S-D logic-informed customer engagement: Integrative framework, revised fundamental propositions, and application to CRM

Advance online in 2016</p

MELD score and AST-to-platelet ratio index predict long-term survival in patients with a small hepatocellular carcinoma following non-transplant therapies: a pilot study

Aim: Liver transplantation (LT) is the most effective treatment for long-term survival from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, insufficient donors limit therapy. The authors sought to identify characteristics that predicted long-term survival after non-transplant therapies in patients with small HCC.Methods: In a database of 1,050 HCC patients, the authors identified those with single HCC ≤ 3.0 cm, who underwent hepatic resection (HR, n = 16), radiofrequency ablation (RFA, n = 55), or LT (n = 23) with 5-year follow-up. Overall survival (OS) and odds-ratios (OR) for survival after HR/RFA were calculated for MELD score, platelet count, creatinine, albumin, AST/platelet ratio index (APRI), international normalized ratio, and bilirubin.Results: LT patients had 3- and 5-year OS of 82.6% and 73.9% compared to HR/RFA patients with 3- and 5-year OS of 40.8% and 33.8%. The strongest predictors of survival after HR/RFA were MELD &lt; 10 [OR 4.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85-10.58] and APRI ≤ 0.5 (OR 4.25, 95% CI 1.63-11.08). HR/RFA patients with both MELD &lt; 10 and APRI ≤ 0.5 had 3- and 5-year OS of 77.3% and 72.7%.Conclusion: Patients with MELD &lt; 10 and APRI ≤ 0.5 who undergo HR/RFA have survival approaching LT. Perhaps patients who meet these criteria can safely undergo non-transplant therapy and donor livers can be allocated to patients with a greater need

Functional analysis and treatment of the bizarre speech of dually diagnosed adults.

Nine behavior-analytic studies, each reporting data for a single participant, have shown that bizarre speech can be maintained by social reinforcement. In the current study, we controlled for a possible referral bias in this literature by including nonreferred participants with dual diagnoses. Functional analyses identified attention functions for 2 participants and nonsocial functions for the others. Noncontingent reinforcement decreased the bizarre speech of both participants who displayed attention-maintained bizarre speech

Using the picture exchange communication system (PECS) with children with autism: assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social-communicative behavior, and problem behavior.

The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is an augmentative communication system frequently used with children with autism (Bondy & Frost, 1994; Siegel, 2000; Yamall, 2000). Despite its common clinical use, no well-controlled empirical investigations have been conducted to test the effectiveness of PECS. Using a multiple baseline design, the present study examined the acquisition of PECS with 3 children with autism. In addition, the study examined the effects of PECS training on the emergence of speech in play and academic settings. Ancillary measures of social-communicative behaviors and problem behaviors were recorded. Results indicated that all 3 children met the learning criterion for PECS and showed concomitant increases in verbal speech. Ancillary gains were associated with increases in social-communicative behaviors and decreases in problem behaviors. The results are discussed in terms of the provision of empirical support for PECS as well as the concomitant positive side effects of its use