The Politics of Disciplinary Advantage

Interdisciplinary work avoids specialisation's growing fragmentation, but it also loses the political advantage of setting criteria and patrolling boundaries. Research that faces the challenge of bringing together concepts from several areas (e.g. in deep ecology, health studies, and natural resource management) is often criticised for blurring distinctions, for being unscientific, and for being conceptually trite. In addition, disciplinary work produces advantages for its practitioners which those who attempt more open approaches rarely enjoy. Besides epistemic authority and public legitimacy, such advantages include a degree of control over resources, clearer standards for publishing, and a critical mass of disciplined members who protect the turf of their specialisation. How can interdisciplinary work in future best play the political game? Should interdisciplinary scholars be between the boundaries of other areas, exhorting those protected within to choose relevance and come out and do as we do? Do we need boundaries for interdisciplinary work, carefully and vigorously controlled, so that we too can form distinctions based on criteria for methodological rigour? Is there a place for full theoretical awareness of what distinguishes interdisciplinary work? If interdisciplinarity is to mobilise support, does it need, just like any discipline, its own self-regulating guild

A commentary on Ovid, Amores ii, 1-10

This thesis attempts to provide for the first time an English commentary on poems from the second book of Ovid's Amores. Included is a text of poems 1-10, to which the present commentary is confined. No independent collation of the manuscripts has been attempted in view of the meticulous work already done in this area by modern scholars, and the text offered would not claim to be a new recension; the readings of the codex Hamiltonensis 471 (Y), however, a manuscript of only fairly recently recognized antiquity, have been taken into account and are documented along with those of P and S, the other antiquiores, in a select apparatus which is intended for use in conjunction with the critical notes in the commentary. The commentary proceeds on a line by line basis, dealing in detail with specific points of literary, linguistic and textual interest as they arise; wider issues, however, such as the conventions of poetic diction and the use of particular ranges of imagery, also find a place in discussion. The interpretations and elucidations of the older editors have been accorded special attention, and the ipsissima uerba of those such as Heinsius and Burman are regularly cited. Striking features of Ovidian style are naturally noted throughout. Each poem has in addition an introduction which gives an outline of its content and structure, and endeavours to place the piece in its literary and contemporary social setting. Particular attention is paid to the contribution made by ovid's work to the elegiac tradition established by Tibullus and Propertius, and an attempt is made to assess the extent of Ovid's originality and the measure of his achievement in individual elegies. A select bibliography for each poem is also offered. The thesis as a whole, therefore, aims to illuminate and to enrich the reading of Amores ii. 1-10 in particular, and in so doing to make some contribution also to the critical assessment and appreciation of Ovid's poetry in general. <p

919-15 Rotational Atherectomy in Chronic Total Occlusions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success rate, complication profile and predictors of outcome of rotational atherectomy (RA) after guidewire crossing of chronic total occlusions (CTO). 145 total occlusions were treated in 139 procedures between 1988 and 1993. Of these, there were 112 single lesion procedures. Compared to pts with non-total occlusions (NTOI, pts with CTO were more likely to be male, younger and have a prior MI, but less likely to present with unstable angina or to have diabetes. Lesions were more likely type C (68.7% vs 15.1%, P&lt;0.0001) and longer (14.8±7.8 vs 8.0±5.6 mm, p&lt;0.0001). Mean baseline stenosis was 100.0%. Post-Rotablator stenosis was 45.6±17.5%. Post-adjunctive balloon stenosis was 24.6±15.9% while final residual stenosis was 26.9±16.8%. The maximum mean burr size was 1.8±0.26 mm while average vessel diameter was 2.74±0.65mm. Success without major complications occurred in 91.0%. Dissection occurred in 18.0%, acute in-lab closure in 3.6%, post-Cath lab reocclusion in 3.6%, emergency bypass surgery on 0%, death in 1.4% and NOMI in 4.3% of pts. Based on 49.2% angiographic follow-up, restenosis occurred in 62.5% of pts. Univariate predictors of RA success were pt age (p=0.02), lesion eccentricity (p=0.04) and vessel diameter (p=0.02). In a multivariable logistic regression model, only larger vessel diameter remained as an independent predictor of success (2.8±0.6 vs 2.0±0.5mm). Older age (p=0.04) and diabetes (p=0.01) were univariate predictors of restenosis. However, in the final multivariable logistic model, only diabetes remained a significant predictor.In conclusion, RA for the treatment of CTO has acceptable success and restenosis. Non-diabetics with relatively larger vessel diameter appear to benefit most

‘My Data’ project:Understanding the perceptions of administrative data usage for research of people who use drugs

Objectives Administrative data research requires trust that data will be used sensitively and wisely. People who use drugs are frequently stigmatised, and trust may be a particular barrier. This project aims to understand the perceptions of people who use drugs around the use of their administrative health data for research purposes. Methods This project will work with Restoration Fife, a third-sector organisation based in Fife, Scotland, that supports people who use drugs. We are conducting focus groups exploring how administrative health data are used in research from the perspectives of people who use drugs, including discussion around different types/sources of data. Data will be analysed using the Framework approach. We will also work with an artist and members of Restoration Fife, to co-produce a short, animated film about how administrative data are used in research around drug use, in order to educate the wider population about how their data are used. Results* This presentation will discuss findings from the focus groups on the perceptions of usage of administrative data for different types of research. It will also discuss the use of administrative data in the context of findings from previous studies involving general populations and populations with other vulnerabilities, such as care-experienced populations and people with mental health difficulties. We will also provide a viewing of the film within this paper session. *This project is funded by Research Data Scotland and runs from April to September 2023: all results will therefore be available by the time of the ADR conference in November 2023. Conclusions Evidence suggests low levels of public awareness of how and why data are used. We know little about perceptions of people who use drugs, for whom trust of services may be a particular issue. This study uses innovative methods to provide a platform for voices rarely heard in this context

Outcome of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in diabetics treated with fibrinolytic or combination reduced fibrinolytic therapy and platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition: Lessons from the GUSTO V trial

OBJECTIVES We studied the outcome of diabetics enrolled in the Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO) V trial to assess whether the combination of half-dose reteplase and abciximab provides any propitious benefits over standard fibrinolytic therapy in diabetic patients. BACKGROUND Diabetics with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) have a worse outcome compared with nondiabetics. Higher-risk patients are usually more likely to benefit from advances in medical therapy. METHODS We analyzed diabetic patients enrolled in the GUSTO V trial to assess the outcome of those randomized to the combination of half-dose reteplase and abciximab versus those randomized to reteplase. We also evaluated whether any differences existed in presentation and outcome of MI among the diabetics versus the nondiabetics enrolled in the study. RESULTS The trial enrolled 13,782 nondiabetics and 2,633 diabetics. Compared to nondiabetics, diabetics had a significantly higher mortality at 30 days (8.5% vs. 5.1%, p < 0.001) and at 1 year (12.7% vs. 7.5%, p < 0.001). Among the diabetic subset, no significant difference existed in the incidence of 30-day (8.8% vs. 8.2%, p = 0.52) or 1-year mortality (13.0% vs. 12.4%, p = 0.62) among patients randomized to reteplase compared to those receiving combination of abciximab and reteplase. The incidence of reinfarction (2.5% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.013), recurrent ischemia (11.8% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.017), and urgent revascularization (10.9% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.055) at seven days was lower in diabetics treated with the combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS Compared to nondiabetics, diabetics continue to have a worse outcome with MI. Although combination therapy did not provide a survival benefit, nonfatal ischemic outcomes, including reinfarction, recurrent ischemia, and urgent revascularization, were substantially reduced

Understanding the impacts of novel coronavirus outbreaks on people who use drugs: A systematic review to inform practice and drug policy responses to COVID-19

People who use drugs (PWUD) experience many social and health harms and are considered at greater risk of acquiring COVID-19. Little research has examined the impact of coronaviruses either on PWUD, or on services targeted to PWUD. We report the findings of a systematic review of empirical evidence from studies which have examined the impact of coronaviruses (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and COVID-19) on PWUD or on service responses to them. Five databases were searched (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ASSIA and EMBASE) as well as COVID-19 specific databases. Inclusion criteria were studies reporting any impact of SARS, MERS or COVID-19 or any service responses to those, published between January 2000 and October 2020. Weight of Evidence judgements and quality assessment were undertaken. In total, 27 primary studies were included and grouped by seven main themes: treatment/recovery services; emergency medical settings; low-threshold services; prison setting, PWUD/substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis; people with SUD and HIV; ‘Sexual minority’ men. Overall, research in the area was scant, and of average/poor quality. More robust research is required to inform on-going and future responses to coronavirus epidemics for PWUD.This review was funded by Scottish Government under the auspices of the Drugs Death Taskforce, Grant No DDTFRF0

Carbonic Anhydrase Activity Monitored In Vivo by Hyperpolarized 13C-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Demonstrates Its Importance for pH Regulation in Tumors.

Carbonic anhydrase buffers tissue pH by catalyzing the rapid interconversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and bicarbonate (HCO3 (-)). We assessed the functional activity of CAIX in two colorectal tumor models, expressing different levels of the enzyme, by measuring the rate of exchange of hyperpolarized (13)C label between bicarbonate (H(13)CO3(-)) and carbon dioxide ((13)CO2), following injection of hyperpolarized H(13)CO3(-), using (13)C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((13)C-MRS) magnetization transfer measurements. (31)P-MRS measurements of the chemical shift of the pH probe, 3-aminopropylphosphonate, and (13)C-MRS measurements of the H(13)CO3(-)/(13)CO2 peak intensity ratio showed that CAIX overexpression lowered extracellular pH in these tumors. However, the (13)C measurements overestimated pH due to incomplete equilibration of the hyperpolarized (13)C label between the H(13)CO3(-) and (13)CO2 pools. Paradoxically, tumors overexpressing CAIX showed lower enzyme activity using magnetization transfer measurements, which can be explained by the more acidic extracellular pH in these tumors and the decreased activity of the enzyme at low pH. This explanation was confirmed by administration of bicarbonate in the drinking water, which elevated tumor extracellular pH and restored enzyme activity to control levels. These results suggest that CAIX expression is increased in hypoxia to compensate for the decrease in its activity produced by a low extracellular pH and supports the hypothesis that a major function of CAIX is to lower the extracellular pH.The authors acknowledge funding support from Cancer Research UK (CRUK; C19212/A16628; C19212/A911376), the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of Cambridge, the CRUK and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Cancer Imaging Centre in Cambridge and Manchester. E.M.S. is a recipient of funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under the Marie Curie Initial Training Network METAFLUX and has support from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Champalimaud Foundation, Ministerio de Saude and Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Association for Cancer Research via http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-085