The state of lead scoring models and their impact on sales performance.

Although lead scoring is an essential component of lead management, there is a lack of a comprehensive literature review and a classification framework dedicated to it. Lead scoring is an effective and efficient way of measuring the quality of leads. In addition, as a critical Information Technology tool, a proper lead scoring model acts as an alleviator to weaken the conflicts between sales and marketing functions. Yet, little is known regarding lead scoring models and their impact on sales performance. Lead scoring models are commonly categorized into two classes: traditional and predictive. While the former primarily relies on the experience and knowledge of salespeople and marketers, the latter utilizes data mining models and machine learning algorithms to support the scoring process. This study aims to review and analyze the existing literature on lead scoring models and their impact on sales performance. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine lead scoring models. A total of 44 studies have met the criteria and were included for analysis. Fourteen metrics were identified to measure the impact of lead scoring models on sales performance. With the increased use of data mining and machine learning techniques in the fourth industrial revolution, predictive lead scoring models are expected to replace traditional lead scoring models as they positively impact sales performance. Despite the relative cost of implementing and maintaining predictive lead scoring models, it is still beneficial to supersede traditional lead scoring models, given the higher effectiveness and efficiency of predictive lead scoring models. This study reveals that classification is the most popular data mining model, while decision tree and logistic regression are the most applied algorithms among all the predictive lead scoring models. This study contributes by systematizing and recommending which machine learning method (i.e., supervised and/or unsupervised) shall be used to build predictive lead scoring models based on the integrity of different types of data sources. Additionally, this study offers both theoretical and practical research directions in the lead scoring field.

Novel Budesonide Suppository and Standard Budesonide Rectal Foam Induce High Rates of Clinical Remission and Mucosal Healing in Active Ulcerative Proctitis: a Randomised, Controlled, Non-inferiority Trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Proctitis is the least extensive type of ulcerative colitis, for which rectal therapy is rarely studied and is underused. This study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and patient's preference of a novel formulation of budesonide suppository 4 mg, compared with a commercially available budesonide rectal foam 2 mg, for the treatment of mild to moderate ulcerative proctitis. METHODS: This was a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either budesonide 4 mg suppository or budesonide 2 mg foam once daily for 8 weeks. The co-primary endpoints were changes from baseline to Week 8 in clinical symptoms, for which clinical remission was defined as having a modified Ulcerative Colitis-Disease Activity Index [UC-DAI] subscore for stool frequency of 0 or 1 and a subscore for rectal bleeding of 0, and mucosal healing, defined as having a modified UC-DAI subscore for mucosal appearance of 0 or 1. Using a more stringent criterion, we additionally analysed deepened mucosal healing, which was defined as a mucosal appearance subscore of 0. Patient's preference, physician's global assessment, and quality of life were also assessed and analysed. RESULTS: Overall, 286 and 291 patients were included in the 4 mg suppository and 2 mg foam groups, respectively. Budesonide 4 mg suppository met the prespecified criterion for non-inferiority to the 2 mg foam in both co-primary endpoints of clinical remission and mucosal healing. Secondary endpoints consistently supported the non-inferiority of the suppository. Trends in favour of the suppository were observed in the subgroup of mesalazine non-responders. More patients reported a preference for the suppository over rectal foam. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ulcerative proctitis, budesonide 4 mg suppository was non-inferior to budesonide 2 mg foam in efficacy, and both were safe and well tolerated.

Quantum hydrodynamic theory of quantum fluctuations in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate.

Traditional quantum hydrodynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) is restricted by the continuity and Euler equations. The quantum Bohm potential (the quantum part of the momentum flux) has a nontrivial part that can evolve under quantum fluctuations. The quantum fluctuations are the effect of the appearance of particles in the excited states during the evolution of BEC mainly consisting of the particles in the quantum state with the lowest energy. To cover this phenomenon in terms of hydrodynamic methods, we need to derive equations for the momentum flux and the current of the momentum flux. The current of the momentum flux evolution equation contains the interaction leading to the quantum fluctuations. In the dipolar BECs, we deal with the long-range interaction. Its contribution is proportional to the average macroscopic potential of the dipole-dipole interaction (DDI) appearing in the mean-field regime. The current of the momentum flux evolution equation contains the third derivative of this potential. It is responsible for the dipolar part of quantum fluctuations. Higher derivatives correspond to the small scale contributions of the DDI. The quantum fluctuations lead to the existence of the second wave solution. The quantum fluctuations introduce the instability of the BECs. If the dipole-dipole interaction is attractive, but being smaller than the repulsive short-range interaction presented by the first interaction constant, there is the long-wavelength instability. There is a more complex picture for the repulsive DDI. There is the small area with the long-wavelength instability that transits into a stability interval where two waves exist.

MHealth and perceived quality of care delivery: a conceptual model and validation.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this research is to examine, conceptualize, and empirically validate a model of mobile health (mHealth) impacts on physicians' perceived quality of care delivery (PQoC). METHODS: Observational quasi-experimental one group posttest-only design was implemented through the empirical testing of the conceptual model with nine hypotheses related to the association of task and technology characteristics, self-efficacy, m-health utilization, task-technology fit (TTF), and their relationships with PQoC. Primary data was collected over a four-month period from acute care physicians in The Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada. The self-reported data was collected by employing a survey and distributed through the internal hospital channels to physicians who adopted iPads for their daily activities. RESULTS: Physicians' PQoC was found to be positively affected by the level of mHealth utilization and TTF, while the magnitude of the TTF direct effect was two times stronger than utilization. Additionally, self-efficacy has the highest direct and total effect on mHealth utilization; in the formation of TTF, technological characteristics dominate followed by task characteristics. CONCLUSION: To date, the impact of utilized mHealth on PQoC has neither been richly theorized nor explored in depth. We address this gap in existing literature. Realizing how an organization can improve TTF will lead to better PQoC.

The first coordination polymers with an [O]2[N]P(S)-Hg segment: a combined experimental, theoretical and database study.

The study of one-dimensional coordination polymers {Hg2Cl4L1}n (1), {HgBr2L1}n (2) and {Hg2Cl4L2}n (3) (L1 = (S)P(OC2H5)2NHC6H4NHP(S)(OC2H5)2 and L2 = (S)P(OC2H5)2NC4H8NP(S)(OC2H5)2) is the first such structural study of Hg(ii) coordination polymers with (O)2(N)PS-based ligands. The mercury atoms adopt a distorted trigonal pyramidal environment, Hg(Cl)3(S) for 1 and 3 and Hg(Br)2(S)2 for 2, and the difference observed in the stoichiometry of mercury halide to the thiophosphoramide ligand in 1 and 3 with respect to the one in 2 is a result of the formation of the Hg2Cl2 ring, however, the molar ratio 2 : 1 of HgX2 (X = Cl and Br) to ligand was used for the preparation of all three complexes. The strengths of mercury-sulfur and mercury-halide covalent bonds are evaluated by theoretical calculations (QTAIM and NBO) which show their principally electrostatic nature with a partial covalent contribution. The energies of interactions building supramolecular assemblies and intramolecular interactions, i.e. NHCl, NHBr, CHCl, CHBr, CHO, CHS and CHπ, are theoretically evaluated. The characteristic structural features arising from the aromatic/aliphatic linkers in the ligands and chloride/bromide attached to mercury are investigated by Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plots.

Budesonide Suppositories Are Effective and Safe for Treating Acute Ulcerative Proctitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although proctitis is the most limited form of ulcerative colitis, it causes unpleasant symptoms. Topical mesalamine, the standard treatment, is not always effective. We conducted a randomized phase 2 trial to determine the efficacy and safety of 2 doses of a budesonide suppository vs mesalamine suppositories vs combined budesonide and mesalamine suppositories for proctitis. METHODS: We performed a prospective, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter trial in 337 patients with active proctitis to compare the efficacies of 4 different suppository treatments. Patients were randomly assigned to groups given 2 mg budesonide suppositories (2 mg BUS; n = 89 patients), 4 mg BUS (n = 79), 1 g mesalamine suppositories (1 g MES; n = 81), or the combination of 2 mg BUS and 1 g MES (n = 88). The study was performed from November 2013 through July 2015 at 36 study sites in Europe and Russia. The primary end point was the time to resolution of clinical symptoms, defined as the first of 3 consecutive days with a score of 0 for rectal bleeding and stool frequency. RESULTS: The mean time to resolution of symptoms in the 4 mg BUS (29.8 days) and combination of 2 mg BUS and 1 g MES (29.3 days) groups resembled that of the standard 1 g MES treatment (29.2 days), but was significantly longer in the 2 mg BUS group (35.5 days). Furthermore, proportions of patients with deep, clinical, and endoscopic remission, as well as mucosal healing, were similar among the 1 g MES, 4 mg BUS, and combination therapy groups, but significantly lower in the group that received 2 mg BUS. No safety signals were observed, and the patients' treatment acceptance was high (67%-85% of patients). CONCLUSIONS: In a multicenter randomized trial, we found that the efficacy and safety of 4 mg BUS in treatment of active proctitis did not differ significantly from those of 1 g MES. Budesonide suppositories offer an alternative therapy to mesalamine for topical treatment of proctitis. Clinicaltrialsregister.eu no: 2012-003362-41.

Teaching physicians the GPGP method promotes deprescribing in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

BACKGROUND: In complex older patients, inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy (IMUP) are commonplace and increasing exponentially. Reducing IMUP is a challenge in multiple clinical contexts, including acute admission and family practice, due to several key barriers. In the global effort against this epidemic, educational programs geared toward changing physicians' prescribing patterns represent an important means of promoting deprescribing. METHODS: This is a nonrandomized, controlled interventional study investigating polypharmacy outcomes and prescribing patterns in patients whose physicians were trained in the Good Palliative-Geriatric Practice (GPGP) method, an algorithm for the reduction of polypharmacy, with patients whose physicians were not. Training involved a one-time, full-day workshop led by a senior geriatrician. Two separate settings were examined. In the inpatient setting, one internal medicine ward was trained and compared with another ward which was not trained. In the family practice setting, 28 physicians were trained and compared with practices of 15 physicians not trained. Patients were above the age of 70, representative of the general geriatric population, and not terminally ill. RESULTS: In the inpatient arm, the intervention group (n = 100) experienced a decrease in medications prescribed from admission to discharge of 18.5%, compared with a decrease of 1.9% in the control group (n = 100, difference between groups p < 0.0001). In the outpatient arm, the intervention group (n = 100) experienced a decrease in medication number of 6.1% compared with 0.07% in the control group (n = 100, difference between groups p = 0.001) over a 6-month period. Preferential decreases in specific drug classes were observed in both groups, including benzodiazepines, psychotropics, and antihypertensives. CONCLUSIONS: A one-time educational intervention based on GPGP can change prescribing patterns in both outpatient and inpatient settings leading to a moderate reduction in polypharmacy. Future work should focus on longitudinal interventions, and longer-term clinical outcomes such as morbidity, mortality, and quality of life.

Evaluation of N-H...S and N-H...π interactions in O,O'-diethyl N-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)thiophosphate: a combination of X-ray crystallographic and theoretical studies.

In the crystal structure of O,O'-diethyl N-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)thiophosphate, C13H22NO2PS, two symmetrically independent thiophosphoramide molecules are linked through N-H...S and N-H...π hydrogen bonds to form a noncentrosymmetric dimer, with Z' = 2. The strengths of the hydrogen bonds were evaluated using density functional theory (DFT) at the M06-2X level within the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set, and by considering the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM). It was found that the N-H...S hydrogen bond is slightly stronger than the N-H...π hydrogen bond. This is reflected in differences between the calculated N-H stretching frequencies of the isolated molecules and the frequencies of the same N-H units involved in the different hydrogen bonds of the hydrogen-bonded dimer. For these hydrogen bonds, the corresponding charge transfers, i.e. lp (or π)→σ*, were studied, according to the second-order perturbation theory in natural bond orbital (NBO) methodology. Hirshfeld surface analysis was applied for a detailed investigation of all the contacts participating in the crystal packing.

Shared Decision-Making Ontology for a Healthcare Team Executing a Workflow, an Instantiation for Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression Management.

Regardless of potential benefits and better outcomes, adoption of shared decision-making between a patient and providers involved in his/her care is still in its infancy. This paper intends to fill this gap by formalizing shared decision-making, situating it as part of team-based care delivery, and incorporating workflow concepts allowing for identification of shared decision-making tasks. We accomplish that by creating novel shared decision-making ontology which constitutes the first step required in the development of a decision support system for shared decision-making. The proposed ontology formally defines and describes the key concepts and relations in the shared decision-making domain and lays the foundation for the formalization and support of the patient management process. We illustrate the applicability of the proposed ontology by creating its instantiation for the complex patient management scenario involving shared decision-making about the treatment of metastatic spinal cord compression.

A novel tubular hydrogen-bond pattern in a new diazaphosphole oxide: a combination of X-ray crystallography and theoretical study of hydrogen bonds.

In the structure of 2-(4-chloroanilino)-1,3,2λ4-diazaphosphol-2-one, C12H11ClN3OP, each molecule is connected with four neighbouring molecules through (N-H)2...O hydrogen bonds. These hydrogen bonds form a tubular arrangement along the [001] direction built from R33(12) and R43(14) hydrogen-bond ring motifs, combined with a C(4) chain motif. The hole constructed in the tubular architecture includes a 12-atom arrangement (three P, three N, three O and three H atoms) belonging to three adjacent molecules hydrogen bonded to each other. One of the N-H groups of the diazaphosphole ring, not co-operating in classical hydrogen bonding, takes part in an N-H...π interaction. This interaction occurs within the tubular array and does not change the dimension of the hydrogen-bond pattern. The energies of the N-H...O and N-H...π hydrogen bonds were studied by NBO (natural bond orbital) analysis, using the experimental hydrogen-bonded cluster of molecules as the input file for the chemical calculations. In the 1H NMR experiment, the nitrogen-bound proton of the diazaphosphole ring has a high value of 17.2 Hz for the 2JH-P coupling constant.

Rich eight-branch spectrum of the oblique propagating longitudinal waves in partially spin-polarized electron-positron-ion plasmas.

We consider the separate spin evolution of electrons and positrons in electron-positron and electron-positron-ion plasmas. We consider the oblique propagating longitudinal waves in these systems. Working in a regime of high-density n(0) ∼ 10(27) cm(-3) and high-magnetic-field B(0)=10(10) G, we report the presence of the spin-electron acoustic waves and their dispersion dependencies. In electron-positron plasmas, similarly to the electron-ion plasmas, we find one spin-electron acoustic wave (SEAW) at the propagation parallel or perpendicular to the external field and two spin-electron acoustic waves at the oblique propagation. At the parallel or perpendicular propagation of the longitudinal waves in electron-positron-ion plasmas, we find four branches: the Langmuir wave, the positron-acoustic wave, and a pair of waves having spin nature, they are the SEAW and the wave discovered in this paper, called the spin-electron-positron acoustic wave (SEPAW). At the oblique propagation we find eight longitudinal waves: the Langmuir wave, the Trivelpiece--Gould wave, a pair of positron-acoustic waves, a pair of SEAWs, and a pair of SEPAWs. Thus, for the first time, we report the existence of the second positron-acoustic wave existing at the oblique propagation and the existence of SEPAWs.

A Connectivity Framework for Social Information Systems Design in Healthcare.

Social information systems (SISs) will play a key role in healthcare systems' transformation into collaborative patient-centered systems that support care delivery across the entire continuum of care. SISs enable the development of collaborative networks andfacilitate relationships to integrate people and processes across time and space. However, we believe that a "connectivity" issue, which refers to the scope and extent of system requirements for a SIS, is a significant challenge of SIS design. This paper's contribution is the development of the Social Information System Connectivity Framework for supporting SIS design in healthcare. The framework has three parts. First, it defines the structure of a SIS as a set of social triads. Second, it identifies six dimensions that represent the behaviour of a SIS. Third, it proposes the Social Information System Connectivity Factor as our approximation of the extent of connectivity and degree of complexity in a SIS.

Separated spin-up and spin-down quantum hydrodynamics of degenerated electrons: Spin-electron acoustic wave appearance.

The quantum hydrodynamic (QHD) model of charged spin-1/2 particles contains physical quantities defined for all particles of a species including particles with spin-up and with spin-down. Different populations of states with different spin directions are included in the spin density (the magnetization). In this paper I derive a QHD model, which separately describes spin-up electrons and spin-down electrons. Hence electrons with different projections of spins on the preferable direction are considered as two different species of particles. It is shown that the numbers of particles with different spin directions do not conserve. Hence the continuity equations contain sources of particles. These sources are caused by the interactions of the spins with the magnetic field. Terms of similar nature arise in the Euler equation. The z projection of the spin density is no longer an independent variable. It is proportional to the difference between the concentrations of the electrons with spin-up and the electrons with spin-down. The propagation of waves in the magnetized plasmas of degenerate electrons is considered. Two regimes for the ion dynamics, the motionless ions and the motion of the degenerate ions as the single species with no account of the spin dynamics, are considered. It is shown that this form of the QHD equations gives all solutions obtained from the traditional form of QHD equations with no distinction of spin-up and spin-down states. But it also reveals a soundlike solution called the spin-electron acoustic wave. Coincidence of most solutions is expected since this derivation was started with the same basic equation: the Pauli equation. Solutions arise due to the different Fermi pressures for the spin-up electrons and the spin-down electrons in the magnetic field. The results are applied to degenerate electron gas of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic metals in the external magnetic field. The dispersion of the spin-electron acoustic waves in the partially spin-polarized degenerate neutron matter are also considered.

A Framework for Incorporating Patient Preferences to Deliver Participatory Medicine via Interdisciplinary Healthcare Teams.

Participatory medicine refers to the equal participation of patients and interdisciplinary healthcare team (IHT) members as part of care delivery. Facilitating workflow execution is a significant challenge for participatory medicine because of the need to integrate IHT members into a common workflow. A further challenge is that patient preferences should be considered when executing a workflow. To date there is limited research on supporting patient workflow as part of participatory medicine practices. To address that shortcoming we used a two-phase approach to develop a framework for participatory medicine that integrates different IHT members and workflows including the incorporation of patient preferences about care delivery options. Our framework uses a domain ontology to define the patient, IHT concepts and relations, as well as a workflow for operationalizing participatory medicine via an IHT. Proof of concept of the proposed framework is illustrated with a palliative care pain management case study.

Bis(but-2-enoato-κO)tri-phenyl-bis-muth(V).

In the title mol-ecule, [Bi(C6H5)3(C4H5O2)2], the Bi(V) atom is in a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal environment with carboxyl-ate O atoms in axial positions and phenyl C atoms in the equatorial plane. The Bi-O bond lengths are 2.283 (3) and 2.309 (2) Å, but as a result of additional long Bi⋯O inter-actions [2.787 (3) and 2.734 (3) Å], one of the C-Bi-C angles is 148.62 (13)°. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect pairs of mol-ecules into inversion dimers. These dimers are further connected by weak C-H⋯π inter-actions into chains along [100] .

Bis[(E)-3-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)prop-2-enoato]triphenyl-anti-mony(V) benzene monosolvate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Sb(C6H5)3(C10H9O3)2]·C6H6, contains one organometallic mol-ecule and one benzene mol-ecule that is disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.556 (15):0.444 (15). The Sb(V) atom is in a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal environment with the carboxyl-ate O atoms in axial positions and phenyl C atoms in the equatorial plane. As a result of additional Sb⋯O inter-actions, one of the C-Sb-C angles is widened to 140.19 (6)°.