bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are pilot trials useful for predicting randomisation and attrition rates in definitive studies: A review of publicly funded trials
Authors: Cooper Cindy L , Whitehead Amy , Pottrill Edward , Julious Steven A , Walters Stephen J
Published: January 2018

Background/aims:

External pilot trials are recommended for testing the feasibility of main or confirmatory trials. However, there is little evidence that progress in external pilot trials actually predicts randomisation and attrition rates in the main trial. To assess the use of external pilot trials in trial design, we compared randomisation and attrition rates in publicly funded randomised controlled trials with rates in their pilots.

Methods:

Randomised controlled trials for which there was an external pilot trial were identified from reports published between 2004 and 2013 in the Health Technology Assessment Journal. Data were extracted from published papers, protocols and reports. Bland–Altman plots and descriptive statistics were used to investigate the agreement of randomisation and attrition rates between the full and external pilot trials.

Results:

Of 561 reports, 41 were randomised controlled trials with pilot trials and 16 met criteria for a pilot trial with sufficient data. Mean attrition and randomisation rates were 21.1% and 50.4%, respectively, in the pilot trials and 16.8% and 65.2% in the main. There was minimal bias in the pilot trial when predicting the main trial attrition and randomisation rate. However, the variation was large: the mean difference in the attrition rate between the pilot and main trial was −4.4% with limits of agreement of −37.1% to 28.2%. Limits of agreement for randomisation rates were −47.8% to 77.5%.

Conclusion:

Results from external pilot trials to estimate randomisation and attrition rates should be used with caution as comparison of the difference in the rates between pilots and their associated full trial demonstrates high variability. We suggest using internal pilot trials wherever appropriate.
Time of presentation affects auditory distraction: Changing-state and deviant sounds disrupt similar working memory processes
Authors: Körner Ulrike , Röer Jan P , Buchner Axel , Bell Raoul
Published: January 2018

Four experiments tested conflicting predictions about which components of the serial-recall task are most sensitive to auditory distraction. Changing-state (Experiments 1a and 1b) and deviant distractor sounds (Experiments 2a and 2b) were presented in one of four different intervals of the serial-recall task: (1) during the first half of encoding, (2) during the second half of encoding, (3) during the first half of retention, or (4) during the second half of retention. According to the embedded-processes model, both types of distractors should interfere with the encoding and rehearsal of targets in the focus of attention. According to the duplex-mechanism account, changing-state distractors should interfere only with rehearsal, whereas deviant distractors should interfere only with encoding. Inconsistent with the latter view, changing-state and deviant distractor sounds interfered with both the encoding and the retention of the targets. Both types of auditory distraction were most pronounced during the second half of encoding when the increasing rehearsal demands had to be coordinated with the continuous updating of the rehearsal set. These findings suggest that the two types of distraction disrupt similar working memory mechanisms.
Location-based prospective memory
Authors: O’Rear Andrea E , Radvansky Gabriel A
Published: January 2018

This study explores location-based prospective memory. People often have to remember to do things when in a particular location, such as buying tissues the next time they are in the supermarket. For event cognition theory, location is important for structuring events. However, because event cognition has not been used to examine prospective memory, the question remains of how multiple events will influence prospective memory performance. In our experiments, people delivered messages from store to store in a virtual shopping mall as an ongoing task. The prospective tasks were to do certain activities in certain stores. For Experiment 1, each trial involved one prospective memory task to be done in a single location at one of three delays. The virtual environment and location cues were effective for prospective memory, and performance was unaffected by delay. For Experiment 2, each trial involved two prospective memory tasks, given in either one or two instruction locations, and to be done in either one or two store locations. There was improved performance when people received instructions from two locations and did both tasks in one location relative to other combinations. This demonstrates that location-based event structure influences how well people perform on prospective memory tasks.
More news from the Euro front: How the press has been framing the Euro crisis in five EU countries
Authors: Joris Willem , Puustinen Liina , d’Haenens Leen
Published: January 2018

This article examines the metaphoric frames in the coverage of the Euro crisis in newspapers across five EU countries. Our quantitative frame analysis identified five dominant frames: war, construction, disease, natural disaster, and game. In all five countries, the Euro crisis as war turned out to be the most prominent news frame. Such framing uses martial, aggressive language to describe the European public sphere. This finding is not without importance, as newspapers play a key role in shaping the general public’s perception of the Euro crisis and by extension the European Union’s institutional elite and its (in)ability to cope with crisis.
Refugees welcome: Arrival gifts, reciprocity, and the integration of forced migrants
Authors: Heins Volker M , Unrau Christine
Published: January 2018

Against competing political theories of the integration of immigrants, we propose to reframe the relationship between the populations of host countries and arriving refugees in terms of a neo-Maussian theory of gift exchange. Using the example of the European refugee crisis of 2015 and the welcoming attitude of significant parts of German civil society, we argue that this particular situation should be understood as epitomizing the trend toward internal transnationalism. Increasingly, the “international” is becoming part and parcel of the “domestic” sphere. Since Marcel Mauss was concerned with the question of how separate, culturally different communities can establish ties of solidarity and cooperation between each other, we use his work to answer key questions about the relations between international refugees and native citizens in their home countries: What are the expectations underlying gift-giving in the context of welcoming refugees? Should refugees feel obliged to repay the arrival gifts? How should we deal with the normative ambivalence of gift-giving and its potentially humiliating effects on those who receive gifts but are unable to reciprocate? Most importantly, how does gift theory help us to clarify the very concept of integration which is at the heart of recent debates on the ethics of immigration?
Patient satisfaction and healthcare services in specialized multiple sclerosis centres in Germany
Authors: Becker Veit , Heeschen Volker , Schuh Katrin , Schieb Heinke , Ziemssen Tjalf
Published: January 2018

Background:

As patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) require lifelong treatment, optimization of therapy with respect to efficacy and safety is needed to limit long-term disease progression. Patients with MS also need a range of health-related services. Satisfaction with these as well as treatment is clinically relevant because satisfied patients are more likely to adhere to therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the status of patient satisfaction and of healthcare services in 70 specialized MS centres in Germany.

Methods:

In 2011, patients with MS responded to a questionnaire, which solicited clinical and demographic information, as well as patients’ perceptions of their overall situation and their satisfaction with treatment.

Results:

Of 2791 patients surveyed, 81.9% had relapsing-remitting MS with mild disability [mean (standard deviation) Expanded Disability Status Scale score: 2.6 (1.8)]. Disease activity data were collected from 2205 patients, of whom 57.6% had remained relapse-free during the preceding 12 months. However, 38.9% had experienced one or more relapses, most of whom (67.3%) while receiving immunomodulatory treatment. About one-third of the patients indicated that they were more dissatisfied with their overall situation compared with the time before diagnosis. However, many patients (58.3%) were satisfied with their existing medication. Overall, 72.8% of patients would prefer oral to injectable treatments, assuming there was no difference in their efficacy.

Conclusions:

A substantial proportion of patients experienced breakthrough disease on treatment and may potentially benefit from a change of therapy. Although largely satisfied with treatment, most patients with MS would choose oral over injectable treatments.
An epidemiological study on the course of disease and therapeutic considerations in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis patients receiving injectable first-line disease-modifying therapies in Germany (EPIDEM)
Authors: Schmidt Stephan , Koehler Jürgen , Winterstein Christine , Schicklmaier Petra , Kallmann Boris
Published: January 2018

Background:

In relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), ‘no evidence of disease activity’ (NEDA) is regarded as a key treatment goal. The increasing number of treatments allows for individualized treatment optimization in patients with suboptimal response to first-line disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Therefore, monitoring of clinical and subclinical disease activity on DMTs has been recognized as an important component of long-term patient management.

Methods:

EPIDEM was a multicenter non-interventional retrospective study in a large cohort of RRMS patients receiving injectable DMTs for at least 2 years in outpatient centers throughout Germany. It documented measures and ratings of disease activity on DMTs to characterize the factors that made the treating neurologists consider to switch therapy towards potentially more effective or better-tolerated drugs.

Results:

The cohort included predominantly female patients with a mean age of 45 years and a mean disease duration of 9.6 years, who had been continuously treated with an injectable DMT for a median duration of 54 months. Overall, 34.0% of the patients had experienced ⩾1 relapse on any DMT in the previous 2 years; 21.0% exhibited magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity, and the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score increased by at least 0.5 points in 20.1%. Overall, 50.3% of the patients with EDSS progression and 70.6% of the patients with relapses were assessed as clinically stable by the neurologists. A change of treatment was considered in a fraction of patients with disease activity: in 22.8% of those with relapse activity, in 37.8% of those with MRI activity and in 20.1% of those with EDSS progression.

Conclusion:

The results of EPIDEM underline the importance of standardized evaluation and documentation of ongoing disease activity and disability deterioration. Judged from the present data, the current paradigm of low tolerance for disease activity and recommendations for early treatment optimization have not been turned fully into action as yet. More widespread implementation of current guideline recommendations may allow patients to more benefit from the growing panel of effective treatment options.
Long-term effects of cladribine tablets on MRI activity outcomes in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: the CLARITY Extension study
Authors: Comi Giancarlo , Cook Stuart , Rammohan Kottil , Soelberg Sorensen Per , Vermersch Patrick , Adeniji Abidemi K. , Dangond Fernando , Giovannoni Gavin
Published: January 2018

Background

The CLARITY and CLARITY Extension studies demonstrated that treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) with cladribine tablets (CT) results in significant clinical improvements, compared with placebo. This paper presents the key magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings from the CLARITY Extension study.

Methods

Patients who received a cumulative dose of either CT 3.5 or 5.25 mg/kg in CLARITY were rerandomized to either placebo or CT 3.5 mg/kg in CLARITY Extension. Patients from the arm that received placebo in CLARITY were assigned to CT 3.5 mg/kg. MRI assessments were carried out when patients entered CLARITY Extension and after Weeks 24, 48, 72 and 96, and in a supplemental follow-up period.

Results

At CLARITY Extension baseline, patients who received placebo during CLARITY had more T1 gadolinium-enhanced (Gd+) lesions than patients who received CT during CLARITY. These patients, who were then exposed to cladribine 3.5 mg/kg during the extension, experienced a 90.4% relative reduction (median difference −0.33, 97.5% confidence interval −0.33–0.00; p < 0.001) in T1 Gd+ lesions at the end of the extension compared with the end of CLARITY. Overall, the majority of patients in each treatment group remained free from T1 Gd+ lesions throughout CLARITY Extension. However, a small proportion of patients who were treated with cladribine in CLARITY and received placebo in CLARITY Extension showed evidence of increased MRI activity, and this was associated with a prolonged treatment gap between CLARITY and CLARITY Extension.

Conclusion

A 2-year treatment with CT 3.5 mg/kg has a durable effect on MRI outcomes in the majority of patients, an effect that was sustained in patients who were not retreated in the subsequent 2 years after initial treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00641537
Normative values of isometric elbow strength in healthy adults: a systematic review
Authors: Kotte Shamala H. P. , Viveen Jetske , Koenraadt Koen L. M. , The Bertram , Eygendaal Denise
Published: January 2018

Background

Post-traumatic deformities such as biceps tendon rupture or (peri-)articular fractures of the elbow are often related to a decrease in muscle strength. Postoperative evaluation of these deformities requires normative values of elbow strength. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine these normative values of isometric elbow strength in healthy adults resulting from studies evaluating this strength (i.e. flexion, extension, pronation and supination strength).

Methods

The databases of PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Sciences were searched and screened for studies involving the isometric elbow strength as measured in asymptomatic volunteers. The quality of the studies was assessed and studies of low quality were excluded.

Results

Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were of sufficiently high quality to be included in the present review. In these studies, elbow strength was measured in a total of 1880 healthy volunteers. The experimental set-up and devices used to measure elbow strength varied between studies. Using some assumptions, a normative values table was assembled.

Conclusions

Large standard deviations of normative values in combination with different measurement devices used, as well as the different measurement positions of the subjects, demonstrated that there is no consensus about measuring the isometric elbow strength and therefore the normative values have to be interpreted with caution.
Osteochondritis dissecans with associated secondary chondromatosis in an adolescent shoulder
Authors: Gill James , Tytherleigh-Strong Graham
Published: January 2018

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral head is rare and usually occurs in adolescents. Secondary synovial chondromatosis occasionally occurs in the shoulder but has only been reported twice in an adolescent. We describe the case and management of an adolescent male who presented with features of OCD and secondary chondromatosis in his shoulder occurring simultaneously.
Refractory thyroid carcinoma: which systemic treatment to use?
Authors: Faugeras Laurence , Pirson Anne-Sophie , Donckier Julian , Michel Luc , Lemaire Julien , Vandervorst Sebastien , D’Hondt Lionel
Published: January 2018

The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased markedly in recent decades, but has been stable in terms of mortality rates. For the most part, these cancers are treated with surgery, which may or may not be followed by radioactive iodine depending on the tumor subtype. Still, many of these cancers will recur and may be treated with radioactive iodine or another surgery. It is unclear what treatment is best for cases of locally advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer that are refractory to radioactive iodine. Chemotherapy has a very low response rate. However, in the past few years, several systemic therapies, primarily targeted, have emerged to improve the overall survival of these patients. Alternative treatments are also of interest, namely peptide receptor radionuclide therapy or immunotherapy.
Is Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells a Possibility for Biological Spinal Fusion?
Authors: Brown Sharon J. , Turner Sarah A. , Balain Birender S. , Davidson Neil T. , Roberts Sally
Published: January 2018

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a simple, biologically robust method for inducing calcification of degenerate intervertebral discs (IVD) could be developed to provide an alternative treatment for patients requiring spinal fusion.

Design

Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells isolated from 14 human IVDs were cultured in monolayer and exposed to osteogenic medium, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(VitD3), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) 2/7 to determine if they could become osteogenic. Similarly explant cultures of IVDs from 11 patients were cultured in osteogenic media with and without prior exposure to VitD3and BMP-2. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed by alkaline phosphatase activity and areas of calcification identified by alizarin red or von Kossa staining. Expression of osteogenic genes during monolayer culture was determined using polymerase chain reaction and explant tissues assessed for BMP inhibitors. Human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were used for comparison.

Results

Standard osteogenic media was optimum for promoting mineralization by human NP cells in monolayer. Some osteogenic differentiation was observed with 10 nM VitD3, but none following application of PTH or BMPs. Regions of calcification were detected in 2 of the eleven IVD tissue explants, one cultured in osteogenic media and one with the addition of VitD3and BMP-2.

Conclusions

Human NP cells can become osteogenic in monolayer and calcification of the extracellular matrix can also occur, although not consistently. Inhibitory factors within either the cells or the extracellular matrix may hinder osteogenesis, indicating that a robust biological fusion at this time requires further optimization.
Managing acute pain in patients who report lactose intolerance: the safety of an old excipient re-examined
Authors: Mill Deanna , Dawson Jessica , Johnson Jacinta Lee
Published: January 2018

Lactose intolerance is exceedingly common, reportedly affecting up to 70% of the world’s population, leading to both abdominal and systemic symptoms. Current treatment focuses predominantly on restricting dietary consumption of lactose. Given lactose is one of the most commonly used excipients in the pharmaceutical industry, consideration must be given to the lactose content and therefore safety of pharmaceutical preparations prescribed for patients with lactose intolerance. This article summarizes the current literature examining the likelihood of inducing adverse effects through the administration of lactose-containing pharmaceutical preparations in patients reporting lactose intolerance, describes how to assess this risk on an individual patient basis and reviews suitable analgesic options for this population.

A case study is presented detailing a patient reporting lactose intolerance who insists on treatment with the lactose-free product codeine/ibuprofen (Nurofen Plus) rather than other codeine-free analgesics. It is important to assess the likelihood of lactose as an excipient inducing symptoms in this scenario, as reluctance to cease codeine could suggest codeine dependence, an issue that is becoming increasingly common in countries such as Australia and Canada. Given codeine dependence is associated with serious sequelae including hospitalization and death, the patient must either be reassured the lactose component in their prescribed analgesics will not induce symptoms or an alternative treatment strategy must be confirmed. General recommendations applying theory from the literature to the management of acute pain in lactose-intolerant patients are discussed and specific treatment options are outlined.

Although large inter-individual variability is reported, most lactose-intolerant patients can tolerate the small quantities of lactose found in pharmaceutical preparations. Cumulative lactose exposure can be assessed in patients taking multiple medications while also consuming lactose in the diet. In those sensitive to small quantities of lactose, lactase supplements can be trailed. Additionally, for the analgesic drug classes employed for the management of acute pain, lactose-free formulations, including most oral liquids and dispersible tablets and some oral tablets and capsules, are available.
The influence of radiation in the context of developing combination immunotherapies in cancer
Authors: Honeychurch Jamie , Illidge Timothy M.
Published: January 2018

In addition to tumouricidal activity, radiotherapy is now recognized to display potent immunostimulatory properties that can contribute to the generation of anti-cancer immune responses. Treatment with radiation can induce a variety of pro-immunogenic and phenotypic changes in malignant cells, and recalibrate the immune contexture of the tumour microenvironment, leading to enhanced activation of the innate immune system, and priming of tumour-specific T-cell immunity. The immune-dependent effects of radiotherapy provide a sound rationale for the development of combination strategies, whereby the immunomodulatory properties of radiation can be exploited to augment the activity of immunotherapeutic agents. Encouraged by the recent success of breakthrough therapies such as immune checkpoint blockade, and a wealth of experimental data demonstrating the efficacy of radiotherapy and immunotherapy combinations, the clinical potential of this approach is now being explored in numerous trials. Successful translation will require careful consideration of the most suitable dose and fractionation of radiation, choice of immunotherapy and optimal sequencing and scheduling regimen. Immunological control of cancer is now becoming a clinical reality. There is considerable optimism that the development of effective radiotherapy and immunotherapy combinations with the capacity to induce durable, systemic immunity will further enhance patient outcome and transform the future management of cancer.
A novel approach to studying co-evolution of understanding and research: Family bereavement and the potential for organ donation as a case study
Authors: Dicks Sean G , Ranse Kristen , Northam Holly , van Haren Frank MP , Boer Douglas P
Published: January 2018

A novel approach to data extraction and synthesis was used to explore the connections between research priorities, understanding and practice improvement associated with family bereavement in the context of the potential for organ donation. Conducting the review as a qualitative longitudinal study highlighted changes over time, and extraction of citation-related data facilitated an analysis of the interaction in this field. It was found that lack of ‘communication’ between researchers contributes to information being ‘lost’ and then later ‘rediscovered’. It is recommended that researchers should plan early for dissemination and practice improvement to ensure that research contributes to change.
Midwifery and Antenatal Care for Black Women: A Narrative Review
Authors: Yoder Hannah , Hardy Lynda R.
Published: January 2018

Non-Hispanic Black mothers are 2.3 times more likely than White mothers to receive delayed or no prenatal care. Black women possess a long history of midwifery-led care, but there is a recent absence in the literature about the role of midwifery in this population. This systematic review elucidates the state-of-the-science regarding Black women’s experience of antenatal care, including the role of midwives. Sixteen articles identified through CINAHL and PubMed databases were included using specific parameters. Three themes were used to identify Black Women’s antenatal care perceptions: (a) care disparities, (b) perceptions of antenatal care, and (c) midwifery-led care. Major literature gaps include Black women’s perception of midwifery as an antenatal care option and the experience and practice of Black midwives today. Understanding Black women’s views of midwifery will enable providers to deliver antenatal care options that facilitate improved outcomes for Black women and their neonates.
Discrepancy Between Rhetoric and Practice: A Qualitative Study Assessing Barriers Associated With Prisoner Rehabilitation at Hawassa Correctional Facility, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Meseret Fitsum
Published: January 2018

It is widely documented that prisons in Ethiopia are inhumane and substandard and that inmates serving time in prison are mistreated and neglected. Yet, not much is known about the reason why the correctional system fails to be an agent of rehabilitation. By employing focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview to collect data from prison inmates and prison staff, this study examined the factors that affected prisoner rehabilitation at Hawassa correctional facility, Southern Ethiopia. The finding of the study suggested that Hawassa correctional facility failed to fulfill its primary function of correction. A range of institutional- and inmate-related factors counteracted the very role of the institution as a rehabilitative agent. Six key factors were identified as barriers to successful prisoner rehabilitation: inadequacy of treatment personnel, underfunding of programs, absence of treatment personnel on administrative positions, weak inmate classification system, correctional officers’ low level of treatment orientation, and the inmate subculture. The prison administration, in alliance with other stakeholders, should put in place the requisite reform to address these barriers associated with prisoner rehabilitation.
A Case of Myocarditis and Near-Lethal Arrhythmia Associated With Interleukin-2 Therapy
Authors: Wu Stephanie , Sarcon Anna , Do Khuyen , Shinbane Jerold , Doshi Rahul , Van Herle Helga
Published: January 2018

We present a case of a 48-year-old female who developed myocarditis and near fatal arrhythmias during high dose Il-2 therapy for metastatic renal cancer. On day 5 of therapy, the patient developed sudden onset chest pain, elevated cardiac enzymes and ST segment changes on EKG. Coronary angiogram was normal, however echocardiogram showed reduced ejection fraction and hemodynamic measurements showed elevated bilateral elevated filling pressures. The patient then developed episodes of recurrent ventricular arrhythmia, precipitated by bradycardia and PVC, requiring defibrillation and temporary pacemaker placement. Endomycardial biopsy was nonspecific showing fibrosis with subsequent cardiac MRI showed evidence of myocardial edema, consistent with Il-2 induced myocarditis in the setting of no prior cardiac history. After the discontinuation of Il-2 therapy, the patient displayed clinical improvement as well as improved ejection fraction. This case brings attention to the cardiac toxicities associated with high dose Il-2 therapy including potentially lethal arrhythmias and highlights the importance of careful cardiac screening prior to initiation of treatment.
Patient Experience and Satisfaction With Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Delivered in a Complimentary Open Group Format for Adults With Eating Disorders
Authors: Mac Neil Brad A , Hudson Chloe C
Published: January 2018

We examined patient experiences and satisfaction with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) delivered in a novel weekly open-group therapy format immediately following psychiatric intake assessment into a hospital-based outpatient adult eating disorders program. Participants were 68 adults with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition diagnosis of an eating disorder who reported their experiences and satisfaction with the ACT group. Participants reported that they were somewhat satisfied to very satisfied with the open ACT group and that the treatment content was helpful. Specifically, participants reported that ACT group helped them to recognize their personal values and learn strategies for behavior change. Satisfaction with ACT group was associated with engagement in the broader group therapy program. Results suggest that ACT delivered in an open group format is well liked by adults in an outpatient program for eating disorders. ACT is a promising complimentary treatment for individuals with eating disorders that can be easily integrated by clinicians into outpatient care.
Spending Bundles: Incorporating Household Expenditures in the Sociology of Consumption
Authors: Charron-Chénier Raphaël
Published: January 2018

Sociologists of consumption focus primarily on understanding the determinants and consequences of social variation in tastes. Patterns of variation in actual purchases, however, remain relatively unexplored. In this paper, the author proposes a framework for studying household expenditures. Drawing on the work of Mary Douglas, the author proposes a classification of goods and services into four spending bundles that are defined in relation to their contribution to social reproduction strategies. The author first tests the construct validity of the classification using household spending data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. The author then examines the relationship between cultural capital and patterns of actual spending. In contrast to expectations derived from the sociology of consumption, the author finds that cultural capital is only weakly associated with how households actually spend their money. Overall, this suggests that sociologists need to incorporate issues of spending into the predominantly cultural focus of much consumption research.
Temporal and spatial differentiation of infectious diseases in China
Authors: Yan Meichun , Xu Lingli
Published: January 2018

Viral hepatitis and tuberculosis affect social productivity seriously. Because they are two typical incidences of morbidity and mortality of infectious diseases, analysis of tuberculosis and hepatitis, and grasping their temporal and spatial differentiation, is an important task. The incidence and mortality of viral hepatitis and tuberculosis in China were revealed by ESDA. It was found that: (1) the morbidity and mortality of tuberculosis kept increasing before 2005, then began declining. The incidence of viral hepatitis volatility peaked in 1988, then declined slowly, with mortality declining; (2) morbidity of tuberculosis and viral hepatitis acted in a highly clustered manner. The incidence of tuberculosis in the west was the highest, decreasing gradually in the east; that in the north was higher than in the south with a lower gradient; the mortality in the middle was the lowest, with the east lower than the west. The incidence of viral hepatitis in the east was lower than in the west; the south was lower than the north, and mortality in total was low; (3) the incidence of tuberculosis morbidity was related closely to SO2 emission, and the incidence of hepatitis morbidity was related closely to GDP; the mortality rate was related closely to GDP.
The evolution of China’s emission trading mechanisms: From international offset market to domestic Emission Trading Scheme
Authors: Ba Feng , Thiers Paul R , Liu Yonggong
Published: January 2018

With the decline of the international market under the Clean Development Mechanism, China is establishing a national Emission Trading Scheme by setting up emission cap and trade rules for high emission industries in seven pilot areas. The shift from the international to domestic market and from an offset program to a true cap and trade mechanism requires several significant changes. This paper reviews the development and evolution of China’s carbon trading market policy instruments. We find that there are substantial changes in both structure and policy. First, Emission Trading Scheme is a broad cap-and-trade mechanism with many new stakeholders added to those already involved in China’s Clean Development Mechanism. Second, the administrative structure is decentralized compared to that of the Clean Development Mechanism. Third, while the Emission Trading Scheme is best thought of as a new policy, China’s experience with the Clean Development Mechanism influences that policy. A large number of Clean Development Mechanism projects are being converted into offsets for the national Emission Trading Scheme market, and many institutional stakeholders that emerged during the Clean Development Mechanism are now involved in the Emission Trading Scheme. The combination of new policies and stakeholders, a decentralization of structure and the conversion of Clean Development Mechanism projects raise questions regarding the integrity of the cap and the enforcement of compliance as the Emission Trading Scheme is expanded into a nationwide system.
Efficacy and safety of artemisinin-based combination therapy and chloroquine with concomitant primaquine to treat Plasmodium vivax malaria in Brazil: an open label randomized clinical trial
Authors: Daher André , Pereira Dhelio , Lacerda Marcus V. G. , Alexandre Márcia A. A. , Nascimento Cristiana T. , Alves de Lima e Silva Júlio Castro , Tada Mauro , Ruffato Rosilene , Maia Ivan , dos Santos Tereza Cristina , Marchesini Paola , Santelli Ana Carolina , Lalloo David G.
Published: January 2018

Background

There is general international agreement that the importance of vivax malaria has been neglected, and there is a need for new treatment approaches in an effort to progress towards control and elimination in Latin America. This open label randomized clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of three treatment regimens using either one of two fixed dose artemisinin-based combinations or chloroquine in combination with a short course of primaquine (7–9 days: total dose 3–4.2 mg/kg) in Brazil. The primary objective was establishing whether cure rates above 90% could be achieved in each arm.

Results

A total of 264 patients were followed up to day 63. The cure rate of all three treatment arms was greater than 90% at 28 and 42 days. Cure rates were below 90% in all three treatment groups at day 63, although the 95% confidence interval included 90% for all three treatments. Most of the adverse events were mild in all treatment arms. Only one of the three serious adverse events was related to the treatment and significant drops in haemoglobin were rare.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of all three regimens that were tested with 42-day cure rates that meet World Health Organization criteria. The efficacy and safety of artemisinin-based combination therapy regimens in this population offers the opportunity to treat all species of malaria with the same regimen, simplifying protocols for malaria control programmes and potentially contributing to elimination of both vivax and falciparum malaria.

Trial registration RBR-79s56s
Pore characteristics and dominant controlling factors of overmature shales: A case study of the Wangyinpu and Guanyintang Formations in the Jiangxi Xiuwu Basin
Authors: Gao Fenglin , Song Yan , Li Zhuo , Jiang Zhenxue , Gao Zhiye , Zhang Xinxin , Chen Lei , Liu Qingxin
Published: January 2018

Because of the great potential for hydrocarbon generation, the Lower Cambrian Wangyinpu and Guanyintang Formations of the Jiangxi Xiuwu Basin have become the most important targets for shale-gas exploration in the Jiangxi province. We investigate the pore characteristics and main controlling factors of overmature shale using field emission-scanning electron microscopy, image-processing software (i.e., the Particles [Pores] and Crack Analysis System), X-ray diffraction, and gas-adsorption experiments. The results show that the shales have a high abundance of organic matter (OM), over maturity, and highly siliceous mineral content. The kerogen type is identified as type I. OM pores are the most developed, followed by interparticle (interP) pores and intraparticle (intraP) pores. We combine complementary image processing and gas-adsorption methods to reveal that micropores are mainly from OM pores; mesopores are from OM pores and interP pores; and macropores are from OM pores, interP pores, and intraP pores. Although the number of micropores is at a maximum, the total contribution of mesopores and macropores to the pore volume (PV) is larger than that of micropores. However, the specific surface area (SSA) is mainly from the micropores. OM content and maturity are the main controlling factors for the development of pore structures. Because of overmaturity, OM loses its potential for hydrocarbon generation and new pores cannot be produced. Gas loss leads to reservoir pressure drop, and the pores generated during the mature stage collapse and even disappear because they lack support. Therefore, PV, SSA, and porosity decrease when the OM content is more than 10%. When the OM content is less than 10%, most of the OM pores are preserved because they are protected by the skeleton particles.
Late Pleistocene Bryant Canyon turbidite system: Implications for Gulf of Mexico minibasin petroleum systems
Authors: Hans Nelson C. , Damuth John E. , Olson Hilary Clement
Published: January 2018

The western ancestral Mississippi shelf-margin delta fed the Bryant Canyon turbidite system in the intraslope basin province of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) during the penultimate glacial lowstand of sea level (130–160 year BP). The Bryant Canyon links a chain of 15 fill-and-spill minibasins on the continental slope. On the upper and lower continental slopes, minibasins are narrow (1–3 km), elongate (3–6 km), and follow salt ridges. On the middle slope, minibasins are larger (8–15 km) semicircular basins. Three main depositional facies are recognized based on seismic-facies interpretation: (1) ponded turbidites (T), (2) mass-transport deposits (MTDs), and (3) bypass channelized turbidites (C). Thick, intrabasinal, muddy MTD wedges sourced from high-relief internal walls of the minibasins alternate with and frequently cap externally derived deposits. Tabular extrabasinal MTD deposits originated from shelf-margin delta or canyon-wall failures upslope. The T and MTD facies deposits each make up approximately 40% of basin fill, and the C facies deposits comprise approximately 20%. The T facies deposits form perched lobes at canyon inlets into basins and ponded units on distal sides of basins. Channels in the C facies are similar in width (500–2000 m) and relief (20–100 ms) to channels in productive GOM subsurface minibasins. Syntectonic activity of salt diapirs typically began midway through filling of Bryant Canyon minibasins and then preferentially uplifted northern portions of basin deposits. Local salt-tectonic activity caused greater basin relief and thicker capping MTDs than in subsurface minibasins to the west (e.g., Brazos-Trinity Basin IV) or east (e.g., Mississippi Canyon). Bryant Canyon minibasins provide excellent modern analogs for subsurface Miocene to Pleistocene GOM chains of minibasins because of similar scales and depositional facies. The youngest Bryant T facies deposits and their overlying incised, thick, channel deposits contain the most sand-prone facies and suggest the best potential for petroleum reservoirs in subsurface minibasins.
O Outro queer no contexto conservador global
Authors: Contente Renato
Published: January 2018

O presente artigo se propõe a tecer considerações teóricas para se pensar a condição do Outro queer no contexto neoliberal contemporâneo. Para tal, buscarmos respostas na visão dos autores pós-estruturalistas Michel Foucault (2000), cuja ideia de épistemê é atrelada à cisão entre o Mesmo e Outro, e Judith Butler (1993; 2015), nome-chave por trás da teoria queer. Adiante, abordaremos a questão do Outro na modernidade, através de Georg Simmel (1983) e Hannah Arendt (1999). Sustentamos a condição de “estrangeiro” da população queer em um corpo social de matriz heterossexista, onde a ela é negada a condição de sujeito – situação que dispõe o Outro não necessariamente como um elemento externo ao Mesmo, mas como elemento fundamental para a própria delimitação e constituição deste Mesmo.
Interconexão Entre Pintura, Vida e Religião: A Obra Mural Sacra Moderna de Emeric Marcier
Authors: Cerqueira Filho Ilton José de
Published: January 2018

Este artigo pretende nos fornecer um panorama da contribuição, prestada à Arte Mural Brasileira, pelo pintor judeu romeno, convertido ao catolicismo e naturalizado brasileiro, Emeric Marcier, autor de extensa obra mural, com a temática religiosa, executada entre os idos anos de 1946 e 1960. Marcier fez parte da primeira geração de artistas judeus que imigrou para o Brasil. Residiu, inicialmente, no Rio e Janeiro e, depois, na cidade de Barbacena, Estado de Minas Gerais.
Genetics in the 21st Century: Implications for patients, consumers and citizens
Authors: Roberts Jonathan , Middleton Anna
Published: January 2018

The first human genome project, completed in 2003, uncovered the genetic building blocks of humankind. Painstakingly cataloguing the basic constituents of our DNA (‘genome sequencing’) took ten years, over three billion dollars and was a multinational collaboration. Since then, our ability to sequence genomes has been finessed so much that by 2018 it is possible to explore the 20,000 or so human genes for under £1000, in a matter of days. Such testing offers clues to our past, present and future health, as well as information about how we respond to medications so that truly ‘personalised medicine’ is now moving closer to a reality.

The impact of such a ‘genomic era’ is likely to have some level of impact on an increasingly large number of us, even if we are not directly using healthcare services ourselves. We explore how advancements in genetics are likely to be experienced by people, as patients, consumers and citizens; and urge policy makers to take stock of the pervasive nature of the technology as well as the human response to it.
Recent advances in understanding hematopoiesis in Fanconi Anemia
Authors: Bagby Grover
Published: January 2018

Fanconi anemia is an inherited disease characterized by genomic instability, hypersensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents, bone marrow failure, short stature, skeletal abnormalities, and a high relative risk of myeloid leukemia and epithelial malignancies. The 21 Fanconi anemia genes encode proteins involved in multiple nuclear biochemical pathways that effect DNA interstrand crosslink repair. In the past, bone marrow failure was attributed solely to the failure of stem cells to repair DNA. Recently, non-canonical functions of many of the Fanconi anemia proteins have been described, including modulating responses to oxidative stress, viral infection, and inflammation as well as facilitating mitophagic responses and enhancing signals that promote stem cell function and survival. Some of these functions take place in non-nuclear sites and do not depend on the DNA damage response functions of the proteins. Dysfunctions of the canonical and non-canonical pathways that drive stem cell exhaustion and neoplastic clonal selection are reviewed, and the potential therapeutic importance of fully investigating the scope and interdependences of the canonical and non-canonical pathways is emphasized.
netSmooth: Network-smoothing based imputation for single cell RNA-seq
Authors: Ronen Jonathan , Akalin Altuna
Published: January 2018

Single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) experiments suffer from a range of characteristic technical biases, such as dropouts (zero or near zero counts) and high variance. Current analysis methods rely on imputing missing values by various means of local averaging or regression, often amplifying biases inherent in the data. We present netSmooth, a network-diffusion based method that uses priors for the covariance structure of gene expression profiles on scRNA-seq experiments in order to smooth expression values. We demonstrate that netSmooth improves clustering results of scRNA-seq experiments from distinct cell populations, time-course experiments, and cancer genomics. We provide an R package for our method, available at: https://github.com/BIMSBbioinfo/netSmooth.
Optimisation of ex vivo memory B cell expansion/differentiation for interrogation of rare peripheral memory B cell subset responses
Authors: Muir Luke , McKay Paul F. , Petrova Velislava N. , Klymenko Oleksiy V. , Kratochvil Sven , Pinder Christopher L. , Kellam Paul , Shattock Robin J.
Published: January 2018

Background:Human memory B cells play a vital role in the long-term protection of the host from pathogenic re-challenge. In recent years the importance of a number of different memory B cell subsets that can be formed in response to vaccination or infection has started to become clear. To study memory B cell responses, cells can be culturedex vivo,allowing for an increase in cell number and activation of these quiescent cells, providing sufficient quantities of each memory subset to enable full investigation of functionality. However, despite numerous papers being published demonstrating bulk memory B cell culture, we could find no literature on optimised conditions for the study of memory B cell subsets, such as IgM+memory B cells.

Methods:Following a literature review, we carried out a large screen of memory B cell expansion conditions to identify the combination that induced the highest levels of memory B cell expansion. We subsequently used a novel Design of Experiments approach to finely tune the optimal memory B cell expansion and differentiation conditions for human memory B cell subsets. Finally, we characterised the resultant memory B cell subpopulations by IgH sequencing and flow cytometry.

Results:The application of specific optimised conditions induce multiple rounds of memory B cell proliferation equally across Ig isotypes, differentiation of memory B cells to antibody secreting cells, and importantly do not alter the Ig genotype of the stimulated cells. 

Conclusions:Overall, our data identify a memory B cell culture system that offers a robust platform for investigating the functionality of rare memory B cell subsets to infection and/or vaccination.