bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opportunities for agent-based modeling in human dimensions of fisheries
Authors: Burgess Matthew G. , Carrella Ernesto , Drexler Michael , Axtell Robert L. , Bailey Richard M. , Watson James R. , Cabral Reniel B. , Clemence Michaela , Costello Christopher , Dorsett Chris , Gaines Steven D. , Klein Emily S. , Koralus Philipp , Leonard George , Levin Simon , Little L. Richard , Lynham John , Madsen Jens Koed , Merkl Andreas , Owashi Brandon , Saul Steven E. , van Putten Ingrid , Wilcox Sharon
Published: November 2018

Models of human dimensions of fisheries are important to understanding and predicting how fishing industries respond to changes in marine ecosystems and management institutions. Advances in computation have made it possible to construct agent-based models (ABMs)—which explicitly describe the behaviour of individual people, firms, or vessels in order to understand and predict their aggregate behaviours. ABMs are widely used for both academic and applied purposes in many settings including finance, urban planning, and the military, but are not yet mainstream in fisheries science and management, despite a growing literature. ABMs are well suited to understanding emergent consequences of fisher interactions, heterogeneity, and bounded rationality, especially in complex ecological, social, and institutional contexts. For these reasons, we argue that ABMs of human behaviour can contribute significantly to human dimensions of fisheries in three areas: 1) understanding interactions between multiple management institutions; 2) incorporating cognitive and behavioural sciences into fisheries science and practice; and 3) understanding and projecting the social consequences of management institutions. We provide simple examples illustrating the potential for ABMs in each of these areas, using conceptual (‘toy’) versions of the POSEIDON model. We argue that salient strategic advances in these areas could pave the way for increased tactical use of ABMs in fishery management settings. We review common ABM development and application challenges, with the aim of providing guidance to beginning ABM developers and users studying human dimensions of fisheries.
Reclaiming the Commons
Authors: Ela Nate
Published: November 2018

Urban agriculture has been theorized by social scientists, and even some urban growers, as a means of reclaiming the commons. But what does “reclaiming the commons” entail? A longue-durée genealogy reveals distinct socio-legal imaginations of the commons and visions of how it might be reclaimed. Social thinkers and reformers have split over how to address the key problem of private property identified by John Locke: landless people who can’t find paid employment. One vision, proposed by Thomas Jefferson, would reclaim the commons by activating space – reuniting the unemployed with unused land. Another, proposed by Thomas Paine, takes such a reunion as impracticable; it would reclaim the commons by taxing property and transferring the proceeds. The genealogical analysis helps understand contemporary urban agriculture as consistent with a Jeffersonian “land fix” mode of reclaiming the commons, and by contrast to state-led “tax fix” strategies for addressing unemployment and poverty.
One Year Surveillance of Body Mass Index and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Primary School Children in North West England and the Impact of School Deprivation Level
Authors: Mann Steven , Wade Matthew , Jones Michelle , Sandercock Gavin , Beedie Chris , Steele James
Published: November 2018

Objectives: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is independently associated with health and academic attainment in childhood and adolescence. Yet overweight/obesity remain the focus in public health policy. Surveillance of BMI and CRF considering school deprivation levels is limited. Therefore, we examined this in English Primary Schools. Methods: Participants (n=409) were students (9-10 years), from 13 schools. BMI and CRF (20 m shuttle-run) were measured at three time-points across the academic year and a fourth after summer recess. Results: BMI z-scores significantly decreased (p = 0.015) from autumn (z = 0.336 [CI 0.212 to 0.460]) to spring (z = 0.252 [CI 0.132 to 0.371]), and then significantly increased (p = 0.010) to summer (z = 0.327 [CI 0.207 to 0.447]). CRF significantly increased (p < 0.001) from autumn (z = 0.091 [CI -0.014 to 0.196]) to spring (z = 0.492 [CI 0.367 to 0.616]), no change (p = 0.308) into summer (z = 0.411 [CI 0.294 to 0.528]), and a significant decrease (p < 0.001) into the following autumn term (z = 0.125 [CI 0.021 to 0.230]). BMI was unaffected by deprivation; however, pupils from the most deprived areas saw significantly greater reductions in CRF compared with pupils from affluent areas. Conclusion: Significant reductions in children’s CRF occurred over the summer recess and was greater among children from schools in the most deprived areas. This may help inform future research into interventions targeting physical activity of school children, particularly over the summer recess.
Comparison of Antibody Titre Against Salmonella Species among Healthy Individuals and Febrile Patients
Authors: Barakoti Achut , Rai Junu Richhinbung , Adhikari Ram Prasad , Khanal Laxmi Kant
Published: November 2018

Background: Widal tube agglutination test is a widely used laboratory test for diagnosis of enteric fever   especially in resource limited countries where blood culture are not routinely available. We studied the titres from different groups including febrile and healthy populations in order to identify the significant agglutination titre. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study. Subjects were divided into three groups: 1) 60 healthy blood samples from volunteer students, 2) 60 febrile non-typhoidal cases and 3) 58 culture positive patient for enteric fever. Results: Among 60 apparently healthy volunteers, agglutination of ≥ 1:20 for anti O and anti-H titres against serotype Typhi were seen in 40 and 46 samples respectively. A significant proportion of   sample had a titre of ≥1:80 (n=19) and 1:160 (n=14) for anti O and anti-H titres against serotype Typhi respectively among healthy individuals. Similar observations were seen in febrile non typhoidal cases except for one which had a titre of ≥1:320 for anti O and anti-H titres against serotype Typhi. In blood culture positive typhoid cases, 56 samples showed agglutinations of ≥1:80 for both anti O and anti-H titres against serotype Typhi. However two of the total sample tested showed no agglutinations. In all cases from three groups, anti-H titre for S. enterica serotype Paratyphi A and B were below 1:80. Conclusions: Widal test can be used as presumptive diagnostic tool in all the suspected cases of enteric fever if the titres are specifically raised.Keywords: enteric fever; titre; widal aggultination test.
Bacteriological Profile and Antibiogram of Bacterial Isolates from Pus Samples in Tertiary Care Hospital of Kathmandu
Authors: Pandeya Upendra , Raut Mithileshwor , Bhattarai Saru , Bhatt Padam Raj , Dahal Puspa Raj
Published: November 2018

Objectives: The main aim of the study was to isolate and identify the bacterial agent and to determine the susceptibility pattern of isolates to different antibiotics.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from February to October 2015 in microbiology laboratory of All Nepal Hospital Kathmandu, Nepal. The clinical specimens were processed for isolation and identification of bacteria following standard microbiological procedures. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of isolates were determined according to CLSI guidelines (CLSI 2014)Results: A total of 271 clinical specimens were processed where 164 (60.5%) showed growth positivity. A total 164 bacterial isolates were detected among which 84 (51.22%) were Gram positive 80 (48.78%) were Gram negative bacteria. Thirteen different species of bacteria were isolated. The most prevalent isolate was Staphylococcus aureus 53 (32.30%) followed by E. coli 34 (20.80%), (CoNS) 15 (9.10%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 15 (9.10%), Enterococcus fecalis 12(7.30%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10 (6.10%), Acinetobacter spp. 7 (4.30%) Citrobacter spp., Proteus spp., Klebsiella oxytoca were less common. S. aureus was most susceptible to Amikacin. Vancomycin was the most effective drugs for Enterococcus fecalis. Among Gram negative bacteria E. coli was found most sensitive to Polymyxin B (100%) and Imipenem (76.5%) where Pseudomonas aeruginosa was sensitive to, Amikacin, Imipenem (80%). Polymyxin B was the most effective drugs for Klebsiella pneumoniae. Acinetobacter spp. was found highly resistant to different antibiotics.Conclusion: Antibiotic susceptibility evaluation showed Aminoglycosides, Phenicols Polymyxin, and Imipenem was the most effective drugs overall.
Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Reported from Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal
Authors: Lama Urmila , Shah Dharmendra , Shrestha Upendra Thapa
Published: November 2018

Objectives: The study was conducted to assess the rate of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among patients and healthcare personnel at Manmohan Memorial College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal and to evaluate the minimum inhibitory concentration of Vancomycin to MRSA isolates.Methods: A total of 1433 different clinical specimens from patients and 33 nasal swabs from healthcare personnel were subjected to bacteriological investigation following standard protocol. S. aureus were isolated and identified by using standard Microbiological tools. Those isolates were subjected to Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using modified Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method following CLSI guidelines.Results: The rate of S. aureus carriage was found to be 65 (18.9%) in the samples from clinical patients and 24 (72.7%) in the samples from healthcare personnel. The rate of MRSA was found to be 57(85.1%) in patients and 24 (100%) in healthcare personnel. The high distribution of MRSA was found in female of age group 21-30 years (patients: 10.4%; healthcare personnel: 70.8%). Amikacin was found to be most effective antimicrobial. All S. aureus isolates were found to be multidrug resistant (100%). On performing D-test, 10 (17.5%) and 22 (38.6%) of MRSA from clinical specimens showed inducible and constitutive Clindamycin resistance respectively. Whereas, 11 (45.8%) and 4 (16.7%) of MRSA from nasal swabs were found to be inducible and constitutive Clindamycin resistance respectively. Upon performing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test for clinical isolates, 3.5% (2) of MRSA were found to be Vancomycin resistant (VRSA), 54.4% (31) were Vancomycin intermediate (VISA) and 42.1% (24) were found to be Vancomycin sensitive (VSSA). All of the nasal swab MRSA isolates were found sensitive to Vancomycin. Congo red agar method was done for biofilm production. For clinical isolates, 32 (47.8%) were found to be strong, 6 (8.9%) moderate and 29 (43.3%) were non biofilm producer. For nasal swab isolates, 66.7% (16) and 33.3% (8) were found as strong and non-biofilm producer respectively.Conclusion: This study reported the case of VRSA which hasn’t been reported in Nepal. Though present study showed that Vancomycin remains the main choice of treatment of MRSA infection. Therefore, to preserve its value, use of vancomycin should be limited only to those cases where there are clearly needed.
FROM THE HISTORY OF 20TH-CENTURY LITERARY POLITICS. ‘LITERARY HERITAGE’ [LITERATURNOE NASLEDSTVO] AS AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
Authors: Moskovskaya D.
Published: November 2018

A review of the editorial archive of the Literary Heritage [Literaturnoe nasledstvo] book series at the Manuscripts Department of the Russian Academy’s Gorky Institute of World Literature. The emergence of the new archaeographical publication, Literary Heritage, was at odds with the political context of the early 1930s. I. Zilbershtein’s personality and extensive connections in the publishing world, as well as the favourable disposition of the RAPP (Russian Association of Proletarian Writers) and Stalin himself, helped to launch the series and made sure that it endured despite the RAPP’s downfall and to meet the program’s goals to ‘explore the archived riches’ and ‘bring out the hitherto unpublished’. It was thanks to the utmost erudition of LH’s authors and reviewers that their editorial office remained a platform that accumulated both archival discoveries and contemporary challenges and ideas. LH’s survival amid constant scrutiny from the party and official censorship was the result of often obscure forces and political schemes put to work. It was driven by personal interests and scholarly collaborations and rivalries, something that broadly defined the trends in literary studies of the 21st century.
Understanding the West. Foreign Culture in Soviet Literature, Art, and Theory. 1917—1941. Research and Ar chival Records
Authors: Polovinkina O.
Published: November 2018

Understanding the West. Foreign Culture in Soviet Literature, Art, and Theory. 1917—1941. Research and Ar chival Records.
‘A FINE JOB FOR A PHILOSOPHER!’ ON ONE JOURNAL ENTRY OF THE STUDENT PUSHKIN
Authors: Abdullaev E.
Published: November 2018

The article is devoted to an entry in Pushkin’s diary from when he was a student at the Lyceum, on 10 December 1815: he writes that ‘in the evening, together with his fellow-students, he was snuffing out the candles and lamps in the auditorium’ and calls it ‘a fine job for a philosopher’. In calling himself a philosopher, Pushkin evokes the image of Voltaire in Condorcet’s Vie de Voltaire, the book he was reading at the time and which interprets a philosopher as another term for educator and enemy of prejudice. ‘Snuffing out’, by contrast, was associated with a conservative reaction in the minds of liberal writers in the late 18th - early 19th centuries. This analogy is entrenched in the publications about an imaginary Order of the Extinguishers in the French opposition journal Le Nain Jaune (1814-1815). These were in active circulation among members of the Arzamas Society, with which the young Pushkin was also affiliated. Therefore, a philosopher putting out light must have looked comical, which was noted in Pushkin’s journal entry.
V. NABOKOV’S STOCKHOLM SYNDROME. A FEW WORDS ON THE LOVE FOR THE EXECUTIONER IN V. NABOKOV’S ‘INVITATION TO A BEHEADING’ [PRIGLASHENIE NA KAZN’]
Authors: Kazakova N.
Published: November 2018

The first analysis of this kind, the article considers the image of the executioner in V. Nabokov’s novelInvitation to a Beheading[Priglashenie na kazn’]. One of the novel’s main themes is defilement of an individual in a violence-fuelled system. It is through the image of the executioner M’sieur Pierre that we grasp everyman’s cruelty towards the liberal thinker Cincinnatus. At the same time, resisting the executioner, Cincinnatus achieves new insight into the purpose of life and experiences an existential winning of Freedom.

A year before Nabokov’s novel came out P. Lagerkvist published his storyThe Hangman[Bödeln] (1933) in Swedish. The author points out the hitherto unnoticed similarity between the two works. Comparing two executioners, the author discovers that, although Lagerkvist’s menacing hangman looks nothing like Nabokov’s rotund and vulgar joker M’sieur Pierre, their inherent urge for cruelty and abuse is the same, so is the cheering of the surrounding townsmen. The two different works also share their historical context (Europe in the 1930s): the executioners in Nabokov’s and Lagerkvist’s books embody the new historical discourse.
BROTHERS MANN IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. FRAGMENTS OF THEIR BIOGRAPHY THE WRITERS PREFERRED TO FORGET
Authors: Berkovich E.
Published: November 2018

The article deals with the little examined period in the life and work of Thomas and Henry Mann, when, from 1895 up to 1896, Henry was editor-in-chief, and Thomas  one of the authors, of the blatantly anti-Semitic journalThe Twentieth Century. For the first time in the Russian studies of the writers, the article reveals a compendium of their articles that appeared in that journal. They make it clear that, during the time the two authors worked for the journal, they were under a powerful influence of the nationalistic ‘voelkisch’ ideology, a precursor to National Socialism. The researcher points out the specifics of the brothers’ attitude towards the Jewish world. While Thomas’ articles are not infused with the kind of aggressive anti-Semitism of his brother’s works, they still make a noticeable use of anti-Semitic stereotypes, evidence of his negative perception of Jews. The paper also follows the evolution of the two brothers’ views of the ‘Jewish problem’. Whereas Henry gave up his aggressive anti-Semitism rather easily and moved on to a sympathetic depiction of Jews in the early 1900s, Thomas’ works show little change as far as the Jewish theme is concerned. Thomas Mann, on the other hand, believed that literature and politics were dimensionally separated; but what proved advantageous in terms of artistic quality resulted in a flawed interpretation of the Jewish theme.
THE WHITE GUARD [BELAYA GVARDIYA] IS BANNED IN KIEV... THE FATE OF M. BULGAKOV’S PLAYS IN KIEV THEATRES IN 1926
Authors: Mishurovskaya M. , Mikhaylova E.
Published: November 2018

Devoted to the production of M. Bulgakov’s plays in the 1926 Kiev, the article examines a comprehensive selection of archived manuscripts and printed material related to the staging of Bulgakov’s plays The Days of the Turbins [Dni Turbinykh] and Zoyka’s Apartment [Zoykina kvartira] in Ukrainian theatres: in I. Franko Ukrainian Drama Theatre and the Russian Drama Theatre (RDT). This review is the most comprehensive one to this day that analyses the main circumstances and motifs of the short-lived stage life of Bulgakov’s plays in the 1926 Kiev, a consequence of both the artistic policies of theatrical management, as well as the financial situation. Another reason was the ideological censorship imposed not only by the designated officials, but also by the contemporary nationalistic mood: first, it led to the ban of The Days of the Turbins at the I. Franko Theatre (director G. Yura) and then at RDT (director Y. Sobolev); next, the very popular and therefore lucrative play Zoyka’s Apartment had to be cancelled by RDT, which thus lost their box-office hit.
‘COULD YOU SEND ME THE PROOFS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE?’ IVAN BUNIN’S CORRESPONDENCE WITH VADIM RUDNEV IN 1933–1934
Authors: Uralsky M.
Published: November 2018

The paper tells the story of Ivan Bunin’s correspondence with Vadim Rudnev (dating from 1933-1934), managing editor of the Paris-based Russian émigré journalSovremennie zapiski. Judging by the quoted letters, Bunin did not sever ties with the journal, despite what many researchers suggest; nor did he plan to snub the editors by refusing to send in new works. If we accept Bunin’s own words about his very fastidious approach to proofreading, it becomes clear why he barely published any new works in the period from 1934 to 1936. It was in those years that the Berlin-headquartered publishing company Petropolis printed his collected works in 11 volumes. It was to become Bunin’s last fundamental publication, comprising works entirely proofread by the writer himself. It is only natural that such a humungous effort had affected the ageing writer’s productivity, and Bunin simply could not generate new material for the journal.
FROM THE POETRY DIARY [DNEVNIK POEZII]. PUBLICATION AND FOREWORD BY ZOYA MEZHIROVA
Authors: Mezhirov A.
Published: November 2018

From The Poetry Diary [Dnevnik poezii]. Publication and foreword by Zoya Mezhirova
K. Balmont. Uncollected and Forgotten Works. From K. Balmont’s Literary Heritage
Authors: Lutsenko E.
Published: November 2018

K. Balmont. Uncollected and Forgotten Works. From K. Balmont’s Literary Heritage.
V. M. Essipov. Vasily Aksenov’s Four Lives
Authors: Tikhonova V.
Published: November 2018

V. M. Essipov. Vasily Aksenov’s Four Lives.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION OF CLIENTS 'COMMUNITY WEB-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Authors:   PhD S.Seifullin Kazakh AgroTechnical university Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan.E-mail: a.ismailova@mail.ru, Ismailova A.A. , Pokussay O.A. ,   Мaster student S.Seifullin Kazakh AgroTechnical university Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan. E-mail: olga_270695@mail.ru, Omirbay A.E. ,   Мaster student S.Seifullin Kazakh AgroTechnical university Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan. E-mail: assylzat96@mail.ru
Published: November 2018

The world becomes more and more developed and with the advent of the Internet,mobile communication, applications gains momentum and call-tracking develops. In this article the concept of call-tracking, and also his great popularity, a role and application is considered in detail. The real example of application of call-tracking by the company in Russia is described. The detailed description is provided.
Disaggregating the electoral roll
Authors: Smith Alexander Thomas T.
Published: November 2018

Following their ‘wipe-out’ at the 1997 General Election, Scottish Conservatives
worked from the assumption that they had endured their own ‘crisis’ in
representation. The material consequences of this ‘crisis’ entailed losses of
!nancial and other resources, knowledge and political legitimacy. This article
describes how some Conservative activists addressed this ‘crisis’ in the period
leading to the 2003 local Government and Scottish Parliament elections. Their
efforts to render the secret ballot transparent in order to discern the voting
intentions of potential supporters both demonstrated and re!ected their efforts
to manage this crisis. Despite legal constraints, they constructed an imaginary of
thousands of local voters’ preferences through a variety of discursive
instruments, which allowed Party activists to disaggregate the electoral roll in
order to apprehend a new whole – the Conservative electoral base. This, in turn,
enabled a Conservative politics of self-knowledge, as a form of empowerment
for these activists.
Reviews
Authors: Kelly Tobias , Brisman Avi , Anderson-Levy Lisa , Simic Olivera , Holden Livia
Published: November 2018

Coles, Kimberley. 2007. Democratic Designs: International intervention and electoral practices in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. ISBN: 978-0-472-06985-9. 320 pgs. 31 figures, 6 tables. $26.95.

Goodale, Mark and Sally Engle Merry (2007) The Practice of Human Rights: Tracking Law Between the Global and the Local. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 978-0-521-68378-4, xii + 384 pp, $39.99

Lazarus-Black, Mindie. 2007. Everyday Harm: Domestic Violence, Court Rites, and Cultures of Reconciliation.
Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN: 978-0-252-07408-0. 264 pp. $22.00.

Pouligny, Beatrice. 2006. Peace Operations Seen from Below: UN Missions and Local People. USA: Kumarian Press. ISBN: 978 156549 224 0 276 295 pp. $27.50.

Good, Anthony. 2007. Anthropology and Expertise in the Asylum Courts. New York: Cavendish. ISBN 978-1-904385-55-4 xxv + 299 pp.
Capitalism, Violence and The State
Authors: Sanchez Andrew
Published: November 2018

In the Tata company town of Jamshedpur, incisive popular discourses of
corruption posit a mutually beneficial relationship between ‘legitimate’
institutions and organised criminality, a dynamic believed to enable pervasive
transformations in the city’s industrial and financial infrastructures. This
article situates this local discourse within the wider body of anthropological
work on South Asian corruption, noting a discursive departure from the
hegemonic, personalised and essentially provincialising corruption models
encountered by many researchers. The article interrogates the popular model
of crime and corruption in Jamshedpur through a focus upon the business
practices of local violent entrepreneurs, exploring the extent to which their
negotiations with corrupt institutions and ‘legitimate’ capital may indeed
inform their successes. Drawing analytic cues from material on organised
crime in the former USSR, this article identifies a mutually beneficial
relationship between political influence, violence and industrial capital in an
Indian company town.
Book Reviews
Authors: Laberge Yves , Wright Fiona , Norum Roger
Published: November 2018

Hyland, Richard. 2009. Gifts: A Study in Comparative Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press. xxi+708 p. ISBN-13: 978-0195343366, £80.

Book Review: Lori Allen, The Rise and Fall of Human Rights: Cynicism and Politics in Occupied Palestine, xviii, 258 pp. bibliogr. Stanford Studies in Human Rights, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 2013. $85 (cloth), $24.95 (paper).

Lucht, Hans. 2012. Darkness before Daybreak: African Migrants Living on the Margins in Southern Italy Today. Berkeley: University of California Press. Isbn 0520270738, xxii, 284 pp, price: $26.95
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Authors: Strathern Marilyn
Published: November 2018

Open to the journal’s remit to consider how the legal may enter social constructions of persons or might change meaning in terms of everyday interpretations, I am enchanted by Nigel Rapport’s redescription of anthropological practice in this issue’s forum. Such practice, he suggests, is a scaled-up version of everyday human practice, at least in so far as ‘the common humanity of our research subjects becomes the basis of our being able to understand their . . . [diverse] difference[s]’. Like Anyone, anthropologists use generalised human means to judge local actions. Acting in this way (when it becomes an ethic) is a mark of the cosmopolitan politesse he would see as a potential vector of a Western, liberal, moral vision, with its sense of the realities of human life, a knowable ontological foundation, in which individuals flourish when they sustain their own personal and collective worlds. Such a vision also mobilises a certain capacity for justice embedded in the everyday. The relation between this philosophically conceived notion of justice and ‘the legal’ is left to the imagination. But Rapport has given us much to think about with respect to how one might find or redefine what is of legal concern beyond the public arena of the state and its bureaucracy, and thus in ‘other’ kinds of social space.
Book Reviews
Authors: Jackman Michael Connors , Khan Adeel
Published: November 2018

Clarke, A. and D. Haraway (eds) (2018) Making Kin Not Population: Reconceiving Generations (Chicago: Prickly Paradigm Press) ISBN: 9780996635561.

Ben Hounet, Y. (ed) (2018), Law and Property in Algeria: Anthropological Perspectives (Brill: Leiden). ISBN: 978-90-04-36211-6.
Predictors of outcome following Gamma Knife surgery for acromegaly
Authors: Poon Tak Lap , Leung Samuel Cheong Lun , Poon Christopher Yee Fat , Yu Chung Ping
Published: November 2018

Object

Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) is gaining popularity in the treatment of patients with acromegaly after transsphenoidal tumor excision. In this paper, the authors examine the efficacy of GKS and predictors for biochemical remission.

Methods

The authors retrospectively reviewed data spanning the period 1997–2008 in their hospital Gamma Knife statistics database. Forty patients with a mean age of 64 years (range 19–73 years) underwent GKS for acromegaly during that period. Transsphenoidal subtotal tumor excision had been performed prior to GKS in all these patients, except for 3 deemed to be at high surgical risk. All GKS treatment plans were formulated by the same team that performed the microsurgical procedures. Biochemical remission was defined as a growth hormone (GH) level < 2 ng/ml and an insulin-like growth factor–I level that was considered normal with reference to the patient's age and sex. The mean follow-up period after radiosurgery was 73.8 months (range 12–132 months).

Results

Three patients died during the study period of causes unrelated to surgery or GKS. Twenty-nine patients (72.5%) underwent 1 radiosurgery session, and 11 patients (27.5%) required 2 radiosurgery sessions. Among the patients who underwent 1 radiosurgery session, excellent responses (76%–100% reductions in tumor size, GH level, and insulin-like growth factor–I level) were observed in 18 (62%; p < 0.0001), 20 (69%; p < 0.0001), and 5 patients (17%; p = 0.21), respectively. Tumors < 1 cm3 and those with no evidence of cavernous sinus extension were statistically significantly related to a good response in tumor size reduction (p = 0.029 and p = 0.0016, respectively). Subgroup analyses were performed in patients who attained biochemical remission in GH levels; the subgroups included patient sex, patient age, target volume, isodose volume, prescribed dose and isodose, pre-GKS GH level, and evidence of cavernous sinus extension. Only male sex was found to be a statistically significant predictor of good hormone regulation (p = 0.0124). The presence of a cavernous sinus extension was the statistically significant predictor of poor hormone control (p = 0.0011) in our study.

Conclusions

Subtotal tumor excision followed by GKS was an effective treatment for acromegaly. Tumors < 1 cm3 and those with no evidence of cavernous sinus extension responded well to treatment. Male sex and absence of cavernous sinus involvement can be regarded as predictors of biochemical remission.
Gamma Knife surgery combined with resection for treatment of a single brain metastasis: preliminary results
Authors: Kalani M. Yashar S. , Filippidis Aristotelis S. , Kalani Maziyar A. , Sanai Nader , Brachman David , McBride Heyoung L. , Shetter Andrew G. , Smith Kris A.
Published: November 2018

Object

Resection and whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) have classically been the standard treatment for a single metastasis to the brain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) as an alternative to WBRT in patients who had undergone resection and to evaluate patient survival and local tumor control.

Methods

The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of 150 patients treated with a combination of stereotactic radiosurgery and resection of a cranial metastasis at their institution between April 1997 and September 2009. Patients who had multiple lesions or underwent both WBRT and GKS were excluded, as were patients for whom survival data beyond the initial treatment were not available. Clinical and imaging follow-up was assessed using notes from clinic visits and MR imaging studies when available. Follow-up data beyond the initial treatment and survival data were available for 68 patients.

Results

The study included 37 women (54.4%) and 31 men (45.6%) (mean age 60 years, range 28–89 years). In 45 patients (66.2%) there was systemic control of the primary tumor when the cranial metastasis was identified. The median duration between resection and radiosurgery was 15.5 days. The median volume of the treated cavity was 10.35 cm3 (range 0.9–45.4 cm3), and the median dose to the cavity margin was 15 Gy (range 14–30 Gy), delivered to the 50% isodose line (range 50%–76% isodose line). The patients' median preradiosurgery Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score was 90 (range 40–100). During the follow-up period we identified 27 patients (39.7%) with recurrent tumor located either local or distant to the site of treatment. The median time from primary treatment of metastasis to recurrence was 10.6 months. The patients' median length of survival (interval between first treatment of cerebral metastasis and last follow-up) was 13.2 months. For the patient who died during follow-up, the median time from diagnosis of cerebral metastasis to death was 11.5 months. The median duration of survival from diagnosis of the primary cancer to last follow-up was 30.2 months. Patients with a pretreatment KPS score ≥ 90 had a median survival time of 23.2 months, and patients with a pretreatment KPS score < 90 had a median survival time of 10 months (p < 0.008). Systemic control of disease at the time of metastasis was not predictive of increased survival duration, although it did tend to improve survival.

Conclusions

Although the debate about the ideal form of radiation treatment after resection continues, these findings indicate that GKS combined with surgery offers comparable survival duration and local tumor control to WBRT for patients with a diagnosis of a single metastasis.
Gamma Knife surgery in vestibular schwannomas: impact on the anterior and posterior labyrinth
Authors: Gerosa Massimo , Mesiano Nazarena , Longhi Michele , De Simone Antonio , Foroni Roberto , Verlicchi Angela , Zanotti Bruno , Nicolato Antonio
Published: November 2018

Object

During the past decades, in small-to-medium size vestibular schwannomas, Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) has become a reliable therapeutic option because of either excellent local tumor control or minimal morbidity, with cranial neuropathy becoming increasingly rare. Although still insufficiently analyzed in larger cohorts of patients with long-term follow-ups, adequate chances of hearing preservation and vestibular sparing seem clinically guaranteed. However, deeper investigations are needed in this regard, expanding the number of cases and the follow-up period.

Methods

A small group of patients with vestibular schwannomas (74 patients, including 41 men and 33 women) treated between 2003 and 2009 using GKS at the authors' institution were analyzed—both before and after GKS—with computerized static stabilometry and electronystagmography for balance disorders, vertigo, and ataxia on 1 side and pure tone average, vocal speech discrimination score, auditory brainstem response, and so forth for hearing impairment and tinnitus on the other side. Eligibility criteria for this prospective study included previously untreated unilateral lesions and a Gardner-Robertson hearing class of I–III. Dosimetry plans had been programmed at the lower effective dosages for these tumors (median surface dose 12.4 Gy, range 10–13 Gy), carefully avoiding even minimal toxic dosages on the most vulnerable targets: the cochlea (never > 6 Gy) and the vestibular canals (< 7.5 Gy).

Results

To date, tumor growth control rates remain satisfactory; at a mean follow-up of 50 months, the rate was 96%. The overall level of hearing preservation was 72%, with 81% having Gardner-Robertson Class I hearing. Tinnitus decreased, from 52% to 28% of patients (p < 0.01). Significant improvements were also observed in vestibular symptoms, with computerized static stabilometry abnormalities decreasing from 62% to 32% (p < 0.001) and electronystagmography abnormalities reducing from 48% to 14% (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Using appropriate radiodosimetry planning, GKS seems to guarantee not only adequate tumor growth control rates, but also better levels of hearing preservation, with a documented, long-lasting improvement in vestibular functions.
Gamma Knife surgery for abducent nerve schwannoma
Authors: Hayashi Motohiro , Chernov Mikhail , Tamura Noriko , Yomo Shoji , Ochiai Taku , Nagai Mariko , Tamura Manabu , Izawa Masahiro , Muragaki Yoshihiro , Iseki Hiroshi , Okada Yoshikazu , Takakura Kintomo
Published: November 2018

Abducent nerve schwannomas are extremely rare. The authors recently performed Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) in 4 patients with such tumors and describe their experiences with these cases.

The patients consisted of 3 women and 1 man whose ages varied from 31 to 60 years (mean 46 years). Two patients had no symptoms, 1 complained of slight visual disturbances, and the other 1 had abducent nerve palsy. Neurofibromatosis was not diagnosed in any case. All 4 tumors were located in the cavernous sinus: 2 of these tumors within the borders of the sinus, 1 tumor extending into the orbit, and 1 tumor extending into the prepontine cistern. The volume of the neoplasms varied from 1.7 to 4.9 cm3 (mean 3.0 cm3). No patient underwent tumor resection. Treatment was delivered with the aid of a Leksell Gamma Knife model C unit and the automatic positioning system. The dose directed to the tumor margin was 12 Gy in all cases. The dose directed to the anterior visual pathways was kept below 10 Gy and that to the brainstem below 14 Gy. The length of follow-up varied between 7 and 43 months (mean 27 months).

There were no acute complications or side effects. Imaging studies showed temporary enlargement of all tumors during the 1st posttreatment year, but thereafter, there was a trend toward reduction in volume. None of the neoplasms displayed regrowth. In the 3 patients who did not have abducent nerve palsy before GKS, it appeared, at least temporarily, after the procedure. Purely intracavernous neoplasms in general followed uneventful posttreatment courses, but dumbbell-shaped tumors were associated with significant morbidity. The cisternocavernous schwannoma underwent cystic degeneration 2 years after GKS, and the patient developed diplopia. After GKS, the patient treated for an orbitocavernous schwannoma experienced a significant deterioration in vision, temporary blindness in 1 eye, and late development of permanent abducent nerve palsy, which were seemingly caused by compression of neurovascular structures within the anulus of Zinn during a temporary increase in the lesion's volume after irradiation.

Gamma Knife surgery controls the growth of abducent nerve schwannomas and may be effectively used to manage intracavernous neoplasms. Caution, however, should be used in cases of dumbbell-shaped tumors, particularly those extending through the superior orbital fissure.
Quantitative analysis of movement of a cervical target during stereotactic radiosurgery using the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion
Authors: Tonetti Daniel , Bhatnagar Jagdish , Lunsford L. Dade
Published: November 2018

Object

The design of the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion facilitates stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) on cervical spine targets provided that the target itself is located superior to the standard G stereotactic head frame base ring and does not move. This study was designed to measure potential deviations of targets in the upper cervical spine while using the currently available Leksell Coordinate Frame G.

Methods

A commercially available skull-and–cervical spine model was adapted for SRS using the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion. The Leksell Coordinate Frame G was attached to the model, and both CT and fluoroscopic imaging were performed to determine the potential for target deviation at standard Gamma Knife treatment angles of 70°, 90°, and 110°. In addition, target deviations observed at various heights of the patient positioning table were analyzed using a pair of orthogonal fluoroscopic images obtained at a standard 90° gamma angle and compared with target position as it relates to a reference bed height of 4.5 cm.

Results

An examination of multiple radiopaque targets embedded in or affixed to the model showed target deviations ranging from as low as 3.53 mm at the medial occiput–C1 junction to 15.56 mm at the C3–4 level during 70° extension. Target deviations at 110° flexion relative to targets on a 90° CT scan included deviations ranging from 0.58 mm at the medial occiput–C1 junction to 13.32 mm at the medial C3–4 level.

Relative to targets observed at the Perfexion table height of 4.5 cm, target deviation at a table height of 3 cm varied from 0.44 to 5.26 mm. At a table height of 5.5 cm, target deviation varied from 0.44 to 3.60 mm, and at a maximum height of 5.8 cm, target deviation varied from 0.62 to 4.30 mm.

Conclusions

Target deviation grossly exceeded clinical tolerance and was greater the farther the distance between the cranial base and the cervical spine target. Simple and reproducible methods that allow SRS centers to immobilize the patient's cervical spine using the currently available model G head frame are necessary to increase the range of targets that can be treated safely using the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion.
Are frequent dental x-ray examinations associated with increased risk of vestibular schwannoma?
Authors: Han Yueh-Ying , Berkowitz Oren , Talbott Evelyn , Kondziolka Douglas , Donovan Maryann , Lunsford L. Dade
Published: November 2018

Object

The authors evaluated the potential role of environmental risk factors, including exposure to diagnostic or therapeutic radiation and to wireless phones that emit nonionizing radiation, in the etiology of vestibular schwannoma (VS).

Methods

A total of 343 patients with VSs who underwent Gamma Knife surgery performed between 1997 and 2007 were age and sex matched to 343 control patients from the outpatient degenerative spinal disorders service at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The authors obtained information on previous exposure to medical radiation, use of wireless phone technologies, and other environmental factors thought to be associated with the development of a VS. Conditional multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

After adjusting for race, education, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, occupational exposure to noise, use of cell phones, and family history of cancer, the authors identified only a single factor that was associated with a higher risk of VS: individuals exposed to dental x-rays once a year (aOR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.01–5.09) or once every 2–5 years (aOR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.20–5.85), compared with those exposed less than once every 5 years. Of interest, a history of exposure to radiation related to head or head-and-neck computed tomography was associated with a reduced risk of VS (aOR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.30–0.90). No relationship was found between the use of cell phones or cordless phones and VS.

Conclusions

Patients with acoustic neuromas reported significantly more exposure to dental x-rays than a matched cohort control group. Reducing the frequency of dental x-ray examinations may decrease the potential risk of VS.
Same-day stereotactic aspiration and Gamma Knife surgery for cystic intracranial tumors
Authors: Liu Xiaomin , Yu Qi , Zhang Zhiyuan , Zhang Yipei , Li Yanhe , Liu Dong , Jia Qiang , Zheng Ligao , Xu Desheng
Published: November 2018

Object

The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of same-day stereotactic aspiration and Gamma knife surgery (GKS) for cystic intracranial tumors.

Methods

Between 1996 and 2007, 77 patients harboring cystic intracranial tumors underwent a same-day procedure of MRI-guided cyst aspiration followed by GKS. The diagnoses were metastatic tumor in 43 patients, glial tumor in 12 patients, vestibular schwannoma in 10 patients, craniopharyngioma in 9 patients, and hemangioblastoma in 3 patients.

Results

An improvement in symptoms was achieved in 68 patients (88.3%) immediately after cyst aspiration. The mean tumor volume in this group of patients was 25.1 cm3 before aspiration and 11.1 cm3 afterward. Hemorrhage during the course of aspiration was encountered in 1 patient. Transient nausea after cyst aspiration developed in 3 patients. There was no treatment-related hematoma, seizure, neurological deficit, or infection. The median follow-up period was 16 months (range 6–108 months). Tumor control was achieved in 50 (80.6%) of 62 patients who participated in follow-up for at least 6 months.

Conclusions

The same-day stereotactic aspiration and GKS procedure was safe in patients with cystic brain tumors. Prompt symptom relief was obtained after cyst aspiration. The decrease in tumor volume following aspiration made GKS more effective because a higher prescription dose could be administered with a lower possibility of radiation-induced side effects.
Dose-volume effects on brainstem dose tolerance in radiosurgery
Authors: Xue Jinyu , Goldman H. Warren , Grimm Jimm , LaCouture Tamara , Chen Yan , Hughes Lesley , Yorke Ellen
Published: November 2018

Object

Dose-volume data concerning the brainstem in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) were analyzed in relation to associated complications. The authors present their set of data and compare it with currently cited information on brainstem dose tolerance associated with conventional fractionated radiation therapy and hypofractionated radiation treatment of other diseases.

Methods

Stereotactic radiosurgery for TN delivers a much higher radiation dose to the brainstem in a single fraction than doses delivered by any other procedures. A literature survey of articles on radiosurgery for TN revealed no incidences of severe toxicity, unlike other high-dose procedures involving the brainstem. Published data on brainstem dose tolerance were investigated and compared with dose-volume data in TN radiosurgery. The authors also performed a biological modeling study of dose-volume data involving the brainstem in cases of TN treated with the Gamma Knife, CyberKnife, and linear accelerator–based systems.

Results

The brainstem may receive a maximum dose as high as 45 Gy during radiosurgery for TN. The major complication after TN radiosurgery is mild to moderate facial numbness, and few other severe toxic responses to radiation are observed. The biologically effective dose of 45 Gy in a single fraction is much higher than any brainstem dose tolerance currently cited in conventional fractionation or in single or hypofractionated radiation treatments. However, in TN radiosurgery, the dose falloff is so steep and the delivery so accurate that brainstem volumes of 0.1–0.5 cm3 or larger receive lower planned and delivered doses than those in other radiation-related procedures. Current models are suggestive, but an extensive analysis of detailed dose-volume clinical data is needed.

Conclusions

Patients whose TN is treated with radiosurgery are a valuable population in which to demonstrate the dose-volume effects of an extreme hypofractionated radiation treatment on the brainstem. The result of TN radiosurgery suggests that a very small volume of the brainstem can tolerate a drastically high dose without suffering a severe clinical injury. The authors believe that the steep dose gradient in TN radiosurgery plays a key role in the low toxicity experienced by the brainstem.
Role of Gamma Knife surgery in patients with 5 or more brain metastases
Authors: Mohammadi Alireza Mohammad , Recinos Pablo F. , Barnett Gene H. , Weil Robert J. , Vogelbaum Michael A. , Chao Samuel T. , Suh John H. , Marko Nicholas F. , Elson Paul , Neyman Gennady , Angelov Lilyana
Published: November 2018

Object

The authors evaluated overall survival and factors predicting outcome in patients with ≥ 5 brain metastases who were treated with Gamma Knife surgery (GKS).

Methods

Medical records from patients with ≥ 5 brain metastases treated with GKS between 1997 and 2010 at the Cleveland Clinic Gamma Knife Center were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment-related factors, and outcome data were evaluated.

Results

One hundred seventy patients were identified, with a median age of 58 years. The female/male ratio was 1.2:1. Gamma Knife surgery was used as an upfront treatment in 35% of patients and as salvage treatment in 65% of patients with multiple brain metastases. The median overall survival after GKS was 6.7 months (95% CI 5.5–8.1). At the time of GKS, 128 patients (75%) had concurrent extracranial metastases, and in 69 patients (41%) multiple extracranial sites were involved. Ninety-two patients (54%) had a history of whole-brain radiation therapy, and 158 patients (93%) had a Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score ≥ 70. The median total intracranial disease volume was 3.2 cm3 (range 0.2–37.2 cm3). A total intracranial tumor volume ≥ 10 cm3 was observed in 32 patients (19%). Lower KPS score at the time of treatment (p < 0.0001), patient age > 60 years (p = 0.004), multiple extracranial metastases (p = 0.0001), and greater intracranial burden of disease (p = 0.03) were prognostic factors for poor outcome in the univariate and multivariate analyses.

Conclusions

In this study, GKS was safe and effective for upfront and salvage treatment in patients with ≥ 5 brain metastases. Gamma Knife surgery should be considered as an additional treatment modality for these patients, especially in the subset of patients with favorable prognostic factors.