bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health‐related quality of life and satisfaction with case management in cancer survivors
Authors: Hsu Ya‐Hui , Chai Hsiu‐Ying , Lin Yu‐Fen , Wang Chao‐Hui , Chen Shu‐Ching 
Published: March 2017

Aims and objectivesTo (i) investigate the characteristics of health‐related quality of life and satisfaction with case management and (ii) to identify factors associated with health‐related quality of life in cancer survivors.BackgroundThe level of health‐related quality of life can reflect treatment efficacy and satisfaction with cancer care.DesignA cross‐sectional study design was adopted.MethodsSubjects from the outpatient setting of a cancer centre in northern Taiwan were recruited by consecutive sampling. A set of questionnaires were employed, including a background information form, case management service satisfaction survey (CMSS) and The European Quality of Life Scale (EQ‐5D). Descriptive statistics were used to examine levels of health‐related quality of life and satisfaction with case management. Pearson's correlation was used to identify relationships between treatment characteristics, satisfaction with case management and health‐related quality of life. Multiple stepwise regression was used to identify factors associated with health‐related quality of life.ResultsA total of 252 cancer patients were recruited. The three lowest scores for items of health‐related quality of life were mobility, self‐care and usual activities. Cancer survivors with higher mobility, less pain and discomfort, and lower anxiety and depression were more likely to have better health‐related quality of life.ConclusionMobility, pain and discomfort, and anxiety and depression are important predictive factors of high health‐related quality of life in cancer survivors.Relevance to clinical practiceIn clinical care, patients’ physical mobility, pain and discomfort, and anxiety and depression are important indicators of health‐related quality of life. Case managers should include self‐care and symptom management into survivorship care plans to improve health‐related quality of life during survival after treatment concludes.
On the Failure (Success) of the Markets for Longevity Risk Transfer
Authors: MacMinn Richard , Brockett Patrick 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACTLongevity risk is the chance that people will live longer than expected. That potential increase in life expectancy exposes insurers and pension funds to the risk of not having sufficient funds to pay a longer stream of annuity benefits than promised. Longevity bonds and forwards provide insurers and pension funds with financial market instruments designed to hedge the longevity risk that these organization face. The European Investment Bank and World Bank have both discussed longevity bond issues, but those issues have failed due to insufficient demand. Forward contracts have also been created, but that market remains dormant. The extant literature suggests that these failures may be due to design or pricing problems. In this article the analysis shows that the market failure is instead due to a moral hazard problem.
Preparation, pharmacokinetics and tumour-suppressive activity of berberine liposomes
Authors: Wang Xinghui , Wang Qiong , Liu Zhihui , Zheng Xiao 
Published: March 2017

Abstract

Objectives
Berberine (BBR) has shown promising antitumour effects in vitro. However, intravenous administration of BBR solution is complicated by lethal adverse cardiovascular effects. The aim of this study was to prepare common and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified long-circulating BBR liposomes and evaluate their efficacy and safety as potential antitumour agents.

Methods
Physiochemical properties of common and long-circulating BBR liposomes were characterized including particle size, Zeta potential and thermal stability. Pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study of liposomal BBR was performed in rats and tumour-bearing nude mice, respectively. Antitumour efficacy and safety were observed in SGC-7901 tumour-xenografted mice.

Key findings
Berberine liposomes showed homogenous morphology, storage stability and sustained-releasing behaviour in vitro. BBR liposomes led to significantly increased circulation retention of BBR in comparison with BBR solution. In tumour-bearing mice, BBR liposomes selectively increased BBR concentrations in the liver, spleen, lung and tumour, while conferred lower distribution to the heart and kidney. Importantly, chronic administration of BBR liposomes proved effective and safe in suppressing the tumour growth in nude mice, especially the PEG-modified long-circulating liposomes.

Conclusion
Our study suggested that BBR liposomes may provide a safe form of intravenous drug therapy for strengthening the antitumour effects of BBR.
Impact of diet composition and temperature–humidity index on water and dry matter intake of high‐yielding dairy cows
Authors: Ammer S. , Lambertz C. , von Soosten D. , Zimmer K. , Meyer U. , Dänicke S. , Gauly M. 
Published: March 2017

SummaryThe temperature–humidity index (THI) is widely used to characterize heat stress in dairy cattle. Diet composition is known to induce variation in metabolic‐associated heat production. However, the relationships between THI and diet are poorly characterized with regard to performance and intake behaviour. Therefore, the objectives were to evaluate the impact of THI on water intake (WI), dry matter intake (DMI) and the frequency of drinking and feeding bouts in lactating dairy cows offered four dietary treatments: each contained 20% grass silage and additionally (i) 20% maize silage, 60% concentrate (M‐HC); (ii) 60% maize silage, 20% concentrate (M‐LC); (iii) 20% pressed beet pulp silage, 60% concentrate (BPS‐HC); or (iv) 60% pressed beet pulp silage, 20% concentrate (BPS‐LC) (DM basis). Individual WI and DMI were recorded from April to July 2013. Furthermore, dietary effects on milk production and reticular pH were estimated. Milk yield was lowest for M‐LC, while energy‐corrected milk was similar for all diets. Milk fat percentage was higher and milk protein amount lower for cows offered both LC diets. Reticular pH below 6.3, 6.0 and 5.8 lasted longest for BPS‐LC. WI was higher for HC diets. However, the frequency of drinking bouts was not influenced by the ration. Lower DMI occurred for BPS‐LC compared to M‐LC. Frequency of feeding bouts was significantly higher for LC diets. THI was significantly related to WI, DMI as well as drinking and feeding bouts. Per increasing THI, WI increased slightly more for LC diets and DMI decreased more for HC diets. Frequency of drinking bouts increased slightly higher for BPS rations per rising THI, while the decrease in feeding bouts was highest for M‐HC. In conclusion, TMR composition and moderate heat stress impacted WI and DMI of dairy cows, while both dietary energy density and ruminal filling might intensify the THI impact.
Effect of dietary polyphenol‐rich grape seed on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and ileal microflora in broiler chicks
Authors: Abu Hafsa S. H. , Ibrahim S. A. 
Published: March 2017

SummaryIn this study, we examined the effect of dietary supplementation with grape seed (GS) on the performance, carcass traits, plasma biochemistry, antioxidant status and ileal microflora in broilers. Experiment diets included a control diet (without additive) and three levels of GS powder (10, 20 and 40 g/kg of diet). Each diet was fed to a total of 300 one‐day‐old Cobb‐500 chicks for 42 days. The addition of 20 g/kg of GS to the basal diet increased final body weight and body weight gain, improved the feed conversion ratio and did not affect feed intake. Dietary 20 g GS significantly increased (p < .05) the percentage of carcass yield %, dressing % and gizzard. However, the addition of 40 g/kg of GS significantly reduced the percentage of abdominal fat in the birds. Diets supplemented with GS showed the lowest content of ether extract compared with the control group (p < .05). The physical characteristics of meat and the chemical composition of DM, CP and ash were not significantly influenced by treatments. In the GS groups, plasma protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase concentrations showed no significant change compared with the control group. Broilers fed a diet supplemented with GS had lower levels of plasma glucose, total lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol compared with the control birds (p < .05). The addition of 40 g of GS significantly (p < .05) enhanced the activity of reduced glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and GST, and correlated with significantly decreased thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances levels compared with the control group. The value of ileal pH was not significantly affected by the GS levels. Broilers fed diets supplemented with GS had lower ileal Streptococcus spp. and Escherichia coli populations but higher Lactobacillus spp. populations (p < .05). No adverse effects on birds’ health were detected due to the use of GS. Thus, GS could be recommended as an herbal supplement in the diet of broiler chickens to improve performance, reduce blood lipids, enhance antioxidant capacity and decrease detrimental bacteria in the ileum.
Impact of a terbinafine–florfenicol–betamethasone acetate otic gel on the quality of life of dogs with acute otitis externa and their owners
Authors: Noli Chiara , Sartori Roberta , Cena Tiziana 
Published: March 2017

BackgroundTreatment of canine otitis externa with owner‐administered products can be difficult.ObjectivesTo evaluate otic treatment administered by a veterinarian on quality of life (QoL) of dogs with otitis externa and their owners, and on clinical and cytology parameters of otitis; compared to an owner‐administered treatment.AnimalsFifty client‐owned dogs randomly randomized into two groups and treated for 2 weeks.MethodsVeterinarians treated Group A dogs with a veterinary licensed otic gel on two occasions at a 1 week interval; owners treated Group B dogs once daily with a veterinary licensed otic drop based product along with twice weekly cleaning. Veterinarians evaluated otitis with theOTI‐3 scale and semi‐quantitative cytological examination on days 0, 7, 14 and 28. At each visit, owners assessed QoL with a validated questionnaire and pruritus with a Visual Analog Scale. Scores before and after treatment of each group, and differences between groups were analysed statistically.ResultsIn both groups, all parameters improved significantly. There was a significantly higher improvement of QoL scores, for dogs and owners, in Group A, compared to Group B at all time points (P< 0.05), except for owner QoL on Day 28. There was no difference in improvement ofOTI‐3 between groups at any time point, whereas Group A cytology scores and pruritus improved significantly more by Day 7 (P= 0.0026 andP= 0.0294, respectively).ConclusionA veterinarian‐administered otic gel provided equivalent efficacy and higher QoL to dogs with otitis externa and their owners, compared to an owner‐administered topical otic therapy.
Towards a Compiler for Reals
Authors: Darulova Eva , Kuncak Viktor 
Published: March 2017

Numerical software, common in scientific computing or embedded systems, inevitably uses a finite-precision approximation of the real arithmetic in which most algorithms are designed. In many applications, the roundoff errors introduced by finite-precision arithmetic are not the only source of inaccuracy, and measurement and other input errors further increase the uncertainty of the computed results. Adequate tools are needed to help users select suitable data types and evaluate the provided accuracy, especially for safety-critical applications.
We present a source-to-source compiler called Rosa that takes as input a real-valued program with error specifications and synthesizes code over an appropriate floating-point or fixed-point data type. The main challenge of such a compiler is a fully automated, sound, and yet accurate-enough numerical error estimation. We introduce a unified technique for bounding roundoff errors from floating-point and fixed-point arithmetic of various precisions. The technique can handle nonlinear arithmetic, determine closed-form symbolic invariants for unbounded loops, and quantify the effects of discontinuities on numerical errors. We evaluate Rosa on a number of benchmarks from scientific computing and embedded systems and, comparing it to the state of the art in automated error estimation, show that it presents an interesting tradeoff between accuracy and performance.
The Association of the C-Reactive Protein Inflammatory Biomarker with Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the Women's Health Initiative
Authors: Nelson Sandahl H. , Brasky Theodore M. , Patterson Ruth E. , Laughlin Gail A. , Kritz-Silverstein Donna , Edwards Beatrice J. , Lane Dorothy , Rohan Thomas E. , Ho Gloria Y.F. , Manson JoAnn E. , LaCroix Andrea Z. 
Published: March 2017

Abstract
Purpose: To examine associations of prediagnosis high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) with breast cancer incidence and postdiagnosis survival and to assess whether associations are modified by body mass index (BMI).
Methods: A prospective analysis of the Women's Health Initiative was conducted among 17,841 cancer-free postmenopausal women with baseline hsCRP measurements. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations between hsCRP concentrations and (i) breast cancer risk (n cases = 1,114) and (ii) all-cause mortality after breast cancer diagnosis. HRs are per 1 SD in log hsCRP.
Results: hsCRP was not associated with breast cancer risk overall [HR = 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98–1.12]; however, an interaction between BMI and hsCRP was observed (Pinteraction = 0.02). A 1 SD increase in log hsCRP was associated with 17% increased breast cancer risk (HR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03–1.33) among lean women (BMI &lt; 25), whereas no association was observed among overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 25) women. Prediagnosis hsCRP was not associated with overall mortality (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.88–1.21) after breast cancer diagnosis; however, an increased mortality risk was apparent among leaner women with higher hsCRP levels (HR, 1.39, 95% CI, 1.03–1.88).
Conclusions: Prediagnosis hsCRP levels are not associated with postmenopausal breast cancer incidence or survival overall; however, increased risks are suggested among leaner women. The observed effect modification is in the opposite direction of a previous case–control study finding and warrants further investigation.
Impact: Associations of higher CRP levels with incident breast cancer and survival after breast cancer may depend on BMI. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(7); 1100–6. ©2017 AACR.
Sliding-Mode Controller Based on Fractional Order Calculus for a Class of Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Bouarroudj Noureddine , Boukhetala Djamel , Boudjema Fares 
Published: March 2017

<p>This paper presents a new approach of fractional order sliding mode <br />controllers (FOSMC) for a class of nonlinear systems which have a single input and two outputs (SITO). Firstly, two fractional order sliding surfaces S1 and S2 were proposed with an intermediate variable z transferred from S2 to S1 in order to hierarchy the two sliding surfaces. Secondly, a control law was determined in order to control the two outputs. A sliding control stability condition was obtained by using the properties of the fractional order calculus. Finally, the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach were demonstrated by comparing its performance with the one of the conventional sliding mode controller (SMC), which is based on integer order derivatives. Simulation results were provided for the cases of controlling a ball-beam and inverted pendulum systems.</p>
Vessel Patency at 24 Hours and Its Relationship With Clinical Outcomes and Infarct Volume in REVASCAT Trial (Randomized Trial of Revascularization With Solitaire FR Device Versus Best Medical Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Stroke Due to Anterior Circulation Large Vessel Occlusion Presenting Within Eight Hours of Symptom Onset)
Authors: Millán Mònica , Remollo Sebastià , Quesada Helena , Renú Arturo , Tomasello Alejandro , Minhas Priyanka , Pérez de la Ossa Natalia , Rubiera Marta , Llull Laura , Cardona Pedro , Al-Ajlan Fahad , Hernández María , Assis Zarina , Demchuk Andrew M. , Jovin Tudor , Dávalos Antoni 
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose—
Higher rates of target vessel patency at 24 hours were noted in the thrombectomy group compared with control group in recent randomized trials. As a prespecified secondary end point, we aimed to assess 24-hour revascularization rates by treatment groups and occlusion site as they related to clinical outcome and 24-hour infarct volume in REVASCAT (Randomized Trial of Revascularization With Solitaire FR Device Versus Best Medical Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Stroke Due to Anterior Circulation Large Vessel Occlusion Presenting Within Eight Hours of Symptom Onset).

Methods—
Independent core laboratory adjudicated vessel status according to modified arterial occlusive lesion classification at 24 hours on computed tomographic/magnetic resonance (94.2%/5.8%) angiography and 24-hour infarct volume on computed tomography were studied (95/103 patients in the thrombectomy group versus 94/103 in the control group, respectively). Complete revascularization was defined as modified arterial occlusive lesion grade 3. Its effect on clinical outcome was analyzed by ordinal logistic regression.

Results—

Complete revascularization was achieved in 70.5% of the solitaire group and in 22.3% of the control group (
P
<0.001). Significant differences in complete revascularization rates were found for terminus internal carotid artery, M1, and tandem occlusions (all
P
<0.001) but not for M2 occlusions. In the thrombectomy group, 2 out of 63 patients (3.1%) with modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2b/3 after thrombectomy showed arterial reocclusion (modified arterial occlusive lesion grade 0/1) at 24 hours. Complete revascularization was associated with improved outcome in both thrombectomy (adjusted odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.9–10.9) and control groups (adjusted odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–6.7). Revascularization (modified arterial occlusive lesion grade 2/3) was associated with smaller infarct volumes in either treatment arm.

Conclusions—
Complete revascularization at 24 hours is a powerful predictor of favorable clinical outcome, whereas revascularization of any type results in reduced infarct volume in both thrombectomy and control groups.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01692379.
Where Is the Beat? The Neural Correlates of Lexical Stress and Rhythmical Well-formedness in Auditory Story Comprehension
Authors: Kandylaki Katerina D. , Henrich Karen , Nagels Arne , Kircher Tilo , Domahs Ulrike , Schlesewsky Matthias , Bornkessel-Schlesewsky Ina , Wiese Richard 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWhile listening to continuous speech, humans process beat information to correctly identify word boundaries. The beats of language are stress patterns that are created by combining lexical (word-specific) stress patterns and the rhythm of a specific language. Sometimes, the lexical stress pattern needs to be altered to obey the rhythm of the language. This study investigated the interplay of lexical stress patterns and rhythmical well-formedness in natural speech with fMRI. Previous electrophysiological studies on cases in which a regular lexical stress pattern may be altered to obtain rhythmical well-formedness showed that even subtle rhythmic deviations are detected by the brain if attention is directed toward prosody. Here, we present a new approach to this phenomenon by having participants listen to contextually rich stories in the absence of a task targeting the manipulation. For the interaction of lexical stress and rhythmical well-formedness, we found one suprathreshold cluster localized between the cerebellum and the brain stem. For the main effect of lexical stress, we found higher BOLD responses to the retained lexical stress pattern in the bilateral SMA, bilateral postcentral gyrus, bilateral middle fontal gyrus, bilateral inferior and right superior parietal lobule, and right precuneus. These results support the view that lexical stress is processed as part of a sensorimotor network of speech comprehension. Moreover, our results connect beat processing in language to domain-independent timing perception.
A Note on the Nachleben of Sedulius carm. pasch. 5.215-16
Authors: De Gianni Donato 
Published: March 2017

The article takes a closer look at the simile of the goat and the vine in Sedulius’ Carmen paschale 5.215-16, an allegory representing the robber who harasses Christ on the cross with his insults. The verse is imitated by the Medieval theologian Honorius Augustodunensis (12th c.) in the prologue of his cosmological treatise De imagine mundi, where it is directed, in an allusive way, against the detractors of that work. This imitation, until now not recognised by scholars, offers a new insight into the fortune of Sedulius’ work in the Middle Ages.
L’article approfondit la similitude du bouc et de la vigne utilisée par Sedulius aux vv. 215-16 du cinquième livre du Carmen Paschale pour représenter allégoriquement le voleur qui harcèle avec ses offenses le Christ crucifié. Le locus poétique est imité par le théologien médiéval Honorius Augustodunensis (xiie siècle) dans le prologue du traité cosmologique De imagine mundi avec une claire intention allusive aux détracteurs de l’oeuvre. Une telle imitation, jusqu’alors jamais relevé par les savants, offre une nouvelle contribution à la fortune du poète chrétien à l’époque médiévale.
This article is in English.
Letter from James to the General Assembly in Seoul of the International Association for Mission Studies
Authors: Tamez Elsa , Brown Sary 
Published: March 2017

In this essay, the author uses tools of biblical studies to re-read the Letter of James from the mission perspective. She takes as point of departure the violent and corrupt situation of the globalized world and the global warming. With that background in mind, she focuses on the missionad intrain the Letter of James. It is a letter addressed to migrants (‘the twelve tribes in the Dispersion’) living in different parts of the world. While suffering discrimination from Roman society because of their Jewish culture and their faith, these migrants should act wisely, remember the values of the gospel of solidarity and perseverance, and above all, show coherence between what they believe and say and what they do. The recipients need to distinguish between authentic faith and false faith. Through this study, the author adds a new biblical paradigm of mission to the mission paradigms of David J. Bosch.在这篇文章里，作者从宣教的角度用圣经研究的工具重读雅各书。她以全球暴力腐败及暖化的状况为出发点，以此为背景，集中探讨雅各书中ad intra的宣教。这是封写给住在世界各地的移民（‘散住十二个支派’）的书信。他们虽然因着自己信奉的犹太文化与信仰，遭受着来自罗马社会歧视的苦难，这些移民们应凭智慧行事，记住福音团结与坚韧的价值，最重要的是表现出他们所信的和说的，与他们所做的保持一致，收信者应分辨真假信仰。透过这个研究，作者在 David, J. Bosch 的宣教范式之上又加添了新的圣经宣教范式。En este trabajo la autora hace una relectura de la carta de Santiago desde la perspectiva de la misión. Ella toma como punto de partida la realidad violenta y corrupta del mundo globalizado y el calentamiento global. Con ese trasfondo en mente, ella concentra su enfoque en una misión ad-intra. Se trata, entonces de una carta dirigida a inmigrantes (doce tribus de la dispersión) de distintas partes del mundo que, a pesar de que sufren discriminación en su sociedad romana por ser judíos y creyentes necesitan que se les recuerde los valores del evangelio, como la solidaridad, la perseverancia, el control de las palabras y sobre todo la práctica de la coherencia entre el creer y el actuar. Los destinatarios necesitan distinguir entre la fe auténtica y la fe falsa. Con este ensayo bíblico la autora añade un paradigma de misión más a los propuestos por David J. Boch.This article is in English.