bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-world chart review study of adverse events management in patients taking tyrosine kinase inhibitors to treat metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Srinivas Sandy , Stein Dara , Teltsch Dana Y , Tao Sunning , Cisar Laura , Ramaswamy Krishnan
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose is to describe management of adverse events of special interest across tyrosine kinase inhibitors approved for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients initiating tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy between 15 November 2010 and 15 November 2013, and experiencing ≥ 1 adverse events of special interest (diarrhea, fatigue, hand-foot syndrome, hypertension, or stomatitis/mucositis) within 3 months of initiation. Demographics, medical history, treatment regimens, and adverse events of special interest management data for 3.5 months postonset were collected.

Results

In 220 charts from 27 centers, tyrosine kinase inhibitors prescribed included sunitinib (55%), pazopanib (27%), axitinib (9%), and sorafenib (8%). During the study period, patients experienced 376 adverse events of special interest (13% serious). Fatigue was most common (62% of patients), followed by hypertension (37%), diarrhea (30%), stomatitis/mucositis (29%), and hand-foot syndrome (12%). Over half (56%) the adverse events of special interest were resolved or resolving. Treatment discontinuation due to adverse events of special interest occurred in 15% of patients. Prophylaxis was rarely provided (8%), whereas 59% of patients received adverse events of special interest treatment (pharmacologic (55%) and/or nonpharmacologic (7%)), 27% received tyrosine kinase inhibitor dose management, 23% received both adverse events of special interest treatment and dose management, and 31% received neither. Hypertension was the most treated (72% of all events), and fatigue was the least treated (9%); only 4% of patients received pharmacologic treatment for fatigue.

Conclusions

Most adverse events of special interest were nonserious and more than half of the patients received pharmacologic and/or nonpharmacologic treatment. Fatigue was the most common yet least frequently treated adverse event of special interest, and few patients received prophylaxis or nonpharmacologic treatment. More emphasis on treatment and prophylaxis options for bothersome adverse events is warranted.
Dapsone and azole interactions: A clinical perspective
Authors: Corallo Carmela , Coutsouvelis John , Avery Sharon , Morgan Susan , Morrissey Orla
Published: July 2017

An understanding of the clinical significance of dapsone-drug interactions is essential for optimal use of this agent. This review aims to provide clinicians with an overview of this topic.
Assessment of the potential impact of dose rounding parenteral chemotherapy agents on cost savings and drug waste minimization
Authors: Chillari Kelly A , Southward Jessica , Harrigan Natasha
Published: July 2017

Background

Fiscally responsible utilization of anticancer treatments is necessary to combat their continually increasing cost. Dose rounding is one strategy that has been explored to minimize cost and waste without losing clinical effectiveness.

Objectives

To determine if dose rounding chemotherapy agents is a feasible cost-containment strategy at an institution with a small oncology clinic.

Methods

This study is a retrospective chart review of all body surface area dosed parenteral chemotherapy prescribed for an oncological diagnosis over a 12-month period (1 October 2015–30 September 2016). Chemotherapy doses were rounded down by 5%. Doses for patients with metastatic diagnoses were also rounded down by 10%. Rounded doses were evaluated for a potential decrease in vial size. Cost was represented as dollar/milligram of drug. Potential for drug waste minimization was also calculated.

Results

There were 877 total doses of chemotherapy administered to 70 unique patients throughout the 12-month duration of the study. When doses were rounded down by 5%, 140 doses qualified for a decrease in vial number. The potential for cost savings was $22,849 with 83,802 mg saved from wastage. A 10% decrease resulted in the reduction of vials for 248 doses, a potential savings of $30,911 with 129,011 milligrams saved. The targeted agents accounted for the majority of savings, $16,920 of the $22,849 with 5% rounding and $20,086 of the $30,911 with 10% rounding.

Conclusion

Dose rounding has the potential to be an effective cost-containment strategy in low volume oncology clinics.
Turning a Blind Eye: Public Support of Emergency Housing Policies for Sex Offenders
Authors: Socia Kelly M. , Dum Christopher P. , Rydberg Jason
Published: July 2017

In this study, we examine the influences of citizen decision making in the context of four policy scenarios that would affect the living conditions of sex offenders (SOs) residing at an “emergency shelter” budget motel. We surveyed 773 citizens in an online survey about their support for four policy scenarios that would improve the living conditions of SOs: (a) at no cost to the respondent, (b) in exchange for a US$100 tax increase, and (c) by relocating SOs within the respondent’s neighborhood (i.e., “in my backyard”/IMBY scenario). The fourth scenario involved moving nearby SOs into substandard housing located far away from the respondent (i.e., “not in my backyard”/NIMBY). While prior research finds that the public overwhelmingly supports punitive SO policies, we find that indifference is a mainstay of public opinion about improving SO housing conditions. That is, we find only modest levels of average support for any of the policy scenarios, and policy support decreased when increased taxes would be involved, compared with a “no cost” scenario. While no respondent characteristics significantly predicted policy support consistently across all four scenarios, some scenarios showed stark differences in support when considering specific respondent characteristics. Overall, these results suggest that what does affect support depends on the details of the policy being proposed, as well as who is considering the policy. We end by discussing the policy implications of our study for both policymakers and the public.
Substantial condition for the fourth first integral of the rigid body problem
Authors: Amer TS , Amer WS
Published: July 2017

The aim of this article is to study the possibility of obtaining the fourth integral for the motion of a rigid body about a fixed point in the presence of a gyrostatic moment vector. This problem is governed by a system consisting of six nonlinear differential equations from first order, as well as three first integrals. A most important condition for a function F, depending on all the body variables, to be that integral is presented. This work can be considered a mainstreaming of previous works. The importance of this work lies in several applications of the rigid body problem and gyroscopic motion in different areas, such as physics, engineering and industrial applications, for example, in aircraft specially designed to use the auto-pilot function, calculating aircraft turns about various axes of operation (pitch, yaw and roll), and maintaining aircraft orientation.
Analysis of a dynamic frictional contact problem for hyperviscoelastic material with non-convex energy density
Authors: Barboteu Mikaël , Gasiński Leszek , Kalita Piotr
Published: July 2017

Using the time approximation method we obtain the existence of a weak solution for the dynamic contact problem with damping and a non-convex stored elastic energy function. On the contact boundary we assume the normal compliance law and the generalization of the Coulomb friction law which allows for non-monotone dependence of the friction force on the tangential velocity. The existence result is accompanied by two numerical examples, one of them showing lack of uniqueness for the numerical solution.
Function-Based Intervention in Inclusive School Settings: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Walker Virginia L. , Chung Yun-Ching , Bonnet Lauren K.
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to summarize single-case intervention research studies in which students with disabilities received function-based intervention (FBI) within inclusive school settings to address challenging behavior. A total of 27 studies were identified and systematically reviewed to determine the overall effect of FBI on challenging and appropriate behavior and whether study characteristics moderated intervention outcomes. In addition, we summarized the following: (a) characteristics of study participants and settings, (b) characteristics of FBI applied within the studies, and (c) quality of the studies. Overall, FBI led to improved behavior in a variety of inclusive school settings. Interventions delivered after a teacher-administered functional behavior assessment and within the context of a whole group instructional arrangement resulted in significant reductions in challenging behavior and improvements in appropriate behavior, respectively. Implications for practice, future directions for research, and limitations are described.
Treatment of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis With High-Dose (450-mg) Secukinumab: Case Reports of Off-Label Use
Authors: Beecker Jennifer , Joo Jiyeh
Published: July 2017

Treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis often requires systemic therapy, including biologics. Partial response to biologics and relapses are commonly managed with dose escalation. Secukinumab is a relatively new biologic that is currently used to treat moderate to severe psoriasis. There has been no literature published on dose escalation of secukinumab. This article describes the off-label use of a higher dose of secukinumab (450 mg every 4 weeks) instead of the standard dosing (300 mg every 4 weeks) in 2 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. The first case involves a male patient with a high body mass index (BMI) (≥30 kg/m2) and severe psoriasis who was started on secukinumab at 450 mg following a partial response to treatment with the standard 300-mg dose. His psoriasis significantly improved with the higher dose of secukinumab. The second case discusses a female patient with treatment-resistant psoriasis and a BMI of 31.6 kg/m2 who initially achieved a complete remission with standard dosing of secukinumab. Later, her psoriasis relapsed and she was dose-escalated to secukinumab 450 mg in an attempt to recapture response, but this dose escalation was unsuccessful. In both cases, there were no adverse events observed with a higher dose of secukinumab. These cases demonstrate that dose escalation of secukinumab (450 mg rather than on-label 300 mg every 4 weeks) may be considered in selected patients with incomplete clearance, particularly for those with a high BMI. However, secukinumab dose escalation may not be as beneficial in patients with loss of efficacy.
Enduring dispositions: Examining punitive logics in the context of disciplinary reform
Authors: Brent John J
Published: July 2017

Reflecting the punitive turn in criminal justice, schools have adopted a crime control orientation when responding to student misconduct. Termed the ‘criminalization of school discipline’, this trend has diminished student and school outcomes while also establishing a school-to-prison pipeline. Consequently, there has been mounting pressure to reform punitive and disproportionate practices. While research has evaluated the impact of remedial programs, little work explores how punitive logics continue to structure disciplinary responses. Drawing from ethnographic and interview data, this study examines the entrenchment of punitive dispositions in the context of appeals for alternative practices. By tracing the contours of punitive norms within a non-criminal justice context, this study captures the mechanisms through which penal logics infuse into society and extend beyond criminal justice systems.
‘Collective memories’ of global media events: Anniversary journalism of the Berlin Wall and Tiananmen crackdown in the Anglo-American elite press, 1990–2014
Authors: Song Yunya , Lee Chin-Chuan
Published: July 2017

This study applies a most similar systems design to examine ‘anniversary journalism’ of two epic global events in the year 1989 – the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen crackdown – as reported by the elite press in the United States and Britain from 1990 to 2014, through the combined methods of computerized network-based text analysis and critical historical discourse analysis. Findings suggest that the elite press in both countries continued to view these two events through the lenses of the lingering anti-Communist ideology in the post–Cold War era and shared an increasingly converged cosmopolitan vocabulary primarily in terms of the universal rights of global citizens. Most commemorative anniversary coverage drew on the memory of correspondents who had covered the events. We argue that both US and British representations have become central political-cultural icons facilitating the emergence of a memory transcending national boundaries. Meanwhile, results indicate that elite press discourses in the United States and United Kingdom still varied significantly with their respective national concerns and global position.
Comments, analytics, and social media: The impact of audience feedback on journalists’ market orientation
Authors: Hanusch Folker , Tandoc Edson C
Published: July 2017

This study sought to empirically test whether exposure to and use of new audience feedback mechanisms have an influence on journalism culture. Specifically, the study was interested in testing whether such mechanisms impact the extent to which journalists perceive changes over time in their role conceptions. Such an exploration is timely and important. The roles journalists conceive of are shaped, in part, by what they think audiences expect from them. Such expectations are now communicated to journalists routinely and easily through new audience feedback mechanisms: reader comments, social media, and web analytics. Based on an online survey of 358 news journalists in Australia, this study found that reading readers’ comments frequently is related to an increase in the perceived importance of both consumer and citizen orientations. In contrast, perceived effectiveness of web analytics as audience feedback is related to an increase in the perceived importance of consumer orientation.
Automating statistical diagrammatic representations with data characterization
Authors: Millán-Martínez Pere , Valero-Mora Pedro
Published: July 2017

The search for an efficient method to enhance data cognition is especially important when managing data from multidimensional databases. Open data policies have dramatically increased not only the volume of data available to the public, but also the need to automate the translation of data into efficient graphical representations. Graphic automation involves producing an algorithm that necessarily contains inputs derived from the type of data. A set of rules are then applied to combine the input variables and produce a graphical representation. Automated systems, however, fail to provide an efficient graphical representation because they only consider either a one-dimensional characterization of variables, which leads to an overwhelmingly large number of available solutions, a compositional algebra that leads to a single solution, or requires the user to predetermine the graphical representation. Therefore, we propose a multidimensional characterization of statistical variables that when complemented with a catalog of graphical representations that match any single combination, presents the user with a more specific set of suitable graphical representations to choose from. Cognitive studies can then determine the most efficient perceptual procedures to further shorten the path to the most efficient graphical representations. The examples used herein are limited to graphical representations with three variables given that the number of combinations increases drastically as the number of selected variables increases.
Visualizing the strategic landscape of arbitrary games
Authors: Osborn Joseph Carter , Samuel Benjamin , Mateas Michael
Published: July 2017

We present Gamalyzer, a game-independent and efficient visualization of sets of play traces. Unlike previous work on game-independent visualization, we focus on sequences of game actions as opposed to sequences of game states. Action sequences directly represent players’ strategic decisions. Moreover, since game actions may already be recorded as part of games’ telemetry and metrics, Gamalyzer is easier to integrate into existing analysis toolchains than state-sequence-based visualizations. Gamalyzer displays each play trace as a vertical line, with symbols along the line indicating game events. Similar play traces (according to the Gamalyzer metric, a specialization of edit distance) are arranged together along the horizontal axis, and as traces become more and less similar to each other over time, they bend towards and away from each other. The Gamalyzer metric is also used to present only the most interestingly different traces in the visualization, with the rest grouped together under their most similar cousins. We position Gamalyzer as an ideal trace filtering and selection tool to be used in concert with a state-centric (and possibly game-specific) visualization for context. This article also provides a detailed account of the Gamalyzer metric and new advice for defining game action schema to maximize the benefits obtained from the tool, along with two detailed case studies of the Gamalyzer visualization in practice.
Abject spaces and mimicry: rethinking the embodied effects of spatial containment in trafficking for sexual exploitation
Authors: Russell Amy M
Published: July 2017

The spaces of trafficking for sexual exploitation have profound effects on the embodiment of women who are forced to live within them. This article argues that the spaces of human trafficking can be understood as abject spaces, and as such, they trouble multiple boundaries including those between hidden and exposed, domestic and commercial, and public and private. This article provides a theoretically speculative engagement with notions of abject space and mimicry to add a further dimension to the debate on the nature of the spaces of trafficking. These abject spaces, and the sexual exploitation that takes place within them undermines women’s notions of bodily integrity, yet I argue there is agency to be found in the loss of embodied identity. The basis for this engagement is an analysis of a series of documents written by women who were trafficked from post-Soviet countries to Israel. It will conceptualise the ways women survive in such a space by challenging bounded notions of the body.
Fathoming chemical weapons in the Gotland Deep
Authors: Neimanis Astrida , Neimanis Aleksija , Åsberg Cecilia
Published: July 2017

At the end of World War II, tens of thousands of tons of chemical warfare agents – mostly mustard gas – were dumped in the Gotland Deep – a deep basin in the middle of the otherwise shallow Baltic Sea. Decades later, these weapons are being reactivated – both literally (perhaps on the faces of dead seals, and in fishermen’s nets) and also in our imaginations. In this story that recounts the beginning of our research into this situation, militarization meets with environmental concern: the past floats into the present, where humans and non-humans are equally implicated, where the sea itself conditions the kinds of questions we can ask, and answers we might get, and where terms like ‘threat’ and ‘risk’ remain undecided. After spending time on Gotland Island – the closest terrestrial site to these weapons dumps – we ask what kinds of research methods might be adequate to these tangled, underwater tales that we find so difficult to fathom.
Wave scattering by a fixed submerged platform over a step bottom
Authors: Mondal Ramnarayan , Takagi Ken
Published: July 2017

This study deals with oblique and normal water wave scattering by a fixed submerged body of rectangular cross section which is infinite in length and finite in width. The fluid domain is considered as infinite as well as semi-infinite in nature. The study is carried out under the assumption of small amplitude linear water wave theory. It is considered that the bottom has a step and the submerged body is considered in shallower water depth region. The velocity potential is derived using the eigenfunction expansion method. The unknown constants, which appear in the expansion formulae, are obtained using orthogonal relation along with the boundary conditions at the interfaces. The wave-induced hydrodynamic forces acting on the submerged body and vertical wall are computed for different geometrical parameters. The wave reflection coefficient and the free surface motion are also calculated to see the wave phenomena around the submerged body.
Optical measurements and experimental investigations in repeated low-energy impacts in powerboat sandwich composites
Authors: Cucinotta Filippo , Paoli Alessandro , Risitano Giacomo , Sfravara Felice
Published: July 2017

In the world of powerboats competition, the high-performance sandwich-structured composites have completely replaced traditional materials. During the competition, the structure of this kind of ships is subjected to repeated impacts. It is then fundamental to understand the damage evolution in order to select the most appropriate materials and increase safety issues. The present study is aimed at analysing the behaviour of sandwich-structured composites undergoing repeated low-energy impacts. Three different materials have been analysed. Two are sandwich-structured composites used for the cockpit of offshore powerboats and differing only by the core cell thickness. The third material is composed only by the skin of the same sandwich structures, without the core. Impacts were made at three different energy levels: 15, 17.5 and 20 J. In addition to the parameters typically used for the assessment of the impact damage, a new damage assessment has been carried out by means of three-dimensional optical measurements of the imprinted volumes resulting from the impact events. This approach has allowed the definition of a correlation between the imprinted volumes and the number of impacts, until the complete perforation, for each single specimen. Finally, thanks to usual indexes and the imprinted volumes, some considerations are developed about the influence of the core cell thickness in powerboats design.
Guyanese expatriate women ask: ‘Is it a touch of sugar?’
Authors: Mitchell Helena Ann , Allan Helen , Koch Tina
Published: July 2017

Eight Guyanese expatriate women, who had been living in and around London for decades, came together driven by a participatory inquiry approach. Do we just have ‘a touch of sugar’ or is diabetes a serious affliction were questions asked. The study’s objective was to find answers to these questions. Three nurse academics, one a Guyanese/English woman herself, researched alongside participants. After several years of storytelling and group discussion (2010–2015), the women recognised that when they connected socially, the practical effect of togetherness was empowerment. Researching with participants fostered new understandings of diabetes and improved self-management of this chronic condition. This was achieved through the collaborative character of the inquiry and as a practical response to the problems women were facing. They continue to engage with each other and are reaching out to the wider UK Guyanese community. They have a strong voice about living well with diabetes and strongly reject the myth that diabetes is only ‘a touch of sugar’.
Schooling as a rational rite of passage
Authors: Dimitrijevic Ivan
Published: July 2017

Starting from Illich’s identification of the compulsory schooling process with the rational initiation rite to the modern, free-market, society, the paper aims to detach the philosophical premises this expensive and unequal ritual is grounded in. After having referred to Van Gennep’s conception of the rites of passage, we shall show that the schooling rite corresponds to basic myths of the modern age, that is, progress, tolerance, freedom, and equality. In the second part of the paper, the genealogy of the modern schooling system shall be traced back to the first fully modern political theory, the one Thomas Hobbes had elaborated. According to Hobbes there are two ways out of state of nature and imperfect socialization: the universal possession of the new science of nature and of human nature grounded in mechanism; and the simultaneous renunciation to natural freedom which gives birth to the irresistible power of the sovereign. Hobbes accorded preference to the first one. The constitution of the rational political body represents a shortcut towards the perfect socialization which derives from equal and universal possession of science. The schooling thus represents a way out of pre-modern forms of political dissociation marked by inequality, servitude, and unhappiness, that is, a rational rite of passage from feudal society to the modern one. From this perspective, the modern economic and political system makes a whole with universal and compulsory schooling.
Comparative Proteomic Analysis of the Effect of the Four-Herb Chinese Medicine ANBP on Promoting Mouse Skin Wound Healing
Authors: Chen Li , Hou Qian , Zhou Zhong-Zhi , Li Mei-Rong , Zhong Ling-Zhi , Deng Xiang-Dong , Zhu Zi-Ying , Cheng Zhong-Yi , Zhu Jun , Xiang Cong-Lian , He Wen-Jun , Fu Xiao-Bing
Published: July 2017

Traditional Chinese medicine has great potential to improve wound healing. ANBP, the mixture of 4 Chinese herbs— Agrimoniapilosa, Nelumbonucifera, Boswelliacarteri, and Pollen typhae—is effective in trauma treatment while its mechanism is still elusive. In this study, quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analyses were performed to decipher the possible roles of ANBP in accelerated wound healing of mouse skin. Among all 3171 identified proteins, 90, 71, 80, and 140 proteins were found to be differently expressed in 6 hours, 3 days, 7 days, and 14 days ANBP-treated tissues compared with corresponding control tissues, respectively. The result showed that different biological processes and pathways were activated at different healing stages. At the early healing stage, ANBP treatment mainly affected several biological processes, including immune and defense response, vascular system restoration, hemostasis and coagulation regulation, lipid metabolism and signal transduction, while muscle tissue, hair, epidermis, extracellular matrix and tissue remodeling related activities were the major events in ANBP promoted later wound healing. This is the first quantitative proteome study of ANBP-treated wound tissues, which provide a new perspective for the mechanism of ANBP accelerated wound healing and is of guiding significance for clinical application of ANBP in trauma disorders cure.
A monitoring method of semiconductor manufacturing processes using Internet of Things–based big data analysis
Authors: Jang Seok-Woo , Kim Gye-Young
Published: July 2017

This article proposes an intelligent monitoring system for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which determines spec-in or spec-out for a wafer in process, using Internet of Things–based big data analysis. The proposed system consists of three phases: initialization, learning, and prediction in real time. The initialization sets the weights and the effective steps for all parameters of equipment to be monitored. The learning performs a clustering to assign similar patterns to the same class. The patterns consist of a multiple time-series produced by semiconductor manufacturing equipment and an after clean inspection measured by the corresponding tester. We modify the Line, Buzo, and Gray algorithm for classifying the time-series patterns. The modified Line, Buzo, and Gray algorithm outputs a reference model for every cluster. The prediction compares a time-series entered in real time with the reference model using statistical dynamic time warping to find the best matched pattern and then calculates a predicted after clean inspection by combining the measured after clean inspection, the dissimilarity, and the weights. Finally, it determines spec-in or spec-out for the wafer. We will present experimental results that show how the proposed system is applied on the data acquired from semiconductor etching equipment.
Use of a complete autologous blood recovery system (the Sorin Xtra® Autotransfusion System) during mechanical thrombectomy of extensive cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
Authors: Castaño C , Cubells C , Remollo S , García-Sort MR , Terceño M
Published: July 2017

Background

The endovascular therapy for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is currently accepted as a second-line treatment for patients who have failed or those in whom systemic anticoagulation is contraindicated or in a subgroup of patients presenting with rapid neurologic deterioration. A number of different mechanical and pharmacologic endovascular strategies have been reported, either as separate or combined approaches. These new catheters and aspiration systems have a high power and vacuum capacity, which carries a risk of anemization of the patient and hypovolemic shock, being necessitating the transfusion of the patient.

Material and methods

Because of the problems that donor blood transfusion can bring, we describe the use of a Sorin Xtra® Autotransfusion System (ATS). This complete autologous blood recovery system was designed for use in procedures where medium- to high-volume blood loss occurs, such as major surgeries. We have adapted it to recover all the blood aspirated during the mechanical thrombectomy procedures of the dural cerebral venous sinuses, since they are procedures that can cause a significant loss of blood. One advantage to this is the patient receives his or her own blood instead of donor blood, so there is no risk of contracting outside diseases or transfusion reactions.

Conclusions

This technical note describes a novel and previously unpublished technical approach to CVST that can be immediately applied to clinical practice. It also raises awareness among the interventional neuroradiologist and anesthesiologist communities about novel, potentially lifesaving endovascular treatments in patients with extensive CVST.
Voluntary and Involuntary Movements Widen the Window of Subjective Simultaneity
Authors: Arikan B. Ezgi , van Kemenade Bianca M. , Straube Benjamin , Harris Laurence R. , Kircher Tilo
Published: July 2017

Forming a coherent percept of an event requires different sensory inputs originating from the event to be bound. Perceiving synchrony aids in binding of these inputs. In two experiments, we investigated how voluntary movements influence the perception of simultaneity, by measuring simultaneity judgments (SJs) for an audiovisual (AV) stimulus pair triggered by a voluntary button press. In Experiment 1, we manipulated contiguity between the action and its consequences by introducing delays between the button press and the AV stimulus pair. We found a widened window of subjective simultaneity (WSS) when the action-feedback relationship was time contiguous. Introducing a delay narrowed the WSS, suggesting that the wider WSS around the time of an action might facilitate perception of simultaneity. In Experiment 2, we introduced an involuntary condition using an externally controlled button to assess the influence of action-related predictive processes on SJs. We found a widened WSS around the action time, regardless of movement type, supporting the influence of causal relations in the perception of synchrony. Interestingly, the slopes of the psychometric functions in the voluntary condition were significantly steeper than the slopes in the involuntary condition, suggesting a role of action-related predictive mechanisms in making SJs more precise.
The Impact on Central Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness Post Renal Denervation in Patients With Stage 3 and 4 Chronic Kidney Disease: The Prairie Renal Denervation Study
Authors: Prasad Bhanu , St.Onge Jennifer Rose , McCarron Michelle C. E. , Goyal Kunal , Dehghani Payam
Published: July 2017

Background:

Central aortic blood pressures and arterial stiffness are better indicators of cardiovascular outcomes than brachial blood pressures. However, their response to renal denervation (RDN) in patients with stage 3 and stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not yet been examined.

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of RDN on central blood pressures, brachial (office and ambulatory) blood pressures, arterial stiffness, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), 24-hour urine protein, and selective cardiac parameters observed on echocardiograms.

Design:

Single-center, single-arm with pre-RDN/post-RDN follow-up.

Setting:

Patients are being recruited from the multidisciplinary CKD clinic.

Patients:

Fifty consecutive patients with stage 3 or stage 4 CKD and resistant hypertension, with no radiological or laboratory evidence of secondary causes of hypertension.

Measurements:

The key measurements are central blood pressures, pulse wave velocity, ambulatory 24-hour blood pressure, office blood pressures on BP Tru, GFR, 24-hour urine protein and sodium, blood pressure medication, and doses.

Methods:

For our primary outcome, we will compare changes in central blood pressures from baseline to 6 months post RDN using a paired t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Secondary outcomes will examine changes in central blood pressures from baseline to 3, 12, 18, and 24 months post RDN as well as changes in office pressures, GFR, 24-hour urine protein and sodium, and medications at all time points using mixed-model analyses of variance or Friedman test. Multiple regression may be used to control for potential covariates.

Limitations:

Single-center study, with no sham arm.

Conclusions:

Aortic blood pressure, rather than brachial blood pressure, optimally reflects the load placed on the left ventricle. Aortic blood pressure is also better associated with cardiovascular outcomes. If our study shows a preferential decrease in central blood pressures and improvements in cardiac parameters on echocardiograms post RDN, this may influence the way in which blood pressures are managed in clinics and offices.

Trial Registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01832233)
Local staging of sigmoid colon cancer using MRI
Authors: Dam Claus , Lindebjerg Jan , Jakobsen Anders , Jensen Lars Henrik , Rahr Hans , Rafaelsen Søren Rafael
Published: July 2017

Background

An accurate radiological staging of colon cancer is crucial to select patients who may benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in identifying locally advanced sigmoid colon cancer, poor prognostic factors, and the inter-observer variation of the tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

Material and Methods

Using 1.5 T MRI with high resolution T2-weighted (T2W) imaging, DWI, and no contrast enhancement, 35 patients with sigmoid colon cancer were assessed. T-stage, N-stage, extramural vascular invasion (EMVI), and ADC values of the tumors were assessed and blindly compared by two observers using postoperative histopathological examination as the gold standard. Early tumors were defined as T1 to T3ab, and advanced tumors as T3cd or T4.

Results

The accuracy of the two radiologists in staging early versus advanced tumors, N-stage, and identification of EMVI was 94%/89%, 60%/66%, and 77%/60% with an inter-observer agreement of к = 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67–1.00), к = 0.64 (95% CI = 0.39–0.90), and к = 0.52 (95% CI = 0.23–0.80). All the measured mean ADC values were below 1.0 × 10−3 mm2/s with an intra-class correlation coefficient in T3cd–T4 tumors of 0.85.

Conclusion

Preoperative MRI can identify locally advanced sigmoid colon cancer and has potential as the imaging of choice to select patients for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Initial experience with ADC measurement was achieved with an excellent inter-observer agreement in advanced tumors.
iPad® Video Prompting to Teach Young Adults With Disabilities Independent Living Skills: A Maintenance Study
Authors: Kellems Ryan O. , Rickard Tobias H. , Okray Dana A. , Sauer-Sagiv Leora , Washburn Betsy
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an iPad® as a prompting device for teaching five daily living skills to three young adults with disabilities. Identified target tasks were (a) making spaghetti, (b) cleaning the dining room, (c) making macaroni and cheese, (d) cleaning the front porch, (e) cleaning the back porch, (f) cleaning the living room, and (g) mailing a letter. A multiple probe across behaviors design demonstrated use of the iPad® was associated with immediate and significant gains in the percentage of steps completed correctly for each identified target task. All four participants were able to maintain task acquisition without the use of the iPad®.
Analysis of the recovery of CD247 expression in a PID patient: insights into the spontaneous repair of defective genes
Authors: Blázquez-Moreno Alfonso , Pérez-Portilla Adriana , Agúndez-Llaca Miriam , Dukovska Daniela , Valés-Gómez Mar , Aydogmus Cigdem , Ikinciogullari Aydan , Regueiro José R. , Reyburn Hugh T.
Published: July 2017

Key Points

The propensity of genes to mutate influences the probability of spontaneous reversion of genetic defects in PID.
Apples and pears? A comparison of two sources of national lung cancer audit data in England
Authors: Khakwani Aamir , Jack Ruth H. , Vernon Sally , Dickinson Rosie , Wood Natasha , Harden Susan , Beckett Paul , Woolhouse Ian , Hubbard Richard B.
Published: July 2017

In 2014, the method of data collection from NHS trusts in England for the National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA) was changed from a bespoke dataset called LUCADA (Lung Cancer Data). Under the new contract, data are submittedviathe Cancer Outcome and Service Dataset (COSD) system and linked additional cancer registry datasets. In 2014, trusts were given opportunity to submit LUCADA data as well as registry data. 132 NHS trusts submitted LUCADA data, and all 151 trusts submitted COSD data. This transitional year therefore provided the opportunity to compare both datasets for data completeness and reliability.

We linked the two datasets at the patient level to assess the completeness of key patient and treatment variables. We also assessed the interdata agreement of these variables using Cohen's kappa statistic, κ.

We identified 26 001 patients in both datasets. Overall, the recording of sex, age, performance status and stage had more than 90% agreement between datasets, but there were more patients with missing performance status in the registry dataset. Although levels of agreement for surgery, chemotherapy and external-beam radiotherapy were high between datasets, the new COSD system identified more instances of active treatment.

There seems to be a high agreement of data between the datasets, and the findings suggest that the registry dataset coupled with COSD provides a richer dataset than LUCADA. However, it lagged behind LUCADA in performance status recording, which needs to improve over time.
TLR4 and C5aR crosstalk in dendritic cells induces a core regulatory network of RSK2, PI3Kβ, SGK1, and FOXO transcription factors
Authors: Zaal Anouk , Nota Benjamin , Moore Kat S , Dieker Miranda , van Ham S Marieke , ten Brinke Anja
Published: July 2017

Crosstalk between complement component 5a receptors (C5aRs) and TLRs in dendritic cells (DCs) occurs upon pathogen invasion; however, studies on C5aR and TLR crosstalk mainly focused on the modulating effect of C5a on TLR-induced cytokine production. To elucidate the breadth of C5aR and TLR4 crosstalk, the effect of simultaneous treatment with C5a and LPS was investigated in human monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) 2 h after stimulation using whole transcriptome sequencing analysis. Although the effect of C5a on hallmark genes defining TLR4-induced DC maturation was limited at this time point, RNA sequencing analysis revealed a great variety of novel C5a targets, of which many interfere with TLR4-mediated immune activation. Analysis of functional relationships among these genes uncovered induction of a central immune regulatory network upon C5aR and TLR4 crosstalk, involving the transcription factors forkhead box (FOX)O1 and FOXO3 and the signaling molecules serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK1), ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2), and PI3Kβ. C5aR and TLR crosstalk, furthermore, yielded down-regulation of mainly proinflammatory network branches, including IL-12B, IL-2Rα (IL-2RA), and jagged 1 (JAG1) and cooperative induction of predominantly anti-inflammatory network branches, including sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1), β2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2), gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIPR), and four-and-a-half Lin11, Isl-1, and Mec-3 domains protein 2 (FHL2). Together, these data point toward induction of generalized immune regulation of DC function. Motif enrichment analysis indicate a prominent role for basic leucine zipper (bZIP) and IFN regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) transcription factors upon C5aR and TLR4 crosstalk. Additionally, differences were observed in the modulating capacity of C5a on DCs in the absence or presence of a pathogen (TLR stimulus). Our findings shed new light on the depth and complexity of C5aR and TLR4 crosstalk and provide new foci of research for future studies.
Investigation of magnetic inversion methods in highly magnetic environments under strong self-demagnetization effect
Authors: Krahenbuhl Richard A. , Li Yaoguo
Published: July 2017

We investigate self-demagnetization effects on magnetic data and develop a comparison of two existing inversion methods as they apply to quantitative interpretation of such data in highly magnetic environments. We begin by evaluating the effect on magnetization direction when susceptibility is a scalar and increases from low values into the realm of self-demagnetization. We show through numerical experiments that susceptibility values of greater than 0.1 SI lead to significant self-demagnetization effects. Second, we show that conventional inversion can perform well for interpretation of self-demagnetization problems with simple source geometries. However, as the geometry becomes more complex in realistically complex problems, this approach can produce poor results and a more robust technique is required. Our numerical experiments indicate that directly inverting amplitude data, which can be derived from total-field magnetic anomaly data and are weakly dependent on magnetization direction, produces superior results when interpreting data from areas with complex geology and high magnetic susceptibilities. We conclude by evaluating the application of our preferred approach on a large field data set exhibiting strong self-demagnetization, multiple source bodies, and complex structures.
Differential source-to-sink system analysis for three types of stepped terrains in China
Authors: Cheng Yuan , Zhu Hongtao , Zeng Hongliu , Liu Qianghu , Zhu Xiu
Published: July 2017

The terrains of China, showing a trend of being high in the west and low in the east, can be categorized largely into three types of stepped terrains that consist of different geomorphic units — namely, glaciers and mountains (the first [highest] step), basins and plateaus (the second [less high] step), and plains (the third [lowest] step). The source-to-sink systems in the first and second steps are closed systems from land to lake, whereas those of the third step are mainly open systems from land to ocean. We have based our analytical methods mainly on the parameters of the source-to-sink systems for the three types of stepped terrains using the Google Earth database. We acquired data for the catchment area in the source unit, the longest channel and coefficient of river-network development in the conduit unit, the fan area and fan length: width ratio in the sink unit, and the gradient of the entire system. On the basis of our comparison of these parameters in the three types of stepped terrains, results indicate differential source-to-sink system parameters (catchment area, longest channel, coefficient of river-network development, fan area, fan length:width ratio, and gradient) and a transition among these parameters from the first step to the third. The gradient varies in different geomorphic units, being relatively small on the plains (third step) and relatively large in the basins and on plateaus (the first or second step). The other five parameters become higher from the first step to the third. By analyzing the correlations of these parameters, we found out that (1) the coefficient of river-network development declines with the gradient increasing, (2) the catchment area and the coefficient of river-network development show a positive correlation, (3) the fan area increases with the catchment area increasing, and (4) the fan area and gradient show a negative correlation. From the perspective of controlling factors, we focused on the formation of the geomorphic units, tectonic conditions, and the climate resulting from the obvious differences between the three types of stepped terrains. A new approach to compare the parameters of each step and analyze the correlations between parameters has been used in this study with the goal of predicting the correlations between parameters of different units.
Dietary Fat Intake and Lung Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis
Authors: Yang Jae Jeong , Yu Danxia , Takata Yumie , Smith-Warner Stephanie A. , Blot William , White Emily , Robien Kim , Park Yikyung , Xiang Yong-Bing , Sinha Rashmi , Lazovich DeAnn , Stampfer Meir , Tumino Rosario , Aune Dagfinn , Overvad Kim , Liao Linda , Zhang Xuehong , Gao Yu-Tang , Johansson Mattias , Willett Walter , Zheng Wei , Shu Xiao-Ou
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Dietary fat may play a role in lung carcinogenesis. Findings from epidemiologic studies, however, remain inconsistent. In this pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies from the United States, Europe, and Asia, we evaluated the associations of total and specific types of dietary fat with lung cancer risk.

Methods

Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs in each cohort. Study-specific risk estimates were pooled by random- or fixed-effects meta-analysis. The first 2 years of follow-up were excluded to address potential influence of preclinical dietary changes.

Results

Among 1,445,850 participants, 18,822 incident cases were identified (mean follow-up, 9.4 years). High intakes of total and saturated fat were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (for highest v lowest quintile: HR, 1.07 and 1.14, respectively; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.15 and 1.07 to 1.22, respectively; P for trend for both < .001). The positive association of saturated fat was more evident among current smokers (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.35; P for trend < .001) than former/never smokers ( P for interaction = .004), and for squamous cell and small cell carcinoma (HR, 1.61 and 1.40, respectively; 95% CI, 1.38 to 1.88 and 1.17 to 1.67, respectively; P for trend for both < .001) than other histologic types ( P for heterogeneity < .001). In contrast, a high intake of polyunsaturated fat was associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.98 for highest v lowest quintile; P for trend = .02). A 5% energy substitution of saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat was associated with a 16% to 17% lower risk of small cell and squamous cell carcinoma. No associations were found for monounsaturated fat.

Conclusion

Findings from this large, international cohort consortium suggest that modifying dietary fat intake (ie, replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat) may reduce lung cancer risk, particularly among smokers and for squamous cell and small cell carcinoma.