bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health State Utilities in Edentulous Patients: A Time Trade-off Approach
Authors: Sendi P. , Oppliger N. , Chakroun F. , Marinello C.P. , Bucher H.C. , Bornstein M.M.
Published: July 2018

Background:

Health is generally regarded as a very high good, and oral health may substantially affect the quality of life of patients. Oral health–related quality of life has usually been investigated by means of disease-specific descriptive instruments, such as the Oral Health Impact Profile and the General Oral Health Assessment Index. These instruments, however, do not enable a comparison of oral health–related quality of life with other medical diseases. Economic methods, such as the time trade-off technique, enable a comparison of the impact of oral health with other medical diseases and thus provide a means to build a bridge in quality-of-life assessments between medicine and dentistry.

Methods:

We included in our study a total of 58 patients who received a complete denture in our clinic in the last 10 y (between January 2001 and May 2012) and who were ≥65 y old. Patient preferences for the edentulous and poorest imaginable oral health state were assessed via the time trade-off method.

Results:

Edentulous patients rated their current oral health state as 0.73 (SD, 0.25) and the poorest oral health state as 0.43 (SD, 0.33) on a scale between 0 (death) and 1 (best possible health state). These results are comparable to patient preferences for other serious diseases, such as breast cancer (0.75), asymptomatic HIV infection (0.69), depression (0.44), and osteoarthritis of the hip (0.44).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, our results suggest that oral health may substantially affect quality of life no less than other medical diseases.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

Health is generally considered the highest good of humankind. In the present article, we show that oral health substantially affects quality of life. In particular, we show that loss of teeth (i.e., being edentulous) reduces quality of life no less than other systemic diseases. Treatment modalities for the edentulous patient may therefore substantially improve the patient’s well-being and should be a research priority.
A framework for analyzing and practicing Integrative Governance: The case of global animal and conservation governance
Authors: Visseren-Hamakers Ingrid J
Published: July 2018

This article presents a framework to analyze and practice Integrative Governance, defined as the theories and practices that focus on the relationships between governance instruments and/or systems. The need to pay explicit attention to such relationships is increasingly recognized, especially in achieving the transformative change needed for sustainable development. The Integrative Governance framework focuses on explanatory analyses of the relationships and performance of governance instruments and/or systems, and is inspired by a pragmatic theoretical perspective. It includes three steps of analysis, with the first focused on the governance instruments and the relationships between them, the second on the combined performance of governance systems, and the third on explanations for the relationships and performance. Especially for this third step, insights from different theoretical perspectives are used, incorporating insights from rational choice theory, institutionalism, constructivism and critical theory. The application of the framework is illustrated by the example of the global animal and conservation governance systems. The preliminary analysis shows that the global conservation governance system is relatively more developed than the global animal governance system. The latter is mainly focused on animal health, with fewer instruments on welfare, and none on animal rights. The former includes more governance instruments and has some systems in place for monitoring implementation. The performance of both systems however remains limited, and there are few interactions between the systems. Main explanations include the interests of countries involved in the governance systems, the dominant anthropocentric discourses, and the current mostly animal-unfriendly and unsustainable political economy. Applying the Integrative Governance framework enables an enhanced understanding of the multiple and intertwined explanations of the relationships and performance of governance systems, allowing academics and practitioners to develop more realistic, durable solutions both in the shorter and longer term.
Exploring regional and urban clusters and patterns in Europe using satellite observed lighting
Authors: Tselios Vassilis , Stathakis Demetris
Published: July 2018

We explore regional and urban clusters and patterns in Europe by using satellite images of nighttime lights and by employing Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis. We map Defense Meteorological Satellite Program nighttime lights data onto the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics III, Local Administrative Units II and pixel (i.e. 1 km2 grid cell system of Europe) level and apply global and local statistics of spatial association. Under the assumption that nighttime light data are a good proxy for economic activity, the analysis at regional level shows that the regions of global cities and megacities and their surrounding areas are hot spots of high economic activity levels. The regional analysis also reveals the polycentric hierarchical structure of Europe. Using the case studies of the regions of London and Île -de -France, the analysis at the urban level reveals the different urban structure of these two global regions and identifies the functional urban areas of London and Paris.
Efficacy of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for Detecting Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Dong Won , Song Chang Myeon , Ji Yong Bae , Kim Ji Young , Choi Yun Young , Lee Ji Young , Tae Kyung
Published: July 2018

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for detecting cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

University tertiary care facility.

Subjects and Methods

We retrospectively compared the pathologic results for 409 cervical LN levels in 140 patients who underwent thyroidectomy and central neck dissection with/without lateral neck dissection with the findings of preoperative PET/CT, ultrasonography (US), and CT. We judged LN metastasis in PET/CT using the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) at the optimal cutoff value in receiver operating characteristic curves and compared the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the 3 imaging tools.

Results

At all neck levels (central and lateral compartments), PET/CT had a sensitivity of 57.5%, specificity of 68.6%, and diagnostic accuracy of 63.6% when the cutoff value of SUVmax was 1.125. The corresponding values were 59.1%, 90.6%, and 76.3%, respectively, for US and 53.8%, 91.9%, and 74.6% for CT. In the central compartment (level VI), sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were 48.9%, 67.4%, and 59.9% for PET/CT (cutoff SUVmax 1.125); 47.8%, 96.3%, and 76.7% for US; and 41.3%, 97.0%, and 74.4% for CT, respectively. In the lateral compartment (levels II‐V), the corresponding values of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were 70.2%, 69.3%, and 69.8% for PET/CT (cutoff SUVmax 1.055); 70.2%, 81.8%, and 75.8% for US; and 65.9%, 84.1%, and 74.7% for CT.

Conclusion

PET/CT is less effective as a preoperative diagnostic tool for detecting cervical lymph node metastasis in PTC than US or CT.
Brette Pearl Spar Mable (BPSM): a potential recoverable catalyst as a renewable source of biodiesel from Thevetia peruviana seed oil for the benefit of sustainable development in West Africa
Authors: Adepoju T. F. , Olatunbosun B. E. , Olatunji O. M. , Ibeh M. A.
Published: July 2018

Background

The energy requirements are globally on a rapid escalation, as technology advances, which is also true for a developing country like Nigeria, which is dependent on fossil fuels and its derivatives. Apart from its adverse effect on its economy, it has also negative impacts on the health and the environment, in general. However, investments in renewable energy are faced by the competitive oil prices, the very high investment cost for renewable energy, and high local electricity prices. This paper appraises the attractiveness of investing in renewable energy sources over the continued use of non-edible oil for electricity generation.

Methods

This paper explores the application of biomass seed oil to produce a renewable fuel (biodiesel) using heterogeneous base catalyst. Meanwhile, two-step processes were employed to produce the biofuel. In the first step (esterification), the acid value of the oil was reduced to the recommended limit (FFA ≤ 1.5) using H2SO4, while in the second step (transesterification), the catalyst calcination of grounded Brette Pearl Spar Mable (BPSM) pre-soaked in methanol was used as a biobase for biodiesel production. For the optimization, minitab response surface (MRS) and artificial neural network (ANN) were employed to model and optimize the process variables responsible for the optimum production of the oil and the biodiesel.

Results

The result presented showed that T. peruviana seed was found to be rich in oil with an average yield of 44.00% (w/w), and the oil was highly unsaturated with a high FFA. The maximum experimental biodiesel yield obtained was 86.00% at a catalyst amount of 4 g, a reaction time of 70 min, and a methanol/oil ratio of 0.1(v/v). This result was validated in triplicate under the same conditions, which yielded 85.70% (v/v) for MRS and 85.98% (v/v) for ANN. Furthermore, the optimization results also indicated that the p values (p < 0.05) of the model terms were significant, and the accuracy of the models achieved by MRS and ANN based on R2 depict that both optimization tools gave good predictions of R2 (MRS: R2 = 99.98% and ANN: R2 = 99.97%). The properties of the biodiesel, as described in other earlier reports using the same feedstock with different catalysts, indicated that the produced biodiesel had properties which agreed to those reported in the literature.

Conclusions

T. peruviana seed has proved to be a good biomass raw material for oil production, and its conversion to biofuel using a heterogeneous biobase catalyst showed its suitability as a renewable environmental friendly fuel. Government should invest in more sustainable sources of energy by imposing law for the use of non-edible oil or decreasing the price of electricity.
Radius estimation of subsurface cylindrical objects from ground-penetrating-radar data using full-waveform inversion
Authors: Liu Tao , Klotzsche Anja , Pondkule Mukund , Vereecken Harry , Su Yi , van der Kruk Jan
Published: July 2018

Ray-based radius estimations of subsurface cylindrical objects such as rebars and pipes from ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) measurements are not accurate because of their approximations. We have developed a novel full-waveform inversion (FWI) approach that uses a full-waveform 3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) forward-modeling program to estimate the radius including other object parameters. By using the full waveform of the common-offset GPR data, the shuffled complex evolution (SCE) approach is able to reliably extract the radius of the subsurface cylindrical objects. A combined optimization of radius, medium properties, and the effective source wavelet is necessary. Synthetic and experimental data inversion returns an accurate reconstruction of the cylinder properties, medium properties, and the effective source wavelet. Combining FWI of GPR data using SCE and a 3D FDTD forward model makes the approach easily adaptable for a wide range of other GPR FWI approaches.
Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Cetuximab Radiotherapy Is Not Superior to Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Head and Neck Carcinomas: Results of the GORTEC 2007-02 Phase III Randomized Trial
Authors: Geoffrois Lionnel , Martin Laurent , De Raucourt Dominique , Sun Xu Shan , Tao Yungan , Maingon Philippe , Buffet Joëlle , Pointreau Yoann , Sire Christian , Tuchais Claude , Babin Emmanuel , Coutte Alexandre , Rolland Frédéric , Kaminsky Marie-Christine , Alfonsi Marc , Lapeyre Michel , Saliou Marie , Lafond Cédric , Jadaud Eric , Gery Bernard , Zawadi Ayman , Tourani Jean-Marc , Khoury Cédric , Henry Anne Rose , Hasbini Ali , Guichard François , Borel Christian , Meert Nicolas , Guillet Pierre , Calais Marie-Hélène , Garaud Pascal , Bourhis Jean
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Both concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CT-RT) and cetuximab radiotherapy (cetux-RT) have been established as the standard of care for the treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. It was not known whether the addition of induction chemotherapy before cetux-RT could improve outcomes compared with standard of care CT-RT.

Patients and Methods

The current trial was restricted to patients with nonmetastatic N2b, N2c, or N3 squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and fit for taxotere, cisplatin, fluorouracil (TPF). Patients were randomly assigned to receive three cycles of TPF followed by cetux-RT versus concurrent carboplatin fluorouracil and RT as recommended in National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. The trial was powered to detect a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.66 in favor of TPF plus cetux-RT for progression-free survival at 2 years. The inclusion of 180 patients per arm was needed to achieve 80% power at a two-sided significance level of .05.

Results

Between 2009 and 2013, 370 patients were included. All patients and tumors characteristics were well balanced between arms. There were more cases of grade 3 and 4 neutropenia in the induction arm, and the induction TPF was associated with 6.6% treatment-related deaths. With a median follow-up of 2.8 years, 2-year progression-free survival was not different between both arms (CT-RT, 0.38 v TPF + cetux-RT, 0.36; HR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.73 to 1.20]; P = .58). HR was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.74 to 1.3; P = .90) for locoregional control and 1.12 (95% CI, 0.86 to 1.46; P = .39) for overall survival. These effects were observed regardless of p16 status. The rate of distant metastases was lower in the TPF arm (HR, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.30 to 0.99]; P = .05).

Conclusion

Induction TPF followed by cetux-RT did not improve outcomes compared with CT-RT in a population of patients with advanced cervical lymphadenopathy.
Sirolimus for Secondary Prevention of Skin Cancer in Kidney Transplant Recipients: 5-Year Results
Authors: Dantal Jacques , Morelon Emmanuel , Rostaing Lionel , Goffin Eric , Brocard Anabelle , Tromme Isabelle , Broeders Nilufer , del Marmol Véronique , Chatelet Valérie , Dompmartin Anne , Kessler Michèle , Serra Andreas , Hofbauer Günther F.L. , Kamar Nassim , Pouteil-Noble Claire , Kanitakis Jean , Roux Adeline , Decullier Evelyne , Euvrard Sylvie ,   TUMORAPA Study Group
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Transplant recipients who develop cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are at high risk for multiple subsequent skin cancers. Sirolimus has been shown to reduce the occurrence of secondary skin cancers, but no study included a follow-up exceeding 2 years. We extended at 5 years the TUMORAPA randomized trial of sirolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen versus calcineurin inhibitor–based immunosuppression.

Methods

Kidney transplant recipients receiving calcineurin inhibitors who had at least one cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma were randomly assigned to receive sirolimus as a substitute for calcineurin inhibitors (n = 64) or to maintain their initial treatment (n = 56). The primary end point was survival free of squamous cell carcinoma at 5 years. Secondary end points included the occurrence of other skin cancers, renal function, patient and graft survival, and treatment tolerance.

Results

Survival free of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma was significantly longer in the sirolimus group than in the calcineurin inhibitor group ( P = .007). In the sirolimus group, the number of patients with new skin cancers was significantly lower compared with the calcineurin inhibitor group: 22% versus 59% for squamous cell carcinomas ( P < .001), 34% versus 66% for other skin cancers ( P < .001), and 20% versus 37.5% for basal cell carcinomas ( P < .05). Kidney graft function, patients, and graft survival were similar in both groups. In the sirolimus group, the mean number of serious adverse effects per patient decreased from 1.16 during the first 2 years, to 0.83 between years 2 and 5.

Conclusion

In kidney transplant recipients with previous cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas, the antitumoral effect of conversion from calcineurin inhibitors to sirolimus was maintained at 5 years, and sirolimus tolerance was satisfactory.
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY AT THE OMALOS PLATEAU, CHANIA, CRETE
Authors: Βαφείδης Α. , Μανούτσογλου Μ. , Hamdan H. , Ανδρονικίδης Ν. , Κουκαδάκη Μ. , Κρητικάκης Γ. , Οικονόμου Ν. , Σπανουδάκης Ν.
Published: July 2018

This paper discusses the preliminary results of a geophysical survey that was carried out at the Omalos plateau in Chania, Crete. The geophysical survey included measurements of electrical tomography, electrical mapping, seismic refraction, georadar, VLF and gravity. The aim of this survey is to compare the results from different geophysical methods used in imaging dolines and karstic features. The processing of the measurements indicates three geoelectrical layers. The first layer of extremely high electrical resistivity is attributed to alluvial - dilluvial deposits. The second layer of very low electrical resistivity reflects mainly the presence of marls. Finally, the third geoelectrical layer outlines the carbonate bedrock, whose relief appears highly irregular. The comparison of all geophysical methods leads to the same results, concerning the detection of dolines and karstic anomalies at the Omalos plateau.
MAGNETIC FABRICS OF THE TERTIARY VRONDOU PLUTONIC COMPLEX, NORTHERN GREECE.
Authors: Zananiri I. , Dimitriadis S. , Kondopoulou D. , Kilias A.
Published: July 2018

The emplacement and tectonic evolution of the Tertiary Vrondou granitoid in the Greek Rhodope has been studied by a combination of field tectonic, microtextural and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) methods. The Vrondou pluton is composed of at least two intrusions, a Mid-Oligocene one at its eastern and an Early Miocene at its western parts. Room for the emplacement in both cases was provided by the opening of an extensional ramp space within a several km thick, mid-crustal subhorizontal shear zone, with a top to the SW sense, active during the Mid-Oligocene to Early Miocene period. The older eastern part of the pluton is much less deformed than the younger western part. Magmatic textures are well preserved in the older intrusion whereas they are scarcely present in the younger one. They indicate a NW-SE direction of magmatic flow in both cases. Sub-solidus plastic deformation affected mostly the younger western part of the pluton and only locally the older eastern one. In both cases mineral lineations trending NE-SW were developed. An increase in the shear rate by the Early Miocene or a localization of shear mainly in the west, in combination with the more silica saturated rock types present there, are probably the reasons for the different deformational behaviour of the two parts of the pluton.
A FREEWARE PACKAGE FOR THE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF COMMON-OFFSET GROUND PROBING RADAR DATA, BASED ON GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTING ENGINES
Authors: Tzanis A. , Kafetsis G.
Published: July 2018

The Ground Probing Radar (GPR) has become an invaluable means of exploring shallow structures for geoscientific, engineering environmental and archaeological work. At the same time, GPR analysis software is mostly proprietary and expensive. The academic freeware community has been slow to react the limited free software is usually highly focused and generally unorganized. Herein we report the beginning of an attempt to remedy this situation with a cross-platform freeware analysis and interpretation package, which can also be expandable and customizable to the requirements of a particular user with relatively little programming effort. Almost ideal platforms for the development of such a kind of software are general purpose computing engines, such as MATLAB ™ and/or OCTAVE. These provide two very similar, cross-platform and complete environments for the development of advanced analysis software. We have designed a two-layered software system. The Bottom Layer comprises a set of self-contained and self-documented functions to handle, visualize, process and interpret GPR data and is expandable with addition of a user's own functions. The Top Layer organizes these functions, automating data management and streamlining the flow of work by means of a GU Interface. At the present stage of development, this GPR analysis offers a decent and in many respects advanced means of treating and interpreting common-offset data; future releases may even become competitive, if maintained and developed by collective effort along the spirit of the GNU project.
ESTIMATION OF SEISMIC RESPONSE OF HISTORICAL AND MONUMENTAL SITES USING MICROTREMORS: A CASE STUDY IN THE ANCIENT APTERA, CHANIA, (GREECE)
Authors: Moisidi M. , Vallianatos F. , Makris J. , Soupios P. , Nikolintaga M. I.
Published: July 2018

Main purpose of the present study is to investigate the dynamic characteristics of the remainings at the ancient city of Aptera (Chania) and identify the main damage mechanism, in order to evaluate the risk of structure damage or collapse in case of future events using microtremor recordings. Our study focuses on the application of HVSR method (Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio) to microtremor measurements carried out in specific sites. Registrations have been performed by means of a tridirectional sensor Lennartz 3D-Lite (1 natural Hz frequency), connected with a 24-bit digital acquisition unit. A set of 10 time series of 800 second each, sampled at 125 Hz was recorded in several sites. The selected time windows of each time series were corrected for the base line and for anomalous trends, tapered with a cosine function to the first and last 5% of the signal, and band pass filtered from 0.5 to 20 Hz with cut off frequencies at 0.3 and 22 Hz. The same procedure performed for all sites and components and finally the H/V spectral ratios were computed. Most of the sites present significant amplification peaks in frequency around 2 Hz. Finally, electrical resistivity tomography was carried out. The extracted results clearly show a very complex subsurface geometry indicated by the presence of large-scale voids, which may possibly correspond to ancient reservoirs. In the present work we confirm that the archaeological site of Aptera in Chania consists of a very complex subsurface structure and that the results obtained by HVSR method and by resistivity method are very well correlated.
GRAIN SIZE STATISTICAL PARAMETERS AND PALAEOFLOW VELOCITY MEASUREMENTS OF THE TERTIARY PINDOS FORELAND BASIN TURBIDITES
Authors: Vakalas I. , Ananiadis G. , Kontopoulos N. , Zelilidis A.
Published: July 2018

Pindos foreland is a tertiary turbiditic basin fill trending parallel to the external Hellenides (Aubouin, 1959). The basin is bounded to the east by the Pindos thrust and to the west by the Ionian thrust. Apart of these two major thrusts, minor thrusts separate the basin into linear narrow sub-basins, trending also parallel to the basin axis. For the grain size statistical analysis 35 sandstone samples were collected from sandstone beds in three sections: Metsovo, Amphilochia and Palaiopyrgos. The thickness of the beds ranges from 8 to 25 cm, and comprise Ta, Tb and Te Bouma sequence subdivisions. The samples were smashed in small pieces and then they were disaggregated using acetic acid solution. Then the samples were washed with deionized water and prepared for sieve analysis. The results of the sieve analysis were plotted in grain size cumulative diagrams in order to estimate the statistical parameters. Sorting, skewness and kyrtosis were calculated and also the samples were plotted in CM, FM and LM diagrams (Passega, 1957; Passega, 1964) The palaeoflow velocity measurements were estimated using Komar's model (1985). The results of the above analysis provided the following conclusions: a) Sorting values are decreasing at the top of Metsovo and Palaiopyrgos sections indicating an increase of the sediments immaturity, b) The asymmetry values range from positive to very positive with a trend to increase at he top in the sections of Metsovo and Amphilochia, which shows a dominance of the coarser fraction in the selected samples, c) C-M, F-M, L-M affirms that the sediment was transported to the deeper parts of the basin by turbidity currents. Mean flow velocities at the time of deposition range between 1,86 and 26,59 cm/sec. These values are very much in agreement with those proposed for low-density turbidity currents (<25cm/sec) (Nelson and Nilsen, 1984). A similar velocity range is refereed also by Avramidis (1999) who studied the turbidites of the Middle Ionian zone. In Metsovo and Palaiopyrgos mean flow velocity values increase towards the top of the stratigraphy.
LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPPING BY GIS-BASED QUALITATIVE WEIGHTING PROCEDURE IN CORINTH AREA
Authors: Foumelis M. , Lekkas E. , Parcharidis I.
Published: July 2018

Landslide susceptibility mapping refers to a division of the land into zones of varying degree of stability based on an estimated significance of causative factors in inducing the instability. Maps of landslide susceptibility (relative hazard) are usually prepared on regional scales from 1:25.000 - 1:50.000. An advantage of regional studies is that they allow rapid assessment and hence larger areas can be covered in short durations. Factors (data layers) used for the preparation of the landslide susceptibility map were obtained from different sources such as topographic maps, geological maps and satellite images. All the above data layers were converted to raster format in the GIS, each representing an independent variable of a constructed spatial database. Computerization of the database would be necessary to make such analysis possible within an acceptable time frame. According to their relative importance to slope instability in the study area, the various classes of different data layers were assigned weights between 0,0 and 1,0 (collectively adding to 1,0). The overall susceptibility was calculated as an index named SPI (Susceptibility Potential Index), expressing the combination of the different weighted layers into a single map using a certain combination rule. Reclassification of susceptibility scores, based on natural breaks in the cumulative frequency histogram of SPI values, were used to delineate various susceptibility zones namely, very high, high, moderate, low and very low. Verification of results by overlaying susceptibility map and landslide inventory data and adjustment of zone's boundaries was the last stage of the study, allowing the reconsideration in some cases of the weights given
PHYSICO-GEOGRAPHICAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE COASTAL ZONE OF THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF ISLAND RHODES
Authors: Βερυκίου-Παπασπυριδάκου Ε. , Μπαθρέλλος Γ. , Σκυλοδήμου Χ.
Published: July 2018

Rhodes is the biggest island of the Dodecanese complex; its geology is very interesting for the researchers because it h located onto the eastern end of the Aegean arcade. This paper involves the physico-geographical features of the coastal zone of the NE part of Rhodes. Specifically, the major geological formations of the region were studied and classified, according to their morphology and lithology. In addition, the human interventions that have affected the region were also recorded. The geological formations met in the study region are the following: Mesozoic limestones, Oligocene flysch, Pliocene - Pleistocene marls, calcarenites, and Holocene deposits. Steep slopes and cliffs basically characterize the limestone coasts. Some mirror faults, indicate the intense tectonic movements whereas, some coastlines witness the former sea level. The flysch coasts have mainly steep slope. The coasts, which are developed on marls and calcarenites have got various morphological slopes. This has resulted to the formation of steep costs with cliffs and middle slope costs that are characterized by smooth relief. The coasts developed onto alluvial deposits have mainly gentle slope bearing the bulk of the beaches. They are featured by several geoforms such as coastal dunes, while the human intervention is significant.
RADIOCHRONOLOGICAL DATA WITH U/TH METHOD IN LAGUNAL /MARINE DEPOSITS OF THE NW PELOPONNESE, GREECE.
Authors: Σταματόπουλος Λ. , Κοντόπουλος Ν. , Voltaggio M. , Branca M.
Published: July 2018

Pleistocene lagoonal sediments exposed in northwestern Peloponneses were dated by U/Th methods in Cladocora coespitosa and in Area sp. samples, were collected from the southern part of the Rion - Antirrion and western end of the Corinth grabens, which were both formed in the upper Pliocene. Our dating results, indicate a Tyrrhenian age, Upper Pleistocene, and not Lower Pleistocene ages which were reported for these sediments up until now. In particular, the absolute ages from the collected samples from Ano Kastrisi are 203.6 ±11 kyr.s, from Arachovitika 164 ± 5.8 kyr.s and from Agios George Drepanou 88.1 ± 2.3 kyr.s. The above ages belong in isotopie stages 7, 6, 5 respectively. Based on the U/Th reported ages the calculated relatives rates of uplift are, 2.8 mnvyr"1 and 4.8 mnryr"1 for the areas of Ano Kastrisi and Agios George Drepanou respectively (south-eastern margin of the Rion - Antirrion graben) and 0.4 mnryr"1 Arachovitika samples (western end of Corinth graben). The calculated different relatives rates of uplift demonstrate probably that the two grabens had a different neotectonic and paleogeographic evolution.
Association of fat mass profile with natriuretic peptide receptor alpha in subcutaneous adipose tissue of medication-free healthy men: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Dinas Petros C. , Nintou Eleni , Psychou Dimitra , Granzotto Marnie , Rossato Marco , Vettor Roberto , Jamurtas Athanasios Z. , Koutedakis Yiannis , Metsios George S. , Flouris Andreas D.
Published: July 2018

Background: Atrial natriuretic peptide increases lipolysis in human adipocytes by binding to natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPRA). The aim of the current study was to examine the associations of NPRA mRNA of subcutaneous adipose tissue with fat mass, fat-free mass, body mass index (BMI) and arterial blood pressure in medication-free healthy men.

Method: Thirty-two volunteers [age (years): 36.06±7.36, BMI: 27.60±4.63 (kg/m2)] underwent assessments of body height/weight, % fat mass, fat-free mass (kg), blood pressure, and a subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsy via a surgical technique.

Results: We found that NPRA mRNA was negatively associated with % fat mass (r=-0.40, R2=0.16, p=0.03) and BMI (r=-0.45, R2=0.20, p=0.01). Cohen’s f2 effect size analyses showed a small effect size between NPRA mRNA and BMI (f2=0.25). One-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post-hoc tests showed a tendency for mean differences of NPRA mRNA across BMI categories (p=0.06). This was confirmed by Cohen’s d effect size analyses revealing a large effect size of NPRA mRNA between obese individuals (BMI≥30 kg/m2) and either normal weight (BMI=19-25 kg/m2; d=0.94) or overweight (BMI=25-30 kg/m2; d=1.12) individuals.

Conclusions: NPRA mRNA is negatively associated with % fat mass and BMI in medication-free healthy men, suggesting a possible role of NPRA in the control of fat mass accumulation.
Genetics and epigenetics of pediatric leukemia in the era of precision medicine
Authors: Ramos Kristie N , Ramos Irma N , Zeng Yi , Ramos Kenneth S
Published: July 2018

Pediatric leukemia represents a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by germline and somatic mutations that manifest within the context of disturbances in the epigenetic machinery and genetic regulation. Advances in genomic medicine have allowed finer resolution of genetic and epigenetic strategies that can be effectively used to risk-stratify patients and identify novel targets for therapy. This review discusses the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of leukemogenesis, particularly as it relates to acute lymphocytic leukemias, the mechanisms of epigenetic control of leukemogenesis, namely DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNAs, and LINE-1 retroelements, and highlights opportunities for precision medicine therapeutics in further guiding disease management. Future efforts to broaden the integration of advances in genomic and epigenomic science into the practice of pediatric oncology will not only identify novel therapeutic strategies to improve clinical outcomes but also improve the quality of life for this unique patient population. Recent findings in precision therapeutics of acute lymphocytic leukemias over the past three years, along with some provocative areas of epigenetics research, are reviewed here.
Os homens de cor invisíveis da imprensa negra paulistana: como a biografia de um intelectual negro nascido no século dezenove auxilia a repensar a historiografia do pós-abolição paulistano
Authors: Tiede Lívia Maria
Published: July 2018

O presente texto aborda aspectos históricos e historiográficos do pós-abolição a partir dos jornais da imprensa negra paulistana. Existentes desde pelo menos o final do século dezenove, os jornais negros de São Paulo foram considerados mais combativos a partir da segunda década do século vinte. A relevância bibliográfica atribuída a esse último período ofuscou a luta de ativistas dos decênios anteriores, cuja herança documental é menos acessível. O objetivo deste artigo é refletir acerca das possibilidades para se contornar o problema da ausência dos jornais negros paulistanos nos primeiros anos do século vinte. Desse modo, a investigação biográfica sobre intelectuais negros nascidos em fins do século dezenove – por vezes ainda sob o jugo da escravidão – e que foram atuantes sobretudo nos anos imediatamente posteriores a abolição faz compreender a experiência negra antirracista interligada entre ambos os períodos históricos.
Disadvantaged communities are more exposed to fast food outlets
Authors: Lepkowska Dorothy
Published: July 2018

The density of fast food outlets is five times greater in the most deprived areas a new study has found. Dorothy Lepkowska reports
Body image: An exploration of a group of Girlguides' thoughts and feelings about their appearance
Authors: Owen Alison , Griffiths Emily
Published: July 2018

The study was designed to explore body image in a group of adolescent females, who were all members of the Girlguiding community. The study used two focus groups, with a total of seven participants between the ages of 12 and 17, to conduct an exploratory thematic analysis of the participants' body image and the factors that they felt influenced it. Four themes were identified: ‘emotions and feelings’, ‘conversations and critiques’, ‘weight and size’ and ‘influences on body image’. The results of the study found that on the whole, the participants reported having a positive body image and feeling about their bodies; however, they also identified areas that made them feel more negatively about their appearance (e.g. social media and the media in general). Implications include the need for further education in schools and at home about body image and appearance.
A health promotion intervention strengthening Swedish high school students' wellbeing: A feasibility study
Authors: Kristiansen Lisbeth , Karlström Annika , Holmstrom Malin Rising , Boman Niklas , Jonsson Cathrin , Olofsson Niclas
Published: July 2018

The majority of Swedish school children enjoy a general good health. Still, mental health problems are increasing among young people in Sweden. According to Swedish law all school staff members (teachers and student health professionals) have mutual responsibility to provide a safe school environment and health. Since 2010, there is an emphasis on health promotion in schools. The aim of this study is to describe the feasibility and pilot outcomes of a health promoting intervention targeting healthy high school students (the Strengthening Adolescent Wellbeing [SAW] project).

A descriptive design was used with an intervention group that was assessed before and after the implementation of the programme using quantitative methods. The study was based on the Medical Research Council Framework. The study and the data collection were performed during the autumnof 2016 and the early spring of 2017.

Public high school students' health professionals, that is school nurses, student counselors and specialist educators, facilitated a research-based intervention consisting of eight sessions with education and mind-body practices. Pre- and post-testing were carried out.

The main findings showed enhanced levels of wellbeing among the participating students and the student-related measures all showed improvements.

The intervention seems to have been feasible in this context. Findings from this study indicate that the SAW methodology contributed to an improvement in high school students' wellbeing. The study will provide a base for a full-scale evaluation study intended to evaluate the effect of this health-promoting programme.
Out of the continence comfort zone
Authors: Fuidge Jackie
Published: July 2018

Jackie Fuidge, Learning and Development Manager at ERIC, discusses an upcoming conference on paediatric bowel and bladder conditions
Implementing a 7-day stoma care service: an impact assessment
Authors: Bird Andrew , Humes David , Banerjea Ayan , Bharathan Balamurali , Whitehead Denyse
Published: July 2018

In light of NHS England's recommendation to create a 7-day NHS, the colorectal and stoma care service at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust piloted a 7-day service. Combined colorectal/stoma care nursing roles were separated into dedicated roles; a holistic enhanced-recovery care pathway was implemented; and partial and full weekend working patterns for nurses was trialled. A comparative study assessed the efficacy of the changes. After implementation, stoma patients had a statistically significant 2-day average reduction in length of stay and an increase in the number of weekend discharges was noted. This reduction in length of stay represents a potential saving of over £150 000 for the Trust and the NHS. Although the impact of other concurrent service changes should be taken into account, this suggests that a 7-day service is a financially viable option.
Beating ‘the black dog’
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: July 2018

Mark Greener presents the latest key studies on depression and how to alleviate its burden
Impressions of sunflowers
Authors: Benham Kim
Published: July 2018

Kim Benham, senior manager at outstanding nursery Sparkles, in Croydon, begins her new monthly column recommending resources and creative themes.
An opportunity to reflect on practitioners' skills
Authors: Barber Jenny
Published: July 2018

Jenny Barber suggests an innovative approach to conducting supervisions, using scenarios to gauge thoughts, opinions and understanding. Good communication skills are key to reviewing work and practice.
‘We have a duty of care’
Authors: O'Sullivan June
Published: July 2018

Research from the Pre-School Learning Alliance suggests that the mental health of the workforce is not in a good place. June O'Sullivan, chief executive of LEYF, explores the implications and possible solutions.
Hide and peep
Authors: White Hilary
Published: July 2018

Try Hilary White's ideas for making maths fun with guessing games linked to measurement and shape that are full of surprises. Support children to extend their learning with a well-resourced games area.
Playing it tuff
Authors: White Hilary
Published: July 2018

Discovering the properties of different materials, substances and items is a key learning aim of the tuff tray activity. And the great thing about them is that children can take their play in any direction they like.
Marvellously messy!
Authors: Rawstrone Annette
Published: July 2018

Don't be surprised if your child comes home from pre-school looking a little grubby. They will have been exploring messy play, an activity which is all about tactile exploration, says Annette Rawstrone.
Talking books
Authors: Hewson Claire
Published: July 2018

Try these ideas for fostering a ‘can do’ attitude to book talk, encouraging children to join in with repeated words and phrases and initiating discussions about story events and characters.
Chip off the block
Authors: Clarke Jenni
Published: July 2018

The final article in this series focuses on children using real tools while creating and building outside. The benefits include building core body and arm strength, hand-eye co-ordination and concentration.
Development of a Highly Sensitive Device for Counting the Number of Disease-Specific Exosomes in Human Sera
Authors: Kabe Yasuaki , Suematsu Makoto , Sakamoto Satoshi , Hirai Miwa , Koike Ikko , Hishiki Takako , Matsuda Atsushi , Hasegawa Yuichi , Tsujita Koji , Ono Masayuki , Minegishi Naoko , Hozawa Atsushi , Murakami Yoshinori , Kubo Michiaki , Itonaga Makoto , Handa Hiroshi
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND

Although circulating exosomes in blood play crucial roles in cancer development and progression, difficulties in quantifying exosomes hamper their application for reliable clinical testing. By combining the properties of nanobeads with optical disc technology, we have developed a novel device named the ExoCounter to determine the exact number of exosomes in the sera of patients with various types of cancer.

METHOD

In this system, individual exosomes were captured in the groove of an optical disc coated with antibodies against exosome surface antigens. The captured exosomes were labeled with antibody-conjugated magnetic nanobeads, and the number of the labeled exosomes was counted with an optical disc drive.

RESULTS

We showed that the ExoCounter could detect specific exosomes derived from cells or human serum without any enrichment procedures. The detection sensitivity and linearity with this system were higher than those with conventional detection methods such as ELISA or flow cytometry. In addition to the ubiquitous exosome markers CD9 and CD63, the cancer-related antigens CD147, carcinoembryonic antigen, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) were also used to quantify cancer cell line-derived exosomes. Furthermore, analyses of a cross-sectional cohort of sera samples revealed that HER2-positive exosomes were significantly increased in patients with breast cancer or ovarian cancer compared with healthy individuals and those with noncancer diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

The ExoCounter system exhibits high performance in the direct detection of exosomes in cell culture and human sera. This method may enable reliable analysis of liquid biopsies.
High-Sensitivity Micro LC-MS/MS Assay for Serum Estradiol without Derivatization
Authors: Yi Xin , Leung Edward Ki Yun , Bridgman Rachael , Koo Selene , Yeo Kiang-Teck J
Published: July 2018

Background

There are considerable demands to accurately measure estradiol (E2) at low concentrations (<20 pg/mL) in postmenopausal women, men, pediatric patients, and patients receiving breast cancer treatment. Most current high-sensitivity LC-MS/MS E2 methods require large sample volumes and involve complex sample preparations with dansyl chloride derivatization. Our study aims to develop a high-sensitivity, underivatized method using micro LC-MS/MS to reliably measure E2 concentrations below 5 pg/mL by the use of low sample volume.

Methods

A total of 290 μL of sample was mixed with internal standard (IS), E2-d4, and extracted with a mixture of hexane/ethyl acetate (90/10) (v/v). After extraction, sample was separated by Eksigent Ekspert™ micro LC 200 system with a flow rate of 35 μL/min in a total run time of 3.5 min and detected by SCIEX QTRAP 6500 mass spectrometer in a negative mode using transitions: 271/145 (quantifier) and 271/143 (qualifier). In this method, it was crucial to use HPLC columns with stability at a pH >10.

Results

The validation study demonstrated broad linear ranges (3.0–820.0 pg/mL) with r  2 > 0.999. Total precision was below 15% at all QC levels, and limit of quantification (LOQ) was 3.0 pg/mL. Our method showed good correlation with E2 RIA (r  2 = 0.96, bias = −1.0 pg/mL) and modest correlation with E2 Roche Cobas automated immunoassay (r  2 = 0.86, bias = 6.0 pg/mL).

Conclusions

In conclusion, we developed and validated a routinely applicable micro LC-MS/MS method without derivatization for E2 in blood samples with an LOQ of 3.0 pg/mL.
A Rapid High-Performance LC-MS/MS Method for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Voriconazole, Posaconazole, Fluconazole, and Itraconazole in Human Serum
Authors: Xiao Yi , Xu Yan-Kang , Pattengale Paul , O'Gorman Maurice R , Fu Xiaowei
Published: July 2018

Background

To achieve therapeutic efficacy and prevent toxicity simultaneously, therapeutic drug monitoring has been increasingly adopted for antifungal agents with narrow therapeutic indexes. We herein report the development and validation of an accurate, simple, fast, and cost-effective clinical test with high-performance LC-MS/MS to simultaneously quantify voriconazole, posaconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole in human serum.

Methods

Mixed with extraction solution and internal standard, 100 μL serum samples were centrifuged for protein precipitation. Diluted supernatant was injected onto a Phenomenex® Luna C8 (2) 50 × 2 mm (3 μm) column and was analyzed with a Prominence Shimadzu high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system coupled with a SCIEX QTRAP 4000 mass spectrometer in a positive ionization mode with multiple reaction monitoring. The total analytical run time was 3 min.

Results

The assay is linear for voricoanzole (0.01–10 μg/mL), posaconazole (0.02–40 μg/mL), fluconazole (0.2–200 μg/mL), and itraconazole (0.02–20 μg/mL). The intraday CVs ranged from 1.9% to 3.8% (n = 20); the interday CVs ranged from 2.7% to 5.4% (n = 20). Method comparison study (n = 39 or 40) demonstrated good correlation with reference laboratories (R >0.99) with average biases ranging from −7.2% to 17.5%. The recoveries for each analyte were above 90%, and matrix effects ranged from 95% to 112%.

Conclusions

The method is acceptable for routine therapeutic drug monitoring of these antifungal agents in clinical laboratories for better therapeutic outcome.
The Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) Panel: Analyte Stability Under Common Sample Storage Conditions Used in Clinical Practice
Authors: Kennedy Oliver J , Parkes Julie , Tanwar Sudeep , Trembling Paul M , Rosenberg William M
Published: July 2018

Background

The enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) blood test has recently been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to test for advanced fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The ELF test involves calculating a score from the concentrations of serum biomarkers: tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), aminoterminal propeptide of procollagen type III (P3NP), and hyaluronic acid (HA). Blood samples for the ELF score are often acquired in primary care and may be stored before analysis. However, the effect of preanalytical storage on the ELF test is not known.

Methods

We conducted experiments to assess the stabilities of the ELF score, P3NP, HA, and TIMP-1 under medium- to long-term storage at −80 °C, repeated freeze-thawing, and refrigeration at 4 °C for days.

Results

Mean TIMP-1 concentrations increased during medium- to long-term storage (+16.5%) and refrigeration (+4.9%), but were stable during freeze-thawing. Mean P3NP concentrations were stable under medium- to long-term storage, but increased during refrigeration (+7.4%) and freeze-thawing (+9.3%). Mean HA concentrations decreased during medium- to long-term storage (−12.3%) but were stable during refrigeration and freeze-thawing. Despite changes in biomarker concentrations, the changes in the mean ELF score were not clinically significant and not >0.1 U (0.7%).

Conclusions

The ELF score was stable, with no clinically significant changes under common storage conditions. These findings demonstrate that the ELF score is robust in situations where analysis may be delayed.