bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic review of interventions by healthcare professionals to improve management of non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases requiring long-term care in adults who are homeless
Authors: Hanlon Peter , Yeoman Lynsey , Gibson Lauren , Esiovwa Regina , Williamson Andrea E , Mair Frances S , Lowrie Richard
Published: April 2018

Objective

Identify, describe and appraise trials of interventions delivered by healthcare professionals to manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and communicable diseases that require long-term care or treatment (LT-CDs), excluding mental health and substance use disorders, in homeless adults.

Design

Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs and controlled before–after studies. Interventions characterised using Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) taxonomy. Quality assessed using EPOC risk of bias criteria.

Data sources

Database searches (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), hand searching reference lists, citation searches, grey literature and contact with study authors.

Setting

Community.

Participants

Adults (≥18 years) fulfilling European Typology of Homelessness criteria.

Intervention

Delivered by healthcare professionals managing NCD and LT-CDs.

Outcomes

Primary outcome: unscheduled healthcare utilisation. Secondary outcomes: mortality, biological markers of disease control, adherence to treatment, engagement in care, patient satisfaction, knowledge, self-efficacy, quality of life and cost-effectiveness.

Results

11 studies were included (8 RCTs, 2 quasi-experimental and 1 feasibility) involving 9–520 participants (67%–94% male, median age 37–49 years). Ten from USA and one from UK. Studies included various NCDs (n=3); or focused on latent tuberculosis (n=4); HIV (n=2); hepatitis C (n=1) or type 2 diabetes (n=1). All interventions were complex with multiple components. Four described theories underpinning intervention. Three assessed unscheduled healthcare utilisation: none showed consistent reduction in hospitalisation or emergency department attendance. Six assessed adherence to specific treatments, of which four showed improved adherence to latent tuberculosis therapy. Three concerned education case management, all of which improved disease-specific knowledge. No improvements in biological markers of disease (two studies) and none assessed mortality.

Conclusions

Evidence for management of NCD and LT-CDs in homeless adults is sparse. Educational case-management interventions may improve knowledge and medication adherence. Large trials of theory-based interventions are needed, assessing healthcare utilisation and outcomes as well as assessment of biological outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
Transdisciplinary research for impact: protocol for a realist evaluation of the relationship between transdisciplinary research collaboration and knowledge translation
Authors: Archibald Mandy M , Lawless Michael , Harvey Gillian , Kitson Alison L
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Transdisciplinary teams are increasingly regarded as integral to conducting effective research. Similarly, knowledge translation is often seen as a solution to improving the relevance and benefits of health research. Yet, whether, how, for whom and under which circumstances transdisciplinary research influences knowledge translation is undertheorised, which limits its potential impact. The proposed research aims to identify the contexts and mechanisms by which transdisciplinary research contributes to developing shared understandings and behaviours of knowledge translation between team members.

Methods and analysis

Using a longitudinal case-study design approach to realist evaluation, we outline a study protocol examining whether, how, if and for whom transdisciplinary collaboration can impact knowledge translation understandings and behaviours within a 5-year transdisciplinary Centre of Research Excellence. Data are being collected between February 2017 and December 2020 over four rounds of theory development, refinement and testing using interviews, observation, document review and visual elicitation as data sources.

Ethics and dissemination

The Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Adelaide approved this study. Findings will be communicated with team members at scheduled intervals throughout the study verbally and by means of creative reflective approaches (eg, arts elicitation, journalling). This research will be used to help support optimal team functioning by identifying strategies to support knowledge sharing and communication within and beyond the team to facilitate attainment of research objectives. Academic dissemination will occur through publication and presentations.
Rehabilitation following meniscal repair: a systematic review
Authors: Spang III Robert C , Nasr Michael C , Mohamadi Amin , DeAngelis Joseph P , Nazarian Ara , Ramappa Arun J
Published: April 2018

Objective

To review existing biomechanical and clinical evidence regarding postoperative weight-bearing and range of motion restrictions for patients following meniscal repair surgery.

Methods and data sources

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline, we searched MEDLINE using following search strategy: ((((“Weight-Bearing/physiology”[Mesh]) OR “Range of Motion, Articular”[Mesh]) OR “Rehabilitation”[Mesh])) AND (“Menisci, Tibial”[Mesh]). Additional articles were derived from previous reviews. Eligible studies were published in English and reported a rehabilitation protocol following meniscal repair on human. We summarised rehabilitation protocols and patients’ outcome among original studies.

Results

Seventeen clinical studies were included in this systematic review. There was wide variation in rehabilitation protocols among clinical studies. Biomechanical evidence from small cadaveric studies suggests that higher degrees of knee flexion and weight-bearing may be safe following meniscal repair and may not compromise the repair. An accelerated protocol with immediate weight-bearing at tolerance and early motion to non-weight-bearing with immobilising up to 6 weeks postoperatively is reported. Accelerated rehabilitation protocols are not associated with higher failure rates following meniscal repair.

Conclusions

There is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal postoperative protocol following meniscal repair. Small clinical studies support rehabilitation protocols that allow early motion. Additional studies are needed to better clarify the interplay between tear type, repair method and optimal rehabilitation protocol.
Clinical outcome of Guillain-Barré syndrome after prolonged mechanical ventilation
Authors: van den Berg Bianca , Storm Eline F , Garssen Marcel J P , Blomkwist-Markens Patricia H , Jacobs Bart C
Published: April 2018

Background

Patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) may suffer from respiratory failure for months or longer. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency, clinical course and outcome of patients with GBS requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV).

Methods

Prospectively collected data from 526 patients with GBS participating in previous trials were analysed to determine the frequency and duration of prolonged MV (longer than 2 months). In addition, a cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with GBS requiring MV to determine the clinical course and long-term outcome with the ability to walk unaided as primary endpoint.

Results

In the cohort study, 145 of 526 patients with GBS (28%) required MV, including 33 (6%) patients with prolonged MV. Patients requiring prolonged MV had a lower Medical Research Council sum score and more frequent bulbar involvement and inexcitable nerves compared with shorter ventilated patients. At 6 months, 18% of patients with prolonged MV were able to walk unaided compared with 76% of patients requiring shorter MV (P<0.001). In the cross-sectional study, 63 patients requiring MV were included with a median follow-up of 11 years (range 2–44 years). Twenty-six (41%) of these patients needed prolonged MV (median 93 days, range 62–261). Fifteen (58%) of these patients were able to walk unaided at maximum follow-up and eight (31%) reached this endpoint more than 1 year after diagnosis.

Conclusions

Prolonged ventilation in GBS is associated with poor prognosis, yet patients requiring prolonged ventilation may show slow but persistent recovery for years and even reach the ability to walk and live independently.
Ketamine for military prehospital analgesia and sedation in combat casualties
Authors: Moy Ross , Wright C
Published: April 2018

Ketamine is an effective drug for battlefield analgesia. Recent evidence suggests that it can be safely and effectively used by Level 6 Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (PHEC) practitioners. This article presents a review of the evidence, and outlines the future use of ketamine for provision of analgesia and sedation in combat casualties.
Republished: Ruptured aneurysm of the artery of Adamkiewicz: is conservative management the standard of treatment in the current era?
Authors: Aguilar-Salinas Pedro , Lima Jussie , Brasiliense Leonardo B C , Hanel Ricardo A , Sauvageau Eric
Published: April 2018

Spinal aneurysms are rare lesions, and their natural history is not well known. In particular, aneurysms arising from the artery of Adamkiewicz (AA) are an extremely rare phenomenon, and given the lack of solid evidence its management remains unclear. We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A spinal angiogram demonstrated a fusiform aneurysm arising from the AA. Based on the location, the absence of evident collateral circulation to the anterior spinal artery, and the available literature supporting spontaneous thrombosis, we opted for conservative management. Fifteen days after the diagnosis, a spinal angiogram demonstrated complete occlusion of the aneurysm with no visualization of the AA. At 10-month follow-up, the patient was able to walk without assistance. Management should be done on a case-by-case basis with the goal of preserving spinal cord perfusion. Similar to previous articles, our report reinforces conservative management as a valid strategy.
Republished: Embolization of a cavernous carotid fistula through the vein of Labbé: a new alternative transvenous access route
Authors: Konstas Angelos Aristeidis , Song Alice , Song Julia , Thanos Aristomenis , Ross Ian B
Published: April 2018

Endovascular treatment of carotid cavernous fistulas (CCFs) via a transvenous approach is standard, but in rare cases this approach is challenging due to absence or thrombosis of the commonly used venous routes. A 61-year-old woman presented with a symptomatic CCF with all but one of the venous access routes to the CCF thrombosed, leaving an engorged superficial middle cerebral vein (SMCV) as the only venous outflow from the cavernous sinus. Access to the CCF was made possible after careful navigation of the sigmoid sinus, the vein of Labbé and the SMCV, bypassing the need for surgical access to the SMCV or for a direct transorbital puncture. The CCF was completely occluded by coiling and Onyx embolization. The patient made an uneventful recovery, with resolution of her symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this access route has not been previously reported in the treatment of CCFs.
Republished: Treatment of hemorrhagic head and neck lesions by direct puncture and n-BCA embolization
Authors: Deib Gerard , El Mekabaty Amgad , Gailloud Philippe , Pearl Monica Smith
Published: April 2018

Life-threatening bleeding in the head and neck region requires urgent management. These hemorrhagic lesions, for example, a ruptured pseudoaneurysm, are often treated by transarterial embolization (TAE), but prior intervention or surgery, inflammation, anatomic variants, and vessel tortuosity may render an endovascular approach challenging, time-consuming, and sometimes impossible. We report two cases of severe head and neck hemorrhages successfully embolized withn-butyl cyanoacrylate via direct puncture, and propose this approach as a fast, safe, and effective alternative to TAE.
Republished: Endovascular recanalisation with drug coated balloon for chronic symptomatic middle cerebral artery total occlusion
Authors: Zhang Jun , Zhang Xiao , Zhang Jin-Ping , Han Ju
Published: April 2018

The optimal treatment for patients with chronic symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) total occlusion is not well established. In addition to medical therapy, vessel recanalisation with stenting has shown much promise, especially for patients with recurrent ischemic symptoms. Nevertheless, the incidence of symptomatic in-stent restenosis (ISR) is high, and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Drug coated balloons (DCBs) have been proven to be effective in treating and preventing ISR. However, the feasibility of DCBs for de novo intracranial atherothrombotic stenosis has not been previously described, especially for total occlusion lesions. Here we reported a patient with chronic left MCA total occlusion successfully treated with DCBs, with a good outcome at the 1 year follow-up. More studies are warranted to further compare the efficacy of DCBs and stentings for intracranial revascularisation.
Association of follow-up infarct volume with functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke: a pooled analysis of seven randomized trials
Authors: Boers Anna M M , Jansen Ivo G H , Beenen Ludo F M , Devlin Thomas G , San Roman Luis , Heo Ji Hoe , Ribó Marc , Brown Scott , Almekhlafi Mohammed A , Liebeskind David S , Teitelbaum Jeanne , Lingsma Hester F , van Zwam Wim H , Cuadras Patricia , du Mesnil de Rochemont Richard , Beaumont Marine , Brown Martin M , Yoo Albert J , van Oostenbrugge Robert J , Menon Bijoy K , Donnan Geoffrey A , Mas Jean Louis , Roos Yvo B W E M , Oppenheim Catherine , van der Lugt Aad , Dowling Richard J , Hill Michael D , Davalos Antoni , Moulin Thierry , Agrinier Nelly , Demchuk Andrew M , Lopes Demetrius K , Aja Rodríguez Lucia , Dippel Diederik W J , Campbell Bruce C V , Mitchell Peter J , Al-Ajlan Fahad S , Jovin Tudor G , Madigan Jeremy , Albers Gregory W , Soize Sebastien , Guillemin Francis , Reddy Vivek K , Bracard Serge , Blasco Jordi , Muir Keith W , Nogueira Raul G , White Phil M , Goyal Mayank , Davis Stephen M , Marquering Henk A , Majoie Charles B L M
Published: April 2018

Background

Follow-up infarct volume (FIV) has been recommended as an early indicator of treatment efficacy in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Questions remain about the optimal imaging approach for FIV measurement.

Objective

To examine the association of FIV with 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and investigate its dependency on acquisition time and modality.

Methods

Data of seven trials were pooled. FIV was assessed on follow-up (12 hours to 2 weeks) CT or MRI. Infarct location was defined as laterality and involvement of the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score regions. Relative quality and strength of multivariable regression models of the association between FIV and functional outcome were assessed. Dependency of imaging modality and acquisition time (≤48 hours vs >48 hours) was evaluated.

Results

Of 1665 included patients, 83% were imaged with CT. Median FIV was 41 mL (IQR 14–120). A large FIV was associated with worse functional outcome (OR=0.88(95% CI 0.87 to 0.89) per 10 mL) in adjusted analysis. A model including FIV, location, and hemorrhage type best predicted mRS score. FIV of ≥133 mL was highly specific for unfavorable outcome. FIV was equally strongly associated with mRS score for assessment on CT and MRI, even though large differences in volume were present (48 mL (IQR 15–131) vs 22 mL (IQR 8–71), respectively). Associations of both early and late FIV assessments with outcome were similar in strength (ρ=0.60(95% CI 0.56 to 0.64) and ρ=0.55(95% CI 0.50 to 0.60), respectively).

Conclusions

In patients with an acute ischemic stroke due to a proximal intracranial occlusion of the anterior circulation, FIV is a strong independent predictor of functional outcome and can be assessed before 48 hours, oneither CT or MRI.
Cystic fibrosis pathogens survive for extended periods within cough-generated droplet nuclei
Authors: Wood Michelle E , Stockwell Rebecca E , Johnson Graham R , Ramsay Kay A , Sherrard Laura J , Kidd Timothy J , Cheney Joyce , Ballard Emma L , O’Rourke Peter , Jabbour Nassib , Wainwright Claire E , Knibbs Luke D , Sly Peter D , Morawska Lidia , Bell Scott C
Published: April 2018

The airborne route is a potential pathway in the person-to-person transmission of bacterial strains among cystic fibrosis (CF) populations. In this cross-sectional study, we investigate the physical properties and survival of common non-Pseudomonas aeruginosaCF pathogens generated during coughing. We conclude that Gram-negative bacteria andStaphylococcus aureusare aerosolised during coughing, can travel up to 4 m and remain viable within droplet nuclei for up to 45 min. These results suggest that airborne person-to-person transmission is plausible for the CF pathogens we measured.
Taking the pressure off the spring: the case of rebounding smoking rates when antitobacco campaigns ceased
Authors: Dono Joanne , Bowden Jacqueline , Kim Susan , Miller Caroline
Published: April 2018

Objective

Smoking rates have been compared with a spring, requiring continuous downward pressure against protobacco forces, rather than a screw, which once driven down stays down. Quality antitobacco mass media campaigns put downward pressure on smoking rates. The suspension of a major Australian state campaign provided a natural experiment to assess effects on smoking. Furthermore, we document the positive influence of robust monitoring and mature advocacy on the political decision to reinstate funding. We also document the misuse by industry of South Australian smoking data from the period between Australia’s implementation and subsequent evaluation of plain packaging.

Methods

A time series analysis was used to examine monthly smoking prevalence trends at each of four intervention points: (A) commencement of high-intensity mass media campaign (August 2010); (B) introduction of plain packaging (December 2012), (C) defunding of campaign (July 2013); and (D) reinstatement of moderate-intensity campaign (July 2014).

Findings

The suspension of the antitobacco campaign was disruptive to achieving smoking prevalence targets. There was an absence of a downward monthly smoking prevalence trajectory during the non-campaign period. Moreover, there was a significant decline in smoking prevalence during the period of high-intensity advertising, which continued after the introduction of plain packaging laws, and at the recommencement of campaign activity.

Conclusions

While the observed declines in smoking prevalence are likely due to a combination of interventions and cannot be attributed exclusively to antitobacco advertising, the results reinforce the political decision to reinstate the campaign and demonstrate the need for maintained investment to keep downward pressure on smoking rates.
Mitochondrial Ca
2+
Influx Contributes to Arrhythmic Risk in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Xie An , Song Zhen , Liu Hong , Zhou Anyu , Shi Guangbin , Wang Qiongying , Gu Lianzhi , Liu Man , Xie Lai‐Hua , Qu Zhilin , Dudley Samuel C.
Published: April 2018

Background

Heart failure (HF) is associated with increased arrhythmia risk and triggered activity. Abnormal Ca
2+
handling is thought to underlie triggered activity, and mitochondria participate in Ca
2+
homeostasis.

Methods and Results

A model of nonischemic HF was induced in C57BL/6 mice by hypertension. Computer simulations were performed using a mouse ventricular myocyte model of HF. Isoproterenol‐induced premature ventricular contractions and ventricular fibrillation were more prevalent in nonischemic HF mice than sham controls. Isolated myopathic myocytes showed decreased cytoplasmic Ca
2+
transients, increased mitochondrial Ca
2+
transients, and increased action potential duration at 90% repolarization. The alteration of action potential duration at 90% repolarization was consistent with in vivo corrected QT prolongation and could be explained by augmented L‐type Ca
2+
currents, increased Na
+
‐Ca
2+
exchange currents, and decreased total K
+
currents. Of myopathic ventricular myocytes, 66% showed early afterdepolarizations (EADs) compared with 17% of sham myocytes (
P
<0.05). Intracellular application of 1 μmol/L Ru360, a mitochondrial Ca
2+
uniporter–specific antagonist, could reduce mitochondrial Ca
2+
transients, decrease action potential duration at 90% repolarization, and ameliorate EADs. Furthermore, genetic knockdown of mitochondrial Ca
2+
uniporters inhibited mitochondrial Ca
2+
uptake, reduced Na
+
‐Ca
2+
exchange currents, decreased action potential duration at 90% repolarization, suppressed EADs, and reduced ventricular fibrillation in nonischemic HF mice. Computer simulations showed that EADs promoted by HF remodeling could be abolished by blocking either the mitochondrial Ca
2+
uniporter or the L‐type Ca
2+
current, consistent with the experimental observations.

Conclusions

Mitochondrial Ca
2+
handling plays an important role in EADs seen with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and may represent a therapeutic target to reduce arrhythmic risk in this condition.
The ‘Global Pact for the Environment’ – A New Instrument to Protect the Planet?
Authors: Raith Jasmin
Published: April 2018

This article aims to shed light on the newly proposed initiative to negotiate a ‘Global Pact for the Environment’. After an overview of the Pact, the article discusses the main provisions of the current draft of the Pact, such as the right to live in an ecologically sound environment, the codification of existing environmental principles and the introduction of new principles. The article examines the relationship between the Pact and existing multilateral environmental agreements and institutions and comes to the conclusion that the stated intention for the Pact to serve as a ‘legal umbrella’ for the existing multilateral environmental treaties raises both political as well as legal questions. Furthermore, the Pact possesses only limited potential to strengthen international environmental law. Nonetheless, the initiative has the potential to trigger reforms in international environmental law by putting the protection of the environment at the top of the global agenda.
‘A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words’: Multimodal Sensemaking of the Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Höllerer Markus A. , Jancsary Dennis , Grafström Maria
Published: April 2018

Through its specific rhetorical potential that is distinct from verbal text, visual material facilitates and plays a pivotal role in linking novel phenomena to established and taken-for-granted social categories and discourses within the social stock of knowledge. Employing data from the worldwide news coverage of the global financial crisis in the Financial Times between 2008 and 2012, we analyse sensemaking and sensegiving efforts in the business media. We identify a set of specific multimodal compositions that construct and shape a limited number of narratives on the global financial crisis through distinct relationships between visual and verbal text. By outlining how multimodal compositions enhance representation, theorization, resonance, and perceived validity of narratives, we contribute to the phenomenological tradition in institutional organization theory and to research on multimodal meaning construction. We argue that elaborate multimodal compositions of verbal text, images, and other visual artifacts constitute a key resource for sensemaking and, consequently, sensegiving.
Toward the use of wavelet scalograms in the diagnostic analysis of rotating machinery transient data
Authors: Nuernberger Samraj , Turso James
Published: April 2018

Analysis of the vibration data has historically, and in practice today, been accomplished primarily using Fourier analysis which allows the diagnostician to review vibrational amplitudes and corresponding periodic frequencies generated by the machine. The most common application of Fourier analysis provides very limited information about the frequency content versus time, as these data are lost during the transform. This article presents a comparison analysis between Fourier transform and the wavelet transform, presented via the multilevel wavelet graphical presentation, or scalogram, on startup data from a large, vertical power plant pump driven by an electric motor. Wavelet scalograms also provide interesting and unexpected information such as frequency undulations during startup as well as intermittency of specific frequency components. As each method has its strengths and limitations, using the two methods together potentially provides a more complete picture of the vibration characteristics of the machine. Results of these analyses are presented with subsequent diagnostic analyses.
Mobile phones and inequality: Findings, trends, and future directions
Authors: Marler Will
Published: April 2018

Smartphones are more prevalent than computers in the digital age, particularly in poor and minority communities. Is it the effect to reduce or perpetuate socioeconomic disparities? This article reviews two decades of research investigating whether mobile phones contribute to enhancing the status of disadvantaged populations. Conclusions on the nature and extent of the mobile effect vary across areas of inquiry, including digital inequality, social networks, and coordination and mobility. Advantages accrue in particular areas, such as strengthening core ties, promoting particular Internet activities, and enhancing daily coordination and safety. Device limitations and structural inequalities overwhelm the mobile effect in many arenas, though new conditions emerge with changes in mobile technology and digital habits. Future research will benefit from closer attention to how mobile affordances, user motivation and habituation, popular mobile uses, and the particular conditions of disadvantage shape outcomes for marginalized populations.
Pizza, beer and kittens: Negotiating cultural trauma discourses on Twitter in the wake of the 2017 Stockholm attack
Authors: Eriksson Moa
Published: April 2018

The overarching aim of this study is to analyse how social media communication can impact the formation of cultural trauma discourses in the aftermath of disruptive societal events. The article focuses on how the hashtag #openstockholm was used on Twitter for support, sharing and cooperation after the Stockholm lorry attack in 2017. Much of the content posted with this hashtag had a light-hearted tone, flouting the conventional trauma discourses of grief and sorrow in a way that was surprising, and perhaps even provocative, to some. A thematic analysis of tweets shows the different uses of the hashtag over time, as well as distinguishes two conflicting discourses that either downplayed or amplified the cultural trauma narrative. The study shows that the responses to traumatic events may depend on a culturally specific logic of collective action frames which implies the need for contextual understandings of how cultural trauma discourses are negotiated.
The social mediated age of information: Twitter and Instagram as tools for information dissemination in higher education
Authors: Arceneaux Phillip C , Dinu Lucian F
Published: April 2018

Despite high levels of global connectivity, Americans are generally underinformed about the world. The US Department of Education named social media as a viable option for improving learning objectives, yet minimal research supports such a claim regarding internationalization. While what research exists exclusively investigated Facebook, no research explored the viability of other popular platforms, such as Twitter or Instagram. Through an experimental design conducted on 405 college students, this study probed how the presentation of textually based (Twitter) and visually based (Instagram) messages affected American college students’ recall of digital information. It also investigated how communicator credibility affected the way college students consumed digitally disseminated information. Results showed that information retention was most improved by visually based information published by professional news outlets. Such findings help to better understand the contributions social media are capable of making as information tools, particularly when applied to American post-secondary education.
Tumour necrosis factor, interferon-gamma and interleukins as predictive markers of antiprogrammed cell-death protein-1 treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a pragmatic approach in clinical practice
Authors: Boutsikou Efimia , Domvri Kalliopi , Hardavella Georgia , Tsiouda Dora , Zarogoulidis Konstantinos , Kontakiotis Theodoros
Published: April 2018

Background:

The emergence of novel antiprogrammed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of this disease. Although overall survival (OS) has improved in the first- and second-line therapy settings for advanced NSCLC, the benefit is not universal. In a climate of global scrutiny for healthcare costs and potential for toxicities related to immunotherapy, appropriate patient selection is crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential prognostic and predictive biomarkers interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and a panel of interleukins (ILs) in the peripheral blood, and assess any correlation with response to anti-PD-1 inhibition, progression-free survival and OS in NSCLC patients.

Methods:

We prospectively studied 26 NSCLC patients that received immunotherapy (either pembrolizumab or nivolumab). IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 were analyzed by flow cytometry at the time of diagnosis and at 3 months after initiation of anti-PD-1 inhibition.

Results:

Increased cytokine values (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-8) at the time of diagnosis and at 3 months after initiation of treatment were significantly correlated with improved response to immunotherapy and prolonged OS. There was no correlation between cytokine levels and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression.

Conclusions:

Increased IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 levels resulted in better response to NSCLC anti-PD-1 inhibition and longer survival, and this could potentially play an important role in selecting patients that would benefit from anti-PD-1 inhibitors.
Seismic sedimentology study of braided river — A case study in He8 and Shan1 members of Permian, Sulige western region, Ordos Basin
Authors: Hong Zhong , Liu Huaqing , Sun Ming , Gao Gai , Hu Guangmin
Published: April 2018

The He8 and Shan1 members deposited by braided river are major pay zones of the Sulige western region, Ordos Basin. In these two members, the P-wave impedance ranges of gas-bearing reservoir and the surrounding lithologies are highly overlapped. The gas-bearing reservoir cannot be feasibly recognized by the conventional poststack seismic data. In addition, the seismic reflection of the Shan1 member showing mid-weak amplitude distributes discontinuously within the whole seismic survey, leading to difficulties in tracking seismic events and delineating the plane map of reservoir distribution. To solve the problems above, a seismic sedimentology study was conducted in the study area. First, the seismic reflection characterization of braided river was studied according to its sedimentary model. Also, the amplitude variation with offset (AVO) seismic data were used to identify gas-bearing reservoir because the Poisson’s ratios of gas-bearing reservoir and the surrounding rocks are distinctly different. The AVO attribute volume is therefore converted into the lithologic volume, which is useful for the subsequent lithologic interpretation work. The isochronous surface of the Shan1 member seismic reflection can be achieved with the aid of a stratal slicing technique. The practice indicates the feasibility of lithologic converting of the AVO attribute volume. The gas-bearing reservoir of the He8 and Shan1 members can be precisely predicted, and the evolutional history and plane-distribution character of the gas-bearing reservoir are clearly delineated by the stratal slices with isochronous significance.
Brittleness prediction for the Lower Paleozoic shales in northern Poland
Authors: Cyz Marta , Mulińska Marta , Pachytel Radomir , Malinowski Michał
Published: April 2018

We have tested brittleness prediction by integrating well and 3D seismic data using machine learning (proximal support vector machine algorithm) for Lower Paleozoic shales from the Baltic Basin in northern Poland. The workflow allowed for differentiation of the brittle and ductile zones of the thin shale layers, as well as mapping of the marly formation (fracture barrier) with superior resolution as compared with the resolution of the original input seismic data. The important part of the success was the appropriate definition of the mineralogical brittleness index (BI) tailored to the local geologic conditions. The obtained BI volume outlines the more and less brittle zones in the lower shale unit, i.e., the Sasino Formation, as well as the overlaying unit with high values of BI (Prabuty marls). The mechanical BI based on the Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio did not deliver the desired brittleness characterization of the formations of interest, which confirms the weakness of estimating BI using the above geomechanical measurements alone. The weak point of the reported analysis is the small number of available wells, which makes the prediction’s statistics unsatisfactory.
Pitfalls in the study of seismic amplitude
Authors: Brown Alistair R.
Published: April 2018

Amplitude is the key to all seismic interpretation objectives other than structure. Amplitude tells us about stratigraphic bodies, fluid content, and porosity zones. But amplitude is also affected by data collection, data processing, surface conditions, the geology of the overburden, and shallower reservoirs. So, amplitude contains much ambiguity, which can lead to interpretation pitfalls. We may use different types of amplitude, and we may call these amplitude attributes. We may or may not select the type of amplitude optimally for the current interpretation problem. Amplitude is full of information, but can we see what is important? Does the amplitude of our objective stand out sufficiently from other effects? Is our reservoir too thin? We must consider the different display options and use the one that is the most applicable to the interpretation task at hand. Gradational colors are preferred, but there are many color schemes that hinder rather than help the interpretive thought process.
Media Heterotopias
Authors: Chung Hye Jean
Published: April 2018

In Media Heterotopias Hye Jean Chung challenges the widespread tendency among audiences and critics to disregard the material conditions of digital film production. Drawing on interviews with directors, producers, special effects supervisors, and other film industry workers, Chung traces how the rhetorical and visual emphasis on seamlessness masks the social, political, and economic realities of global filmmaking and digital labor. In films such as Avatar (2009), Interstellar (2014), and The Host (2006)—which combine live action footage with CGI to create new hybrid environments—filmmaking techniques and "seamless" digital effects allow the globally dispersed labor involved to go unnoticed by audiences. Chung adapts Foucault's notion of heterotopic spaces to foreground this labor and to theorize cinematic space as a textured, multilayered assemblage in which filmmaking occurs in transnational collaborations that depend upon the global movement of bodies, resources, images, and commodities. Acknowledging cinema's increasingly digitized and globalized workflow, Chung reconnects digitally constructed and composited imagery with the reality of production spaces and laboring bodies to highlight the political, social, ethical, and aesthetic stakes in recognizing the materiality of collaborative filmmaking.
Tropical Riffs
Authors: Borge Jason
Published: April 2018

In Tropical Riffs Jason Borge traces how jazz helped forge modern identities and national imaginaries in Latin America during the mid-twentieth century. Across Latin America jazz functioned as a conduit through which debates about race, sexuality, nation, technology, and modernity raged in newspapers, magazines, literature, and film. For Latin American audiences, critics, and intellectuals—who often understood jazz to stem from social conditions similar to their own—the profound penetration into the fabric of everyday life of musicians like Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker represented the promises of modernity while simultaneously posing a threat to local and national identities. Brazilian antijazz rhetoric branded jazz as a problematic challenge to samba and emblematic of Americanization. In Argentina jazz catalyzed discussions about musical authenticity, race, and national culture, especially in relation to tango. And in Cuba, the widespread popularity of Chano Pozo and Dámaso Pérez Prado popularity challenged the United States' monopoly on jazz. Outlining these hemispheric flows of ideas, bodies, and music, Borge elucidates how "America's art form" was, and remains, a transnational project and a collective idea.
Mortality and cause of death postoperatively in patients with a hip fracture
Authors: Choi H. G. , Lee Y. B. , Rhyu S. H. , Kwon B. C. , Lee J. K.
Published: April 2018

Aims

The aim of this study was to compare the rate of mortality and causes of death in Korean patients who undergo surgery for a fracture of the hip, up to 11 years after the injury, with a control group from the general population.

Materials and Methods

National cohort data from Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service – National Sample Cohort were used. A ratio of 1:4 matched patients with a fracture who underwent surgery (3383, fracture group) between 2003 and 2012, and controls (13 532) were included. The matches were processed for age, gender, income, and region of residence. We also undertook analyses of subgroups according to age and gender. The mean follow-up was 4.45 years (1 to 11).

Results

The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and stroke was significantly higher in the fracture group and dyslipidemia in the controls. Both crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for the rate of mortality in the fracture group were > 2 (crude HR 2.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.91 to 2.17, p < 0.001; adjusted HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.94 to 2.21, p < 0.001). The HRs were also > 2 for both men and women, and for both those aged ≥ 50 years and < 50 years. However, for those aged < 50 years, they were insignificant. The rates of mortality due to all 11 major causes of death classified following Korean standard classification of diseases were significantly higher in the fracture group compared with the control group, except those in the mental and behavioral disorders category.

Conclusion

The rate of mortality in the fracture group was significantly higher than in the control group up to 11 years after the surgery. The rate of death due to almost every major cause was significantly higher in the fracture group compared with the control group. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:436–42.
Commercial investment in public–private partnerships: the impact of contract characteristics
Authors: Wang Huanming , Chen Bin , Xiong Wei , Wu Guangdong
Published: April 2018

This article applies a generalised linear model (GLM) to empirically examining whether competitive bidding, transaction costs, types of contract, and contract duration affect the extent of private investment in public–private partnerships (PPP) projects, using the Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) database on China's projects. Results show that the extent of private investment is positively associated with the presence of competitive bidding, higher asset specificity and more residual rights controlled by private investors. Although the extent of private investment is negatively associated with increasing project size, after reaching a tipping point, increasing project size would attract more private investment. Local PPP policy supports attracting private capital to invest in short-term projects. To attract private investment to PPPs, local governments around the world should build a true partnership with the private sector by introducing a competitive bidding process, restructuring state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as a mixed form, and encouraging joint ventures between private firms.
Terapia cognitivo-comportamental: A preparação do paciente com transtorno de pânico para as exposições agorafóbicas interoceptivas e in vivo
Authors: King Anna Lucia Spear , Valença Alexandre Martins , E Silva Adriana Cardoso de Oliveira , Sardinha Aline , Levitan Michelle Nigri , Nardi Antonio Egidio
Published: April 2018

Objetivo: O estudo com terapia cognitivo-comportamental (TCC) procurou demonstrar a preparaçãodo paciente com transtorno do pânico para exposições agorafóbicas. Foram usadas as técnicas dasexposições interoceptivas, às próprias sensações corporais, e in vivo, a locais ou situações temidas.Metodologia: 50 indivíduos, divididos em dois grupos de 25 participantes cada um. O grupo 1 realizou 10 sessões de TCC semanais e individuais com uma hora de duração e fez uso de medicamentos e o grupo 2, controle, usou apenas medicação sem TCC. A medicação prescrita consistiu em antidepressivos tricíclicos e inibidores seletivos de recaptação da serotonina. Foram aplicados instrumentos de avaliação no início e ao fim das intervenções médica e psicológica. Resultados: Observamos uma diferença significativa entre a avaliação inicial e final no grupo 1, como: redução nos ataques de pânico, ansiedade antecipatória, esquiva agorafobia e medo das sensações corporais. Na escala de avaliação global do funcionamento, um aumento do bem-estar global de 60.8% a 72.5% entre pacientes do grupo 1 com terapia, diferentemente do grupo 2 sem terapia. Conclusões: As técnicas de TCC para as exposições foram consideradas essenciais na preparação dos pacientes com transtorno de pânico, para enfrentarem os ataques de pânico e as situações agorafóbicas subsequentes.
Padrões de consumo de álcool em estudantes da Universidade de Aveiro: relação com comportamentos de risco e stress
Authors: Rodrigues Pedro F. S. , Salvador Ana C. F. , Lourenço Inês C. , Santos Luísa R.
Published: April 2018

Resumo: O consumo excessivo de álcool em estudantes universitários tem sido focode grandes preocupações, não só devido aos seus efeitos negativos na saúde, mastambém porque habitualmente leva a comportamentos de risco, como a condução sobo efeito de álcool, ou relações sexuais sem proteção. Outro aspeto muitoverificado entre os estudantes universitários, e que parece ser um dos motivos queleva ao consumo de álcool são os níveis de stress. Neste estudo, realizado a760 estudantes da Universidade de Aveiro, verificámos que os participantes apresentamelevados consumos de álcool, sobretudo em festas académicas. Os comportamentosde risco associados não se mostram significativos. Verificámos igualmente que omaior consumo de álcool está associado ao sexo masculino. Também se constatou queos estudantes universitários que saem de casa dos pais/da sua residência apresentammaiores consumos de álcool. Relativamente à perceção de stress, verificámos queos estudantes universitários de Aveiro apresentam níveis moderados de stress eque estes se encontram negativamente correlacionados com os consumos de álcool.Os nossos resultados são discutidos à luz das teorias existentes sobre ospadrões de consumo de álcool em estudantes universitários.Palavras-chave: estudantes universitários, consumo de álcool,comportamentos de risco, stress  Abstract: The alcohol consumption in college students had beena point of enormous concerns, not only because the alcohol has negative effectsfor the health, but also because frequently it has risk behaviours associated,for instance driving sob alcohol effect or sexual relations sob alcohol effect.Other aspect that we can view in college students is stress that probably it’sa motive for the alcohol consumption. In this study, that it was realized with 760students at University of Aveiro, we found that students consume alcohol a lot,particularly in academics celebrations. However, the risk behaviours aren’tsignificants in our sample. We also found that higher consumption of alcohol isassociated with masculine students and with students that are dislocated of thefamilies’ house. Our sample has a medium level of stress. The stress’ studentsis negatively correlated with the alcohol consumption. Our results arediscussed in light of existing theories about the alcohol consumption incollege students. Keywords: college students, alcohol consumption, riskbehaviours, stress
Modelos internos dinâmicos de vinculação: Uma metáfora conceptual?
Authors: Maia Joana , Veríssimo Manuela , Ferreira Bruno , Silva Filipa , Pinto Alexandra
Published: April 2018

É inegável que, no contexto da investigação sobre as implicações desenvolvimentais das relações devinculação, o conceito de Modelos Internos Dinâmicos (MID) tem vindo a assumir uma capacidadeexplicativa crescente e extensiva (ver Bretherton & Munholland, 2008; Thompson, 2008b). Todavia,apesar da centralidade dos MID na Teoria da vinculação, é de referir o “caos calmo” que parece existirna literatura ainda hoje, mais de 50 décadas de estudos depois, à volta da utilização desta metáforaconceptual que, embora apelativa, não corresponde ainda a um constructo teórico solidamente definidoe empiricamente testável (ver Bretherton, 2005; Delius, Bovenschen, & Spangler, 2008; Thompson,2008a). De forma a percebermos melhor o que poderá contribuir para este cenário de “caos calmo”,analisaremos, seguidamente, a evolução histórica do conceito, no âmbito da Teoria da vinculação,partindo das primeiras formulações de Bowlby e integrando contributos posteriores.
POLITIK IDENTITAS ANIMAL POP DANCE: SUBBUDAYA DAN GAYA HIDUP HIBRID
Authors: Setyobudi Imam
Published: April 2018

Post-colonial theories bear two perspectives. First, Said argues that the ideological and concrete framework of ideology and colonial knowledge stands firmly, neatly, and perfectly without any crack that remains entrenched. Bhabha argues that the building of ideology and colonial knowledge full of cracks necessitates the creative opportunity of creating hybrid traditions and cultures that are not merely extensions of the colonial army, but also not the real bumiputera: ambiguity and ambivalence.This article, tracking the identity politics that construct a subculture with a particular lifestyle through the creation of Animal Pop Dance choreography. An Indonesian hip hop which is a hybridization process of hip hop grown in the United States by Africa-America is mixed with three local Indonesian dance (Javanese, Sundanese, Papuan) traditions of animal behavior. The results show Animal Pop Dance is a hybrid tradition and culture that aspires to escape from the grip of dichotomous thinking patterns in post-colonial contexts.
The Influence of Cigarette Smoking on Various Aspects of Periodontal Health
Authors: Jacob Vimal , Vellappally Sajith , Šmejkalová Jindra
Published: April 2018

Tobacco is one of the most important risk factors for oral diseases, including oral cancer, oral mucosal lesions and periodontal diseases. There is substantial evidence suggesting that the risk of oral diseases increases with frequent use of tobacco and that quitting smoking results in reduced risk. In this article, the influence of cigarette smoking on the periodontium will be discussed, giving importance to the effects on immune responses, alveolar bone loss, periodontal pathogens and briefly outlining the negative effects of smoking on wound healing and periodontal treatment procedures.