bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of severe liver iron overload using MRI offset echoes
Authors: Rydén Henric , Skorpil Mikael
Published: May 2015

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the clinical standard to estimate liver iron overload. The most commonly used method is to measure the transversal relaxation time, T2*, from a multi gradient recalled echo sequence (MGRE). While this technique is reliable in low to moderate liver iron concentrations (LIC), it will be inaccurate when it is severe. We report a case with severe liver hemochromatosis and show the benefit of using an easily implemented MRI offset echo sequence to more accurately estimate LIC. After adjusting treatment, both Ferritin and LIC decreased. Using standard MGRE this reduction could not have been detected.
Preventing ‘same-day’ cancellations in elective urological surgery: Are different strategies needed for inpatient, day case and procedural admissions?
Authors: O’Dwyer AJ , Pridgeon S , Green JSA
Published: May 2015

Background:

Late surgical cancellations adversely impact patients and efficient use of hospital resources. Non-clinical reasons have a cancellation rate of 0.77%, but when including clinical reasons this rate rises to 13%–15%.1–4

Objectives:

The objectives of this article are to identify reasons for cancellations of elective urological procedures at a single centre across different procedure types and to make recommendations for prevention.

Methods:

Rates and reasons for late cancellation of urological surgery were retrospectively audited for the period April 2009 to April 2012. For each cancellation, reasons were classified: Patient-related, Facility-related, Work-up, Change in medical condition, Process-related, Miscellaneous.

Results:

During the study period, 9039 elective operations were reviewed to find 2804 cancellations: 580, 450, 1774 (rates = 15.6%, 21.7% and 29.3%) for inpatient, day case and procedure-room cases, respectively. Thirty per cent of inpatient cancellations were due to process-related factors, and 35% due to change in medical condition, of which 78% were urinary tract infection (UTI). Patient-related factors accounted for the majority (52%) of day case and procedural cancellations.

Conclusions:

Causes for cancellations vary according to procedure type, suggesting tailored strategies are needed for prevention. Change in medical condition caused similar rates of cancellation across procedure type (35%, 28% and 25%). Inpatient procedures were prone to process-related cancellations especially over-run theatre sessions. Patient surveys and reminders closer to time of operation, improvements in preoperative UTI detection and treatment and further process mapping is recommended to identify exact reasons behind and decrease cancellations.
Exploring Physical Health in a Sample of Firefighters
Authors: Lovejoy Stacy , Gillespie Gordon L. , Christianson Jane
Published: May 2015

Firefighters’ work responsibilities involve strenuous physical activity and exposure to extremely stressful situations. The purpose of this research study was to describe the physical activity, stress, and culture promoting or inhibiting a healthy work environment. A descriptive qualitative study design was used with a convenience sample of firefighters from an urban Midwestern public fire service. Respondents participated in focus groups from which data were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. Themes derived from the data were Stressors Affecting Physical Health, Barriers to Physical Health, Facilitators of Physical Health, and Motivators for Physical Health. Future research is needed to test interventions based on the study findings.
The Effects of an Academic–Workplace Partnership Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Sedentary Office Workers
Authors: Chae Duckhee , Kim Suhee , Park Yunhee , Hwang Youngmee
Published: May 2015

This study was designed to determine the effect of an academic–workplace partnership intervention, “3,000 more steps,” on improving physical activity (PA) and body composition of workers, and compare the characteristics of those workers who completed and did not complete the program. Participants were 70 sedentary office workers from an airline company. Pedometers determined their daily steps, and body composition was compared before and after the 8-week intervention; 39 of 70 (55.7%) participants completed the program. Daily steps increased from 5,811 to 9,240, and fat mass, waist–hip ratio, and body mass index (BMI) decreased for the completers. Non-completers had lower average PA and higher average fat mass at baseline than did completers. Overall, a workplace PA program could be successfully undertaken by occupational health nurses and a research team in partnership. However, to implement a cost-effective intervention program for inactive workers, further research is needed to ascertain why some workers do not complete the program.
Changing Patterns of Women’s Turnout in Indian Elections
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Gupta Pranav
Published: May 2015

This article traces the changing patterns of women’s turnout in state assembly and Lok Sabha elections in India. The primary objective of the article is to understand why more women are turning out to vote. The article discusses the self-empowerment hypothesis, increased female literacy and deeper penetration of media as possible factors behind this recent upsurge. It also studies how greater interest in politics and relatively higher participation in campaign activities by women in recent elections are possibly related to the increased turnout. The analysis presented in the article is based on a combination of both aggregate data and survey data. The article uses empirical evidence from the National Election Studies conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies for the 2004, 2009 and the 2014 General Elections and the Census of India 2001 and 2011.
The Class Element in the 2014 Indian Election and the BJP’s Success with Special Reference to the Hindi Belt
Authors: Jaffrelot Christophe
Published: May 2015

Class has played a more important role than before in the 2014 election. Class-based voting patterns have contributed to the success of Narendra Modi, not only because he has capitalized on the support of the middle class, traditionally pro-BJP, but also because he has attracted large sections of the emerging ‘neo-middle class’, an aspiring social category born out of the economic growth of the previous decade. This new class has put the very notion of the OBCs in question, in particular in the Hindi belt, its stronghold in the 1990s. The BJP has benefited from the differentiation of the OBCs in socio-economic terms. Its upwardly mobile layer expected from Modi jobs and ‘development’ in general. This evolution does not mean that caste politics is over at the jati level, at least in the Hindi belt. Yadavs do not vote more for the BJP the richer they are because their elite groups stick to parties (the SP, the RJD) to which they owe their political clout. Brahmins and the Rajputs vote for the BJP whatever their class is almost, because to be associated with this party is part of their status and their ethos. Dalits continue to reject the BJP because of its political culture and social agenda. The resilience of identity politics is even more evident among the Muslims who have supported the Congress irrespective of their class in order to counter Modi’s BJP.
The Impact of Urbanization on the Electoral Results of the 2014 Indian Elections: With Special Reference to the BJP Vote
Authors: Jaffrelot Christophe , Kumar Sanjay
Published: May 2015

During the 16th Lok Sabha elections, the BJP achieved unprecedented successes in rural as well as urban constituencies. Its progress has resulted from its growing popularity among almost every social group, its expansion being significant beyond its core supporters cutting across various classes, castes and communities—except the Muslims. While it remained more popular in the urban constituencies, the BJP has therefore largely blurred the traditional urban–rural divide. But this distinction has not been totally neutralized, as is evident from regional and social variations which need to be explained. The impact of the rural–urban divide remained particularly strong in UP, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka where the village dwellers voted significantly less for the BJP than the urban citizens. These variations mostly stem from the new attraction for the BJP among OBCs and, to a lesser extent, Dalits residing in urban settings. Their rallying around the BJP probably reflects their joining of the ‘neo-middle class’, which identified more closely with Narendra Modi’s development agenda. Urbanization has also favoured the BJP as the crucible of communal polarization, a process which explains that the more urban they are, the more inclined to vote Congress the Muslims are, whatever their caste or class.
The Rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal
Authors: Kanungo Pralay
Published: May 2015

The impressive performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal is seen as a turning point in state politics—a saffron surge and the red retreat. While trying to understand and explain the rise of the BJP, this article analyzes Hindutva politics in West Bengal in a historical perspective, highlighting the ideological and organizational legacies of the Hindu Mahasabha, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the Sangh Parivar. Hindutva’s political ambition always remained frustrated as the objective ideological and political milieu in a hostile Communist bastion had never been congenial to its brand of politics. Yet, the BJP continued to struggle for its existence, adopted pragmatic political strategies at the local and regional level, entered into smart political alliance with the Trinamool Congress at a crucial time, grabbed the opportunity to expand its base rapidly when the Left lost its credibility and political control and, finally, when Mamata started messing up with her support base. Buoyed by the BJP’s rise in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Hindutva forces have unleashed an ambitious and aggressive campaign to wrest West Bengal from Mamata’s Trinamool Congress in the 2016 assembly elections; thus, West Bengal is likely to witness a fierce political battle in the coming days!
General Election 2014: Will BJP’s Gains Polarize Assam Further?
Authors: Saikia Smitana
Published: May 2015

The emergence of BJP as the single largest party in the Lok Sabha elections 2014 has important implications for realignments of social groups in the country. It has firmly established its foothold in many states thereby emerging as a national party, in the literal sense of the term. Its performance of 7 out of 14 seats in a state like Assam, which had been a Congress stronghold since independence, is no mean feat. The Congress, as elsewhere, managed to do poorly with only three seats and many party heavyweights have been routed out this time. The article argues that this election has sealed the process of disintegration of the ‘catch-all’ nature of the Congress party in Assam, the unravelling of which had already begun in 1985 when Asom Gana Parishad won the assembly elections with a landslide victory. A major reason for this is the realignment of social groups with political parties leading to both ethnic polarization and ethnic accommodation in the state. This breakdown has been expedited on account of growing dissidence and factionalism within the Congress party as well as increasingly shifting loyalties of its core constituencies to other emerging loci of power in the state. Furthermore, the article argues that the emerging political constellation constituting parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party and All India United Democratic Front have a potential to further polarize a much fragmented and fragile Assam.
Understanding Urban–Rural Patterns of BJP Campaigning in UP (Lok Sabha Elections 2014)
Authors: Mukerji Siddhartha
Published: May 2015

The electoral patterns in Lok Sabha as well as state assembly elections reflect perceptible differences and variations across regions, groups, communities and constituencies. One such significant variation is found in urban and rural pattern of voting and party campaigning. The rural voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh stood at 58.5 per cent as compared to 54.7 per cent in urban localities. The difference also lies in party support in urban and rural areas, issues of campaigning and finally strategies to connect with rural and urban masses. Is the recent Lok Sabha election also a testimony to such variations? Or has the gap reduced due to predominance of other kinds of polarizations, especially religion?

BJP’s landslide victory in recent Lok Sabha elections and above all its ability to secure 71 out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh, the state with largest number of seats in Lok Sabha, marked a decisive shift in the electoral verdict of the masses. Its vote share in the state increased by 25 per cent.

The article would engage with a comparative study of urban and rural electoral patterns by accounting for variations in vote share, strategies used by political parties to attract rural and urban voters, issues of relevance for women voters and areas where religious polarization made the rural–urban divide immaterial as both urban and rural voters responded equally to religious appeals.
Electing the Ruling Party and the Opposition: Voter Deliberations from Sangam Vihar, Delhi, Lok Sabha Elections 2014
Authors: Priyam Manisha
Published: May 2015

On the basis of an electoral ethnography done in an urban periphery of Delhi, this article presents an interpretive account of Indian national elections 2014. At a time when sovereignty travels to a locality—in this case an unauthorized settlement known as Sangam Vihar—how do people deliberate on the act of voting? Sangam Vihar also faces severe segregation and restrictions on access to services such as water on account of its illegality and it’s being ‘off’ the city’s authorized master plan. In a locality such as this, how do its marginal citizens act in context-bound ways? What do they make of the larger national phenomena, such as the national elections, as it plays out in their neighbourhood? Listening to people’s responses on issues they consider important as they are about to make their decision, following political rallies and meetings and interviewing political actors, the author put together voices in three ‘arenas’ or sites of democracy. These arenas are more of a heuristic device and help at once aggregate what the author hears. They help the author to present an idea of democracy, where citizens assert their differences to create a plural public sphere.
Book Review: Rob Jenkins, Loraine Kennedy and Partha Mukhopadhyay, eds, Power, Protest and India’s Special Economic Zones
Authors: Sinha Aseema
Published: May 2015

Rob Jenkins, Loraine Kennedy and Partha Mukhopadhyay, eds, Power, Protest and India’s Special Economic Zones. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 2014. 396 pages. ₹1,145.
Book Review: Mukulika Banerjee. Why India Votes?
Authors: Verniers Gilles
Published: May 2015

Mukulika Banerjee. Why India Votes? New Delhi: Routledge. 2014. 286 pages. ₹495.
Book Review: Manindra Nath Thakur and Dhananjay Rai, eds, Democracy on the Move? Reflections on Moments, Promises and Contradictions
Authors: Sethi Harsh
Published: May 2015

Manindra Nath Thakur and Dhananjay Rai, eds, Democracy on the Move? Reflections on Moments, Promises and Contradictions. Delhi: Aakar Books. 2013. 268 pages. ₹550.
Book Review: Kuldeep Mathur, Public Policy and Politics in India: How Institutions Matter
Authors: Mishra Jyoti
Published: May 2015

Kuldeep Mathur, Public Policy and Politics in India: How Institutions Matter. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 2013. 295 pages. ₹795.
Book Review: Uddipana Goswami, Conflict and Reconciliation: The Politics of Ethnicity in Assam
Authors: Khanikar Santana
Published: May 2015

Uddipana Goswami, Conflict and Reconciliation: The Politics of Ethnicity in Assam. New Delhi: Routledge. 2014. 223 pages. ₹695.
Book Review: Louise Tillin, Remapping India: New States and Their Political Origins
Authors: Saxena Rekha
Published: May 2015

Louise Tillin, Remapping India: New States and Their Political Origins. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 2013. 283 pages. ₹850.
Cyclophosphamide Treatment for Acquired Factor VIII Inhibitor in a Patient with AIDS-Associated Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Malhotra Uma , Aboulafia David M.
Published: May 2015

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a severe bleeding disorder with high mortality rates resulting from the development of autoantibodies to factor VIII (FVIII). Patients typically present with hemorrhages in the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and muscles, which are frequently severe. They can also develop life-threatening retroperitoneal hematomas and compartment syndromes. We describe the case of a man with a long history of AIDS complicated by progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), who developed AHA while on stable antiretroviral therapy and then presented with new onset bleeding and hypotension. We treated our patient with incrementally increasing doses of cyclophosphamide resulting in resolution of coagulopathy. We review the medical literature for additional cases of HIV-associated AHA and discuss the challenges in the care of our patient, since the immunosuppression needed to eradicate the FVIII inhibitor had the potential to cause recrudescence of his PML.
The Future of NCES’s Longitudinal Student Surveys
Authors: Warren John Robert
Published: May 2015

The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) longitudinal student surveys have long been exceptionally useful for many purpose. Despite their many virtues, however, these surveys cannot be used to monitor trends at short time intervals, they do not allow for flexible changes to survey content, they cannot generally be used to infer policy effects, they are not useful for international comparisons, and they are of limited value to local stakeholders. NCES should consider doing to its longitudinal students surveys what the Census Bureau did to the decennial census long form and what NORC has long done for the General Social Survey: Move to annual rotating panels and allow outside investigators to field (and fund) supplemental topical modules. NCES should also continue to work with the research community to explore new survey content areas and modes of observation, improve the quality of spatial measures, and pursue record linkage to administrative data.
Rapid determination of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance from whole-genome sequences
Authors: Coll Francesc , McNerney Ruth , Preston Mark D , Guerra-Assunção José Afonso , Warry Andrew , Hill-Cawthorne Grant , Mallard Kim , Nair Mridul , Miranda Anabela , Alves Adriana , Perdigão João , Viveiros Miguel , Portugal Isabel , Hasan Zahra , Hasan Rumina , Glynn Judith R , Martin Nigel , Pain Arnab , Clark Taane G
Published: May 2015

Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance (DR) challenges effective tuberculosis disease control. Current molecular tests examine limited numbers of mutations, and although whole genome sequencing approaches could fully characterise DR, data complexity has restricted their clinical application. A library (1,325 mutations) predictive of DR for 15 anti-tuberculosis drugs was compiled and validated for 11 of them using genomic-phenotypic data from 792 strains. A rapid online ‘TB-Profiler’ tool was developed to report DR and strain-type profiles directly from raw sequences. Using our DR mutation library, in silico diagnostic accuracy was superior to some commercial diagnostics and alternative databases. The library will facilitate sequence-based drug-susceptibility testing.
RNA interference approaches for treatment of HIV-1 infection
Authors: Bobbin Maggie L , Burnett John C , Rossi John J
Published: May 2015

HIV/AIDS is a chronic and debilitating disease that cannot be cured with current antiretroviral drugs. While combinatorial antiretroviral therapy (cART) can potently suppress HIV-1 replication and delay the onset of AIDS, viral mutagenesis often leads to viral escape from multiple drugs. In addition to the pharmacological agents that comprise cART drug cocktails, new biological therapeutics are reaching the clinic. These include gene-based therapies that utilize RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the expression of viral or host mRNA targets that are required for HIV-1 infection and/or replication. RNAi allows sequence-specific design to compensate for viral mutants and natural variants, thereby drastically expanding the number of therapeutic targets beyond the capabilities of cART. Recent advances in clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated the promise of RNAi therapeutics, reinforcing the concept that RNAi-based agents might offer a safe, effective, and more durable approach for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, there are challenges that must be overcome in order for RNAi therapeutics to reach their clinical potential. These include the refinement of strategies for delivery and to reduce the risk of mutational escape. In this review, we provide an overview of RNAi-based therapies for HIV-1, examine a variety of combinatorial RNAi strategies, and discuss approaches for ex vivo delivery and in vivo delivery.
Laminin-rich blood vessels display activated growth factor signaling and act as the proliferation centers in Dupuytren’s contracture
Authors: Viil Janeli , Maasalu Katre , Mäemets-Allas Kristina , Tamming Liis , Lõhmussaar Kadi , Tooming Mikk , Ingerpuu Sulev , Märtson Aare , Jaks Viljar
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Dupuytren’s contracture (DC) is a chronic fibroproliferative disease of the hand, which is characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of atypical myofibroblasts at the cellular level. We hypothesized that specific areas of the DC tissue are sustaining the cell proliferation and studied the potential molecular determinants that might contribute to the formation of such niches.

Methods

We studied the expression pattern of cell proliferation marker Ki67, phosphorylated AKT (Ak mouse strain thymoma) kinase, DC-associated growth factors (connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2)) and extracellular matrix components (laminins, fibronectin, collagen IV) in DC tissue and normal palmar fascia using immunofluorescence microscopy and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

Results

We found that proliferative cells in the DC nodules were concentrated in the immediate vicinity of small blood vessels and localized predominantly in the myofibroblast layer. Correspondingly, the DC-associated blood vessels contained increased levels of phosphorylated AKT, a hallmark of activated growth factor signaling. When studying the expression of potential activators of AKT signaling we found that the expression of bFGF was confined to the endothelium of the small blood vessels, IGF-2 was present uniformly in the DC tissue and CTGF was expressed in the DC-associated sweat gland acini. In addition, the blood vessels in DC nodules contained increased amounts of laminins 511 and 521, which have been previously shown to promote the proliferation and stem cell properties of different cell types.

Conclusions

Based on our findings, we propose that in the DC-associated small blood vessels the presence of growth factors in combination with favorable extracellular matrix composition provide a supportive environment for sustained proliferation of myofibroblasts and thus the blood vessels play an important role in DC pathogenesis.
Evaluation and design of highly reliable and highly utilized cloud computing systems
Authors: Snyder Brett , Ringenberg Jordan , Green Robert , Devabhaktuni Vijay , Alam Mansoor
Published: May 2015

Cloud computing paradigm has ushered in the need to provide resources to users in a scalable, flexible, and transparent fashion much like any other utility. This has led to a need for developing evaluation techniques that can provide quantitative measures of reliability of a cloud computing system (CCS) for efficient planning and expansion. This paper presents a new, scalable algorithm based on non-sequential Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) to evaluate large scale cloud computing system (CCS) reliability, and it develops appropriate performance measures. Also, a new iterative algorithm is proposed and developed that leverages the MCS method for the design of highly reliable and highly utilized CCSs. The combination of these two algorithms allows CCSs to be evaluated by providers and users alike, providing a new method for estimating the parameters of service level agreements (SLAs) and designing CCSs to match those contractual requirements posed in SLAs. Results demonstrate that the proposed methods are effective and applicable to systems at a large scale. Multiple insights are also provided into the nature of CCS reliability and CCS design.
Talimogene Laherparepvec Improves Durable Response Rate in Patients With Advanced Melanoma
Authors: Andtbacka Robert H.I. , Kaufman Howard L. , Collichio Frances , Amatruda Thomas , Senzer Neil , Chesney Jason , Delman Keith A. , Spitler Lynn E. , Puzanov Igor , Agarwala Sanjiv S. , Milhem Mohammed , Cranmer Lee , Curti Brendan , Lewis Karl , Ross Merrick , Guthrie Troy , Linette Gerald P. , Daniels Gregory A. , Harrington Kevin , Middleton Mark R. , Miller Wilson H. , Zager Jonathan S. , Ye Yining , Yao Bin , Li Ai , Doleman Susan , VanderWalde Ari , Gansert Jennifer , Coffin Robert S.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is a herpes simplex virus type 1–derived oncolytic immunotherapy designed to selectively replicate within tumors and produce granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to enhance systemic antitumor immune responses. T-VEC was compared with GM-CSF in patients with unresected stage IIIB to IV melanoma in a randomized open-label phase III trial.

Patients and Methods

Patients with injectable melanoma that was not surgically resectable were randomly assigned at a two-to-one ratio to intralesional T-VEC or subcutaneous GM-CSF. The primary end point was durable response rate (DRR; objective response lasting continuously ≥ 6 months) per independent assessment. Key secondary end points included overall survival (OS) and overall response rate.

Results

Among 436 patients randomly assigned, DRR was significantly higher with T-VEC (16.3%; 95% CI, 12.1% to 20.5%) than GM-CSF (2.1%; 95% CI, 0% to 4.5%]; odds ratio, 8.9; P < .001). Overall response rate was also higher in the T-VEC arm (26.4%; 95% CI, 21.4% to 31.5% v 5.7%; 95% CI, 1.9% to 9.5%). Median OS was 23.3 months (95% CI, 19.5 to 29.6 months) with T-VEC and 18.9 months (95% CI, 16.0 to 23.7 months) with GM-CSF (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.62 to 1.00; P = .051). T-VEC efficacy was most pronounced in patients with stage IIIB, IIIC, or IVM1a disease and in patients with treatment-naive disease. The most common adverse events (AEs) with T-VEC were fatigue, chills, and pyrexia. The only grade 3 or 4 AE occurring in ≥ 2% of T-VEC–treated patients was cellulitis (2.1%). No fatal treatment-related AEs occurred.

Conclusion

T-VEC is the first oncolytic immunotherapy to demonstrate therapeutic benefit against melanoma in a phase III clinical trial. T-VEC was well tolerated and resulted in a higher DRR (P < .001) and longer median OS (P = .051), particularly in untreated patients or those with stage IIIB, IIIC, or IVM1a disease. T-VEC represents a novel potential therapy for patients with metastatic melanoma.
BEYOND: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter, Phase III Study of First-Line Carboplatin/Paclitaxel Plus Bevacizumab or Placebo in Chinese Patients With Advanced or Recurrent Nonsquamous Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhou Caicun , Wu Yi-Long , Chen Gongyan , Liu Xiaoqing , Zhu Yunzhong , Lu Shun , Feng Jifeng , He Jianxing , Han Baohui , Wang Jie , Jiang Guoliang , Hu Chunhong , Zhang Hao , Cheng Gang , Song Xiangqun , Lu You , Pan Hongming , Zheng Wenjuan , Yin Anny-Yue
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The phase III BEYOND trial was undertaken to confirm in a Chinese patient population the efficacy seen with first-line bevacizumab plus platinum doublet chemotherapy in globally conducted studies.

Patients and Methods

Patients age ≥ 18 years with locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent advanced nonsquamous non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were randomly assigned to receive carboplatin (area under the curve, 6) intravenously and paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) intravenously (CP) on day 1 of each 3-week cycle, for ≤ six cycles, plus placebo (Pl+CP) or bevacizumab (B+CP) 15 mg/kg intravenously, on day 1 of each cycle, until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or death. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary end points were objective response rate, overall survival, exploratory biomarkers, safety.

Results

A total of 276 patients were randomly assigned, 138 to each arm. PFS was prolonged with B+CP versus Pl+CP (median, 9.2 v 6.5 months, respectively; hazard ratio [HR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.54; P < .001). Objective response rate was improved with B+CP compared with Pl+CP (54% v 26%, respectively). Overall survival was also prolonged with B+CP compared with Pl+CP (median, 24.3 v 17.7 months, respectively; HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.93; P = .0154). Median PFS was 12.4 months with B+CP and 7.9 months with Pl+CP (HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.63) in EGFR mutation–positive tumors and 8.3 and 5.6 months, respectively (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.53), in wild-type tumors. Safety was similar to previous studies of B+CP in NSCLC; no new safety signals were observed.

Conclusion

The addition to bevacizumab to carboplatin/paclitaxel was well tolerated and resulted in a clinically meaningful treatment benefit in Chinese patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC.
Late Mortality After Dexrazoxane Treatment: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group
Authors: Chow Eric J. , Asselin Barbara L. , Schwartz Cindy L. , Doody David R. , Leisenring Wendy M. , Aggarwal Sanjeev , Baker K. Scott , Bhatia Smita , Constine Louis S. , Freyer David R. , Lipshultz Steven E. , Armenian Saro H.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

Given concerns that dexrazoxane may reduce treatment efficacy, induce second cancers, and thus compromise overall survival among children, we examined long-term overall and cause-specific mortality and disease relapse rates from three randomized clinical trials.

Patients and Methods

Children's Oncology Group trials P9404 (T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma; n = 537), P9425 (intermediate/high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma; n = 216), and P9426 (low-risk Hodgkin lymphoma; n = 255) were conducted between 1996 and 2001. Each trial randomly assigned patients to doxorubicin with or without dexrazoxane. The dexrazoxane:doxorubicin dose ratio was 10:1, and the cumulative protocol-specified doxorubicin dose was 100 to 360 mg/m2. Dexrazoxane was given as an intravenous bolus before each doxorubicin dose. Data from all three trials were linked with the National Death Index to determine overall and cause-specific mortality by dexrazoxane status.

Results

Among 1,008 patients (507 received dexrazoxane) with a median follow-up of 12.6 years (range, 0 to 15.5 years), 132 died (67 received dexrazoxane). Overall mortality did not vary by dexrazoxane status (12.8% with dexrazoxane at 10 years v 12.2% without; hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.45). Findings were similar when each trial was examined separately. Dexrazoxane also was not significantly associated with differential causes of death. The original cancer caused 76.5% of all deaths (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.32) followed by second cancers (13.6% of deaths; HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.49 to 3.15). Specifically, dexrazoxane was not associated with deaths from acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplasia or cardiovascular events.

Conclusion

Among pediatric patients with leukemia or lymphoma, after extended follow-up, dexrazoxane use did not seem to compromise long-term survival.
Revisiting Li-Fraumeni Syndrome From TP53 Mutation Carriers
Authors: Bougeard Gaëlle , Renaux-Petel Mariette , Flaman Jean-Michel , Charbonnier Camille , Fermey Pierre , Belotti Muriel , Gauthier-Villars Marion , Stoppa-Lyonnet Dominique , Consolino Emilie , Brugières Laurence , Caron Olivier , Benusiglio Patrick R. , Bressac-de Paillerets Brigitte , Bonadona Valérie , Bonaïti-Pellié Catherine , Tinat Julie , Baert-Desurmont Stéphanie , Frebourg Thierry
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The aim of the study was to update the description of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a remarkable cancer predisposition characterized by extensive clinical heterogeneity.

Patients and Methods

From 1,730 French patients suggestive of LFS, we identified 415 mutation carriers in 214 families harboring 133 distinct TP53 alterations and updated their clinical presentation.

Results

The 322 affected carriers developed 552 tumors, and 43% had developed multiple malignancies. The mean age of first tumor onset was 24.9 years, 41% having developed a tumor by age 18. In childhood, the LFS tumor spectrum was characterized by osteosarcomas, adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC), CNS tumors, and soft tissue sarcomas (STS) observed in 30%, 27%, 26%, and 23% of the patients, respectively. In adults, the tumor distribution was characterized by the predominance of breast carcinomas observed in 79% of the females, and STS observed in 27% of the patients. The TP53 mutation detection rate in children presenting with ACC or choroid plexus carcinomas, and in females with breast cancer before age 31 years, without additional features indicative of LFS, was 45%, 42% and 6%, respectively. The mean age of tumor onset was statistically different (P < .05) between carriers harboring dominant-negative missense mutations (21.3 years) and those with all types of loss of function mutations (28.5 years) or genomic rearrangements (35.8 years). Affected children, except those with ACC, harbored mostly dominant-negative missense mutations.

Conclusion

The clinical gradient of the germline TP53 mutations, which should be validated by other studies, suggests that it might be appropriate to stratify the clinical management of LFS according to the class of the mutation.
Economic Evaluation of Bevacizumab for the First-Line Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Kovic Bruno , Xie Feng
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The Avastin in Glioblastoma trial has shown that patients newly diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treated with bevacizumab plus radiotherapy and temozolomide versus radiotherapy and temozolomide alone showed improvement in progression-free survival, possibly leading to a new indication for first-line use of bevacizumab in GBM. The cost-utility of this new intervention remains unknown; therefore, we developed a Markov model estimating the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) from a Canadian public payer perspective.

Methods

We incorporated trial data for state transitions and treatment effects from the Avastin in Glioblastoma trial, costs and resource use data from Canadian published studies and databases, and utility parameters from published literature. We addressed uncertainty through one-way deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses, extended the model to lifetime horizon and by another arm to compare first-line versus second-line use of bevacizumab on progression, performed value of information analysis, and performed US costing sensitivity analysis.

Results

Adding bevacizumab to radiotherapy and temozolomide resulted in increases of 0.13 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and $80,000 per patient over 2-year time horizon at the base case analysis. The ICUR was $607,966/QALY (95% CI, $305,000/QALY to $2,550,000/QALY), with 0% chance of being cost effective at the $100,000/QALY willingness-to-pay threshold and never going below $450,000/QALY in the one-way sensitivity analysis. The ICUR using the US costing data was $787,519/QALY. The lifetime ICUR was $439,764/QALY (95% CI, $235,000/QALY to $1,520,000/QALY), never going below $350,000/QALY in the sensitivity analysis. Second-line use of bevacizumab on progression is more effective and less expensive than its first-line use. Value of information analysis revealed that future research is unwarranted.

Conclusion

Bevacizumab has only limited effectiveness and is therefore not likely to be cost effective in treating adult patients with newly diagnosed GBM.
In vitro myelin formation using embryonic stem cells
Authors: Kerman Bilal E. , Kim Hyung Joon , Padmanabhan Krishnan , Mei Arianna , Georges Shereen , Joens Matthew S. , Fitzpatrick James A. J. , Jappelli Roberto , Chandross Karen J. , August Paul , Gage Fred H.
Published: May 2015

Myelination in the central nervous system is the process by which oligodendrocytes form myelin sheaths around the axons of neurons. Myelination enables neurons to transmit information more quickly and more efficiently and allows for more complex brain functions; yet, remarkably, the underlying mechanism by which myelination occurs is still not fully understood. A reliable in vitro assay is essential to dissect oligodendrocyte and myelin biology. Hence, we developed a protocol to generate myelinating oligodendrocytes from mouse embryonic stem cells and established a myelin formation assay with embryonic stem cell-derived neurons in microfluidic devices. Myelin formation was quantified using a custom semi-automated method that is suitable for larger scale analysis. Finally, early myelination was followed in real time over several days and the results have led us to propose a new model for myelin formation.
Structures and Biological Activities of Novel Biselyngbyaside Analogs Isolated from the Marine Cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp.
Authors: Watanabe Ayane , Ohno Osamu , Morita Maho , Inuzuka Toshiyasu , Suenaga Kiyotake
Published: May 2015

Novel biselyngbyaside analogs, biselyngbyolide C (1) and biselyngbyasides E (2) and F (3), were isolated from the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp., collected on Ishigaki Island, Japan. The gross structures of 1–3 were determined by NMR spectral analyses, and their stereochemistries were established based on NOESY spectra and CD data. These compounds inhibited the growth of HeLa and HL60 cells. From the results of an MTT assay, the geometry of the trisubstituted olefin in the side chain and the lack of the sugar moiety were found to be important for the biological activity. In addition, 1 was found to exhibit ER stress- and apoptosis-inducing activities in HeLa cells.
A CMOS-Compatible, Monolithically Integrated Snapshot-Mosaic Multispectral Imager
Authors: Gonzalez Pilar , Geelen Bert , Blanch Carolina , Tack Klaas , Lambrechts Andy
Published: May 2015

Imec is a research centre located in Belgium. Specialising in nanoelectronics, it is mostly known for advanced lithography and CMOS scaling research. However, building on that equipment and material knowledge, Imec works in a number of different application-oriented domains. Hyperspectral imaging, to which this article is devoted, is one of them.
Celio Pasquini
Authors: Downey Gerry
Published: May 2015

In the context of our upcoming ICNIRS Conference in Brazil, I thought it would be interesting to learn a bit more about Celio Pasquini, our main host for the event. I think you will find his information interesting and some of the images at least should whet your appetite for a visit to Foz do Iguassu! Ed.
One Can Always Assign a Wavelength/Wavelength Region Specific for One's Application
Authors: Esbensen Kim H. , Geladi Paul , Larsen Anders , Williams Phil
Published: May 2015

A chance encounter at IDRC 2014 led to a desire to produce a joint Mythbuster column on the issues surrounding “peak assignment”. The regular column authors are here joined by Phil Williams.
The purposes and problems of legal regulation of education in Russia
Authors: Братановская Милена , Bratanovskaya Milena , Братановский Сергей , Bratanovsky Sergey , Кочерга Светлана , Kocherga Svetlana
Published: May 2015

The article explores the questions related to the formation of the purposes of an education system in Russia and investigates the tasks fixed in the legislation which are aimed at the realization of the right of citizens to education. The authors analyze the legal norms, law-enforcement practice and positions of the leading legal scholars related to the definition of primary purposes and tasks which are facing subjects and objects of national education management system. The authors also suggest solutions of the existing problems in this area.
Powstanie Państwa Izraela w ujęciu konstruktywistycznym
Authors: Hoffmann Marta
Published: May 2015

The establishment of the State of Israel in the constructivist perspective
The subject of the following essay is the process of establishing of a Jewish state, analysed by using categories of constructivism – one of the most dynamically developing theories on the ground of international relations. The author, by means of ideas used often by constructivists, aims to analyse the process from the end of 19th century to 14th May 1948, when the State of Israel was officially proclaimed. In the preface the main aim and the methodology of the essay is outlined. In the first chapter, the author outlines the most important assumptions, genesis and characteristic features of the constructivist perspective, in order to characterize this paradigm. The next chapter analyses three episodes of building an Israeli State: the first one between the end of 19th century and the end of I World War, second – between I and II World War and third – after II World War to 14th May 1948. All of these episodes are analysed using three essential spheres for constructivism: values, institutions and the identities created by activity of charismatic individuals. The summary recapitulates all the observations made in the essay.
Sales Force Behavior, Pricing Information, and Pricing Decisions
Authors: Elmaghraby Wedad , Jank Wolfgang , Zhang Shu , Karaesmen Itir Z.
Published: May 2015

This paper focuses on salespeople behavior in business-to-business transactions. The paper investigates how salespeople use the information provided to them to set prices; of particular interest is how salespeople use price recommendations from a decision support tool. The investigation builds reduced-form models and tests them on a data set obtained by a grocery products distributor. The analysis shows that salespeople’s decisions are explained well by a two-stage decision model whereby salespeople make an initial decision on whether or not to change the price (a binary decision) and then decide on the magnitude of change (a continuous response). We find that salespeople in our data set do not blindly adopt the recommended price change generated by the pricing tool. Rather, our two-stage model allows for us to uncover a nuanced association between the recommended price and the actual price change by identifying customer-specific and salesperson-specific market factors that moderate the influence of price recommendations.
Translating Intentions to Behavior: The Interaction of Network Structure and Behavioral Intentions in Understanding Employee Turnover
Authors: Vardaman James M. , Taylor Shannon G. , Allen David G. , Gondo Maria B. , Amis John M.
Published: May 2015

This paper integrates psychological and sociological perspectives to provide a more complete explanation of the link between intended and actual turnover. Findings from two studies suggest that the translation of intentions to leave one’s job into turnover behavior is attenuated by centrality in organizational advice and friendship networks. Our results demonstrate that psychological and network factors jointly impact employee turnover, and distinguish the effects of different types of networks (friendship, advice), ties (in-degree, out-degree), and levels (dyadic, triadic) in the turnover process. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice, and propose a two-stage model of turnover grounded in temporal construal theory that describes how psychological and structural factors variously influence the turnover decision process.
Personal and professional challenges of nurse prescribing in Ireland
Authors: McBrien Barry
Published: May 2015

This article presents the challenges regarding the development of a collaborative practice agreement in order to undertake nurse prescribing in an emergency department in a large teaching hospital. Nurse prescribing has been introduced quite recently in Ireland. Although there is a plethora of knowledge regarding the topic, there are many personal and professional challenges in relation to this emerging role. The nurse prescribing initiative in Ireland is continually developing and many nurses now have the authority to prescribe from almost the same range of medicines as doctors. Prescribing has the potential to improve job satisfaction, autonomy and ultimately improves patient outcomes. However, nurses need to be cognisant of the impact it can have on the dynamics of the healthcare team. An analysis of some complexities of nurse prescribing is given, in conjunction with reflective thoughts on a clinical incident in the area of morphine prescribing.
Body image concerns after colorectal cancer surgery
Authors: Taylor Claire
Published: May 2015

Body image is understood to be a person's perception of his or her own physical appearance although, as this article highlights, it embraces a greater range of bodily attributes than is often appreciated. It can be significantly affected by a diagnosis of colorectal cancer and subsequent treatment, which may modify the way the body looks, feels and functions. One of the major aesthetic and functional consequences of colorectal cancer surgery is the possibility of stoma formation, which is of particular concern to many. However, the range of other bodily effects following surgery should not be overlooked, not least because of they may result in distress. While concerns about changes in body image generally decrease over time, people recovering from cancer treatment often feel their relationship with their body has been permanently altered. Specialist support is often required when adjusting to any changes in bodily appearance and function. Care outcomes can be improved by having a sound understanding of the body image concerns likely to arise following treatment, as well as the skills to identify and support patients at risk of altered body image. This article provides guidance to nurses caring for individuals who may be experiencing distress over how their body is now perceived by themselves and others following colorectal cancer surgery.
Effects of Grapefruit Seed Extract for Antibacterial Activity on the Coated Packaging
Authors: Lee Jin-Won , Yoon Jin-Ho , Park Jang-Woo
Published: May 2015

In this study, effects of grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) for the antibacterial activity on the coated packaging were investigated. Two-gram positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes) and two-gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis) were used to evaluate the anti-microbial abilities of a packaging system. Clear zone size for gram positive bacteria ranged from 5 mm to 21 mm at various GFSE concentrations (60 ppm- 5,000 ppm). Also, the clear zone size for gram negative bacteria ranged from 0 mm to 7 mm at various GFSE concentrations. In case of coated packaging system, the clear zone size for gram positive bacteria ranged from 5 mm to 19 mm at various GFSE concentrations (60-5,000 ppm). The clear zone size for gram negative bacteria ranged from 7 mm to 11 mm at various GFSE concentrations. In case of storage safety test for ready-to-eat model food on the coated packaging system at 37°C, the maximum storage time of 1,000 ppm, 5,000 ppm, and 10,000 ppm on GFSE coated packaging were 11 h, 16 h, and 18 h, respectively. Also the colony forming units of 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 ppm were 4.5 log CFU/g, 4.8 log CFU/g, and 4.3 log CFU/g, respectively.