Nationwide changes in radiation oncology travel and location of care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Alexandra N. De Leo(Alexandra N. De Leo ),Fantine Giap(Fantine Giap ),Matthew M. Culbert(Matthew M. Culbert ),Nicolette Drescher(Nicolette Drescher ),Ryan J. Brisson(Ryan J. Brisson ),Vincent Cassidy( 대한방사선종양학회 2023 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.41 No.2

Purpose: Patients with cancer are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus disease (COVID). Transportation barriers made travel to obtain medical care more difficult during the pandemic. Whether these factors led to changes in the distance traveled for radiotherapy and the coordinated location of radiation treatment is unknown. Materials and Methods: We analyzed patients across 60 cancer sites in the National Cancer Database from 2018 to 2020. Demographic and clinical variables were analyzed for changes in distance traveled for radiotherapy. We designated the facilities in the 99th percentile or above in terms of the proportion of patients who traveled more than 200 miles as “destination facilities.” We defined “coordinated care” as undergoing radiotherapy at the same facility where the cancer was diagnosed. Results: We evaluated 1,151,954 patients. There was a greater than 1% decrease in the proportion of patients treated in the Mid-Atlantic States. Mean distance traveled from place of residence to radiation treatment decreased from 28.6 to 25.9 miles, and the proportion traveling greater than 50 miles decreased from 7.7% to 7.1%. At “destination facilities,” the proportion traveling more than 200 miles decreased from 29.3% in 2018 to 24% in 2020. In comparison, at the other hospitals, the proportion traveling more than 200 miles decreased from 1.07% to 0.97%. In 2020, residing in a rural area resulted in a lower odds of having coordinated care (multivariable odds ratio = 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.95). Conclusion: The first year of the COVID pandemic measurably impacted the location of U.S. radiation therapy treatment.

Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Dietary Supplementation with Turmeric or Herbal Combination Tablets on Skin Barrier Function in Healthy Subjects

Alexandra R. Vaughn,Ashley K. Clark,Manisha Notay,Raja K. Sivamani 한국식품영양과학회 2018 Journal of medicinal food Vol.21 No.12

To compare the effects of turmeric tablets and turmeric-containing herbal combination tablets versus placebo on skin barrier function and sebum production by measuring facial sebum and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in healthy subjects. This study was a prospective, double-blinded, rater-blinded, randomized pilot study. Thirty-three generally healthy participants were recruited from the UC Davis Department of Dermatology clinic and the surrounding community from 2016 to 2017, 30 participants were enrolled, and 28 participants completed the study. Thirty individuals were recruited and randomized to the placebo, turmeric, or herbal combination tablet groups. The participants were instructed to take the intervention tablets by mouth twice daily for 4 weeks. Facial sebum production and TEWL were assessed at baseline and 4 weeks. Twenty-eight participants completed the study and there were no adverse events. There were no significant changes in sebum excretion rate in any group after 4 weeks compared with baseline. In the herbal combination tablet group, there was a significant decrease in TEWL (P = .003). No significant changes in TEWL were detected in the turmeric or placebo groups. Turmeric-containing herbal combination tablets significantly decreased TEWL after 4 weeks of twice-daily supplementation. There were no adverse events in any of the three intervention arms. Overall, our findings spark future interest in determining how oral supplementation with herbal formulations may improve skin barrier function and skin appearance, and potentially offer alternative or complementary treatment options.

mednoe serebryanoe zolotoe

( Alexandra Filippova ) 한국기초조형학회 2019 한국기초조형학회 작품집 Vol.2019 No.1

LIGHT AUTUMN

( Alexandra Mantsevich ) 한국기초조형학회 2018 한국기초조형학회 작품집 Vol.2018 No.2

Sex, Love, and Migration: Postsocialism, Modernity, and Intimacy from Istanbul to the Arctic by Alexia Bloch (review)

Alexandra Novitskaya 한국외국어대학교(글로벌캠퍼스) 러시아연구소 2019 REGION Vol.8 No.1

Lung Cancer Screening With Low-dose Chest Computed Tomography: Experience From Radon-contaminated Regions in Kazakhstan

Alexandra Panina,Dilyara Kaidarova,Zhamilya Zholdybay,Akmaral Ainakulova,Jandos Amankulov,Dias Toleshbayev,Zhanar Zhakenova,Arman Khozhayev 대한예방의학회 2022 예방의학회지 Vol.55 No.3

Objectives: The aim of this study was to present the baseline results of a pilot project conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of lung cancer screening using low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) in regions with excessive radon levels in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Methods: In total, 3671 participants were screened by low-dose chest CT. Current, former, and never-smokers who resided in regions with elevated levels of radon in drinking water sources and indoor air, aged between 40 and 75 with no history of any cancer, and weighing less than 140 kg were included in the study. All lung nodules were categorized according to the American College of Radiology Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS 1.0). Results: Overall, 614 (16.7%) participants had positive baseline CT findings (Lung-RADS categories 3 and 4). Seventy-four cancers were detected, yielding an overall cancer detection rate of 2.0%, with 10.8% (8/74) stage I and a predominance of stage III (59.4%; 44/74). Women never-smokers and men current smokers had the highest cancer detection rates, at 2.9% (12/412) and 6.1% (12/196), respectively. Compared to never-smokers, higher odds ratios (ORs) of lung cancer detection were found in smokers (OR,2.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52 to 4.05, p<0.001) and former smokers (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.06 to 5.06, p=0.003). The most common histologic type of cancer was adenocarcinoma (58.1%). Conclusions: Implementation of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in regions with elevated radon levels is an effective method for both smokers and never-smokers.

Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects of Sprouted Garlic Extracts

Alexandra Zakharova,Ji Yeon Seo,Suel Gi Choi,Seong Soon Kim,Hye Ryung Kang,Bo Ram Kim,Ji Eun Woo,Mi Hye Kim,Mi Kyung Han,Jeong Hwan Kim,Jung Hye Shin,Jong-Sang Kim 한국식품영양과학회 2013 한국식품영양과학회 학술대회발표집 Vol.2013 No.11

Red Pepper (Capsicum baccatum) Extracts Present Anti-Inflammatory Effects In Vivo and Inhibit the Production of TNF-a and NO In Vitro

Alexandra Allemand,Bianca Franco Leonardi,Aline Rigon Zimmer,Susana Moreno,Pedro Roosevelt Torres Romao,Grace Gosmann 한국식품영양과학회 2016 Journal of medicinal food Vol.19 No.8

Capsicum baccatum is the most consumed red pepper species in Brazil. Our previous studies demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of its crude extract, whose activity is yet to be fully characterized. Herein, we examined the antiinflammatory in vivo effects of enriched extracts obtained through bioguided fractionation as dichloromethane (DCM), butanol (BUT), and residual aqueous (RAq) extracts and its influence on inflammatory mediators produced by macrophages in vitro. We demonstrated that all C. baccatum extracts presented anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. In addition, we showed that BUT and RAq were more effective in inhibiting the neutrophil migration induced by carrageenan (Cg) to peritoneal cavity and both extracts inhibited paw edema induced by Cg, prostaglandin E2, and histamine in mice. Furthermore, the pretreatment with C. baccatum extracts significantly reduced the levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the paw tissues of mice compared with the carrageenan group. Once again, RAq and BUT caused the greatest reduction in MPO levels. Moreover, it was demonstrated for the first time that C. baccatum inhibited the nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by lipopolysaccharide/interferon gamma (IFN-c)-stimulated macrophages. These anti-inflammatory effects seem to be at least, in part, independent of capsaicin. Hence, red pepper has bioactive compounds and might be used to develop food-derived extracts to treat related inflammatory diseases.

TOURIST INNOVATIVENESS & ETHICAL TOURIST BEHAVIOR

Alexandra Ganglmair-Wooliscroft,Ben Wooliscroft 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.1

Ethical consumption, including ethical tourist behavior, is of growing importance to governments, companies and consumers and consumers increasingly act accordingly (Sheth, Sethia, & Srinivas, 2010). Most ethical tourist behaviors conform to service industry characteristics, being intangible, heterogeneous and fusing production and consumption. Adopting ethical tourist behaviors (ETBs) requires activities, practices or ideas that consumers perceive as new, components that are key characteristics of innovations (Goldsmith, d’Hauteville, & Flynn, 1998; Rogers & Shoemaker, 1971). Studies frequently explore environmentally friendly behavior of a specific tourist segment - existing eco-tourists (Dolnicar, Laesser, & Matus, 2010) and limit their focus to environmental issues. In line with the World Tourism Organization’s conceptualization that highlights the importance of environmental, cultural and sociological aspects (http://ethics.unwto.org/en/content/global-code-ethics-tourism), this research uses the term ethical tourist behavior and investigates the concept using a sample of ordinary tourists. Consumer innovativeness has been defined as the “degree to which an individual is relatively earlier in adopting an innovation than other members of his system” (Rogers and Shoemaker, 1971, p. 27). Innovativeness, the propensity to adopt, is focusing on an individual’s behavior relative to other people in a population (Goldsmith & Hofacker, 1991; Im, Bayus, & Mason, 2003). Diffusion of innovation, investigating the spread of an innovation through the population, is frequently modeled using an S-curve (Rogers, 1995). ETB includes a wide range of activities with the behavior expected to be cumulative; for example somebody who chooses to stay in tourist accommodations with environmental certification is also likely to recycle. Cumulative patterns fit the Rasch Model (RM) (Rasch 1960/80). Well established in education and psychology, the model gains increasing attention in marketing (for example Ewing, Salzberger, & Sinkovics, 2005; Ganglmair-Wooliscroft & Wooliscroft, 2013; Salzberger & Koller, 2013; Wooliscroft, Ganglmair-Wooliscroft, & Noone, 2014). The probabilistic RM is based on a mathematically elegant equation (Bond & Fox, 2007), specifying that people who undertake more extreme ethical tourist behavior will also have a higher probability of engaging in (and subsequently agreeing to or endorsing a) comparably easier ethical tourist behavior. Item Characteristic Curves (Bond & Fox, 2007) embody the theoretical curve for an item’s endorsability. If empirical answer patterns follow the theoretical curve (and a number of other fit statistics are satisfactory) the item fits requirements of the Rasch Model. This study develops an ETB hierarchy and explores parallels between characteristics of Rasch Modelling (Rasch, 1960/80) and the Adoption of Innovation (Rogers, 1995). Additionally, the study explores variables influencing the level of ETB, representing actualized ethical tourist innovativeness. The final ETB hierarchy contains of 27 ethical tourist behaviors that relate to a wide range of holidays. Using a cross-sectional sample of 322 respondents, representative of the population, the research finds that ethical tourist behavior diffuses through the population in a structured, ordered sequence, providing support for parallels between the Diffusion of Innovation Model (Rogers, 1995) and Rasch Model’s ICC characteristics. Most respondents undertake only a small range of ethical tourist behaviors, indicating that many ethical issues are at a very early stage of the diffusion process. The level of ethical tourist behavior adaption - operationalized through respondent’s position on the ETB hierarchy is influenced by high importance of universalism, age and gender.

Cognitive Impairment in Grandparents: A Systematic Review

Alexandra Rafael,Lí,dia Sousa,Só,nia Martins,Lia Fernandes 대한신경정신의학회 2021 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.18 No.7

Objective To evaluate the relationship between grandparenting and the cognitive impairment in older persons. Methods The protocol was submitted to the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration number: CRD42018105849. Authors conducted a systematic review, following “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) recommendations. Electronic databases were accessed through august 2018: PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. Selection of records and quality appraisal were made by two reviewers, independently. Results A total of 178 records was found, after removing duplicates. From those, 17 were considered eligible for integral text reading and eight were included: five original studies, one classic review and two editorials. From the five original studies included, four suggested a positive effect on cognition resulting from grandparenting and one suggested that there was no evidence for a causal effect. Though the boundary was not consensual, some studies suggested that a higher frequency of grandparenting has a negative impact on cognition. Conclusion Overall, studies suggested a trend towards a positive effect of grandchild care on grandparents’ cognition. However, there was a significant heterogeneity between methodologies and a significant risk of bias which can hamper conclusions, indicating the need for further and more robust research. Psychiatry Investig 2021;18(7):593-602