bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Complications of urethral bulking therapy for female stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Kocjancic Ervin , Mourad Sherif , Acar Ömer 
Published: May 2019

AimsTo review, report, and discuss the complications associated with urethral bulking therapy in female stress urinary incontinence.MethodsAn extensive nonsystematic literature review on complications associated with injectable bulking agents used in the clinical practice was conducted. We reviewed articles published in English and indexed in the PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases. Original articles, case reports, and case series were taken into consideration. Data regarding the safety of injectable bulking agents and the complications associated with their utility within the context of urethral bulking therapy for female stress urinary incontinence were extracted and discussed.ResultsApproximately, 1/3 of the patients experience some type of a complication after urethral bulking therapy. The majority of these complications are of low grade, transient, do not necessitate additional surgical intervention, and amenable to treatment with conservative measures such as clean intermittent catheterization and antibiotics. However, more serious complications such as abscess formation, delayed hypersensitivity reactions, and vaginal erosion have been reported. Some of the injectable bulking agents have been withdrawn from the market because of their unfavorable adverse effect profile.ConclusionsUrethral bulking therapy can be considered as a low‐risk procedure. However, it is not without complications which can be severe in rare instances. The search for the ideal urethral bulking agent is ongoing and future comparative studies assessing the safety and efficacy of these compounds in randomized controlled settings are warranted.
Invasive mold disease of the central nervous system in children and adolescents with cancer or undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: Analysis of 29 contemporary patients
Authors: Lauten Melchior , Attarbaschi Andishe , Cario Gunnar , Döring Michaela , Moser Olga , Mücke Urs , Poyer Fiona , Rieken Sarah , Temme Christian , Voigt Sebastian , Lehrnbecher Thomas , Groll Andreas H. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundInvasive mold disease (IMD) is a severe infectious complication in immunocompromised patients. The outcome of central nervous system (CNS) IMD is poor, but contemporary data, in particular in the pediatric setting, are lacking.ProcedureFor this retrospective multicenter analysis, pediatric patients < 18 years with proven or probable CNS IMD receiving chemotherapy or undergoing allogeneic HSCT were reported by the local investigator. CNS IMD had to be diagnosed between 2007 and 2016. Proven CNS IMD was defined as compatible CNS imaging or macroscopic autopsy findings in conjunction with a positive microscopic or microbiological result in the brain tissue or cerebrospinal fluid. Probable CNS IMD was defined as compatible CNS imaging findings in combination with proven or probable IMD at a site outside the CNS.Results and conclusionsA total of 29 patients (median age, 14 years; 14 allogeneic HSCT recipients) were diagnosed with proven (n = 12) or probable (n = 17) CNS IMD. Aspergillus spp. was the most common fungal pathogen. All but one patient had IMD sites outside the CNS and eight patients (27.6%) were neurologically asymptomatic at diagnosis of CNS IMD. Forty‐nine percent of the patients survived CNS IMD; however, 46.7% of the survivors suffered from severe long‐term neurological sequelae. Our data suggest that (1) outcome of CNS IMD has improved in children as compared with previous series, (2) half of surviving patients suffer from severe neurological sequelae, and (3) imaging of the CNS should be performed in all children with IMD irrespective of neurological symptoms.
Time for a gut check: Pancreatic sufficiency resulting from CFTR modulator use
Authors: Megalaa Rosemary , Gopalareddy Vani , Champion Elizabeth , Goralski Jennifer L. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPancreatic exocrine insufficiency in cystic fibrosis is genetically determined and generally felt to be irreversible. However, recent studies in young children started on cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators have suggested improvement of pancreatic functioning over time. Here, we present the case of a 10‐year‐old child with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency since birth who regained pancreatic functioning after 4 years on the CFTR corrector drug, ivacaftor.
Characterization of the Effects of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells on Mouse and Human Islet Function
Authors: Arzouni Ahmed A. , Vargas-Seymour Andreia , Dhadda Paramjeet K. , Rackham Chloe L. , Huang Guo-Cai , Choudhary Pratik , King Aileen J. F. , Jones Peter M. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIslet transplantation has the potential to cure type 1 diabetes, but current transplantation protocols are not optimal and there is extensive loss of islet β-cell insulin secretory function during the immediate post-transplantation period. Studies using experimental models of diabetes have shown that the coculture of islets with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) prior to transplantation improves graft function, but several variables differed among research groups (e.g., type of MSCs used and the treatment conditions). We have therefore assessed the effects of MSCs on mouse and human islets by investigating the importance of tissue source for MSCs, the coculture protocol configuration and length, the effect of activated MSCs, and different β-cell secretory stimuli. MSCs derived from adipose tissue (aMSCs) were the most effective at supporting β-cell insulin secretion in both mouse and human islets, in a direct contact coculture configuration. Preculture with aMSCs enhanced both phases of glucose-induced insulin secretion and further enhanced secretory responses to the non-nutrients carbachol and arginine. These effects required a coculture period of 48–72 hours and were not dependent on activation of the MSCs. Thus, direct contact coculture with autologous, adipose-derived MSCs for a minimum of 48 hours before implantation is likely to be an effective addition to human islet transplantation protocols. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:935–944
A behavioral theory of alliance portfolio reconfiguration: Evidence from pharmaceutical biotechnology
Authors: Kavusan Korcan , Frankort Hans T. W. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractResearch SummaryExtant research suggests that firms rationally evaluate external and/or internal contingencies when deciding how to reconfigure their alliance portfolios. We advance a behavioral perspective which assumes that managers are boundedly rational and thus rely on behavioral heuristics when making alliance portfolio reconfiguration decisions. In panel data on U.S.‐listed biotechnology firms, we find that below‐aspiration performance motivates a firm to form alliances with novel partners within the resource scope of its existing alliance portfolio. This effect is weakened by equity ties with existing partners and strengthened by firm‐specific uncertainty. Conversely, above‐aspiration performance leads to new alliances with existing partners but outside the resource scope of the firm's existing alliance portfolio. Finally, as organizational slack increases, a firm forms alliances with novel partners focusing on new‐to‐the‐portfolio resources.Managerial SummaryWe study why and how firms change the configuration of their alliance portfolios over time. We find that actual performance relative to performance objectives, and firms' excess resources, are important drivers of such change. The more firms fail to meet their performance objectives, the more likely they are to form alliances with novel partners focusing on areas in which they already have one or more alliances with other partners. The more firms exceed their performance objectives, the greater their inclination to form alliances with their existing partners in areas in which they do not yet have alliances. The greater the stock of excess resources, the greater firms' propensities to form alliances with novel partners focusing on areas in which they do not yet have alliances.
Ordered‐Assembly Conductive Nanowires Array with Tunable Polymeric Structure for Specific Organic Vapor Detection
Authors: Jiang Xiangyu , Zhang Xiqi , Wu Yuchen , Li Yunqi , Pang Jinhui , Zhang Haitao , Jiang Lei 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAn artificial organic vapor sensor based on a finite number of 1D nanowires arrays can provide a strategy to allow classification and identification of different analytes with high efficiency, but fabricating a 1D nanowires array is challenging. Here, a coaxial Ag/polymer nanowires array is prepared as an organic vapor sensor with specific recognition, using a strategy combining superwettability‐based nanofabrication and polymeric swelling‐induced resistance change. Such organic vapor sensor containing commercial polymers can successfully classify and identify various organic vapors with good separation efficiency. An Ag/polymer nanowires array with synthetic polyethersulfone polymers is also fabricated, through molecular structure modification of the polymers, to distinguish the similar organic vapors of methanol and ethanol. Theoretical simulation results demonstrate introduction of specific molecular interaction between the designed polymers and organic vapors can improve the specific recognition performance of the sensors.
Thymosin alpha‐1; a natural peptide inhibits cellular proliferation, cell migration, the level of reactive oxygen species and promotes the activity of antioxidant enzymes in human lung epithelial adenocarcinoma cell line (A549)
Authors: Kharazmi‐Khorassani Jasmin , Asoodeh Ahmad 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis research was conducted to investigate the biochemical effects of thymosin alpha‐1 using human lung cancer cells (A549). The A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of Thα1 for 24 h and the growth, inhibition of cells was determined. Thα1 revealed anti‐proliferative effect at 24 and 48 μg/ml after 24 h. Furthermore, it indicated antioxidant properties by significantly enhancing the activity of catalase (12 μg/ml), superoxide dismutase (6 and 12 μg/ml), and glutathione peroxidase (3, 6 and 12 μg/ml) and reducing the production of cellular ROS. Our results showed that Thα1 inhibits the migration of A549 cells in a concentration‐dependent manner after 24 and 48 h. Moreover, the effect of Thα1 on apoptosis was investigated by Hoechst 33342 staining and cell cycle analysis. Results demonstrated no significant effect on the induction of apoptosis in A549 cells. In conclusion, our results showed the antioxidant properties of Thα1 on A549 cancer cells.
Introduction
Authors: Kaša Rita , Mieriņa Inta 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis volume contributes to research on migration from Latvia, a country in Central Eastern Europe (CEE), following the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1991. The experience of independent Latvia with borders opening up to the world and more specifically to the West has turned out to be both a rewarding and wounding experience for communities in the country. On the rewarding side, individuals have gained liberty – an ability to travel the world freely, to see and live in the countries which were beyond the closed doors of the Soviet Union just some decades ago. This freedom, however, has also brought the sense of cost to the society – people are going abroad as if dissolving into other worlds, away from their small homeland. The context of decreasing birth rates and ageing in the country seems to amplify a feeling of loss which is supported by hard evidence. Research shows a worrying 17% decline in Latvia’s population between 2000 and 2013. One third of this is due to declining birth rates and two-thirds is caused by emigration (Hazans 2016). This situation has turned out to be hurtful experience for communities in Latvia causing a heightened sense of grief especially during the Great Recession which shook the country at the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century. By 2013 the feeling of crises even larger than the economic downturn came to a head in Latvian society, pushing the government for the first time in the history of independent Latvia to recognise the migration of the country’s nationals and to acknowledge diaspora politics as an important item on the national policy agenda.
Latvian Emigrants in the United States: Different Waves, Different Identities?
Authors: Saulītis Andris , Mieriņa Inta 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis chapter studies the relationships and interaction among the Latvian emigrants from different migration waves in the United States. It specifically examines reasons for the inability of the existing and politically and culturally active Latvian diaspora community in the United States to integrate newcomers from Latvia. The diaspora community is formed mostly of migrants who left Latvia after World War II. The research is based on a mix of two sources of information and methods – qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with the ‘new’ Latvian emigrants in the United States in 2014, who began arriving there in 1991 and quantitative data analysis of The Emigrant Communities of Latvia survey. The study illustrates that the migrants from the most recent emigration wave distance themselves to a large extent from the previous migration wave. Additionally, the most recent migrants do not have strong social ties or active networks with Latvians back home and, therefore, cannot be considered as being a part of a transnational community, which is a characteristic of the previous Latvian migration wave. Instead, the migrants from the most recent wave base their belonging on the notion of having roots in Europe in terms of cultural heritage and identity. For this reason, they are to be considered as so-called ‘nomadic’ migrants, although this differs substantially from the way the concept is used in the academic literature so far – there is no return point back home, as they only look forward.
‘I Am One of Them’: Exploring the Communication of Identity of Latvian Migrants on Social Networking Sites
Authors: Bucholtz Ianis , Sūna Laura 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis chapter analyses how ethnic transnational identities are manifested and negotiated on the social networking sites used by Latvian migrants. Although migrants as well as other people use various personal media, including Skype, chat apps such as WhatsApp and telephones, social networking sites stand out with the diversity of functions in migrant communication. This includes one-to-one exchanges, group communication and the ability to locate and connect with users who may or may not be familiar offline. We argue that social networking sites and particularly thematic groups on these sites that migrants create and join serve as forums or bulletin boards where they exchange practical information and are able to communicate with other Latvians who live nearby – and that these uses have implications for the communication of identity. The empirical data in the chapter comes from 20 semi-structured interviews with Latvian migrants who live in a variety of countries and were recruited for the study on social networking sites, as well as survey data, all of which were collected within the research project The Emigrant Communities of Latvia: National Identity, Transnational Relations and Diaspora Politics. The results demonstrate that migrant interactions on social networking sites do not necessarily lead to the homogenisation of migrants’ conception of what ‘being a Latvian’ means. The increased ability to maintain associations with diverse online and offline social circles provides a migrant with a variety of identity elements to associate with. As a result, hybrid identities may emerge. A migrant can identify with the host society yet still reject some of its characteristics – and choose Latvian alternatives instead.
The Nexus Between Higher Education Funding and Return Migration Examined
Authors: Kaša Rita 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAsymmetrical international student mobility poses a challenge to the governments of countries sending students abroad to ensure their return home after graduation. Financial assistance tools such as student loan forgiveness are viewed as a solution to this challenge. Drawing on evidence in the case of Latvia, this chapter contributes to the literature testing the policy assumption that sending governments can influence the return migration decisions of international students by cancelling their student loans. This chapter presents The Emigrant Communities of Latvia survey data on higher education funding sources among international students from Latvia and the relationship between these sources and their return intentions. Using qualitative interview data, this chapter examines the effectiveness of student loan forgiveness in influencing the return migration decisions of global graduates from Latvia. The chapter concludes that the existing student loan forgiveness policy does little to prompt return migration.
An Integrated Approach to Surveying Emigrants Worldwide
Authors: Mieriņa Inta 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis chapter describes the research design applied in the research project The Emigrant Communities of Latvia: National Identity, Transnational Relations and Diaspora Politics, which forms the empirical core of this volume. It discusses this methodology in the context of other migration studies and major surveys on migration. Compared to previous studies The Emigrant Communities of Latvia is the most inclusive in terms of the target audience. All Latvians and Latvian nationals abroad were invited to participate in the survey, applying a broad and open definition of ‘Latvian diaspora’ based on personal identification with the Latvian nation and/or citizenship. Being Web-based, the survey did not impose any limitations as to geographic location, aiming at all countries in the world. Combining a wide range of respondent recruitment channels and techniques and supported by a media campaign, the survey reached 14,068 respondents in 118 countries. Innovative solutions were used to increase response rates and to decrease attrition. Several research topics in this study required separate qualitative research approaches. Thus, 159 partly-structured in-depth interviews were also conducted in countries where the Latvian diaspora is largest, as well as in-depth interviews with return migrants and diaspora policy experts. The new methodology has far-reaching potential to be applied to the study of other migrant groups in Europe and beyond. Importantly, The Emigrant Communities of Latvia project has tested and empirically proven the potential of Web surveys in collecting the opinions of large populations of migrants in many countries.
Latvian Migrants in Foreign Labour Markets: Job Placement and Discrimination
Authors: Tabuns Aivars 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe majority of migrants from Latvia move abroad intending to work, and so fall into the category of ‘work migrants’. A crucial role in their job placement is played by an increasingly complex network of intermediaries. This includes formal employment agencies, more informal, social network-based mediators and even illegal service providers. Despite the agencies providing job placements abroad being subject to regulations, fraud and the mistreatment of jobseekers has emerged as a cause for concern. Even when there is no ill will from the intermediaries, immigrant workers often suffer discrimination from their employers, sometimes leading to a re-evaluation of their return migration plans. This chapter explores the employment conditions of Latvian migrant workers. It analyses the operation of private employment agencies offering employment abroad and, in more general terms, sheds light from the Latvian migrant workers’ perspective on their treatment by employers. In doing so, this analysis demonstrates that almost a fifth of those respondents who used the services of private employment agencies had experienced unfair treatment. Moreover, at least one in three Latvian migrant workers encountered some form of discrimination at work, and around one in six were in a precarious and vulnerable position due to the nature of their employment contract. The chapter concludes with recommendations for further studies and policy development.
Identification of Rate, Extent, and Mechanisms of Hot Metal Resulfurization with CaO-SiO2-Na2O Slag Systems
Authors: Vuolio Tero , Visuri Ville-Valtteri , Paananen Timo , Fabritius Timo 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
The resulfurization of hot metal has not been comprehensively studied in literature. This study presents an experimental and mathematical modeling study of resulfurization in thermodynamic and kinetic point of view. The rate, extent, and mechanisms of resulfurization were evaluated by analyzing concurrently the physical properties and sulfur-extracting ability of the slag. Experiments were conducted in a chamber furnace in an argon atmosphere, and the hot metal was sampled with pre-defined basis. The experiments were continued until the metal–slag system reached an apparent thermodynamic equilibrium. To obtain a quantitative measure on the effect of system properties on the rate and extent of resulfurization, the results of this study were combined with previous studies handling the sulfide capacities of Na2O-SiO2 and CaO-SiO2-Na2O slag systems. The sulfide capacities of the slag and corresponding metal–slag sulfur partition ratios were mathematically modeled with data-driven techniques such as multiple linear and non-linear regression and artificial neural networks. Finally, with the help of these, to study the kinetics of resulfurization, a simple mechanistic reaction model was derived. The results suggest that resulfurization of hot metal follows 1st-order kinetics and that the rate and extent can be regulated through the control of the associated thermodynamic driving force and by modifying the physical properties of the slag. The rate-limiting factor was found to be determined by the morphology of the slag phase.