrien , Zhou Xun Yu 
Published: July 2019

AbstractWe consider the problem of stopping a diffusion process with a payoff functional that renders the problem time‐inconsistent. We study stopping decisions of naïve agents who reoptimize continuously in time, as well as equilibrium strategies of sophisticated agents who anticipate but lack control over their future selves' behaviors. When the state process is one dimensional and the payoff functional satisfies some regularity conditions, we prove that any equilibrium can be obtained as a fixed point of an operator. This operator represents strategic reasoning that takes the future selves' behaviors into account. We then apply the general results to the case when the agents distort probability and the diffusion process is a geometric Brownian motion. The problem is inherently time‐inconsistent as the level of distortion of a same event changes over time. We show how the strategic reasoning may turn a naïve agent into a sophisticated one. Moreover, we derive stopping strategies of the two types of agent for various parameter specifications of the problem, illustrating rich behaviors beyond the extreme ones such as “never‐stopping” or “never‐starting.”
Identifying loci with breeding potential across temperate and tropical adaptation via EigenGWAS and EnvGWAS
Authors: Li Jing , Chen Guo‐Bo , Rasheed Awais , Li Delin , Sonder Kai , Zavala Espinosa Cristian , Wang Jiankang , Costich Denise E. , Schnable Patrick S. , Hearne Sarah J. , Li Huihui 
Published: July 2019

AbstractUnderstanding the genomic basis of adaptation in maize is important for gene discovery and the improvement of breeding germplasm, but much remains a mystery in spite of significant population genetics and archaeological research. Identifying the signals underpinning adaptation are challenging as adaptation often coincided with genetic drift, and the base genomic diversity of the species in massive. In this study, tGBS technology was used to genotype 1,143 diverse maize accessions including landraces collected from 20 countries and elite breeding lines of tropical lowland, highland, subtropical/midaltitude and temperate ecological zones. Based on 355,442 high‐quality single nucleotide polymorphisms, 13 genomic regions were detected as being under selection using the bottom‐up searching strategy, EigenGWAS. Of the 13 selection regions, 10 were first reported, two were associated with environmental parameters via EnvGWAS, and 146 genes were enriched. Combining large‐scale genomic and ecological data in this diverse maize panel, our study supports a polygenic adaptation model of maize and offers a framework to enhance our understanding of both the mechanistic basis and the evolutionary consequences of maize domestication and adaptation. The regions identified here are promising candidates for further, targeted exploration to identify beneficial alleles and haplotypes for deployment in maize breeding.
Activation of the extracytoplasmic function σ factor σV by lysozyme
Authors: Ho Theresa D. , Ellermeier Craig D. 
Published: July 2019

SummaryσV is an extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factor that is found exclusively in Firmicutes including Bacillus subtilis and the opportunistic pathogens Clostridioides difficile and Enterococcus faecalis. σV is activated by lysozyme and is required for lysozyme resistance. The activity of σV is normally inhibited by the anti‐σ factor RsiV, a transmembrane protein. RsiV acts as a receptor for lysozyme. The binding of lysozyme to RsiV triggers a signal transduction cascade which results in degradation of RsiV and activation of σV. Like the anti‐σ factors for several other ECF σ factors, RsiV is degraded by a multistep proteolytic cascade that is regulated at the step of site‐1 cleavage. Unlike other anti‐σ factors, site‐1 cleavage of RsiV is not dependent upon a site‐1 protease whose activity is regulated. Instead constitutively active signal peptidase cleaves RsiV at site‐1 in a lysozyme‐dependent manner. The activation of σV leads to the transcription of genes, which encode proteins required for lysozyme resistance.
Long‐Term Care Quality‐of‐Life Scale utility in community home care
Authors: McDonald Tracey , Russell Frances 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThis study aimed to test the utility of the Long‐Term Care Quality‐of‐Life assessment scale within community home care contexts and to compare the scale against the World Health Organization Quality‐of‐Life scale in terms of reliability and validity. Both scales were administered concurrently to 109 older adults receiving home care. Analysis revealed the Long‐Term Care Quality‐of‐Life scale to have good test–retest reliability, modest but acceptable internal consistency, and pairwise comparison between the Long‐Term Care Quality‐of‐Life and World Health Organization Quality‐of‐Life scales' scores suggesting moderate‐to‐strong correlation of criterion validity and comparability between scales. The results showed that the assessment of individual perceptions of life quality within home care contexts can be monitored and recorded, and that Long‐Term Care Quality‐of‐Life scale monitoring in home and residential care can identify opportunities for quality‐of‐life support and care continuity, even with transitions between care services and systems. The implications of the present study lie in having access to a validated quality‐of‐life assessment scale that can be used across care contexts to support evidence‐based practice, continuity of care, and acknowledgement of individual circumstances in services and care planning.
Effect of nicotinic acid on the plasma membrane function and polyunsaturated fatty acids composition during cryopreservation in boar sperm
Authors: Lee Sang‐Hee , Kim Yu‐Jin , Ho Kang Byeong , Park Choon‐Keun 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of nicotinic acid on plasma membrane integrity and fatty acid composition in frozen–thawed boar sperm. Boar semen was cryopreserved using freezing extender containing nicotinic acid (NA), then plasma membrane integrity, osmotic equilibration, lipid peroxidation and fatty acid were analysed. The plasma membrane integrity of frozen–thawed sperm was significantly higher in the 10 mM NA than in the 0 and 20 mM NA treatment groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, the osmotic equilibration ability was not different in treatment groups, but lipid peroxidation was significantly decreased in the 10 mM NA treatment group (p < 0.05). The saturated fatty acids were significantly decreased in the 10 mM NA treatment group, and C18:1n‐9, C18:2n‐6, C20:4n‐6, C22:5n‐6 and C22:6n‐3, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were significantly increased in the 10 mM NA treatment groups (p < 0.05). In summary, 10 mM NA improved plasma membrane integrity, inhibited lipid peroxidation and increased PUFAs in frozen–thawed boar sperm. These results suggest that NA may be useful to protect the plasma membrane and inhibit the loss of PUFAs for sperm cryopreservation in pigs.
Impact of educational (sign language/video modeling) and therapeutic (Glycyrrhiza glabra––liquorice mouth wash) interventions on oral health pertaining to children with hearing impairment: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Saikiran Kanamarlapudi Venkata , Kamatham Rekhalakshmi , Sahiti Putta Sai , Nuvvula Sivakumar 
Published: July 2019

AbstractPurposeTo compare the effect of educational (sign language and video modeling) and therapeutic intervention (liquorice) on oral hygiene status of children with hearing impairment (CHI).MethodsNinety‐three CHI, in the age range of 5‐15 years, were recruited in to the study. Children were assigned to two educational intervention groups: sign language and video modeling. Each group was again randomly divided into two: with one subgroup receiving therapeutic intervention using liquorice as a mouth wash and the other group receiving no intervention. For all children, baseline oral hygiene, gingival, and plaque index scores were recorded and oral prophylaxis was performed. Based on the subgroup to which the child was assigned, oral hygiene instructions were given on a weekly basis, whereas therapeutic intervention was performed twice daily for 28 days. Reassessment was done after the completion of interventions and after 3 months, followed by statistical analysis.ResultsThere was a significant mean reduction in oral hygiene, gingival, and plaque scores in all the children. The educational intervention could not influence the scores recorded, but the therapeutic intervention with liquorice led to a reduction in all the oral health parameters during the follow‐up periods.ConclusionTherapeutic intervention using liquorice as mouth wash along with educational intervention can be suggested in CHI.
Effects of ibrutinib on proliferation and histamine release in canine neoplastic mast cells
Authors: Gamperl Susanne , Stefanzl Gabriele , Peter Barbara , Smiljkovic Dubravka , Bauer Karin , Willmann Michael , Valent Peter , Hadzijusufovic Emir 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib is effective in the treatment of human chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and mantle cell lymphoma. Recent data have shown that ibrutinib also blocks IgE‐dependent activation and histamine release in human basophils (BAs) and mast cells (MCs). The aim of this study was to investigate whether BTK serves as a novel therapeutic target in canine mast cell tumours (MCTs). We evaluated the effects of ibrutinib on two canine MC lines, C2 and NI‐1 and on primary MCs obtained from canine MCTs (n = 3). Using flow cytometry, we found that ibrutinib suppresses phosphorylation of BTK and of downstream STAT5 in both MC lines. In addition, ibrutinib decreased proliferation of neoplastic MCs, with IC50 values ranging between 0.1 and 1 μM in primary MCT cells and between 1 and 3 μM in C2 and NI‐1 cells. In C2 cells, the combination “ibrutinib + midostaurin” produced synergistic growth‐inhibitory effects. At higher concentrations, ibrutinib also induced apoptosis in both MC lines. Finally, ibrutinib was found to suppress IgE‐dependent histamine release in primary MCT cells, with IC50 values ranging from 0.05 to 0.1 μM in NI‐1 cells, and from 0.05 to 1 μM in primary MCT cells. In summary, ibrutinib exerts anti‐proliferative effects in canine neoplastic MCs and counteracts IgE‐dependent histamine release in these cells. Based on our data, ibrutinib may be considered as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of canine MCT. The value of BTK inhibition in canine MCT patients remains to be elucidated in clinical trials.
English in South Asia: Lessons and parallels
Authors: Hock Hans Henrich 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBraj B. Kachru's work on South Asian English, part of his larger research framework of ‘World Englishes’, is recognized as a significant contribution to linguistics, especially contact linguistics. In 1979, he also dealt with the ‘Englishization of Hindi’, an issue more fully pursued by Yamuna Kachru. A first discussion of the significance of the two‐way interaction between English and South Asian languages for contact linguistics was presented in Hock (2015). This paper further explores these implications – for Language Contact in general, for the prehistoric ‘Indianization’ of Sanskrit, and for Sanskrit as pan‐Indian link language under the Guptas.
Philippine English in retrospect and prospect
Authors: Martin Isabel Pefianco 
Published: July 2019

AbstractIn this article, I survey studies about English in the Philippines, many of which have been heavily influenced by the world Englishes paradigm. It was Braj Kachru himself who brought world Englishes to the Philippines in 1996, at a conference in Manila. About a hundred wide‐eyed Filipino teachers, who grew up believing that only American English existed, were never the same again. This contribution to a special issue in honor of Braj Kachru is an expression of utang na loob, our debt of gratitude to him for changing the course of English language studies and scholarship in the Philippines.
Detrital zircon U-Pb ages and whole-rock geochemistry of early Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks in the Mongolian Altai: Insights into the tectonic affinity of the whole Altai-Mongolian terrane
Authors: Long Xiaoping , Luo Jin , Sun Min , Wang Xuan-ce , Wang Yujing , Yuan Chao , Jiang Yingde 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
The tectonic affinity of the terranes and microcontinents within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) remains controversial. The Altai-Mongolian terrane (AMT), as a representative tectonic unit in the Mongolian collage, plays a vital role in reconstructing evolution history of the CAOB. The well-preserved early Paleozoic sedimentary sequence covering in this terrane could be considered as a fingerprint to track its provenance and tectonic affinity. Here, we present new whole-rock geochemistry, detrital zircon U-Pb dating, and Hf isotopic analysis for the metasedimentary rocks from the Mongolian Altai in order to shed new light on the tectonic affinity of the AMT. The youngest detrital zircon ages and the regional intrusions constrain the depositional time of the Mongolian Altai sequence to between Late Silurian and Early Devonian, which is consistent with the Habahe group in the western Chinese Altai. The features of whole-rock geochemistry and the cumulative distribution curves of the detrital zircon age spectra indicate that the Mongolian Altai sequence was probably deposited in an active continental setting during early Paleozoic. The zircon age spectra of our samples are all characterized by a main age group in the early Cambrian (peak at 541 Ma, 522 Ma, 506 Ma and 496 Ma, respectively), subdominant age populations during the Tonian, as well as rare older zircons. The nearby Lake Zone of Ikh-Mongol Arc most likely provided plenty of early Paleozoic materials, the subdominant Neoproterozoic detrital zircons could be supplied by the felsic intrusions along the western margin of the Tuva-Mongol microcontinent, and the sparse older zircons may be derived from its basement material. The Precambrian age distribution of the AMT is quite similar to both the Tarim and Siberia cratons, but the Siberia Craton displays a closer resemblance in Hf isotopic composition with the AMT. Thus, we believe that the Siberia Craton contains a closer tectonic affinity with the AMT, and that the Tuva-Mongol microcontinent possibly rifted from the western margin of this craton after the Tonian. To the south of the AMT, recent studies indicated the Yili and Central Tianshan blocks in the Kazakhstan collage of the western CAOB likely have a closer affinity with Gondwana. Therefore, the microcontinents in the CAOB most likely derived bilaterally from both the Siberia Craton and the Gondwana supercontinent. Moreover, our Hf isotopic compositions indicate two significant continental growth events in the Tonian and early Paleozoic, respectively.