Increasing participation of cancer patients in randomised controlled trials: a systematic review

Background: There are many barriers to patient participation in randomised controlled trials of cancer treatments. To increase participation in trials, strategies need to be identified to overcome these barriers. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of interventions to overcome barriers to patient participation in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of cancer treatments. Methods: A systematic review was conducted. Published and unpublished studies in any language were searched for in fifteen electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO, from inception to the end of 2004. Studies of any interventions to improve cancer patient participation in RCTs, which reported the change in recruitment rates, were eligible for inclusion. RCTs and non-randomised controlled trials as well as before and after studies reporting baseline rates specific to the population being investigated were included. Data were extracted by one reviewer into structured summary tables and checked for accuracy by a second reviewer. Each included study was assessed against a checklist for methodological quality by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Eight studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria: three RCTs, two non-randomised controlled trials and three observational studies. Six of the studies had an intervention that had some relevance to the UK. There was no robust evidence that any of the interventions investigated led to an increase in cancer patient participation in RCTs, though one good quality RCT found that urologists and nurses were equally effective at recruiting participants to a treatment trial for prostate cancer. Although there was no evidence of an effect in any of the studies, the evidence was not of sufficient quality to be able to conclude that these interventions therefore do not work. Conclusion: There is not a strong evidence-base for interventions that increase cancer patient participation in randomised trials. Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to increase participation in cancer treatment trials

Et l’ère de l’État touche à sa fin : Carl Schmitt et la conceptualisation des changements d’époque historique en relations internationales

Dans Le nomos de la terre, Carl Schmitt se penche sur la fin de l’époque du droit public européen et de l’État que ce droit a soutenu, qui ont reçu peu d’attention. L’exposé qu’il en fait illustre plus largement certaines considérations contenues dans la périodisation des relations internationales. Cet article établit la place négligeable qu’occupe la périodisation dans l’étude des relations internationales avant d’offrir une lecture critique de l’interprétation que donne Schmitt dans Le nomos de la terre. Il conclut en suggérant la façon dont l’interprétation boiteuse de Schmitt nous aide à comprendre la signification plus large du thème de la périodisation des époques historiques en relations internationales.In The Nomos of the Earth, Carl Schmitt presents an account of the end of the epoch of European public law, and the state that it supported, which has received little attention. Yet Schmitt’s account serves to illustrate broader issues involved in the periodization of international relations. This article begins by pointing out the comparative neglect of periodization in international relations before turning to a critical assessment of Schmitt’s account in The Nomos of the Earth. It concludes by suggesting how Schmitt’s flawed account can help us to understand the wider significance of periodization in international relations

Reticular Synthesis of Metal-Organic Rotaxane Frameworks

The work herein, describes the placement of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) into ordered, crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to create metal-organic rotaxane frameworks (MORFs). This placement is done through the use of the concepts of reticular synthesis, to create predictable materials based on prior known building blocks and topological nets in order to achieve robust dynamics. The concepts of MIMs, nets, reticular synthesis, robust dynamics are all discussed in detail in Chapter 1. Also outlined in Chapter 1 are six design criteria that act as a blueprint for the creation of robust dynamics using the tenants of reticular synthesis. Chapter 2 shows the targeting of nbo derived topological nets for incorporating a T-shaped [2]rotaxane linker. The targeting of this net produced three MOFs of UWCM-CH3 and the two phases of α/β-UWDM-CF3 (University of Windsor Crystalline Material). Topological analysis of the nets show that the nbo derived fof net was produced by UWCM-CH3 and α-UWCM-CF3. Also reported is the first instance of the newly named loz net of β-UWCM-CF3. Chapter 3 is an evolution of the T-shaped linker design for the targeting of lvt nets. This endeavour resulted in the isoreticular lil nets of UWCM-10 and the MIM containing UWDM-10 (University of Windsor Dynamic Material). Through the use of variable temperature 2H solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (SSNMR), the rotational motion of the mechanically bound wheel of the [2]rotaxane was characterised. Chapter 4 uses a linear T-shaped linker design to target the edge-transitive pcu net resulting in the isoreticular MOF and MORFs, UWCM-11 and UWDM-11. The rotational dynamics of UWDM-11 were probed using VT 2H SSNMR. Chapter 5 uses the same linear T-shaped [2]rotaxane linker for incorporation into the edge-transitive net of fcu producing UWDM-12. The Zr MOF was targeted for the high chemical stability of the secondary building unit (SBU) allowing for acid/base chemistry on the benzimidazole/benzimidazolium axle of the [2]rotaxane. This produced both UWDM-12[Neutral] and UWDM-12[Protonated] that were shown through VT 2H SSNMR to have a qualitative effect on the rotational dynamics of the mechanically bound wheel inside the framework – a first for the UWDM series. Chapter 6 evaluates the six design objectives, and debates their practicality in the pursuit of creating robust dynamics by using reticular synthesis

Samuel Stirk to William Stephens, June 30, 1788

Samuel Stirk wrote from Savannah, GA to William Stephens, address not included. He wrote regarding a legal issue between Captain Pray and John Kean as surviving partner of Lavien & Kean. He wrote he had directions to withdraw the attached, presumably a lawsuit, if they agreed instead to submit all the accounts to arbitration.https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/lhc_1780s/1350/thumbnail.jp

The Macallan New Distillery and Visitors Experience

https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/bcs/1475/thumbnail.jp

Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southern Africa Christopher D.K.Cook2004Backhuys PublishersThe Netherlands90-5782-142-7PO Box 321, 2300 AH Leiden; 281 pages with 290 figures; price €86 (Hardcover)http://[email protected]

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The Spacecraft Challenge: A Student Satellite Program Accelerator

Brigham Young University’s first smallsat project, like many university smallsat projects, faced significant personnel challenges. The time required for inexperienced undergraduates to become contributing team members, combined with moderate turnover, caused overruns in the budget and schedule. To find and train future team members for employment, the student team formed a club and instituted a peer-mentored, introductory-level challenge to design, build, and fly a miniature, fully-functional model spacecraft, in one semester. At very low cost, two annual rounds of the challenge provided more than 30 students with full-cycle, design-to-flight engineering experience. Leveraging this introductory experience, many participants have now contributed to more advanced smallsat projects. We describe the low-cost project and implementation of the challenge format along with recommendations for starting similar programs at other schools

Estimates of genetic parameters of distal limb fracture and superficial digital flexor tendon injury in UK Thoroughbred racehorses

A retrospective cohort study of distal limb fracture and superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injury in Thoroughbred racehorses was conducted using health records generated by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) between 2000 and 2010. After excluding records of horses that had both flat and jump racing starts, repeated records were reduced to a single binary record per horse (<i>n</i> = 66,507, 2982 sires), and the heritability of each condition was estimated using residual maximum likelihood (REML) with animal logistic regression models. Similarly, the heritability of each condition was estimated for the flat racing and jump racing populations separately. Bivariate mixed models were used to generate estimates of genetic correlations between SDFT injury and distal limb fracture. The heritability of distal limb fracture ranged from 0.21 to 0.37. The heritability of SDFT injury ranged from 0.31 to 0.34. SDFT injury and distal limb fracture were positively genetically correlated. These findings suggest that reductions in the risk of the conditions studied could be attempted using targeted breeding strategies