The purpose of this study is to determine whether planned or unplanned purchases impact a consumer's willingness to pay for a subsequent purchase. We investigated the moderating roles of the ...justification heuristic and two different payment methods (individual payment vs. bundle payment). Three hypotheses were tested using a two-way ANOVA and an independent sample t-test. Our findings led us to the conclusion that, due to a conversion of mindset, a consumer's willingness to pay for a subsequent purchase will be higher in an unplanned precedent purchase situation than in a planned precedent purchase situation. For the planned purchase situation, a consumer's willingness to pay for the subsequent purchase did not turn out to be significant despite the use of the justification heuristic. For the unplanned precedent purchase situation, however, a consumer's willingness to pay for the subsequent purchase was found to be lower in the situation with the justification heuristic than in the situation without. This study also shows that a consumer's willingness to pay for a subsequent purchase will be higher in a bundle payment situation than in an individual payment situation.
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Summary
Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR, colonic aganglionosis) is an oligogenic entity that usually requires mutations in RET and other interacting loci. Decreased levels of RET expression may lead to ...the manifestation of HSCR. We previously showed that RET transcription was decreased due to alteration of the TITF1 binding site by two HSCR‐associated RET promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This prompted us to investigate whether DNA alterations in TITF1 could play a role in HSCR by affecting the RET‐regulatory properties of the TITF1 protein. Our initial study on 86 Chinese HSCR patients revealed a Gly322Ser amino acid substitution in the TITF1protein. In this study we have examined an additional 102 Chinese and 70 Caucasian patients, and 194 Chinese and 60 Caucasian unselected, unrelated, subjects as controls. The relevance of the DNA changes detected in TITF1 by direct sequencing were evaluated using bioinformatics, reporter and binding‐assays, mouse neurosphere culture, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence techniques. Met3Leu and Pro48Pro were identified in 2 Caucasian patients and 1 Chinese patient, respectively. In vitro analysis showed that Met3Leu reduced the activity of the RET promoter by 100% in the presence of the wild‐type or HSCR‐associated RET promoter SNP alleles. The apparent binding affinity of the TITF1 mutated protein was not decreased. The Met3Leu mutation may affect the interaction of TITF1 with its protein partners. The absence of Titf1 expression in mouse gut but not in human gut suggests that the role of TITF1 in gut development differs between the two species. TITF1 mutations could contribute to HSCR by affecting RET expression through defective interactions with other transcription factors.
The combination of partial absence of the sacrum, anorectal anomalies, and presacral mass constitutes Currarino syndrome (CS), which is associated with mutations in HLXB9.
We analyzed 5 CS families ...and 6 sporadic cases for HLXB9 mutations by direct sequencing. Potentially pathologic expansions of HLXB9 GCC repeats were analyzed in patients, 4 general populations Chinese, Japanese, Yoruba, and Centre du Etude Polymorphisme Human (CEPH) from the HapMap project, and 145 healthy Chinese.
We identified 6 novel mutations affecting highly conserved residues (Ser185X, Trp215X, Ala26fs, Ala75fs, Met1Ile, and Arg273Cys). GCC allele and genotype distributions showed marked statistically significant differences. (GCC)11 was the most common allele overall; its frequency ranged from 90% in CEPH to 68% in Yoruba and 50% in Chinese and Japanese populations. (GCC)9 was almost as common as (GCC)11 in Chinese and Japanese populations, whereas its frequency was <10% in Yoruba and CEPH populations. The Yoruba population had the highest frequency of the largest alleles (GCC)12 and (GCC)13, which were almost absent in the other groups.
Lack of HLXB9 mutations in some patients and the presence of variable phenotypes suggest DNA alterations in HLXB9 noncoding regions and/or in other genes encoding HLXB9 regulatory molecules or protein partners. If HLXB9, like other homeobox genes, has a threshold beyond which triplet expansions are pathologic, those populations enriched with larger alleles would be at a higher risk. The data illustrate the importance of ethnicity adjustment if these polymorphic markers are to be used in association studies.
•18 compositionally-complex (medium- and high-entropy) pyrochlore oxides fabricated.•Mixing of cations at A- and/or B-sites leads to reduced thermal conductivity.•Thermal conductivity correlates well ...with a modified size disorder parameter.•A new descriptor proposed for designing low-k medium- and high-entropy ceramics.•Medium-entropy ceramics can outperform their high-entropy counterparts.
High-entropy ceramics generally exhibit reduced thermal conductivity, but little is known about what controls this suppression and which descriptor can predict it. Herein, 22 single-phase pyrochlores were examined. Up to 35% reductions in thermal conductivity were achieved in medium- and high-entropy compositions with retained moduli, thereby attaining insulative yet stiff properties for thermal barrier coating applications. Notably, the measured thermal conductivity correlates well with a modified size disorder parameter δSize*, thereby suggesting the importance of severe lattice distortion. Thus, this δSize* is suggested as a useful descriptor for designing thermally-insulative compositionally-complex ceramics, where medium-entropy ceramics can outperform their high-entropy counterparts.
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Recent outbreaks of enterically transmitted infections, including acute hepatitis A and shigellosis, have raised the concerns of increasing Entamoeba histolytica infection (EHI) among people living ...with HIV (PLWH) in Taiwan. This study investigated the prevalence of EHI, its temporal trends, and associated factors among newly diagnosed PLWH in Taiwan. Medical records of newly diagnosed PLWH at six medical centers in Taiwan between 2009 and 2018 were reviewed. The annual prevalence of invasive amoebiasis and seroprevalence of E. histolytica were determined and examined by the Cochran-Armitage test. The clinical characteristics associated with invasive amoebiasis and seropositivity for E. histolytica were analyzed in multivariable regression models. Among 5362 patients seeking HIV care at six medical centers in Taiwan during the 10-year study period, 119 (2.2%) had invasive amoebiasis at the time or within six months of their HIV diagnosis. Among 3499 who had indirect hemagglutination antibody (IHA) determined, 284 (8.1%) had positive IHA (greater than or equal to1:32) and 205 (5.9%) had high-titre IHA (greater than or equal to1:128). The prevalence of invasive amoebiasis increased from 1.3% in 2012 to 3.3% in 2018 (p = 0.024). Invasive amoebiasis was independently associated with a greater age, men who have sex with men, rapid plasma reagin titre greater than or equal to1:4, and concurrent shigellosis and giardiasis. Increasing prevalence of invasive amoebiasis among newly diagnosed PLWH in Taiwan calls for strategies to prevent ongoing transmission in this population. Routine screening of EHI for early diagnosis and treatment is recommended, especially among men who have sex with men and those who present with other sexually or enterically transmitted infections.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in reproductive age women. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and intention on fertility preservation among women diagnosed to have ...breast cancer. This is a multi-centre cross-sectional questionnaire study. Reproductive age women diagnosed with breast cancer attending Oncology, Breast Surgery and Gynaecology Clinics and support groups were invited to participate. Women filled in paper or electronic form of the questionnaire. 461 women were recruited and 421 women returned the questionnaire. Overall, 181/410 (44.1%) women had heard of fertility preservation. Younger age and higher education level were significantly associated with increased awareness of fertility preservation. Awareness and acceptance of the different fertility preservation methods in reproductive age women with breast cancer was suboptimal. However, 46.1% women felt that their fertility concerns affected their decision for cancer treatment in some way.
The effect of computer-aided polyp detection (CADe) on adenoma detection rate (ADR) among endoscopists-in-training remains unknown.
We performed a single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled ...trial in Hong Kong between April 2021 and July 2022 (NCT04838951). Eligible subjects undergoing screening/surveillance/diagnostic colonoscopies were randomized 1:1 to receive colonoscopies with CADe (ENDO-AIDOIP-1) or not (control) during withdrawal. Procedures were performed by endoscopists-in-training with <500 procedures and <3 years’ experience. Randomization was stratified by patient age, sex, and endoscopist experience (beginner vs intermediate level, <200 vs 200–500 procedures). Image enhancement and distal attachment devices were disallowed. Subjects with incomplete colonoscopies or inadequate bowel preparation were excluded. Treatment allocation was blinded to outcome assessors. The primary outcome was ADR. Secondary outcomes were ADR for different adenoma sizes and locations, mean number of adenomas, and non-neoplastic resection rate.
A total of 386 and 380 subjects were randomized to CADe and control groups, respectively. The overall ADR was significantly higher in the CADe group than in the control group (57.5% vs 44.5%; adjusted relative risk, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.17–1.72; P < .001). The ADRs for <5 mm (40.4% vs 25.0%) and 5- to 10-mm adenomas (36.8% vs 29.2%) were higher in the CADe group. The ADRs were higher in the CADe group in both the right colon (42.0% vs 30.8%) and left colon (34.5% vs 27.6%), but there was no significant difference in advanced ADR. The ADRs were higher in the CADe group among beginner (60.0% vs 41.9%) and intermediate-level (56.5% vs 45.5%) endoscopists. Mean number of adenomas (1.48 vs 0.86) and non-neoplastic resection rate (52.1% vs 35.0%) were higher in the CADe group.
Among endoscopists-in-training, the use of CADe during colonoscopies was associated with increased overall ADR. (ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT04838951).
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Background and Objective
Although stage I non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) typically carries a good prognosis following complete resection, early disease recurrence can occur. An accurate ...survival prediction model would help refine a follow‐up strategy and personalize future adjuvant therapy. We developed a post‐operative prediction model based on readily available clinical information for patients with stage I adenocarcinoma.
Methods
We retrospectively studied the disease‐free survival (DFS) of 408 patients with pathologically confirmed low‐risk stage I adenocarcinoma of lung who underwent curative resection from 2013 to 2017. A tree‐based method was employed to partition the cohort into subgroups with distinct DFS outcome and stepwise risk ratio. These covariates were included in multivariate analysis to build a scoring system to predict disease recurrence. The model was subsequently validated using a 2011–2012 cohort.
Results
Non‐smoker status, stage IA disease, epidermal‐growth factor receptor mutants and female gender were associated with better DFS. Multivariate analysis identified smoking status, disease stage and gender as factors necessary for the scoring system and yielded 3 distinct risk groups for DFS 99.4 (95% CI 78.3–125.3), 62.9 (95% CI 48.2–82.0), 33.7 (95% CI 24.6–46.1) months, p < 0.005. External validation yielded an area under the curve by receiver operating characteristic analysis of 0.863 (95% CI 0.755–0.972).
Conclusion
The model could categorize post‐operative patients using readily available clinical information, and may help personalize a follow‐up strategy and future adjuvant therapy.
We developed a post‐operative prediction model for patients with stage I adenocarcinoma based on readily available clinical information, including smoking status, disease stage and gender. The model may help personalize a follow‐up strategy and future adjuvant therapy.
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