bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Special Collections in Research Libraries: Problems and Perspectives
Authors: Tyacke Sarah
Published: August 2016

‘Special collections’ may comprise rare books, manuscripts, institutional archives, maps and other non-book collections in a library, but the types of groupings are not consistent across different types of library nor across countries. The humanities researcher clearly has a need for material in special collections. Funds for acquisitions and staff are becoming increasingly short at a time when information technology offers new possibilities of accessing and exploiting special collections, including collections held in other libraries and countries. Much progress has been made, especially with automated short-title catalogues; other useful steps include the implementation by the Research Libraries Group in the US of the newly developed MARC format for archives and manuscripts control in the Research Libraries Network and the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of a recommendation on retroconversion. Most of the activity so far is, however, neither well co-cordinated nor adequately resourced. One practical approach might be for European libraries and other repositories to consider the potential for a Latin-language database to be set up with the advice of ‘users’ and potential host-database holders.
The Provision of Information and Library Services to Science and Industry by National Libraries: With Special Reference to the British Library
Authors: Russon David
Published: August 2016

The role of national libraries has been discussed widely over the past three decades and a number of core functions have been identified. Most national libraries have been developed with a primary aim of acting as the steward of the national archive. Traditionally there has been a strong bias towards the humanities and social sciences, with services to the scientific and industrial communities delegated to specific institutions separate from the national library. The British Library is unique in dividing its resources approximately equally between humanities and social sciences and science and technology. The units making up its Science, Technology and Industry division (which include the Document Supply Centre, the Science Reference and Information Service and the National Bibliographic Service) provide a wide range of services which are targeted specifically at the scientific and commercial sectors. Electronic publishing, as it develops, will affect the role of national libraries in collection development, document supply and information services.
Time, Development, Africa
Authors: Havard-Williams Peter , Marco Guy A.
Published: August 2016

The current wave of pessimism about the future of tropical Africa is contested, on the basis that Euro/American temporal expectations are inappropriate in the African context. An approach to Africa in the light of large cycles of historical time seems to offer a useful foundation for western expectations and a western plan of action. Well-intended western efforts to assist in development (economically in general, regarding librarianship in particular) may not have been greatly successful because they have disregarded principles, such as those elucidated by Arnold Toynbee, about the way civilizations grow and how much time they need for the process of becoming ‘modem’. It is suggested that Sub-Saharan Africa is engaged now in the essential step of building its middle class, after which (approximately at the beginning of the next century) it will exhibit a demand for means of growth in that class as well as means to sustain upward movement in the poorest class. Those processes, inherent in the emergence of successful societies, will generate the need for information, education and libraries.
The National Library of Estonia
Authors: Eenmaa Ivi
Published: August 2016

The National Library of Estonia, established in 1918, is now undergoing a revolutionary period of undoing the disastrous effects of the cultural policies of the communist regime. The library was the first in the Soviet Union to destroy the institution of banned books, the so-called ‘special collection’. Its democratic reconstruction follows from the cultural policies of the Estonian Republic, whose Supreme Council passed a National Library Act in 1990. The library is the central public research library of Estonia, acting at the same time as the library of Parliament. It collects, preserves and makes publicly accessible all printed matter published in Estonia, in the Estonian language, and relating to Estonia. It is the main coordinating centre for compiling the national bibliography, as well as for library and information research, and serves as a repository for the whole country. It also compiles and publishes statistics of Estonian publications. At present the library is scattered among several 18th- and 19th-century buildings, but the end of 1991 will see the completion of a new building, the largest and most modern library building in Eastern Europe, which will incorporate computer technology for all areas of library work.
Legal Deposit throughout the European Community: Results of an Enquiry
Authors: Vitiello Giuseppe
Published: August 2016

In the field of legal deposit there has recently been a shift from the traditional ‘legalistic’ approach to a ‘functional’ approach. Financial reasons alone have made universality no longer a viable aim. Preservation activities can take place only on a basis of selectiveness, and the recording of every item in every format is unrealistic. An enquiry in 1992 in national libraries in the European Community lends weight to the functional approach by suggesting that good practice is at least as dependent on sound management principles as on legislation. It also shows that legal deposit in the EC works best where the library world has created a harmony of interests with publishers and producers of material, in particular by providing timely and efficient bibliographic services. No national library in the EC has a responsbility for collecting all kinds of publication. A central collection of all published material is now only one of several possible options being considered for the effective achivement of legal deposit objectives; division among libraries by subject, format, or geographical region offers a range of alternatives.
State Libraries in Australia
Authors: Biskup Peter
Published: August 2016

Australia is a federation of six states, two self-governing territories and a number of external territories. The state libraries were modelled on the British Museum Library and saw themselves as ‘national’ institutions, with a mandate to collect ‘books of all languages and descriptions’. Until the 1950s they remained the backbone of the Australian library system. By 1962, with the expansion of university education, the holdings of the university libraries for the first time equalled the combined resources of the state libraries and the National Library of Australia (NLA). The other development that transformed the post-war library scene was the emergence of the NLA itself from the relative obscurity of the pre-war years. The rivalry that grew up between the state libraries and the NLA was eventually put to rest by a number of factors, including the creation of the Australian Bibliographic Network and the resulting National Bibliographic Database, which made all types of library more interdependent; also the enforced sharing of the new poverty of the 1980s and the early 1990s. However, the state libraries themselves are now better housed, leaner and more efficiently run than they were even a decade ago. The 5.2 million volumes they hold account for almost 13% of the nation's bibliographic resources.
The Current State of UAP (Universal Availability of Publications): Better, Worse, or Much the Same?
Authors: Cornish Graham P.
Published: August 2016

The universal availability of publications is at the heart of librarianship. In the last ten years the UAP Programme has done much to promote the concept, and useful research has been carried out. Political changes have eroded ideological barriers in some parts of the world, but other barriers have appeared in their place as some states have disintegrated. The cessation of centralized funding in Eastern Europe has affected publishing as well as library budgets; some libraries no longer benefit from legal deposit. Charging for interlibrary supply has become more common, although libraries often cannot keep the revenue earned. The voucher scheme for international interlibrary supply devised by the UAP Programme would help by taking the currency element out of many transactions. Technology opens up the possibility of much better access, whether by the use of CD-ROMs of full text or by online transmission, but since it requires equipment for access and may be costly it could widen the gap between rich and poor. Problems of copyright have also to be solved; the CITED project may alleviate these. Most of the barriers to UAP are outside the control of libraries. The commercial sector is playing a greater part in document supply. Cooperation between libraries has been slow to develop. Overall, there have been improvements in availability but a good deal of action is still needed.
The Application of IT in the St Pancras Building of the British Library
Authors: Butcher Roger
Published: August 2016

The new British Library building at St Pancras will depend heavily on IT systems. It will be used for basic reader services such as gaining access to the reading rooms, searching the catalogue, and retrieving items from closed storage and delivering them to the right reading room and reader. Systems for the main reader services, particularly the Online Catalogue, which have already been implemented in existing reading rooms, will continue to be developed before St Pancras opens; under current plans there will be 450 catalogue terminals in the completed building. These systems will make it possible to collect much more data on ways in which the building and services are used. Other IT systems will monitor and control the operation of the building itself. Even the exhibitions will have IT systems to augment the displays. Services that can be accessed remotely will also be offered by means of telecommunication networks. The completed system will comprise some 5,700 monitoring and control points distributed across about 110 outstations, all connected by a looped network into a central control supervisor.
University Libraries in Greece: The Present Situation
Authors: Zachos Georgios
Published: August 2016

University libraries in Greece perform poorly by the standards of most other European countries. Only two of the universities have unified campuses, and as a result there is not much library planning. Student education depends mainly on lectures and lecture notes, and teachers do not encourage reading, so that little use of the library is needed. A recent extensive survey (on which the article is based) showed that library provision is widely distributed within each university, and in several universities coordination between the various libraries is weak. Library staff are inadequate in number and training. Collections are generally small, and student provision is minimal. Materials consist almost entirely of monographs and journals. Many libraries do not use recognized cataloguing rules or classification systems. The application of automation has been slow. Services are largely restricted to consultation and lending. Cooperation is informal, as there is no national interlending system. Opening hours are relatively short. Expenditure on libraries (as on higher education generally) is low. Improvement of the situation requires action on several fronts, including the creation of a National Committee on University and Research Libraries.
The St. Clement of Ohrid National and University Library: Macedonia's National Library
Authors: Jankoska Stana , Kostovska Viktorija
Published: August 2016

The St Clement of Ohrid National and University Library, which was established in 1944, is a state institution of the Republic of Macedonia. It began its activity in modest accommodation with book stocks of about 150,000 library items and 50 seats for readers. It has gradually developed and enriched its functions, particularly after moving into the new building. The NUL is a legal deposit library, a central library headquarters, and an agent for the development of librarianship as well as the library information system of the republic. It is also a national centre for the restoration and preservation of library material, a bibliographic and referral centre, the national ISBN and ISSN agency and the library for the University of Skopje. There are three million library items at its disposal, in general and special book collections (manuscripts, old printed and rare library material, cartographic, art and music scores). It has extensive cooperative arrangements with 260 libraries from 60 countries in the world, as well as with relevant world institutions such as UNESCO and IFLA. Automation was late in starting; it has made substantial progress, but this is now hindered by the difficult economic situation.
European National Libraries and the CoBRA Forum of the EU Libraries Programme
Authors: Lehmann Klaus-Dieter
Published: August 2016

The Conference of European National Librarians (CENL), conscious of its responsibility both to preserve and to provide access to books and information in an increasingly electronic world, is involved in two extensive European Commission (EC) programmes to serve these ends. These are managed by a Forum of eight national libraries. The first is CoBRA (Computer and Bibliographic Record Actions), which established four task groups to study respectively improved European bibliographic services, user needs for bibliographic products, networked record distribution and re-use, and promotion of data sharing. Three new task groups are looking at new models for bibliographic services, networked national bibliographic services, and the long-term availability of electronic publications. A new programme called CoBRA+ is due to run through 1996 and 1997; as well as continuing CoBRA work it is widening its focus to include collection-based services, with emphasis on resource sharing, user needs and the use of communications networks. There are two main task groups, one concerned with the area of metadata and bibliographic access, the other with electronic publications and digital resources, including legal deposit and storage. Eight specific projects, ranging from networking name authority files to the development of a new relationship between publishers and national bibliographic agencies for the control of electronic publications, are briefly described.
The Harvard University Library: A National Resource
Authors: Carpenter Kenneth E.
Published: August 2016

Harvard University is a decentralized university, with each of its nine faculties basically responsible for its own financial well-being. The library operates within the framework of this decentralization. The term ‘Harvard University Library’ therefore has two different meanings. In one seise it refers to those who are responsible for carrying out certain functions where coordination is required. Specifically, the University Library provides a unified catalogue for the c.90 library units throughout the university. It also manages the Harvard Depository, which helps to ease the space problem, and provides certain preservation services to the decentralized libraries. The Harvard University Archives is a University Library institution, and there are also University Library functions in the areas of personnel and publications. The decentralized library system began to be developed in the 19th century. Not only do the libraries not share common funding or administration; they have varied purposes and types of reader. Short-term access for outsiders is possible in almost all of the libraries. A distinguishing feature of the library is its international collections, whose development began to be emphasized at the very aid of the 19th century. The library's digital initiatives are largely aimed at providing better service to the library's readers.
The Future of Libraries in the Information Society: The UK Library and Information Commission's Vision
Authors: Haines Margaret
Published: August 2016

The Library and Information Commission (LIC) for England and Northern Ireland was established in 1995 by the then Department of National Heritage. Its aims are to consult the library and information community and other relevant sectors, and to provide to government a single and coherent source of advice on policy and other issues, covering both national and international aspects. The 13 Commissioners, drawn from a wide range of private and public information and library organizations, have taken a holistic approach. Based on building partnerships, demonstrating best value, consulting widely, and disseminating results from its own activities, the LIC's approach focuses on results and lessons that are transferable. Research commissioned by the LIC has included Internet availability in public libraries, digitization in archives and local government libraries, and library involvement in lifelong learning. The LIC has also provided advice to the EU on copyright and data protection; a paper for the UK government on the feasibility of a national information policy; a national strategy for public libraries to exploit digital and network technologies; and a national research strategy for the library and information sector. Its most recent major output has been its ‘2020 Vision’ statement, which articulates its vision of the value of library and information services as a cornerstone of the global information economy through excellence in connectivity (providing universal access), content (creating a digital library of UK material), and competencies (equipping individuals and organizations to play their full role in learning and the information society). In the next four years the LIC will develop its role through seven action lines, which include national information policy, a UK ‘digital library’, and contributions to learning and regional and economic development.
Current National Bibliographies in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States
Authors: Bell Barbara L.
Published: August 2016

The dissolution of the USSR created 15 new nations, which are struggling to gain national identity. Twelve are now members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan); the remaining three are the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Many of these former republics had established a regional bibliography but these bibliographies were neither visible nor available to a wide audience. Since independence, ethnic interests are re-emerging and these countries are publishing their current national bibliographies in the language of the country. Titles within the national bibliographies also are appearing in these languages. The national bibliographies still need greater visibility and availability. This article identifies and briefly describes the scope, arrangement, classification scheme and indexes included in the current national bibliography within each country in an attempt to make this information more accessible and available to librarians and researchers.
The National Diet Library of Japan and its Plans for the 21st Century
Authors: Ogata Shin-Ichiro
Published: August 2016

The National Diet Library (NDL), Japan's national library and parliamentary library, 50 years old in 1998, is tackling three major projects for the 21st century. The first is a new facility tentatively called the Kansai-kan, 500km away from Tokyo, to be opened in 2002. It will work in tandem with the present library in Tokyo and enable the NDL to cope with expanding collections. It will also be a centre for information supply services, Asian documentary information, library cooperation and R&D, taking advantage of its digital library functions. A second project is the International Library of Children's Literature, to be opened in 2000. The third undertaking comprises a number of digital library projects, which should be in full operation when the Kansai-kan opens. The NDL is now drawing up its digital library plan and carrying out several experimental projects, as well as taking part in international cooperation such as G8 projects.
The BFI National Library: Information and Research Services in the British Film Institute in a Time of Change
Authors: Templeton Ray
Published: August 2016

The British Film Institute (BFI) is funded largely by the UK government. Changing political government support for film will affect the future of the BFI National Library. This library, which is open to the public, provides users with access to one of the world's most extensive collections of documentation on the subject of film and television. The library offers inter alia consultation in the reading room in London and services to remote users via telephone, letter, fax or e-mail. It supports and encourages the use of local and regional resources. A key element is the building of databases of film and television information, which, as well as being available to users, arc used for a range of internal applications that rely on authoritative filmographic data. Emerging strategies for exploiting information and communication technologies for the delivery of resources to remote access points include the development of the BFI website, and a new project known as BFI Online which will deliver moving image materials and a range of supporting documentation in digitized form to a limited number of trial sites.
Developing the Depository of Netherlands Electronic Publications
Authors: Steenbakkers Johan
Published: August 2016

Since 1994 the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB), the national library of the Netherlands, has been developing and implementing electronic library functions. These include a high quality user environment for electronic information and a depository for storing and preserving electronic publications as part of the cultural heritage of the Netherlands. In order to extend the task of the depository library to include the rapidly growing number of electronic publications, a number of conditions had to be fulfilled. These conditions were to develop a policy, make appropriate changes to the organization, obtain resources and acquire knowledge and skills. In addition, a specific management approach was necessary to develop the Depository of Netherlands Electronic Publications (DNEP) because of the complicated and continuously changing setting, resulting from the rapid development of technology and its impact on the information field. By following a step-by-step approach, the KB was able to make good progress in developing and implementing the DNEP. A facility has been realized to store and give access to electronic publications deposited by publishers. At the moment the KB is developing high quality control for this digital store of electronic publications. Another major challenge will be to develop and implement functionality for the long-term preservation of electronic publications.
Comment on ‘The Medieval Quiet Period’ – Implications arising from models of solar irradiance
Authors: Summerhayes Colin P
Published: August 2016

The recent re-evaluation of sunspot data by Clette et al. strongly suggests that the total solar irradiance (TSI) values for the late 20th century were (apart from 1960) not significantly different from those of the periods of sunspot maxima in the 1780s and the 1840s–1860s in the latter part of the ‘Little Ice Age’. In effect, the re-evaluation removed the previously supposed sunspot maximum of the ‘modern’ period. That means that the supposed recovery of TSI levels to values significantly higher in the late 20th century than those of the ‘Medieval Quiet (or Warm) Period’ (Figure 1 of Bradley et al., 2016) must be an artefact of the solar data. Orbital data suggest that the northern hemisphere cooled significantly over the past 2000 years, a trend confirmed by global temperature proxies. Variations about that trend were driven by small variations in sunspot activity that led to the warmth of the ‘Medieval Quiet (Warm) Period’ and the subsequent cooling of the ‘Little Ice Age’. In fact, the ‘Little Ice Age’ contained several short warm periods when sunspots were at a maximum. It seems highly likely given the new sunspot calibration that the mid- to late 20th century warming was yet another of these ‘Little Ice Age’ warm episodes (e.g. no different from that in 1780) superimposed on which was a growing additional warming supplied by expanding emissions of greenhouses gases.
Garcinol exhibits anti-proliferative activities by targeting microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in human colon cancer cells
Authors: Ranjbarnejad T , Saidijam M , tafakh M sadat , Pourjafar M , Talebzadeh F , Najafi R
Published: August 2016

Background:

Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of death. Various natural compounds are known to have antitumor properties. Garcinol, a polyisoprenylated benzophenone, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In the current study, we investigated the anticancer activity of garcinol on human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29) human colon cancer cells.

Methods:

HT-29 cells were treated with various concentrations of garcinol for 24 h. The effect of garcinol on HT-29 cells proliferation was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay; the mRNA expression of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; apoptosis was detected by proportion of sub-G1 cell; caspase 3 activity and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) level were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and HT-29 cells migration was assessed using scratch test.

Results:

Garcinol preconditioning markedly decreased the expression of mPGES-1, HIF-1α, VEGF, CXCR4, MMP-2, and MMP-9. The proportion of cells in sub-G1 phase and caspase 3 activity were increased by garcinol treatment whereas the cell proliferation, PGE2 level, and cell migration were decreased in these cells, compared to the control group.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that garcinol plays a critical role in elevating apoptosis and inhibiting HT-29 cells proliferation, angiogenesis, and invasion by suppressing the mPGES-1/PGE2/HIF-1α signaling pathways.
Myelitis in systemic lupus erythematosus: clinical characteristics and effect in accrual damage. A single-center experience
Authors: Quintanilla-González L , Atisha-Fregoso Y , Llorente L , Fragoso-Loyo H
Published: August 2016

Objective

The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of acute transverse myelitis, including the time of their presentation, and to evaluate their effect on accrual damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Patients with SLE who were hospitalized because of incident, noninfectious myelitis at our institute between January 1997 and December 2013 were identified. As a control group, we selected for each of the patients in the study group one SLE patient hospitalized at the closest date to the case due to other severe non-neuropsychiatric (NP) SLE manifestation, with no history of NP manifestations or noninfectious disease. Clinical characteristics, laboratory results, treatment, disease activity (SLEDAI-2K), and damage (SLICC/ACR-DI) were collected from medical charts at the index hospitalization and one year after hospitalization.

Results

Demographics and SLE characteristics, including age at SLE diagnosis and time since SLE diagnosis to hospitalization, were comparable in patients with myelitis and controls. At hospitalization, disease activity and cumulative damage were similar in both groups. Patients with myelitis received more aggressive treatment than controls. One year after hospitalization, two of the 15 patients who completed follow-up had symptom improvement without neurologic sequelae, and 13 of them had some improvement of symptoms with neurologic sequelae. Four patients died in the myelitis group, three of them of infectious diseases, and one of alveolar hemorrhage. No patient died because of myelopathy and in the control group no patient died, although three were lost during the follow-up. Disease activity and treatment did not differ between both groups. However, cumulative damage was higher among the patients with myelitis than controls (1.9 ± 0.9 vs 0.75 ± 0.9; p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Patients with myelitis have clinical characteristics similar to those observed in non-NP SLE and receive more aggressive treatment. Furthermore, myelitis is associated with a significant increase in accrual damage compared with severe non-NP manifestations.
Urban Health System and Climate Resilience—Surat Case Study
Authors: Desai Vikas K. , Rathi Suresh K. , Desai Hemant
Published: August 2016

The demographic transition with rapid urbanisation corresponds with the challenges of urban infrastructure development. Urban health is an outcome of complex interaction of many urban factors including governance and finance. Coupled with this, climate change has overarching influence on these factors and a challenge to development, health and survival. Therefore, understanding impact of climate change with reference to urban health and development should be on high priority.

Changes in climatic patterns may alter the distribution of vector species and increase its spread in new areas. An increase in temperature and relative humidity may enlarge the transmission window. Effluent emissions to water bodies and salination of rivers through sea level rise may increase the incidence of water borne diseases. Deaths due to heat wave are reported from several parts of the country. Every city is different and success of city specific urban health programme depends on city specific planning as well as public health preparedness for climate change. Hence, study of Climate and Health brings out threshold levels of climate resilience.

Surat city experience of Urban health revealed that good governance and Finance were considered most important factors including Urban health system, community participation, Inter-sectoral convergence, disease surveillance, health information system, Public–private partnership, participation of academic institutions and cross learning. One of the major advocacy areas UHCRC is embarking in is ‘Inclusion of Climate resilience in Health and Health in Climate Resilience Planning’.
Twenty years of Accounting History, 1996–2015: Evidence of the changing faces of accounting history research
Authors: Fowler Carolyn J , Keeper Trish
Published: August 2016

Early research into accounting history publishing patterns indicates researchers were predominately male, working for Anglophone universities and were researching private sector accounting in Anglophone countries. However, recent research suggests this may be changing. Extending and expanding the earlier research of Williams and Wines (2006), the purpose of this paper is to examine publication patterns in the New Series of Accounting History from 1996 to 2015. There has been growth in the journal’s thematic coverage and its global and gender representation. It also reports that while temporal and geographical coverage has expanded, there has been little change in the degree of international collaboration. Although much has been achieved over the past 20 years of Accounting History, there are a number of emerging topics and developing fields of historical enquiry that could be addressed in future volumes, together with research that interfaces accounting with the wider business, political, social and legal historical space.
Validating a Scale of Health Beliefs in Preventive Health Screenings Among Chinese Older Adults
Authors: Xu Hanzhang , Straughan Paulin , Pan Wei , Zhen Zhihong , Wu Bei
Published: August 2016

We aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a modified 16-item Attitudinal Index (AI), a measure of Chinese older adults’ beliefs about preventive health screenings. We used the 2013 Shanghai Elderly Life and Opinion data including 3,418 respondents age 60+ who were randomly split into training and validation samples. We examined the validity and reliability of the modified AI. Psychometric evaluation of the modified AI revealed good response patterns. The overall scale had good reliability (Cronbach’s α = .835). Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: barriers, fatalism, unnecessary, and detects (Cronbach’s α = .815-.908). Confirmatory factor analysis of the modified AI’s factor structure verified its four-factor structure (comparative fit index = 0.913, standardized root mean square residual = 0.048). The validity and reliability of the modified AI support its cultural appropriateness in measuring health beliefs among Chinese elderly. Further psychometric evaluation should focus on testing concurrent and criterion validity.
Catheter-Directed Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Modern Literature
Authors: Tafur Alfonso J. , Shamoun Fadi E. , Patel Salma I. , Tafur Denisse , Donna Fabiola , Murad M. Hassan
Published: August 2016

We summarize the evidence for the safety and efficacy of catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) with and without ultrasound-assisted therapy for treating submassive and massive pulmonary embolism (PE) in a systematic review. The primary efficacy outcome was mortality. Outcomes were pooled across studies with the random-effects model. Twenty-four studies enrolled 700 patients in total; 653 received mechanical thromboembolectomy treatments for PE (mortality rate, 9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 6%-13%], P = .12; rate of minor complications, 6% [95% CI, 2%-13%]). In the ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis (USAT) studies, the mortality rate was 4% (95% CI, 1%-11%) and in the non-USAT studies, it was 9% (95% CI, 6%-13%). Secondary safety outcomes were all bleeding events, which occurred in 12% (95% CI, 7%-20%) of the USAT studies and in 10% (95% CI, 5%-20%) of the non-USAT studies. Current clinical evidence does not prove USAT is superior over CDT methods.
Climate Surveys: An Inventory of Understanding Sexual Assault and Other Crimes of Interpersonal Violence at Institutions of Higher Education
Authors: Wood Leila , Sulley Caitlin , Kammer-Kerwick Matt , Follingstad Diane , Busch-Armendariz Noël
Published: August 2016

Sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, sexual harassment, and stalking are complex crimes and have been a major focus of national attention at institutions of higher education (IHEs). To grasp the extent and nature of these crimes on campuses, institutionally specific climate surveys are being developed and endorsed by the federal government and conducted at IHEs. These climate surveys differ in content and length. This article describes 10 different climate surveys and outlines the variables measured in each tool. Next steps for assessing climate surveys are discussed.
ACCLAIM: A randomized trial of abatacept (CTLA4-Ig) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Khoury Samia J , Rochon James , Ding Linna , Byron Margie , Ryker Kristin , Tosta Patti , Gao Wendy , Freedman Mark S , Arnold Douglas L , Sayre Peter H , Smilek Dawn E ,   On behalf of the ACCLAIM Study Group
Published: August 2016

Background:

Costimulatory blockade of T lymphocytes with the CTLA4-Ig fusion protein abatacept could be an effective treatment for the immune-mediated neuroinflammatory disease relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Objective:

To evaluate efficacy and safety of abatacept in RRMS.

Methods:

ACCLAIM (A Cooperative Clinical Study of Abatacept in Multiple Sclerosis) was a Phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial. In all, 65 of 123 planned participants with RRMS were randomized to monthly intravenous infusions of abatacept or placebo for 24 weeks in a 2:1 ratio, switched to the opposite treatment at 28 weeks, and received their final dose of study medication at 52 weeks. Enrollment was closed early due to slow accrual. The primary endpoint was the mean number of new gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) lesions obtained on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans performed every 4 weeks.

Results:

No statistically significant differences were observed in mean number of new Gd+ MRI lesions between the abatacept and placebo groups. No statistically significant differences were observed in other MRI and clinical parameters of RRMS disease activity. Abatacept was well tolerated.

Conclusion:

The ACCLAIM study did not demonstrate efficacy of abatacept in reducing the number of new Gd+ MRI lesions, or clinical measures of disease activity in RRMS.
Data quality evaluation for observational multiple sclerosis registries
Authors: Kalincik Tomas , Kuhle Jens , Pucci Eugenio , Rojas Juan Ignacio , Tsolaki Magda , Sirbu Carmen-Adella , Slee Mark , Butzkueven Helmut ,   On behalf of the MSBase Scientific Leadership Group and MSBase Study Group
Published: August 2016

Objective:

Objective and reproducible evaluation of data quality is of paramount importance for studies of ‘real-world’ observational data. Here, we summarise a standardised data quality, density and generalisability process implemented by MSBase, a global multiple sclerosis (MS) cohort study.

Methods:

Error rate, data density score and generalisability score were developed using all 35,869 patients enrolled in MSBase as of November 2015. The data density score was calculated across six domains (follow-up, demography, visits, MS relapses, paraclinical data and therapy) and emphasised data completeness. The error rate evaluated syntactic accuracy and consistency of data. The generalisability score evaluated believability of the demographic and treatment information. Correlations among the three scores and the number of patients per centre were evaluated.

Results:

Errors were identified at the median rate of 3 per 100 patient-years. The generalisability score indicated the samples’ representativeness of the known MS epidemiology. Moderate correlation between the density and generalisability scores (ρ = 0.58) and a weak correlation between the error rate and the other two scores (ρ = −0.32 to −0.33) were observed. The generalisability score was strongly correlated with centre size (ρ = 0.79).

Conclusion:

The implemented scores enable objective evaluation of the quality of observational MS data, with an impact on the design of future analyses.
Going Too Far
Authors: Marshall Sarah , Betron Rachel , Bubbers Caroline , Keightley Melissa
Published: August 2016

This case involves the alleged sexual assault of a college athlete by her professor. Rather than report the incident, the athletes turns to social media to cryptically share her story. Her messages are clear cries for help and give window to her accelerating depressed state. Given the nature of her postings and follow-up accusations, various university administrators decide how to proceed.
Prevalence and Motivation: Pubic Hair Grooming Among Men in the United States
Authors: Gaither Thomas W. , Awad Mohannad A. , Osterberg E. Charles , Rowen Tami S. , Shindel Alan W. , Breyer Benjamin N.
Published: August 2016

Pubic hair grooming is a growing phenomenon and is associated with body image and sexual activity. A nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized adults aged 18 to 65 years residing in the United States was conducted. Differences in demographic and sexual characteristics between groomers and nongroomers were explored. Four thousand one hundred and ninety-eight men completed the survey. Of these men, 2,120 (50.5%) reported regular pubic hair grooming. The prevalence of grooming decreases with age, odds ratio = 0.95 (95% confidence interval [0.94, 0.96]), p < .001. Adjusting for sexual frequency and sexual orientation, grooming is associated with performing and receiving oral sex. The majority of men report grooming in preparation for sexual activity with a peak prevalence of 73% among men aged 25 to 34 years, followed by hygiene (61%) and routine care (44%). The majority of men who remove their pubic hair groom the hair above the penis (87%), followed by the scrotum (66%) and the penile shaft (57%). Overall, pubic hair grooming is common among men aged 18 to 65 years in the United States. Younger ages are associated with greater rates of pubic hair grooming. Many men groom for sex, in particular oral sex, as well as for routine care and hygiene.
Extracranial vertebral artery rupture likely secondary to “cupping therapy” superimposed on spontaneous dissection
Authors: Choi Jae Young , Huh Chae Wook , Choi Chang Hwa , Lee Jae Il
Published: August 2016

The extracranial vertebral artery (VA) is vulnerable to dissection and the V3 segment is the most common location for dissection. Dissection accounts for about 2% of all ischemic strokes and can occur after trauma or chiropractic neck maneuvers. We report an extremely rare case of spontaneous extracranial VA dissection presenting with posterior neck hematoma aggravated after cupping therapy, a treatment in traditional Oriental medicine. We treated the patient successfully by endovascular treatment without any complication.
Derrida’s Kafka and the Imagined Boundary of Legal Knowledge
Authors: Conklin William E.
Published: August 2016

This article raises the critical issue as to why there has been assumed to be a boundary to legal knowledge. In response to such an issue I focus upon the works of Jacques Derrida who, amongst other things, was concerned with the boundary of the disciplines of Literature, Philosophy and Law. The article argues that the boundary delimits the law as if the inside of a boundary to territorial-like legal space in legal consciousness. Such a space is not possible without the boundary. Derrida’s most insightful essay in this regard is his study of Franz Kafka’s untitled parable in The Trial. The parable represents a man who waits for an invitation to enter the Law until he nears his end. Derrida responds to the parable in his essay, “Before the Law.” This article uses the parable and Derrida’s response to it as a starting-off point for a reconsideration of the boundary of legal knowledge. In this context, Derrida asks this question: “why is Kafka’s parable categorized as Literature or Law?” Such an issue depends upon the boundary of a discipline, according to Derrida. And that focus, in turn, asks whether the boundary pre-exists any text which is represented as “Literature” or “Law” or “Philosophy.” This article claims, however, that Derrida’s theory presupposes that law, as a discipline, encloses a territorial-like space in legal consciousness. Each discipline possesses such a space. So too does the state and the university. Inside this bounded space, officials of the Law are free to consciously deliberate, reflect, and render decisions about the context of the Law. Analytically and phenomenologically before the boundary is taken for granted in an academic discipline, however, there is an unbounded non-law. The aporia of Derrida’s theory of the boundary of the Law is that the official or expert knower of the official language inside the boundary cannot assume the imagined boundary of legal knowledge without implicitly claiming to know the exteriority to the boundary. And yet, officials and expert knowers cannot know such an exterior extra-legality because, by virtue of the boundary as encircling a territorial-like space, knowledge is considered legal only when it exists inside the boundary. “The Law” is the consequence of the imagination of the expert knowers of the language as well as of the non-expert who believes in the bounded territorial-like space.
Nivolumab in the treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer: a review of the evidence
Authors: Lim Joline S. J. , Soo Ross A.
Published: August 2016

Progress in the treatment of patients with advanced stage squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been limited. An improvement in the understanding of tumor immunosurveillance has resulted in the development of the immune checkpoint inhibitors such as nivolumab. Nivolumab (Opdivo®), a human immunoglobulin (Ig)G4 anti-programmed death (PD)-1 monoclonal antibody, was the first PD-1 inhibitor approved in the treatment of patients with advanced stage squamous cell NSCLC following platinum-based chemotherapy. CHECKMATE 017, a randomized phase III study of second-line nivolumab versus docetaxel, significantly improved overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), patient reported outcomes and the safety and tolerability favored patients treated with nivolumab. The ligand (PD-L1) expression did not predict for outcome. In this paper, we review the role of nivolumab in the treatment of NSCLC with particular attention on recent studies, ongoing combination studies, toxicity profile, current and potential predictive biomarkers.
Evaluation and Management of Athletes With Long QT Syndrome
Authors: Gomez Andrew T. , Prutkin Jordan M. , Rao Ashwin L.
Published: August 2016

Context:

The congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inherited channelopathy known for its electrocardiographic manifestations of QT prolongation and its hallmark arrhythmia, torsades de pointes (TdP). TdP can lead to syncope or sudden death and is often precipitated by triggers such as physical exertion or emotional stress. Given that athletes may be at particular risk for adverse outcomes, those suspected of having LQTS should be evaluated, risk stratified, treated, and receive appropriate counseling by providers with sufficient expertise according to the latest guidelines.

Evidence Acquisition:

The following keywords were used to query MEDLINE and PubMed through 2016: LQTS, LQT1, LQT2, LQT3, long QT, long QTc, prolonged QT, prolonged QTc, QT interval, QTc interval, channelopathy, channelopathies, athletes, torsades de pointes, and sudden cardiac death. Selected articles within this primary search, in addition to relevant references from those articles, were reviewed for relevant information and data. Articles with pertinent information regarding pathophysiology, evaluation, diagnosis, genetic testing, treatment, and guidelines for athletes were included, particularly those published in the prior 2 decades.

Study Design:

Clinical review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Results:

Diagnosis of LQTS involves eliciting the patient’s family history, clinical history, and evaluation of electrocardiographic findings. Genetic testing for common mutations can confirm suspected cases. β-Blockers represent the mainstay of treatment, though interventions such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement or left cardiac sympathetic denervation may be required. Properly evaluated and treated athletes with LQTS have a low risk of cardiac events.

Conclusion:

Detection and management of LQTS in the athletic population is crucial given the possibility of adverse outcomes with the stress of athletic participation. Preparticipation screening examinations should include a thorough clinical and family history. Screening electrocardiograms may display key findings consistent with LQTS while genetic testing can confirm the diagnosis. Formerly considered a strict contraindication to athletic participation, LQTS is now an increasingly manageable entity with proper evaluation and treatment by qualified and experienced providers.