bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Novel, Bach Mai Boston Tool (BBT) and the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) for Oncology Inpatients
Authors: Van Binh Pham , Thuy Linh Nguyen , Thanh Hoa Nguyen Thi , Tuan Anh Nguyen Le , Thi Phuong Duong , Thi Yen Duong , Huu Tu Nguyen , Van Cong Nguyen , Thi Huong Le
Published: July 2019

Oncology inpatients are at high risk of malnutrition. Identification of at risk patients by nutrition screening requires a practical and easy to use tool. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of the Bach Mai Boston Tool (BBT) compared to a ‘gold standard’ full nutrition assessment using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 270 oncology inpatients from January to December 2016. Cohen’s Kappa, sensitivity, specificity and ROC analyses were performed. 270 inpatients were included in this study with a mean age of 56.3 ± 12.1 years old. Of these patients, 51.8% were male, and 74.1% had gastrointestinal cancer. The mean body mass index of patients was 20.6 ± 3.0 kg/m2. The PG-SGA tool identified 146 (54.1%) malnourished patients, while the BBT identified 105 (39.9%) malnourished patients. The BBT had a medium consistency, with a Kappa value of 0.6. Using a cut-off point of ≥ 4, the BBT had a sensitivity of 87.7% and a specificity of 72.6%. On the other hand, a BBT with a cut-off point ≥ 5 resulted in a sensitivity of 67.1%, a specificity of 94.4%, and an AUC of 0.81. The BBT is a practical, informative and valid tool for detecting malnutrition in hospitalized oncology patients. We recommend using a cut-off point of 4 for screening the risk of malnutrition for oncology inpatients.
Flipping the researcher knowledge translation perspective on knowledge use: a scoping study
Authors: Shibasaki Sanchia , Sibthorpe Beverly , Watkin Lui Felecia , Harvey Alistair , Grainger Daniel , Hunter Cass , Tsey Komla
Published: July 2019

The first community of practice of Torres Strait Islander researchers in Australia was established to ensure knowledge translation efforts are effective in addressing the gap between “what is known” and “what is currently done” in policy and practice settings in the region. The scoping review involved a search of publicly accessible and relevant online databases and a rapid appraisal of systematic reviews and scoping studies of knowledge translation models and frameworks. The search identified 156 knowledge translation models and frameworks, of which 15 models and frameworks were selected for analysis. Selected models described knowledge use in terms of characteristics about the individual or the individual’s context. Surprisingly, given the growth in information about knowledge translation and research impact, there appear to be very few knowledge translation models and frameworks that were framed from the perspective of the knowledge user, and there was no model or framework that was a stand-alone pull approach.
Homology Modelling and Molecular Docking Studies of Selected Substituted Benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzimidamide Scaffolds on Plasmodium falciparum Adenylosuccinate Lyase Receptor
Authors: Oduselu Gbolahan O , Ajani Olayinka O , Ajamma Yvonne U , Brors Benedikt , Adebiyi Ezekiel
Published: July 2019

Plasmodium falciparum adenylosuccinate lyase ( PfADSL) is an important enzyme in purine metabolism. Although several benzimidazole derivatives have been commercially developed into drugs, the template design as inhibitor against PfADSL has not been fully explored. This study aims to model the 3-dimensional (3D) structure of PfADSL, design and predict in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) of 8 substituted benzo[ d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzimidamide compounds as well as predict the potential interaction modes and binding affinities of the designed ligands with the modelled PfADSL. PfADSL 3D structure was modelled using SWISS-MODEL, whereas the compounds were designed using ChemDraw Professional. ADMET predictions were done using OSIRIS Property Explorer and Swiss ADME, whereas molecular docking was done with AutoDock Tools. All designed compounds exhibited good in silico ADMET properties, hence can be considered safe for drug development. Binding energies ranged from −6.85 to −8.75 kcal/mol. Thus, they could be further synthesised and developed into active commercial antimalarial drugs.
Pathology perspective on gynaecologic malignancy screening questions in electronic consultation
Authors: Wang Carol , Liddy Clare , Afkham Amir , Islam Shahidul , Shehata Fady , Posner Glen , Keely Erin
Published: July 2019

Introduction

The electronic consultation service, eConsult, is an asynchronous web-based platform for provider-to-provider consultation with specialists. This study described the utilization of eConsult by primary care providers to obtain specialist opinion in gynaecologic malignancy screening, with a specific focus on pathology-related inquiries.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional retrospective review of eConsults submitted to obstetrics/gynaecology between September 2011 and December 2016. All questions pertaining to gynaecologic cancer screening and their pathologies were included. Each question was classified based on a pre-determined taxonomy. The mandatory primary care providers’ exit surveys were analysed to determine eConsult's influence on patient care, primary care providers’ referral patterns, primary care providers’ satisfaction and educational value.

Results

In total, 1,357 electronic consultations were submitted to the obstetrics and gynaecology service during the study period, of which 329 met inclusion criteria. Indications for a screening test based on patient risk factors made up 36% of consults pertaining to gynaecologic malignancy screening and 17% were inquiries about test intervals based on previous results. Primary care providers pointed out gaps in current screening guidelines. In total, 38% of primary care providers reported the eConsult service helped avoid a specialist referral, whereas 47% of primary care providers received new or additional courses of action. Pathology report interpretation accounted for 5% of eConsults and 6% of primary care providers wished for clarification of incidental pathology findings.

Conclusion

This study uncovered areas of uncertainty among primary care providers regarding gynaecologic cancer screening and gaps in current clinical guidelines. Furthermore, the role of pathology consultants in an eConsult platform is explored and may be extrapolated into practice.
Optimism/hope associated with low anxiety in patients with advanced heart disease controlling for standardized cardiac confounders
Authors: Ai Amy L , Carretta Henry
Published: July 2019

Anxiety is an under-investigated comorbidity in heart disease patients. Optimism/hope is a character strength that indicates confidence or favorable expectation about the future. Previous research has consistently reported optimal health outcomes among optimists. However, many studies have lacked adjustment for medical confounders and/or used small clinical samples. To bridge this gap, we tested the hypothesis that optimism/hope was inversely related to anxiety in 400+ patients with advanced heart disease during the stressful waiting period prior to open-heart surgery. The findings supported the hypothesis after controlling for general health, illness impact, behavioral risks, and cardiac medical indices used by surgeons.
Language policy in multi-level systems: A historical institutionalist analysis
Authors: Royles Elin , Lewis Huw
Published: July 2019

Efforts are underway to develop a stronger political science perspective regarding the practice of language policy to establish language policy as a distinct field of public policy studies. The article’s original theoretical contribution is to develop a framework, grounded in historical institutionalism, to analyse the multi-level institutional factors that influence language policy choices relating to regional or minority languages within European multi-level states. The framework is tested by applying it to analyse the multi-level factors that condition language policy decisions regarding the Welsh language, and through further investigating the framework’s significance and robustness to analyse language policy trajectories in two contrasting European cases. Overall, the article makes the case for the strengths and adaptability of the framework in producing convincing explanations of the multi-level dimensions of language policy development in different institutionalised contexts and calls for greater investigation of its ability to analyse other regional and minority languages in Europe.
Use of the functional independence measure in Japanese rehabilitation team interaction
Authors: Izumi Hiroaki
Published: July 2019

The functional independence measure (FIM) is a clinical scale which is used to evaluate the amount of assistance disabled persons need to conduct their daily living activities. Drawing on 65 video-recorded rehabilitation team meetings and medical records collected from a Japanese hospital, this article utilizes ethnomethodology and conversation analysis to uncover how Japanese rehabilitation team members use the FIM to track changes in the functional status of patients and decide the length of stay in ongoing interactional sequences. Analysis shows that a series of the FIM scores assembled and arranged in situ provide a sequential framework for members to understand the progress of rehabilitation and predict the plateau phase. Moreover, a particular expert is asked about patients’ capacity for further improvements and his or her opinions are treated as a basis for clinical decisions. In this way, diagnostic and clinical decision-making is produced through the ongoing collaborative work of various specialists.
Book review: de Waal, Alex. 2018: Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine
Authors: Cochrane Logan
Published: July 2019

de Waal, Alex. 2018: Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine. Cambridge: Polity Press. 264 pp. $24.95. ISBN: 9781509524679.
The influence of textile substrate on the performance of multilayer fabric supercapacitors
Authors: Yong S , Hillier N , Beeby S
Published: July 2019

This paper presents a study investigating the effect of differing textile substrates on the performance of multilayer, aqueous fabric supercapacitors. Three widely available textiles, cotton, polyester-cotton and silk were chosen, and all underwent the same activated carbon deposition process to form electrodes. An automated spray coating was implemented to precisely control the loading of the carbon, and to enable a uniform coating. A vacuum impregnation technique was utilized to increase the wettability of the electrodes and improve the absorption of the aqueous electrolyte. The multilayer supercapacitors showed excellent electrochemical and mechanical stability, with the choice of textile substrate found to have a profound effect on the performance. The silk-based supercapacitor was found to have a gravimetric capacitance of 20.2 F.g−1 (56.6 mF.cm−2) at a carbon loading ratio of 15.7 %wt. The polyester-cotton supercapacitor, however, was found to have a superior areal capacitance of 118 mF.cm−2 at a carbon loading ratio of 14.1 %wt. This work will be used to select future substrates and carbon loading levels for real-world e-textiles.
Numerical investigation on a melt-blowing die with internal stabilizers
Authors: Ji Changchun , Wang Yudong , Sun Yafeng
Published: July 2019

In order to decrease the fiber diameter and reduce the energy consumption in the melt-blowing process, a new slot die with internal stabilizers was designed. Using computational fluid dynamics technology, the new slot die was investigated. In the numerical simulation, the calculation data were validated with the laboratory measurement data. This work shows that the new slot die could increase the average velocity on the centerline of the air-flow field by 6.9%, compared with the common slot die. Simultaneously, the new slot die could decrease the back-flow velocity and the rate of temperature decay in the region close to the die head. The new slot die could reduce the peak value of the turbulent kinetic energy and make the fiber movements more gradual. With the one-dimensional drawing model, it proves that the new slot die has more edge on the decrease of fiber diameter than the common slot die.
Adapting the Resilience Framework for Family Caregivers of Hospice Patients With Dementia
Authors: Han Soojeong , Chi Nai-Ching , Han Claire , Oliver Debra Parker , Washington Karla , Demiris George
Published: July 2019

Family caregivers face ongoing, formidable stress and burden. Caregivers need sustainable support to maintain resilience. We aim to identify challenges, possible solutions that are resources for resilience, and expected consequences from the perspective of 39 family caregivers of hospice patients with dementia. The resilience framework was used to guide the coding and synthesis of the qualitative data. Identified challenges included difficulties in communication, providing care and decision-making, lack of knowledge, emotional challenges, concern about care facility selection, death with dignity, and lack of public awareness. Resilience resources for caregiving challenges were identified at the individual, community, and societal levels. Anticipated benefits of using these resources included the ability to provide better care and have a better quality of life for both patients and caregivers. The findings of this study can guide the design and implementation of supportive interventions designed for family caregivers of hospice patients with dementia to bolster available resilience resources.
The Effects of Yoga in Helping Cancer Patients and Caregivers Manage the Stress of a Natural Disaster: A Brief Report on Hurricane Harvey
Authors: Durrani Sania , Contreras Jennifer , Mallaiah Smitha , Cohen Lorenzo , Milbury Kathrin
Published: July 2019

Background: This small qualitative study reports on the experiences of patients and family caregivers who participated in a dyadic yoga pilot trial while undergoing cancer treatment in the midst of Hurricane Harvey. Our primary purpose was to determine if participants implemented components of the program to cope with the stressors associated with Hurricane Harvey and if they perceived benefits from the yoga practices. Methods: We administered brief semistructured interviews to the dyads participating in a dyadic yoga pilot trial. Participants (n = 5 dyads) were asked to discuss their experience with Hurricane Harvey, including factors that helped them cope with the event while receiving treatment. Result: Patients had a mean age of 55.6 years, were mostly non-Hispanic White, male, and had advance stage head and neck cancer. Caregivers had a mean age of 58 years and were mainly non-Hispanic White and female. Analyses of the interviews revealed 2 overarching themes: (1) the storm’s negative impact and (2) the use of yoga to cope with the hurricane-related stressors. Conclusions: Patient-caregiver dyads experienced psychological distress during the storm and/or its aftermath. Dyads used yoga techniques to cope with these psychological stressors. Yoga served as a means of social support as dyads either participated in these activities together or with other family members.
Multiscale Mask R-CNN–Based Lung Tumor Detection Using PET Imaging
Authors: Zhang Rui , Cheng Chao , Zhao Xuehua , Li Xuechen
Published: July 2019

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging serves as one of the most competent methods for the diagnosis of various malignancies, such as lung tumor. However, with an elevation in the utilization of PET scan, radiologists are overburdened considerably. Consequently, a new approach of “computer-aided diagnosis” is being contemplated to curtail the heavy workloads. In this article, we propose a multiscale Mask Region–Based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN)–based method that uses PET imaging for the detection of lung tumor. First, we produced 3 models of Mask R-CNN for lung tumor candidate detection. These 3 models were generated by fine-tuning the Mask R-CNN using certain training data that consisted of images from 3 different scales. Each of the training data set included 594 slices with lung tumor. These 3 models of Mask R-CNN models were then integrated using weighted voting strategy to diminish the false-positive outcomes. A total of 134 PET slices were employed as test set in this experiment. The precision, recall, and F score values of our proposed method were 0.90, 1, and 0.95, respectively. Experimental results exhibited strong conviction about the effectiveness of this method in detecting lung tumors, along with the capability of identifying a healthy chest pattern and reducing incorrect identification of tumors to a large extent.
The extended living probabilistic safety assessment
Authors: Čepin Marko
Published: July 2019

The term living probabilistic safety assessment was defined soon after the initial probabilistic safety assessments were implemented. The objective of this article is to present the extended living probabilistic safety assessment and its applications considering realistic nuclear power plant models, including the low power and shutdown plant operating states. One of the key objectives is to compare the suitability of conventional and additional risk measures, core damage frequency and conditional core damage frequency, respectively. The methods are presented considering all states of the plant from the full power operation to the low power and shutdown states. The example models of the nuclear power plants and the results of the living probabilistic safety assessment of the plant operating states are discussed. The results show that the risk of low power and shutdown states is generally smaller than the risk of full power operation, but the low power and shutdown plant operating states differ significantly among each other regarding the risk level. The deficiency of living probabilistic safety assessment applied to the plant shutdown states is connected with significantly increased human effort for the analyses, with a significantly greater amount of results and with increased uncertainty of some parameters due to the larger dynamics of actions in the plant shutdown versus the full power operation states. The benefit of the living probabilistic safety assessment applied to the plant low power and shutdown states lays in consideration of all states and potential identification of risk significant states and directions for possible safety improvements.
Neoadjuvant therapy of locally/regionally advanced melanoma
Authors: Khunger Arjun , Buchwald Zachary S. , Lowe Michael , Khan Mohammad K. , Delman Keith A. , Tarhini Ahmad A.
Published: July 2019

Locally/regionally advanced melanoma confers a major challenge in terms of surgical and medical management. Surgical treatment carries the risks of surgical morbidities and potential complications that could be lasting. In addition, these patients continue to have a high risk of relapse and death despite the use of standard adjuvant therapy. Neoadjuvant therapy has the potential to significantly improve the clinical outcome of these patients, particularly in this era of newer and effective targeted and immunotherapeutic agents. Previous neoadjuvant studies tested chemotherapy with temozolomide where the clinical activity was limited. Biochemotherapy (BCT) was tested in two studies in the neoadjuvant setting and showed high tumor response rates; however, BCT was ultimately abandoned following its failure to demonstrate survival benefits in randomized trials of metastatic disease. Success of immunotherapy and targeted therapy in prolonging the lives of patients with metastatic melanoma generated considerable interest to investigate these novel strategies in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings. A number of neoadjuvant targeted and immunotherapy studies have been completed in melanoma to date and have yielded promising clinical activity. Given these encouraging results, a number of studies with other molecularly targeted and immunotherapeutic agents and their combinations are ongoing in the neoadjuvant setting; long-term outcome data are eagerly awaited. Such studies also provide access to biospecimens before and during therapy, allowing for the conduct of biomarker and mechanistic studies that may have a significant impact in guiding adjuvant therapy choices and drug development.
Boys With Allergic Rhinitis Who Were Sensitized to Blomia tropicalis Are the Most Vulnerable to Air Pollutants
Authors: Quek Yeak-Wun , Chuang Chun-Yi , Pan Hui-Hsien , Sun Hai-Lun , Lue Ko-Huang , Ku Min-Sho
Published: July 2019

Background

Studies have confirmed the detrimental effects of air pollutants on allergic disease patients. However, individuals who are most vulnerable have not been completely identified.

Methods

Clinical study: During 2007 to 2011, 225 children aged 6 to 15 years with allergic rhinitis (AR) were recruited from a hospital in Taichung City, Taiwan. They were classified based on sensitivity to house dust mites, such as Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis (Bt), or Dermatophagoides microceras. Correlations between Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) scores, allergen-specific immunoglobulin E levels, and air pollution levels were evaluated. Epidemiological study: Records of 9868 children with AR who were matched for study years, age, and city of the clinical study were obtained from a national database. Correlations between clinic visits for AR, topical AR drug prescriptions, and air pollution levels were evaluated. The air pollutants included sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particles <10 μm in diameter (PM10), particles <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC), and methane (CH4).

Results

Epidemiological study: CO, NO, NO2, and CH4 levels were significantly correlated with topical AR drug prescriptions in boys. However, in girls, only CH4 level was significantly correlated. Clinical study: Positive correlations between the PRQLQ score and air pollutants were noted in boys but not in girls. After adjusting for confounders, correlations between CO, PM2.5, and NO2 levels were noted in boys sensitized to Bt but not in those sensitized to other mites.

Conclusion

Boys with AR were more vulnerable to air pollutants than girls. Bt-sensitized boys with AR were more vulnerable to air pollutants than girls and those sensitized to other mites.
Augmentation of Dural Defect Repairs Strength With an Acrylic Plate in a Porcine Ex Vivo Model
Authors: Chen Philip G. , Clampitt Michael R. , Chorath Kevin T. , Lin Ryan P. , Weitzel Erik K. , McMains Kevin C. , Bunegin Leonid
Published: July 2019

Background

Large skull base defects can be challenging to repair. This study uses a controlled ex vivo model to examine the failure pressures of various dural repairs of large skull base defects using mucosa with fibrin glue under 3 conditions: No Additional Support of the repair, support with a Foley catheter (Direct Support), and with Foley catheter contact over a rigid acrylic plate (Diffuse Support).

Methods

Failure pressures of dural repairs with and without support were determined in a porcine model using an ex vivo closed testing apparatus. In addition, 20 mm × 15 mm dural defects were created. Skull base repairs were performed using porcine dura as an underlay graft followed by a septal mucosa overlay. Saline was infused at 30 mL/h, applying even force to the underside of the graft until repair failure occurred for each condition (none, direct, and diffuse support). Five trials were performed per repair type for a total of 15 repairs.

Results

The mean failure pressures were as follows: No Additional Support, 6.494 ± 2.553 mm Hg; Direct Support, 5.103 ± 3.913 mm Hg; and Diffuse Support, 15.649 ± 2.638 mm Hg. A post hoc Bonferroni-Holm test demonstrated significant difference between No Additional Support and Diffuse Support ( P = .001), as well as Direct Support and Diffuse Support ( P = .002).

Conclusion

Support of dural repairs in this model withstood higher pressures when the Foley catheter’s support is distributed evenly using a flat acrylic plate. Use of this plate is the only repair tested in this model that tolerated normal adult supine intracranial pressures.
The Occupational Health of Nurses in the Economic Community of West African States: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Ridge Laura Jean , Dickson Victoria Vaughan , Stimpfel Amy Witkoski
Published: July 2019

Nurses provide the majority of health care in sub-Saharan Africa, which has high rates of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This systematic review used PRISMA methodology to synthesize the literature published between January 2008 and December 2018 examining the occupational health of nurses practicing in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The United States’ National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Hierarchy of Controls is used to frame the findings. This research was mostly conducted in Nigeria and Ghana and focused on administrative controls. Nurses practicing in ECOWAS are at high risk of acquiring a bloodborne illness due to inadequate engineering and administrative controls, as well as limited access to personal protective equipment (PPE). These findings indicate interventions to improve these controls would likely lower the occupational risks faced by nurses practicing in ECOWAS. Research in more countries in ECOWAS would likely find differences in occupational health practices in Nigeria and Ghana, which are relatively wealthy, and other countries in the region. This literature showed nurses practicing in ECOWAS did not have adequate protection from biological hazards. Regional health groups, such as the West African Health Organization, should commit to improving occupational health practice. Needle recapping and double gloving must be discontinued, and PPE must be made more widely available in ECOWAS. Occupational health professionals in the region should advocate for better distribution of PPE and consider offering trainings on these behaviors.
A 15-Minute Incremental Increase in Operative Duration Is Associated With an Additional Risk of Complications Within 30 Days After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Agarwalla Avinesh , Gowd Anirudh K. , Yao Kaisen , Bohl Daniel D. , Amin Nirav H. , Verma Nikhil N. , Forsythe Brian , Liu Joseph N.
Published: July 2019

Background:

Operative time is a risk factor for short-term complications after orthopaedic procedures; however, it has yet to be investigated as an independent risk factor for postoperative complications after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Purpose:

To determine whether operative time is an independent risk factor for complications, readmissions, and extended hospital stays within 30 days after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried for all hospital-based inpatient and outpatient arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs (Current Procedural Terminology code 29827) from 2005 to 2016. Concomitant procedures such as subacromial decompression, biceps tenodesis, superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) repair, labral repair, and distal clavicle excision were also included, whereas patients undergoing arthroplasty were excluded from the study. Operative time was correlated with patient demographics, comorbidities, and concomitant procedures. All adverse events were correlated with operative time, while controlling for the above preoperative variables, using multivariate Poisson regression with a robust error variance.

Results:

A total of 27,524 procedures met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean age of patients was 58.4 ± 10.9 years, the mean operative time was 86.9 ± 37.4 minutes, and the mean body mass index was 30.4 ± 7.0 kg/m2. Concomitant biceps tenodesis, glenohumeral debridement, SLAP repair, labral repair, and distal clavicle excision significantly increased operative time ( P < .001) but not the risk of adverse events ( P > .05). The overall rate of adverse events was 0.88%. After adjusting for demographic and procedural characteristics, a 15-minute increase in operative duration was associated with an increased risk of anemia requiring transfusion (relative risk [RR], 1.27 [95% CI, 1.14-1.42]; P < .001), venous thromboembolism (RR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.02-1.35]; P = .029), surgical site infection (RR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.03-1.24]; P = .011), and extended length of hospital stay (RR, 1.07 [95% CI, 1.00-1.14]; P = .036).

Conclusion:

Although the rate of short-term complications after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is low, incremental increases in operative time are associated with an increased risk of adverse events such as surgical site infection, pulmonary embolism, transfusion, and extended length of hospital stay. Efforts should be made to maximize surgical efficiency in the operating room through optimal coordination of the staff or increased preoperative planning.
Does cytoreduction surgery and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy prolong survival in patients with N0–N1 nonsmall cell lung cancer and malignant pleural effusion?
Authors: Migliore Marcello , Nardini Marco
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Debulking surgery and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) has been successfully used in the treatment of thoracic tumours. Few authors report on the feasibility of its use in patients with lung cancer and malignant pleural effusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and results of debulking surgery and HITHOC in the treatment of selected patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural effusion.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted in MEDLINE in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The word search included: “hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy and/or HITHOC or hyperthermic intrapleural”. Inclusion criteria were only those studies reporting a sufficient amount of data on HITHOC and surgery for lung cancer. Single case reports and review articles were excluded.

Results

20 articles were selected as they related to the topic of HITHOC and lung cancer. Most were from China (n=8) and Japan (n=6). Only four out of the 20 articles had sufficient data for this review. In total, data for 21 patients were collected. Debulking surgery ranged from wedge resection to pneumonectomy and pleurectomy. Mean survival was 27 months and median survival was 18 months (range 1–74 months). 13 patients out of 21 (62%) were alive at 1 year and six (28.5%) were alive at 2 years. 10 patients were still alive at the time of the respective publication in the 21 patients included. Systemic toxicity and treatment-related mortality were nil. There were insufficient data to perform a meta-analysis.

Conclusion

Although reported survival in this systematic review is encouraging, available evidence concerning debulking surgery and HITHOC in N0–N1 NSCLC with malignant pleural effusion is weak. Better evidence in the form of a randomised controlled trial is mandatory.
President's Page
Authors: House Nancy
Published: July 2019

It has been almost three years since I was voted in as SEG president-elect. Since then, I have progressed from president-elect to president and finally past president, the position I hold until September. It has been an honor to serve in these roles. I was advised by several past presidents that the time to affect any change is short, so it is wise to focus on one or two things that are achievable. From the first SEG Board of Directors meeting I attended as president-elect “elect” in August 2016, it was apparent that SEG had survived the industry downturn, partly through strict cost cutting and painful staff reductions. Fiscal sustainability became the purpose of my presidency because an organization focused solely on saving money will gradually cease to exist as programs and membership will continually shrink.
Minimum semblance weighted stacking with polarity correction for surface microseismic data processing
Authors: Xu Jincheng , Zhang Wei , Chen Xaofei , Guo Quanshi
Published: July 2019

Diffraction-stack-based algorithms are the most popular microseismic location methods for surface microseismic data. They can accommodate microseismic data with low signal-to-noise ratio by stacking a large number of traces. However, changes in waveform polarity across the receiver line due to source mechanisms may prevent stacking methods from locating the true source. Imaging functions based on simple stacks have low resolution, producing large uncertainty in the final location result. To solve these issues, we introduce a minimum semblance weighted stacking method with polarity correction, which uses an amplitude trend least-squares fitting algorithm to correct the polarity across the receiver line. We adapt the semblance weighted stacking for better coherency measure to improve the imaging resolution. Moreover, the minimum semblance is used to further improve the resolution of location results. Application to both synthetic and real data sets demonstrates good performance of our proposed location method.
Making seismic monitoring work in a complex desert environment — 4D processing
Authors: Smith Robert , Hemyari Emad , Bakulin Andrey , Alramadhan Abdullah
Published: July 2019

Seismic monitoring of an onshore carbonate reservoir in a desert environment has been achieved for the first time. Optimizing data repeatability was key to detecting the weak 4D (time-lapse) signal resulting from a fluid-injection program, which was achieved through a combination of specialized survey design, careful acquisition, and dedicated 4D processing. The hybrid acquisition system utilized buried geophones, which significantly reduced 4D noise caused by variability in the near-surface environment. Despite the extensive acquisition efforts, time-lapse processing is an essential component of achieving highly repeatable data. A fit-for-purpose workflow was developed to reduce the remaining 4D noise using a combination of parallel and simultaneous processing. Processing steps leading to the largest improvement in reflection signal-to-noise ratio, such as noise attenuation, amplitude balancing, and supergrouping, produced the largest reduction in 4D noise. Outstanding final migrated data repeatability has been achieved, comparable to levels reported for the more favorable permanent marine systems. However, the need to use surface sources results in a seasonal imprint on data repeatability, which hinders the interpretation of surveys acquired during different seasons. In the absence of a fully buried acquisition system, advanced processing techniques such as surface-consistent matching filters may be required to resolve these variations.
The Beneficial Role of Piles on the Seismic Loading of Structures
Authors: Iovino Maria , Di Laora Raffaele , Rovithis Emmanouil , de Sanctis Luca
Published: July 2019

We examine the kinematic response of fixed-head vertical floating piles embedded in continuously nonhomogeneous soils and subjected to upward propagating seismic waves. The problem is explored numerically by means of a rigorous finite element (FE) model of the soil-pile system to quantify the kinematically induced reduction of the horizontal free-field spectral acceleration. Soil stiffness varies continuously with depth according to a generalized power law function. We show that kinematic pile response in the harmonic regime is controlled by a unique dimensionless frequency parameter involving the active pile length in a generalized nonhomogeneous soil. A new, simplified expression for the horizontal kinematic interaction factor Iu is proposed for practical time-domain applications while a novel physical interpretation of the filtering action of piles is reported by introducing the role of pile stiffness in averaging soil motion over an effective pile length. Following a parametric study under transient motion, we propose a set of novel, ready-to-use formulae for a rapid assessment of the pile-induced filtering action. An application of the proposed formulae to clayey soils is finally presented, leading to useful indications for the selection of the pile diameter associated with the maximum filtering potential.
Evaluation of SCEC CyberShake Ground Motions for Engineering Practice
Authors: Teng Ganyu , Baker Jack
Published: July 2019

This paper evaluates CyberShake (version 15.12) ground motions for potential application to high-rise building design in the Los Angeles region by comparing them against recordings from past earthquakes as well as empirical models. We consider two selected sites in the Los Angeles region with different underlying soil conditions and select comparable suites of ground motion records from CyberShake and the NGA-West2 database according to the ASCE 7-16 requirements. Major observations include (1) selected ground motions from CyberShake and NGA-West2 share similar features, in terms of response spectra and polarization; (2) when selecting records from Cyber-Shake, it is easy to select motions with sources that match the hazard deaggregation; (3) CyberShake durations on soil are consistent with the empirical models considered, whereas durations on rock are slightly shorter; (4) occasional excessive polarization in ground motion is produced by San Andreas fault ruptures, though those records are usually excluded after the ground motion selection. Results from this study suggest that CyberShake ground motions are a suitable and promising source of ground motions for engineering evaluations.
What Is the University For?
Authors: Lalu Premesh
Published: July 2019

After apartheid, that is, after what some call racism's last word, how does the university institutionalized by the operation of apartheid reason imagine itself as being in and of the world? This is a question that lies at the heart of asking “What is the university for?” It is a question intensified in relation to thinking from the institutional space of a historically Black university. Apartheid's university is the last stand of what the article calls the Kantian university. Race accretes there, reminding us of that condition of university discourse that compels us to think ahead. After apartheid, the South answers to a desire that reaches beyond race as symptom toward a practice of post-apartheid freedom. Race, the article suggests, is perhaps better apprehended as supplement where the inventiveness of the modern university has hitherto resided. Apartheid in this reckoning is a university discourse. This is perhaps where we might set about remaking the university. To this end, the work of freedom threaded through the question of the South may lend itself as an indispensable resource.
Paying for Kidneys? A Randomized Survey and Choice Experiment
Authors: Elías Julio J. , Lacetera Nicola , Macis Mario
Published: July 2019

We conducted a randomized survey with 2,666 US residents to study preferences for legalizing payments to kidney donors. We found strong polarization, with many participants supporting or opposing payments regardless of potential transplant gains. However, about 18 percent of respondents would switch to favoring payments for sufficiently large increases in transplants. Preferences for compensation have strong moral foundations; participants especially reject direct payments by patients, which they find would violate principles of fairness. We corroborate the interpretation of our findings with a choice experiment of a costly decision to donate money to a foundation that supports donor compensation. (JEL D63, D64, I11)
The collapse of Brazilian Social Security: Macroeconomic impacts of the increase of the minimum age of PEC nº 287/2016 reform
Authors: De Freitas Carlos Eduardo , Paes Nelson Leitão
Published: July 2019

This paper presents a simulation of the economic impacts of the increase of the minimum age contained in the Proposal for Constitutional Amendment (PEC) nº 287/2016. For that, an overlapping generations (OLG) model with 57 generations was built, including the transition rule. The results suggest that not increasing the minimum age for retirement is a very bad choice for society. The fiscal situation becomes unsustainable, and the expansion of social security expenditures, in combination with the reduction of the labor supply, leads the country to a scenario of a sharp fall in consumption and output per capita. The simulation with the new minimum retirement age of PEC nº 287/2016 indicates that, although it is not the definitive solution to the Brazilian pension issue. The results of the model indicate that raising the minimum age avoids a very bad scenario, but does not seem to be even able to maintain the current level of output per capita. As a policy suggestion, although PEC nº 287/2016 has not even been voted, the recommendation is that it represents a minimum level for the next pension reform.
Recent advances in surgical management of urinary incontinence
Authors: Downey Alison , Inman Richard D.
Published: July 2019

There have been several recent developments in surgical treatments for male and female incontinence. This article reviews the current options for treatments of urge and stress incontinence in men and women. Treatments for urge incontinence discussed include intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A, sacral neuromodulation and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. For stress incontinence, suburethral mesh, bulking agents, autologous slings, colposuspension, male slings and artificial urinary sphincters are assessed.
Recent advances in understanding dengue
Authors: Halstead Scott
Published: July 2019

This is a selective review of recent publications on dengue clinical features, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and vaccine development placed in a context of observations made over the past half century. Four dengue viruses (DENVs) are transmitted by urban cycle mosquitoes causing diseases whose nature and severity are influenced by interacting factors such as virus, age, immune status of the host, and human genetic variability. A phenomenon that controls the kinetics of DENV infection, antibody-dependent enhancement, best explains the correlation of the vascular permeability syndrome with second heterotypic DENV infections and infection in the presence of passively acquired antibodies. Based on growing evidencein vivoandin vitro, the tissue-damaging DENV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is responsible for most of the pathophysiological features of severe dengue. This review considers the contribution of hemophagocytic histiocytosis syndrome to cases of severe dengue, the role of movement of humans in dengue epidemiology, and modeling and planning control programs and describes a country-wide survey for dengue infections in Bangladesh and efforts to learn what controls the clinical outcome of dengue infections. Progress and problems with three tetravalent live-attenuated vaccines are reviewed. Several research mysteries remain: why is the risk of severe disease during second heterotypic DENV infection so low, why is the onset of vascular permeability correlated with defervescence, and what are the crucial components of protective immunity?
ChIPdig: a comprehensive user-friendly tool for mining multi-sample ChIP-seq data
Authors: Esse Ruben
Published: July 2019

In recent years, epigenetic research has enjoyed explosive growth as high-throughput sequencing technologies become more accessible and affordable. However, this advancement has not been matched with similar progress in data analysis capabilities from the perspective of experimental biologists not versed in bioinformatic languages. For instance, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) is at present widely used to identify genomic loci of transcription factor binding and histone modifications. Basic ChIP-seq data analysis, including read mapping and peak calling, can be accomplished through several well-established tools, but more sophisticated analyzes aimed at comparing data derived from different conditions or experimental designs constitute a significant bottleneck. We reason that the implementation of a single comprehensive ChIP-seq analysis pipeline could be beneficial for many experimental (wet lab) researchers who would like to generate genomic data.

Here we present ChIPdig, a stand-alone application with adjustable parameters designed to allow researchers to perform several analyzes, namely read mapping to a reference genome, peak calling, annotation of regions based on reference coordinates (e.g. transcription start and termination sites, exons, introns, and 5' and 3' untranslated regions), and generation of heatmaps and metaplots for visualizing coverage. Importantly, ChIPdig accepts multiple ChIP-seq datasets as input, allowing genome-wide differential enrichment analysis in regions of interest to be performed. ChIPdig is written in R and enables access to several existing and highly utilized packages through a simple user interface powered by the Shiny package. Here, we illustrate the utility and user-friendly features of ChIPdig by analyzing H3K36me3 and H3K4me3 ChIP-seq profiles generated by the modENCODE project as an example.

ChIPdig offers a comprehensive and user-friendly pipeline for analysis of multiple sets of ChIP-seq data by both experimental and computational researchers. It is open source and available at https://github.com/rmesse/ChIPdig.
Economic-mathematical model and forecasting of labour market
Authors: Федосеев Владилен , Fedoseev Vladilen
Published: July 2019

The system of economic-mathematical and mathematical-statistical methods and models for the solution of a wide class of problems of economy and sociology of work is stated. Theoretical consideration of these models is accompanied by specific numerical examples. The questions, tasks and exercises to control the assimilation of the studied topics are given.
Corresponds to the Federal state educational standard of higher professional education of the third generation.
For students, postgraduates, teachers and practitioners in the field of Economics and sociology of work.
The Effectiveness of Incentive Schemes in the Presence of Implicit Effort Costs
Authors: Goerg Sebastian J. , Kube Sebastian , Radbruch Jonas
Published: July 2019

Agents’ decisions to exert effort depend on the incentives and the potential costs involved. So far, most of the attention has been on the incentive side. However, our laboratory experiments underline that both the incentive and the cost side can be used separately to shape work performance. In our experiment, subjects work on a real-effort slider task. Between treatments, we vary the incentive scheme used for compensating workers. Additionally, by varying the available outside options, we explore the role of implicit costs of effort in determining workers’ performance. We observe that incentive contracts and implicit costs interact in a nontrivial manner. In general, performance decreases as implicit costs increase. Yet the magnitude of the reaction differs across incentive schemes and across the offered outside options, which, in turn, alters estimated output elasticities. In addition, comparisons between incentive schemes crucially depend on the implicit costs.

This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, decision analysis.