bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Response to BotulinumtoxinA in a migraine cohort with multiple comorbidities and widespread pain
Authors: Barad Meredith , Sturgeon John Andrew , Fish Shannon , Dexter Franklin , Mackey Sean , Flood Pamela Dru 
Published: May 2019

BackgroundThe phase III research evaluating migraine prophylaxis therapy (PREEMPT) protocol was developed in low-risk migraine patients. We studied longitudinal response to treatment in a sequential retrospective observational cohort to evaluate predictors of effectiveness in patients with multiple overlapping pain syndromes treated in a quaternary pain management clinic.MethodsWe evaluated indicators of individual response in 402 consecutive chronic migraine patients who provided demographic information and used the Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry.ResultsThe patients were middle aged 47 (38–56) median (IQR) years old and 83% women. They reported multiple complex pain problems with 11 (6–18) regions represented on a pain body map. Evaluated with National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures, they reported higher scores for sleep impairment and disturbance, anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain behavior, pain interference and worse function and satisfaction with social roles compared with the general US population; p<0.001 for all domains. Within 120 days of treatment, 62% of patients reported reduced headache frequency. The best multivariable model developed for prediction of reduced headache frequency in response to treatment included lower treatment number, lower pain interference score, and less depression (p=0.001, 0.002, and 0.009). Depression may have been an obstacle to successful treatment; there was no association between depression score and number of treatments (p=0.54).ConclusionsOur findings point to the importance of identifying and addressing pain interference and depression early in chronic migraine management and, more broadly, highlights the importance of multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment in chronic migraine.
Acceptability and feasibility of using digital vending machines to deliver HIV self-tests to men who have sex with men
Authors: Vera Jaime H , Soni Suneeta , Pollard Alex , Llewellyn Carrie , Peralta Carlos , Rodriguez Liliana , Dean Gillian 
Published: May 2019

ObjectiveTechnology-based approaches to distribute HIV self-tests (HIVST) have the potential to increase access to HIV testing in key populations. We evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of using vending machines (VMs) in a community setting to distribute HIVST to men who have sex with men at high-risk of HIV.MethodsFirst, a predevelopment survey of targeted potential users explored attitudes towards HIVST and the use of a VM to deliver HIVST. Second, participatory design workshops between designers and community volunteers informed the production of a bespoke VMs dispensing free BioSureHIVST. Uptake of HIVST and user experiences were evaluated using information supplied directly from the machines interface (number of tests dispensed, user demographics), an online questionnaire and semistructured interviews.ResultsThe predevelopment survey found that 32% of 232 sauna users had never tested for HIV, despite high-risk behaviours. A total of 265 testing kits were dispensed: mean age 31 range (18–70); 4%(n = 7) had never tested for HIV before and 11% (n = 22) had tested within the last 1–5 years. Uptake of tests was significantly higher via the VMs compared with outreach testing by community workers in the same venue during a comparable period (34 vs 6 tests per month). Qualitative interviews and online questionnaires demonstrated high acceptability for this intervention, which was considered accessible and appropriately targeted.ConclusionsVMs to distribute HIVST was feasible and acceptable. This intervention could be used in different settings to improve access to HIV testing for key populations
University ranking based on faculty hiring network with minimum weighted violation rankings
Authors: Lang Liqian , Wang Yan , Chen Qinghua , Zheng Tao 
Published: May 2019

University ranking arouses widespread interest among the society and the scientific community. It can cause resources to be allocated to the entity which has a higher ranking to make tremendous uneven distribution of resources such as funds, faculty, students and so on. Every year various controversial university rankings are issued by different institutions or individuals. However, they have to deal with a huge amount of data and cumbersome computing in their research. Furthermore, during the process of calculation, some key indicators are unreliable, subjective, and difficult to obtain or compute so that their results are easily questioned. An accurate and objective university ranking is important and necessary, but it still remains to be solved. In 2015, Clauset et al. creatively studied university rankings based on faculty hiring network with graduation-employment flow data. They used the minimum violation ranking (MVR) method to get a university ranking which has a high correlation with U.S. News & World Report (USN) and National Research Council (NRC) Ranking, implying a strong consistency between them. This method costs less and is also objective. Inspired by this thought, this paper proposed a new ranking algorithm with minimum weighted violation rankings derived through maximum likelihood estimation. This assumption is more reasonable, and the results are commendably consistent with the rankings of renowned agencies. This more general method is more flexible than non-weighted calculation. More importantly, this work revealed the essential mechanism of MVR by deriving maximum likelihood.
Surface functionalization of PANI and PANI/ZnO hybrid nanofibers with metallic catalysts for ammonia sensing at room temperature
Authors: Zoshki Azam , Rahmani Mohammad Bagher , Masdarolomoor Fatemeh , Pilehrood Saeid Hessami 
Published: May 2019

Four different sensor devices were fabricated using the deposition of gold and nickel on top of polyaniline and polyaniline/zinc oxide composite thin films on glass substrates. Prepared samples were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-Visible spectroscopy. FESEM images confirmed the formation of interwoven nanofibers for all samples with the mean diameter of about 90 nm for PANI. The responses of the prepared samples toward various concentrations of ammonia gas were investigated by conductometric measurements at room temperature. The responses of the fabricated sensors toward 100 ppm of NH3 were obtained to be 112%, 3%, 177% and 148% for PANI/Au, PANI/Ni, PANI/ZnO/Au and PANI/ZnO/Ni samples, respectively. Results show both Ni and Au thin films as a metallic catalyst on top of PANI/ZnO nanocomposite can greatly improve the sensing characteristics toward NH3 at room temperature. However, PANI/ZnO/Au has the highest response with the lowest response time (4 s). The mechanism for the sensitivity enhancement of the fabricated devices was discussed.
Transketolase Deficiency Protects the Liver from DNA Damage by Increasing Levels of Ribose 5-Phosphate and Nucleotides
Authors: Li Minle , Lu Ying , Li Yakui , Tong Lingfeng , Gu Xiao-chuan , Meng Jian , Zhu Yemin , Wu Lifang , Feng Ming , Tian Na , Zhang Ping , Xu Tianle , Lin Shu-Hai , Tong Xuemei 
Published: May 2019

Abstract

De novo nucleotide biosynthesis is essential for maintaining cellular nucleotide pools, the suppression of which leads to genome instability. The metabolic enzyme transketolase (TKT) in the nonoxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) regulates ribose 5-phosphate (R5P) levels and de novo nucleotide biosynthesis. TKT is required for maintaining cell proliferation in human liver cancer cell lines, yet the role of TKT in liver injury and cancer initiation remains to be elucidated. In this study, we generated a liver-specific TKT knockout mouse strain by crossing TKTflox/flox mice with albumin-Cre mice. Loss of TKT in hepatocytes protected the liver from diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced DNA damage without altering DEN metabolism. DEN treatment of TKT-null liver increased levels of R5P and promoted de novo nucleotide synthesis. More importantly, supplementation of dNTPs in primary hepatocytes alleviated DEN-induced DNA damage, cell death, inflammatory response, and cell proliferation. Furthermore, DEN and high-fat diet (HFD)–induced liver carcinogenesis was reduced in TKTflox/floxAlb-Cre mice compared with control littermates. Mechanistically, loss of TKT in the liver increased apoptosis, reduced cell proliferation, decreased TNFα, IL6, and STAT3 levels, and alleviated DEN/HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Together, our data identify a key role for TKT in promoting genome instability during liver injury and tumor initiation.

Significance:
These findings identify transketolase as a novel metabolic target to maintain genome stability and reduce liver carcinogenesis.
Targeting Hypoxia-Induced Carbonic Anhydrase IX Enhances Immune-Checkpoint Blockade Locally and Systemically
Authors: Chafe Shawn C. , McDonald Paul C. , Saberi Saeed , Nemirovsky Oksana , Venkateswaran Geetha , Burugu Samantha , Gao Dongxia , Delaidelli Alberto , Kyle Alastair H. , Baker Jennifer H.E. , Gillespie Jordan A. , Bashashati Ali , Minchinton Andrew I. , Zhou Youwen , Shah Sohrab P. , Dedhar Shoukat 
Published: May 2019

AbstractTreatment strategies involving immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) have significantly improved survival for a subset of patients across a broad spectrum of advanced solid cancers. Despite this, considerable room for improving response rates remains. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a hurdle to immune function, as the altered metabolism-related acidic microenvironment of solid tumors decreases immune activity. Here, we determined that expression of the hypoxia-induced, cell-surface pH regulatory enzyme carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is associated with worse overall survival in a cohort of 449 patients with melanoma. We found that targeting CAIX with the small-molecule SLC-0111 reduced glycolytic metabolism of tumor cells and extracellular acidification, resulting in increased immune cell killing. SLC-0111 treatment in combination with immune-checkpoint inhibitors led to the sensitization of tumors to ICB, which led to an enhanced Th1 response, decreased tumor growth, and reduced metastasis. We identified that increased expression of CA9 is associated with a reduced Th1 response in metastatic melanoma and basal-like breast cancer TCGA cohorts. These data suggest that targeting CAIX in the TME in combination with ICB is a potential therapeutic strategy for enhancing response and survival in patients with hypoxic solid malignancies.
Multicenter, Prospective, Controlled, Before-and-After, Quality Improvement Study (Stroke123) of Acute Stroke Care
Authors: Cadilhac Dominique A. , Grimley Rohan , Kilkenny Monique F. , Andrew Nadine E. , Lannin Natasha A. , Hill Kelvin , Grabsch Brenda , Levi Christopher R. , Thrift Amanda G. , Faux Steven G. , Wakefield John , Cadigan Greg , Donnan Geoffrey A. , Middleton Sandy , Anderson Craig S. ,   on behalf of the Stroke123 Investigators and AuSCR Consortium
Published: May 2019

Background and Purpose—
Hospital uptake of evidence-based stroke care is variable. We aimed to determine the impact of a multicomponent program involving financial incentives and quality improvement interventions, on stroke care processes.

Methods—
A prospective study of interventions to improve clinical care quality indicators at 19 hospitals in Queensland, Australia, during 2010 to 2015, compared with historical controls and 23 other Australian hospitals. After baseline routine audit and feedback (control phase, 30 months), interventions involving financial incentives (21 months) and then addition of externally facilitated quality improvement workshops with action plan development (9 months) were implemented. Postintervention phase was 13 months. Data were obtained for the analysis from a previous continuous audit in Queensland and subsequently the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry. Primary outcome: change in median composite score for adherence to ≤8 indicators. Secondary outcomes: change in adherence to self-selected indicators addressed in action plans and 4 national indicators compared with other Australian hospitals. Multivariable analyses with adjustment for clustered data.

Results—

There were 17 502 patients from the intervention sites (median age, 74 years; 46% women) and 20 484 patients from other Australian hospitals. Patient characteristics were similar between groups. There was an 18% improvement in the primary outcome across the study periods (95% CI, 12%–24%). The largest improvement was following introduction of financial incentives (14%; 95% CI, 8%–20%), while indicators addressed in action plans provided an 8% improvement (95% CI, 1%–17%). The national score (4 indicators) improved by 17% (95% CI, 13%–20%) versus 0% change in other Australian hospitals (95% CI, −0.03 to 0.03). Access to stroke units improved more in Queensland than in other Australian hospitals (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—
The quality improvement interventions significantly improved clinical practice. The findings were primarily driven by financial incentives, but were also contributed to by the externally facilitated, quality improvement workshops. Assessment in other regions is warranted.
Gouverner C’est Prévoir – Trappings of Value Distribution: a Prolegomenon to the African Union’s Hissène Habré Trust Fund for Victims
Authors: Kayuni Steven William , Gondwe Mtendere Mute 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Since Hissène Habré’s Judgment by the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC), the world has anxiously awaited the processes that the African Union (AU) would put in place for the amelioration of the victims’ circumstances. Pursuant to the AU’s pledge and unfaltering support for the EAC, in early 2018 the AU Heads of State and Government Assembly adopted a Statute establishing the Hissène Habré Victims Trust Fund. It is anticipated that the Fund is likely to be an unsteady vehicle facing numerous challenges regarding law and policy formulation, interpretation and implementation, such as flawed decision-making processes, and a lack of proper policy direction and State cooperation, which have the potential of heavily impeding this international criminal justice enterprise. However, there exists an opportunistic trajectory for the Fund as the current trends, practices and rich jurisprudence of other criminal tribunals and courts can inform the Fund’s processes and positions. The Fund’s decision-makers should make a concerted effort in a sturdy and convergent direction that mirrors the victims’ potential values, consonant outcomes and responsibilities.
Pranks, Tropes and Raspberries: The Dialogic Demeanour of Satire’s Creative Horizon
Authors: Baldacchino John 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
This essay starts off with a modern-day court jester (Nobel laureate Dario Fo) praising a Pope (Albino Luciani, who became John Paul I). Fo presents us with an historic moment: Luciani scandalises his Church by calling God “Mother.” With utmost seriousness, Fo appreciates the Pope’s kindness and warmth by which the artist perceives a way of scandalising the world out of complacency. In their idealised and situated presentations of the world, the sacred and the profane return the necessary to the contingent (and vice-versa) as moments of equal attention and distraction. Likewise, irony and satire mark our situated sense of the ideal by an inability to unlearn the certainties by which we are urged to construct our world. This is done by first presenting a situated pedagogical context that refuses to provide solutions presumed on measurement, certainty or finality. Secondly this begins to lay claim to the political, aesthetic and moral values that are gained through art’s ironic disposition. Thirdly, through our contingent states of being we begin to understand how education is culturally conditioned and why we need to shift it to another gear – that of unlearning through a weak pedagogy. An atheist, Fo suggests that thanks to Pope Luciani, we now could endear to the Holy Spirit as a spirito ridens, a spirit that laughs. Here one finds a kenotic sense that gives us a glimpse in how an ironic disposition owes its strength and effectiveness to a weak pedagogy. By dint of such weakness, the jester’s pedagogical disposition becomes a form of resistance, exiting the Court in order to be with the people and consequently transformed by the people.
An annotated checklist of the Indian species of the band-winged grasshopper genus Sphingonotus Fieber, 1852 (Orthoptera: Acrididae) with description of a new species
Authors: GUPTA SUNIL KUMAR , CHANDRA KAILASH , HUSEMANN MARTIN 
Published: May 2019

Sphingonotus (Sphingonotus) changlangensis sp. nov. is a new species of Sphingonotus described from Namdapha National Park, Changlang District, Arunachal Pradesh, India. An annotated checklist of members of the genus Sphingonotus occurring in India is provided.
Seasonal Precipitation Influences Streamflow Vulnerability to the 2015 Drought in the Western United States
Authors: Konrad Christopher P. 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Streamflow was exceptionally low in the spring and summer of 2015 across much of the western United States because of a regional drought that exploited the sensitivity of both snow- and rain-dominant rivers. Streamflow during 2015 was examined at 324 gauges in the region to assess its response to the amount, form, and seasonal timing of precipitation and the viability of using spatially aggregated, normative models to assess streamflow vulnerability to drought. Seasonal rain and spring snowmelt had the strongest effects on runoff during the same season, but their effects persisted into subsequent seasons as well. Below-normal runoff in the spring of 2015 was pervasive across the region, while distinct seasonal responses were evident in different hydroclimatic settings: January–March (winter) runoff was above normal in most snow-dominant rivers and runoff in all seasons was above normal for much of the desert Southwest. Summer precipitation contributed to summer runoff in both the Pacific Northwest and desert Southwest. A first-order model that presumes runoff is a constant fraction of precipitation (the precipitation elasticity of runoff, E = 1) could be used for assessing and forecasting runoff responses to precipitation deficits across the region, but runoff generally is more vulnerable to drought (E &gt; 1) than predicted by a first-order model. Uncertainty in spring and summer precipitation forecasts remain critical issues for forecasting and predicting summer streamflow vulnerability to drought across much of the western United States.
X-Band Dual-Polarization Radar Observations of Snow Growth Processes of a Severe Winter Storm: Case of 12 December 2013 in South Korea
Authors: Allabakash S. , Lim S. , Chandrasekar V. , Min K. H. , Choi J. , Jang B. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe characteristics of microphysical processes of a severe winter storm that occurred on the Korean Peninsula on 12 December 2013 was studied in this work for the first time via X-band dual-polarization weather radar observations. A new range–height indicator (RHI) scan-based quasi-vertical profile methodology, in which polarimetric radar variables were averaged at each height of the RHI scan, was introduced to investigate the snow microphysics, and the obtained polarimetric radar signatures served as fingerprints of the dendritic growth, aggregation, and riming processes. Enhanced differential reflectivity (Zdr) and specific differential phase shift (Kdp) bands were detected near the −15°C isotherm, which signified the growth of dendrites or platelike crystals. The observed correlation between the increases in the reflectivity factor at horizontal polarization Zh and copolar correlation coefficient ρhv and the decreases in Zdr and Kdp magnitudes at lower heights suggested the occurrence of the aggregation process. The combination of high Zh and low Zdr values with turbulent atmospheric conditions observed at the ground level indicated the occurrence of the riming process. In addition, the negative Kdp and Zdr values combined with high Zh and ρhv magnitudes (observed near the end of the snow event) indicated the formation of graupel particles. The polarimetric radar signatures obtained for the snow growth processes were evident from ground observations and agreed well with the results of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications data. Furthermore, the spatial variability of Zh methodology was implemented to describe both aggregates and rimed ice particles.
A description of teachers’ approach to handwriting instruction in primary schools
Authors: Cantin Noémi , Hubert Janie 
Published: May 2019

Background. When handwriting becomes a significant obstacle to children’s academic success, occupational therapists are routinely asked to intervene. At times, therapists wonder whether teachers’ instructional approaches have a role to play in explaining children’s handwriting challenges. Purpose. This study aimed to describe elementary school teachers’ current instructional approach to handwriting throughout the school year. Method. A descriptive study design utilizing a survey approach to data collection was selected for this study. The survey was completed by 399 teachers. Survey responses were collated and descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Findings. The heterogeneity of responses illustrates that many teachers are unaware of the best practices to implement to promote students’ acquisition of handwriting. Implications. As occupational therapists, knowing that the school environment might not always offer the right context to enable children’s acquisition of the task-specific features of handwriting should permeate our evaluation process and guide our interventions.
Salivary Gland Cancers of the Nasopharynx: A Population‐Based Analysis of 383 Cases
Authors: Booth J. Renee , Unsal Aykut A. , Tadros Sandra , Byrd J. Kenneth , Kountakis Stilianos E. 
Published: May 2019

Objectives/HypothesisSalivary gland nasopharynx cancers (SGNPCs) are rare malignancies with few cases discussed in the literature. This study represents the largest cohort of SGNPC to date.Study DesignRetrospective population‐based analysis.MethodsThe Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry from 1973 to 2015 was utilized to extract 383 cases of SGNPC. Data were analyzed for demographic characteristics, incidence, clinicopathologic traits, and outcome prognosticators.ResultsWhite female patients aged >40 years were most commonly affected. The incidence was measured as 0.019 per 100,000 people. The majority of tumors presented at advanced stages (stage III/IV, 60.8%). Adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma were the most commonly encountered histologies (43.1%, 31.6%, 13.3%, respectively). Cervical node involvement and distant metastasis were measured at 23% and 11.9%, respectively. Mucoepidermoid carcinomas presented with the best disease‐specific survival at 5 and 10 years. Asian ethnicity, age <80 years, and earlier American Joint Committee on Cancer stages were positive prognostic factors. The inclusion of surgical therapy improved 5‐year outcomes among the most common histologies, except for mucoepidermoid carcinoma.ConclusionsSalivary gland nasopharyngeal cancer represents a group of rare histologies with similar outcomes as squamous cell carcinomas. However, prognosis is primarily dependent on histologic subtype, race, age, and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage.