bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Musculoskeletal pain and symptoms in pregnancy: a descriptive study
Authors: Kesikburun Serdar , Güzelküçük Ümüt , Fidan Ulaş , Demir Yasin , Ergün Ali , Tan Arif Kenan
Published: November 2018

Background:

Pregnancy-induced hormonal and physiologic changes increase the risk of musculoskeletal problems in pregnancy. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive look at the musculoskeletal pain and symptoms experienced during pregnancy.

Methods:

A total of 184 women (mean age 30.9 ± 5.0 years) who gave birth in the obstetrics clinic of a tertiary hospital were included in the study. The participants who had given birth at 37–42 weeks of pregnancy (term pregnancy) and aged over 18 years were selected for participation. Basic demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants including age, body mass index, weight gained during pregnancy, education level, occupation, parity, sex of baby, and exercise habits were collected from the medical chart and face-to-face interviews. Musculoskeletal pain sites were defined as hand–wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, back, low back, hip, knee, and ankle–foot in a diagram of the human body. The interviews with participants were performed to assess their musculoskeletal pain separately at each trimester follow-up visit.

Results:

The most frequent musculoskeletal complaints during pregnancy were low back pain ( n = 130, 70.7%), back pain ( n = 80, 43.5%), hand–wrist ( n = 61, 33.2%) and hip pain ( n = 59, 32.1%). The participants experienced musculoskeletal pain most in the third trimester except for elbow, shoulder and neck pain compared with the first and second trimesters ( p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

The results of the study suggest that numerous musculoskeletal problems may complicate pregnancy especially in the third trimester.
Analysis of “Performance of a Factory-Calibrated, Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in Pediatric Participants With Type 1 Diabetes”
Authors: Ziegler Ralph
Published: November 2018

Accuracy of sensors play an important role in the acceptance and long-term use of CGM which is related to improved glycemic outcome. This has been lower in children and adolescents in the past for reasons such as size of the device, pain, and necessity to calibrate sensors but also inaccuracy and perceived nonreliability on alarms among others. In the study of Welsh et al, performance of a new, factory-calibrated sensor was assessed. The accuracy of the sensor, as measured in MARD, paired values within 20/20% or 15/15% and surveillance error grid analysis showed very good results, although less so in low value range <70 mg/dL, falling rate of change, and on first day of use. Accurate glucose measurements especially in these incidences are of utmost importance to people with diabetes as their treatment decisions are based on these, also in the beginning of sensor use.
Measures of Accuracy for Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices
Authors: Freckmann Guido , Pleus Stefan , Grady Mike , Setford Steven , Levy Brian
Published: November 2018

Currently, patients with diabetes may choose between two major types of system for glucose measurement: blood glucose monitoring (BGM) systems measuring glucose within capillary blood and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems measuring glucose within interstitial fluid. Although BGM and CGM systems offer different functionality, both types of system are intended to help users achieve improved glucose control. Another area in which BGM and CGM systems differ is measurement accuracy. In the literature, BGM system accuracy is assessed mainly according to ISO 15197:2013 accuracy requirements, whereas CGM accuracy has hitherto mainly been assessed by MARD, although often results from additional analyses such as bias analysis or error grid analysis are provided. The intention of this review is to provide a comparison of different approaches used to determine the accuracy of BGM and CGM systems and factors that should be considered when using these different measures of accuracy to make comparisons between the analytical performance (ie, accuracy) of BGM and CGM systems. In addition, real-world implications of accuracy and its relevance are discussed.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Integration in Clinical Practice: A Stepped Guide to Data Review and Interpretation
Authors: Aleppo Grazia , Webb Kimberly
Published: November 2018

Background:

The advent of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology has transformed the approach to diabetes care. Multiple CGM systems are commercially available and increased accuracy has allowed development of hybrid and automated insulin delivery systems. Evidence of CGM clinical benefits has also increased exponentially in the last decade.

Methods:

Literature search, review of professional guidelines, and consensus statements were used to guide the preparation of this article. The clinical benefits of both professional and personal CGM in clinical practice as well as barriers to wider adotpion were explored. A stepped approach to review and interpretation of CGM data is suggested for use in the clinician’s office regardless of the software used.

Results:

Although increasing, the use of CGM in patients with diabetes is still not widespread; multiple barriers are still in place, despite the approval of CGM systems for patients above the age of 2 years old, the extension of coverage for Medicare beneficiaries and the integration of CGM with multiple insulin pump systems. Integration of CGM technology in clinical practice presents various challenges, from concerns relative to time constraints during office visits to lack of systematic approach to interpretation of the data.

Conclusions:

Understanding the usefulness of personal and professional CGM, appropriate patient selection as well as patient and provider training are crucial for the expansion of CGM therapy use in clinical practice. Utilizing the proposed stepped approach to CGM review and interpretation may allow wider adoption of CGM with more effective and efficient office visits.
The History and Future of Anticipatory Democracy and Foresight
Authors: Bezold Clem
Published: November 2018

Anticipatory democracy involves enhanced participation in shaping the future. Foresight involves applying futures tools to decision making. The Institute for Alternative Futures (IAF) over its four decades of work with communities, governments, and companies has evolved its “aspirational futures” approach that calls for creating expectable, challenging, and visionary scenarios and using these to enhance vision and the creation of preferred futures. Jim Dator’s approach to scenario development was IAF’s starting place. IAF has supported foresight in executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, with the largest companies and nonprofit organizations, across six continents. Humanity is maturing, and the values of equity and inclusion are rising globally. Economies are transforming, including major job loss to automation and “abundance advances” technologies that provide low cost energy, 3D printing and local manufacturing, and home and community food production that have the potential to lower the cost of living. Foresight must be applied to understand and help create equitable and sustainable futures using these abundance advances in a transformed economy.
The risks of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors: a critical review
Authors: Jaynes Megan , Kumar Avinash B.
Published: November 2018

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most frequently prescribed medications. Their use is likely even higher than estimated due to an increase in the number of PPIs available without a prescription. Appropriate indications for PPI use include Helicobacter pylori infection, erosive esophagitis, gastric ulcers, and stress ulcer prevention in high-risk critically ill patients. Unfortunately, PPIs are often used off-label for extended periods of time. This increase in PPI usage over the past two decades has called into question the long-term effects of these medications. The association between PPI use and infection, particularly Clostridium difficile and pneumonia, has been the subject of several studies. It’s proposed that the alteration in gastrointestinal microflora by PPIs produces an environment conducive to development of these types of infections. At least one study has suggested that long-term PPI use increases the risk of dementia. Drug interactions are an important and often overlooked consideration when prescribing any medication. The potential interaction between PPIs and antiplatelet agents has been the subject of multiple studies. One of the more recent concerns with PPI use is their role in the development or progression of chronic kidney disease. There is also some literature suggesting that PPIs contribute to the development of various micronutrient deficiencies. Most of the literature examining the potential adverse effects of PPI use is composed of retrospective, observation studies. There is a need for higher quality studies exploring this relationship.
#Selfie: Instagram and the United States Congress
Authors: O’Connell David
Published: November 2018

This article is based on a content analysis of the 17,811 Instagram posts made by all 534 members of the United States Congress who were seated for the duration of the first 6 months of the 115th session. I find that women are significantly more likely than men to have an Instagram account. Senators and women post significantly more times to their accounts. And a member’s personal characteristics, such as their chamber, party, and age, had significant effects on the type of content posted to Instagram. I conclude that members of Congress use Instagram similarly to how they use other social media platforms, that parties in and out of power use Instagram in substantively different ways, and that the more personal accounts of younger members suggest future changes in Congressional representation.
Crescendo Transient Ischemic Attacks Due to Basilar Coccidioidal Meningitis With Coccidioma
Authors: D’Assumpcao Carlos , Heidari Arash , Sabetian Katayoun , Johnson Royce H.
Published: November 2018

Coccidioidal meningitis typically presents with symptoms that may include headache, altered mental status including personality changes, fever, nausea, vomiting, gait abnormalities, and focal neurological deficits. This is a case of coccidioidal meningitis that initially presented as 4 consecutive crescendo cerebrovascular transient ischemic attacks with focal neurological deficits that resolved within minutes. Imaging showed a left basilar coccidioma. Follow-up at 4 months showed treatment response to conservative therapy of fluconazole 1000 mg with a dexamethasone taper. Crescendo cerebrovascular transient ischemic attacks are a unique initial presentation of coccidioidal meningitis.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using a Bone–Patellar Tendon–Bone Graft With and Without a Ligament Augmentation Device: A 25-Year Follow-up of a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Elveos Marlene Mauseth , Drogset Jon Olav , Engebretsen Lars , Brønn Raymond , Lundemo Trond Olav , Gifstad Tone
Published: November 2018

Background:

Various grafts and ligament augmentation devices (LADs) have been used in the search for optimal reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Purpose:

To compare 25-year follow-up results after ACL reconstruction using a bone–patellar tendon–bone (BPTB) graft with or without the Kennedy LAD.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

One hundred patients undergoing ACL reconstruction between 1991 and 1993 were randomized into 2 groups: reconstruction using a BPTB graft alone (BPTB group, 51 patients) or a BPTB graft with the Kennedy LAD (LAD group, 49 patients). The 25-year follow-up evaluation included a clinical knee examination, patient-reported outcome measures, and an assessment of radiological osteoarthritis (OA) according to the Ahlbäck classification. Additional outcomes were reruptures and knee arthroplasty.

Results:

Ninety-three patients (93%) were available for the follow-up evaluation: 48 patients in the BPTB group and 45 in the LAD group. Through telephone calls, 26 patients were excluded from further investigation because of reruptures and arthroplasty in the knee of interest; 67 patients were further investigated. A total of 43 of 44 (98%) and 42 of 44 (95%) patients had negative or 1+ Lachman and pivot-shift test results, respectively. The mean Lysholm score was 85 for the BPTB group and 83 for the LAD group. All mean Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscale values were ≥73. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in any of these outcomes or regarding the Tegner score, radiological classification of OA, or number of ACL reruptures. Signs of radiological OA were detected in all patients, and severe radiological OA (Ahlbäck grade III, IV, or V) was detected in 32% of patients in the BPTB group and 21% of patients in the LAD group ( P = .37). There were 12 patients in the BPTB group and 7 in the LAD group who had documented reruptures ( P = .40). One patient in the BPTB group and 6 in the LAD group underwent knee arthroplasty ( P = .054).

Conclusion:

In the present study, there were no statistically significant differences between groups in any of the outcomes. After 25 years, 19% of patients had reruptures, 27% had severe radiological OA, and 7% underwent knee arthroplasty.
Training Neurodegenerative Disease Support Group Leaders: A New Support Group Functioning Scale
Authors: Cash Therese V. , Kilbourn Christopher , Lageman Sarah K.
Published: November 2018

Support group leaders play pivotal roles in maintaining healthy community support groups; however, these leaders also have personal support needs and typically lack formal training in managing complex behaviors of neurodegenerative disorders. A support group well-being questionnaire, assessing support group functioning, was developed and piloted among participants of an educational training program designed for support group leaders of various neurodegenerative disorder-specific support groups. An exploratory factor analysis evaluated the questionnaire’s psychometric properties and identified a reliable single factor five-item solution, which was titled the Support Group Functioning Scale (SGFS). Preliminary interpretation guidelines were proposed. Development of this scale is a first step in identifying support group leaders’ needs as they provide frontline assistance to caregivers and individuals with neurodegenerative illnesses. This tool shows promise as an efficient way to identify support groups in need of assistance and to assess the impact of trainings on support group functioning. Further validation of the scale is needed.
Detection of Age-Related Macular Degeneration by Portable Optical Coherence Tomography Operated by Nonexpert Personnel: Potential Use for Screenings
Authors: Cho Chris , Liu Melissa M. , Channa Roomasa , Zhang Alice Y. , Quigley Harry A. , Jefferys Joan L. , Scott Adrienne W.
Published: November 2018

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of detecting age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using portable optical coherence tomography (OCT) operated by nonexpert photographers on undilated patients.

Methods:

In this case-control study, 92 individuals were recruited from the glaucoma and retina clinics at the Wilmer Eye Institute (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD). Using the portable iVue (Optovue, Inc, Fremont, CA) spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT), 2 nonexpert photographers acquired retina map scans on undilated eyes of all participants. In total, 33 AMD eyes and 105 control eyes were evaluated and graded by ophthalmologists masked to the diagnoses.

Results:

Detection of AMD on the portable OCT by ophthalmologists exhibited sensitivities of 0.91 and 0.94 and specificities of 0.88 and 0.89, for graders 1 and 2, respectively. A strong intergrader agreement was observed (κ = 0.87).

Conclusions:

Nonexpert photographers can use a portable OCT on undilated eyes to acquire images for the detection of AMD. These findings present the potential utility of implementing a portable OCT in community screenings for earlier detection and treatment of disease.
Long term follow-up demonstrating stability and patient satisfaction of minimally invasive punch technique for percutaneous bone anchored hearing devices
Authors: Sardiwalla Yaeesh , Jufas Nicholas , Morris David P.
Published: November 2018

Objective

Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) was recently described to facilitate the placement of percutaneous bone anchored hearing devices. As early adopters of this new procedure, we sought to perform a quality assurance project using our own small prospective cohort to justify this change in practice. We chose to examine device stability and to gauge our patients’ perspective of the surgery and their overall satisfaction with the process.

Methods

A total of 12 adult patients who underwent MIPS between 2016 and 2017 with a minimum post-operative follow-up of 12 months were included in this study. A prospective MIPS research clinic was used to follow patients, assess the implant site soft tissue status and gather qualitative information through patient interviews and surveys.

Results

The mean (SD) soft tissue status score averages using the IPS Scale were low for inflammation 0.1 (0.1), pain 0.1 (0.1), skin height 0.2 (0.1) and total IPS score 0.4 (0.3) indicating minimal soft tissue changes. Patient experiences with MIPS were overwhelmingly positive in reports through the MIPS modified SSQ-8. All patients reported speedy recoveries and no long-term complications. There were zero device losses.

Conclusion

The series presented in this paper represents the first MIPS cohort with long term follow-up to be published to date in North America. Our findings conclude both device stability and patient satisfaction with no loss of fixtures. Consequently, we have adopted MIPS as our procedure of choice for the placement of all percutaneous BAHDs.
Double Fogarty balloon catheter technique for difficult to retrieve esophageal foreign bodies
Authors: You Peng , Katsiris Sandra , Strychowsky Julie E.
Published: November 2018

Background

Foreign body ingestion is common, especially in the pediatric population. Plans for retrieval should be tailored to the specific esophageal foreign bodies.

Case presentation

We present a difficult to retrieve esophageal foreign body in a 3-year-old girl who ingested a 2 cm glass pebble. Intraoperatively, attempts using conventional optical forceps and retrieval baskets were unsuccessful due to the size and smooth texture of the object. A novel strategy using double Fogarty embolectomy balloon catheters for retrieval of blunt esophageal foreign bodies was devised and described.

Conclusion

The double fogarty retrieval technique described appeared to be safe and efficacious, allowing for extraction of large esophageal foreign bodies under direct visualization.
Effect of Pregabalin on Radiotherapy-Related Neuropathic Pain in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Jiang Jingru , Li Yi , Shen Qingyu , Rong Xiaoming , Huang Xiaolong , Li Honghong , Zhou Lizhi , Mai Hai-Qiang , Zheng Dong , Chen Ming-Yuan , Xu Yongteng , Li Jibin , Hui Xuan , Simone Charles B. , Gaertner Jan , Argyriou Andreas A. , Chow Edward , Chen Pingyan , Tang Yamei
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Neuropathic pain is an unavoidable treatment-related adverse event among patients with head and neck cancer who are undergoing radiotherapy. We aimed to test the efficacy and safety of pregabalin versus placebo in the treatment of radiotherapy-related neuropathic pain.

Patients and Methods

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in four centers in China. Eligible patients with a mean pain intensity score of 4 or more on an 11-point numeric rating scale were randomly assigned to receive either active treatment with a flexible dose of pregabalin or placebo for 16 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome was pain reduction measured on the numeric rating scale.

Result

There were 128 patients who received treatment as randomly assigned. Pain intensity reduction was 2.44 in the pregabalin arm and 1.58 in the placebo arm at week 16, yielding an adjusted mean difference of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.30 to 1.44; P = .003). In the pregabalin arm, 38 patients (59.4%) achieved at least 30% pain relief versus 21 (32.8%) in the placebo arm ( P = .006). Nineteen patients (29.7%) in the pregabalin group and five (7.8%) in the placebo group achieved 50% or greater pain relief ( P = .003). Total scores on the Profile of Mood States-Short Form, pain severity and functional interference of Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, as well as the physiology and psychology domain of the WHO Quality of Life-BREF all were reduced significantly at week 16 in patients who received pregabalin compared with those who received placebo. There was no significant difference ( P = .29) in the incidence of experiencing at least one adverse event in the pregabalin arm (n = 35; 54.7%) versus the placebo arm (n = 29; 45.3%).

Conclusion

Patients treated with pregabalin with radiotherapy-related neuropathic pain had greater pain alleviation, better mood states, and higher quality of life compared with patients in the placebo group, with a good tolerability.
Supramolecular protein-mediated assembly of brain extracellular matrix glycans
Authors: Tabet Anthony , Sokolowski Kamil , Shilts Jarrod , Kamp Marlous , Warner Nina , Hoogland Dominique , Scherman Oren A.
Published: November 2018

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is the major component of the extracellular matrix in the central nervous system and the only supramolecular glycosaminoglycan. Much focus has been given to using this high molecular weight polysaccharide for tissue engineering applications. In the majority of cases, HA is covalently functionalized with moieties that can facilitate network formation through physical selfassembly, or photo-catalyzed covalent crosslinking as the polysaccharide does not gel on its own. However, these covalent crosslinks are not the driving force of HA self-assembly in biological tissues.

Methods: Oscillatory rheology and dynamic light scattering were used to study albumin/HA structures. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy were used to study albumin/chondroitin sulfate (CS) structures. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to study mass transfer of a hydrophilic small molecule into the albumin/HA/CS materials.

Results: In this work we examine the intermolecular interactions of two major glycans found in the human brain, HA and the lower molecular weight CS , with the protein albumin. We report physiochemical properties of the resulting supramolecular micro- and nanomaterials. Albumin/HA mixtures formed supramolecular gels, and albumin/CS mixtures formed micro- and nanoparticles. We also summarize the concentrations of HA and CS found in various mammalian brains.

Conclusions: Simple preparation and combination of commercially available charged biomacromolecules under short time-scales can result in interesting self-assembled materials with structures at the micron and nanometer length-scales. Such materials may have utility in serving as cost-effective and simple models of nervous system electrostatic interactions and as in vitro drug release and mass transfer quantification tools.
FUNCTION OF PHRASEOLOGISMS IN MEDIATEXTS
Authors: Сиривля Мадина , Sirivlya Madina
Published: November 2018

The features of phraseology usage in online communication are analyzed in the article. Varieties of transformation of form and semantics are established. The contextual features of the use of phraseological units, occasional transformations are marked out. The sources of expressiveness of transformed phraseology are defined
Methodological evaluation of leisure-time physical activity interventions in adults with obesity: a systematic review
Authors: Christofoletti Marina , Streb Anne Ribeiro , Da Silva Robert Passos , Benedetti Tânia Rosane Bertoldo , Almeida Fábio Araújo , Del Duca Giovani Firpo
Published: November 2018

The aim of the present study was to systematize and analyze the methodological quality of physical activity interventions in leisure time in obese adults. A systematic review was conducted between June and August 2017 through four electronic databases (PubMed, Lilacs, ScienceDirect and Web of Science). A total of two researchers selected articles and, through consensus, analyzed these articles using the RE-AIM framework, which aims to identify the following dimensions: reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance of interventions. Of the 2,334 articles selected, nine met all eligibility criteria. The mean duration of the interventions was 14 weeks, with strategies including mainly aerobic exercises and nutritional monitoring. When the individual studies were taken into consideration, 67% reported at least one category of each dimension. The dimension with the highest reported proportion was “reach”, found in 65% of the interventions. The “effectiveness”, “adoption” (organizational and staff), “implementation” and “maintenance” dimensions (individual and organizational) were reported in less than 40% of the items investigated for this information. The conclusion is that most of intervention studies reported the “reach” dimension, while only a few described “maintenance”. Thus, it is suggested that future studies should previously look at the presentation of the total effect of the intervention and the methods applied, offering detailed information about each procedure. The scientific and practical scenario will provide relevant information about construction, application and subsequent follow-up of the interventions in leisure-time physical activity for obese adults.
Politics and palliative care: Malawi
Authors: Smyth Dion
Published: November 2018

Dion Smyth's review of palliative nursing on the internet
Can we reduce inequalities through public health policies?
Authors: Thomson Katie , Hillier-Brown Frances
Published: November 2018

Governments have a number of tools at their disposal to promote healthy behaviours and discourage unhealthy ones. This article evaluates public health interventions and assesses their impact on some of the most vulnerable groups in society
When families fall apart: Adult child–parent estrangement and the health visitor role
Authors: Ormrod Judith
Published: November 2018

This article aims to review the literature published in the UK, Australia and the US during the last 10 years on adult child–parent estrangement to increase awareness among health visitors of the complexity, frequency and consequences for new parents, especially mothers. Adult child–parent estrangement encompasses a deliberate distancing between the adult child and parent, resulting in an absence of communication. By increasing health visitors' awareness of the issues, it is hoped they may be able to reduce the distress, social isolation and potential consequences for new mothers and families in their care.
Psoriasis presentations and potential treatment pathways
Authors: Lawton Sandra
Published: November 2018

Psoriasis is a common condition that most practice nurses will come across frequently in patients. Understanding the various presentations and treatment options is vital to improving the quality of life for those living with this chronic condition

Psoriasis is chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin condition that affects over 2.8% of the general population in the UK ( Springate et al, 2016 ). Psoriasis has a varied clinical picture and, as a multisystem disorder, can have a huge impact on the quality of life for the affected individual ( Goyal and Bhatti, 2018 ). This article provides an overview of psoriasis, the clinical presentations and management principles of psoriasis, signposting the reader to guidance and pathways of care for patients and additional resources to inform their practice.
Assessment and management of common musculoskeletal injuries
Authors: Thomas Jonathan , Paynter Ann
Published: November 2018

Musculoskeletal injuries are often presented in primary care, and general practice nurses should be aware of the best practice guidelines on accurate patient assessment, say Jonathan Thomas and Ann Paynter, which is as important as knowing when to refer

The aim of this article is to discuss the assessment and management of patients that present to primary care with minor musculoskeletal injuries. Accurate patient assessment is essential and this article will explore important aspects to consider within the assessment as well as when to refer the patient.
Asthma adherence and the overuse of short-acting inhalers
Authors: Adsley Rosemary
Published: November 2018

The UK has one of the highest mortality rates for young people who die from asthma compared to other high-income countries. Yet, despite the risks of the condition, many people living with asthma have poor adherence to their medication, explains Rosemary Adsley

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition affecting 5.4 million people in the UK, of whom 1.1 million are children ( Asthma UK, 2017 ). However, the UK has one of the highest mortality rates for those aged 5–34 years old who die as a result of asthma, in comparison to other high-income countries ( Global Asthma Network, 2018 ; Gupta et al, 2018 ). Many asthma patients require regular maintenance therapy, such as corticosteroid inhalers, but a significant number of patients are non-adherent to their medication regime. Identifying patients and tackling their reasons for non-adherence is crucial in order to optimise their care and reduce the risk of exacerbations ( Le and Simon, 2006 ; Murphy, 2014 ). This article will discuss some of the reasons for non-adherence and suggest possible methods to engage patients and improve adherence. It will also discuss how healthcare teams can work together and investigate some of the new and emerging technologies available that may aid in patient adherence.
Facile access to oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol from Ligustrum vulgare-a plant material growing all over Eurasia
Authors: Gießel Josephine M , Zaar Anne , Schäfer Renate , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Csuk René
Published: November 2018

Leaves of Ligustrum vulgare are an alternative, sustainable source for oleuropein. Acidic hydrolysis of oleuropein furnishes hydroxytyrosol in good yield. This approach is one of the most convenient ways to access significant amounts of oleuropein as well as of hydroxytyrosol from plant material readily accessible all over the year and throughout Eurasia. Harvesting the leaves in winter doubles the amount of oleuropein that can be extracted from the plant material.
An alternative approach to 2-amino-phenylphosphonic acid
Authors: Weber Björn , Schmidt Manuel , Csuk René
Published: November 2018

2-Amino-phenlyphosphonic acid can easily be prepared in five steps from aniline in 38% over-all yield with a phosphoramidate-aminophosphonate rearrangement reaction as the key-step.Â
Germline Genetics of Prostate Cancer: Time to Incorporate Genetics into Early Detection Tools
Authors: Fantus Richard J , Helfand Brian T
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most common solid malignancy in men, and its prevalence makes understanding its heritability of paramount importance. To date, the most common factors used to estimate a man's risk of developing PCa are age, race, and family history. Despite recent advances in its utility in multiple malignancies (e.g., breast and colon cancer), genetic testing is still relatively underutilized in PCa.

CONTENT

Multiple highly penetrant genes (HPGs) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been show to increase a patient's risk of developing PCa. Mutations in the former, like DNA damage repair genes, can confer a 2- to 3-fold increased risk of developing PCa and can increase the risk of aggressive disease. Similarly, PCa-risk SNPs can be used to create risk scores (e.g., genetic or polygenic risk scores) that can be used to further stratify an individual's disease susceptibility. Specifically, these genetic risk scores can provide more specific estimates of a man's lifetime risk ranging up to >6-fold higher risk of PCa.

It is becoming increasingly evident that in addition to the standard family history and race information, it is necessary to obtain genetic testing (including an assessment of HPG mutation status and genetic risk score) to provide a full risk assessment. The additional information derived thereby will improve current practices in PCa screening by risk-stratifying patients before initial prostate-specific antigen testing, determining a patient's frequency of visits, and even help identify potentially at-risk family members.
What do comics want? Drawing lived experience for critical consciousness
Authors: Newbigging Martha
Published: November 2018

This article presents a reflection on drawing autobiographical comics as a method of engagement with critical theory and the potential for illustration education. I suggest that drawing and sharing autobiographical comics might be used to engage illustration students to think critically about identity, representation and power. To illustrate this approach, I present my own practice-based research project that used comics-making as a method to make sense of queer ways of being in childhood – ways of being that may have been discounted, ignored or suppressed within a dominant heteronormative culture. The intention was to evoke a playful mode of drawing that might queer my illustration practice while braiding childhood memory with critical theory. As educators, to get our illustration students to think critically, we might start with the students’ own lived experience and enlist the potency of comics to visualize their stories as resilient and instructive counternarratives. I suggest that drawing comics might be reframed as a performative space for playing with our stories to understand the historical and socio-economic forces that shape our lives and identities. Through making and sharing autobiographical comics, we engage in a transgressional strategy that uses story and drawing as transformative tools for Freirean critical consciousness.
Gestión Integral de Riesgo de Desastres en México: reflexiones, retos y propuestas de transformación de la política pública desde la academia
Authors: Alcántara-Ayala Irasema , Garza Salinas Mario , López García Alejandra , Magaña Rueda Victor , Oropeza Orozco Oralia , Puente Aguilar Sergio , Rodríguez Velázquez Daniel , Lucatello Simone , Ruiz Rivera Naxhelli , Tena Núñez Ricardo Antonio , Urzúa Venegas Myriam , Vázquez Rangel Gloria
Published: November 2018

La carencia de una política pública fundamentada en el conocimiento científico y tradicional, orientada al manejo integral del territorio se expresa intrínsecamente en la construcción del riesgo, y por ende en el incremento en la ocurrencia de desastres. En dicho tenor, si bien en las tres últimas décadas ha habido algunos avances en materia de protección civil en el país, es necesario realizar una revisión y evaluación crítica del Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (SINAPROC) y la institucionalidad existente en los tres órdenes de gobierno, para determinar rol y funcionalidad, así como su eficacia y pertinencia, con la finalidad de analizar su posible transformación en un Sistema o Coordinación Nacional de Gestión Integral de Riesgo de Desastres (GIRD), en el que se garantice su reglamentación y, más importantemente aún, su implementación a través de cinco ejes normativos; eficiencia y equidad, integralidad, transversalidad, corresponsabilidad y rendición de cuentas.La GIRD debe entenderse como un proceso complejo sistemático conformado por una serie de decisiones, acciones y actividades de interacción coordinada, transversal, entre los diferentes actores institucionales y sociales, para conocer y transformar las necesidades y debilidades expresadas en las diferentes vertientes de la vulnerabilidad y exposición, en respuestas puntuales y soluciones colectivas, cuyo objetivo principal es la deconstrucción del riesgo. Ineludiblemente, la GIRD requiere una fundamentación dirigida hacia la reducción de vulnerabilidades como eje estratégico de diagnósticos, leyes, programas y co-gestión de gobierno y sociedad, donde se privilegie la salvaguarda de la vida humana, el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de la población y su desarrollo integral, en un marco de respeto de los derechos humanos y, en consecuencia, con una perspectiva de género.En el presente documento, se hace referencia a una serie de recomendaciones que desde el ámbito académico fueron discutidas y puestas a consideración a los candidatos a la Presidencia de la República y a los candidatos de elección popular a nivel Federal, Estatal y Municipal en junio del 2018, así como al Presidente electo Andrés Manuel López Obrador, y a los próximos integrantes de su gabinete, titulares de las áreas vinculadas transversalmente en la temática de prevención de desastres.
Group Recommender Systems – An Evolutionary Approach Based on Multi-expert System for Consensus
Authors: Meena Ritu , Minz Sonajharia
Published: November 2018

Recommender systems have focused on algorithms for a recommendation for individuals. However, in many domains, it may be recommending an item, for example, movies, restaurants etc. for a group of persons for which some remarkable group recommender systems (GRSs) has been developed. GRSs satisfy a group of people optimally by considering the equal weighting of the individual preferences. We have proposed a multi-expert scheme (MES) for group recommendation using genetic algorithm (GA) MES-GRS-GA that depends on consensus techniques to further improve group recommendations. In order to deal with this problem of GRS, we also propose a consensus scheme for GRSs where consensus from multiple experts are brought together to make a single recommended list of items in which each expert represents an individual inside the group. The proposed GA based consensus scheme is modeled as many consensus schemes within two phases. In the consensus phase, we have applied GA to obtain the maximum utility offer for each expert and generated the most appropriate rating for each item in the group. In the recommendation generation phase, again GA has been employed to produce the resulting group profile, i.e. the list of ratings with the minimum sum of distances from the group members. Finally, the results of computational experiments that bear close resemblance to real-world scenarios are presented and compared to baseline GRS techniques that illustrate the superiority of the proposed model.
Return to the Repressive: Re-thinking Nature- Culture in Contemporary Feminist Theory
Authors: Goldgaber Deborah
Published: November 2018

In “History of Sexuality” (Vol I.) Foucault argued that repression is the wrong model of power, understanding it in exclusively negative terms, as external to the body it constrains and inhibits. Power may also be positive, productive, and constitutive of the body and its possibilities. Thus, an adequate account of the relation between cultural forces and the body, Foucault argues, must challenge the “repressive hypothesis” (RH). Contemporary feminist accounts of the body are structured by this same oppositional view of power Foucault assumed: to call on Rosi Braidotti’s distinction, discursive (cultural) forces are either negative or repressive (potestas) or positive and empowering (potentia). In this paper I argue that this opposition forecloses several possibilities for thinking the morphogenetic role of culture. In particular, it assumes wrongly that repressive relations cannot be productive.
From natural products to drugs
Authors: Newman David J.
Published: November 2018

It is frequently assumed, particularly in the last 15 plus years, that “Natural Product Structures” are no longer a source of drugs in the twenty-first century. In fact, this is not at all true. Even today, in the search for novel agents against manifold diseases, natural product structures, some quite old and some quite recent, are behind the compounds that are either recently (last 5–10 years) approved or that are now in clinical trials against manifold diseases of man. This chapter will cover agents approved since 2010 to the end of 2017 by the US FDA and its equivalent in other countries, plus selected agents that have entered clinical trials against major diseases such as cancer and infections that have “in their chemical pedigree” a natural product structure, even if the final product may be totally synthetic in nature.
Climate change governance in the anthropocene: emergence of polycentrism in Chile
Authors: Arriagada Rodrigo , Aldunce Paulina , Blanco Gustavo , Ibarra Cecilia , Moraga Pilar , Nahuelhual Laura , O’Ryan Raúl , Urquiza Anahí , Gallardo Laura
Published: November 2018

Multilateral efforts are essential to an effective response to climate change, but individual nations define climate action policy by translating local and global objectives into adaptation and mitigation actions. We propose a conceptual framework to explore opportunities for polycentric climate governance, understanding polycentricity as a property that encompasses the potential for coordinating multiple centers of semiautonomous decision-making. We assert that polycentrism engages a diverse array of public and private actors for a more effective approach to reducing the threat of climate change. In this way, polycentrism may provide an appropriate strategy for addressing the many challenges of climate governance in the Anthropocene. We review two Chilean case studies: Chile’s Nationally Determined Contribution on Climate Change and the Chilean National Climate Change Action Plan. Our examination demonstrates that Chile has included a diversity of actors and directed significant financial resources to both processes. The central government coordinated both of these processes, showing the key role of interventions at higher jurisdictional levels in orienting institutional change to improve strategic planning and better address climate change. Both processes also provide some evidence of knowledge co-production, while at the same time remaining primarily driven by state agencies and directed by technical experts. Efforts to overcome governance weaknesses should focus on further strengthening existing practices for climate change responses, establishing new institutions, and promoting decision-making that incorporates diverse social actors and multiple levels of governance. In particular, stronger inclusion of local level actors provides an opportunity to enhance polycentric modes of governance and improve climate change responses. Fully capitalizing on this opportunity requires establishing durable communication channels between different levels of governance.
Using User-Centered Design to Build a Library Website
Authors: Bašić Josipa
Published: November 2018

The rapid development of information technology and persuasive use of Internet in every aspect of an individual’s life changed the way library users use libraries and what content and services they expect from their library website. Library users often complain that library websites are not user friendly and do not allow customers to find information they need by themselves due to the clutter of the content and technical jargon understood only by librarians. For a library website to meet the needs and expectations of its customers, it needs to be designed using User-Centred Design. Following this approach, this paper proposed a process necessary to understand the library users, benchmark other library websites, conduct user needs assessment, define content strategy, conduct task analysis, card sorting, prototyping, heuristic review and usability testing to ensure the website is designed with its customers in mind.  The process described in this paper is based on author’s experience in the UX industry.
Evaluation of the efficacy of a topical chamomile-pumpkin oleogel for the treatment of plaque psoriasis: an intra-patient, double-blind, randomized clinical trial
Authors: Kolahdooz Sima , Karimi Mehrdad , Esmaili Nafiseh , Zargaran Arman , Kordafshari Gholamreza , Mozafari Nikoo , Ayati Mohammad. Hossein
Published: November 2018

Background: Plaque psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Conventional treatments of psoriasis are not completely effective. In addition, unwanted side effects limit their long-term use. In this regard, developing new natural treatments with fewer side effects could be an alternative option. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical chamomile-pumpkin oleogel (ChP) in treating plaque psoriasis.
Methods: A total of 40 patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis were enrolled in this intra-patient, double-blind, block-randomized clinical trial. In each patient, bilateral symmetrical plaques were treated with ChP or placebo twice daily for four weeks. For clinical assessment, the Psoriasis Severity Index (PSI) and the Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) scale were evaluated at baseline and after the treatment. At the end of the study, patients' satisfaction with the treatment was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10. For safety assessment, all treatment-related side effects were recorded.
Results: Thirty-seven subjects (20 female, 17 male; age 20–60 years) completed the study. The mean decreases in the PSI score in the ChP group (4.09 +/- 2.24) were significantly (p = 0.000) greater than the placebo group (0.48 +/- 1.39). According to the PGA results, 13/37 (35%) of the ChP-treated plaques could achieve marked to complete improvement compared to 0% in the placebo group. Three patients dropped out from the study due to worsening of bilateral plaques during the first week of trial.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that topically applied ChP could provide a safe and effective complementary option for psoriasis plaque management. IRCT registration code: IRCT2016092830030N1.