bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unmet need for professional mental health care among adolescents with high psychological distress
Authors: Sheppard Rachel , Deane Frank P , Ciarrochi Joseph
Published: May 2017

Objectives:

This study reports the rate of unmet needs for professional mental health care in a large multi-state sample of adolescents. We also sought to describe barriers to professional help, informal help seeking and future help-seeking intentions among adolescents with wholly unmet needs for counselling for mental illness.

Methods:

We collected measures of mental health, help-seeking and unmet needs in 1599 students (817 males and 781 females) in 16 schools (mean age = 17.7 years, standard deviation = 0.42 years). Adolescents meeting ‘case’ criteria for high psychological distress were classified as having no need, fully met needs, partially met needs or wholly unmet needs. Participants were asked about actual service use, perceived unmet needs, barriers to professional help, help seeking from other sources, use of self-management strategies and future help seeking intentions.

Results:

In all, 35.7% ( n = 571) of the sample met criteria to be designated ‘cases’ with high psychological distress. Of these, 25.9% ( n = 148) were classified as having ‘wholly unmet needs’ (cases of untreated prevalence with self-perceived unmet needs), translating into 9.3% of the original sample. Compared to cases with partially met needs, adolescents with wholly unmet needs engaged in significantly less self-help, used less informal help from family/friends and reported lower future help-seeking intentions. Common barriers to care included a preference for self-management and concerns regarding stigma.

Conclusions:

A concerning proportion of adolescents have untreated high psychological distress with wholly unmet mental health needs. This group is rendered particularly vulnerable by low rates of access to non-professional sources of help and low engagement in self-management strategies. Further research is needed to support this vulnerable group to access needed professional mental health help.
Inequality, Social Mobility and the New Economy: Introduction
Authors: Rolfe Heather
Published: May 2017

The world of work is changing in ways that were not anticipated at the start of the century. Technology, globalisation and the creation of new business models based on digital platforms are creating new types of jobs, contracting arrangements and transactions. As Diane Coyle describes in her paper on work in the digital economy, temporary and flexible contracts are proliferating, with an estimated 905,000 people on ‘zero hours’, 29 per cent higher than in 2014. While remote working has been common in sectors such as IT for some time, the workplace itself has transformed for many and is in some cases virtual rather than physical. These changes offer opportunities for some, including those who are excluded from traditional work modes, and challenges for others. Platform models such as the on-line marketplace Etsy may facilitate access to the formal labour market for the economically inactive or long-term unemployed but offer little social protection. Regardless of the outcome of current legal disputes over the employment status of ‘employees’ or ‘service providers’ in the ‘gig’ economy, because of difficulties in enforcement, these new forms of work carry a strong potential to exacerbate inequalities in the labour market which are apparent in disparities by social class, ethnicity and gender.
Post-Compulsory Education in England: Choices and Implications
Authors: Hupkau Claudia , McNally Sandra , Ruiz-Valenzuela Jenifer , Ventura Guglielmo
Published: May 2017

Most students do not follow the ‘academic track’ (i.e. A-levels) after leaving school and only about a third of students go to university before the age of 20. Yet progression routes for the majority that do not take this path but opt for vocational post-compulsory education are not as well-known, which partly has to do with the complexity of the vocational education system and the difficulty of deciphering available data. If we are to tackle long-standing problems of low social mobility and a long tail of underachievers, it is essential that post-16 vocational options come under proper scrutiny. This paper is a step in that direction.

We use linked administrative data to track decisions made by all students in England who left compulsory education after having undertaken the national examination – the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) – at age 16 in the year 2009/10. We track them up to the age of 21, as they progress through the education system and (for some) into the labour market. We categorise the many different types of post-16 qualifications into several broad categories and we look at the probability of achieving various educational and early labour market outcomes, conditional on the path chosen at age 17. We also take into account the influence of demographics, prior attainment and the secondary school attended. Our findings illustrate the strong inequality apparently generated by routes chosen at age 17, even whilst controlling for prior attainment and schooling up to that point
Sounding the Powers of Place in Neighborhoods: Responses to the Urban Crisis in Washington Heights and New York City
Authors: Snyder Robert W.
Published: May 2017

As scholars move from studying the city as the setting for larger social processes to exploring how cities play constitutive roles in historical change, it is important to explore the most fundamental and complex unit of urban life—the neighborhood—in all its subjective meanings and dimensions. This essay, which builds on my book, Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York City (Cornell, 2015), examines how residents of the Washington Heights section of northern Manhattan, who mentally divided their neighborhood into smaller and separate enclaves, overcame their divisions to avert the worst threats of the urban crisis in impressive displays of collective efficacy. Residents crossed and redefined neighborhood boundaries to preserve housing, empower Dominican immigrants, reduce crime, and recover parks and public spaces that had been damaged by neglect and violence. Ironically, the success of their efforts set off a surge in gentrification that threatens to displace poor and working-class residents. The study of their efforts, especially with oral history interviews, reveals the micro-neighborhoods that exist within a neighborhood boundary, the importance of thinking about space in urban culture and politics, and the value and limits of neighborhood action for social change.
Impacting Precursors to Sexual Behavior Among Young American Indian Adolescents of the Northern Plains: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kaufman Carol E. , Schwinn Traci M. , Black Kirsten , Keane Ellen M. , Big Crow Cecelia K. , Shangreau Carly , Tuitt Nicole R. , Arthur-Asmah Ruth , Morse Bradley
Published: May 2017

We assessed the effectiveness of a culturally grounded, multimedia, sexual risk reduction intervention called Circle of Life (mCOL), designed to increase knowledge and self-efficacy among preteen American Indians and Alaska Natives. Partnering with Native Boys and Girls Clubs in 15 communities across six Northern Plains reservations, we conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial among 10- to 12-year-olds ( n = 167; mean age = 11.2). Club units were randomly assigned to mCOL ( n = 8) or the attention-control program, After-School Science Plus (AS+; n = 7). Compared with the AS+ group, mCOL youth scored significantly higher on HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) knowledge questions at both follow-ups; self-efficacy to avoid peer pressure and self-efficacy to avoid sex were significantly higher at posttest; self-perceived volition was significantly higher at 9-month follow-up; and no differences were found for behavioral precursors to sex. mCOL had modest effects on precursors to sexual behavior, which may lead to less risky sexual behavior in later years.
Plasticity in wheel–rail contact and its implications on vehicle–track interaction
Authors: Six K , Meierhofer A , Trummer G , Bernsteiner C , Marte C , Müller G , Luber B , Dietmaier P , Rosenberger M
Published: May 2017

Vehicle–track interaction in railway operation is highly influenced by physical processes within the wheel–rail contact. Thus, accurate prediction models describing these processes are of high importance. Such models have to take into account the plasticity phenomena appropriately because such phenomena generally occur in the near-surface layers of wheels and rails in railway operation. Within the contact zone, two plasticity effects occur: ‘global’ plastification in the order of hundreds of microns up to millimetres due to the general loading situation and ‘tribological’ plastification in the order of microns due to surface effects (e.g. roughness) which is always accompanied by the wear process. State-of-the-art models do not take into account these effects sufficiently. The main ideas of the so-called overall wheel–rail contact and damage model taking into account the mentioned plasticity phenomena are presented together with typical results of the model.
Failure analysis of railroad concrete crossties in the center negative flexural mode using finite element method
Authors: Yu Hailing , Marquis Brian P , Jeong David Y
Published: May 2017

Finite element models are developed for the railroad concrete crossties and are employed to analyze their center negative flexural responses to two center binding conditions: a center negative moment test condition and a hypothetical deteriorated ballast support condition. These conditions can lead to center negative flexural cracks and, eventually, sudden, catastrophic failure of the concrete ties when the loads reach critical magnitudes. When the concrete ties fail completely and consecutively in track, the gage can be sufficiently widened to cause derailment. The finite element results are first validated with the available test data, and the validated finite element models are then employed to obtain and evaluate the cracking/failure patterns and force–displacement characteristics of the concrete ties in the center negative flexural mode in static and dynamic analyses. The finite element analyses predict the critical wheel loads above which catastrophic tie failure is likely to occur, and the dynamic critical failure loads are shown to depend on the center binding ballast support conditions as well as the worn concrete tie conditions. The worn tie conditions that include bottom abrasion and prestress loss can significantly reduce the dynamic critical failure loads and, thereby, adversely affect the center negative flexural performance of the concrete ties.
Estimating the relative cost of track damage mechanisms: combining economic and engineering approaches
Authors: Smith Andrew , Iwnicki Simon , Kaushal Aniruddha , Odolinski Kristofer , Wheat Phill
Published: May 2017

This paper proposes a new, two-stage methodology to estimate the relative marginal cost of different types of vehicles running on the rail infrastructure. This information is important particularly where the infrastructure managers wish to differentiate the track access charges by vehicle type for the purpose of incentivizing the development and use of more track-friendly vehicles. EU legislation requires that the European infrastructure managers set the access charges based on the incremental (marginal) cost of the running trains on their networks. The novelty of the approach derives from the combination of: (1) engineering simulation methods that estimate the track damage caused by the rail vehicles; and (2) econometric methods that estimate the relationship between the actual maintenance costs and the different damage mechanisms. This two-stage approach fills an important gap in the literature, given the limitations of the existing “single-stage” engineering or econometric approaches in obtaining the relative marginal costs for different types of damage. The authors demonstrate the feasibility of the method using 45 track sections from Sweden, for which the data on maintenance costs are available together with relevant track and vehicle data for 2012 (supplied by the Swedish Transport Administration). The authors demonstrate the feasibility of producing summary, section-level damage measures for the three damage mechanisms (wear, rolling contact fatigue, and track settlement), which can be taken forward to the second stage. The econometric results of the second stage indicate that it is possible to obtain sensible relationships between cost and the different damage types, and thus produce relative marginal costs by the damage mechanism and in turn the vehicle type. Based on this feasibility study, tracksettlement has been found to be the most expensive (in terms of maintenance cost) of the three mechanisms, followed by the rolling contact fatigue and then the wear. Future applications should focus on larger datasets in order to produce the required degree of precision on the estimation of the marginal cost.
Performance of radiofrequency ablation used for metastatic spinal tumor: Numerical approach
Authors: Capek Lukas , Henys Petr , Barsa Pavel , Dvorak Vaclav
Published: May 2017

Surgical treatment of spine metastases follows only local anatomical and biomechanical objectives. Few cases of actual solitary metastases are rather exceptional, while removal of these metastases and the primary tumor may help to eradicate the process. The aim of our subsequent numerical simulations was to find out the temperature distribution and the volume lesion in a spinal tumor. For this purpose, the parametric three-dimensional numerical model was developed. It was shown that by finite element modeling approach not only the temperature distribution but even the resulted cavity may be estimated. The numerical approach was shown as a strong tool in surgery planning.
Proactive Coping, Time Perspective and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Dwivedi Akansha , Rastogi Renu
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

This study aims to analyze how time perspective (TP) (future and present) and proactive coping (preventive and proactive) strategies influence the life satisfaction of emerging adults.

Design/methodology/approach:

The present study is basically correlational in nature. The data was collected from 90 undergraduate first-year students who are just entered to the stage of early adulthood. To measure the reaction of these students on three questionnaires (Zimbardo Time Inventory, proactive coping inventory and Satisfaction with Life Scale [SWLS]). Generalized linear and stepwise regression models were conducted for data analysis.

Findings:

The results showed, as expected, that proactive coping emerging as a single significant predictor of life satisfaction of emerging adults.

Originality/value:

The study offers a model that extends the scope of previous research works in the field of life satisfaction. It also provides a new research paradigm to the area of emerging adulthood as in it introduces some individual factors that could enhance their (emerging adulthood) life satisfaction.
Preliminary evaluation for Bit1 as a potential biomarker for squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of esophagus
Authors: Chen Jing , Liu Hongtao , Gao Pan , Hui Yiran , Yang Zhenzhen , Zhang Xiaqing , Xu Peirong , Tian Fang , Fan Tianli
Published: May 2017

Mounting evidence has demonstrated that Bit1 has been investigated as an etiological factor for certain cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma reported in our previous study, but data regarding possible roles of Bit1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to examine whether Bit1 can be a novel diagnostic marker for the patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma. The results revealed that Bit1 level in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher than that in esophageal adenocarcinoma tissues ( p < 0.05); notably, Bit1 level in esophageal adenocarcinoma tissues was lower than that in paired normal tissues but no difference was found ( p > 0.05). Bit1 expression patterns were completely in accordance with matrix metalloproteinase 2 and Bcl-2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma. In addition, Bit1, Bcl-2, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression patterns in different differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were higher than those in corresponding normal esophageal tissues. Bit1 expression in poorly differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher than that in normal esophageal tissues ( p < 0.05) but not in moderately and well-differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression patterns in poorly and moderately differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were significantly higher than those in corresponding normal esophageal tissues ( p < 0.01) but not in well-differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue ( p > 0.05). Bcl-2 expression patterns in various differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were higher than those in corresponding normal esophageal tissues with no statistical differences ( p > 0.05). Importantly, Bit1 expression was positively correlated with both matrix metalloproteinase 2 and Bcl-2 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma tissues ( p < 0.05). Collectively, these preliminary data support further investigation of Bit1 as an important diagnostic factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Age trends in musical preferences in adulthood: 2. Sources of social influences as determinants of preferences
Authors: Bonneville-Roussy Arielle , Rust John
Published: May 2017

Using the Music Preferences in Adulthood Model (MPAM, Bonneville-Roussy et al., 2017), an integrative model of the psychological determinants of musical preferences in adulthood, the main objective of this article is to investigate how different sources of social influences may affect age trends in musical preferences in adulthood. More specifically, we examine how the social network (such as family and peers), and psychological interpersonal dispositions (such as one’s psychological tendencies towards conformity) may influence these age trends. In two studies with a total sample size of over 950 adults, we examine how social influence variables are associated with age trends in musical preferences, measured with music genres and music clips (samples of musical audio recordings). Results revealed that the social network and interpersonal dispositions are related to preferences for different musical dimensions. These relationships were stronger for the musical genres dimensions as compared with the musical clips dimensions. In addition, our findings showed that dispositions toward conformity moderate the relations between age and musical preferences in adulthood. Those results confirm that social influences, especially the interpersonal disposition towards conformity, are important in the adoption of different musical preferences as adults evolve in age. The results are discussed within a lifespan developmental psychology of music perspective.
‘It’s a man’s man’s man’s world’: Music groupies and the othering of women in the world of rock
Authors: Larsen Gretchen
Published: May 2017

Groupies are understood as a particular type of fan that are most commonly associated with rock music. The ‘groupie’ identity is almost exclusively applied to female fans but sometimes also to female music producers and is largely used in a derogatory manner both by the popular media and by fans themselves. This article argues that the ‘groupie’ identity is used to ‘other’ and exclude women from creative production in rock music. This study draws on a rhetorical analysis of five published biographical accounts of groupies to examine how the labeling of certain people as ‘groupies’ works as an othering practice that serves to support and maintain the gendered norms of rock and identifies three underlying discursive processes. First, popular and music media played a significant role in stereotyping groupie as female right from the emergence of the label. Second, the notions of ‘credibility’ and ‘authenticity’, which are central to serious music journalism, are constructed in such a way as to stigmatize and therefore exclude women from rock, primarily by reframing ‘groupies’ as inauthentic consumers rather than proper fans. Finally, the intertwining of femininity with fandom, as occurs in groupiedom, serves to magnify cultural assumptions about women as sex objects and as passive consumers of mass culture. In elucidating both the gender and marketplace role politics at play in the ‘groupie’ identity and the mechanisms involved in othering women, space is opened in which alternative possibilities for understanding and enacting the role of women in rock can be imagined.
The relationship between immigration and tourism firms
Authors: Massidda Carla , Etzo Ivan , Piras Romano
Published: May 2017

This article investigates whether the presence of immigrants represents an opportunity for Italian tourism firms to increase the number of establishments and their employees. To this scope, we focus on the hotels and restaurants sector where a great amount of revenues comes from the tourist expenditure. The investigation is conducted at both the nationwide level and, separately, for Centre-Northern and Southern provinces. As estimation technique, in order to deal with the potential endogeneity problem, we will proceed with the two-stage least square method. The results strongly support a positive relationship between the provincial share of immigrants and the number of tourism establishments and their employees. This relationship seems to be stronger for southern provinces.
Commuters Versus Residents: The Effects of Living Arrangement and Student Engagement on Academic Performance
Authors: Simpson Denise Balfour , Burnett Dana
Published: May 2017

This study focused on the relationship between living arrangement (residential vs. commuter) and the academic performance (grade point average) of first-year, full time undergraduate students at one public, 4-year university in the Southeast. Additionally, we analyzed five educationally effective practices as described by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE): level of academic challenge active and collaborative learning, student–faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment, to identify possible mediators to the relationship between living arrangement and academic performance. We found commuter students earned higher grade point averages than residential students; however, students in both living environments benefited from participating in high levels of academic challenge. While the results of this study challenged the perception that commuters as a group achieve academically at lower levels than residential students, our findings supported prior literature. Our results suggest the amount of time and energy students invest in the college experience relates to students’ academic success, regardless of living arrangement.
A Real-World Experience Comparison of Percutaneous and Open Femoral Exposure for Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in a Tertiary Medical Center
Authors: Mukherjee Dipankar , Emery Erica , Majeed Rashad , Heshmati Keyvan , Hashemi Homayoun
Published: May 2017

Objective:

To compare the outcomes of elective percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair (PEVAR) versus surgical cutdown endovascular aneurysm repair (SEVAR) procedures performed at a tertiary medical center from 2012 to 2015.

Methods:

This is a unique study using procedure data from two vascular surgeons who performed SEVAR in almost every case versus three vascular surgeons who performed PEVAR in all cases except when considered prohibitive on account of circumferential calcification or severe occlusive disease of the common femoral artery or some other technical consideration. Medical records of patients aged 18 years or older undergoing elective PEVAR or SEVAR between January 2012 and December 2015 were reviewed. Differences in readmissions and complications between patients who received PEVAR and those who received SEVAR were assessed using Fisher’s exact test. The exact Cochran-Armitage test was used to assess trends in length of stay between the PEVAR and SEVAR group.

Results:

A total of 183 patients were analyzed. In total, 132 underwent PEVAR and 51 underwent SEVAR. A statistically significant difference was noted with regard to 30-day readmissions (2.3% vs 13.7%, P = .006) in favor of PEVAR and categorical length of stay tended to be longer in the SEVAR group ( P = .003). The 30-day complication rate was not statistically different (6.8% vs 15.7%, P = .09).

Conclusions:

Surgical cutdown endovascular aneurysm repair results in more readmissions, often related to groin wound complications, which lead to prolonged length of stay and expense. Patients undergoing PEVAR tend to have a shorter length of stay. Overall complication rate was similar in the two groups. We recommend PEVAR for patients with appropriate anatomy.
Advancing Lifestyle Medicine Education in Undergraduate Medical School Curricula Through the Lifestyle Medicine Education Collaborative (LMEd)
Authors: Trilk Jennifer L. , Muscato Dennis , Polak Rani
Published: May 2017

Physicians are uniquely positioned to stem the tide of the world’s top lifestyle-related diseases; however, most are not trained to provide effective patient care. The Lifestyle Medicine Education Collaborative (LMEd) has a plan that is a comprehensive and sustainable approach to policies, programs, and initiatives to increase graduating US medical students’ knowledge and application of lifestyle medicine. LMEd’s strategic plan is to (1) provide high-quality curricular material; (2) solicit support of medical school deans, critical administration, and faculty; (3) influence federal and state policy; (4) develop and conduct assessment; and (5) support medical students as lifestyle medicine champions. Accomplishments to date include (1) collaboration with Association of American Medical Colleges’ MedEdPORTAL for the curation of a LM Collection; (2) creation of a network of >350 members, 80 medical schools including 33 hospitals/clinics; 1:1 mentoring sessions >70 medical school faculty/administration; and (4) establishment of a relationship with the National Board of Medical Examiner’s Customized Assessment Services to create a subject test in lifestyle medicine. National awareness is being increased through webinars and hosting the first-annual LMEd Summit in October 2016. LMEd strives to alter the health care landscape by enhancing physician competency in lifestyle-related disease and value-based care and affecting the health of populations.
Your Privilege Is Trending: Confronting Whiteness on Social Media
Authors: Petray Theresa L. , Collin Rowan
Published: May 2017

Social media activism provides an important space for dialogue and consciousness-raising. Racism, privilege, and inequalities have received considerable attention in social media discussions. #WhiteProverbs was one attempt to confront this issue, focusing particularly on White privilege. The tweets show how social media is a site where “serious games” are played, as agents are constrained by the “rules” but still able to make choices and push boundaries. This article explores the #WhiteProverbs tweets that came from Australian users to better understand how Australian social media users understand and confront whiteness. Through the use of humor, specifically irony and sarcasm, Twitter users identify a number of key ways that White privilege is reproduced, including justifications for racial inequality, questioning claims to racial differences, and constructing an exclusively White national identity.
Chromosomal features of Escherichia coli serotype O2:K2, an avian pathogenic E. coli
Authors: Jørgensen Steffen L. , Kudirkiene Egle , Li Lili , Christensen Jens P. , Olsen John E. , Nolan Lisa , Olsen Rikke H.
Published: May 2017

Escherichia coli causing infection outside the gastrointestinal system are referred to as extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli. Avian pathogenic E. coli is a subgroup of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli and infections due to avian pathogenic E. coli have major impact on poultry production economy and welfare worldwide. An almost defining characteristic of avian pathogenic E. coli is the carriage of plasmids, which may encode virulence factors and antibiotic resistance determinates. For the same reason, plasmids of avian pathogenic E. coli have been intensively studied. However, genes encoded by the chromosome may also be important for disease manifestation and antimicrobial resistance. For the E. coli strain APEC_O2 the plasmids have been sequenced and analyzed in several studies, and E. coli APEC_O2 may therefore serve as a reference strain in future studies. Here we describe the chromosomal features of E. coli APEC_O2. E. coli APEC_O2 is a sequence type ST135, has a chromosome of 4,908,820 bp (plasmid removed), comprising 4672 protein-coding genes, 110 RNA genes, and 156 pseudogenes, with an average G + C content of 50.69%. We identified 82 insertion sequences as well as 4672 protein coding sequences, 12 predicated genomic islands, three prophage-related sequences, and two clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats regions on the chromosome, suggesting the possible occurrence of horizontal gene transfer in this strain. The wildtype strain of E. coli APEC_O2 is resistant towards multiple antimicrobials, however, no (complete) antibiotic resistance genes were present on the chromosome, but a number of genes associated with extra-intestinal disease were identified. Together, the information provided here on E. coli APEC_O2 will assist in future studies of avian pathogenic E. coli strains, in particular regarding strain of E. coli APEC_O2, and aid in the general understanding of the pathogenesis of avian pathogenic E. coli.
Phase III Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial of Celecoxib in Addition to Standard Chemotherapy for Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer With Cyclooxygenase-2 Overexpression: CALGB 30801 (Alliance)
Authors: Edelman Martin J. , Wang Xiaofei , Hodgson Lydia , Cheney Richard T. , Baggstrom Maria Q. , Thomas Sachdev P. , Gajra Ajeet , Bertino Erin , Reckamp Karen L. , Molina Julian , Schiller Joan H. , Mitchell-Richards Kisha , Friedman Paula N. , Ritter Jon , Milne Ginger , Hahn Olwen M. , Stinchcombe Thomas E. , Vokes Everett E. ,   for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Tumor overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been associated with worse outcome in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 30203, we found that the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in addition to chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC improved progression-free and overall survival in patients with moderate to high COX-2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). CALGB 30801 (Alliance) was designed to prospectively confirm that finding.

Patients and Methods

Patients with NSCLC (stage IIIB with pleural effusion or stage IV according to American Joint Committee on Cancer [sixth edition] criteria) were preregistered, and biopsy specimens were analyzed for COX-2 by IHC. Patients with COX-2 expression ≥ 2, performance status of 0 to 2, and normal organ function were eligible. Chemotherapy was determined by histology: carboplatin plus pemetrexed for nonsquamous NSCLC and carboplatin plus gemcitabine for squamous histology. Patients were randomly assigned to celecoxib (400 mg twice per day; arm A) or placebo (arm B). The primary objective was to demonstrate improvement in progression-free survival in patients with COX-2 index ≥ 4 with hazard ratio of 0.645 with approximately 85% power at two-sided significance level of .05.

Results

The study was halted for futility after 312 of the planned 322 patients with COX-2 index ≥ 2 were randomly assigned. There were no significant differences between the groups (hazard ratio, 1.046 for COX-2 ≥ 4). Subset analyses evaluating histology, chemotherapy regimen, and incremental COX-2 expression did not demonstrate any advantage for COX-2 inhibition. Elevation of baseline urinary metabolite of prostaglandin E2, indicating activation of the COX-2 pathway, was a negative prognostic factor. Values above the third quartile may have been a predictive factor.

Conclusion

COX-2 expression by IHC failed to select patients who could benefit from selective COX-2 inhibition. Urinary metabolite of prostaglandin E2 may be able to identify patients who could benefit from COX-2 inhibition.
Evaluation of Analgesia, Tolerance, and the Mechanism of Action of Morphine-6-O-Sulfate Across Multiple Pain Modalities in Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Yadlapalli Jai Shankar K. , Dogra Navdeep , Walbaum Anqi W. , Wessinger William D. , Prather Paul L. , Crooks Peter A. , Dobretsov Maxim
Published: May 2017

BACKGROUND:

Morphine-6-O-sulfate (M6S) is a mixed μ/δ-opioid receptor (OR) agonist and potential alternative to morphine for treatment of chronic multimodal pain.

METHODS:

To provide more support for this hypothesis, the antinociceptive effects of M6S and morphine were compared in tests that access a range of pain modalities, including hot plate threshold (HPT), pinprick sensitivity threshold (PST) and paw pressure threshold tests.

RESULTS:

Acutely, M6S was 2- to 3-fold more potent than morphine in HPT and PST tests, specifically, derived from best-fit analysis of dose–response relationships of morphine/M6S half-effective dose (ED50) ratios (lower, upper 95% confidence interval [CI]) were 2.8 (2.0–5.8) in HPT and 2.2 (2.1, 2.4) in PST tests. No differences in analgesic drug potencies were detected in the PPT test (morphine/M6S ED50 ratio 1.2 (95% CI, 0.8–1.4). After 7 to 9 days of chronic treatment, tolerance developed to the antinociceptive effects of morphine, but not to M6S, in all 3 pain tests. Morphine-tolerant rats were not crosstolerant to M6S. The antinociceptive effects of M6S were not sensitive to κ-OR antagonists. However, the δ-OR antagonist, naltrindole, blocked M6S-induced antinociception by 55% ± 4% (95% CI, 39–75) in the HPT test, 94% ± 4% (95% CI, 84–105) in the PST test, and 5% ± 17% (95% CI, −47 to 59) or 51% ± 14% (95% CI, 14–84; 6 rats per each group) in the paw pressure threshold test when examined acutely or after 7 days of chronic treatment, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Activity via δ-ORs thus appears to be an important determinant of M6S action. M6S also exhibited favorable antinociceptive and tolerance profiles compared with morphine in 3 different antinociceptive assays, indicating that M6S may serve as a useful alternative for rotation in morphine-tolerant subjects.
Improved microRNA suppression by WPRE-linked tough decoy microRNA sponges
Authors: Hollensen Anne Kruse , Thomsen Rune , Bak Rasmus O. , Petersen Charlotte Christie , Ermegaard Eva R. , Aagaard Lars , Damgaard Christian Kroun , Mikkelsen Jacob Giehm
Published: May 2017

Our genes are post-transcriptionally regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) inducing translational suppression and degradation of targeted mRNAs. Strategies to inhibit miRNAs in a spatiotemporal manner in a desired cell type or tissue, or at a desired developmental stage, can be crucial for understanding miRNA function and for pushing forward miRNA suppression as a feasible rationale for genetic treatment of disease. For such purposes, RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II)-transcribed tough decoy (TuD) miRNA inhibitors are particularly attractive. Here, we demonstrate augmented miRNA suppression capacity of TuD RNA hairpins linked to the Woodchuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional regulatory element (WPRE). This effect is position-dependent and evident only when the WPRE is positioned upstream of the TuD. In accordance, inclusion of the WPRE does not change nuclear export, translation, total levels of TuD-containing RNA transcripts, or cytoplasmic P-body localization, suggesting that previously reported WPRE functions are negligible for improved TuD function. Notably, deletion analysis of TuD-fused WPRE unveils truncated WPRE variants resulting in optimized miRNA suppression. Together, our findings add to the guidelines for production of WPRE-supported anti-miRNA TuDs.
Immediate postoperative management and complications on the intensive care unit
Authors: Bates Eleanor , Martin Daniel
Published: May 2017

The postoperative management of patients immediately after liver transplantation requires knowledge of this complex surgery and the physiology that accompanies liver failure. A multidisciplinary approach to the care of these patients is essential in order to reduce postoperative complications and preserve function in the transplanted organ. By their nature, patients undergoing liver transplantation have complicated medical problems before surgery which must be borne in mind when managing them after surgery. Haemorrhage, haemodynamic instability, acute renal failure, hepatic artery thrombosis and primary graft non-function are some of the complications that clinicians must be prepared for in the first days after transplantation. Pre-empting complications and acting rapidly to overt them is likely to have a considerable positive impact in these patients.
Assessment of motor neuron pathology and potential compensatory mechanisms in phenotypically normal mice with reduced Survival Motor Neuron levels.
Authors: Xu Rebecca Xu , Murray Lyndsay M. Murray M. Murray , De Repentigny Yves De Repentigny , Kothary Rashmi Kothary
Published: May 2017

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a destructive pediatric neuromuscular disorder caused by low survival motor neuron (Smn) protein levels due to mutations and deletions within the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. Motor neurons are the main pathological targets, and along with neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), they play an early significant role in the pathogenesis of SMA. Previous studies demonstrate that a pathological reduction in Smn levels can lead to significant remodeling defects in both the outgrowth of axonal sprouts and in the nerve-directed clustering of AChRs in mouse models. However, whether this pathological reduction in Smn leads to ubclinical features has not been investigated. Here, we have employed the Smn2B/2B and Smn+/- mouse models to study whether similar SMA pathology is present sub-clinically, and if so whether there is any compensation present. We show a decrease in the motor neuron number in the mouse models, no change in myelin thickness and modest NMJ pathology in both mouse models. Additionally, compensation through the expansion of the motor unit size is suggested.L’amyotrophie spinale (AMS) est un trouble neuromusculaire pédiatrique destructif causé par le niveau bas de protéine du neurone de moteur de survie (NMS) en raison des mutations et des effacements dans le neurone de moteur de survie 1 gène (NMS1). Des neurones du moteur sont les cibles pathologiques principales, et ce, avec des jonctions neuromusculaires (JNMs), ils jouent, en avance, un rôle significatif dans la pathogénie de AMS. Des études précédentes démontrent qu’une réduction pathologique de niveaux de NMS peut mener aux défauts importants de réorganisation tant dans l’excroissance axonale que dans l’agrégation du récepteur de l’acétylcholine (AChR) sous la terminaison nerveuse dans des modèles de souris. Cependant, si cette reduction pathologique de NMS mène aux caractéristiques infracliniques n’a pas été à l’étude. Ici, nous avons employé le NMS2B/2B et NMS +/- des modèles de souris afin de déterminer si une pathologie semblable à l’AMS est présente infracliniquement, ainsi s’il y a présence de quelconque compensation. Nous montrons une diminution dans le nombre des neurones du moteur dans les modèles de souris, aucun changement de l’épaisseur du myelin et une pathologie modeste de JNM dans les deux modèles de souris. De plus, une compensation par l’expansion de la taille d’unité du moteur est suggérée.
Can Smartphones Measure Radiation Exposures?
Authors: Pang Lawrence Y.
Published: May 2017

Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, is potentially harmful to humans. Ionizing radiation can be detected by radiation detectors, which are not easily available to the public. Thus, the feasibility of using smartphones to detect and measure X-ray exposures was investigated in this work. Two sets of experiments were conducted using an Apple iPhone 4 smartphone. For one experiment, the smartphone was used as an X-ray source, while the second experiment tested the use of the iPhone as an exposure meter. Using the iPhone 4, it was found that when videos were taken during X-ray exposures, white tracks appeared in the videos, which indicated a radiation absorption event. By counting the total number of tracks in the videos (using image processing software), X-ray exposures could be determined using a calibration factor obtained from the first set of experiments. It was found that the calibration factor was strongly dependent on the video settings, but weakly dependent on the incident angle of X-rays on the phone as long as the incident angle was within ±45 degrees from the normal incidence. It was observed that, as an exposure meter, the iPhone 4 was ±20% accurate compared to a standard detector used by hospitals. The results of this work suggest that it is feasible to use an iPhone 4 to measure radiation exposures.Les rayonnements ionisants comme les rayons X, peuvent être nuisible sans être sensiblement distingués par des humains. La faisabilité de l’utilisation des smartphones qui peuvent détecter des rayons X, et ce, en mesurant l’exposition à de tels rayons faisait l’objet de cet étude. Deux séries d’expériences ont été fait avec un iPhone4. Une série portait sur le calibrage de l’iPhone avec une source de rayon X. L’autre série portait sur l’utilisation de l’iPhone comme dispositif de photométrie. L’expérience a révélé que lors de la prise de vidéo pendant une exposition aux rayons X, des brillantes traces blanches se sont apparues dans les vidéos dont chacune a indiqué un événement d’absorption de radiation. En comptant le nombre total de traces dans les vidéos (utilisant un logiciel de traitement d’image), des expositions radiographiques pourraient être déterminées en utilisant un facteur de calibrage obtenu de la première série d’expériences. Les paramètres de vidéo ont eu une importante influence sur le facteur de calibrage, tandis que l’influence de l’angle d’incident de radiographies au téléphone leur signifiait moins tant que l’angle d’incident était d’environ ±45 degrés de l’incidence normale. L’iPhone comme dispositif de photométrie révélait être d’environ ±20 % précis par rapport à un détecteur standard utilisé dans des hôpitaux.
Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting Snow Pants: Turning Body Heat Into Usable Energy
Authors: Bozzi George J.
Published: May 2017

Using thermoelectric coolers (TECs), energy generated from a temperature gradient can solve the problem of energy inaccessibility and provide energy readily. The purpose of this study was to create snow pants that could harness and convert body heat into energy. It was hypothesized that if there was more surface area in the insulation layers of the snow pants, then more heat will be collected. It was determined that the most effective and efficient way to harvest energy from body heat was by using TECs that were sewn into a pair of snow pants. Snow pants were chosen because the interior and exterior have drastically different temperatures that create a temperature gradient, which could ultimately increase the voltage output. Three prototypes were built and all produced enough voltage, which can be and will eventually be amplified. Once the voltage is amplified, an electronic device will have direct access to power within the pants’ pocket via a USB port. Thermoelectric energy presents an innovative and viable option as an energy solution. Using TECs, heat-harvesting backpacks, coolers, sleeping bags and more can be produced, making the world a more connected and greener place.Des refroidisseurs thermoélectriques (RTE) qui englobent « l’effet de Peltier » peuvent produire de l’énergie provenant d’un gradient de température et se posent comme solution au problème de l’inaccessibilité à l’énergie en fournissant de l’énergie partout et à tout moment. Le but de cette étude était de créer des pantalons de neige qui pourraient exploiter et convertir la chaleur corporelle à l’énergie. L’hypothèse étant que l’existence de plus de superficie dans les couches d’isolation des pantalons de neige aurait pour effet plus de chaleur rassemblée. Il a été déterminé que la façon la plus efficace de collecter de l’énergie de par la chaleur corporelle était en incorporant les RTEs par couture dans une paire de pantalons de neige. Les pantalons de neige ont été le vêtement de choix car la température mesuré à leur intérieur et à leur extérieur est dramatiquement différente ce qui génère ainsi un gradient de température qui pourrait ultimement augmenter la tension produite. Trois prototypes ont été fabriqué et tous ont produit de la tension, assez qui peut être et sera finalement amplifié. Une fois que la tension est amplifiée, un dispositif électronique aura accès direct au fonctionnement de l’intérieure de la poche de pantalons via un port USB. L’énergie thermoélectrique se positionne comme une solution d’énergie très novatrice et viable. En utilisant les RTE, la chaleur peut être récolté des sacs à dos, des refroidisseurs d’aliments, les sacs de couchage, tous possible à être produit faisant de ce monde un lieu plus interconnecté et plus sain pour l’environnement.
A Novel Text-Message Reminder System to Address Medication Non-Adherence
Authors: Pandey Avinash
Published: May 2017

There is a high rate of medication non-adherence, which can lead to disease progression, disability andmortality. This study tested a novel computer-based text message reminder system to improve adherence to medications. This system proved effective in improving adherence to a placebo in healthy volunteers, and to medications in cardiac patients over a two month period. It was especially effective in individuals at prospectively identified to be at high risk of non-adherence. This system represents a simple and scalable method to improve adherence to medications at a clinical or pharmaceutical level. Further research into the impact of repeated reminders is necessary to explore the impacts of text message reminders in other populations and in other lifestyle interventions.Il y a un taux élevé de non-adhérence aux médicaments, ce qui peut provoquer la progression de la maladie, des handicaps et même la mortalité. Cette étude a vérifier un système de rappel fonctionnant par messagerie texte afin d’améliorer l’adhérence aux médicaments. Ce système a été prouvé efficace dans l’amélioration de l’adhérence à un placébo chez des sujets bénévoles, et à des médicaments chez des patients cardiaques, sur une période de 2 mois. Il était particulièrement efficace chez es individus identifiés comme ayant un risqué élevé de non-adhérence. Ce système représente une méthode simple et mesurable utilisée pour améliorer l’adhérence aux médicaments à un niveau pharmaceutique ou clinique. Des recherches plus poussées sur les conséquences de ces rappels répétés sont nécessaires afin d’explorer les impacts des rappels texte chez d’autres populations et dans d’autres interventions concernant les habitudes de vie.
WARMING CLIMATE DAMAGES NORTHERN ROADS
Authors: Graham Jim , Alfaro Marolo , Hamid Hamid , Kurz David
Published: May 2017

Canadians are increasingly aware of the needs and opportunities of northern Canada. Communities in the North need additional support in terms of health care, education, employment opportunities, and the high cost of living. Meanwhile, the economic importance of the North is increasing rapidly through development of mineral, petrocarbon, and hydroelectric resources. Reduction of ice cover in the Arctic Ocean is expected to lead to additional shipping in and out of northern ports. New roads are being planned over difficult terrain in Yukon Territory, Northwest Territory, Nunavut, northern Manitoba and northern Quebec. The only rail line in the North - to Churchill on the shores of Hudson’Bay - needs major repairs.