bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of quality of life in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: The role of anxiety, depression, and functionality
Authors: Pedras Susana , Carvalho Rui , Pereira M. Graça
Published: July 2016

The goal of this study was to analyze the relationships between anxiety, depression symptoms, and functionality as predictors of quality of life, in patients with diabetic foot ulcer taking in consideration clinical variables. A sample of 202 participants indicated for a lower limb amputation surgery, were assessed before the surgery, on physical and mental quality of life, functionality, a anxiety and depression symptoms. Anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as functionality level were predictors of mental quality of life. Pain, having a first amputation, depression symptoms, and functionality were predictors of physical quality of life. In order to promote quality of life, psychological variables should be targeted, in clinical practice.
‘Turkish, Dutch, gay and proud’: Mapping out the contours of agency in homonationalist times
Authors: Yildiz Armanc
Published: July 2016

In 2012 Amsterdam Gay Pride Canal Parade hosted a Turkish Boat, organized by Dutch citizens of Turkish decent. The newspaper articles consistently emphasized what an advancement this was for the Turkish migrants, considering their ‘cultural background.’ Simultaneously, public opinion on the former immigrants from Turkey and Morocco as intolerant towards LGBTI people and how they are ‘gay bashing on the streets’ was still present. The scholarship on homonationalism and gay imperialism has been dealing with questions of Orientalism, islamophobia and racism since the 2000s. The question of agency within this scholarship, however, was not dealt with extensively. This paper will engage with this question by mapping out Dutch homonationalism and focusing on how this specific context produces historically contingent subject positions – such as gay, lesbian, Muslim, Turkish or Moroccan-Dutch – that are hierarchized within the Dutch public sphere. None of them is innocent of power or neutral, the power configurations among these subject positions lay the ground of agency upon which the subject can act.
Acts of homonationalism: Mapping Africa in the Swedish media
Authors: Jungar Katarina , Peltonen Salla
Published: July 2016

Gay-friendliness and gender equality have been taken as signs of modern Western superiority over other cultural spheres and geographical spaces, particularly those of the Muslim world. In a similar manner, the promotion and defense of gay rights has become the crucible of othering discourses in relation to Africa. Across different cultural and national spaces, the meanings of citizenship, nationalism, modernity, colonialism and sovereignty are being negotiated in debates about anti-homosexuality on the continent. The focus of this article is the politics of mapping anti-homosexuality legislation in Africa in Swedish daily newspapers . Drawing on the work of Jasbir Puar and other feminist and queer scholars theorizing race and sexuality in relation to processes of nation-building, the authors analyze the mapping of the regulation of homosexuality in Africa as an instance of imaginative geographies. They investigate how journalistic rhetoric about homophobia on the African continent in Swedish daily newspapers relies on a politics of homonationalism and sexual exceptionalism in ‘gay liberation’ discourses.
Being [in] the center: Sexual citizenship and homonationalism at Tel Aviv’s Gay-Center
Authors: Hartal Gilly , Sasson-Levy Orna
Published: July 2016

Tel Aviv’s Gay-Center is unique in Israel for being sponsored, managed and controlled by the municipality. This article focuses on the Gay-Center as a material, symbolic and discursive space in order to clarify the relationship between LGBT individuals and the nation. Based on an ethnographic study, we show that since its establishment the Gay-Center has undergone centralization processes as a result of being located in central Tel Aviv and by striving for LGBT mainstreaming, thereby accelerating the achievement of sexual citizenship and urban belonging. However, the expansion of sexual citizenship, which is always based on processes of inclusion and exclusion, reveals homonational practices and homonormative discourses. Since being in the city is the easiest and, at times, the only way to earn sexual citizenship, we argue that LGBT urban citizenship is an indication, a marker and thus a prerequisite of homonationalism.
Does more exposure to the language of instruction lead to higher academic achievement? A cross-national examination
Authors: Agirdag Orhan , Vanlaar Gudrun
Published: July 2016

Aims and objectives:

As some Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) studies claimed that native speaking (NS) students outperform language minority (LMi) students, far-reaching inferences have been drawn by policymakers. However, previous PISA assessments were not appropriate because they only included a dichotomous home language variable. The main objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of how students’ language background and use are related to academic achievement.

Design:

The PISA data from 2012 provides a unique opportunity to fill this research lacuna as it includes a more elaborated questionnaire on language background and use.

Data and analysis:

Multivariate three-level analyses are conducted on PISA 2012 data from 18 countries, covering about 5,000 schools and 120,000 students.

Findings:

The results show that there is an achievement gap between LMi and NS students for both reading and math. After controlling for students and school characteristics, the LMi–NS achievement gap narrows, but remains significant. This holds true for most countries. However, language use per se is not the cause of underachievement: LMi students who more often speak a minority language with their parents do not achieve less. In some countries, speaking a minority language more often with parents is actually positively related to math and reading achievement. Nevertheless, speaking the instruction language in the school context is positively associated with math and reading achievement.

Originality and significance:

This study revealed that the relation between language use and academic achievement is more complex than it was conceptualized in most previous PISA studies. Scholars need to go beyond the dichotomous approach to achieve a better understanding of language use. Our results show that linguistic diversity could function as an asset for academic performance, at least if a good balance between focus on minority languages at home and instruction language at school can be found.
Experiencing gender in UK political science: The results of a practitioner survey
Authors: Allen Nicholas , Savigny Heather
Published: July 2016

Does gender matter in the way in which we ‘perform’ academia? Drawing on the results of a practitioner survey, we argue that gender does matter, culturally and structurally, and can be institutionalised so that women are disadvantaged. This is not to deny women’s agency or the advances that they have made. Rather, we highlight the inequality of the playing field in which the academic endeavour is conducted. Uniquely, we ask UK political scientists about their perceptions of the impact of gender in their working lives and explore their views on recommendations for change.
Experimental investigations on seismic damage monitoring of concrete dams using distributed lead zirconate titanate sensor network
Authors: Zhang Yu , Feng Xin , Fan Zhe , Hou Shuang , Zhu Tong , Zhou Jing
Published: July 2016

Seismic damage detection of concrete dams has always attracted much attention in hydraulic structure community. In this article, a novel seismic damage detection system was developed to perform seismic damage monitoring in concrete dams. As its importance in achieving the dam damage detection, the arrangement of a distributed lead zirconate titanate sensor network was introduced in detail. A dam model system with a distributed lead zirconate titanate sensor network was used as an object for verification. A shaking table was used to simulate the earthquake ground motion for the object to be tested. The seismic damage detection system could be used in not only the seismic damage process monitoring by measuring the dynamic stress history but also the distributed detecting of the dam damaged region. By analyzing the sensor signals, the emergence and development of the structural damages could be monitored timely. A damage index matrix was presented to evaluate the damage status of the dam in different paths. The experimental results verified the timeliness and the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Governance and Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions
Authors: Van Damme Patrick , Wijesiri Mahinda , Meoli Michele
Published: July 2016

Using a sample of Sri Lankan microfinance institutions (MFIs), we investigate the impact of several governance mechanisms on MFI efficiency, expressed in terms of the latter’s dual objectives of financial sustainability and outreach. Results reveal that smaller and gender-diverse boards have a positive impact on financial efficiency. Results also show that MFIs in which the chief executive officer (CEO) chairs the board and a woman holds the CEO position are less efficient in terms of poverty outreach.
Efficiency of Colorectal Cancer Surveillance in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: 38 Years’ Experience in a Patient Cohort from a Defined Population Area
Authors: Rutegård M. , Palmqvist R. , Stenling R. , Lindberg J. , Rutegård J.
Published: July 2016

Background and Aims:

Ulcerative colitis increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Colonoscopic surveillance is recommended although there are no randomized trials evaluating the efficacy of such a strategy. This study is an update of earlier studies from an ongoing colonoscopic surveillance program.

Material and Methods:

All patients with ulcerative colitis were invited to the surveillance program that started in 1977 at Örnsköldsvik Hospital, located in the northern part of Sweden. Five principal endoscopists performed the colonoscopies and harvested mucosal sampling for histopathological evaluation. Some 323 patients from the defined catchment area were studied from 1977 to 2014. At the end of the study period, 130 patients, including those operated on, had had total colitis for more than 10 years.

Results:

In total, 1481 colonoscopies were performed on 323 patients during the study period without any major complications. In all, 10 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in 9 patients, of whom 1 died from colorectal cancer. The cumulative incidence of colorectal cancer was 1.4% at 10 years, 2.0% at 20 years, 3.0% at 30 years, and 9.4% at 40 years of disease duration, respectively. The standardized colorectal cancer incidence ratio was 3.01 (95% confidence interval: 1.42–5.91). Major surgery was performed on 65 patients; for 20 of these, the indication for surgery was dysplasia or colorectal cancer. Panproctocolectomy was performed in 43 patients.

Conclusion:

This study supports that colonoscopic surveillance is a safe and effective long-term measure to detect dysplasia and progression to cancer. The low numbers of colorectal cancer-related deaths in our study suggest that early detection of neoplasia and adequate surgical intervention within a surveillance program may reduce colorectal cancer mortality in ulcerative colitis patients.
Entrepreneurial activity and national innovative capacity in selected European countries
Authors: Albulescu Claudiu Tiberiu , Drăghici Anca
Published: July 2016

The present article assesses the role of entrepreneurship in strengthening the national innovative capacity of the European countries. For this purpose, we use the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data for the entrepreneurial activity, while the innovative capacity is assessed based on the Global Innovation Index and the Summary Innovation Index. Our panel data estimations for the period 2009–2012 show that the total entrepreneurial activity does not influence the national innovative capacity. Furthermore, the role of opportunity or innovation-driven entrepreneurs in enhancing the national innovative capacity cannot be documented, either in the Central and Eastern European countries or in the Western European countries. Our findings are robust regarding the change in data sample, control variables or the way national innovative capacity is assessed.
SME lending relationships
Authors: Haag Anke , Henschel Thomas
Published: July 2016

The article illustrates the importance of the German Credit Guarantee Scheme to overcome credit restrictions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By analysing the results of semi-structured interviews with German bank managers, it is demonstrated that the provision of a guarantee from a guarantee bank fosters learning by creating lending relationships and allowing a diminution of information asymmetries. Moreover, the research reveals some new aspects regarding the profitability of lending banks. The respondents indicate that profits rather decrease when a guarantee from a guarantee bank is included. However, the results also reveal that the provision of additional services (known as cross-selling) and the support of the region are considered to have a positive impact on the overall profitability and therefore on the willingness to include guarantees that make available bank loans to SMEs. Consequently, the research provides empirical results that expand existing conceptual literature.
Critical innovations in the UK peer-to-peer (P2P) and equity alternative finance markets for small firm growth
Authors: Culkin Nigel , Murzacheva Ekaterina , Davis Andrew
Published: July 2016

This paper examines the disruptive nature of financial innovations available to small firms by the growing range of online platforms that have emerged in the United Kingdom since the financial crisis. It is unveiled that finance provided to small firms via such mechanisms is not identical to more traditional sources, and its adoption therefore cannot be said to be simply a question of direct substitution based, for example on a price comparison. These offer a series of important advantages over more traditional sources of early-stage capital for entrepreneurs seeking funding. Service innovations around security, flexibility of terms, speed of access and transparency of pricing are as important as price considerations for many users, as are innovations made possible by the way, these online markets are structured and in particular in the way these innovative structures allow important types of risk to be dispersed and mitigated.
Comparison between own and others’ travel motives: A research note
Authors: Doran Rouven , Larsen Svein , Wolff Katharina
Published: July 2016

This study examines the assumption that tendencies to dissociate oneself from other tourists relate to the desire to position own characteristics (using travel motives as an example) in a positive light. Results suggest that tourists tend to perceive themselves to be different to other tourists (referred as typical or average tourists) concerning most measured travel motives; yet, the direction of perceived differences between oneself and other tourists was not systematically related to levels of desirability associated with each motive. Implications for studying tourist experiences are being discussed whilst methodological limitations of the present study are acknowledged.
Imbalance between angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1–7) in human coronary atherosclerosis
Authors: Li Wenjing , Li Jifu , Hao Panpan , Chen Wenqiang , Meng Xiao , Li Hongxuan , Zhang Yun , Zhang Cheng , Yang Jianmin
Published: July 2016

Objective:

Our previous studies found that angiotensin-(1–7) (Ang-(1–7)) is an endogenous counter-factor of angiotensin II (Ang-II). However, the balance between Ang-II and Ang-(1–7) in the development of human coronary atherosclerosis is not determined.

Methods and results:

The plasma levels of Ang-II and Ang-(1–7) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 112 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing coronary angiography. Patients were divided into three groups based on the coronary angiography as follows: (1) normal ( n = 13); (2) noncritical CAD (<50% stenosis, n = 17); and (3) critical CAD (⩾50% stenosis, n = 82). The plasma levels of Ang-II, Ang-(1–7) and the ratio of Ang-II and Ang-(1–7) (Ang-II/Ang-(1–7) were comparable between the normal and noncritical CAD groups. However, Ang-II, Ang-(1–7), and especially Ang-II/Ang-(1–7), were elevated in patients with critical CAD, compared with patients with normal or noncritical CAD. The level of Ang-II/Ang-(1–7) was positively associated with serious coronary stenosis, and correlated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) level.

Conclusion:

Both Ang-II and Ang-(1–7) expression are significantly increased in patients with critical CAD. However, increased Ang-II/Ang-(1–7) ratios may lead to Ang-II over-activation and aggravate atherosclerosis progression.
Rhetoric and Ethics Revisited
Authors: McKinnon Sara L. , Johnson Jenell , Asen Robert , Chávez Karma R. , Howard Robert Glenn
Published: July 2016

As rhetorical scholars adopt field methods to complement traditional text-based criticism, it is necessary to reflect on the ethical standards that guide our practice of rhetorical criticism and analysis. In this essay, we highlight five points of ethical tension provoked when doing research that moves between texts and fields: responsibility, truth, power, relationships, and representation. Each section illustrates an ethical dilemma from the authors’ individual research projects that illustrates one of these tensions, and is followed by a response that explicates the questions of power and ethics. While the ethics of any research practice are often tied to a specific project, many of the issues we discuss apply widely to the practice of fieldwork and rhetorical criticism in general, and many of the questions we raise also resonate with one another. As such, the dialogic quality of the essay is meant to serve as its content as well as its form. We suggest that rhetorical discussions of power help all qualitative researchers better understand what is at stake when we move between text and field in our research practice.
Association of Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like Protein Expression With Prognosis in Patients With Colon Cancer
Authors: Li Xian , Guo Jing , Ding Ai-Ping , Qi Wei-Wei , Zhang Pei-Hua , Lv Jing , Qiu Wen-Sheng , Sun Zhen-Qing
Published: July 2016

Background:

The mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein has recently been identified as a key downstream component of tumor necrosis factor–induced necroptosis, which is an important pathway of cancer cell death. The goal of the current study is to explore the expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein in colon cancer tissues and evaluate the prognostic value in patients with colon cancer.

Methods:

We collected normal and cancer colon tissues from 135 patients diagnosed with colon cancer after radical operation during July 2007 to April 2009 at The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. Immunohistochemistry analysis was scored using an established scoring system. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated for recurrence-free survival and overall survival for all patients and 2 subsets of patients. The relationship between mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein expression and prognosis parameter (recurrence-free survival, overall survival) was analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.

Results:

The median age of all patients was 67 years and 56.3% were male. Low expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein was associated with decreased overall survival (78.6 vs 81.2 months; P = .011) in all patients. In the subset of 79 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, low expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein was associated with decreased recurrence-free survival (60.4 vs 72.8 months; P = .032) and decreased overall survival (66.3 vs 72.9 months; P = .005). Low expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein was associated with decreased overall survival (74.9 vs 79.8 months; P = .006) and recurrence-free survival (69.6 vs 78.8 months; P = .005) among patients with Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stage II colon cancer.

Conclusions:

Low expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein was associated with decreased overall survival in all patient-group with resected colon cancer. It is associated with decreased recurrence-free survival and overall survival in the subset of patients who receive adjuvant chemotherapy and patients who were TNM stage II. Mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein may provide important prognostic information in patients with colon cancer.
A practical Bayesian stepped wedge design for community-based cluster-randomized clinical trials: The British Columbia Telehealth Trial
Authors: Cunanan Kristen M , Carlin Bradley P , Peterson Kevin A
Published: July 2016

Background:

Many clinical trial designs are impractical for community-based clinical intervention trials. Stepped wedge trial designs provide practical advantages, but few descriptions exist of their clinical implementational features, statistical design efficiencies, and limitations.

Objectives:

Enhance efficiency of stepped wedge trial designs by evaluating the impact of design characteristics on statistical power for the British Columbia Telehealth Trial.

Methods:

The British Columbia Telehealth Trial is a community-based, cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial in rural and urban British Columbia. To determine the effect of an Internet-based telehealth intervention on healthcare utilization, 1000 subjects with an existing diagnosis of congestive heart failure or type 2 diabetes will be enrolled from 50 clinical practices. Hospital utilization is measured using a composite of disease-specific hospital admissions and emergency visits. The intervention comprises online telehealth data collection and counseling provided to support a disease-specific action plan developed by the primary care provider. The planned intervention is sequentially introduced across all participating practices. We adopt a fully Bayesian, Markov chain Monte Carlo–driven statistical approach, wherein we use simulation to determine the effect of cluster size, sample size, and crossover interval choice on type I error and power to evaluate differences in hospital utilization.

Results:

For our Bayesian stepped wedge trial design, simulations suggest moderate decreases in power when crossover intervals from control to intervention are reduced from every 3 to 2 weeks, and dramatic decreases in power as the numbers of clusters decrease. Power and type I error performance were not notably affected by the addition of nonzero cluster effects or a temporal trend in hospitalization intensity.

Conclusion:/limitations:

Stepped wedge trial designs that intervene in small clusters across longer periods can provide enhanced power to evaluate comparative effectiveness, while offering practical implementation advantages in geographic stratification, temporal change, use of existing data, and resource distribution. Current population estimates were used; however, models may not reflect actual event rates during the trial. In addition, temporal or spatial heterogeneity can bias treatment effect estimates.
Constructing identities
Authors: Jones Deborah
Published: July 2016

This article presents research undertaken with female headteachers in UK primary schools and explores several influential discourses in relation to female headteachers’ identities. It considers themes inherent in women’s narratives as they reflect upon their professional lives and discusses various identities inhabited by female leaders which emerge from the data. It also explores dominant discourses related to the masculine construction of leadership, women’s domestic responsibilities and women as enablers, which have a significant impact on women’s professional lives and upon the ways in which they are positioned. It notes that women’s narratives are shot through with ambiguity as they may inhabit several contradictory identities revealing qualities, characteristics and leadership styles which diverge from socially prescribed gender-appropriate behaviours. The article suggests that although there may appear to be a variety of identities from which women may select, there are limits to agency. It concludes that powerful discourses exist which constrain or facilitate ways of being, so impacting on leadership work and the professional lives of female headteachers. Consequently, the complex negotiations of women as they take up leadership roles in schools should be acknowledged.
Application of the World Stroke Organization health system indicators and performance in Australia, Singapore, and the USA
Authors: Tse Tamara , Carey Leeanne , Cadilhac Dominique , Koh Gerald Choon-Huat , Baum Carolyn
Published: July 2016

Aim

To examine how Australia, Singapore and the United States of America (USA) match to the World Stroke Organization Global Stroke Services health system monitoring indicators (HSI).

Design

Descriptive comparative study

Participants

The health systems of Australia, Singapore, the USA.

Outcome measures

Published data available from each country were mapped to the 10 health system monitoring indicators proposed by the World Stroke Organization.

Results

Most health system monitoring indicators were at least partially met in each country. Thrombolytic agents were available for use in acute stroke. Stroke guidelines and stroke registry data were available in all three countries. Stroke incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates were available but at non-uniform times post-stroke. The International Classification of Disease 9 or 10 coding systems are used in all three countries. Standardized clinical audits are routine in Australia and the USA, but not in Singapore. The use of the modified Rankin Scale is collected sub-acutely but not at one year post-stroke in all three countries.

Conclusions

The three developed countries are performing well against the World Stroke Organization health system monitoring indicators for acute and sub-acute stroke care. However, improvements in stroke risk assessment and at one-year post-stroke outcome measurement are needed.
Healthy Universities: a guiding framework for universities to examine the distinctive health needs of its own student population
Authors: Holt Maxine , Powell Susan
Published: July 2016

Aims:

The underlying principle of settings for health is that investments in health are made within social systems in which health is not necessarily the main remit. In order to understand the health needs of its own community, a growing movement of Healthy Universities is interested in applying the approach within the higher education sector. This study examined the student health behaviours of one university so that future initiatives can be tailored to its own student population.

Method:

Quantitative data were gathered from 3,683 students studying at a UK urban university. A 60-question online student questionnaire focusing on seven key topic areas was used to gather data and simple descriptive statistics are used to present key findings.

Results:

The study has identified a need for considering alternative ways of engaging students with appropriate health services throughout the academic year. A focus for university initiatives around healthy eating options, how to cook healthy food and the importance of keeping hydrated is highlighted as a common need. Risky behaviour involving alcohol, drug and substance use and sexual activity suggests a strong argument for not separating university sexual health and alcohol interventions.

Conclusion:

Underpinned by the Healthy Universities settings concept, this study examined the health and wellbeing behaviours of one university’s own student population. It highlights behaviours within the university that are similar to national averages, and some that are not. This understanding can inform the planning of future health promoting university initiatives to meet the distinctive needs of its own students.
The clinical outcome and activity levels of patients under 55 years treated with distal humeral hemiarthroplasty for distal humeral fractures: minimum 2-year follow-up
Authors: Smith Geoffrey C. S. , Bayne Grant , Page Richard , Hughes Jeff S.
Published: July 2016

Background

The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical outcomes and activity levels of young patients after distal humeral hemiarthroplasty (DHH).

Methods

Six patients under 55 years (mean 44 years; range 29 years to 52 years) treated with DHH at a mean postoperative time of 81 months (range 24 months to 133 months) were studied retrospectively. Two other patients had been revised for aseptic loosening and were excluded.

Results

The mean Mayo Elbow Score (MEPS) (88), Subjective Elbow Value (SEV) (89), Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) (12) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) elbow pain (6), function (23) and satisfaction scores (9) were satisfactory. The mean University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score was 7.2.

Conclusions

Although only rarely indicated, DHH has satisfactory clinical outcomes in young patients and allows a higher level of function than is generally advised after total elbow arthroplasty.
Do Individual Differences and Aging Effects in the Estimation of Geographical Slant Reflect Cognitive or Perceptual Effects?
Authors: Dean Abigail M. , Oh Jaehyun , Thomson Christopher J. , Norris Catherine J. , Durgin Frank H.
Published: July 2016

Several individual differences including age have been suggested to affect the perception of slant. A cross-sectional study of outdoor hill estimation ( N = 106) was analyzed using individual difference measures of age, experiential knowledge, fitness, personality traits, and sex. Of particular note, it was found that for participants who reported any experiential knowledge about slant, estimates decreased (i.e., became more accurate) as conscientiousness increased, suggesting that more conscientious individuals were more deliberate about taking their experiential knowledge (rather than perception) into account. Effects of fitness were limited to those without experiential knowledge, suggesting that they, too, may be cognitive rather than perceptual. The observed effects of age, which tended to produce lower, more accurate estimates of hill slant, provide more evidence that older adults do not see hills as steeper. The main effect of age was to lower slant estimates; such effects may be due to implicit experiential knowledge acquired over a lifetime. The results indicate the impact of cognitive, rather than perceptual factors on individual differences in slant estimation.
The Therapeutic Effects of Camel Milk
Authors: Mihic Tamara , Rainkie Daniel , Wilby Kyle John , Pawluk Shane Ashley
Published: July 2016

The clinical effectiveness and value of camel milk as a therapeutic agent is currently unclear. MEDLINE (1946 to March 2016), EMBASE (1974 to March 2016), and Google Scholar were searched using the following terms: milk, bodily secretions, camels, camelus, camelini, camelidae, dromedary, bactrian camel, body fluid, and bodily secretions. Articles identified were reviewed if the study was investigating the use of camel milk for the potential treatment of diseases affecting humans. Of 430 studies, 24 were included after assessment. Identified studies highlighted treatment with camel milk of diseases, including diabetes, autism, cancer, various infections, heavy metal toxicity, colitis, and alcohol-induced toxicity. Although most studies using both the human and animal model do show a clinical benefit with an intervention and camel milk, limitations of these studies must be taken into consideration before widespread use. Based on the evidence, camel milk should not replace standard therapies for any indication in humans.
Current understanding of the bi-directional relationship of major depression with inflammation
Authors: Messay Berhane , Lim Alvin , Marsland Anna L
Published: July 2016

Consistent evidence links major depression and its affective components to negative health outcomes. Although the pathways of these effects are likely complex and multifactorial, recent evidence suggests that innate inflammatory processes may play a role. An overview of current literature suggests that pathways between negative moods and inflammation are bi-directional. Indeed, negative moods activate peripheral physiologic mechanisms that result in an up regulation of systemic levels of inflammation. Conversely, peripheral inflammatory mediators signal the brain to affect behavioral, affective and cognitive changes that are consistent with symptoms of major depressive disorder. It is likely that these pathways are part of a complex feedback loop that involves the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems and plays a role in the modulation of peripheral inflammatory responses to central and peripheral stimuli, in central responses to peripheral immune activation and in the maintenance of homeostatic balance. Further research is warranted to fully understand the role of central processes in this feedback loop, which likely contributes to the pathophysiology of mental and physical health.
Investigation of coloured lead glass glitter from an early eighteenth century material collection, Cambridge, by electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis
Authors: Steigenberger Gundel , Herm Christoph
Published: July 2016

Background

Coloured glass glitter is made from thin glass flakes and used for decoration purposes. Published analytical data mainly originates from restoration sites in different countries and is still fragmentary. Samples are often contaminated or corroded, which makes it difficult to evaluate the results, particularly when these were obtained by near-surface techniques.

Context and purpose of the study

For this investigation, six types of coloured glass glitter from an eighteenth century material collection from Cambridge, England were investigated by optical microscopy and electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis in order to obtain a wide range of data, which can be used to examine the production techniques of eighteenth century coloured lead glass glitter. They have been stored in a wooden cabinet for 300 years and were sampled directly from the original small paper boxes. Each sample contained glass flakes of different sizes and thicknesses and even different colours.

Results and main findings

All flakes were made of lead glass with lead contents in the range between 18 to over 70 wt%. One group showed mixed alkali compositions, probably from potash, lime and nitre, the other contained sodium, potassium and calcium oxides only in trace, if at all. Colouring elements were cobalt, copper, iron, manganese and gold resulting in blue, green, yellow and violet.

Conclusions

Although the colouring elements resemble mostly contemporary recipes as known from Neri and his translators, the glass composition is clearly different and differs also from other lead glass compositions from that time. This is a first indication of the production technology of eighteenth century glass glitter.

Brief summary

A wide range of analytical data obtained from early eighteenth century glass flakes is presented here and is discussed with regard to the composition of lead glasses, colouring elements, and manufacture details.

Potential implications

Lead containing glass glitter is often found in restoration sites, but their manufacture is still waiting to be thoroughly investigated. Almost nothing is known about its historical manufacture. The study provides a wide range of data, which allow to further increase our knowledge on composition and manufacture of these often used decoration materials from the eighteenth century.
Intake, bioavailability, and absorption of iron in infants aged 6 to 36 months: an observational study in a Brazilian Well Child Clinic
Authors: Faleiros Francisca Teresa Veneziano , da Silva Valéria Nóbrega , de Assis Carvalho Mary , Machado Nilton Carlos
Published: July 2016

Background

Preventing the development of iron deficiency anemia during infancy requires the appropriate complementary foods with high energy, nutrient density, and adequate iron content, as well as high nutrient bioavailability. We aimed to evaluate iron intake, bioavailability, and absorption from foods, in healthy infants and toddlers at a Well Child Clinic.

Methods

This observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study evaluated 96 consecutive infants and toddlers, 6 to 12 months of age (group I) and 13 to 36 months of age (group II) that were brought for regular pediatric visits and introduced to complementary foods. Quantitative 24-h dietary recalls were obtained, and iron intakes quantified for lunch and dinner. Iron bioavailability and absorption were calculated and analyzed by Monsen’s and FAO/WHO’s methods according to enhancing factors: meat, poultry, and fish (MPF) and vitamin C.

Results

There were no significant differences in demographic, clinical, and anthropometric variables between groups. Vitamin C intake was not different between groups, but MPF was significantly lower in group I. The proportion of children with recommended RDA iron intake was lower (p < 0.05) in group I (16 %) than that in group II (47 %). Group I had lesser MPF intake and iron absorption and a higher proportion of children with low bioavailability in lunch and dinner when compared to group II (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Inclusion of low-cost meat, especially chicken meat and vitamin C-rich foods, at the same meal, both in lunch and dinner, would be of particular advantage to ensure an adequate intake of bioavailable iron during complementary feeding.
Seismic inversion based on proximal objective function optimization algorithm
Authors: Dai Ronghuo , Zhang Fanchang , Liu Hanqing
Published: July 2016

Seismic impedance inversion has become a common approach in reservoir prediction. At present, the critical issue in the application of seismic inversion is its low computational efficiency, especially in 3D. To improve the computational efficiency, we have developed an inversion method derived from the proximal objective function optimization algorithm. Our inversion method calculates each unknown parameter in the model vector, one by one during iteration. Compared with routine gradient-dependent inversion algorithms, such as the iteratively reweighted least-squares (IRLS) algorithm, our inversion method has lower computational complexity as well as higher efficiency. In addition, to obtain a sparse reflectivity series, a long-tailed Cauchy distribution is used as the a priori constraint. The weak nonlinear problem owing to the introduction of Cauchy sparse constraint is addressed by taking advantage of reweighting strategy. Results of synthetic and real data tests illustrate that the proposed inversion method has higher computational efficiency than IRLS algorithm, and its inversion accuracy remains the same.
Applications of variational mode decomposition in seismic time-frequency analysis
Authors: Liu Wei , Cao Siyuan , Chen Yangkang
Published: July 2016

We have introduced a novel time-frequency decomposition approach for analyzing seismic data. This method is inspired by the newly developed variational mode decomposition (VMD). The principle of VMD is to look for an ensemble of modes with their respective center frequencies, such that the modes collectively reproduce the input signal and each mode is smooth after demodulation into baseband. The advantage of VMD is that there is no residual noise in the modes and it can further decrease redundant modes compared with the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition (CEEMD) and improved CEEMD (ICEEMD). Moreover, VMD is an adaptive signal decomposition technique, which can nonrecursively decompose a multicomponent signal into several quasi-orthogonal intrinsic mode functions. This new tool, in contrast to empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and its variations, such as EEMD, CEEMD, and ICEEMD, is based on a solid mathematical foundation and can obtain a time-frequency representation that is less sensitive to noise. Two tests on synthetic data showed the effectiveness of our VMD-based time-frequency analysis method. Application on field data showed the potential of the proposed approach in highlighting geologic characteristics and stratigraphic information effectively. All the performances of the VMD-based approach were compared with those from the CEEMD- and ICEEMD-based approaches.
Covariance-constrained difference inversion of time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography data
Authors: Hermans Thomas , Kemna Andreas , Nguyen Frédéric
Published: July 2016

Hydrogeophysics has become a major field of research in the past two decades, and time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is one of the most popular techniques to monitor passive and active processes in shallow subsurface reservoirs. Time-lapse inversion schemes have been developed to refine inversion results, but they mostly still rely on a spatial regularization procedure based on the standard smoothness constraint. We have applied a covariance-based regularization operator to the time-lapse ERT inverse problem. We first evaluated the method for surface and crosshole ERT with two synthetic cases and compared the results with the smoothness-constrained inversion (SCI). These tests showed that the covariance-constrained inversion (CCI) better images the target in terms of shape and amplitude. Although more important in low-sensitivity zones, we have observed improvements everywhere in the tomograms. Those synthetic examples also show that an error made in the range or in the type of the variogram model had a limited impact on the resulting image, which still remained better than SCI. We then applied the method to cross-borehole ERT field data from a heat-tracing experiment, in which the comparison with direct measurements showed a strong improvement of the breakthrough curves retrieved from ERT. This method could be extended to the time dimension, which would allow the use of CCI in 4D inversion schemes.
Estimation of elastic constants for HTI media using Gauss-Newton and full-Newton multiparameter full-waveform inversion
Authors: Pan Wenyong , Innanen Kristopher A. , Margrave Gary F. , Fehler Michael C. , Fang Xinding , Li Junxiao
Published: July 2016

In seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI), subsurface parameters are estimated by iteratively minimizing the difference between the modeled and the observed data. We have considered the problem of estimating the elastic constants of a fractured medium using multiparameter FWI and modeling naturally fractured reservoirs as equivalent anisotropic media. Multiparameter FWI, although promising, remains exposed to a range of challenges, one being the parameter crosstalk problem resulting from the overlap of Fréchet derivative wavefields. Parameter crosstalk is strongly influenced by the form of the scattering pattern for each parameter. We have derived 3D radiation patterns associated with scattering from a range of elastic constants in general anisotropic media. Then, we developed scattering patterns specific to a horizontal transverse isotropic (HTI) medium to draw conclusions about parameter crosstalk in FWI. Bare gradients exhibit crosstalk, as well as artifacts caused by doubly scattered energy in the data residuals. The role of the multiparameter Gauss-Newton (GN) Hessian in suppressing parameter crosstalk is revealed. We have found that the second-order term in the multiparameter Hessian, which is associated with multiparameter second-order scattering effects, can be constructed with the adjoint-state technique. We have examined the analytic scattering patterns for HTI media with a 2D numerical example. We have examined the roles played by the first- and second-order terms in multiparameter Hessian to suppress parameter crosstalk and second-order scattering artifacts numerically. We have also compared the multiparameter GN and full-Newton methods as methods for determining the elastic constants in HTI media with a two-block-layer model.
Multicenter Phase II Study of Whole-Body and Intracranial Activity With Ceritinib in Patients With ALK-Rearranged Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Previously Treated With Chemotherapy and Crizotinib: Results From ASCEND-2
Authors: Crinò Lucio , Ahn Myung-Ju , De Marinis Filippo , Groen Harry J.M. , Wakelee Heather , Hida Toyoaki , Mok Tony , Spigel David , Felip Enriqueta , Nishio Makoto , Scagliotti Giorgio , Branle Fabrice , Emeremni Chetachi , Quadrigli Massimiliano , Zhang Jie , Shaw Alice T.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Phase I data (ASCEND-1) showed ceritinib efficacy in patients with ALK-rearranged non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), regardless of brain metastases status and with or without prior therapy with an inhibitor of the ALK protein. Data are presented from a phase II trial (ASCEND-2) in which ceritinib efficacy and safety were evaluated in patients who had ALK-rearranged NSCLC previously treated with at least one platinum-based chemotherapy and who had experienced progression during crizotinib treatment as their last prior therapy.

Patients and Methods

Patients with advanced ALK-rearranged NSCLC, including those with asymptomatic or neurologically stable baseline brain metastases, received oral ceritinib 750 mg/d. Whole-body and intracranial responses were investigator assessed (according to RECIST version 1.1). Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated with the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer surveys (the core-30 and the 13-item lung cancer–specific quality-of-life questionnaires).

Results

All 140 patients enrolled had received two or more previous treatment regimens, and all patients had received crizotinib. The median duration of exposure and the follow-up time with ceritinib were 8.8 months (range, 0.1 to 19.4 months) and 11.3 months (range, 0.1 to 18.9 months), respectively. Investigator-assessed overall response rate was 38.6% (95% CI, 30.5% to 47.2%). Secondary end points, all investigator assessed, included disease control rate (77.1%; 95% CI, 69.3% to 83.8%), time to response (median, 1.8 months; range, 1.6 to 5.6 months), duration of response (median, 9.7 months; 95% CI, 7.1 to 11.1 months), and progression-free survival (median, 5.7 months; 95% CI, 5.4 to 7.6 months). Of 100 patients with baseline brain metastases, 20 had active target lesions at baseline; investigator-assessed intracranial overall response rate was 45.0% (95% CI, 23.1% to 68.5%). The most common adverse events (majority, grade 1 or 2) for all treated patients were nausea (81.4%), diarrhea (80.0%), and vomiting (62.9%). Patient-reported outcomes showed a trend toward improved symptom burden. The global quality-of-life score was maintained during treatment.

Conclusion

Consistent with its activity in ASCEND-1, ceritinib treatment provided clinically meaningful and durable responses with manageable tolerability in chemotherapy- and crizotinib-pretreated patients, including those with brain metastases.