bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promising Nordic practices in gender equality promotion: Developing teacher education dialogue, practice, and policy cycles on-line
Authors: Cardona López José Adán , Nordfjell Ole Bredesen , Gaini Firouz , Heikkinen Mervi
Published: July 2017

This case study examines a Nordic on-line course on gender equality promotion in education, in which principals, teachers, school staff and gender equality activists engaged in dialogue regarding contents and practices. The on-line course was designed with reference to promising practices identified in a previous Nordic network project. The article considers challenges appearing across localities in relation to diversity, in gender equality promotion practices, policies and pedagogies. Digitalisation enables educational collaboration among teacher education institutions between the distant Nordic countries and facilitates the dissemination of Nordic education and the gender equality model, but this raises questions about whether these forms of education and equality are globally ‘branded’; and whether an intersectional gender equality promotion approach can be contextually and locally specific. This paper focuses on the contradictions of gender/sex binary concepts impairing understandings of diversity, sexuality and identity, the consequences of the emergence of scepticism toward practice standardisation, discrepancies between norms of equal treatment and critical reflection, and the development of citizen-based actions initiating policy changes. It is shown that the results of the project will benefit Nordic collaboration on teacher education development.
The Quebec Respiratory Health Education Network: Integrating a model of self-management education in COPD primary care
Authors: Bourbeau Jean , Farias Raquel , Li Pei Zhi , Gauthier Guylaine , Battisti Livia , Chabot Valérie , Beauchesne Marie-France , Villeneuve Denis , Côté Patricia , Boulet Louis-Philippe
Published: July 2017

The objective of this study is to evaluate whether a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) self-management education program with coaching of a case manager improves patient-related outcomes and leads to practice changes in primary care. COPD patients from six family medicine clinics (FMCs) participated in a 1-year educational program offered by trained case managers who focused on treatment adherence, inhaler techniques, smoking cessation, and the use of an action plan for exacerbations. Health-care utilization, health-related quality of life (HRQL), treatment adherence, inhaler technique, and COPD knowledge were assessed at each visit with validated questionnaires. We also evaluated whether the use of spirometry and the assessment of individual patient needs led to a more COPD-targeted treatment by primary care physicians, based on changes in prescriptions for COPD (medication, immunization, and written action plan). Fifty-four patients completed the follow-up visits and were included in the analysis. The number of unscheduled physician visits went from 40 the year before intervention to 17 after 1 year of educational intervention ( p = 0.033). Emergency room visits went from five to two and hospitalizations from two to three (NS). Significant improvements were observed in HRQL ( p = 0.0001), treatment adherence ( p = 0.025), adequate inhaler technique ( p < 0.0001), and COPD knowledge ( p < 0.001). Primary care physicians increased their prescriptions for long-acting bronchodilators with/without inhaled corticosteroid, flu immunizations, and COPD action plans in the event patient had an exacerbation. The COPD self-management educational intervention in FMCs reduced unscheduled visits to the clinic and improved patients’ quality of life, self-management skills, and knowledge. The program had a positive impact on COPD-related practices by primary care physicians in the FMCs.
He Could Be Undocumented: Striving to Be Sensitive to Student Documentation Status in a Rural Community
Authors: Crawford Emily R. , Hairston Sarah L.
Published: July 2017

This case study takes place in a Midwestern, politically conservative rural community shortly after a highly contested presidential election. Like other communities, Paisano has experienced demographic change in a relatively short time. Meat processing plants and construction jobs proliferate, attracting migrant workers. One day, secondary school Principal Kate Robertson notices a sign that reads, “Illegal aliens are TERRORISTS. Deport them!” Rumors that immigration enforcement authorities are in the community have started circulating. A parent soon removes her son from school, and he does not return. Principal Robertson seeks information about the family but hesitates to draw attention to their potential lack of legal status.
On neither burying nor praising religion
Authors: Beit-Hallahmi Benjamin
Published: July 2017

In response to the April 2017 Critical Research on Religion editorial “On a balanced critique: (or on the limits of critique),” the author suggests first that defining religion is possible and helpful, and that even those who claim not to define the subject demonstrate knowledge of its boundaries. Academic research on religion can offer useful generalizations and insights, while having no impact on the fortunes of religion in the real world. When believers perceive academic research as hostile to religion, they are absolutely right. All academic approaches to religion reflect its loss of authority under secularization. Our work is always a critique in the strongest sense, especially when it deals with the psychological foundations of religious beliefs. Even a “balanced” critique undermines belief plausibility and will incur the wrath of true believers.
Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses to explain the pleiotropic effects of Ankaferd blood stopper
Authors: Simsek Cem , Selek Sebnem , Koca Meltem , Haznedaroglu Ibrahim Celal
Published: July 2017

Ankaferd blood stopper is a standardized mixture of the plants Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum, and Urtica dioica and has been used as a topical hemostatic agent and with its clinical application established in randomized controlled trials and case reports. Ankaferd has been successfully used in gastrointestinal endobronchial mucosal and cutaneous bleedings and also in abdominal, thoracic, dental and oropharyngeal, and pelvic surgeries. Ankaferd’s hemostatic action is thought to form a protein complex with coagulation factors that facilitate adhesion of blood components. Besides its hemostatic action, Ankaferd has demonstrated pleiotropic effects, including anti-neoplastic and anti-microbial activities and tissue-healing properties; the underlying mechanisms for these have not been well studied. Ankaferd’s individual components were determined by proteomic and chemical analyses. Ankaferd also augments transcription of some transcription factors which is shown with transcriptomic analysis. The independent effects of these ingredients and augmented transcription factors are not known precisely. Here, we review what is known of Ankaferd blood stopper components from chemical, proteomic, and transcriptomic analyses and propose that individual components can explain some pleiotropic effects of Ankaferd. Certainly more research is needed focusing on individual ingredients of Ankaferd to elucidate their precise and effects.
Genetic Biopsy for Prediction of Surveillance Intervals after Endoscopic Resection of Colonic Polyps: Results of the GENESIS Study
Authors: Berger Andreas W , Raedler Katja , Langner Cord , Ludwig Leopold , Dikopoulos Nektarios , Becker Karl F , Slotta‐Huspenina Julia , Quante Michael , Schwerdel Daniel , Perkhofer Lukas , Kleger Alexander , Zizer Eugen , Oswald Franz , Seufferlein Thomas , Meining Alexander
Published: July 2017

Background and objective

Current surveillance strategies for colorectal cancer following polypectomy are determined by endoscopic and histopathological factors. Such a distinction has been challenged. The present study was designed to identify molecular parameters in colonic polyps potentially defining new sub‐groups at risk.

Methods

One hundred patients were enrolled in this multicentre study. Polyps biopsies underwent formalin‐free processing (PAXgene, PreAnalytiX) and targeted next generation sequencing (38 genes (QIAGEN), NextSeq 500 platform (Illumina)). Genetic and histopathological analyses were done blinded to other data.

Results

In 100 patients, 224 polyps were removed. Significant associations of genetic alterations with endoscopic or histological polyp characteristics were observed for BRAF, KRAS, TCF7L2, FBXW7 and CTNNB1 mutations. Multivariate analysis revealed that polyps ≥ 10 mm have a significant higher relative risk for harbouring oncogene mutations (relative risk 3.467 (1.742–6.933)). Adenomas and right‐sided polyps are independent risk factors for CTNNB1 mutations (relative risk 18.559 (2.371–145.245) and 12.987 (1.637–100.00)).

Conclusions

Assessment of the mutational landscape of polyps can be integrated in the workflow of current colonoscopy practice. There are distinct genetic patterns related to polyp size and location. These results suffice to optimise individual risk calculation and may help to better define surveillance intervals.
The Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Linum usitatissimum in Balb/c Mice
Authors: Rafieian-kopaei Mahmoud , Shakiba Abdollah , Sedighi Mehrnoosh , Bahmani Mahmoud
Published: July 2017

Linum usitatissimum L is traditionally used for relief of pain and inflammation. In this study, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of this plant were evaluated. Xylene test was used for anti-inflammatory evaluation in which 48 mice were randomly designated into 6 groups of 8 each including: control, dexamethasone as positive control (15 mg/kg), and experimental groups (42, 85, 170, and 340 mg/kg, respectively). For analgesic evaluation, 192 mice were randomly designated into 4 sets of 6 groups of 8 mice, including control, morphine as positive control, morphine plus naloxone, experimental groups (200 and 500 mg/kg extract), and extract along with naloxone group, which received 500 mg/kg. The analgesic activities were evaluated at 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively, in each set. Both doses showed analgesic activity, the 200 mg/kg possessed higher effects ( P < .05). Naloxone reduced a section of its effect ( P < .001). The 170 mg/kg dose of the extract showed anti-inflammatory activity ( P < .05). The extract had phenolic, flavonoid, and flavonol compounds with antioxidant activity. Linum usitatissimum L dose dependently had analgesic activity partially like morphine and might be used as analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.
A Mixed Methods Study of the Relationship Between Cultural Capital of Senior High School English Teachers and Their Self-Efficacy in Iran’s English Language Classrooms
Authors: Hassanzadeh Tavakoli Farzaneh , Pahlavannezhad Mohammad Reza , Ghonsooly Behzad
Published: July 2017

The present study sought to investigate the relationship between cultural capital of senior high school English teachers and their self-efficacy in Iran’s English language classrooms using a mixed methods approach. To this end, all senior high school English teachers in seven districts of Mashhad city in Iran were selected as the study population, out of whom 242 cases were chosen as the sample population using Morgan Sample Size Table. This is an applied research in which a descriptive survey method has been adopted. Self-efficacy and cultural capital questionnaires were used for collecting data. To verify the quantitative findings and to assess the accuracy of their results, interviews were used. Accordingly, a group of English teachers and high school students were invited for interviews. The qualitative data derived from interviews were analyzed using NVivo software. The results indicated a significant relationship between cultural capital of senior high school English teachers and their self-efficacy in Iran’s English language classrooms which was confirmed by the findings of both quantitative and qualitative methods. In other words, teachers with higher cultural capital had greater self-efficacy and therefore were more successful in teaching English to students.
On the Heritability of Criminal Justice Processing
Authors: Boutwell Brian B. , Connolly Eric J.
Published: July 2017

An impressive number of researchers have devoted a great amount of effort toward examining various predictors of criminal justice (CJ) processing outcomes. Indeed, a vast amount of research has examined various individual- and aggregate-level predictors of arrests, incarceration, and sentencing decisions. To this point, less attention has been devoted toward uncovering the relative contribution of genetic and environmental effects on variation in risk for CJ processing. As a result, the current study employs a behavioral genetic design to help fill this void in the existing literature. Using twin data from a national sample of youth, the current study produced evidence suggesting that genetic factors accounted for at least a portion of variance in risk for incarceration among female twins and probation among male twins. Shared and nonshared environmental influences accounted for the variance in risk for arrest among both female and male twins, probation among female twins, and incarceration among male twins. Ultimately, it appears that risk for contact with the CJ system and CJ processing is structured by a combination of factors beyond shared cultural and neighborhood environments, and appears to also include genetic factors. Moving forward, continuing to not use genetically sensitive research designs capable of estimating the role of genetic and nonshared environmental influences on CJ outcomes may result in misleading results.
The Use of Vacuum Dressings for Dead Space Management in Deep Surgical Site Infections Allows Implant and Bone Graft Retention
Authors: Watt James P. , Dunn Robert N.
Published: July 2017

Study Design:

Retrospective, descriptive study.

Objectives:

Managing early surgical site infection following elective lumbar spine surgery remains a challenge with controversy regarding retention of instrumentation and bone graft. Wound closure may also pose considerable challenges. We aim to report on our method of managing deep surgical site infections complicating elective spine surgery with surgeon assembled deep vacuum dressings. Identification of causative organisms with their sensitivities was a secondary objective.

Methods:

Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained, single-surgeon database from 2003-2015. Patients who had an infective or trauma related diagnosis, cervical procedures, and were younger than 18 years were excluded. Records were reviewed to identify bacteriology, laboratory tests performed, antibiotics administered, and type and frequency of surgical management. One thousand two hundred twenty patients qualified for inclusion, with 19 identified as having developed acute wound sepsis.

Results:

All patients had surgical debridement on the day of presentation and the majority of wounds were managed with a vacuum dressing. In all but 1 patient was instrumentation retained. Specimens for culture were taken at each debridement and antibiotics changed accordingly. Patients received a minimum 6 weeks of antibiotics.

Conclusions:

The management of deep surgical site infection is labor intensive and frustrating for both surgeon and patient due to the unexpected prolonged admission. Management goals are identification and eradication of the causative organism with subsequent healing of the surgical wound. This process is enhanced with the use of negative-suction dressings made from theatre stock replaced at regular intervals and allows retention of bone graft and instrumentation in the majority of cases.
Is There a Patient Profile That Characterizes a Patient With Adult Spinal Deformity as a Candidate for Minimally Invasive Surgery?
Authors: Eastlack Robert K. , Mundis Gregory M. , Wang Michael , Mummaneni Praveen V. , Uribe Juan , Okonkwo David , Akbarnia Behrooz A. , Anand Neel , Kanter Adam , Park Paul , Lafage Virginie , Shaffrey Christopher , Fessler Richard , Deviren Vedat ,   International Spine Study Group
Published: July 2017

Study Design:

Retrospective review.

Objectives:

The goal of this study was to evaluate the baseline characteristics of patients chosen to undergo traditional open versus minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for adult spinal deformity (ASD).

Methods:

A multicenter review of 2 databases including ASD patients treated with surgery. Inclusion criteria were age >45 years, Cobb angle minimum of 20°, and minimum 2-year follow-up. Preoperative radiographic parameters and disability outcome measures were reviewed.

Results:

A total of 350 patients were identified: 173 OPEN patients and 177 MIS. OPEN patients were significantly younger than MIS patients (61.5 years vs 63.74 years, P = .013). The OPEN group had significantly more females (87% vs 76%, P = .006), but both groups had similar body mass index. Preoperative lumbar Cobb was significantly higher for the OPEN group (34.2°) than for the MIS group (26.0°, P < .001). The mean preoperative Oswestry Disability Index was significantly higher in the MIS group (44.8 in OPEN patients and 49.8 in MIS patients, P < .011). The preoperative Numerical Rating Scale value for back pain was 7.2 in the OPEN group and 6.8 in the MIS group preoperatively, P = .100.

Conclusions:

Patients chosen for MIS for ASD are slightly older and have smaller coronal deformities than those chosen for open techniques, but they did not have a substantially lesser degree of sagittal malalignment. MIS surgery was most frequently utilized for patients with an sagittal vertical axis under 6 cm and a baseline pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis mismatch under 30°.
Comparing the 5-Year Health State Utility Value of Cervical Disc Replacement and Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
Authors: McAnany Steven J. , Merrill Robert K. , Brochin Robert L. , Overley Samuel C. , Kim Jun S. , Qureshi Sheeraz A.
Published: July 2017

Study Design:

Health utility analysis.

Objectives:

To determine the health state utility (HSU) of 1- and 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and cervical disc replacement (CDR).

Methods:

Data from the Medtronic Prestige Cervical Disc investigational device exemption studies was used. Four groups were defined: 1-level ACDF, 1-level CDR, 2-level ACDF, and 2-level CDR. The 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was collected at baseline, 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, and 60 months postoperatively and converted into utility scores for each time point. A repeated-measures 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to detect differences among groups. Tukey’s method for multiple comparisons was used to determine which means within the groups were statistically different ( P < .05).

Results:

We found a statistically significant difference in HSU among groups as determined by repeated-measures 1-way ANOVA ( P = .0008). Post hoc analysis indicated that 1-level ACDF had a statistically lower utility score compared with 1- and 2-level CDR ( P = .04 and P = .02, respectively). Similarly, 2-level ACDF had lower utility values compared with 2-level CDR ( P = .010). One-level ACDF utility values were not different from 2-level ACDF values ( P = .55). Similarly, 1-level CDR and 2-level CDR did not have different utility values ( P = .67).

Conclusions:

Overall, CDR had higher health state utility scores for 1- and 2-level procedures at every time point. This study indicates that CDR results in a higher postoperative health utility state than ACDF, and may therefore be an effective alternative to ACDF for treating degenerative conditions of the cervical spine.
Readings and Experiences of Multimodality
Authors: Leander Kevin M. , Aziz Seemi , Botzakis Stergios , Ehret Christian , Landry David , Rowsell Jennifer
Published: July 2017

Our understanding of reading—including reading multimodal texts—is always constrained or opened up by what we consider to be a text, what aspects of a reader’s embodied activity we focus on, and how we draw a boundary around a reading event. This article brings together five literacy researchers who respond to a human-scale graphic novel, comprised of over 300 large-scale paintings, recently exhibited in an art gallery and also published in print form. The researchers' responses reflect a variety of theoretical orientations, including postcolonial theory, critical theory, affect theories, new materialisms, social semiotics, and reading development theories. The author of the novel also reflects on his own creative processes and goals. These various responses, and the multiple modalities of the work itself, are intentionally juxtaposed in order to create productive tensions, contrasts, and open spaces for reconsidering how multimodal texts are read and experienced. Dimensions of reading as a meaning-making, affective, embodied experience are productively put into play with one another.
The challenges of aligning the scales of urban climate science and climate policy in London and Manchester
Authors: Heaphy Liam James
Published: July 2017

The longevity of our urban buildings and streetscapes means that they will need to perform to a satisfactory standard in a context of climate change, with an increasing propensity for higher temperatures and extreme weather events accentuated by the urban heat island. Research funded to explore future climate in cities is frequently required to work directly with stakeholders to co-produce useful knowledge and tools. This study considers the relationship between a suite of projects linking future climate to the city, neighbourhood and building scales and the policy contexts of London and Manchester. It is contended that successful knowledge translation is aided by multi-scalar, strategic approaches to urban climate, and on the clear designation of the desired policy outcomes and supporting evidence and resources required. This, in turn, highlights the role of sustained government support for city-region spatial planning and building standards to facilitate successful translation into policies.
Effectiveness and safety of standardised shorter regimens for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: individual patient data and aggregate data meta-analyses
Authors: Ahmad Khan Faiz , Salim M.A. Hamid , du Cros Philipp , Casas Esther C. , Khamraev Atajan , Sikhondze Welile , Benedetti Andrea , Bastos Mayara , Lan Zhiyi , Jaramillo Ernesto , Falzon Dennis , Menzies Dick
Published: July 2017

We assessed the effectiveness and safety of standardised, shorter multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) regimens by pooling data from observational studies.

Published studies were identified from medical databases; unpublished studies were identified from expert consultation. We conducted aggregate data meta-analyses to estimate pooled proportions of treatment outcomes and individual patient data (IPD) meta-regression to identify risk factors for unsuccessful treatment in patients treated with 9- to 12-month MDR-TB regimens composed of a second-line injectable, gatifloxacin/moxifloxacin, prothionamide, clofazimine, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.

We included five studies in which 796 out of 1279 (62.2%) individuals with confirmed MDR-TB (98.4%) or rifampin-resistant TB (1.6%), and not previously exposed to second-line drugs, were eligible for shorter regimens. 669 out of 796 participants were successfully treated (83.0%, 95% CI 71.9–90.3%). In IPD meta-regression (three studies, n=497), failure/relapse was associated with fluoroquinolone resistance (crude OR 46, 95% CI 8–273), pyrazinamide resistance (OR 8, 95% CI 2–38) and no culture conversion by month 2 of treatment (OR 7, 95% CI 3–202). Two participants acquired extensive drug resistance. Four studies reported grade 3 or 4 adverse events in 55 out of 304 (18.1%) participants.

Shorter regimens were effective in treating MDR-TB; however, there is uncertainty surrounding the generalisability of the high rate of treatment success to less selected populations, to programmatic settings and in the absence of drug susceptibility tests to key component drugs.
Risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism in COPD patients: results from a prospective cohort study
Authors: Le Mao Raphael , Tromeur Cécile , Bazire Amélie , Gouillou Maelenn , Guegan Marie , Lacut Karine , Delluc Aurélien , Mottier Dominique , Leroyer Christophe , Couturaud Francis
Published: July 2017

We aimed to assess the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following cessation of anticoagulation therapy.

In a prospective cohort of 1468 patients with a documented episode of VTE, followed for up to 5 years after cessation of anticoagulation therapy, the diagnosis of COPD was confirmed in 136. The main outcome was recurrent VTE. The secondary outcome was overall mortality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of recurrence.

Of the 1468 patients included, recurrent VTE was observed in 306 (34 with COPD and 272 without) during a median follow-up period of 36.5 months. The incidence rate of recurrent VTE was 9.1% (95% CI 6.5–12.8) for COPD patients and 7.0% (95% CI 6.2–7.9) for non-COPD patients. COPD was not associated with an increased risk of VTE recurrence on univariate or multivariate analyses (hazard ratio: 1.0 (95% CI 0.7–1.4)). The risk of death, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics, showed no increase in COPD patients, as compared to non-COPD patients.

In patients with COPD who had an acute episode of VTE, the risk of recurrent VTE was not any higher than that in non-COPD patients.
Excess economic burden of comorbidities in COPD: a 15-year population-based study
Authors: Chen Wenjia , FitzGerald J. Mark , Sin Don D. , Sadatsafavi Mohsen
Published: July 2017

A better understanding of the true burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) needs to consider the implications of comorbidities. This study comprehensively examined the impact of comorbidities on excess direct medical costs in COPD patients.

From health administrative data in British Columbia, Canada (1996–2012), we created a propensity-score-matched cohort of incident COPD patients and individuals without COPD. Health services use records were compiled into 16 major disease categories based on International Classification of Diseases codes. Excess costs (in 2015 Canadian dollars and converted to 2015 Euros; CAD1.000=EUR 0.706) were estimated as the adjusted difference in direct medical costs between the two groups.

The sample included 128 424 subjects in each group. COPD patients generated excess costs of CAD5196/EUR3668 per person-year (95% CI CAD3540–8529), of which 26% was attributable to COPD itself and 51% was attributable to comorbidities (the remaining 23% could not be attributed to any specific condition). The major cost driver was excess hospitalisation costs. The largest components of comorbidity costs were circulatory diseases, other respiratory disorders, digestive disorders and psychological disorders (CAD696/EUR491, CAD312/EUR220, CAD274/EUR193 and CAD249/EUR176 per person-year, respectively).

These findings suggest that the prevention and appropriate management of comorbidities in COPD patients may effectively reduce the overall burden of COPD.
CXCL9‐11 polymorphisms are associated with liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Jiménez‐Sousa María Ángeles , Gómez‐Moreno Ana Zaida , Pineda‐Tenor Daniel , Medrano Luz Maria , Sánchez‐Ruano Juan José , Fernández‐Rodríguez Amanda , Artaza‐Varasa Tomas , Saura‐Montalban José , Vázquez‐Morón Sonia , Ryan Pablo , Resino Salvador
Published: July 2017

Background and aims

CXCL9‐11 polymorphisms are related to various infectious diseases, including hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In this study, we analyzed the association between CXCL9‐11 polymorphisms and liver fibrosis in HCV‐infected patients.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional study in 389 patients who were genotyped for CXCL9‐11 polymorphisms (CXCL9 rs10336, CXCL10 rs3921, and CXCL11 rs4619915) using the Sequenom's MassARRAY platform. The primary outcome variable was the liver stiffness measurement (LSM). We established three cut‐offs of LSM: LSM ≥ 7.1 kPa (F ≥ 2—significant fibrosis), LSM ≥ 9.5 kPa (F ≥ 3—advanced fibrosis), and LSM ≥ 12.5 kPa (F4—cirrhosis).

Results

Recessive, overdominant and codominant models of inheritance showed significant values, but the overdominant model was the best fitting our data. In this case, CXCL9 rs10336 AG, CXCL10 rs3921 CG and CXCL11 rs4619915 AG were mainly associated with lower values of LSM [(adjusted GMR (aGMR) = 0.85 (p = 0.005), aGMR = 0.84 (p = 0.003), and aGMR = 0.84 (p = 0.003), respectively]. Patients with CXCL9 rs10336 AG genotype had lower odds of significant fibrosis (LSM ≥ 7.1 kPa) [adjusted OR (aOR) = 0.59 (p = 0.016)], advanced fibrosis (LSM ≥ 9.5 kPa) [aOR = 0.54 (p = 0.010)], and cirrhosis (LSM ≥ 12.5 kPa) [aOR = 0.56 (p = 0.043)]. Patients with CXCL10 rs3921 CG or CXCL11 rs4619915 AG genotypes had lower odds of significant fibrosis (LSM ≥ 7.1 kPa) [adjusted OR (aOR) = 0.56 (p = 0.008)], advanced fibrosis (LSM ≥ 9.5 kPa) [aOR = 0.55 (p = 0.013)], and cirrhosis (LSM ≥ 12.5 kPa) [aOR = 0.57 (p = 0.051)]. Additionally, CXCL9‐11 polymorphisms were related to lower liver stiffness under a codominant model of inheritance, being the heterozygous genotypes also protective against hepatic fibrosis. In the recessive inheritance model, the CXCL9 rs10336 AA, CXCL10 rs3921 CC and CXCL11 rs4619915 AA were associated with higher LSM values [(adjusted GMR (aGMR) = 1.19 (p = 0.030), aGMR = 1.21 (p = 0.023), and aGMR = 1.21 (p = 0.023), respectively]. Moreover, patients with CXCL9 rs10336 AA genotype had higher odds of significant fibrosis (LSM ≥ 7.1 kPa) [adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.83 (p = 0.044)] and advanced fibrosis (LSM ≥ 9.5 kPa) [aOR = 1.85 (p = 0.045)]. Furthermore, patients with CXCL10 rs3921 CC or CXCL11 rs4619915 AA genotypes had higher odds of advanced fibrosis (LSM ≥ 9.5 kPa) [aOR = 1.89 (p = 0.038)].

Conclusions

CXCL9‐11 polymorphisms were related to likelihood of having liver fibrosis in HCV‐infected patients. Our data suggest that CXCL9‐11 polymorphisms may play a significant role against the progression of CHC and could help prioritize antiviral therapy.
Introduction to this special section: Impact of compressive sensing on seismic data acquisition and processing
Authors: Allegar Norm , Herrmann Felix J. , Mosher Charles C.
Published: July 2017

The last 30 years have seen ever-increasing amounts of seismic data being acquired. It is now common to see 12 or more streamers deployed with a single seismic vessel, ocean-bottom sensors deployed by the thousands, or land surveys with channel counts into the many tens of thousands. The volume of data has been defined not only by the sensor density but also by the number of components recorded at each location. Radial data coverage has grown from narrow azimuth to multiazimuth to wide azimuth to full azimuth. A higher sensor count has only been a part of the data explosion story. Source effort has evolved as well, with continuous recording and a variety of simultaneous-source schemes being utilized. Data density and field effort have grown, and continue to grow, with the imaging and interpretational demands of the industry.
Sparse seismic wavefield sampling
Authors: Campman Xander , Tang Zijian , Jamali-Rad Hadi , Kuvshinov Boris , Danilouchkine Mike , Ji Ying , Walk Wim , Smit Dirk
Published: July 2017

Seismic acquisition is a trade-off between image quality and cost. While there is an increasing need for higher quality images due to the more complex geologic settings of reservoirs, there is also a strong desire to reduce the cost and cycle time of seismic acquisition. Meeting these conflicting ambitions requires creative solutions. New hardware developments aim at improving survey efficiency and image quality. To optimally leverage new hardware and maximize survey efficiency, their development should go together with new insights gained from sparse sampling. Sparse sampling combines efficient data acquisition with the reconstruction of a signal by finding its coefficients as the solution of an underdetermined system. Greater survey efficiency results from compression during acquisition. For seismic wavefield sampling, the compression can take place in time, space, or both. Compression in time can be achieved by letting shot-records overlap, as in simultaneous-source acquisition for example. Compression in space can be achieved with spatial subsampling. Some recently introduced acquisition technologies already leverage the ideas from sparse sampling in practice. We believe sparse seismic wavefield sampling is not only a method to reduce costs; the flexibility to distribute sources and receivers in space and time in different ways than we are used to also will spark the acquisition technologies of the future.
Application of compressive seismic imaging at Lookout Field, Alaska
Authors: Brown Leo , Mosher Charles C. , Li Chengbo , Olson Robert , Doherty Jennifer , Carey Tiffany C. , Williams Laurence , Chang Juntao , Staples Evan
Published: July 2017

In 2015, a new seismic data set was acquired over the Lookout Field in Alaska in anticipation of development. The survey was acquired using principles of compressive seismic imaging (CSI). This was the first implementation of this technology on land for ConocoPhillips and was a test of its robustness in Arctic conditions. Although there were challenges specific to CSI in acquisition and processing, the test was a success. Since then, CSI design has been used for multiple surveys. The Lookout survey had general imaging objectives for the overburden and reservoir zone, including increased horizontal and vertical resolution, higher signal-to-noise ratio, and amplitude preservation. There were also specific objectives of a more accurate structural image beneath the Fish Creek Slumps, fault identification in the reservoir, and visibility of reservoir edges. Comparisons of the Lookout 2015 CSI data to the existing exploration-quality legacy data show an overall improved image and that the 2015 survey was successful in meeting the reservoir-specific objectives. CSI principles enable more efficient use of acquisition resources, providing the ability to acquire more seismic data than a high-density conventional seismic shoot while maintaining comparable data quality. The impact of CSI is unlocking development-grade seismic data at exploration-grade cost.
SEG News
Authors: Liaw Alfred
Published: July 2017

SEG President Bill Abriel and SEG President-elect Nancy House made two separate tours of China in April to strengthen the relationship between SEG and its constituents. Their visits marked the significance of SEG members and corporate members in the region. From 12–21 April, Abriel traveled to Beijing and Qingdao where he visited BGP, the Aramco Beijing Research Center (BRC), and the China University of Petroleum (CUP). House represented SEG at the SEG/Sinopec Forum on Foothill Exploration, 22–24 April, in Nanjing.
State of the Net
Authors: Farley Isaac
Published: July 2017

As I often say in these “State of the Net” columns, I have the opportunity of communicating the digital developments facilitated by my colleagues at SEG. Today, a column full of exciting announcements about product enhancements and new offerings is no different. As you will see, my peers within the SEG Knowledge Management department and beyond continually collaborate to find new and improved ways of enriching your engagement with The Leading Edge (TLE), the SEG Digital Library, and our other publications. And, here I am, with the pleasure of presenting an overhauled TLE Digital Edition and app, higher quality PDFs in the Digital Library, and a new near-surface geophysics feature.
Estimation of Stroke Volume and Stroke Volume Changes by Electrical Impedance Tomography
Authors: da Silva Ramos Fernando José , Hovnanian André , Souza Rogério , Azevedo Luciano C. P. , Amato Marcelo B. P. , Costa Eduardo L. V.
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND:

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a noninvasive imaging method that identifies changes in air and blood volume based on thoracic impedance changes. Recently, there has been growing interest in EIT to measure stroke volume (SV). The objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to evaluate the ability of systolic impedance variations (ΔZsys) to track changes in SV in relation to a baseline condition; (2) to assess the relationship of ΔZsys and SV in experimental subjects; and (3) to identify the influence of body dimensions on the relationship between ΔZsys and SV.

METHODS:

Twelve Agroceres pigs were instrumented with transpulmonary thermodilution catheter and EIT and were mechanically ventilated in a random order using different settings of tidal volume (VT) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP): VT 10 mL·kg−1 and PEEP 10 cm H2O, VT 10 mL·kg−1 and PEEP 5 cm H2O, VT 6 mL·kg−1 and PEEP 10 cm H2O, and VT 6 mL·kg−1 and PEEP 5 cm H2O. After baseline data collection, subjects were submitted to hemorrhagic shock and successive fluid challenges.

RESULTS:

A total of 204 paired measurements of SV and ΔZsys were obtained. The 4-quadrant plot showed acceptable trending ability with a concordance rate of 91.2%. Changes in ΔZsys after fluid challenges presented an area under the curve of 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.74–0.92) to evaluate SV changes. Conversely, the linear association between ΔZsys and SV was poor, with R2 from linear mixed model of 0.35. Adding information on body dimensions improved the linear association between ΔZsys and SV up to R2 from linear mixed model of 0.85.

CONCLUSIONS:

EIT showed good trending ability and is a promising hemodynamic monitoring tool. Measurements of absolute SV require that body dimensions be taken into account.
Role of the Perioperative Surgical Home in Optimizing the Perioperative Use of Opioids
Authors: Vetter Thomas R. , Kain Zeev N.
Published: July 2017

Several federal agencies have recently noted that the United States is in the midst of an unprecedented “opioid epidemic,” with an increasing number of opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Providers currently face 3 population-level, public health challenges in providing optimal perioperative pain care: (1) the continued lack of overall improvement in the excessive incidence of inadequately treated postoperative pain, (2) minimizing or preventing postoperative opioid-related side effects, and (3) addressing current opioid prescribing patterns, and the accompanying problematic surge in prescription opioid diversion, misuse, abuse, addiction, and overdose. In the Perioperative Surgical Home model, anesthesiologists and other pain medicine specialists are uniquely qualified and positioned to develop, implement, and coordinate a comprehensive perioperative analgesic plan, which begins with the formal preoperative patient assessment and continues throughout the postdischarge, convalescence period. The scope and practice of pain management within the Perioperative Surgical Home should thus (a) expand to include routine preoperative patient-level pain-risk stratification (including the chronic use of opioid and nonopioid analgesics), (b) address the multitude of biopsychosocial factors that contribute to interpatient pain variability, and (c) extend and be well coordinated across all 4 phases of the surgical pain experience (preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative, and postdischarge). Specifically, safe and effective perioperative pain management should include a plan of care that is tailored to the individual patient’s underlying disease(s), presence of a chronic pain condition and preoperative use of opioids, and the specific surgical procedure—with evidence-based, multimodal analgesic regimens being applied in the vast majority of cases. An iteratively evolutionary component of an existing institutional Perioperative Surgical Home program can be an integrated Transitional Pain Service, which is modeled directly after the well-established prototype at the Toronto General Hospital in Ontario, Canada. This multidisciplinary, perioperative Transitional Pain Service seeks to modify the pain trajectories of patients who are at increased risk of (a) long-term, increasing, excessive opioid consumption and/or (b) developing chronic postsurgical pain. Like the Perioperative Surgical Home program in which it can be logically integrated, such a Transitional Pain Service can serve as the needed but missing linkage to improve the continuum of care and perioperative pain management for elective, urgent, and emergent surgery. Even if successfully and cost-efficiently embedded within an existing Perioperative Surgical Home, a new perioperative Transitional Pain Service will require additional resources.
Venovenous Bypass Is Associated With a Lower Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury After Liver Transplantation in Patients With Compromised Pretransplant Renal Function
Authors: Sun Kai , Hong Fu , Wang Yun , Agopian Vatche G. , Yan Min , Busuttil Ronald W. , Steadman Randolph H. , Xia Victor W.
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND:

Although the hemodynamic benefits of venovenous bypass (VVB) during liver transplantation (LT) are well appreciated, the impact of VVB on posttransplant renal function is uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine if VVB was associated with a lower incidence of posttransplant acute kidney injury (AKI).

METHODS:

Medical records of adult (≥18 years) patients who underwent primary LT between 2004 and 2014 at a tertiary hospital were reviewed. Patients who required pretransplant renal replacement therapy and intraoperative piggyback technique were excluded. Patients were divided into 2 groups, VVB and non-VVB. AKI, determined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria, was compared between the 2 groups. Propensity match was used to control selection bias that occurred before VVB and multivariable logistic regression was used to control confounding factors during and after VVB.

RESULTS:

Of 1037 adult patients who met the study inclusion criteria, 247 (23.8%) received VVB. A total of 442 patients (221 patients in each group) were matched. Aftermatch patients were further divided according to a predicted probability AKI model using preoperative creatinine (Cr), VVB, and intraoperative variables into 2 subgroups: normal and compromised pretransplant renal functions. In patients with compromised pretransplant renal function (Cr ≥1.2 mg/dL), the incidence of AKI was significantly lower in the VVB group compared with the non-VVB group (37.2% vs 50.8%; P = .033). VVB was an independent risk factor negatively associated with AKI (odds ratio, 0.1; 95% confidence interval, 0.1–0.4; P = .001). Renal replacement in 30 days and 1-year recipient mortality were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The incidence of posttransplant AKI was not significantly different between the 2 groups in patients with normal pretransplant renal function (Cr <1.2 mg/dL).

CONCLUSIONS:

In this large retrospective study, we demonstrated that utilization of intraoperative VVB was associated with a significantly lower incidence of posttransplant AKI in patients with compromised pretransplant renal function. Further studies to assess the role of intraoperative VVB in posttransplant AKI are warranted.
Fat-containing cells are eliminated duringDictyosteliumdevelopment
Authors: Kornke Jessica M. , Maniak Markus
Published: July 2017

Triacylglycerol is a universal storage molecule for metabolic energy in living organisms. However, Dictyostelium amoebae, that have accumulated storage fat from added fatty acids do not progress though the starvation period preceding the development of the durable spore. Mutants deficient in genes of fat metabolism, such as fcsA, encoding a fatty acid activating enzyme, or dgat1 and dgat2, specifying proteins that synthesize triacylglycerol, strongly increase their chances to contribute to the spore fraction of the developing fruiting body, but lose the ability to produce storage fat efficiently. Dictyostelium seipin, an orthologue of a human protein, that in patients causes the complete loss of adipose tissue when mutated, does not quantitatively affect fat storage in the amoeba. Dictyostelium seiP knockout mutants have lipid droplets that are enlarged in size but reduced in number. These mutants are as vulnerable as the wildtype when exposed to fatty acids during their vegetative growth phase, and do not efficiently enter the spore head in Dictyostelium development.
Partner Choice, Investment in Children, and the Marital College Premium
Authors: Chiappori Pierre-André , Salanié Bernard , Weiss Yoram
Published: July 2017

We construct a model of household decision-making in which agents consume a private and a public good, interpreted as children's welfare. Children's utility depends on their human capital, which depends on the time their parents spend with them and on the parents' human capital. We first show that as returns to human capital increase, couples at the top of the income distribution should spend more time with their children. This in turn should reinforce assortative matching, in a sense that we precisely define. We then embed the model into a transferable utility matching framework with random preferences, à la Choo and Siow (2006), which we estimate using US marriage data for individuals born between 1943 and 1972. We find that the preference for partners of the same education has significantly increased for white individuals, particularly for the highly educated. We find no evidence of such an increase for black individuals. Moreover, in line with theoretical predictions, we find that the “marital college-plus premium” has increased for women but not for men. (JEL D12, J12, J13, J15, J24)
Full Implementation and Belief Restrictions
Authors: Ollár Mariann , Penta Antonio
Published: July 2017

Multiplicity of equilibria and the dependence on strong common knowledge assumptions are well-known problems in mechanism design. We address them by studying full implementation via transfer schemes, under general restrictions on agents' beliefs. We show that incentive-compatible transfers ensure uniqueness—and hence full implementation—if they induce sufficiently weak strategic externalities. We then design transfers for full implementation by using information on beliefs in order to weaken the strategic externalities of the baseline canonical transfers. Our results rely on minimal restrictions on agents' beliefs, specifically on moments of the distribution of types, that arise naturally in applications. (JEL D62, D82, D83)
THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND PETROGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS FROM GERANIA OPHIOLITIC COMPLEX
Authors: Giannakopoulou P.P. , Tsikouras B. , Hatzipanagiotou K.
Published: July 2017

Ultramafic rocks from the Gerania Mountain ophiolite were tested as aggregates. Petrographic study through polarizing microscope enabled us to determine the presence of dunite, harzburgite and lherzolite. A series of mechanical tests were carried out in order to determine the suitability of these rocks in a wide range of applications. Dunite and harzburgite samples show higher values of uniaxial compression strength than the lherzolites, as the presence of joints and the higher degree of alteration significantly affects negatively this mechanical property in the last rock-type. The same factors influence the point load index, too. Serpentinization and the presence of soft and laminate minerals also exert a negative influence on the resistance on abrasion and attrition, as well as the grinding of the rocks. The same factors influence negatively the point load index, too.