bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unveiling the Maelstrom of the Early Breast Cancer Trajectory
Authors: Godfrey Mary , Price Sarah , Long Andrew
Published: December 2017

Length and complexity of illness and treatment in early breast cancer mean that the acute phase may extend over months. Employing concepts of “trajectory” and “work” from chronic illness, we explored the temporality of the illness experience for women as it unfolded from diagnosis through acute treatment. We performed multiple, qualitative interviews with 14 women at critical points in their first year postdiagnosis. We differentiated between subphases of the acute breast cancer trajectory: becoming a person with breast cancer: a turning point; first steps in treatment: struggling to protect self-concept; being and feeling ill: “cure” as suffering; and conditional “recovering”: an uncertain future. Each subphase represented the distinctive context in which illness management took place with consequences for the work women and those close to them engaged in, to manage the practical, emotional, relational, and existential demands of an illness that intruded every aspect of their lives.
African American Women’s Perceived Influences on and Strategies to Reduce Sedentary Behavior
Authors: Warren Tatiana Y. , Wilcox Sara , St. George Sara M. , Brandt Heather M.
Published: January 2018

We conducted three focus groups to examine African American women’s perceptions of factors influencing and proposed strategies for reducing sedentary behavior (SB). QSR NVivo 9 facilitated coding and organization of themes. Although participants ( n = 32, 53.6 ± 6.0 years, 75% obese) were unfamiliar with the term SB prior to focus groups, they described spending large amounts of time in SB at work and home. Participants viewed leisure-time SB as necessary and important but were amenable to decreasing SB at work. Participants also identified personal, social, and environmental factors contributing to SB as well as novel strategies for reducing SB. Results suggest that messages aimed at reducing SB in African American women should be positively framed, viewed within a socioecologic framework, and target nonleisure time SB. SB was viewed as a form of stress reduction; thus, future research might want to emphasize alternative stress management techniques that simultaneously reduce SB.
Leading Through Art: An Interview With Vicki Heywood CBE, Chair, Royal Society of Arts
Authors: Edwards Gareth , O’Regan Nicholas
Published: January 2018

A recent interview with Vicki Heywood, Chair of the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA), highlights the role that arts can play in dealing with complex problems in society today and particularly from an international perspective. The message from this interview resonates with recent literature on leadership that also recognizes the importance of the arts in leading successfully through wicked problems. The importance of linking arts interpretations of leadership with culture and place is also taken into consideration within the analysis of the interview. The article concludes by suggesting that leadership practice into the future should promote leading through art to uncover the multiple identities and belonging that shape global society. More specifically, the article proposes that by leading through art, artists can help uncover and discover complex intricacies within context and culture which may help to problematize large scale generalizations which have become the epitome of serious global issues.
Gastric-Type Endometrial Adenocarcinoma: Report of Two Cases in Patients From the United States
Authors: McCarthy Whitney A. , Makhijani Reeva , Miller Katherine , Rojas Kristin , Beffa Lindsey , Mathews Cara , Robison Katina , Quddus M. Ruhul
Published: December 2017

Gastric-type adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix have been described within the literature in detail; however, the description of gastric-type endometrial adenocarcinomas is a recent development, with only two cases originating from Japan in the world literature to date. According to these prior reports, the recognition of this pattern of differentiation is critical, as it is often associated with deep myoinvasion, positive regional lymph nodes, and poor outcome despite appropriate adjuvant treatment. We present two cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma with gastric-type differentiation in patients from the United States with superficial myoinvasion and positive patient outcomes. Gastric-type differentiation in endometrial adenocarcinomas is rare and likely underrecognized. Continued reporting of these cases is necessary to further understand the natural history and clinical implications of this entity.
Shape transitions in a soft incompressible sphere with residual stresses
Authors: Riccobelli Davide , Ciarletta Pasquale
Published: December 2017

Residual stresses may appear in elastic bodies, owing to the formation of misfits in the microstructure, driven by plastic deformations or thermal or growth processes. They are especially widespread in living matter, resulting from dynamic remodelling processes aimed at optimizing the overall structural response to environmental physical forces. From a mechanical viewpoint, residual stresses are classically modelled through the introduction of a virtual incompatible state that collects the local relaxed states around each material point. In this work, we employ an alternative approach based on a strain energy function that constitutively depends only on the deformation gradient and the residual stress tensor. In particular, our objective is to study the morphological stability of an incompressible sphere, made of a neo-Hookean material, and subjected to given distributions of residual stresses. The boundary value elastic problem is studied with analytic and numerical tools. Firstly, we perform a linear stability analysis on the prestressed solid sphere using the method of incremental deformations. The marginal stability conditions are given as a function of a control parameter, which is the dimensionless variable that represents the characteristic intensity of the residual stresses. Secondly, we perform finite-element simulations using a mixed formulation in order to investigate the postbuckling morphology in the fully nonlinear regime. Considering different initial distributions of the residual stresses, we find that different morphological transitions occur around the material domain, where the hoop residual stress reaches its maximum compressive value. The loss of spherical symmetry is found to be controlled by the mechanical and geometrical properties of the sphere, as well as the spatial distribution of the residual stress. The results provide useful guidelines for designing morphable soft spheres, for example by controlling residual stresses through active deformations. They finally suggest a viable solution for the nondestructive characterization of residual stresses in soft tissues, such as solid tumours.
Checks and Balances: The Semiotics of Ticketing on Victorian Railways, During the 1930s and 1940s
Authors: Symes Colin
Published: January 2018

As well as transforming the way terrestrial space was traversed, railways spearheaded texts that enabled passenger traversal of such spaces to be regulated and monitored. Among the most important of these texts was the railway ticket, which as a pre-electronic information storage device, was capable of encoding through semiotic inscription, details of a passenger’s spatial entitlements, both on and off a train. Yet curiously these facets of the ticket have not hitherto been the subjects of analysis. Through analysing the railway ticketing system of Australia’s Victorian Railways during the 1930s and 1940s and the manuals that regulated the choreography of ticket inspection and the associated performances of passengers, this article redresses this oversight. Using Foucaultian and semiotic concepts, it argues that the railways tickets of the past, like their contemporary counterparts, provide convenient and portable mechanisms for gate-keeping and calibrating mobile populations.
Shifting Boundaries of Divided City Nicosia Through Social Actors
Authors: Yılgın Damgacı Ahenk , Ulaş Dağlı Uğur
Published: January 2018

Nicosia, the capital of the island of Cyprus, has accommodated diverse political changes, and the city itself has transformed in the process. In the recent past, as an outcome of the 1963-1964 ethnic conflicts, the city’s most radical transformation has been its division into a Turkish and a Greek part. This article argues that this division has not only affected the daily lives of people living in the northern part of Nicosia but has also caused changing socioeconomic dynamics. The article explores these shifting boundaries through an analysis of the border area and maps these changing spatialities through in-depth interviews with certain social actors. Thus, this study offers a broader understanding of the Cyprus issue, as well as highlights certain intangible aspects of urban boundaries as they affect the spatial configuration of divided cities in general.
Doors of Perception to Space–Time- Meaning: Ideology, Religion, and Aesthetics in Balinese Development
Authors: Suartika Gusti Ayu Made , Zerby John , Cuthbert Alexander R.
Published: January 2018

This article develops a conceptual framework to examine the ancestry and evolution of urban forms within the context of cultural space and its social meaning. The framework is intended as a means for organizing and interpreting information, as was Rapoport’s schema, but differs in its perspective. Rapoport begins with design elements and links them to culture; we begin with culture as a process and connect it with contextual settings through which images and configurations are generated and positioned. The framework is applied to the cultural process in Bali by focusing on ideology, religion, and aesthetics, which are treated as the main “doors of perception.” This allows a connection with the concept of a social construction of space and highlights the importance of remediating social conflict with shared values. Examples are used to illustrate the relevance of the doors of perception to urban planning and design in completing the nexus to space–time meaning.
A new approach for closed-form analytical solution of two-dimensional symmetric double contacts and the comparison with finite element method
Authors: Ghanati Parisa , Adibnazari Saeed , Alrefai Mohammad , Sheidaei Azadeh
Published: December 2017

In this paper, a new procedure is developed for the solution of a general two-dimensional uncoupled symmetric double contact problem with smooth contact zones in which the indenter geometry is described by a piecewise biquadratic function. This procedure gives an approximate closed-form solution for any smooth indenter profile. In order to evaluate the accuracy of this approach, it is applied to the symmetric indentation of a flat surface by two rigidly interconnected parabolic indenters and results are compared with the exact unclosed-form solution. Moreover, this procedure is applied to the symmetric indentation of a flat surface by two rigidly interconnected cylinders to compare the results with the finite element solution obtained by the finite element method software, ABAQUS. The results showed that in comparison with the finite element method, this procedure is a fast and highly accurate method with low complexity that makes feasible the possibility of determining approximate closed-form solution for a wide range of indenter geometries with a concavity between two symmetric contact zones; hence it can be useful in practical issues.
Effects of bilingualism on cue weighting: How do bilingual children perceive the Dutch [ɑ]-[a:] contrast?
Authors: Kajouj Fatima , Kager René
Published: December 2017

The effects of bilingualism on vowel perception and cue weighting behaviour have not been established definitively. What influence does heritage bilingualism have on cue weighting of spectral and durational cues? What role does the duration cue play in cue weighting behaviour of heritage bilinguals: is it universally accessible or related to the first language?

Purpose:

This study examines the perception and cue weighting of child heritage bilinguals to assess whether exposure to multiple acoustic systems has an effect on cue weighting.

Design:

Bilinguals with a language containing a durational vowel contrast (Moroccan-Arabic) or a non-durational contrast (Turkish) were tested in order to explore cue preference and cue weighting behaviour for the multiple cued Dutch [ɑ]-[a:] contrast: their alternate first language.

Data and analysis:

An identification task was performed for the Dutch [ɑ] and [a:]. The F1 and F2 were logarithmically manipulated, in equal steps for the spectral and durational cue, creating a seven-step continuum. The analysis revealed cue preference by examining cue usage and relative cue weight.

Conclusions:

Dutch monolinguals use both cues but assign more weight to the spectral cue. Moroccan-Arabic/Dutch heritage speaker (HS) bilinguals use both cues, but weigh the spectral cue more heavily. Turkish/Dutch HS bilinguals rely almost exclusively on the spectral cue. This suggests a transfer from the alternate first language onto the perception of Dutch, regardless of language dominance.

Originality:

Not much research on the cue weighting behaviour of school-aged heritage bilinguals has been conducted, as this age group is yet to develop their perceptual behaviour completely. The results of this case study show an influence on perceptual behaviour as a result of bilingualism.

Significance:

This study provides insight into the cue weighting behaviour and cue preference of school-aged heritage bilinguals.
A developmental approach to bilingual research: The effects of multi-language experience from early infancy to old age
Authors: Filippi Roberto , D’Souza Dean , Bright Peter
Published: January 2018

Aims and objectives:

In this commentary article we consider the benefits of adopting a neuroconstructivist approach in the study of bilingualism in order to promote empirical and theoretical progress on the fiercely debated issue of whether bilingualism confers genuine cognitive advantages.

Significance/implications:

Although there is a general consensus that exposure to multilingual environments does not impair cognitive development, there are still doubts on the possible beneficial advantages of bilingualism. Critics argue that the evidence for this advantage might have been confounded by unsound or questionable methodological practices. Some investigators have abandoned research in this area, indicating either that there is no bilingual advantage or that it is impossible to capture and therefore rule out alternative explanations for group differences. Rather than dismissing this important theme in the literature, we advocate a more systematic approach in which the effects of multilinguistic experience are assessed and interpreted across well-defined stages of cognitive development.

Conclusions:

We encourage a broad, developmentally informed approach to plotting the trajectory of interactions between multi-language learning and cognitive development, using a convergence of neuroimaging and behavioural methods, across the whole lifespan. We believe that, through studying infants, children, young adults, adults and the elderly within a coherent and systematic developmental framework, a more accurate and valid account of potential cognitive and neural changes associated with multi-language learning will emerge.
Shoulder Capsular Surgery in Finland Between 1999 and 2008: A Nationwide Register Analysis
Authors: Kavaja L. , Malmivaara A. , Lähdeoja T. , Remes V. , Sund R. , Paavola M.
Published: January 2018

Background and Aims:

Shoulder capsular surgery is nowadays usually performed arthroscopically, and the proportion of arthroscopic method has rapidly increased during the last two decades. We assessed the incidence of shoulder capsular surgery procedures in Finland between 1999 and 2008.

Material and Methods:

We gathered the shoulder capsular surgery procedures for all kinds of shoulder instability in Finland between 1999 and 2008 from National Hospital Discharge Register and limited the patient material to include only certain diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition) and Nordic Medico-Statistical Committee procedure code combinations. We analyzed the data in the whole country, between different age groups, and in university hospital districts.

Results:

The total incidence of shoulder capsular surgery procedures in Finland increased from 17 to 33 per 100,000 person-years. The incidence of arthroscopic procedures increased from 11 to 30 per 100,000 person-years and the proportion of arthroscopic procedures increased from 63% to 92% between years 1999 and 2007. The incidence of shoulder capsular surgery procedures increased on average around 90% in almost all age groups and particularly in the older age groups. We observed no significant geographical variation between university hospital districts.

Conclusion:

The incidence of shoulder capsular surgery procedures increased on average round 90% in almost all age groups. It seems to be difficult to support the rapidly increased rates of shoulder capsular surgery procedures or the arthroscopic method based on scientific evidence. While also older patients are treated with shoulder capsular surgery, well-defined indications for surgical intervention are needed so that the operations are conducted for the symptomatic patients benefitting most regardless of patients’ age.
Overweight is Associated With Increased Incidence of Minor Complications After Reduction Mammoplasty: A Retrospective Analysis of 453 Consecutive Cases
Authors: Sutinen M. , Eskelinen E. , Kääriäinen M.
Published: January 2018

Background and Aims:

Reduction mammoplasty alleviates macromastia symptoms and improves quality of life. We investigated a large series of consecutive reduction mammoplasties to assess various risk factors for both minor and major complications after the procedure.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective analysis of 453 consecutive reduction mammoplasties was performed between 2007 and 2010 at an academic tertiary referral center to evaluate risk factors and complications.

Results:

The incidence of minor and major complications was 40.5% and 8.8%, respectively. Patients with minor complications had both a significantly higher mean body mass index (30.2 vs 28.0) and sternal notch to nipple distance (33.9 vs 32.4 cm) than patients who recovered without complications (p < 0.001 for both comparisons), as well as more visits to the outpatient clinic (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, body mass index was found to be the only significant risk factor for minor complications (p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with body mass index higher than 27 had a 2.6-fold greater risk of minor complications (p < 0.001). An increase of one unit in body mass index increased the probability of minor complications by 14.1% (p < 0.001). 22 (4.9%) patients developed a hematoma requiring evacuation in the operating room. The mean body mass index of patients who developed a hematoma was 26.4, a value lower than that of patients without this complication (mean 29.0; p = 0.003). This finding was significant also in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.002).

Conclusion:

A higher body mass index was strongly associated with an increased risk of minor complications after reduction mammoplasty. It is important to inform obese patients about the increased risk of complications and to encourage them to lose weight before surgery.
A Matched Case-Control Study on Open and Endovascular Treatment of Popliteal Artery Aneurysms
Authors: Dorigo W. , Fargion A. , Masciello F. , Piffaretti G. , Pratesi G. , Giacomelli E. , Pratesi C.
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To compare early and late results of open and endovascular management of popliteal artery aneurysm in a retrospective single-center matched case-control study

Methods:

From 1981 to 2015, 309 consecutive interventions for popliteal artery aneurysm were performed in our institution, in 59 cases with endovascular repair and in 250 cases with open repair. Endovascular repair was preferred in older asymptomatic patients, while open repair was offered more frequently to patients with a thrombosed popliteal artery aneurysm and a poor run-off status. A one-to-one coarsened exact matching on the basis of the baseline demographic, clinical, and anatomical covariates significantly different between the two treatment options was performed and two equivalent groups of 56 endovascular repairs and open repairs were generated. The two groups were compared in terms of perioperative results with χ2 test and of follow-up outcomes with the Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank test.

Results:

There were no differences between the two groups in terms of perioperative outcomes. Median duration of follow-up was 38 months. Five-year survival rates were 94% in endovascular repair group and 89.5% in open repair group (p = 0.4, log-rank 0.6). Primary patency rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 81%, 78%, and 72% in endovascular repair group and 82.5%, 80%, and 64% in open repair group (p = 0.8, log-rank 0.01). Freedom from reintervention at 5 years was 65.5% in endovascular repair group and 76% in open repair group (p = 0.2, log-rank 1.2). Secondary patency at 1, 3, and 5 years was 94%, 86%, and 74% in endovascular repair group, and 94%, 89%, and 71% in open repair group, respectively (p = 0.9, log-rank 0.01). The rates of limb preservation at 5 years were 94% in endovascular repair group and 86.4% in open repair group (p = 0.3, log-rank 0.8).

Conclusion:

Open repair and endovascular repair of popliteal artery aneurysms provided in this retrospective single-center experience similar perioperative and follow-up results in equivalent groups of patients.
Decreased sexual function in partners after patients’ first-time myocardial infarction
Authors: Arenhall Eva , Eriksson Mats , Nilsson Ulrica , Steinke Elaine E , Fridlund Bengt
Published: January 2018

Background:

A myocardial infarction event affects not only patients but also partners, although how it affects the partners’ sexual function is not studied.

Aim:

The purpose of this study was to describe and compare how partners experienced their sexual function one year before with one year after first-time myocardial infarction of their partner.

Methods:

A longitudinal and comparative design was used. Self-reported data on Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire was collected retrospectively at two occasions from 123 partners (87 women and 36 men), measuring the year prior to the first-time myocardial infarction and the year after. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results:

The total score for Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire showed a significant decrease over time. In all four subscales a decrease was found, which were statistically significant in three out of the four subscales (sexual desire, 19.39 vs 18.61; p<0.001, orgasm, 14.11 vs 13.64; p=0.027 and satisfaction, 12.61 vs 12.31; p=0.042). Twenty-six partners reported that their intercourse frequencies decreased over time, while six partners reported an increased intercourse frequency.

Conclusions:

Partners’ sexual function decreased after patients’ first-time myocardial infarction. It is important for health personnel to offer information and discussion about sexual function and concerns with both patients and partners after a first-time myocardial infarction.
Devozione: A Poetic Inquiry Into Some Italian American Women’s Devotion to St. Rita
Authors: Reale Michelle
Published: January 2018

The devotion of saints in many Italian American households is as natural as breathing. One need not be particularly “religious” in the strict sense of the word. There is a mystical quality, especially among the women that I know and have known. In the following poems, I use poetic inquiry to show a vividness of experience that has an ineffable quality that would be more difficult to render in narrative and to “. . . use poetic representation as a means to evoke emotional response in readers and listeners in an effort to produce some shared experience between researcher, audience and participant.”
From modernization to neoliberalism? How IT opinion leaders imagine the information society
Authors: Wu Jing , Yun Guoqiang
Published: January 2018

Before the information society becomes reality, it exits as discourses and arguments. These narratives shape people's expectations, imaginations, and understandings of the concrete form of information society. The article first reviews some recent literature on the social and cultural history of the Internet and information technologies. Then, we will critically examine some prominent discourses on new information technology, especially the Internet, by cultural intermediaries in China. We hope to understand how the different imaginations of information society come into being, their internal diversity, their sources of influence, and how they help imagine a social form in which these technologies shape, belong, and work well.
The political economy of Chinese internet companies: Financialization, concentration, and capitalization
Authors: Jia Lianrui , Winseck Dwayne
Published: January 2018

The rapid growth of the internet in China has been propelled by the Chinese government’s push to develop the country’s information infrastructure and its tight control over the internet. The most recent stage of internet development in China, however, has been driven by a three-way dynamic between the State, internet companies, and international finance capital. This relationship has yielded three internet giants—Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent—that stand at the apex of the internet economy in China. They also rival their US counterparts like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, on several key measures. We examine annual reports and other financial documents to better understand these three companies’ character as ‘capitalist enterprises’ and the tight nexus that links them to international investment banks, venture capital funds, and other foreign investors. While these processes are now fundamentally shaping ‘the Chinese internet’, they have not yet been adequately explored in the scholarly literature, we argue.
From divergence to convergence: Institutionalization of copyright and the decline of online video piracy in China
Authors: Gu Jie
Published: January 2018

Since its emergence in 2005, China’s online video industry has been embroiled in rampant piracy. Nevertheless, online video piracy has sharply declined in recent years, and copyrights have become a widely accepted and practiced legal norm. With reference to historical institutionalism, this article considers copyrights as an institution and embeds the decline of China’s online video piracy in institutional changes of three copyright-related institutions: legal regimes, administrative regulations, and the online video industry. It argues that even though intervention by legal regimes cannot simply be overlooked, an interest-led institutional change in which the industry first diverges and then converges with administrative regulations is pivotal to the institutionalization of online video copyrights. These findings further our understanding of how China’s online video piracy is sustained or undermined with a holistic, historical, and dialectical outlook.
How local journalists interpret and evaluate media convergence: An empirical study of journalists from four press groups in Fujian
Authors: Xiong Hui , Zhang Jian
Published: January 2018

Previous studies on the influence of media convergence in China either took a market- or norm-oriented approach. From a news production perspective, the current study analyses the interaction between the top-down design and bottom-up practices of journalists to disclose the influence of the dominant path of media convergence within the press industry of Fujian Province. A survey and 20 in-depth interviews show that the current media convergence practices of Fujian’s press industry fail to receive the support of journalists because of institutional, organisational and individual complexities, rather than technological reasons. This study discusses the implications of this finding for media convergence in China.
Hypoglycemia in Hospitalized Hemodialysis Patients With Diabetes: An Observational Study
Authors: Gianchandani Roma Y. , Neupane Shristi , Heung Michael
Published: January 2018

Introduction:

Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia affect outcomes in hospitalized patient. Patients with diabetes and end stage renal disease are prone to hypoglycemia and few studies have evaluated glucometrics to identify the incidence and risk factors for hypoglycemia in this population.

Methods:

We designed an observational retrospective review of 150 insulin requiring inpatients with diabetes receiving hemodialysis. We collected demographics, baseline characteristics, and glucometric data focusing on episodes of hypoglycemia with glucose cutoffs <70, <54, and <40 mg/dl. Detailed glucose and insulin data for 24 hours before and after hemodialysis was analyzed for each patient in context of a hypoglycemic episode. T-tests, one-way ANOVA, and chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

At least one glucose value less than 70 mg/dl was observed in 51% of hemodialysis patients, less than 54 mg/dl in 28%, and less than 40 mg/dl in 11%. Patients with hypoglycemia had a higher HbA1c, standard deviation of glucose ( P = .0009) and higher total daily dose (TDD) of insulin by weight (0.34 units/kg vs 0.23 units/kg, P = .003). We observed a linear increasing risk for hypoglycemia with increasing TDD, with nearly 65% of hypoglycemic episodes occurring with TDD >0.20 units/kg. A majority (61%) of all hypoglycemic episodes occurred in the 24 hours prior to a hemodialysis session. Type 1 diabetes was independently associated with hypoglycemia.

Conclusions:

Hospitalized diabetes patients undergoing hemodialysis were found to have high rates of hypoglycemia. Our results support using a lower TDD of insulin in this population (<0.23 units/kg/day) and recommend special caution in those with type 1 diabetes.
Artery of Percheron Infarct: 12 Cases and Their Complex Clinical Courses
Authors: Stamm Brian J. , Lineback Christina M. , Skolarus Lesli E. , Morgenstern Lewis B. , Shah Gaurang V.
Published: December 2017

Strokes involving the artery of Percheron (AOP), an anatomic variant of thalamic vascular supply, are rare. Little is known about the inpatient hospital course for these patients. We retrospectively identified consecutive patients with AOP in their medical charts from a university-based tertiary care hospital from January 1, 2000, to August 15, 2017. A chart review identified demographics, transfer status, in-hospital versus community onset of stroke, emergency medical services (EMS) use, presenting signs/symptoms, time to radiologic diagnosis (from time of presentation to tertiary care hospital or from time of initial symptom onset in an already hospitalized patient), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) use, intensive care unit (ICU) stays, intubation, length of stay (LOS), and discharge location. After radiologic inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, 12 patients were included in the study. There were 7 men and 5 women, and the mean age (SD) was 68 (15). Seven were transfers, and 4 had an in-hospital stroke. Of the 8 community-onset strokes, 7 utilized EMS. Mental status changes occurred in 11 of 12 and ocular disturbances in all patients. Time to radiologic diagnosis averaged 1.9 (median = 1.1) days. One patient received tPA. Eight received care in the ICU. Four were intubated. Average LOS was 8.3 days. Four were discharged home, 3 entered inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and 5 entered skilled nursing facilities. In-hospital stroke status further complicates the already challenging diagnosis of AOP infarct, and clinicians must maintain a high suspicion for this rare stroke in order to quickly diagnose and intervene.
Feline dry eye syndrome of presumed neurogenic origin: a case report
Authors: Sebbag Lionel , Pesavento Patricia A , Carrasco Sebastian E , Reilly Christopher M , Maggs David J
Published: January 2018

Case summary

A 14-year-old female spayed Abyssinian cat, which about 1 year previously underwent thoracic limb amputation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for an incompletely excised vaccine-related fibrosarcoma, was presented for evaluation of corneal opacity in the left eye (OS). The ocular surface of both eyes (OU) had a lackluster appearance and there was a stromal corneal ulcer OS. Results of corneal aesthesiometry, Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1) and tear film breakup time revealed corneal hypoesthesia, and quantitative and qualitative tear film deficiency OU. Noxious olfactory stimulation caused increased lacrimation relative to standard STT-1 values suggesting an intact nasolacrimal reflex. Various lacrimostimulants were administered in succession; namely, 1% pilocarpine administered topically (15 days) or orally (19 days), and topically applied 0.03% tacrolimus (47 days). Pilocarpine, especially when given orally, was associated with notable increases in STT-1 values, but corneal ulceration remained/recurred regardless of administration route, and oral pilocarpine resulted in gastrointestinal upset. Tacrolimus was not effective. After 93 days, the cat became weak and lame and a low thyroxine concentration was detected in serum. The cat was euthanized and a necropsy performed. Both lacrimal glands were histologically normal, but chronic neutrophilic keratitis and reduced conjunctival goblet cell density were noted OU.

Relevance and novel information

The final diagnosis was dry eye syndrome (DES) of presumed neurogenic origin, associated with corneal hypoesthesia. This report reinforces the importance of conducting tearfilm testing in cats with ocular surface disease, as clinical signs of DES were different from those described in dogs.
Coupled simulation of electromagnetic induction and induced polarization effects using stretched exponential relaxation
Authors: Belliveau Patrick , Haber Eldad
Published: December 2017

We have developed a new algorithm for 3D time-domain electromagnetic (EM) modeling, taking full account of induced polarization (IP) and the coupling between EM and IP effects. The algorithm can be used to model grounded source IP surveys that indicate EM induction effects and airborne time-domain EM surveys that exhibit IP effects. IP effects are most often approximated as static or modeled in the frequency domain, using frequency-dependent electrical conductivity. It is difficult to translate the frequency-dependent conductivity approach directly to the time domain in a computationally efficient manner. We take an alternative approach in which we model IP relaxations in time using the stretched exponential (SE) function. We incorporate this IP model into a direct time-stepping discretization of the quasistatic time-domain Maxwell equations. We found that modeling of IP effects with this SE approach is asymptotically equivalent to the commonly used Cole-Cole model of IP transformed to the time domain. We have implemented our algorithm using efficient numerical methods that allow it to tackle large-scale problems and are amenable to use in inversion. In particular, we have developed a parallel time-stepping technique that allows us to compute transient electric fields at multiple time steps simultaneously. We demonstrate the behavior of the SE model of IP decay and the efficiency of our algorithm by applying it to synthetic numerical examples that simulate a grounded source IP survey with significant EM effects and a concentric-loop airborne EM sounding over a chargeable body.
Use of prestack depth migration for improving the accuracy of horizontal drilling in unconventional reservoirs
Authors: Rauch-Davies Marianne , Sutherland Scott , Bradshaw Michael , Codd Jeff , Kessler David
Published: December 2017

Depth imaging has long been a staple in offshore processing sequences; however, conventional wisdom often dictates that prestack depth migration is unnecessary in the onshore, geologically benign settings encountered in most unconventional shale reservoirs. Using examples from the Anadarko Basin, we demonstrate that careful depth imaging using updated processing flows yields significant benefits when compared to time imaging.
Bayesian Adaptive Randomization Trial of Passive Scattering Proton Therapy and Intensity-Modulated Photon Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Liao Zhongxing , Lee J. Jack , Komaki Ritsuko , Gomez Daniel R. , O’Reilly Michael S. , Fossella Frank V. , Blumenschein George R. , Heymach John V. , Vaporciyan Ara A. , Swisher Stephen G. , Allen Pamela K. , Choi Noah Chan , DeLaney Thomas F. , Hahn Stephen M. , Cox James D. , Lu Charles S. , Mohan Radhe
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This randomized trial compared outcomes of passive scattering proton therapy (PSPT) versus intensity-modulated (photon) radiotherapy (IMRT), both with concurrent chemotherapy, for inoperable non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We hypothesized that PSPT exposes less lung tissue to radiation than IMRT and thereby reduces toxicity without compromising tumor control. The primary end points were grade ≥ 3 radiation pneumonitis (RP) and local failure (LF).

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients had stage IIB to IIIB NSCLC (or stage IV NSCLC with a single brain metastasis or recurrent lung or mediastinal disease after surgery) who were candidates for concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Pairs of treatment plans for IMRT and PSPT were created for each patient. Patients were eligible for random assignment only if both plans satisfied the same prespecified dose-volume constraints for at-risk organs at the same tumor dose.

Results

Compared with IMRT (n = 92), PSPT (n = 57) exposed less lung tissue to doses of 5 to 10 Gy(RBE), which is the absorbed Gy dose multiplied by the relative biologic effectiveness (RBE) factor for protons; exposed more lung tissue to ≥ 20 Gy(RBE), but exposed less heart tissue at all dose levels between 5 and 80 Gy(RBE). The grade ≥ 3 RP rate for all patients was 8.1% (IMRT, 6.5%; PSPT, 10.5%); corresponding LF rates were 10.7% (all), 10.9% (IMRT), and 10.5% (PSPT). The posterior probability of IMRT being better than PSPT was 0.54. Exploratory analysis showed that the RP and LF rates at 12 months for patients enrolled before versus after the trial midpoint were 21.1% (before) versus 18.2% (after) for the IMRT group (P = .047) and 31.0% (before) versus 13.1% (after) for the PSPT group (P = .027).

Conclusion

PSPT did not improve dose-volume indices for lung but did for heart. No benefit was noted in RP or LF after PSPT. Improvements in both end points were observed over the course of the trial.
Sex- and Age-Specific Impact of ERK Loss Within the Pituitary Gonadotrope in Mice
Authors: Brown Jessica L , Xie Jianjun , Brieño-Enriquez Miguel Angel , Sones Jennifer , Angulo Cynthia N , Boehm Ulrich , Miller Andrew , Toufaily Chirine , Wang Ying , Bernard Daniel J , Roberson Mark S
Published: January 2018

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling regulates hormone action in the reproductive axis, but specific mechanisms have yet to be completely elucidated. In the current study, ERK1 null and ERK2 floxed mice were combined with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR)–internal ribosomal entry site-Cre (GRIC) driver. Female ERK double-knockout (ERKdko) animals were hypogonadotropic, resulting in anovulation and complete infertility. Transcript levels of four gonadotrope-specific genes (GnRHR and the three gonadotropin subunits) were reduced in pituitaries at estrus in ERKdko females, and the postcastration response to endogenous GnRH hyperstimulation was blunted. As females aged, they exhibited abnormal ovarian histology, as well as increased body weight. ERKdko males were initially less affected, showing moderate subfertility, up to 6 months of age. Male ERKdko mice also displayed a blunted response to endogenous GnRH following castration. By 12 months of age, ERKdko males had reduced testicular weights and sperm production. By 18 months of age, the ERKdko males displayed reduced testis and seminal vesicle weights, marked seminiferous tubule degeneration, and a 77% reduction in sperm production relative to controls. As the GRIC is also active in the male germ line, we examined the specific role of ERK loss in the testes using the stimulated by retinoic acid 8 (Stra8)-Cre driver. Whereas ERK loss in GRIC and Stra8 males resulted in comparable losses in sperm production, seminiferous tubule histological degeneration was only observed in the GRIC-ERKdko animals. Our data suggest that loss of ERK signaling and hypogonadotropism within the reproductive axis impacts fertility and gonadal aging.
H2A.Z promotes the transcription of MIR156A and MIR156C in Arabidopsis by facilitating the deposition of H3K4me3
Authors: Xu Mingli , Leichty Aaron R. , Hu Tieqiang , Poethig R. Scott
Published: December 2017

Vegetative phase change in Arabidopsis thaliana is mediated by a decrease in the level of MIR156A and MIR156C, resulting in an increase in the expression of their targets, SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) genes. Changes in chromatin structure are required for the downregulation of MIR156A and MIR156C, but whether chromatin structure contributes to their initial elevated expression is unknown. We found that mutations in components of the SWR1 complex (ARP6, SEF) and in genes encoding H2A.Z (HTA9 and HTA11) reduce the expression of MIR156A and MIR156C, and accelerate vegetative phase change, indicating that H2A.Z promotes juvenile vegetative identity. However, arp6 and sef did not accelerate the temporal decline in miR156, and the downregulation of MIR156A and MIR156C was not accompanied by significant change in the level of H2A.Z at these loci. We conclude that H2A.Z contributes to the high expression of MIR156A/MIR156C early in shoot development, but does not regulate the timing of vegetative phase change. Our results also suggest that H2A.Z promotes the expression of MIR156A/MIR156C by facilitating the deposition of H3K4me3, rather than by decreasing nucleosome occupancy.
Pretreatment metabolic tumour volume and total lesion glycolysis are not independent prognosticators for locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Guler Ozan Cem , Torun Nese , Yildirim Berna Akkus , Onal Cem
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To evaluate the prognostic significance of metabolic parameters derived from fludeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, in cervical cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed medical records from 129 biopsy-proven non-metastatic cervical cancer patients treated with external radiotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy at our department. Correlation between metabolic parameters and tumour characteristics was evaluated. Prognostic factors for survival, local control and distant metastasis were analysed.

Results:

The median follow up for all patients and surviving patients was 30.0 months (range, 3.7–94.7 months) and 50.5 months (range, 14.5–94.7 months), respectively. The 2- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 68 42, 54 and 38%, respectively. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), SUVmean, metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis were significantly higher in patients with larger tumours (>4 cm) and partial regression or progressive disease after definitive treatment compared to patients with smaller tumour (≤4 cm) and post-treatment complete response. On univariate analysis, stage, lymph node metastasis, tumour size >4 cm, SUVmax, MTV, SUVmean and total lesion glycolysis were prognostic factors for OS and DFS. On multivariate analysis, only larger tumour and presence of lymph node metastasis were significant prognostic factors for both OS and DFS. Additionally, extensive stage was a significant prognosticator for DFS.

Conclusion:

Although, metabolic parameters derived from FDG-PET/CT had a prognostic significance in univariate analysis, the significance was lost in multivariate analysis where tumour stage, size and lymph node status were the only independent parameters.

Advances in knowledge:

The clinical benefit of using FDG-PET/CT metabolic parameters to evaluate the high-risk patients among cervical cancer patients and to eventually change patient management still needs further clarification.
Incidence and pattern of brain lesions in paediatric septic shock patients
Authors: Sanz Debora , D’Arco Felice , Robles Carlos Andres , Brierley Joe
Published: January 2018

Objective:

Brain injury is frequently observed during septic shock and may be primarily related to the direct effects of the septic insult on the brain or to secondary/indirect injuries (e.g. hypotension, hypoxaemia and hyperglycaemia). We sought to assess incidence and pattern of brain lesions diagnosed by neuroimaging in paediatric septic shock patients.

Methods:

Retrospective descriptive hospital-based study included paediatric patients with a single episode of septic shock admitted to our tertiary paediatric intensive care unit from January 2010 to December 2013.

Results:

49 of 193 septic shock patients had a neuroimaging examination [CT only 22 (45%), MRI only 14 (29%) and both 13 (27%)]. Neuroimaging was normal in 16 patients (33%) and showed acute lesions in 20 patients (40%). The most frequent findings were: cerebral infarcts/hypoxic ischaemic injury in 8 (16%) and cerebritis in 7 (14%). The incidence of acute brain lesion in our septic shock cohort was 10% (20 of 193).

Conclusion:

The diagnosis of brain dysfunction in septic shock patients relies essentially on neurological examination and neurological tests, such as electroencephalography and neuroimaging. Neuroimaging can reveal acute intracerebral structural lesions and their reversibility, helping with management and prognosis.

Advances in knowledge:

Ischaemic lesions and cerebritis are the most common brain anomalies complicating paediatric septic shock.
O direito ao esquecimento frente aos mecanismos de memória eterna
Authors: Pazzinatto Carlos Henrique , Freitas Cinthia Obladen de Almendra
Published: January 2018

O artigo aborda o direito ao esquecimento e à vida privada frente às diversas ferramentas existentes na Internet que não apenas produzem uma cópia de segurança, ou memória para acesso rápido, mas armazenam os dados deixando-os eternamente à disposição dos usuários. Apresenta-se breve histórico em relação à evolução dos meios de comunicação, assim como o advento da era da informação. São discutidos os efeitos positivos e negativos dessas ferramentas assim como do uso da Internet, combinação que fortalece a memória eterna de dados e fatos. Estabelece-se uma relação entre três elementos: evolução da tecnologia, personalidade e direito ao esquecimento. Finalmente, conclui-se que os sites de cache, se bem utilizados, são essenciais para pesquisas acadêmicas e aos poucos criam algo similar a um museu permanente de história da Internet. Por outro lado, o meio eletrônico necessita de mecanismos de controle contra abusos cometidos e, consequentemente, entende-se pela responsabilização na esfera Cível e Penal, para justamente coibir e prevenir condutas que possam prejudicar pessoas, entidades, empresas e governos.