bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Narratives of Young Men With Injecting Drug Use Histories Leaving Adult Prison
Authors: Walker Shelley , Higgs Peter , Stoové Mark , Wilson Mandy
Published: December 2017

This research focuses on an under-examined aspect of the post-release prison trajectory for a seldom-researched cohort. Narratives of the immediate days/weeks surrounding release were gathered from young men with histories of injecting drug use (IDU). Twenty-eight participants (aged 19-24) released from adult prisons in Victoria, Australia, participated in face-to-face in-depth qualitative interviews after release. Analysis of findings through the lens of a “risk environment” framework reveals how their experiences were compromised by risk factors embedded in the physical spaces and social situations they inhabited, as well as the multi-sectoral policy environments under which they were governed. A complex interplay between these factors, young men’s drug use and broader issues of structural vulnerability, including institutionalization and social disadvantage, combined to limit young men’s chances of “success”1 on the outside. Narratives provide evidence for interventions that transform risk environments into enabling environments, thereby promoting a more successful transition from prison to community for young men with IDU histories.
Assessing Protective Factors for Violence Risk in U.K. General Mental Health Services Using the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors
Authors: Haines Alina , Brown Andrew , Javaid Syed Fahad , Khan Fayyaz , Noblett Steve , Omodunbi Oladipupo , Sadiq Khurram , Zaman Wahid , Whittington Richard
Published: December 2017

Violence risk assessment and management are key tasks in mental health services and should be guided by validated instruments covering both risk and protective factors. This article is part of an international effort to validate the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors (SAPROF) for violence. The SAPROF, Historical, Clinical, Risk Management–20 (HCR-20) and the Psychopathy Checklist–Screening Version (PCL-SV) were administered in a sample of 261 patients in U.K. forensic, general inpatient, and community mental health settings. There was significant variation between these groups on SAPROF scores with fewer protective factors in the forensic group. The prospective validity of the SAPROF for nonviolence in the general inpatient and community samples was moderate (area under the curve [AUC] = .60). Adoption of the SAPROF or similar instruments as a supplement to risk-focused assessments has the potential to improve awareness of protective factors and enhance therapeutic engagement in a range of mental health services.
Manufacturing without the firm: Challenges for the maker movement in three U.S. cities
Authors: Doussard Marc , Schrock Greg , Wolf-Powers Laura , Eisenburger Max , Marotta Stephen
Published: December 2017

Participants in the U.S. maker movement generate market-worthy consumer goods from the bare bones of novel ideas and simple production equipment. For cities and policymakers, making thus represents the opportunity to develop new manufacturing industries and employment. For makers to transform themselves into large-volume producers, however, they must negotiate significant financing, production and distribution barriers without recourse to the capabilities of the large manufacturing firm. Drawing on 137 interviews with makers and maker-supporting organizations, we call attention to the challenges of “manufacturing without the firm,” as well as the extent to which the localized institutional ecosystems in which makers are embedded may help them circumvent these challenges. Our findings indicate that the maker movement's generative prospects rest on these firms' ability to negotiate problems of production and markets that have beset clusters of small firms for many decades.
Morphologic Properties of Cartilage Lesions in the Knee Arthroscopically Prepared by the Standard Curette Technique Are Inferior to Lesions Prepared by Specialized Chondrectomy Instruments
Authors: Blasiak Adrian , Whyte Graeme P. , Matlak Adrian , Brzóska Roman , Sadlik Boguslaw
Published: December 2017

Background:

Cartilage lesion preparation is an important component to cartilage repair procedures, given the effect of prepared lesion morphology on the formation of durable and well-integrated repair tissue.

Purpose:

To compare the quality of arthroscopic cartilage lesion debridement performed by (1) the standard curette (SC) technique and (2) specialized chondrectomy (CM) instruments, to provide technical guidance for optimization of cartilage lesion preparation in the setting of arthroscopic cartilage repair.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Articular cartilage lesions of standardized size (8 × 15 mm) were demarcated within the trochlea and femoral condyles of 20 human cadaver knee specimens. Orthopaedic surgeons performed arthroscopic lesion preparation using 2 techniques that consisted of SC preparation and preparation by CM instruments. A histologic comparative analysis was performed within each treatment group and between treatment groups to evaluate the morphology of prepared cartilage defects.

Results:

The mean angle deviation from perpendicular of the cartilage wall at the front of the prepared cartilage lesions was significantly greater in the SC group versus the CM group (29.8° ± 21.4° vs 7.7° ± 7.6°, P < .001). In lesions prepared via the SC technique, the cartilage walls at the front of the prepared lesions were significantly less perpendicular than the cartilage walls at the rear of the lesions (29.8° ± 21.4° vs 11.0° ± 10.3°, P < .001), whereas lesions prepared by the CM technique demonstrated comparable verticality of surrounding cartilage walls at the front and rear aspects of the lesions (7.7° ± 7.6° vs 9.4° ± 12.3°, P = .827). Depth of lesion debridement was accomplished to the target level by the CM technique in 86% of prepared lesions, compared with 34% of lesions in the SC group. The prepared cartilage wall profile was characterized as the most ideal morphology in 55% of prepared lesions in the CM group, as opposed to 10% in the SC group.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic cartilage lesion preparation with SC instruments results in superior perpendicularity of surrounding cartilage walls to subchondral bone and greater consistency of debrided lesion depth, as compared with the standard debridement technique with curettes.

Clinical Relevance:

Arthroscopic preparation using standard curette technique leads to suboptimal morphologic characteristics of prepared lesions that likely affect the quality of repair tissue, compared to preparation using specialized chondrectomy instruments.
Enchanting Self-discipline: Methodical Reflexivity and the Search for the Supernatural in Charismatic Christian Testimonial Practice
Authors: Hill Graham
Published: December 2017

Social science has long operated under the assumption that enchantment, seeking out this-worldly manifestations of the supernatural, impedes the cultivation of self-discipline. How, then, to account for a Christian brotherhood whose testimonial practice is at once enchanting and disciplining of the self? In this article, I define self-discipline in terms of its distinctly reflexive (self-aimed and self-governed) and methodical (systematic and auto-regenerative) character, and in doing so, I disentangle the concept from rational calculation as one (among other possible) means of disciplining the self. I draw on Ricoeur’s theory of personal identity to theorize a relationship of the self whose reflexive and methodical character is found not in rational calculation but in arational narration. I then show how the testimonial practice of a charismatic Christian businessmen’s brotherhood is disciplining of the self insofar as it is enchanting, how the practice is methodical and reflexive because it is one of arational narration.
In vitro and in vivo delivery of atorvastatin: A comparative study of anti-inflammatory activity of atorvastatin loaded copolymeric micelles
Authors: Andalib Sina , Molhemazar Pezhman , Danafar Hossein
Published: December 2017

Statins have been shown to exert ‘pleiotropic effects’ independent of their cholesterol lowering actions that include anti-inflammatory properties. In this study we synthesized mono methoxy poly (ethylene glycol)–poly (ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-PCL) di block copolymers. The structure of the copolymers was characterized by H nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and gel permeation chromatography techniques. In this method, atorvastatin was encapsulated within micelles through a single-step nano-precipitation method, leading to the formation of atorvastatin-loaded mPEG-PCL (atorvastatin/mPEG-PCL) micelles. The resulting micelles were characterized further by various techniques such as dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy. In this study the anti-inflammatory activity of atorvastatin and atorvastatin/mPEG-PCL micelles on acute models of inflammation are analyzed, to compare the effect of indometacin in rats. Carrageenan induces rat paw edema; six animals of each group (10 groups) received indometacin, atorvastatin, and atorvastatin/mPEG-PCL micelles orally 1, 6, 12 and 24 h before carrageenan injection in paw. The paw edema thickness measured at 1, 2, 3 and 4 h after injection and percentage inhibition of edema in various groups were calculated. The results showed that the zeta potential of micelles was about −16.6 mV and the average size was 81.7 nm. Atorvastatin was encapsulated into mPEG-PCL micelles with loading capacity of 14.60 ± 0.96% and encapsulation efficiency of 62.50 ± 0.84%. Atorvastatin and atorvastatin/mPEG-PCL micelles showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in the present study. The anti-inflammatory activity of atorvastatin and atorvastatin/mPEG-PCL micelles was significant in comparison with indometacin. Atorvastatin/mPEG-PCL micelles showed more anti-inflammatory activity than atorvastatin. This study revealed the anti-inflammatory activity of atorvastatin and atorvastatin/mPEG-PCL micelles and suggested the statins have a potential inflammatory activity along with its lipid lowering properties. Contrary to anti-inflammatory effects, the pro-inflammatory responses are independent of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibition and can be mediated directly by atorvastatin.
Chronic Disease, Prescription Medications, and Food Purchases
Authors: Rahkovsky Ilya , Anekwe Tobenna , Gregory Christian
Published: December 2017

Purpose:

Diet-related chronic diseases like diabetes can be dangerous and expensive to treat, especially for patients who do not follow a recommended diet. Meanwhile, prescription drugs can alleviate the symptoms of or control many diet-related chronic diseases, but these drugs may also weaken the resolve to follow recommended diets (moral hazard).

Design:

We measure the effect of a diagnosis of chronic disease and subsequent pharmacological treatment on the dietary quality of food purchases using a large panel data set of US consumers. We estimate the effect of prescription drug utilization on food purchases for the following chronic diseases: type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and obesity.

Participants:

Panelists of the Information Resources, Inc consumer panel.

Measures:

Dietary quality is measured as purchases of (1) food groups (ie, fruit, vegetables, and sweets) and (2) nutrients (ie, saturated fat, fiber, sodium, sugar, and total calories).

Analysis:

Linear regression with mixed effects on pooled panel (household random effects, city fixed effects).

Results/Conclusion:

We do not find strong effects of either diagnosis or pharmacological treatment of diet-related disease on food purchases.
Silane coupling agent modified BN–OH as reinforcing filler for epoxy nanocomposite
Authors: Song Jun , Dai Zhendong , Li Jingyu , Zhao Haichao , Wang Liping
Published: December 2017

Boron nitride-hydroxyl (BN–OH) was synthesized with silane coupling agent (KH550) in order to achieve epoxy/BN nanocomposites with excellent thermal, tribological, and mechanical properties. This is an efficient method to improve epoxy nanocomposite properties. These properties were investigated by friction and wear test, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The wear mechanisms were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Surface modification of BN–OH with silane coupling agent significantly enhanced its thermal stability. Storage modulus of the nanocomposite with 2% epoxy/BN increased by nearly 300% in comparison with that of pure epoxy. The results exhibit outstanding performance of the epoxy/BN nanocomposites compared with pure epoxy resin.
Dynamic stress response of saturated soil subjected to vertical and horizontal moving loads inside a circular tunnel
Authors: Zhou Shunhua , Di Honggui , Luo Zhe , He Chao , Zhang Xiaohui
Published: December 2017

This study proposed an improved tunnel model for the evaluation of dynamic stress of the saturated soil subjected to vertical and horizontal moving loads. Based on this model, the response of dynamic stress of the saturated soil subjected to three typical loading scenarios is systematically analysed: (1) vertical moving loads, (2) combined vertical moving load and longitudinal horizontal load due to the braking of a train, and (3) combined vertical moving load and tangential horizontal load during the turning of a train at small curved sections. The simulated results reveal that soil permeability, load speed and load frequency have a significant influence on the dynamic stress of the saturated soil. The two types of horizontal loads have considerable effects on the shear stress but have negligible influence on the normal stress and pore-water pressure of the saturated soil.
Revisiting the democratic promise of participatory budgeting in light of competing political, good governance and technocratic logics
Authors: Cabannes Yves , Lipietz Barbara
Published: December 2017

Participatory budgeting (PB) has been a major innovation in participatory governance worldwide, with more than 3,000 experiences listed across 40 countries. PB has also diversified over its 30 years, with many contemporary experiments (referred to as PBs) only tangentially related to the original project to “radically democratize democracy”. We propose a taxonomy to distinguish the logics currently underpinning PB in practice: political (for radical democratic change), good governance (to improve links between the public and citizens’ spheres), and technocratic (to optimize the use and transparency of public resources for citizens’ benefit). Illustrating these competing rationales through contemporary experiences, we reflect on the contributions of the good governance and technocratic frameworks to managerial and state modernization. Undoubtedly, these help explain PB’s growing attraction for proponents of the good governance agenda. However, rekindling PB’s promise for democratic deepening, we argue, requires refocusing on its deliberative quality. We draw attention to civic education and empowerment of participants as key components of PB practices intent on opening pathways towards alternative political systems – indeed, of materializing Henri Lefebvre’s “right to the city”.
Evidence for Implicit—But Not Unconscious—Processing of Object-Scene Relations
Authors: Biderman Natalie , Mudrik Liad
Published: December 2017

Is consciousness necessary for integration? Findings of seemingly high-level object-scene integration in the absence of awareness have challenged major theories in the field and attracted considerable scientific interest. Lately, one of these findings has been questioned because of a failure to replicate, yet the other finding was still uncontested. Here, we show that this latter finding—slowed-down performance on a visible target following a masked prime scene that includes an incongruent object—is also not reproducible. Using Bayesian statistics, we found evidence against unconscious integration of objects and scenes. Put differently, at the moment, there is no compelling evidence for object-scene congruency processing in the absence of awareness. Intriguingly, however, our results do suggest that consciously experienced yet briefly presented incongruent scenes take longer to process, even when subjects do not explicitly detect their incongruency.
The Unusual Suspects
Authors: Salinas Mike
Published: December 2017

This article challenges the mainstream discourse that is often used to conceptualize illegal drug supply. In particular, it questions the assumption that drug dealers and the markets they inhabit are a social aberration, restricted primarily to social outsiders operating in socially and economically marginalized communities. Drawing on 6 years of ethnographic fieldwork with 25 “conventional” working-class “lads,” the article makes two overarching arguments. First, that the illegal drug trade is by no means confined to a subset of violent or marginalized drug distributors. Second, that the organization and structure of drug distribution networks can often be entwined into the fabric of conventional routines. The article concludes that criminological research must move toward better conceptualizing the so-called silent majority of drug dealers if we are to accurately reframe the current reductionist drugs discourse.
The challenges of treating aspergillus abdominal aneurysm after hematopoietic cell transplant: Rapid voriconazole metabolizer
Authors: Wasko Justin A , Ustun Celalettin , Birkenbach Mark , Faizer Rumi , Green Jaime S
Published: December 2017

Mycotic aneurysms are a fatal manifestation of disseminated fungal infections in immunocompromised hosts. We present a patient with an Aspergillus mycotic aneurysm after hematopoietic cell transplant. Due to CYP2C19 rapid metabolizer phenotype (*1/*17), therapeutic levels of voriconazole were unobtainable. Successful therapy was achieved with posaconazole salvage therapy and early, aggressive surgery. This case demonstrates the consequences of voriconazole rapid metabolism and the potential impact of genetic variants.
Echocardiographic Guidance for Surgical Excision of the Intracardiac Component of a Pheochromocytoma
Authors: Kurian Dinesh J. , Li Angela X. , Rao Srikar , Konstantinidis Agathoklis , Roman Sanziana A. , Kertai Miklos D.
Published: December 2017

Pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors, with published incidence of 2 to 8 cases per million patients per year. The extension of these tumors into the vena cava and right atrium is rarely seen. Transesophageal echocardiography may be invaluable to delineate tumor extent and characteristics, which in turn may provide a useful tool to guide intraoperative surgical approach to these uncommon masses. In the case presented in this article, we describe the role of transesophageal echocardiography in guiding a safe and complete, excision of an invasive pheochromocytoma without embolization of tumor components.
Experimental investigation of Tied Foam Core sandwich compression performance
Authors: Dimassi Mohamed Adli , Brauner Christian , Focke Oliver , Herrmann Axel Siegfried
Published: December 2017

Carbon and glass dry fibre bundles were inserted into a ROHACELL® 71HERO polymethacrylimide foam core under a specific inclination angle and pin pattern in order to enhance the compressive strength and stiffness of the core material. Flatwise compression tests were conducted on pin-reinforced sandwich specimens and unreinforced sandwich to investigate the effect of pin volume fraction and pin material on the compressive mechanical properties and energy absorption characteristics. X-ray computed tomography was performed on tested specimens to investigate the failure modes under compressive loads. It was concluded that the compressive strength is mainly controlled by pin failure due to bending and compression loads at pin base. Moreover, increasing the pin volume fraction improved the compressive properties of the sandwich but using glass fibre pins instead of carbon fibre pins led to a higher increase of the absorbed crushing energy. Finally, an existing analytical model to predict the compressive strength and stiffness has been tested and evaluated.
Roads and development = environment and energy?
Authors: Menezes Deborah C. , Ruwanpura Kanchana N.
Published: December 2017

Investment in large-scale infrastructure, after a lull, has accelerated in the last decade, where roads in particular feature predominantly in development initiatives globally. While conventionally academic interventions have primarily focused on infrastructure in relation to economic development processes and its promises of modernity, more recently these arguments extended to diverse processes of environmental, economic, political and social change. Scepticism surrounding road infrastructure development interrogates whether this form of infrastructure development is justifiable. In particular, the faith placed on roads to catalyze trade, create profitability, enhance economic opportunities of local communities living adjacent to new road infrastructure projects and its ability to mitigate environmental concerns are noted concerns. Our review draws together and extends these arguments, claiming that while social, political and economic processes, and consequences of road development have undergone recurrent assessment, gaps in addressing environmental and energy aspects prevail. Given the central import of climate and environmental change at the current juncture, thus, there is also a pressing need to articulate and examine this in future work.
Underreporting of Gender and Race/Ethnicity Differences in NIH-Funded Dementia Caregiver Support Interventions
Authors: Gilmore-Bykovskyi Andrea , Johnson Rachel , Walljasper Lily , Block Laura , Werner Nicole
Published: December 2017

Women and racial/ethnic minority dementia caregivers have unique caregiving experiences and support needs. To ensure the identification of potentially important differences in outcomes within these groups, the amended National Institutes of Health (NIH) Policy on Inclusion of Women and Minorities mandates reporting by gender and race/ethnicity. The objective of this study was to determine the inclusion and reporting rates among NIH-funded dementia caregiver support interventions. A focused systematic literature review of studies published from 1994 to 2015 located 48 articles meeting inclusion criteria. The majority of studies included women and racial/ethnic minorities; however, 67% did not report results by gender or racial/ethnic group. Acknowledgment of underreporting was more common for race/ethnicity than gender. Our findings suggest limited NIH guideline compliance that may reflect a lack of awareness regarding potential gender disparities in caregiving roles. Ensuring NIH guideline compliance necessitates shared investments from researchers, editors, and reviewers to ensure group differences are systematically identified and reported.
In Search of a Good Night’s Sleep: Hormones, Mind, Movement, and Breath
Authors: Geyer Cindy
Published: December 2017

Sleep disturbances are common in postmenopausal women and contribute to increased morbidity and mortality. Sleep apnea may be underdiagnosed in women, and other conditions such as insomnia and restless legs may coexist with sleep apnea. This case illustrates the complex interplay of anatomical, hormonal, metabolic and psychological factors that can interfere with restorative sleep, and the importance of both diagnostic testing and clinical history in identifying which combination of therapies will be most beneficial in improving sleep quality and quantity.
Human Waste and the Border: A Vignette
Authors: Razack Sherene H.
Published: December 2017

Populations marked for disposability who are deemed to have no place in the modern, including the Indigenous everywhere and all who stand in the way of the progress of capital accumulation, are always on their way to becoming waste, their communities targeted for destruction. Disposability is a racial condition, the mark of sub-humanity. Forced to flee, those who are targeted find themselves travelling through zones over which a diffused terror reigns, zones we condense to the word “border”. Notably, destruction takes place in the multiple legal gray zones of the border. Canadian detention centers in this account, for instance, can be an immigration holding center, a provincial jail, or a hospital. In each space, the legal regime that is in operation is anomalous. In this article, discussing the case of a Roma asylum seeker from the Czech Republic, Jan Szamko, I make the argument that the destruction of bodies in the detention center is evident in the speeding up of the processes of biodegradation of the refugee’s body and in the casual expectation of a body’s decline. Guards are able to ignore the groans and extreme deterioration of the body through ideas about the duplicitous refugee who is merely faking. Significantly, medical care is not absent but instead crucial to biodegradation, scripting the cries and moans, and the feces, as something we can do nothing about, something that merely reveals a mind broken by its own duplicity. The inquest picks up on the narrative thread, urging improvement in communication but accepting nonetheless that a body that has reached this state of biodegradation has done so of its own accord. Szamko’s story shows the history of authorized violence against the Roma, a destruction accomplished by a transnational alliance between states that are the origin point of the violence and those states, such as Canada, to which the Roma flee. The relentlessness of the violence notwithstanding, disposable people never stop resisting their condition; their practices of resistance are a reminder to attend to what came before death.
Bringing languages to life: A longitudinal study of the development of creative practice in student teachers of modern languages
Authors: Hulse Bethan
Published: December 2017

This article reports the findings of a longitudinal study exploring the process of learning to teach modern languages in the changing landscape of teacher education. It employs a postmodern critical ethnographic methodology to examine the experiences of a group of student teachers over the course of a one-year postgraduate teacher education programme in England. The focus is on how experiences in university and in school encourage or discourage the development of creativity. The schools inspectorate, Ofsted, is critical of lifeless teaching which fails to inspire young people to learn languages. However, the pressures of ‘performative’ requirements act as a discouragement to creativity. The data indicates that whilst student teachers express a desire to be more creative, they find it difficult to implement their ideas in school. A post-structuralist analysis of Marx’s theory of alienation is employed to argue that the early formation of professional identity is a process of acquiescence to oppressive external structures over which individuals have no control. The study concludes that it is possible to create spaces where the temporary suspension of alienation can allow individuals to put life back into language learning.
Adherence Over Time: The Course of Adherence to Customized Diabetic Insoles as Objectively Assessed by a Temperature Sensor
Authors: Ehrmann Dominic , Spengler Monika , Jahn Michael , Niebuhr Dea , Haak Thomas , Kulzer Bernhard , Hermanns Norbert
Published: December 2017

Background:

Temperature sensors are an objective way to assess adherence to diabetic footwear. Good adherence is essential for the prevention of diabetic foot problems. Little is known about the long-term course of adherence in patients at risk for diabetic foot problems.

Method:

A temperature sensor was incorporated into the specialized footwear of patients with type 2 diabetes after their first plantar ulceration. Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze when patients started to become nonadherent (not wearing the footwear for two straight weeks). Gender effects on adherence were also analyzed.

Results:

26 patients with a mean observation time of 133.5 days could be analyzed. Mean wearing time of diabetic footwear was 4.2 ± 3.6 h/day (Mdn = 3.4 h/day; interquartile range = 0.5-7.0 h/day) and on 51% of the days patients did not wear their footwear at all. Kaplan-Meier curve revealed that the mean time of adherence was 27.5 weeks. Men achieved a mean time of adherence of 30.5 weeks, while women only achieved 14 weeks. However, due to the small sample size, this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

Temperature sensors revealed a low long-term adherence to diabetic footwear. Women seemed to be at a higher risk for earlier nonadherent behavior. Adherence to diabetic footwear should be closely monitored and tailored intervention strategies should be developed.
Interventions to reduce medication errors in neonatal care: a systematic review
Authors: Nguyen Minh-Nha Rhylie , Mosel Cassandra , Grzeskowiak Luke E.
Published: December 2017

Background:

Medication errors represent a significant but often preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of interventions to reduce neonatal medication errors.

Methods:

A systematic review was undertaken of all comparative and noncomparative studies published in any language, identified from searches of PubMed and EMBASE and reference-list checking. Eligible studies were those investigating the impact of any medication safety interventions aimed at reducing medication errors in neonates in the hospital setting.

Results:

A total of 102 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria, including 86 comparative and 16 noncomparative studies. Medication safety interventions were classified into six themes: technology ( n = 38; e.g. electronic prescribing), organizational ( n = 16; e.g. guidelines, policies, and procedures), personnel ( n = 13; e.g. staff education), pharmacy ( n = 9; e.g. clinical pharmacy service), hazard and risk analysis ( n = 8; e.g. error detection tools), and multifactorial ( n = 18; e.g. any combination of previous interventions). Significant variability was evident across all included studies, with differences in intervention strategies, trial methods, types of medication errors evaluated, and how medication errors were identified and evaluated. Most studies demonstrated an appreciable risk of bias. The vast majority of studies (>90%) demonstrated a reduction in medication errors. A similar median reduction of 50–70% in medication errors was evident across studies included within each of the identified themes, but findings varied considerably from a 16% increase in medication errors to a 100% reduction in medication errors.

Conclusion:

While neonatal medication errors can be reduced through multiple interventions aimed at improving the medication use process, no single intervention appeared clearly superior. Further research is required to evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of the various medication safety interventions to facilitate decisions regarding uptake and implementation into clinical practice.
Challenges to Care and Medication Adherence of Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in a Resource Limited Setting
Authors: Bolarinwa R A , Olowookere S A , Owojuyigbe T O , Origbo E C , Durosinmi M A
Published: December 2017

The factors related to care of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) often affects treatment outcome. We examined adherence to medication and other challenges to care in our patients on treatment of CML. This qualitative study involved in-depth interviews of 20 patients with CML receiving free imatinib (Glivec) from the Glivec International Patients’ Assistance Program. Data collected were thematically analyzed. Findings revealed that despite free drug assistance, there was relative lack of awareness resulting in inappropriate health-seeking behavior. The challenges cut across situations such as poverty, fear of the sustenance of the compassionate drug program, and living far away from the clinic. Forgetfulness was reported as the cause of poor adherence in this study. Suggested solutions include increasing community awareness, ensuring sustainability of the program and establishing more treatment centers nationwide. Strategies such as reminders and patents’ support will improve drug adherence among this cohort.
Chest physician-reported, work-related, long-latency respiratory disease in Great Britain
Authors: Carder Melanie , Darnton Andrew , Gittins Matthew , Stocks S. Jill , Ross David , Barber Chris M. , Agius Raymond M.
Published: December 2017

Much of the current burden of long-latency respiratory disease (LLRD) in Great Britain is attributed to historical asbestos exposure. However, continuing exposure to other agents, notably silica, also contributes to disease burden. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of work-related LLRD reported by chest physicians in Great Britain, including variations by age, gender, occupation and suspected agent.

LLRD incidence and incidence rate ratios by occupation were estimated (1996–2014). Mesothelioma cases by occupation were compared with proportional mortality ratios.

Cases were predominantly in men (95%) and 92% of all cases were attributed to asbestos. Annual average incidence rates (males) per 100 000 were: benign pleural disease, 7.1 (95% CI 6.0–8.2); mesothelioma, 5.4 (4.8–6.0); pneumoconiosis, 1.9 (1.7–2.2); lung cancer, 0.8 (0.6–1.0); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 0.3 (0.2–0.4). Occupations with a particularly high incidence of LLRD were miners and quarrymen (COPD), plumbers and gas fitters (asbestosis), and shipyard and dock workers (all other categories). There was a clear concordance between cases of SWORD mesothelioma and proportional mortality ratios by occupation.

Occupationally caused LLRD continues to contribute to a significant disease burden. Many cases are attributable to past exposure to agents such as asbestos and silica, but the potential for occupational exposures persists.
A standardised method for interpreting the association between mutations and phenotypic drug resistance inMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Miotto Paolo , Tessema Belay , Tagliani Elisa , Chindelevitch Leonid , Starks Angela M. , Emerson Claudia , Hanna Debra , Kim Peter S. , Liwski Richard , Zignol Matteo , Gilpin Christopher , Niemann Stefan , Denkinger Claudia M. , Fleming Joy , Warren Robin M. , Crook Derrick , Posey James , Gagneux Sebastien , Hoffner Sven , Rodrigues Camilla , Comas Iñaki , Engelthaler David M. , Murray Megan , Alland David , Rigouts Leen , Lange Christoph , Dheda Keertan , Hasan Rumina , Ranganathan Uma Devi K. , McNerney Ruth , Ezewudo Matthew , Cirillo Daniela M. , Schito Marco , Köser Claudio U. , Rodwell Timothy C.
Published: December 2017

A clear understanding of the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance inMycobacterium tuberculosisis required to accelerate the development of rapid drug susceptibility testing methods based on genetic sequence.

Raw genotype–phenotype correlation data were extracted as part of a comprehensive systematic review to develop a standardised analytical approach for interpreting resistance associated mutations for rifampicin, isoniazid, ofloxacin/levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, amikacin, kanamycin, capreomycin, streptomycin, ethionamide/prothionamide and pyrazinamide. Mutation frequencies in resistant and susceptible isolates were calculated, together with novel statistical measures to classify mutations as high, moderate, minimal or indeterminate confidence for predicting resistance.

We identified 286 confidence-graded mutations associated with resistance. Compared to phenotypic methods, sensitivity (95% CI) for rifampicin was 90.3% (89.6–90.9%), while for isoniazid it was 78.2% (77.4–79.0%) and their specificities were 96.3% (95.7–96.8%) and 94.4% (93.1–95.5%), respectively. For second-line drugs, sensitivity varied from 67.4% (64.1–70.6%) for capreomycin to 88.2% (85.1–90.9%) for moxifloxacin, with specificity ranging from 90.0% (87.1–92.5%) for moxifloxacin to 99.5% (99.0–99.8%) for amikacin.

This study provides a standardised and comprehensive approach for the interpretation of mutations as predictors ofM. tuberculosisdrug-resistant phenotypes. These data have implications for the clinical interpretation of molecular diagnostics and next-generation sequencing as well as efficient individualised therapy for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Cytokine signatures in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a Case Control Study and the effect of anakinra treatment
Authors: Roerink Megan E. , Knoop Hans , Bronkhorst Ewald M. , Mouthaan Henk A. , Hawinkels Luuk J. A. C. , Joosten Leo A. B. , van der Meer Jos W. M.
Published: December 2017

Background

Cytokine disturbances have been suggested to be associated with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) for decades.

Methods

Fifty female CFS patients were included in a study on the effect of the interleukin-1-receptor antagonist anakinra or placebo during 4 weeks. EDTA plasma was collected from patients before and directly after treatment. At baseline, plasma samples were collected at the same time from 48 healthy, age-matched female neighborhood controls. A panel of 92 inflammatory markers was determined in parallel in 1 μL samples using a ‘proximity extension assay’ (PEA) based immunoassay. Since Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) were not included in this platform, these cytokines were measured with ELISA.

Results

In CFS/ME patients, the ‘normalized protein expression’ value of IL-12p40 and CSF-1 was significantly higher (p value 0.0042 and 0.049, respectively). Furthermore, using LASSO regression, a combination of 47 markers yielded a prediction model with a corrected AUC of 0.73. After correction for multiple testing, anakinra had no effect on circulating cytokines. TGF-β did not differ between patients and controls.

Conclusions

In conclusion, this study demonstrated increased IL-12p40 and CSF-1 concentrations in CFS/ME patients in addition to a set of predictive biomarkers. There was no effect of anakinra on circulating cytokines other than IL-1Ra.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT02108210, Registered April 2014
MATLAB code for data-driven initial model of 1D Schlumberger sounding curve
Authors: Nosakare Ogunbo Jide
Published: December 2017

A MATLAB code automatically performs partial curve matching of 1D apparent resistivity data recorded with the Schlumberger electrode array configuration. The two-layer master and auxiliary curves are used to systematically match through the branches of data extracting the corresponding model properties. Partial curve matching is a classical interpretation procedure of the sounding curve, which has been done manually. Results from the manual and automatic procedures are compared. The matched geoelectric models from the automatic process are retrieved more quickly, and these results are consistent because the process is digitalized and are not dependent on human numerical accuracy judgment. Magnitudes of random noise affect the final matched model parameters, yet these values are sufficient to be initial models for subsequent nonlinear inversion. It is hoped that for an inversion workflow, the code can be included to automatically find an initial resistivity model.
Removal of galvanic distortion effects in 3D magnetotelluric data by an equivalent source technique
Authors: Tang Wenwu , Li Yaoguo , Oldenburg Douglas W. , Liu Jianxin
Published: December 2017

The galvanic distortion induced by the electric charge buildup across near-surface inhomogeneities can severely affect the interpretation of magnetotelluric (MT) data for deeper structures. In addition to the methods already available, we have developed an alternative approach for processing MT impedance data with such distortions using an equivalent source technique. One prerequisite for the method is that all data are acquired on the surface, which is nearly always the case in land-based MT surveys. The method works with the electric field scaled from the impedance data and constructs an equivalent electrical polarization layer that attempts to reproduce the signal in the data while misfitting the galvanic distortion. Because of the uncorrelated characteristics of galvanic distortions across multiple stations at the same frequency, they can be distinguished and removed by constructing an equivalent source layer of electrical polarization using a regularized inverse formulation. The tradeoff between the signal and distortion is achieved through the use of generalized cross-validation method during the equivalent source construction, whereas the choice of equivalent source parameters also affects the separation. Numerical tests indicate that good results are obtained when the depth of the equivalent source layer is slightly greater than 10 times the nominal data spacing, and the lateral extent is twice that of the data area. The simultaneous processing with multiple frequencies yields more stable apparent resistivity curves than the separate single-frequency processing. The method has performed well in removing the galvanic distortions in the synthetic- and field-data examples.
Model-order reduction of electromagnetic fields in open domains
Authors: Zimmerling Jörn , Druskin Vladimir , Zaslavsky Mikhail , Remis Rob F.
Published: December 2017

We have developed several Krylov projection-based model-order reduction techniques to simulate electromagnetic wave propagation and diffusion in unbounded domains. Such techniques can be used to efficiently approximate transfer function field responses between a given set of sources and receivers and allow for fast and memory-efficient computation of Jacobians, thereby lowering the computational burden associated with inverse scattering problems. We found how general wavefield principles such as reciprocity, passivity, and the Schwarz reflection principle translate from the analytical to the numerical domain and developed polynomial, extended, and rational Krylov model-order reduction techniques that preserve these structures. Furthermore, we found that the symmetry of the Maxwell equations allows for projection onto polynomial and extended Krylov subspaces without saving a complete basis. In particular, short-term recurrence relations can be used to construct reduced-order models that are as memory efficient as time-stepping algorithms. In addition, we evaluated the differences between Krylov reduced-order methods for the full wave and diffusive Maxwell equations and we developed numerical examples to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the discussed methods.
Deep-learning tomography
Authors: Araya-Polo Mauricio , Jennings Joseph , Adler Amir , Dahlke Taylor
Published: December 2017

Velocity-model building is a key step in hydrocarbon exploration. The main product of velocity-model building is an initial model of the subsurface that is subsequently used in seismic imaging and interpretation workflows. Reflection or refraction tomography and full-waveform inversion (FWI) are the most commonly used techniques in velocity-model building. On one hand, tomography is a time-consuming activity that relies on successive updates of highly human-curated analysis of gathers. On the other hand, FWI is very computationally demanding with no guarantees of global convergence. We propose and implement a novel concept that bypasses these demanding steps, directly producing an accurate gridding or layered velocity model from shot gathers. Our approach relies on training deep neural networks. The resulting predictive model maps relationships between the data space and the final output (particularly the presence of high-velocity segments that might indicate salt formations). The training task takes a few hours for 2D data, but the inference step (predicting a model from previously unseen data) takes only seconds. The promising results shown here for synthetic 2D data demonstrate a new way of using seismic data and suggest fast turnaround of workflows that now make use of machine-learning approaches to identify key structures in the subsurface.
Full-waveform inversion: The next leap forward in subsalt imaging
Authors: Shen Xukai , Ahmed Imtiaz , Brenders Andrew , Dellinger Joe , Etgen John , Michell Scott
Published: December 2017

Subsalt imaging has been a long-term challenge for the oil and gas industry. The substantial progress made in data acquisition and imaging since the late 1990s has made some subsalt imaging problems tractable, but building earth models that enable imaging under complex salt remains a challenge. Labor-intensive workflows remain industry standard practice. Not only are these costly and time consuming, they have also performed poorly in many areas of economic interest. Various automatic model-building tools have been proposed to overcome these disadvantages. One such tool, full-waveform inversion (FWI), has already revolutionized velocity-model building in areas with shallow gas. Prior to 2006, imaging in these areas had been considered challenging and labor intensive, just as imaging under complex salt remains today. Modeling indicates that low frequencies and wide offsets may be the key to success when building velocity models using FWI. Just how low and how wide that may be required for FWI success depends on the particular problem. At the Atlantis Field in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico we recently acquired wide-offset ocean-bottom-node data with conventional airguns. By taking care during the acquisition, we recorded usable signal down to a lower frequency than previously achieved. We then applied FWI to the resulting data set and used the resulting velocity model, unmodified, to reverse time migrate the seismic data. It produced some of the best subsalt images of the Atlantis reservoir structure ever seen. Furthermore, the FWI velocity model revealed several major interpretation errors in the legacy salt model; thus the FWI result also offered an excellent basis for updating the salt model with the conventional workflow. These results demonstrate that with appropriate seismic data to support it, and with due care taken during processing and inversion, FWI truly offers a paradigm shift in model building and imaging in areas of complex salt.
Failure of Pulse Oximetry and Cooximetry as Monitors in a Patient With Hemoglobin MIwate: A Case Report
Authors: Mathew Preethy J. , Gupta Aakriti , Natarajan Vinodh , Ganesan Rajarajan , Sharma Ramesh
Published: December 2017

We present the perioperative details of a 2-year-old child scheduled for cleft palate repair. Low pulse oximetry readings after induction of anesthesia and before surgery led to the diagnosis of HbMIwate, a rare congenital methemoglobinemia due to mutation in the α-globin gene. We explored the utility of noninvasive cooximetry to monitor methemoglobin and oxygenation during anesthesia and found that noninvasive cooximetry is not useful to monitor oxygenation or to detect the percentage of methemoglobin arising from congenital variants like HbMIwate.