bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Doctors’ reports about palliative systemic treatment: A medical record study
Authors: Buiting Hilde M , Brink Mirian , Wijnhoven Marleen N , Lokker Martine E , van der Geest Lydia GM , Terpstra Wim E , Sonke Gabe S
Published: August 2016

Background:

Decisions about palliative systemic treatment are key elements of palliative and end-of-life care. Such decisions must often be made in complex, clinical situations.

Aim:

To explore the content of medical records of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer with specific emphasis on doctors’ notes about decisions on palliative systemic treatment.

Design:

Medical record review (2009–2012) of 147 cancer patients containing 276 notes about palliative systemic treatment. We described the proportion of notes/medical records containing pre-specified items relevant to palliative systemic treatment. We selected patients using the nationwide Netherlands Cancer Registry.

Setting:

Hospital based.

Results:

About 75% of all notes reported doctors’ considerations to start/continue palliative systemic treatment, including information about the prognosis (47%), possible survival gain (22%), patients’ wish for palliative systemic treatment (33%), impact on quality of life (8%), and patient’s age (3%). Comorbidity (82%), smoking status (78%) and drinking behaviour (63%) were more often documented than patients’ performance status (16%). Conversations with the patient/family about palliative systemic treatment were reported in 49% of all notes. Response measurements and dose adaptations were documented in 75% and 71% of patients who received palliative systemic treatment respectively.

Conclusion:

Medical records provide insight into the decision-making process about palliative systemic treatment. The content and detail of doctors’ notes, however, widely varies especially concerning their palliative systemic treatment considerations. Registries that aim to measure the quality of (end-of-life) care must be aware of this outcome. Future research should further explore how medical records can best assist in evaluating the quality of the decision-making process in the patient’s final stage of life.
Risk Assessment for Venous Thromboembolism in Chemotherapy-Treated Ambulatory Cancer Patients
Authors: Ferroni Patrizia , Zanzotto Fabio Massimo , Scarpato Noemi , Riondino Silvia , Nanni Umberto , Roselli Mario , Guadagni Fiorella
Published: August 2016

Objective. To design a precision medicine approach aimed at exploiting significant patterns in data, in order to produce venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk predictors for cancer outpatients that might be of advantage over the currently recommended model (Khorana score). Design: Multiple kernel learning (MKL) based on support vector machines and random optimization (RO) models were used to produce VTE risk predictors (referred to as machine learning [ML]-RO) yielding the best classification performance over a training (3-fold cross-validation) and testing set. Results. Attributes of the patient data set ( n = 1179) were clustered into 9 groups according to clinical significance. Our analysis produced 6 ML-RO models in the training set, which yielded better likelihood ratios (LRs) than baseline models. Of interest, the most significant LRs were observed in 2 ML-RO approaches not including the Khorana score (ML-RO-2: positive likelihood ratio [+LR] = 1.68, negative likelihood ratio [–LR] = 0.24; ML-RO-3: +LR = 1.64, –LR = 0.37). The enhanced performance of ML-RO approaches over the Khorana score was further confirmed by the analysis of the areas under the Precision-Recall curve (AUCPR), and the approaches were superior in the ML-RO approaches (best performances: ML-RO-2: AUCPR = 0.212; ML-RO-3-K: AUCPR = 0.146) compared with the Khorana score (AUCPR = 0.096). Of interest, the best-fitting model was ML-RO-2, in which blood lipids and body mass index/performance status retained the strongest weights, with a weaker association with tumor site/stage and drugs. Conclusions. Although the monocentric validation of the presented predictors might represent a limitation, these results demonstrate that a model based on MKL and RO may represent a novel methodological approach to derive VTE risk classifiers. Moreover, this study highlights the advantages of optimizing the relative importance of groups of clinical attributes in the selection of VTE risk predictors.
Cranial dural permeability of inflammatory nociceptive mediators: Potential implications for animal models of migraine
Authors: Zhao Jun , Bree Dara , Harrington Michael G , Strassman Andrew M , Levy Dan
Published: August 2016

Background

Application of inflammatory mediators to the cranial dura has been used as a method to activate and sensitize neurons in the meningeal sensory pathway in preclinical behavioral studies of headache mechanisms. However, the relatively high concentrations and volumes used in these studies raise the question of whether the applied agents might pass through the dura to act directly on central neurons, thus bypassing the dural afferent pathway.

Methods

We used a radiolabeling approach to quantify the meningeal permeability of two of the inflammatory mediators, 5-HT and PGE2, when applied to the cranial dura as part of an inflammatory mixture used in preclinical headache models.

Results

Both agents could be detected in samples taken four hours after dural application in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and, in measurements made only for PGE2, in the central nervous system (CNS) as well. Based on our measurements, we made estimates of the CSF and CNS levels that would be attained with the higher concentrations and volumes of 5HT and PGE2that were exogenously applied in previous pre-clinical headache studies. These estimated levels were comparable to or larger than normal endogenous levels, potentially large enough to have physiological effects.

Conclusions

The finding that the cranial meninges are permeable to the two tested inflammatory mediators PGE2and 5-HT raises some uncertainty about whether the behavioral changes observed in prior pre-clinical headache studies with these as well as other agents can be attributed entirely to the activation of dural nociceptors, particularly when the agents are applied at concentrations several orders of magnitude above physiological levels.
Equity Planning or Equitable Opportunities? The Construction of Equity in the HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants
Authors: Zapata Marisa A. , Bates Lisa K.
Published: August 2016

In this article, we examine recent efforts by the federal government to promote regional planning that incorporates social equity into sustainability and livability principles through the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant (SCRPG). We use a plan quality analysis framework to examine grant proposals from the 2010 awardees. The analysis asks whether these regional plan proposals represent a new equity planning or if regional-scale equity policy remains obscured in quality of life arguments. We conclude with respect to the Krumholz model that regional equity planning may signal commitment to equity policy, but that regional capacity to act for equity is lacking.
Normative versus Actual Methodologies in Planning Research: A Hybrid Picture
Authors: Du Toit Jacques , Boshoff Nelius , Mariette Niclesse
Published: August 2016

What methodologies do we write about, and what type of research do we actually conduct and build upon in planning? Since the 1980s, planners have argued for more qualitative research within an interpretative paradigm. A content analysis of articles in Journal of Planning Education and Research do show a majority of qualitative studies, but cast within a pragmatic rather than an interpretative paradigm. More recently, planners have reiterated the need for qualitative research, especially participatory and applied forms of research within a critical social science paradigm. Some recommendations for planning education and research are discussed.
Improving Police Use of Force: A Policy Essay on National Data Collection
Authors: Shane Jon M.
Published: August 2016

Documenting police use of force has been an issue in the United States since at least 1931. As of July 2016, there is still no standardized national data collection effort, despite a call from several presidential and civil rights commissions to do so. Without accurate and timely national data, a moral panic of sorts unfolds that replaces rational thought and debate necessary to enact public policy. Moreover, without such data, it is virtually impossible to estimate the incidence and prevalence of police use of force, which leaves U.S. law enforcement agencies at a tremendous disadvantage for improving practices. This essay briefly examines the history of calls to improve police practices through collecting national use of force data and then offers a practical solution based on rational-technical theory of organizations with a brief analysis of a new promising, but limited, data set. The essay concludes with a proposed research agenda should national data become available through pending legislation H.R. 306, National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act of 2015.
Measuring, Managing, and Enhancing Procedural Justice in Policing: Promise and Pitfalls
Authors: Worden Robert E. , McLean Sarah J.
Published: August 2016

The procedural justice that citizens subjectively experience with the police affects police legitimacy. The procedural justice of policing is typically not measured in police agencies, nor is it an outcome for which managers are held accountable. We examine whether and how the measurement of procedural justice would affect its management. Survey-based measures of subjective procedural justice in police contacts were reported to two departments’ command staffs on a monthly basis in Compstat meetings. The impacts of thusly measuring performance were estimated. We also analyzed an indicator of procedural justice that was based on systematic observation through video and audio recording of police-citizen encounters, and we interviewed patrol officers and supervisors about supervisors’ efforts to manage procedural justice. Neither indicator of police performance revealed consistent changes. However, a modest improvement on one platoon was detected. We discuss the implications for enhancing police legitimacy.
Precarious Workers and Collective Efficacy
Authors: Meyer Rachel
Published: August 2016

Scholars of contemporary capitalism have argued that the rise of flexible accumulation and precarious employment has left workers disillusioned and adrift, experiencing an erosion of solidarities and human bonds. In contrast, this study uncovers a sense of collective efficacy where existing scholarship would lead us to least expect it: among workers who are, structurally, among the most marginal and vulnerable. The case examined is a Chicago living wage campaign, which for three long years mobilized workers laboring outside of traditional employment relationships. Why would a sense of collective efficacy emerge when participants’ ability to make change had remained in doubt for years? Why would workers who lack structural power come to feel so efficacious? Drawing on in-depth interviews with campaign participants, I argue that their understandings of power arose from their experience of collective action. The case sheds new light on our understanding of identity and subjectivity under contemporary capitalism.
‘What Will We Be without Them?’ Rural Intellectuals in the State and NGOs in Zimbabwe’s Crisis-Ridden Countryside
Authors: Moore David , Moyo Zenzo
Published: August 2016

Research on NGOs in rural Zimbabwe suggests that ideas of automatic opposition between ‘civil society’ and/or non-governmental organizations and authoritarian states are too simple. Rather, relations between state and non-state organizations such as those referenced in this article, in the rural district of Mangwe about 200 kilometres south-west of Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo, are symbiotic. This contrasts with urban areas where political histories have led to more contested state-civil society relations in the last two decades, during which social movements with a degree of counter-hegemonic (or counter-regime) aspirations were allied with many NGOs and opposition political parties. Gramsci’s idea of ‘rural intellectuals’ could complement the widely used notion of ‘organic intellectuals’ to examine the members of the intelligentsia appearing to be at one with subordinate groups in the countryside and at odds with the state. Likewise state workers distant from the centre and close to their class peers in NGOs as well as their ‘subjects’ may operate with autonomy from their masters in ruling parties and states to assist, rather than repress, citizens and also to co-operate with NGO workers. This research indicates that discerning how hegemony works across whole state-society complexes is more complicated than usually perceived, given the many regional variations therein.
Accuracy and finish during wire electric discharge machining of metal matrix composites for different reinforcement size and machining conditions
Authors: Pramanik Alokesh , Islam Mohammad Nazrul , Boswell Brian , Basak Animesh K , Dong Yu , Littlefair Guy
Published: August 2016

Electric discharge machining has been established as an effective alternative process to conventional material removal processes for machining reinforced metal matrix composites. Wire cut electric discharge machining holes were produced in a metal matrix composite (10 vol% of SiC in Al6061), which were then investigated to determine the machinability of the material using this process. It was observed that the input factors such as the size of reinforced particles, wire tension and pulse-on time significantly affect diameter error, circularity and surface roughness. Pulse-on time, the interaction between pulse-on time and wire tension contribute to the maximum diameter error. The wire tension is the most significant factor to circularity, which is followed by the interaction between pulse-on time. In particular, wire tension with low and high tensions results in poor circularity. It has been found that there are more surface defects encountered when particle sizes are smaller, and circularity is improved when particles are in a medium size. In addition, the surface defect is reduced as the particles increase the melting resistance of the surface. The higher pulse-on time leads to higher heat and more time to degrade the surface. Therefore, low pulse-on time and wire tension gave better surface finish.
Effects of abrasive types on the surface integrity of abrasive-flow-machined surfaces
Authors: Gov Kursad , Eyercioglu Omer
Published: August 2016

In this article, the effect of abrasive types on the abrasive flow machining process was investigated. Four groups of abrasive media were prepared with different types of abrasives: SiC, AL2O3, B4C and Garnet. An experimental study was performed on DIN 1.2379 tool steel. The specimens were cut using wire electrical discharge machining and finished with the abrasive flow machining process. The results show that the white layer that formed during wire electrical discharge machining was successfully removed by abrasive flow machining in a few cycles. Although the surface roughness improves with similar trends for all media groups, the results show that the media prepared with B4C and SiC have more surface improvement than the Al2O3 and Garnet ones. The resulting average surface roughness (Ra) values are comparable to the surface quality of those obtained from lapping and super-finishing. The material removal is directly related to the hardness of the abrasive.
VIII. Captured in terminology: Sex, sex categories, and sex differences
Authors: Joel Daphna
Published: August 2016

Swayed by the clear distinction between male and female genitalia, the question of how far these categories extend into human biology has attracted humans for centuries. This question is sometimes being framed as whether the effects of sex are restricted to the genital organs or penetrate the entire organism. Here I argue that the two questions are not equivalent and that whereas the answer to the question, how far sex penetrates the body, is – deep down to the level of every cell, the answer to the question, how far the categories, “male” and “female”, do, is – probably nowhere beyond the genitals. That the two questions are often used interchangeably reflects the prevailing conceptualization of sex as a dichotomous system or process that exerts profound effects on other systems (e.g., the brain), leading to sexual dimorphism (i.e., two forms, male versus female) also of these systems. Here I discuss the question of whether the effects of sex result in dimorphic systems, focusing on the case of sex effects on the brain. I show that although there are sex/gender differences in brain and behavior, humans and human brains are comprised of highly variable ‘mosaics’ of features, some more prevalent in females, others more prevalent in males.
Beyond the Border: Yellow Goes International
Authors: Ahmed Jashim Uddin , Rifat Afrin , Nisha Nabila , Manirujjaman Md , Shrensky Ruth
Published: August 2016

This article reports a case study on the Bangladeshi leading fashion brand Yellow. The study investigated Yellow’s international marketing process, following the brand’s journey from Bangladesh to Pakistan and South Korea. Conducting desk research and interviewing corporate personnel from Yellow, this case study obtained in-depth information and broader understanding about the internationalization of Yellow. The article investigated Yellow’s reasons for going international, how it chose its international markets and market segments and the challenges Yellow faced on its journey. The article is divided two parts: the first part discusses Yellow’s local expansion and the second part discusses Yellow’s internationalization.
A Comment on the Estimation of the Reliability of Multidimensional Marketing Constructs: A Store Personality Scale Application
Authors: Moussa Salim
Published: August 2016

Notwithstanding the prevalence of multidimensional constructs in marketing research, very few reliability analyses have taken into account the multidimensional structure of their empirical data. In this article, the author argues that if a scale can be divided into two or more distinct though related dimensions, its internal consistency should be evaluated by coefficients designed for such cases. This article presents stratified alpha as a viable alternative to the common practices of computing alpha for the whole scale and averaging alpha values. It also illustrates, using D’Astous and Lévesque’s store personality scale, that the discrepancy between stratified alpha and alpha (or alpha mean) might be substantial. Thus, it would seem more scientifically sound to compute and report stratified alpha.
Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for detecting virulent Rhodococcus equi
Authors: Kinoshita Yuta , Niwa Hidekazu , Higuchi Tohru , Katayama Yoshinari
Published: August 2016

Rhodococcus equi is the most important causative bacterium of severe pneumonia in foals. We report herein the development of a specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, which targets a gene encoding vapA for detecting virulent R. equi. The detection limit of the LAMP assay was 104 colony forming units (CFU)/mL, which was equal to 10 CFU/reaction. The clinical efficacy of the LAMP assay was compared with those of 2 published PCR-based methods: nested PCR and quantitative real-time (q)PCR. Agreements between bacterial culture, which is the gold standard for detection of R. equi, and each of the 3 molecular tests were measured by calculating a kappa coefficient. The kappa coefficients of the LAMP (0.760), nested PCR (0.583), and qPCR (0.888) indicated substantial agreement, moderate agreement, and almost perfect agreement, respectively. Although the clinical efficacy of LAMP was not the best among the 3 methods tested, LAMP could be more easily introduced into less well-equipped clinics because it does not require special equipment (such as a thermocycler) for gene amplification. Veterinary practitioners could diagnose R. equi pneumonia more quickly by using LAMP and could use the results to select an appropriate initial treatment.
The Use of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis in Couple and Family Therapy Research
Authors: Allan Robert , Eatough Virginia
Published: August 2016

This article proposes a research methodology that is newer to the field of couple and family therapy (CFT) research called interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Researchers exploring CFT research continue to establish the efficacy of couple and family interventions in a context that favors a positivist view of phenomena. This research continues to be critical for establishing the role of CFT in the field of mental health as well as further clarifying which interventions are best for specific clinical issues and when. IPA offers researchers the opportunity to explore how couples and families make meaning of their experiences from an intersubjective perspective. Meaning making is central to understanding couples and families as well as part of the many clinical approaches to working with couples and families. Despite the importance of meaning, few research methodologies allow for this central concept in CFT to be the focus of exploration. The following article outlines one such methodology and the possible use of IPA in CFT research.
Cultural psychology and its values
Authors: Brinkmann Svend
Published: August 2016

This paper discusses two sub-themes emerging from Robert Innis’ article on philosophy and cultural psychology. First, the distinction between the two fields of inquiry is discussed, and it is argued that a traditional separation of a normative philosophy and a descriptive and explanatory psychology cannot hold, because of the inherent normativity of all things psychological, as argued among others by John Dewey. Second, Innis’ search for a normative frame for cultural psychology is continued by moving in two directions at the same time: One that locates the source of normativity in historically evolved social practices (following the work of Alasdair MacIntyre), and another that looks phenomenologically at the ethical demand arising from human interdependency (following the work of Emmanuel Lévinas and K. E. Løgstrup). Such a two-sided normative frame can possibly acknowledge both the historicity of human morality and the existence of certain universal moral values.
Democracy and cultural psychology
Authors: Ernø Steffen
Published: August 2016

This paper discusses a theme touched upon in Robert Innis’s article on cultural psychology and philosophy, namely how we, within cultural psychology, seem to be undecided about how best to provide value on a societal level. It is discussed how psychology has provided us with several valuable tools for examining and understanding our own existence, despite the fact that it is also a field that has seemed to be in one crisis after another since its inception. It is argued that cultural psychology is an intellectual technology that allows us to peek under the hood of society, which is of utmost importance in today’s society, where democratic ideals are under severe pressure. Corporations, industries, and privileged individuals exercise increased control over political processes, having created obscure systems by which they operate. It is concluded that cultural psychology needs to find its role as a scientific discipline that contributes to making transparent the political, social, and interpersonal relations that define how our lives are shaped, if we want a discipline that provides value beyond the scientific realm.
Either scholar or activist? Thinking cultural psychology beyond academia
Authors: Carré David
Published: August 2016

Both Robert Innis’s and Svend Brinkmann’s works bring to the fore a notorious, but usually forgotten, topic on cultural psychology: the normative framework that regulates the relation between the researcher and the phenomena studied. In fact, these ‘models of human flourishing’, using authors’ terminology, are scarcely discussed in comparison to theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues. In the present paper, a number of potential reasons for this omission are explored. In particular, it is argued that discussing the normative and pragmatic side of the discipline appears as risky in two directions: turning cultural psychology into activism, and conducting value-laden research. For this purpose, the case of Arthur Jensen's 1969 controversial publication on IQ is discussed. This example is useful to reveal the challenges that cultural psychology must face in order to become more aware of its normative orientations; particularly the pragmatic, social impact associated to conduct research on human issues. Ultimately, it is shown that the apparent risks mentioned before emerge from implicit, outdated conceptions of both activism and scientific activity.
Investigation of particle deposition efficiency enhancement in turbulent duct air flow by surface ribs with hybrid-size ribs
Authors: Lu Hao , Lu Lin
Published: August 2016

This study presents the particle deposition enhancement by hybrid-size and same-size surface ribs in turbulent air duct flows using computational fluid dynamics simulation. The Reynolds stress turbulence model with UDF corrections and discrete particle model were adopted to simulate the turbulent air flow fields and particle deposition behaviours, respectively. After numerical validation with the relative literature results, pure particle deposition enhancement ratios, flow drag increase, comprehensive deposition efficiency and deposition enhancement mechanisms were investigated and discussed in details. The findings showed that the hybrid-size ribs with small rib spacing have the best enhancement performance on particle deposition for small particles ([Formula: see text]). Considering the flow drag increase, the maximum deposition efficiency can reach 485 for 1 µm particles for the hybrid-size ribbed cases, while it is just 425 for the same-size ribbed case. Nevertheless, no obvious particle deposition enhancement can be found for large particles ([Formula: see text]) for all types of surface ribs. The hybrid-size surface ribs are more efficient compared with the same-size ribs, which can be applied in the air cleaning equipment to improve the aerosol particle removal performance.
How are characteristics of urban green space related to levels of physical activity: Examining the links
Authors: Akpinar Abdullah , Cankurt Murat
Published: August 2016

This study investigates the associations between characteristics of urban green spaces and frequency and duration of self-reported physical activity in the city of Aydın, Turkey. Data were collected through a survey with 420 participants. We analysed the associations between characteristics of urban green spaces and frequency and duration of general population’ physical activity and physical activity of physically active people with multivariate linear regression while controlling for sex, age, marital status, education level, occupation and household income level. Results showed that for the general population, short distance to urban green spaces, many trees, exercise equipment and picnic areas were positively associated with frequency of physical activity, while barbecue and fire places negatively associated with duration of physical activity. For physically active people, many trees, soccer and basketball fields were positively associated with their frequency of physical activity, but water features were negatively correlated with frequency of physical activity. In regard to duration of physical activity for physically active people, findings showed lawn and exercise equipment were positively correlated with duration of physical activity, while water features, barbecue and fire places were negatively correlated with duration of physical activity. The findings indicate that levels of physical activity in urban green spaces could be promoted with many trees, exercise equipment, picnic areas and lawn. However, causal relationship needs to be conducted with intervention or longitudinal studies.
The effect of explicit online comment moderation on three spiral of silence outcomes
Authors: Sherrick Brett , Hoewe Jennifer
Published: August 2016

This study investigates the effect of news sites’ explicit online comment moderation policies on spiral of silence (SOS) outcome variables. It advances the methodological understanding of SOS research by comparing the traditional willingness-to-share variable to more direct measures of attitudes. The results of two studies show that a one-sided editorial and comments generally silenced the opposition, particularly when participants were asked to provide their own comment. This finding suggests that open-ended comments may best measure SOS effects. With the inclusion of explicit comment moderation, however, participants were less likely to agree with the editorial as evidenced by their closed-ended attitudes.
More than a stopover: Analysing the postcolonial image of Iceland as a gateway destination
Authors: Lund Katrín Anna , Loftsdóttir Kristín , Leonard Michael
Published: August 2016

Tourism to Iceland has and continues to benefit from its geographic position as a stopover between the North American and Eurasian continents and as an extension of the exoticised Arctic North. In that context, we argue that Iceland as a destination functions as a gateway, which should be used as a way of recognising the wider network responsible for the multiple interpretations of destination image. Accordingly, this article argues that despite the relationality of Iceland’s destination image, it has been represented as a tourism gateway by those with power to do so, producing a destination between centre and periphery as a gateway to an exoticised and commodified elsewhere. A recent advertising campaign from Iceland’s leading airline, Icelandair, was semiologically analysed as an example of travel representations that inform and shape destination image. A postcolonial lens was applied recognising that these representations are produced within a dichotomy of centre–periphery that has implications to Iceland’s present image as a travel destination.
Visual analytics of large dynamic digraphs
Authors: Burch Michael
Published: August 2016

In this article, we investigate the problem of visually representing and analyzing large dynamic directed graphs that consist of many vertices, edges, and time steps. With this work we do not primarily focus on graph details but more on achieving an overview about long graph sequences with the major focus to be scalable in vertex, edge, and time dimensions. To reach this goal, we first map each graph to a bipartite layout with vertices in the same order for each graph supporting a preservation of the viewer’s mental map. A sequence of graphs is placed in a left-to-right reading direction. To further reduce link crossings, we draw partial links with user-definable lengths and finally apply edge splatting as a concept to emphasize graph structures by color coding the generated density fields. Time-varying visual patterns can be recognized by inspecting the changes in the color coding in certain regions in the display. We illustrate the usefulness of the approach in two case studies investigating call graphs changing during software development with 21 releases which is a rather short graph sequence but contains several thousand vertices and edges. Visual scalability in the time dimension is shown with more than 1000 graphs from a dynamic social network dataset consisting of face-to-face contacts acquired during the Hypertext 2009 conference recorded by radio-frequency identification badges.
Contribution of Quantitative EEG to the Diagnosis of Early Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Guner Derya , Tiftikcioglu Bedile Irem , Tuncay Nilgun , Zorlu Yasar
Published: August 2016

Cognitive dysfunction can emerge during the clinical course of Parkinson’s disease (PD) even beginning in early stages, which requires extended neuropsychological tests for diagnosis. There is need for rapid, feasible, and practical tests in clinical practice to diagnose and monitor the patients without causing any discomfort. We investigated the utility of quantitative analysis of digital EEG (qEEG) for diagnosing subtle cognitive impairment in PD patients without evident cognitive deficits (ie, “normal cognition”). We enrolled 45 patients with PD and age- matched 39 healthy controls in the study. All participants had Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score greater than 25. qEEG analysis and extensive neuropsychological assessment battery were applied to all participants. Test scores for frontal executive functions, verbal memory processes, attention span, and visuospatial functions were significantly lower than healthy controls ( P < .01). qEEG analysis revealed a significant increase in delta, theta, and beta frequencies, and decrease in alpha frequency band in cerebral bioelectrical activity in patient group. In addition, power spectral ratios ([alpha + beta] / [delta + theta]) in frontal, central, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions were significantly decreased in patients compared with the controls. The slowing in EEG was moderately correlated with MMSE scores ( r = 0.411-0.593; P < .01). However, qEEG analysis and extensive neuropsychological assessment battery were only in weak correlation ( r = 0.230-0.486; P < .05). In conclusion, qEEG analysis could increase the diagnostic power in detecting subtle cognitive impairment in PD patients without evident cognitive deficit, perhaps years before the clinical onset of dementia.
Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors: A Systematic Review of Multiple Health Behavior Change Interventions Among Cancer Survivors
Authors: Amireault Steve , Fong Angela J. , Sabiston Catherine M.
Published: August 2016

Multiple health behavior change (MHBC) interventions have great potential for enhancing health and well-being following cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the characteristics and effects of MHBC interventions remain elusive for cancer survivors. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of MHBC interventions on healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among cancer survivors. A secondary aim was to examine the effect of using a simultaneous and sequential design approach to MHBC (ie, changing both behaviors at the same time or one after the other). Randomized controlled trials reporting the impact of a MHBC intervention on both healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among cancer survivors were retrieved from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO. A total of 27 MHBC interventions were identified; most (92.6%) were designed to promote simultaneous change in both behaviors and assessed end-of-treatment effect among breast cancer survivors. MHBC interventions led by nurses or multidisciplinary teams showed the most compelling evidence for small to moderate improvement in both behaviors, with interventions that lasted ≥17 weeks more likely to improve both behaviors. This study identifies research priorities and provides preliminary evidence for clinical decision making and advancements in MHBC intervention design and delivery for clinical oncology.
Promoting women’s health in an era of globalization: a South Asian perspective
Authors: Mohindra Katia S.
Published: August 2016

Promoting the health of women requires an understanding of the full range of factors shaping their health, including globalization. Focusing on South Asia, I outline some of the critical global women’s health issues that warrant further attention by health promotion researchers. I discuss the inadequacy of international approaches for improving the health of South Asian women, occupational health hazards associated with global industries targeting women, new forms of gender based violence, gendered ethical challenges arising as global and local forces collide and the rise of transnational feminist networks that can be harnessed for advancing women’s health across the region.
Medicare Competitive Bidding Program
Authors: Parkin Christopher G.
Published: August 2016

A recent study by the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) reported the failures and adverse health outcomes of the Medicare competitive bidding program as implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2011. CMS has repeatedly reported that the program caused no disruption of beneficiary access to needed medical products (including diabetes testing supplies) and that no adverse outcomes occurred. Although signals of disruption were seen early in the program implementation, economic modeling by McGeary and Katzman in 2004 demonstrated that the program design was significantly flawed. This article discusses the unintended consequences of competitive bidding program and provides a rationale for suspending the program until CMS can implement effective monitoring protocols to protect the safety of Medicare beneficiaries.
Recruitment of general practices: Is a standardised approach helpful in the involvement of healthcare professionals in research?
Authors: Riis Allan , Jensen Cathrine E , Maindal Helle T , Bro Flemming , Jensen Martin B
Published: August 2016

Introduction:

Health service research often involves the active participation of healthcare professionals. However, their ability and commitment to research varies. This can cause recruitment difficulties and thereby prolong the study period and inflate budgets. Solberg has identified seven R-factors as determinants for successfully recruiting healthcare professionals: relationships, reputation, requirements, rewards, reciprocity, resolution, and respect.

Method:

This is a process evaluation of the seven R-factors. We applied these factors to guide the design of our recruitment strategy as well as to make adjustments when recruiting general practices in a guideline implementation study. In the guideline implementation study, we studied the effect of outreach visits, quality reports, and new patient stratification tools for low back pain patients.

Results:

During a period of 15 months, we recruited 60 practices, which was fewer than planned (100 practices). In this evaluation, five of Solberg’s seven R-factors were successfully addressed and two factors were not. The need to involve (reciprocity) end users in the development of new software and the amount of time needed to conduct recruitment (resolution) were underestimated.

Conclusion:

The framework of the seven R-factors was a feasible tool in our recruitment process. However, we suggest further investigation in developing systematic approaches to support the recruitment of healthcare professionals to research.
A new iterative scheme for numerical reckoning fixed points of total asymptotically nonexpansive mappings
Authors: Pansuwan Adoon , Sintunavarat Wutiphol
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we propose a new iterative algorithm to approximate fixed points of total asymptotically nonexpansive mappings in $\operatorname{CAT}(0)$
CAT
(
0
)
spaces. We also provide two examples to illustrate the convergence behavior of the proposed algorithm and numerically compare the convergence of the proposed iteration scheme with the existing schemes.
TLR2-mediated leukocyte trafficking to the developing brain
Authors: Mottahedin Amin , Smith Peter Lawrence Phillip , Hagberg Henrik , Ek C Joakim , Mallard Carina
Published: August 2016

Inflammation is a significant risk factor for brain injury in the perinatal period. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that activation of peripheral TLR induces inflammation in the brain, including leukocyte trafficking. Postnatal day 8 mice were injected intraperitoneally with a TLR1/2 (Pam3CSK4, P3C), TLR2/6 (FSL-1) or TLR4 (LPS) agonist, and the peripheral and central cytokine and chemokine response was determined. Infiltration of immune cells to the CSF and brain was examined by flow cytometry, and brain permeability was investigated by radioactively labeled sucrose. We report that peripheral administration of P3C to neonatal mice induces significant influx of leukocytes, mainly neutrophils and monocytes, to the CSF and brain. Infiltration of leukocytes was TLR2 and MyD88 dependent, but largely absent after administration of LPS or FSL-1. PC3-mediated accumulation of immune cells in the brain was observed in classic CNS-leukocyte gateways, the subarachnoid space and choroid plexus, as well as in the median eminence. Although P3C and LPS induced a similar degree of peripheral inflammatory responses, P3C provoked a distinct brain chemokine response and increased permeability, in particular, of the blood-CSF barrier. Collectively, our results do not support the hypothesis that TLR activation, in general, induces immune cell infiltration to the brain. Instead, we have discovered a specific TLR2-mediated mechanism of CNS inflammation and leukocyte invasion into the neonatal brain. This interaction between peripheral and central immune responses is to a large extent via the blood-CSF barrier.
Volumetric impact of fault perturbation in the first Fresnel zone
Authors: Weinzierl Wolfgang , Schulte Lothar , Aarre Victor
Published: August 2016

Resolution within seismic imaging must be understood in all three dimensions to make quantitative approximations of subsurface geometries. Constructive interference of incident spherical waves within the first Fresnel zone will limit the resolution due to spatial aliasing. Motivated by the problem of estimating the influence of this effect on the volume uncertainty several interpretations of trapping faults, being equally probable within the first Fresnel zone, are perturbed and multiple realizations of a structural model constructed. After estimating the depth dependent mean frequency and velocity within a zone around the fault plane, the fault interpretations are stochastically perturbed. The frequency- and velocity-dependent perturbations of the dips are analytically derived based on geometric considerations. The anticipated maxima of the repositioned fault dips specify thresholds for deterministic definitions of high and low cases for the fault geometries in a framework. The structural models, resulting from repositioning the faults, show significant alterations of the hanging-wall and footwall horizon terminations due to the varying dips and repositioning of the interpretation. We have applied our to the structural and stratigraphic interpretation obtained for a prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. The spatial variations of the bounding faults result in a spread of volumetric outcomes when analyzing the gross rock volume of the compartment.
Near-surface S-wave velocities estimated from traffic-induced Love waves using seismic interferometry with double beamforming
Authors: Nakata Nori
Published: August 2016

I use ambient noise, especially traffic noise, to estimate the 2D near-surface S-velocity distribution. Near-surface velocities are useful for understanding structure, stiffness, porosity, and pore pressure for engineering/environmental purposes and static correction of active-source imaging. I extract Love waves propagating between each receiver pair from 12 h of traffic noise using seismic interferometry with power-normalized crosscorrelation. The receiver array contained three parallel lines, each of which had 100 transverse-component geophones. I apply double beamforming to the correlations at the parallel lines for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the extracted Love waves to satisfy the stationary phase assumption for seismic interferometry. I use these Love waves for a dispersion analysis to estimate a 2D near-surface S-wave velocity model based on the multichannel analysis of surface waves. To improve the lateral resolution of the velocity model, I sort the extracted waves according to common midpoints (CMPs) and limited the maximum offset of receiver pairs. The dispersion analysis at each CMP is based on the assumption of layered media, and using all CMPs, I can estimate high-resolution 2D velocities down to 80 m depth. The velocity variations are similar to the location of strong reflectors obtained by a previous study. The main features of the velocity model are recovered even from 1 h of continuous traffic-noise data, which means that the proposed technique can be used for efficient 4D surveys.
Diffractivity — Another attribute for the interpretation of seismic data in hard rock environment, a case study
Authors: Khoshnavaz Mohammad Javad , Bóna Andrej , Hossain Muhammad Shahadat , Urosevic Milovan , Chambers Kit
Published: August 2016

The primary objective of seismic exploration in a hard rock environment is the detection of heterogeneities such as fracture zones, small-scale geobodies, intrusions, and steeply dipping structures that are often associated with mineral deposits. Prospecting in such environments using seismic-reflection methods is more challenging than in sedimentary settings due to lack of continuous reflector beds and predominance of steeply dipping hard rock formations. The heterogeneities and “fractal” aspect of hard rock geologic environment produce considerable scattering of the seismic energy in the form of diffracted waves. These scatterers can be traced back to irregular and often “sharp-shaped” mineral bodies, magmatic intrusions, faults, and complex and heterogeneous shear zones. Due to the natural lack of reflectors and abundant number of diffractors, there are only a few case studies of diffraction imaging in hard rock environments. There are almost no theoretical models or field examples of diffraction imaging in prestack domain. We have filled this gap by applying a 3D prestack diffraction imaging method to image point diffractors. We calculated the diffractivity by computing the semblance of seismic data along diffraction traveltime curves in the prestack domain. The performance of the method is evaluated on a synthetic case and a field seismic data set collected over the Kevitsa mineral deposit in northern Finland. The high-resolution results obtained by the application of prestack diffraction imaging suggest that diffractivity is a robust attribute that can be used in addition to other seismic attributes for the interpretation of seismic data in hard rock environment.
Application of multiparameter full-waveform inversion in Central Luconia Basin, Sarawak
Authors: Goh Vanessa , Halleland Kjetil , Plessix René-Édouard , Stopin Alexandre
Published: August 2016

Reducing velocity inaccuracy in complex settings is of paramount importance for limiting structural uncertainties, therefore helping the geologic interpretation and reservoir characterization. Shallow velocity variations due, for instance, to gas accumulations or carbonate reefs, are a common issue offshore Malaysia. These velocity variations are difficult to image through standard reflection-based velocity model building. We have applied full-waveform inversion (FWI) to better characterize the upper part of the earth model for a shallow-water field, located in the Central Luconia Basin offshore Sarawak. We have inverted a narrow-azimuth data set with a maximum inline offset of 4.4 km. Thanks to dedicated broadband preprocessing of the data set, we could enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in the 2.5–10 Hz frequency band. We then applied a multiparameter FWI to estimate the background normal moveout velocity and the [Formula: see text]-parameter. Full-waveform inversion together with broadband data processing has helped to better define the faults and resolve the thin layers in the shallow clastic section. The improvements in the velocity model brought by FWI lead to an improved image of the structural closure and flanks. Moreover, the increased velocity resolution helps in distinguishing between two different geologic interpretations.