Share Your Life and Get More of Yourself. Experience Sharing in CouchSurfing

By means of a multi-sited multi-method ethnography of CouchSurfing.org, this study explores what motivates consumers to share their homes with strangers. Our findings suggest that participation is best understood by focusing on experience sharing and identify four types of experiential capital as sources of self-enhancement

Markers of hepatitis viruses and human T-lymphotropic virus types I/II in patients who have undergone open-heart surgery: Evidence of increased risk for exposure to HBV and HEV

Background: Open-heart procedure is characterized by a high-risk for contracting blood-borne infections. We evaluated the prevalence of several markers of hepatitis viruses (B-E) and human T-cell lymphotropic virus types I/II (HTLV-I/II) in a consecutive series of patients who had undergone open-heart surgery. Methods: 204 patients and 158 selected age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were investigated. Samples were collected at least 6-12 months postoperatively. Commercial enzyme immunoassays and confirmatory immunoblot assays for HCV, HEV and HTLV-I/II were used. Results: None of the subjects tested positive for antibodies to HTLV-I/II. Prevalence of markers of past HBV infection and antibodies to HEV (anti-HEV) were higher in patients than in healthy controls (anti-HBc: 45.1% vs. 31%, p = 0.009; anti-HBs: 31.9% vs. 22.2%, p = 0.02; anti-HBe: 32.4% vs. 10.1%, p = 0.000; anti-HEV: 5.4% vs. 0%, p = 0.008). HBsAg and antibodies to HCV did not differ between the groups. Conclusions: HTLV, HBsAg and HCV infection markers did not differ between patients and healthy controls. However, patients had significantly increased prevalence of markers of previous HBV infection suggesting that an intensive vaccination schedule against HBV preoperatively might be helpful in minimizing the risk. The increased prevalence of anti-HEV in cardiac patients requires further investigation. Prospective studies are needed in order to definitely address whether the high prevalence of exposure to HBV and HEV infections in patients who had undergone open-heart surgery is procedure-related or not and whether it has any impact on morbidity of these patients. © 2005 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A COMPARATIVE-STUDY WITH 2 ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULES OF LEUCOVORIN AND 5-FLUOROURACIL IN ADVANCED COLORECTAL-CANCER

One hundred and seven previously untreated patients with measurable metastatic colorectal cancer who were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and leucovorin (LV) in two different maximum doses and schedules were retrospectively analyzed. Group A, 52 pts, was treated with LV 200 mg/m(2)/D IV push, followed by 5FU 700 mg/m(2)/D IV 1 h infusion for 5 D. Cycle was repeated every 21 D. Group B, 55 pts, was treated with LV 500 mg/m(2)/D in a 2 h infusion and 5FU 600 mg/m(2)/D IV bolus at mid-time of LV infusion, repeated every week for 6 wk followed by 2-wk rest period. There was no difference in response (A 8%, B 11%). Median survival for A was 37 (2-131) wk, B was 59 (1-112) wk (P = 0.021), time to progression for A was 20 (0-131) wk, B 30 (0-102) wk (P = 0.021). Administered mean dose intensity of LV was 350.8 mg/m(2)/wk in group A and 405.0 mg/m(2)/wk in group B without any significant difference; that of 5FU was significantly higher in group A as compared to group B (1205.3 vs 468.9 mg/m(2)/wk, respectively) (p < 0.0001). This difference was a consequence of the planned dose intensity for this drug in the two treatment regimens. Toxicity was more frequent and intense in group A for mucositis (P < 0.001), fatigue (P < 0.01), and neurotoxicity (P < 0.05), and in group B for neutropenia (P < 0.001) and nausea-vomiting (P < 0.001). There were one and four iatrogenic deaths in group A and B patients, respectively (NS). Although this study was not prospective and randomized, we can conclude that toxicity was significantly different in the two groups, with a prevalence of mucositis in group A and neutropenia in group B and a higher number of iatrogenic deaths in the latter group. Response rates were the same for the two groups although survival and time to progression were significantly increased for group B patients

Fluorouracil and leucovorin with or without interferon alfa-2a as adjuvant treatment, in patients with high-risk colon cancer - A randomized phase III study conducted by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group

Background: It has been shown in randomized studies that adjuvant treatment with the combination of fluorouracil (FU) and levamisole reduced the risk of recurrence and deaths of patients with stage III colon cancer. Pharmacological studies of FU led to its use in combination with a number of modulating agents including interferon-a and leucovorin (LV) that appear to enhance its activity in vitro. Furthermore, a meta-analysis suggested that the combination of FU with LV increased the response rate as compared to FU monotherapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Purpose: To evaluate the impact of adjuvant treatment with the combination of FU and LV with or without interferon alfa-2a (IFN) on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with stage II or III colon cancer. Patients and Methods: From August 1989 to July 1997, 280 patients with stage II and III colon cancer entered the study and were randomly assigned to receive either the combination of FU (600 mg/m(2)/week x 6, followed by a 2-week rest) and LV (500 mg/m(2)/week x 6 as a 2-hour infusion, followed by a 2-week rest) for 4 cycles (group A, 139 patients), or the same chemotherapy plus recombinant IFN (3 MU subcutaneously 3 times a week) for 1 year (group B, 141 patients). Results: A total of 109 patients (78.9%) of group A and 119 (84.4%) of group B complated four cycles of chemotherapy. Also, 51.4% of patients of group A and 53.9% of group B received greater than or equal to 80% of the planned dose of FU. One patient (group A) was found to be ineligible and was not included in the analysis. The median relative dose intensity of FU in the two groups was 0.90 and 0.85, respectively. As of August 1998, after a median follow up of 4 years, there was no significant difference in either 3-year DFS (group A, 83.1%; group B, 75.9%, p = 0.14) or OS (group A, 84.5%; group B, 80.0%, p = 0.27). In the Cox model, stage of disease, number of infiltrated nodes, tumor grade and presence of regional implants were identified as significant prognostic factors for OS. Grade 3-4 toxicities, mainly diarrhea, were observed in 26.1% of patients of group A and in 24.8% of group B, There were no treatment-related deaths. Conclusions: The addition of IFN to the combination of FU with LV postoperatively does not improve DFS and OS of patients with stage II or III colon cancer. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

Postoperative radiation and concomitant bolus fluorouracil with or without additional chemotherapy with fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin in patients with high-risk rectal cancer: A randomized phase III study conducted by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group

Background: Randomized studies have shown that postoperative chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy (RT) improved local control and survival of patients with stages II or III rectal cancer. However, the optimal sequence of treatments and the optimal chemotherapeutic regimen have not been defined. Modulation of fluorouracil (FU) by leucovorin (LV) has yielded a highly significant difference in response rate from that of FU monotherapy, as suggested by an overview of randomized trials in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. However, this difference in response rate did not translate into a survival benefit. Purpose: To evaluate the impact on the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with stages II or III rectal cancer of postoperative RT and concomitant bolus FU administration alone or with additional chemotherapy using FU and high-dose LV. Patients and methods: From October 1989 until February 1997, 220 patients were randomized postoperatively to receive either one cycle of chemotherapy with FU (600 mg/m(2)/week x 6 followed by a two-week rest) and leucovorin (LV, 500 mg/m(2)/week x 6 as a two-hour infusion) followed by pelvic RT with concomitant FU (400 mg/m(2)) as a rapid intravenous injection during the first three and last three days of RT, and three more cycles of the same chemotherapy with FU and LV (standard, group A, 111 patients) or pelvic RT with concomitant FU only (experimental, group B, 109 patients). Results: As of August 1998, after a median follow-up of 4.9 years, there was no significant difference in either three-year DFS (Group A, 70.3%; group B, 68.2%, P = 0.53) or OS (group A, 77%; group B, 73.3%, P = 0.75). Cox multivariate analysis revealed stage of disease, number of infiltrated nodes, tumor grade, presence of regional implants and perforation to be significant prognostic factors. The incidence of severe side effects was significantly higher in the patients in group A than in those in group B (32.4% vs. 4.6%, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The incorporation of additional chemotherapy with FU and LV into postoperative concomitant RT and bolus infusion of FU does not offer a greater than or equal to 10% three-year survival benefit over that of concomitant RT and bolus infusion of FU, and significantly increases toxicity in patients with stages II or III rectal cancer