bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Avoiding Exploitation in Phase I Clinical Trials: More than (Un)Just Compensation
Authors: Lamkin Matt , Elliott Carl
Published: March 2018

Lowering compensation to research subjects to protect them from “undue inducement” is a misguided attempt to shoehorn a concern about exploitation into the framework of autonomy. We suggest that oversight bodies should be less concerned about undue influence than about exploitation of subjects. Avoiding exploitation in human subjects research requires not only increasing compensation, but enhancing the dignity of research participation.
The Ethics of Using Complementary Medicine in Pediatric Oncology Trials: Reconciling Challenges
Authors: Porter Amy S. , Kodish Eric
Published: March 2018

Medication reconciliation for pediatric oncology patientparticipants enrolled in clinical trials often reveals the use of chemical complementary medicine alongside protocol therapeutic agents. Considering the blurry delineation between clinical ethics and research ethics, this paper demonstrates how complementary medicine-related protocol violations introduce ethical questions of who should be included and excluded from clinical trials and offers recommendations on how to manage physician-patient-family interactions around these challenging issues.
Pragmatic Tools for Sharing Genomic Research Results with the Relatives of Living and Deceased Research Participants
Authors: Wolf Susan M. , Scholtes Emily , Koenig Barbara A. , Petersen Gloria M. , Berry Susan A. , Beskow Laura M. , Daly Mary B. , Fernandez Conrad V. , Green Robert C. , LeRoy Bonnie S. , Lindor Noralane M. , O'Rourke P. Pearl , Breitkopf Carmen Radecki , Rothstein Mark A. , Van Ness Brian , Wilfond Benjamin S.
Published: March 2018

Returning genomic research results to family members raises complex questions. Genomic research on life-limiting conditions such as cancer, and research involving storage and reanalysis of data and specimens long into the future, makes these questions pressing. This author group, funded by an NIH grant, published consensus recommendations presenting a framework. This follow-up paper offers concrete guidance and tools for implementation. The group collected and analyzed relevant documents and guidance, including tools from the Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) Consortium. The authors then negotiated a consensus toolkit of processes and documents. That toolkit offers sample consent and notification documents plus decision flow-charts to address return of results to family of living and deceased participants, in adult and pediatric research. Core concerns are eliciting participant preferences on sharing results with family and on choice of a representative to make decisions about sharing after participant death.
Opening Closed Doors: Promoting IRB Transparency
Authors: Lynch Holly Fernandez
Published: March 2018

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have substantial power and authority over research with human subjects, and in turn, their decisions have substantial implications for those subjects, investigators, and the public at large. However, there is little transparency about IRB processes and decisions. This article provides the first comprehensive taxonomy of what transparency means (or could mean) for IRBs — answering the questions “to whom, about what, and by what mechanisms?” It also explains why the status quo of nontransparency is problematic, and presents arguments for greater transparency from the perspective of a variety of stakeholders. IRB transparency will make boards more accountable, improve the quality of their decision-making, facilitate consistency in board decisions, permit empirical study of IRBs, promote research efficiency, and advance trust in the research enterprise, among a variety of other benefits. Regulators should promote IRB transparency, IRBs themselves should commit to sharing as much information as they can within the confines of confidentiality requirements, and investigators can endeavor to take matters into their own hands by sharing IRB correspondence and IRB-approved protocols and consent materials.
Chondritis of the ear after docetaxel–carboplatin chemotherapy
Authors: Kong Tae Hoon , Han Sung Min , Seo Young Joon
Published: March 2018

Docetaxel, derived from the yew tree, belongs to the taxane family of medications. It works by disrupting the normal function of microtubules, thereby stopping cell division. Docetaxel is used in the treatment of ovarian, breast, esophageal, gastric, prostate, lung, and head and neck cancers. Common side effects include hair loss, low blood cell counts, peripheral neuropathy, vomiting, and muscle pain. Auricular chondritis with ear deformity has not been reported previously as a side effect of docetaxel. In this paper, we present the case of a 64-year-old male patient with chondritis accompanied by ear deformity that developed due to docetaxel–carboplatin chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.
Men of Light Blood
Authors: Norbakk Mari
Published: March 2018

This article explores how revolution stories become a claim to manhood in Egypt, which may be used as leverage when men struggle to live up to the ideal of male provider. The revolution is stylized in the stories that youth have about their participation in the 2011 Thawrat Shabaab (youth revolution). In analyzing the narration and performance of the revolution stories, Herzfeld’s concept of performative excellence becomes relevant. Based on fieldwork undertaken in Cairo, Egypt, in 2013, the author argues that revolution stories and being good at telling jokes impart masculine capital. Inspired by Inhorn’s call for ethnographies on Arab men, this article engages with how Egyptian manhood is produced in interaction with peer groups and underlines the importance of male friendship and humor. Focusing on men from the upper-middle class of Cairo highlights how deeply classed (male) gender is in contemporary Egypt.
Ocular manifestations of Marfan syndrome in children and adolescents
Authors: Salchow Daniel J , Gehle Petra
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

To study ocular manifestations of Marfan syndrome in children and adolescents.

Methods:

Retrospective comparative cohort study on consecutive patients up to age 17 years, presenting to the interdisciplinary Marfan clinic of Charité-University Medicine Berlin over a period of 4 years.

Results:

A total of 52 Marfan syndrome patients and 73 controls were enrolled. In Marfan syndrome eyes, the cornea was flatter (mean keratometry, 40.86 ± 2.13 vs 42.55 ± 1.55 diopters in control eyes, p < .001) and corneal astigmatism was greater (1.50 ± 1.22 vs 0.88 ± 0.49 diopters in control eyes, p < .001). The central cornea was thinner in Marfan syndrome eyes (537.35 ± 40.64 vs 552.95 ± 38.57 μm, p = 0.007) and Marfan syndrome eyes were more myopic than control eyes (spherical equivalent, –2.77 ± 4.77 vs −0.64 ± 1.92 diopters, p < .001). Visual acuity was reduced (logMAR 0.11 ± 0.17 vs 0.04 ± 0.26, p = 0.014) and intraocular pressure was lower in Marfan syndrome eyes. Iris transillumination defects were more common in Marfan syndrome eyes (19.6% vs 4.3% in control eyes, odds ratio for Marfan syndrome in the presence of iris transillumination defects = 7.2). Ectopia lentis was only found in Marfan syndrome eyes (25 Marfan syndrome patients, 49% with available data, bilateral in 68%).

Conclusion:

Iris transillumination defects and ectopia lentis are characteristic ocular findings in children and adolescents with Marfan syndrome. Myopia is more common and corneal curvature, central corneal thickness, and visual acuity are reduced in Marfan syndrome eyes. Children with Marfan syndrome need regular comprehensive eye examinations to identify potential complications.
CyberKnife radiotherapy for orbital metastases: A single-center experience on 24 lesions
Authors: Riva Giulia , Augugliaro Matteo , Piperno Gaia , Ferrari Annamaria , Rondi Elena , Vigorito Sabrina , Ciardo Delia , Orecchia Roberto , Jereczek-Fossa Barbara Alicja
Published: March 2018

Objectives:

To evaluate the feasibility, in terms of acute toxicity and symptom control, of CyberKnife (Accuray, Sunnyvale, CA)-based stereotactic radiotherapy (CyberKnife-SRT) for metastatic orbital lesions.

Methods:

This retrospective study included patients with symptomatic metastases wholly located within the orbit. Palliative radiation treatment was performed using CyberKnife image-guided technology. Gross tumor volume was defined on a pre-radiotherapy magnetic resonance imaging. Acute and late toxicity was recorded according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Scale.

Results:

Between April 2012 and July 2016, 21 patients underwent CyberKnife-SRT for 24 orbital metastases from different primary tumors. Median treatment dose was 18 Gy (15–24 Gy) given in a median of 3 fractions (2–3 fractions) with a median dose of 6 Gy/fraction (5–10 Gy/fraction). Acute grade 1 toxicity was observed in eight cases. No local recurrence occurred after median follow-up of 6.2 months (1.1–30.0 months) among 16 lesions that underwent post-stereotactic radiotherapy magnetic resonance imaging. All patients reported decreasing pre-stereotactic radiotherapy symptoms without late toxicity. Follow-up >6 months (median 22.8 months) was available for nine lesions; complete and partial radiological response was registered in four and five of them, respectively.

Conclusion:

In our experience, CyberKnife-SRT is a well-tolerated treatment that offers high local and symptom control in patients with intraocular and periocular malignant lesions.
Hotel saturation and its impact upon destination marketing
Authors: Litvin Stephen W , Romo Sara L
Published: March 2018

The following research addresses the growing concern that the historic tourism city of Charleston, South Carolina, may be reaching a tourism saturation point, with the city considering the implementation of a moratorium on hotel development. This research, employing a qualitative approach, solicited and analyzed the viewpoints of a panel of hotel industry leaders from across the city to determine their views regarding the potential governmental intervention, seeking to answer the question ‘how will we know when “enough is enough?” ‘The hoteliers’ views are of significant importance to those managing, marketing, and governing Charleston, or any other destination concerned they may be reaching saturation.
A multilevel examination of sleep, depression, and quality of life in people living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Rogers Brooke G , Lee Jasper S , Bainter Sierra A , Bedoya C Andres , Pinkston Megan , Safren Steven A
Published: March 2018

Sleep problems are prevalent in people living with HIV/AIDS; however, few studies examine how poor sleep affects mental health and quality of life longitudinally. A sample of people living with HIV/AIDS from a randomized trial ( N = 240; mean age = 47.18; standard deviation = 8.3; 71.4% male; 61.2% White) completed measures of depression (Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale), health-related quality of life (AIDS Clinical Trial Group Quality of Life Measure), and life satisfaction (Quality of Life Inventory) at baseline and 4, 8, and 12 months. Controlling for time, condition, and relevant interactions, sleep problems significantly predicted worse outcomes over time ( ps < 0.001). Findings have implications for the importance of identifying and treating sleep problems in people living with HIV/AIDS to improve mental health and quality-of-life outcomes.
Questioning Consensuses: Right-Wing Populism, Anti-Populism, and the Threat of ‘Gender Ideology’
Authors: Kováts Eszter
Published: March 2018

Since 2012, several European countries (among others Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia or Slovakia) have seen the rise of conservative and, in part, fundamentalist social movements against the perceived threat of what they call (depending on the context) ‘gender ideology’, ‘gender theory’, or ‘genderism’. The movements mobilizing against ‘gender ideology’ are frequently understood as a conservative backlash against achieved levels of equality between women and men and/or LGBTQ rights. This perspective of ‘the patriarchy/heteronormativity fighting back’ seems as tempting as it is simplifying. I discuss the transnational movements against ‘gender ideology’ in the context of the rise of right-wing populism and on the basis of considerations seeking to explain their demand side. On one hand, I argue that the study of this phenomenon provides important clues for understanding the reasons behind the rise of populist forces in Europe and beyond. On the other hand, I propose that ‘gender’ is not the final target for these movements and that they should not be understood primarily as mobilizations against equality. Rather, I see the emergence of these movements as a symptom of a larger systemic crisis. ‘Gender ideology’ in this sense embodies numerous deficits of the so-called progressive actors, and the movements or parties that mobilize against the perceived threat of ‘gender ideology’ react to these deficits by re-politicizing certain issues in a polarized language. Based on Chantal Mouffe’s critique of the established hegemonic idea of consensus in liberal democracy, I discuss two consensuses that are characteristic of the so-called progressive actors (including the feminist and LGBTQ actors), namely, the neoliberal consensus and the human rights consensus, and their contribution to the rise of the movements against ‘gender ideology’.
Numerical simulation of thermal loads of the truck’s power train mounting system due to vibrations
Authors: Demić Miroslav , Miloradović Danijela
Published: March 2018

Dynamic simulation based on modelling has a significant role during a vehicle development process. It is especially important in the first design stages, when relevant parameters are to be defined. Power train mounting system is exposed to thermal loads which can lead to damage and degradation of its characteristics. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse conversion of mechanical work into heat energy in power train mounting system using a method of dynamic simulation. Considering the presence of classic–mechanical and hydraulic power train mounting systems in modern trucks, analysis of power train mounting thermal loads of FAP 1213 vehicle was conducted. Thermal loads of vehicle power train mounts were calculated by dynamic simulation, while their cooling process was not analysed.
Utility of Standing Maneuvers during Abdominal Duplex Ultrasound Examination to Diagnose Median Arcuate Ligament Compression
Authors: Downing Mary C. , Ayoub Kathryn , Sakarwala Abizer , Whitelaw Susan M. , Yesenko Sandra , Gornik Heather L.
Published: March 2018

Introduction

Median arcuate ligament compression (MALC) may present with abdominal pain as the result of dynamic compression of the celiac artery and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). An asymptomatic patient may also demonstrate dynamic stenosis consistent with MALC on duplex examination. Duplex examination with maneuvers may differentiate fixed stenosis attributable to atherosclerosis (ASO) from dynamic stenosis caused by MALC. In MALC, elevated velocities normalize during deep inspiration. Performance of the Doppler examination with the patient standing may lead to improved diagnosis of MALC.

Methods

We performed a database query for all abdominal duplex examinations performed from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 in which a standing (or seated) Doppler examination was reported. Studies were performed with a curved 5–2 MHz transducer (Philips iU22, Bothell, WA) with the patient in the fasting state. A peak systolic velocity (PSV) of ≥ 250 cm/sec in the celiac artery and a PSV of ≥ 275 cm/sec in the SMA were consistent with 70–99% stenosis.

Results

Ten patients were identified. Mean age was 51.2 years. A total of 60% of patients were female. Four patients presented for evaluation of abdominal pain and/or weight loss; six patients for other indications. Nine patients had increased PSV in the celiac artery at rest. The abnormality resolved with maneuvers in seven out of nine patients, consistent with MALC. In two patients, celiac artery PSV normalized with inspiration while they were supine; four patients in whom celiac artery velocity did not normalize with inspiration while they were supine had normal PSV while standing; one patient had normal celiac artery velocity while seated (no supine inspiration maneuvers performed); two patients had persistent celiac artery stenosis, likely because of ASO, although one normalized partially with standing. One patient had elevated velocities in the hepatic and splenic arteries that normalized with standing. Two patients had evidence of MALC of the SMA demonstrated with standing maneuvers.

Conclusion

Among patients with elevated velocities in the celiac artery and the SMA, repeated Doppler examination with the patient standing may demonstrate normalized velocities, consistent with MALC. The value of incorporating standing views into the abdominal duplex protocol to avoid false positive diagnoses of ASO merits prospective evaluation.
Arterial Duplex Ultrasound is the Most Cost-Effective, Noninvasive Diagnostic Imaging Modality before Treatment of Lower-Extremity Arterial Occlusive Disease
Authors: Schwarcz Thomas H. , Gatz Vicki L. , Little Stephen , Geddings Chrisa F.
Published: March 2018

Introduction

Multiple noninvasive imaging modalities (duplex ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiography, and computed tomographic angiography) are now available for diagnostic evaluation of lower-extremity arterial occlusive disease (LEOD). This study was performed to determine the effectiveness of duplex ultrasound as the primary diagnostic imaging test before endovascular treatment and to estimate the potential cost-savings compared with the use of other technologies.

Methods

The diagnostic evaluations of all patients treated for LEOD by a single vascular specialist between July 2004 and February 2008 were reviewed. The medical records were reviewed for the initial noninvasive diagnostic imaging study, type of intervention, and patency of revascularization. Medicare reimbursement rates (2007) for each imaging modality were used to compare costs of diagnostic testing.

Results

A total of 128 endovascular interventions were performed in 89 patients. Arterial duplex imaging was the primary and only diagnostic study performed prior to endovascular treatment in 108 (84%) of procedures. If preintervention magnetic resonance angiography or computed tomographic angiography had been used in these patients instead of duplex, the costs for diagnostic imaging alone would have increased by $96,064 and $44,762, respectively.

Conclusion

Arterial duplex ultrasound can be effectively used as the preferred modality for noninvasive imaging of LEOD, resulting in substantial cost savings.
Tracking objects using Grassmann manifold appearance modeling based on wireless multimedia sensor networks
Authors: Xie Yinghong , Yu Xiaosheng , Wu Chengdong
Published: March 2018

Visual object tracking methods based on wireless multimedia sensor network is one of the research hotspots while the present linear method for processing feature vectors often lead to the tracking drift when tracking object with significant nonplanar pose variations through wireless sensor networks. In this article, we propose a novel nonlinear algorithm for tracking significant deformable objects. The proposed tracking scheme has two filters. On one hand, considering that Grassmann manifold is one of entropy manifold in Lie group manifold, which can describe and process the data of appearance feature more accurately, one filter is designed on it, to estimate the object appearance, by making full use of the transformation relationship between the point on manifold and its corresponding point on tangent space. On the other hand, considering that the process of objects imaging is essentially projection transformation process, the other filter is designed on projection transformation (SL(3)) group, describing the geometric deformation of the objects. The two filters execute alternatively to mitigate tracking drift. Extensive experiments prove that the proposed method can realize stable and accurate tracking for targets with significant geometric deformation, even obscured and illumination changes.
Cooperative solving method of chute postures in the bending section of a scraper conveyor
Authors: Xie Jia-cheng , Yang Zhao-jian , Wang Xue-wen , Wang Shu-ping , Zhang Qing
Published: March 2018

This article proposes a cooperatively analytic solving method that calculates the chute posture in the bending section. The method maintains a good posture of the scraper conveyor during its bending process and solves the feeding trajectory of the shearer accurately and precisely. This method modifies and perfects the existing method to obtain the main parameters of the bending section, including the postures of the chutes and pin rails, and the corresponding extension lengths of the advancing units. A virtual-reality software that can visually simulate this entire operation process under different conditions is developed. Considering the gap between the driving wheel and the pin rails, the relationship between the shearer yaw angle and shearer working trajectory in the feeding stage is investigated for different body lengths. The angular relationship between the left and right driving wheels and the pin rails is also researched. Finally, the proposal is verified in experiments on a test prototype and on physical equipment. This analytic method provides a theoretical basis for the cooperative three-dimension localization of three machines in a fully mechanized coal-mining face, ensuring safe automatic production of the mining face.
Shape detection of object behind thin medium using ultrasonic sensors
Authors: Win Yin Thu , Afzulpurkar Nitin , Punyasai Chumnarn
Published: March 2018

This research aims to develop a novel method for recognizing the shape of an object located behind thin medium utilizing combination of ultrasonic sensor signal and edge detection technique. This system is extensively designed so that it can be easily mounted on a surveillance autonomous ground vehicle and is robust for operating in a hazardous environment. Once the autonomous ground vehicle reaches near the hidden objects, the proposed ultrasonic sensor system will identify shapes of the objects. Generally, the number of different sensors mounted on the robot and the number of tasks related to navigation, exploration and detection operation make the design of the autonomous ground vehicle control system very complex. The proposed ultrasonic sensing system for an autonomous ground vehicle provides two-dimensional shape information with low computational cost and will not add significant computational burden to the autonomous ground vehicle’s overall control system. At first, a mathematical model for the ultrasonic sensor is created to find the relationships between the attenuation coefficient, the transmission coefficient, the thickness of the medium and ultrasonic wavelength. The mathematical model is followed by numerical simulation to establish several design parameters. Finally, a prototype for the proposed shape detection system is developed using the kHz range off-the-shelf ultrasonic sensors and edge detection technique. Experimental results confirmed that the accuracy of the proposed mathematical model and shape of an object located behind a thin medium could be estimated successfully. It was concluded from the results that the developed novel method was useful for identifying objects located behind thin media and this will help in conducting the further development of research for surveillance and rescue operation using the autonomous ground vehicle.
Evidence for selective adjustments of inhibitory control in a variant of the stop signal task
Authors: Xu Kitty Z , Mayse Jeffrey D , Courtney Susan
Published: March 2018

The ability to inhibit actions inappropriate for the context is essential for meeting the shifting demands of complex environments. The stop signal task (SST) has been used in many previous studies to examine the interactions between go and stop responses in a cognitively demanding task involving attention, conflict resolution, and motor plan selection. The current study uses a variant of the SST, in which the continue signal instructs participants to proceed with the go response they were preparing. Reaction times (RTs) on continue trials were bimodally distributed, suggesting that an aspect of inhibition was involved in at least some of the trials. We investigated whether the cognitive processes delaying the generation of a behavioural response on continue trials are the same as for stop trials. We found improvement of stop signal reaction times (SSRTs) following stop trials, but the decrease in continue signal reaction times (CSRTs) was not significant. No improvement in either SSRT or CSRT was found following continue trials, suggesting that activation of the processes delaying the response on continue trials is insufficient to drive subsequent adjustments in SSRT or CSRT. In addition, go RTs only slowed following stop trials. These effects may suggest the presence of a selective learning process, which requires that the initial inhibition captured by SSRT and CSRT be combined with recognition of the stop signal specifically to affect subsequent performance.
Experimental evidence that preaxial polydactyly and forearm radial deficiencies may share a common developmental origin
Authors: Lam Wee L. , Oh Julia D. H. , Johnson Edward J. , Pertinez Sandra Poyatos , Stephens Chloe , Davey Megan G.
Published: March 2018

Preaxial polydactyly is a congenital hand anomaly predominantly of sporadic occurrence, which is frequently associated with abnormalities of the Sonic hedgehog signalling pathway. In experimentally induced preaxial polydactyly, radial aplasia is also frequently observed. To determine if there is a correlation between preaxial polydactyly and radial aplasia, we induced ectopic Sonic hedgehog signalling during chicken limb development with application of a smoothened-agonist (SAG) or retinoic acid. Application of SAG caused malformations in 71% limbs including preaxial polydactyly (62%) and forearm abnormalities (43%). Retinoic acid application induced malformations in 56% of limb including preaxial polydactyly (45%) and forearm abnormalities (50%). Radial dysplasia and ulnar dimelia were observed in both experimental conditions. We demonstrate that ectopic Sonic hedgehog signalling may cause both preaxial polydactyly and predictable forearm anomalies and that these conditions could potentially be classified as one embryological group. We propose a unifying model based on known models of ectopic Sonic hedgehog signalling.
Simulation of different gas–solid flow regimes using a drag law derived from lattice Boltzmann simulations
Authors: Xie Yeping , Liu Yongquan , Li Linmin , Xu Chang , Li Baokuan
Published: March 2018

Gas–solid flows are widely found in various industrial processes, e.g. chemical engineering and sand ingestion test for aero-engine; the interaction between continuum and discrete particles in such systems always leads to complex phase structures of which fundamental understandings are needed. Within the OpenFOAM, the present work uses the discrete element method combined with the computational fluid dynamics to investigate the gas–solid flow behaviors in a dense fluidized bed under various conditions. A drag law which is for polydisperse systems derived from lattice Boltzmann simulations is incorporated into the computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method framework and its suitability for different flow regimes is investigated. The regimes including, namely slugging bed, jet-in-fluidized bed, spout fluidization, and intermediate, are simulated and validated against experiments. The results show that the lattice Boltzmann drag relation performs well in capturing characteristics of different gas–solid flow regimes. Good agreements are also obtained quantitatively by comparisons of pressure drop fluctuation, and time-averaged gas velocity and particle flux.
Detection and characterization of colorectal polyps using high‐definition white light and i‐Scan: Evidence‐based consensus recommendations using a modified Delphi process
Authors: Bhandari Pradeep , Thayalasekaran Sreedhari , Keisslich Ralf , Bisschops Raf , Hoffmann Arthur , Haidry Rehan , Esteban Jose , López Viedma Bartolomé , Godzhello Elina , Almadi Majid , Neumann Helmut , Sanduleanu Silvia
Published: March 2018

Background

i‐Scan is an image enhancement modality, which provides enhanced views of mucosal structures and vascular patterns.

Methods

A modified Delphi process was used to develop a series of evidence‐based statements on the role of high‐definition white light (HDWL) and i‐Scan for the detection and diagnosis of colorectal neoplasms. Each statement was voted to achieve consensus (i.e. >80% agreement).

Results

Seven proposed statements achieved consensus: (1) HDWL is recommended rather than standard definition (SD) for detection and diagnosis of colorectal neoplasms; (2) HDWL colonoscopy with i‐Scan improves polyp and adenoma detection rates when compared with SD colonoscopy; (3) HDWL + i‐Scan is superior to HDWL alone for the optical diagnosis of colorectal neoplasms; (4) HDWL + i‐Scan in expert hands meets American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) in the Preservation and Incorporation of Valuable Endoscopic Innovations (PIVI) standards for optical diagnosis of diminutive neoplasms; (5) HDWL + i‐Scan in non‐expert hands does not meet ASGE PIVI standards for optical diagnosis of diminutive neoplasms; (6) optical diagnosis of polyps with i‐Scan has a learning curve and needs systematic training; and (7) the performance of i‐Scan for the in vivo diagnosis of colorectal neoplasms is similar to Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) and Fuji Intelligent Chromo Endoscopy (FICE).

Conclusions

Seven proposed statements on the use of HDWL and i‐Scan for the detection and diagnosis of colorectal neoplasms achieved consensus.
Antifibrotic effect of Ocimum basilicum L. and linalool on arecoline-induced fibrosis in human buccal fibroblasts
Authors: Adtani Pooja , Malathi Narasimhan , Ranganathan Kannan , Lokeswari Sivaswamy , Punnoose Alan Mathew
Published: March 2018

Aim:

To explore Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) and linalool for their antifibrotic activity in an arecoline-induced in vitro fibrotic model.

Methods:

Leaf extract of O. basilicum L. (LEOB) and linalool were used as experimental agents to test their antifibrogenic activity in vitro. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for arecoline, ethanolic LEOB, and linalool was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. To evaluate the antifibrotic effect of ethanolic LEOB and linalool on pretreatment, that is, both the testing agents were added to the human buccal fibroblasts (HBFs) prior to induction with arecoline, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out to study the response of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), collagen 1 subtype A2 (COL1A2), and collagen 3 subtype A1 (COL3A1). To appreciate the morphological alterations in HBFs on treatment with arecoline, ethanolic LEOB, and linalool, Masson’s trichrome staining was performed.

Results:

Arecoline enhanced fibrotic activity by upregulating TGFβ1, COL1A2, and COL3A1 levels, whereas ethanolic LEOB and linalool on pretreatment significantly downregulated the increased levels of TGFβ1, COL1A2, and COL3A1 in primary HBF cell cultures.

Conclusion and implication to clinic:

Both ethanolic LEOB and linalool exhibited significant antifibrotic activity in an in vitro model. Further studies in an in vitro model can help attain a foundation for an herbal formulation in gel form that can be prescribed to patients diagnosed with oral submucous fibrosis for topical application. It can also be used synergistically with Western medicine.
Role of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene polymorphisms in osteoporosis: A study in Chinese post-menopausal women
Authors: Wan An , Liu Daodong
Published: March 2018

Osteoporosis is a chronic multifactorial disease characterized by deterioration of bone mass and is vulnerable to bone fracture. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is an important molecule for maintenance of optimum bone mass. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PAI-1 have been reported to alter PAI-1 expression and/or the translational level. In this report, we explored the possible role of common PAI-1 gene polymorphisms on predisposition to osteoporosis in a Chinese cohort. A total of 364 post-menopausal Chinese women diagnosed of having osteoporosis and 350 healthy females hailing from similar areas were enrolled in this study. Five common SNPs (−844G > A, −6754G/5G, +43G > A, +9785G > A and +11053T > G) were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Relative expression of PAI-1 mRNA and plasma PAI-1 levels were quantified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Prevalence of homozygous mutant (5G/5G) and minor allele (5G) of PAI-1 (−675 4G/5G) polymorphism was significantly more frequent in patients than in healthy controls (5G/5G: P < 0.0001, odds ratio (OR) = 3.18; 5G: P < 0.0001, OR = 1.65). Both plasma PAI-1 and relative mRNA expression levels were significantly lower in patients compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, the quantity of plasma PAI-1 and mRNA expression was correlated with PAI-1 (−675 4G/5G) polymorphism: subjects with 4G/4G genotype had elevated PAI-1 in comparison to homozygous mutant, and displayed lower quantity of PAI-1 protein and mRNA values. PAI-1 (−675 4G/5G) mutant is associated with susceptibility to development of osteoporosis in post-menopausal Chinese women. Furthermore, this variant in the promoter region alters plasma protein levels and relative expression of PAI-1.
Third-party fecal microbiota transplantation following allo-HCT reconstitutes microbiome diversity
Authors: DeFilipp Zachariah , Peled Jonathan U. , Li Shuli , Mahabamunuge Jasmin , Dagher Zeina , Slingerland Ann E. , Del Rio Candice , Valles Betsy , Kempner Maria E. , Smith Melissa , Brown Jami , Dey Bimalangshu R. , El-Jawahri Areej , McAfee Steven L. , Spitzer Thomas R. , Ballen Karen K. , Sung Anthony D. , Dalton Tara E. , Messina Julia A. , Dettmer Katja , Liebisch Gerhard , Oefner Peter , Taur Ying , Pamer Eric G. , Holler Ernst , Mansour Michael K. , van den Brink Marcel R. M. , Hohmann Elizabeth , Jenq Robert R. , Chen Yi-Bin
Published: March 2018

Key Points

The administration of third-party FMT capsules early after allogeneic HCT is feasible and appears safe. FMT is associated with early expansion of microbiome diversity in transplant recipients.
Absence of cerebrospinal fluid antineuronal antibodies in schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Authors: Oviedo-Salcedo Tatiana , de Witte Lot , Kümpfel Tania , Kahn René S. , Falkai Peter , Eichhorn Peter , Luykx Jurjen , Hasan Alkomiet
Published: March 2018

Antibody-mediated encephalitis has been discussed as one possible cause for isolated psychotic syndromes. Mostly based on serum samples, findings have been controversial. We present the results of a retrospective study of 124 clinically diagnosed psychotic patients without documented relevant neurological symptoms. All were tested for different antineuronal antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) while 81 received serum testing. Antineuronal antibodies in CSF were negative across the sample. 3.7% showed low positive serum antibodies. Our findings highlight the importance of a deeper discussion about the relevance of low positive serum antibodies without concurrent findings in CSF or clinical signs for autoimmune encephalitis.

Declaration of interest

None.
Depression and hopelessness as risk factors for suicide ideation, attempts and death: meta-analysis of longitudinal studies
Authors: Ribeiro Jessica D. , Huang Xieyining , Fox Kathryn R. , Franklin Joseph C.
Published: March 2018

Background

Many studies have documented robust relationships between depression and hopelessness and subsequent suicidal thoughts and behaviours; however, much weaker and non-significant effects have also been reported. These inconsistencies raise questions about whether and to what degree these factors confer risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the magnitude and clinical utility of depression and hopelessness as risk factors for suicide ideation, attempts and death.

Method

We conducted a meta-analysis of published studies from 1971 to 31 December 2014 that included at least one longitudinal analysis predicting suicide ideation, attempt or death using any depression or hopelessness variable.

Results

Overall prediction was weaker than anticipated, with weighted mean odds ratios of 1.96 (1.81–2.13) for ideation, 1.63 (1.55–1.72) for attempt and 1.33 (1.18–1.49) for death. Adjusting for publication bias further reduced estimates. Effects generally persisted regardless of sample severity, sample age or follow-up length.

Conclusions

Several methodological constraints were prominent across studies; addressing these issues would likely be fruitful moving forward.

Declaration of interest

None.
Prospective International Randomized Phase II Study of Low-Dose Abiraterone With Food Versus Standard Dose Abiraterone In Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Szmulewitz Russell Z. , Peer Cody J. , Ibraheem Abiola , Martinez Elia , Kozloff Mark F. , Carthon Bradley , Harvey R. Donald , Fishkin Paul , Yong Wei Peng , Chiong Edmund , Nabhan Chadi , Karrison Theodore , Figg William D. , Stadler Walter M. , Ratain Mark J.
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Abiraterone acetate (AA) is a standard of care for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Despite a large food effect, AA was administered under fasting conditions in its pivotal trials. We sought to test the hypothesis that low-dose AA (LOW; 250 mg with a low-fat meal) would have comparable activity to standard AA (STD; 1,000 mg fasting) in patients with CRPC.

Patients and Methods

Patients (n = 72) with progressive CRPC from seven institutions in the United States and Singapore were randomly assigned to STD or LOW. Both arms received prednisone 5 mg twice daily. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was assessed monthly, and testosterone/dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were assessed every 12 weeks with disease burden radiographic assessments. Plasma was collected for drug concentrations. Log change in PSA, as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for efficacy, was the primary end point, using a noninferiority design. Progression-free survival (PFS), PSA response (≥ 50% reduction), change in androgen levels, and pharmacokinetics were secondary end points.

Results

Thirty-six patients were accrued to both arms. At 12 weeks, there was a greater effect on PSA in the LOW arm (mean log change, −1.59) compared with STD (−1.19), and noninferiority of LOW was established according to predefined criteria. The PSA response rate was 58% in LOW and 50% in STD, and the median PFS was approximately 9 months in both groups. Androgen levels decreased similarly in both arms. Although there was no difference in PSA response or PFS, abiraterone concentrations were higher in STD.

Conclusion

Low-dose AA (with low-fat breakfast) is noninferior to standard dosing with respect to PSA metrics. Given the pharmacoeconomic implications, these data warrant consideration by prescribers, payers, and patients. Additional studies are indicated to assess the long-term efficacy of this approach.
Health-Related Quality-of-Life Analysis From KEYNOTE-045: A Phase III Study of Pembrolizumab Versus Chemotherapy for Previously Treated Advanced Urothelial Cancer
Authors: Vaughn David J. , Bellmunt Joaquim , Fradet Yves , Lee Jae Lyun , Fong Lawrence , Vogelzang Nicholas J. , Climent Miguel A. , Petrylak Daniel P. , Choueiri Toni K. , Necchi Andrea , Gerritsen Winald , Gurney Howard , Quinn David I. , Culine Stephane , Sternberg Cora N. , Mai Yabing , Li Haojie , Perini Rodolfo F. , Bajorin Dean F. , de Wit Ronald
Published: March 2018

Purpose

In the phase III KEYNOTE-045 study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02256436), pembrolizumab significantly prolonged overall survival compared with investigator’s choice of chemotherapy in patients with previously treated advanced urothelial cancer. Here, we report the results of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) analyses from the KEYNOTE-045 trial.

Patients and Methods

Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg or investigator’s choice of docetaxel 75 mg/m2, paclitaxel 175 mg/m2, or vinflunine 320 mg/m2 administered intravenously every 3 weeks. Key prespecified HRQoL analyses were time to deterioration (TTD) and mean change from baseline to week 15 in European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 global health status/quality-of-life score.

Results

Of 542 patients who were randomly assigned, 519 were included in HRQoL analyses (pembrolizumab, n = 266; chemotherapy, n = 253). HRQoL compliance was > 95% at baseline and approximately 88% at week 15 for both groups. Pembrolizumab prolonged TTD in global health status/quality-of-life score compared with chemotherapy (median, 3.5 months v 2.3 months; hazard ratio, 0.72; nominal one-sided P = .004). Mean (95% CI) change from baseline to week 15 in global health status/quality-of-life score was 0.69 (−2.40 to 3.77) with pembrolizumab and −8.36 (−11.84 to −4.89) with chemotherapy (mean difference, 9.05 points; 95% CI, 4.61 to 13.50; nominal two-sided P < .001).

Conclusion

Pembrolizumab prolonged TTD in HRQoL compared with chemotherapy. Patients who were treated with pembrolizumab had stable or improved global health status/quality of life, whereas those who were treated with investigator’s choice of chemotherapy experienced declines in global health status/quality of life. Combined with efficacy and safety outcomes, these data support pembrolizumab as standard of care for patients with platinum-refractory advanced urothelial cancer.
“An Extreme Sense of Protest against Everything”: Chester Himes’s Prison Novel
Authors: Dichter Thomas Alan
Published: March 2018

First drafted during the author’s imprisonment in the 1930s, Chester Himes’s autobiographical prison novel, Yesterday Will Make You Cry, was originally published in expurgated form as Cast the First Stone in 1953. This essay situates both versions in relation to contemporary sociological and popular discourses of state violence and racial liberalism. A pervasive midcentury ideology posited that rationalizing state violence could resolve both social disorder and racial injustice. I argue that Yesterday’s representation of the excessiveness of prison violence undermines the state’s claims to rationality and moderation and that the book’s exploration of queer, criminalized, and racialized subjectivity resists the pathologizing discourses that legitimized state violence. The novel’s transformation did not merely excise its sexual content, then, but greatly diminished its political disruptiveness. Cast the First Stone labors to contain the “extreme sense of protest” that Yesterday dramatizes so powerfully.
Bildungsroman Hermeneutics in the Post–Civil Rights Era
Authors: Le-Khac Long
Published: March 2018

This essay defines the problem of bildungsroman hermeneutics for literary criticism and social policy in the post–civil rights era. Examining critical responses to Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, it argues that the traditional bildungsroman exerts a powerful hold on interpretations of minority mobility. Bildungsroman hermeneutics understands social relations as organized around individual development. This model undermines the collective politics many critics sense in Cisneros’s text and obscures her revisions of the genre. Furthermore, bildungsroman hermeneutics intersects with neoconservative arguments that helped to roll back civil rights reforms and stymie government interventions. To address the inequalities enduring after civil rights we must circumvent an individual-centered template that has shaped plots of narrative and social change. Part of a broader effort to decenter the bildungsroman (including the work of Maxine Hong Kingston and Gloria Naylor), Cisneros’s text can help us do so, if we can learn to read it otherwise.
Microbial Geographies at the Extremes of Life
Authors: Salazar Juan Francisco
Published: March 2018

This article explores world-making processes through which extreme frontiers of life are made habitable. Examining how notions of life are enlarged, incorporated, and appropriated in complex geopolitical contexts, the article argues that microbial worlds are becoming part of worlding processes and projects that further these frontiers. The emphasis on “microbial ontologies” is designed to draw attention to the increasing expediency of conceptualizing extreme earthly ecologies as analogues for other planetary worlds, as a way of tracing the relational trajectories of Antarctica and outer space, and to reflect on emerging modes of an extraterrestrial mode of thinking Earth. This article is informed by short-term ethnographic fieldwork in the Antarctic Peninsula with Chilean microbiologists engaged in the bioprospecting of extremophiles, to account for how extremophile organisms are made part of a market-driven search for bioactive components in areas highly sensitive to geopolitics at the same time as they become meaningful as proxies for extraterrestrial life. The article combines analysis, description, and fieldwork material, tracing the relational trajectories of Antarctica and outer space in very general terms and then discussing the intricacies of bioprospecting in Antarctica, where the question of who owns the microbial diversity existing outside of national territories remains ambiguous and contested.
Heat and humidity induced plastic changes in body lipids and starvation resistance in the tropicalZaprionus indianusof wet - dry seasons
Authors: Girish T. N. , Pradeep B. E. , Parkash Ravi
Published: March 2018

Insects from tropical wet or dry seasons are likely to cope starvation stress through plastic changes (developmental as well as adult acclimation) in energy metabolites. Control and experimental groups of flies of Zaprionus indianus were reared under wet or dry conditions but adults were acclimated at different thermal or humidity conditions. Adult flies of control group were acclimated at 27°C and low (50% RH) or high (60% RH) humidity. For experimental groups, adult flies were acclimated at 32℃ for 1 to 6 days and under low (40% RH) or high (70% RH). For humidity acclimation, adult flies were acclimated at 27°C but under low (40% RH) or high (70% RH) for 1 to 6 days. Plastic changes in experimental groups as compared to control group (developmental as well as adult acclimation) revealed significant accumulation of body lipids due to thermal or humidity acclimation of wet season flies but low humidity acclimation did not change the level of body lipids in dry season flies. Starvation resistance and body lipids were higher in the males of dry season but in the females of wet season. Adult acclimation under thermal or humidity conditions exhibited changes in the rate of utilization of body lipids, carbohydrates and proteins. Adult acclimation of wet or dry season flies revealed plastic changes in mean daily fecundity; and a reduction in fecundity under starvation. Thus, thermal or humidity acclimation of adults revealed plastic changes in energy metabolites to support starvation resistance of wet or dry seasons flies.