bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitomycin C hypoxic pelvic perfusion for unresectable recurrent rectal cancer: pharmacokinetic comparison of surgical and percutaneous techniques
Authors: Guadagni Stefano , Fiorentini Giammaria , Clementi Marco , Palumbo Paola , Mambrini Andrea , Masedu Francesco 
Published: August 2017

Abstract
Patients with unresectable recurrent rectal cancer that progresses after standard and multi-modular treatments are candidates for hypoxic pelvic perfusion. Hypoxic pelvic perfusion can be performed using a surgical or percutaneous approach. The aim of this study was to examine whether the surgical and percutaneous approaches are comparable with respect to tumor drug exposure in the pelvis. A pharmacokinetic study was performed in 18 patients. Both the surgical and percutaneous procedures were performed using mitomycin C (MMC) at a dose of 25 mg/m2. The main parameter that was used to evaluate pelvic tumor drug exposure was the ratio of the areas under the MMC plasma concentration curves in the pelvis and the systemic compartment during the perfusion time (AUC0–20). The mean values ± SD for the ratios between the MMC AUC0–20 in the pelvic and systemic compartments were 14.38 ± 4.31 and 13.15 ± 4.26 for the surgical and percutaneous techniques, respectively (p = 0.53). This pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that the percutaneous approach for hypoxic pelvic perfusion did not statistically differ from the surgical approach. When perfusion must be repeated several times in the same patient, the percutaneous and surgical methods may be adopted interchangeably.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier
NCT01891552.
ePlant for quantitative and predictive plant science research in the big data era —Lay the foundation for the future model guided crop breeding, engineering and agronomy
Authors: Xiao Yi , Chang Tiangen , Song Qingfeng , Wang Shuyue , Tholen Danny , Wang Yu , Xin Changpeng , Zheng Guangyong , Zhao Honglong , Zhu Xin‐Guang 
Published: August 2017

BackgroundThe increase in global population, climate change and stagnancy in crop yield on unit land area basis in recent decades urgently call for a new approach to support contemporary crop improvements. ePlant is a mathematical model of plant growth and development with a high level of mechanistic details to meet this challenge.ResultsePlant integrates modules developed for processes occurring at drastically different temporal (10–8–106 seconds) and spatial (10–10–10 meters) scales, incorporating diverse physical, biophysical and biochemical processes including gene regulation, metabolic reaction, substrate transport and diffusion, energy absorption, transfer and conversion, organ morphogenesis, plant environment interaction, etc. Individual modules are developed using a divide‐and‐conquer approach; modules at different temporal and spatial scales are integrated through transfer variables. We further propose a supervised learning procedure based on information geometry to combine model and data for both knowledge discovery and model extension or advances. We finally discuss the recent formation of a global consortium, which includes experts in plant biology, computer science, statistics, agronomy, phenomics, etc. aiming to expedite the development and application of ePlant or its equivalents by promoting a new model development paradigm where models are developed as a community effort instead of driven mainly by individual labs’ effort.ConclusionsePlant, as a major research tool to support quantitative and predictive plant science research, will play a crucial role in the future model guided crop engineering, breeding and agronomy.
Controversies in presacral tumors management
Authors: Issa Nidal , Fenig Yaniv , Aviran Nimrod , Khatib Muhammad , Yassin Mustafa 
Published: August 2017

AbstractPresacral tumors are rare lesions of the retrorectal space that can present diagnostic and therapeutic difficulty because of their anatomic location and the different tissue types and etiology. Although the diagnosis and management of these tumors has evolved in recent years, several points still to be addressed in order to improve perioperative diagnosis and treatment. In the upcoming we will try to highlight some controversial points; the pre-operative biopsies, neoadjuvant therapy, the necessity of surgery and the role of minimally invasive surgeries of presacral tumors.
Retroperitoneal abscess after transanal minimally invasive surgery: case report and review of literature
Authors: Raney Aaron , Raman Shankar 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAbscesses are a rare complication of transanal minimally invasive surgery and transanal endoscopic micro surgery. Reported cases have been in the rectal and pre-sacral areas and have been managed with either antibiotics alone or in conjunction with laparotomy and diverting colostomy. We report a case of a large retroperitoneal abscess following a Transanal minimally invasive surgery full thickness rectal polyp excision. The patient was successfully managed conservatively with antibiotics and a percutaneous drain. Retroperitoneal infection should be included in a differential diagnosis following a Transanal minimally invasive surgery procedure as the presentation can be insidious and timely intervention is needed to prevent further morbidity.
Long-term treatment in chronic noncancer pain: Results of an observational study comparing opioid and nonopioid therapy
Authors: Elsesser Karin , Cegla Thomas 
Published: August 2017

Abstract

Background and aims
Recent studies reveal high prevalence rates of patients receiving long-term opioids. However, well designed studies assessing effectiveness with longer than 3 months follow-up are sparse. The present study investigated the outcomes of long-term opioid therapy compared to nonopioid treatment in CNCP patients with respect to measures of pain, functional disability, psychological wellbeing, and quality of life (QoL).

Methods
Three hundred and thirty three consecutive patients at our pain clinic were included and divided into patients with continuous opioid treatment for at least 3 months (51%) and patients receiving nonopioid analgesics (49%). Further, outcome of different doses of opioid (<120 mg vs. >120 mg morphine equivalents) and differences between high and low potency opioids were examined.

Results
The opioid and nonopioid groups did not differ with regard to pain intensity or satisfaction with analgesic. Patients with continuous opioids treatment reported higher neuropathic like pain, longer duration of pain disorder, lower functional level, wellbeing, and physical QoL in comparison to patients receiving nonopioid analgesics. Higher opioid doses were associated with male gender, intake of high potency opioids and depression but there were no differences with regard to pain relief or improvement of functional level between high and low doses. Similarly, patients on high potency opioids reported more psychological impairment than patients on low potency opioids but no advantage with regard to pain relief. Overall, remaining level of pain, functional disability and poor QoL were quite high irrespective of the analgesic used or opioid dosing.

Conclusions
In the long-term no clear advantage of opioid vs. non-opioid analgesics could be revealed. In terms of remaining pain intensity, functional disability and quality of life, treatment with pain medication proved insufficient. Additionally, with higher doses of opioids the benefit to risk relationship becomes worse and patients on high potency opioids reported more psychological impairment than patients on low potency opioids but no advantage with regard to pain relief.

Implications
Our results raise questions about the long-term effectiveness of analgesic treatment regimens irrespective of analgesics type employed and call for more multidisciplinary treatment strategies.
Socioeconomic status and anterior epistaxis in adult population
Authors: Masoudian Pourya , McDonald J. Ted , Lasso Andrea , Kilty Shaun J. 
Published: August 2017

ObjectiveLittle was known about the role of socioeconomic status as a risk factor for epistaxis in adult population. The objective of this study was to determine whether socioeconomic status influences the presentation to emergency department for anterior epistaxis in an adult population.MethodsRetrospective review of emergency department visits from January 2012 to May 2014. The setting is in an emergency department of a Canadian tertiary care centre. Adult patients with primary diagnosis of anterior epistaxis in the emergency department were included in this study. The main outcome was emergency department visits for anterior epistaxis visits.ResultsA total of 351 cases of anterior epistaxis were included. The mean age was 70 years and 51% of patients were male. The patients were stratified into two groups based on whether their age was equal to and above, or below 75 years. Our analysis indicated that those 75 years or older in higher income quintiles have an increased risk of anterior epistaxis compared to the subjects in the lower income quintiles (P < 0.05). This association did not hold true for those younger than 75 years or for all age groups combined.ConclusionThere is an association between higher socioeconomic status and the presentation to the emergency department with anterior epistaxis in the population older than 75 years but not in younger patients.
Exact coherent structures in stably stratified plane Couette flow
Authors: Olvera D. , Kerswell R. R. 
Published: August 2017

The existence of exact coherent structures in stably stratified plane Couette flow (gravity perpendicular to the plates) is investigated over Reynolds–Richardson number ($Re$–$Ri_{b}$) space for a fluid of unit Prandtl number $(Pr=1)$ using a combination of numerical and asymptotic techniques. Two states are repeatedly discovered using edge tracking – EQ7 and EQ7-1 in the nomenclature of Gibson & Brand (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 745, 2014, pp. 25–61) – and found to connect with two-dimensional convective roll solutions when tracked to negative $Ri_{b}$ (the Rayleigh–Bénard problem with shear). Both these states and Nagata’s (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 217, 1990, pp. 519–527) original exact solution feel the presence of stable stratification when $Ri_{b}=O(Re^{-2})$ or equivalently when the Rayleigh number $Ra:=-Ri_{b}Re^{2}Pr=O(1)$. This is confirmed via a stratified extension of the vortex wave interaction theory of Hall & Sherwin (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 661, 2010, pp. 178–205). If the stratification is increased further, EQ7 is found to progressively spanwise and cross-stream localise until a second regime is entered at $Ri_{b}=O(Re^{-2/3})$. This corresponds to a stratified version of the boundary region equations regime of Deguchi, Hall & Walton (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 721, 2013, pp. 58–85). Increasing the stratification further appears to lead to a third, ultimate regime where $Ri_{b}=O(1)$ in which the flow fully localises in all three directions at the minimal Kolmogorov scale which then corresponds to the Osmidov scale. Implications for the laminar–turbulent boundary in the ($Re$–$Ri_{b}$) plane are briefly discussed.
Rodent eradication scaled up: clearing rats and mice from South Georgia
Authors: Martin A. R. , Richardson M. G. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe Subantarctic island of South Georgia lost most of its birds to predation by rodents introduced by people over 2 centuries. In 2011 a UK charity began to clear brown ratsRattus norvegicusand house miceMus musculusfrom the 170 km long, 3,500 km2island using helicopters to spread bait containing Brodifacoum as the active ingredient. South Georgia's larger glaciers were barriers to rodent movement, resulting in numerous independent sub-island populations. The eradication could therefore be spread over multiple seasons, giving time to evaluate results before recommencing, and also reducing the impact of non-target mortality across the island as a whole. Eradication success was achieved in the 128 km2Phase 1 trial operation. Work in 2013 (Phase 2) and early 2015 (Phase 3) covered the remaining 940 km2occupied by rodents. By July 2017, 28 months after baiting was concluded, there was no sign of surviving rodents, other than one apparently newly introduced by ship in October 2014. A survey using detection dogs and passive devices will search the Phase 2 and Phase 3 land for rodents in early 2018. Seven (of 30) species of breeding birds suffered losses from poisoning, but all populations appear to have recovered within 5 years. The endemic South Georgia pipitAnthus antarcticuswas the first bird to breed in newly rat-free areas, but there were also signs that cavity-nesting seabirds were exploring scree habitat denied them for generations. Enhanced biosecurity measures on South Georgia are needed urgently to prevent rodents being reintroduced.
CanWolbachiamodulate the fecundity costs ofPlasmodiumin mosquitoes?
Authors: Zélé F , Denoyelle J , Duron O , Rivero A 
Published: August 2017

AbstractVertically transmitted parasites (VTPs) such asWolbachiaare expected not only to minimize the damage they inflict on their hosts, but also to protect their hosts against the damaging effects of coinfecting parasites. By modifying the fitness costs of the infection, VTPs can therefore play an important role in the evolution and epidemiology of infectious diseases.Using a natural system, we explore the effects of aWolbachia–Plasmodiumco-infection on mosquito fecundity. WhilePlasmodiumis known to frequently express its virulence by partially castrating its mosquito vectors, the effects ofWolbachiainfections on mosquito fecundity are, in contrast, highly variable. Here, we show thatPlasmodiumdrastically decreases the fecundity of mosquitoes by ca. 20%, and we provide the first evidence that this decrease is independent of the parasite's burden.Wolbachia, on the other hand, increases fecundity by roughly 10%, but does not alter the tolerance (fecundity–burden relationship) of mosquitoes toPlasmodiuminfection.AlthoughWolbachia-infected mosquitoes fare overall better than uninfected ones,Wolbachiadoes not confer a sufficiently high reproductive boost to mosquitoes to compensate for the reproductive losses inflicted byPlasmodium.We discuss the potential mechanisms and implications underlying the conflicting effects of these two parasites on mosquito reproduction.
Of pagan festivals and meta-narratives: Recovering the awareness of our shared humanness
Authors: Mouw Richard J. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe notion of human commonness was a key interest of the nineteenth-century theologian-statesman Abraham Kuyper. As an orthodox Calvinist, Kuyper accepted the division of humankind into the categories of ‘elect’ and ‘non-elect’, but he was also convinced that this way of classifying human beings failed to account for the positive contributions of non-Christians. As a political leader, Kuyper was also concerned to enlist his fellow Calvinists in the quest for justice in the larger society and specifically focused on the ways in which Christian worship can nurture a sense of shared humanness that extends beyond the walls of the church. In our contemporary setting, where our loss of an emphasis on a shared humanness is becoming widespread, Kuyper's effort to ground human solidarity in the practices of worship has much to commend it.
The eclipse of Daniel's narrative: The limits of historical knowledge in the theological reading of Daniel
Authors: Briggs Richard S. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis article uses Hans Frei's famous image of the ‘eclipse’ of biblical narrative to explore the link between situating the book of Daniel historically and grasping its theological point(s). The critical/conservative stand-off over the book of Daniel is rehearsed by way of key agenda-setting Victorian voices, and it is then argued that Frei's perspective allows the reader to move on from assessing descriptive accuracy towards focusing on ascriptive purpose(s). Various examples of how such an ascriptive approach might clarify Daniel are considered, including specific attention to the complexities of Daniel 11’s problematic relationship to what did and did not happen to Antiochus Epiphanes.
Quakerism understood in relation to Calvinism: The theology of George Fox
Authors: Rock Hugh 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis article starts from the position that Quakerism has yet to be properly located within the firmament of Christian theology. A new starting point is proposed in the relation to the historical environment of Calvinism, the effect of which is to place Quakerism within the ancient stand-off between Augustine and Pelagius. In the article's first part, four theological propositions taken from the Journal of George Fox are first contrasted with propositions from John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion and then correlated with those of James Arminius to confirm the Pelagian nature of the theology. The second part of the article departs from particular doctrinal elements and attempts to grasp the contrasting characters of Quakerism and Calvinism.
Anagram-Free Colourings of Graphs
Authors: KAMČEV NINA , ŁUCZAK TOMASZ , SUDAKOV BENNY 
Published: August 2017

A sequenceSis calledanagram-freeif it contains no consecutive symbolsr1r2. . .rkrk+1. . .r2ksuch thatrk+1. . .r2kis a permutation of the blockr1r2. . .rk. Answering a question of Erdős and Brown, Keränen constructed an infinite anagram-free sequence on four symbols. Motivated by the work of Alon, Grytczuk, Hałuszczak and Riordan [2], we consider a natural generalization of anagram-free sequences for graph colourings. A colouring of the vertices of a given graphGis calledanagram-freeif the sequence of colours on any path inGis anagram-free. We call the minimal number of colours needed for such a colouring theanagram-chromaticnumber ofG.In this paper we study the anagram-chromatic number of several classes of graphs like trees, minor-free graphs and bounded-degree graphs. Surprisingly, we show that there are bounded-degree graphs (such as random regular graphs) in which anagrams cannot be avoided unless we essentially give each vertex a separate colour.
Association between oral sildenafil dosing, predicted exposure, and systemic hypotension in hospitalised infants
Authors: Hornik Christoph P. , Onufrak Nikolas J. , Smith P. Brian , Cohen-Wolkowiez Michael , Laughon Matthew M. , Clark Reese H. , Gonzalez Daniel 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe relationship between sildenafil dosing, exposure, and systemic hypotension in infants is incompletely understood.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to characterise the relationship between predicted sildenafil exposure and hypotension in hospitalised infants.MethodsWe extracted information on sildenafil dosing and clinical characteristics from electronic health records of 348 neonatal ICUs from 1997 to 2013, and we predicted drug exposure using a population pharmacokinetic model.ResultsWe identified 232 infants receiving sildenafil at a median dose of 3.2 mg/kg/day (2.0, 6.0). The median steady-state area under the concentration–time curve over 24 hours (AUC24,SS) and maximum concentration of sildenafil (Cmax,SS,SIL) were 712 ng×hour/ml (401, 1561) and 129 ng/ml (69, 293), respectively. Systemic hypotension occurred in 9% of the cohort. In multivariable analysis, neither dosing nor exposure were associated with systemic hypotension: odds ratio=0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.81, 1.14) for sildenafil dose; 0.87 (0.59, 1.28) for AUC24,SS; 1.19 (0.78, 1.82) for Cmax,SS,SIL.ConclusionsWe found no association between sildenafil dosing or exposure with systemic hypotension. Continued assessment of sildenafil’s safety profile in infants is warranted.
Community Health Workers and Disasters: Lessons Learned from the 2015 Earthquake in Nepal
Authors: Fredricks Karla , Dinh Hao , Kusi Manita , Yogal Chandra , Karmacharya Biraj M. , Burke Thomas F. , Nelson Brett D. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIntroductionThe Nepal earthquake of 2015 was a major disaster that exacted an enormous toll on human lives and caused extensive damage to the infrastructure of the region. Similar to other developing countries, Nepal has a network of community health workers (CHWs; known as female community health volunteers [FCHVs]) that was in place prior to the earthquake and continues to function to improve maternal and child health. These FCHVs and other community members were responsible, by default, for providing the first wave of assistance after the earthquake.Hypothesis/ProblemCommunity health workers such as FCHVs could be used to provide formal relief services in the event of an emergency, but there is a paucity of evidence-based literature on how to best utilize them in disaster risk reduction, preparedness, and response. Data are needed to further characterize the roles that this cadre has played in past disasters and what strategies can be implemented to better incorporate them into future emergency management.MethodsIn March 2016, key-informant interviews, FCHV interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in Nepali health facilities using semi-structured guides. The audio-recorded data were obtained with the assistance of a translator (Nepali-English), transcribed verbatim in English, and coded by two independent researchers (manually and with NVivo 11 Pro software [QSR International; Melbourne, Australia]).ResultsAcross seven different regions, 14 interviews with FCHVs, two FGDs with community women, and three key-informant interviews were conducted. Four major themes emerged around the topic of FCHVs and the 2015 earthquake: (1) community care and rapport between FCHVs and local residents; (2) emergency response of FCHVs in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake; (3) training requested to improve the FCHVs’ ability to manage disasters; and (4) interaction with relief organizations and how to create collaborations that provide aid relief more effectively.ConclusionsThe FCHVs in Nepal provided multiple services to their communities in the aftermath of the earthquake, largely without any specific training or instruction. Proper preparation, in addition to improved collaboration with aid agencies, could increase the capacity of FCHVs to respond in the event of a future disaster. The information gained from this study of the FCHV experience in the Nepal earthquake could be used to inform risk reduction and emergency management policies for CHWs in various settings worldwide.FredricksK, DinhH, KusiM, YogalC, KarmacharyaBM, BurkeTF, NelsonBD. Community health workers and disasters: lessons learned from the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):604–609.
Practical Aspects of Electrochemical Corrosion Measurements During In Situ Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of Austenitic Stainless Steel in Aqueous Media
Authors: Schilling Sibylle , Janssen Arne , Zaluzec Nestor J. , Burke M. Grace 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe capability to perform liquid in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine the real-time processes of physical and chemical/electrochemical reactions during the interaction between metal surfaces and liquid environments. This work describes the requisite steps to make the technique fully analytical, from sample preparation, through modifications of the electrodes, characterization of electrolytes, and finally to electrochemical corrosion experiments comparing in situ TEM to conventional bulk cell and microcell configurations.