Successive Decades Research Articles

B-345 The PSA and free PSA Concentrations in Serum of Apparently Healthy Subjects Using the Atellica IM hsPSA and fPSAII Assays

Abstract Background PSA assays are recommended in the screening for prostate cancer (PC) among males 50 years and older. Those with PSA results in the gray zone (between 4 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL) and a nonsuspicious digital rectal examination (DRE) may be further tested with the free PSA (fPSA) assays to improve detection of PC. PSA and fPSA are also detected in apparently healthy subjects. The goal of this study was to evaluate the distribution of high sensitivity PSA (hsPSA), fPSAII, and %fPSAII (fPSAII/hsPSA x 100) values generated on the Atellica® IM Analyzer among apparently healthy subjects by age decade. Methods Serum samples were prospectively collected from apparently healthy subjects at multiple sites across the United States: 673 males 50-70+ years presenting at primary care facilities for routine PSA testing (>120 samples in each age decade (50-59, 60-69, 70+ years) and 113 samples in each of two younger decades (30-39, 40-49 years). Distribution statistics include the mean, median, interquartile range, 2.5th, 95th, and 97.5th percentiles. Results In this study, using samples from healthy men 30-70+ years (N=786), it was observed that median hsPSA results increased with every decade from 0.682 ng/mL at 30-39 years to 2.183 ng/mL at age 70+ years. The 97.5th percentiles were below 4.0 ng/mL in men <50 years, and above 4.0 ng/mL in men >50 years. All men (100%) 30-49 years had an hsPSA result below 4.0, and 95.5% of men 50-59 years had an hsPSA result below 4.0. The percent of subjects with hsPSA values above the cut-off of 4.0 was 6.6% among men 60-69 years and 12.4% among men >70 years. Median hsPSA values for each age group were comparable to median PSA values reported for healthy men older than 50 years old without cancer undergoing routine health check-ups in the United States and other countries (median hsPSA value was 0.90 among men 50-59 years). For both hsPSA and fPSAII, it was observed that average values increased with each successive decade for subjects 30-70+ years. The range across decades was 0.904-2.183 ng/mL for hsPSA and 0.23-0.46 ng/mL for fPSAII. However, the average %fPSAII (fPSA/hsPSAx100) values did not consistently rise over time because hsPSA variances also increase, a pattern previously documented. Conclusions The distribution of Atellica® IM hsPSA and fPSAII assay values from apparently healthy males was determined. CAUTION: Investigational Device. Not available for sale. Future availability cannot be guaranteed. The results are preliminary and were achieved in unique setting with no expected timeline for completion.

Wassily Leontief's Research Program: Science, Beliefs, Institutions

Wassily Leontief met with decades of success for the development of input-output analysis, and yet he remained a staunch critic of the economics profession throughout his life. To understand his success, its limits, and the origins of his discontent, this article separates the scientific activities of input-output from the system of belief built around it, and from the institutions set up to advance Leontief's research program. This leads to considering the interaction of input-output with other research programs through three poles: the scientific debate, the collision of belief systems about the world, and an institutional fight for funds and researchers. The end result is a picture of how Leontief managed to build a successful research program in which scientific inquiry led to beliefs about the world that were able to justify building institutions promoting input-output, in an environment of competition and cooperation.

A scoping review of the use of traditional medicine for the management of ailments in West Africa.

The coexistence of traditional healing practices deeply rooted in cultural and historical contexts and the evolving landscape of modern healthcare approaches in West African societies creates a dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity in healthcare. This study aims to comprehensively map the landscape of traditional medicine use for health in West Africa. A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Research questions focused on the links between traditional medicine practices and health in West Africa. The systematic literature search covered PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL from database inception to September 2023. A descriptive analysis was conducted highlighting the years of publication, countries of publication, study designs of plant families and plant parts used for making traditional medicines, and the diseases the traditional remedies are for. The search identified 3484 records, with 46 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Publications spanned from 1979 to 2023, with no observed trend in the number of publications over successive decades. Nigeria had the highest number of publications (54.3%), followed by Ghana (19.6%). The studies employed various designs, including clinical trials, ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological, and experimental designs. Plant families frequently studied included Combretaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Rubiaceae. Traditional remedies address various health issues, highlighting their versatility, from general symptoms to specific diseases. This scoping review offers an extensive overview of traditional healing practices in West Africa. The studies highlighted in this review stress the necessity for culturally sensitive healthcare interventions. The widespread use of traditional medicine and the variety of practices underscore the importance of encouraging collaboration between traditional healers and modern healthcare professionals. This review also identifies knowledge gaps and areas needing further research, setting the stage for future exploration into West Africa's intricate healthcare landscape.

New York's experience with building an insurance marketplace: A decade of success and lessons learned

AbstractThis article reviews New York's experience with building an insurance marketplace after passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Some of the article draws from the experiences of the authors, all of whom were, and some still are, involved with the New York State of Health (NYSOH). NYSOH has largely been a success if measured by total enrollment, affordability, and its ability to keep people enrolled during the recent unwinding. Factors that contributed to this success are important to document so that policymakers can note what elements of the administrative design and operation contributed to the increase in New Yorkers obtaining and staying insured.

The history of UK weather forecasting: the changing role of the central guidance forecaster. Part 9: How has the role of the guidance forecaster changed? An overview and a look ahead

AbstractIn the final paper in this series, we review how remarkable advances in weather forecasting over successive decades have changed the role of the UK guidance forecaster. We then look at what might happen to this role in the future by examining how the continued growth of artificial intelligence might impact upon weather forecasting and whether forecasts will continue to improve. By contrast we also consider aspects such as risks to the observing network, which could potentially have an adverse effect. We also ask “will the weather forecaster still have a role in the future?”

Higher Education Student Support Program Expansion: A Decade of Progress and Success for English as an Additional Language (EAL) and International Students

One method to support English as an additional language (EAL) students in higher education is through the development of an extracurricular support program catered to the specific academic and psychosocial needs of post-secondary EAL students within an individual faculty. In 2009, the Mount Royal University (MRU) EAL Nursing Student Support Program (NSSP) was created to support the EAL student population within MRU's Bachelor of Nursing (BN) faculty. Following over a decade of support program success documented in a series of scholarly publications, this study aims to capture the longitudinal impact of EAL NSSP on the continued success of its alumni within the academic, professional, and personal domains. A hermeneutic approach to phenomenology was used to measure the perceived impact of the student support measures on their professional and personal development. Participant interviews revealed six themes: (a) skills and knowledge obtained from membership in the support program, (b) continued engagement in professional development and leadership opportunities following support program involvement, (c) accomplishments attained following support program membership, (d) future goals, (e) eagerness to help future generations of EAL students, and (f) the need for continued EAL student support. The findings from this study demonstrate the importance of EAL student support in higher education, showcasing the profound, long-term impact that an effective and intentional EAL student support program design can have.

Development of bipolar high-current correction magnet power supply for TPS facility

Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) is a globally renowned 3 GeV synchrotron accelerator light source. With a successful decade of operation, various subsystems have continuously improved and maintained an optimal research facility environment. Presently, there is a concerted effort towards energy conservation. This technical report focuses on the future development of the TPS-II Permanent Magnet Trim Coil Power Supply for the correction magnet, emphasizing a Bipole high-current correction magnet power source. According to the prototype specifications, the maximum output current is 20 A with an operating voltage of 48 V. This augmentation increases the amplitude of the magnetic field correction in the permanent magnet-associated Trim core, providing greater flexibility in manufacturing the permanent magnet correction coils. To design a power supply with high current and stability, the system adopts the Danisense DP50-IP-B DC Current Transducers (DCCT) as the current feedback component and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) as power switches in a full-bridge (H-bridge) configuration. The driving frequency is set at 40 kHz. Analog modulation control circuitry and protective circuits ensure precise control loop modulation. In the power laboratory, a hardware prototype circuit was constructed, featuring a 48 V input voltage, 20 A output current, a maximum power of 960W, and a current ripple component maintained within 100 μA. This experiment validates the control loop design of the prototype, showcasing the ability to achieve rapid and stable output current performance. Using a 1 V input reference signal for small-signal testing, the bandwidth displayed a -3 dB bandwidth of 8.51 kHz. Long-term current stability is within ± 10 ppm, and interface compatibility with the existing TPS correction magnet power source interface allows direct operation within the current system.

Ireland’s Haunted Stages

In this essay I will look at the metaphor of the ghost particularly in relation to the issue of class disparity which has haunted Ireland and its stages for decades and is especially poignant in the current economic situation. Taking my cue from Marvin Carlson’s seminal book The Haunted Stage, I extend his argument that for audiences “ghosting presents the identical thing they have encountered before, although now in a somewhat different context” (7), to the recurrence of class disparity and concomitant social injustice in Ireland as represented in Irish theatre across the twentieth century and on into the contemporary moment. The ghosts that haunt Ireland’s stages re-materialize in the themes, characters and performance accretions of plays in successive decades since 1949. These ghosts are the shades of people whose lives were blighted by injustices perpetrated not by a foreign colonial power, but by domestic class structures that served the interests of a narrow elite at the expense of the broader public.

The natural history of neurolymphomatosis

BackgroundNeurolymphomatosis is a lymphoid malignancy of the peripheral nervous system and its natural history is poorly understood.MethodsWe performed PubMed search and extracted clinical data for Kaplan-Meier statistics to determine outcome parameters over time. Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare prognostic factors.ResultsOur search identified 559 patients and their median age was 61 years. Median overall survival (OS) was 12.0 (range 10.0–15.0) months. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was the most frequent histology, involving the brachial plexus, cranial nerves, and sciatic nerve. None had molecular profiling. There was a progressive lengthening of OS in successive decades, from 0.5 (95% CI 0.0–0.8) to 26.4 (95% CI 18.0–34.8) months between 1951 and 2022 (r2 = 0.0528, p < 0.00001). Time from first treatment (treatment 1) to progression increased from 2.0 to 36.0 (95% CI 6.5–50.7) months (r2 = 0.0961, p = 0.00236). Time from symptom onset to diagnosis remained unchanged (r2 = 0.0000556, p = 0.939). Patients were most frequently treated with methotrexate, rituximab, and/or radiation either alone or in combination. Primary neurolymphomatosis had a better prognosis than secondary neurolymphomatosis. No OS difference was noted between B- and T-cell disease, but low-grade B-cell performed better than Burkitt’s lymphoma.DiscussionBetter outcome for patients with neurolymphomatosis is noted over time. But timely diagnosis remains a major problem that needs improvement.

Balancing the three-legged pot: Benchmarking road safety institutional frameworks across SADC member states

BackgroundRoad deaths and injuries constitute a major global burden of disease, with Africa the worst affected region. Two successive UN Global Decades of Action (2011–2020 and 2021–2030) have focused on pillars of action aimed at halving road deaths. Pillar 1, Road Safety Management, requires a road safety institutional framework (RSIF) containing three legs: i) a road safety lead agency, ii) road safety funding, and iii) a national road safety strategy with timebound death reduction targets. MethodWe used a regional benchmarking approach to examine RSIFs in the 16 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which make up 26% of Africa's population and a third of its land mass. Using data from the World Health Organization's 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety, we computed an RSIF score for each state and visually depicted its RSIF as a three-legged pot with full, partial, or missing legs. We also performed correlational analyses to determine whether there were relationships between member states' RSIF scores and WHO-estimated death rates, GDP per capita, governance scores on the BertelsmanStiftung Transformation Index (BTI-g) and scores on the Human Development Index (HDI). ResultsIn 2018, most SADC member states’ RSIFs consisted of “wobbly three-legged pots”. Leg i (road safety lead agency) was most present, being evident in 80% of the member states. Legs ii (funding) and iii (national road safety strategy) were each present in 73%; however, in most cases, they were deficient compared with global best practice. The only statistically significant correlation we found was between RSIF scores and BTI-g scores. DiscussionThe SADC lagged behind the continent as a whole with respect to lead agencies, with other researchers noting that >90% of African countries had such agencies. The two member states with the highest RSIF scores and lowest death rates (Mauritius and Seychelles) are amongst the wealthiest in the region and have extremely small populations. Overall, the SADC was skewed towards low RSIF scores (correlated with poor governance scores) and high death rates. ConclusionAlmost all SADC member states require strengthening of all three RSIF legs to bring them into line with global best practice for Pillar 1, Road Safety Management. Collective regional improvement could be facilitated by longstanding intergovernmental cooperation (with high levels of cross-border traffic) and growing civil society involvement in road safety. If the SADC could become an exemplar on the continent this would boost the chances of halving African road deaths and substantially reducing global deaths by 2030.

Allergies in the light of global environmental changes

The increase in allergies began worldwide with the onset of the Great Acceleration. Environmental pollution and climate change now threaten to cancel out decades of success in health research. Asummary of environmental influences is provided, which not only shows the significant increase in the prevalence of allergies worldwide but also that of noncommunicable diseases. The effects of the climate crisis on allergies and the multifactorial and interfunctional relationships with other environmental changes are described in detail. In order to obtain an overview of the possible effects of global environmental changes on allergies, awide range of literature was evaluated and the study results were prepared and summarized. Alarge number of allergens are influencing the human exposome on adaily basis. These allergens are triggered by environmental changes, such as air pollution in the ambient air and indoors, chemicals in everyday objects or residues in food. People are sensitized by the interaction of allergens and pollutants. The prevalence of allergies is stagnating in industrialized countries. This is probably just the calm before the storm. The accelerating effects of global warming could make pollen and air pollutants even more aggressive in the future. Urgent action is therefore needed to minimize environmental pollution and mitigate climate change.

A Decade of Success

A Decade of Success

Standardizing Diabetes Care in Colorado Schools: Nearly Two Decades of Success.

Since 2005, a group of stakeholders in Colorado has collaborated to improve diabetes management in schools and childcare centers by standardizing care and embedding local expertise to support school personnel in this task. This effort has included the development of toolkits for parents, school nurses, and other health care providers; the establishment of a diabetes resource nurses program; and annually updated guidelines titled Standards of Care for Diabetes Management in the School Setting & Licensed Child Care Facilities. This collaboration has fundamentally changed how school nurses and staff in Colorado care for students with diabetes.

Morbidity transition at the national and sub-national level and their determinants over the past and contemporary period in India.

The study delves into the epidemiological transition, examining the intricate changes in health status patterns and their connection to morbidities. Specifically, it assesses morbidity transition at both national and subnational levels in India and their determinants from 1995 to 2018. This study examines self-reported morbidities in India by utilising four rounds of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data (52nd, 60th, 71st, and 75th) from 1995-2018. We estimated prevalence by conducting descriptive analysis on socio-demographic determinants and morbidities such as: Infectious and Communicable Diseases (In&CDs), Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Disability and other diseases. Moreover, we employed pooled regression analysis to explore morbidity risk transitions over the past decades. The study revealed a steady upsurge in morbidity prevalence in India, doubling from 56 (per thousand) in 1995 to 106 in 2014. However, a considerable decline was observed in the most recent round in 2018 (79 per thousand). From 1995 to 2018, NCDs gained a prominent share in morbidity trends. Kerala in the southern region reported the highest rates, followed by states like Lakshadweep, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab, and others. Age, sex, residence, education, caste, religion, and wealth are pivotal factors in determining the severity of different disease burdens in different sections of the population in India. Over the study period (1995, 2004, 2014, and 2018), the odds of reported morbidities risk transition significantly increased over successive decades: 1.81 times in 2004 (95% CI: 1.78-1.84), 2.16 times in 2014 (95% CI: 2.12-2.2), and 1.44 times in 2018 (95% CI: 1.41-1.46), compared to 1995 (52nd round). The study reveals significant disparities in morbidity reporting across Indian states from 1995 to 2018, attributed to distinct demographic, social, and economic determinants. India continues to grapple with the dual burden of diseases, but the NCDs burden is mounting at a faster pace than CDs.

PERSONAL DIPLOMACY AND GREEK FOREIGN POLICY

Personal diplomacy refers to a situation where a nation’s top leadership and senior officials actively involve themselves in the diplomatic efforts of their government and directly communicate with other countries’ leadership and senior officials. Despite its highly personalized domestic political system, the literature lacks an analysis of Greek foreign policy in terms of personal diplomacy and this study aims to be a first step in this direction. After providing a conceptual analysis of this concept which has started to become popular in the discipline of international relations, the study will show how personal diplomacy was successfully adopted by Venizelos towards the Turkish government in the interwar period and why this practice failed in successive decades despite repeated attempts to solve problems with Turkey through leadership communication. The hypothesis of the study is that personal diplomacy is a necessary but not sufficient element for sincere dialogue between Greece and Turkey, yet it may constitute an effective method to overcome misunderstandings between the parties.

Participation of grassland species in various successional series in a temperate European region and implications for habitat management

Restoration strategies of semi-natural grasslands at various disturbed sites require an understanding of the resilience of these habitats and knowledge of their specific successional dynamics. Here, we assess (i) to what extent and under what circumstances grassland species can spontaneously establish and survive in various successional series, and (ii) whether some successional stages may provide surrogate habitats for typical grassland species. Besides grassland species, we evaluated the participation of other species groups, namely woodland, synanthropic and open wetland species, to demonstrate general successional trends. We studied 12 different successional series ca 60 years long in the Czech Republic, central Europe, and evaluated changes in species numbers and cover of species groups. Our results showed grassland species participated not only temporarily but also continuously during the first six decades of succession, as we had expected. Their decline in the late successional stages was only slightly visible despite the formation of woodland in most successional series. In some cases, the woodland was not completely closed and still allowed some grassland species to survive in the understorey. However, we found clear negative correlations between the participation of grassland and woodland species in the late successional stages. Woodland species generally increased, while synanthropic species clearly decreased during succession. Open wetland species slightly decreased, probably due to increasing site terrestrialisation in several successional series. The number and cover of dry grassland species decreased with increasing altitude, while those of mesic grassland species increased, indicating a decisive role of climate for their participation in succession. Successional trends discussed here represent general patterns but cannot be automatically applied in restoration without considering the specificity of each successional series. The establishment of grasslands in most successional series can be prevailingly maintained by management to reduce the establishment and expansion of woody species, otherwise grasslands only rarely persist in habitats under extreme site conditions or certain natural disturbances.

Five decades of productivity gains in the Louisiana sugar industry

AbstractThis study analyzed trends across five decades of productivity data from the Louisiana Sugar Industry, from 1969 to 2021, for sucrose content, cane yield, and sugar yield. Trends over the five decades were revealed using robust regression models, and the least square means allowed for decade‐wise comparisons of trends. Sucrose content increased 45%, from 80.9 ± 6.4 g kg−1 in the first (1969–1979) to 116.7 ± 4.8 g kg−1 in the fifth (2010–2021) decade, at 0.85 ± 0.06 g kg−1 per year. Cane yield increased slower (32.2%), from 57.7 ± 5.9 Mg ha −1 in the first to 76.3 ± 6.3 Mg ha−1 in the fifth decade, at 0.45 ± 0.07 Mg ha−1 per year. Sugar yield increased 93% from the first (4.6 ± Mg ha−1) to the fifth (8.9 ± 0.76 Mg ha−1) decade at 0.1 ± 0.01 Mg ha−1 per year. The gains were neither significant nor consistent when comparing successive decades, incremental rather than rapid, and maintained once achieved. Significant (p &lt; 0.05) gains in all traits occurred only in the third decade (1990–1999) with yearly increases of 1.15 ± 0.30 g kg−1 for sucrose content, 3.00 ± 0.27 Mg ha −1 for cane yield, and 0.35 ± 0.05 Mg ha−1 for sugar yield. Comparisons of trait means between successive decades found both significant (p &lt; 0.05) and nonsignificant (p &gt; 0.05) differences; however, comparisons between noncontiguous decades were all significant (p &lt; 0.05). Variety development accounted for 60% of the progress with sucrose content contributing more (10% more) compared with cane yield. The Louisiana sugar industry has experienced substantial productivity gains in the last five decades thanks to a combination of factors with variety development being the most impactful.

NCMP-29. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF NEUROLYMPHOMATOSIS

Abstract Neurolymphomatosis is a rare lymphoid malignancy of the peripheral nervous system. Patients suffer from debilitating neurological deficits due to lymphoma invasion into one or more peripheral nerves and the natural history of this disease is still poorly understood. We performed a PubMed search and extracted data on year of publication, age, gender, type of lymphoma, nerves involved, imaging modalities, treatment received, and survival times. Kaplan-Meier statistics were used to determine outcome parameters over time and compare prognostic factors. Multiple comparisons were done to determine differences among groups. Our search identified 559 patients from 286 articles. Median age was 61 years (range 2-92) from 326 males, 222 females, and 11 with unspecified gender. Median overall survival (OS) was 12.0 months (range 10.0-15.0) for the entire cohort. Most frequent histologies were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, unspecified T-cell lymphoma, and unspecified B-cell lymphoma, involving the brachial plexus, cranial nerves, and sciatic nerve. None had molecular profiling. There was a progressive lengthening of OS in successive decades, from 0.5 (95%CI 0.0-0.8) to 26.4 (95%CI 18.0-34.8) months from 1951-2022 (r2=0.9432, p&amp;lt; 0.001). Time from first treatment to progression also increased from 2.0 (95%CI N/A) to 28.3 (95%CI 23.1-33.5) months (r2=0.6923, p&amp;lt; 0.001). However, time from symptom onset to diagnosis remained unchanged during this period (r2=0.6206, p=0.277). Patients were most frequently treated with methotrexate-based chemotherapies (n=81), rituximab-based chemotherapies (n=176), and/or radiation (n=79). Only 12 received 3 or more regimens. Primary neurolymphomatosis had a better prognosis than secondary neurolymphomatosis, median OS 15.0 (95%CI 11.0-33.0) vs. 10.0 (95%CI 10.0-10.0) months (p=0.016). No OS difference was noted between B- and T-cell disease (p=0.4393), while patients with low-grade B-cell neurolymphomatosis did better than those with Burkitt's lymphoma (p≤0.001). Outcome for patients with neurolymphomatosis has improved over time. But timely diagnosis remains a major problem that needs improvement.

CQF 20th Anniversary

20 years ago, Dr. Paul Wilmott, designed the Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF) to teach practical quant finance skills and bridge the gap between academia and industry. Fast forward two decades, the program and its syllabus have evolved to meet industry demands throughout the pre-financial crisis, post-financial crisis, and the modern era. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the qualification, Dr. Randeep Gug, Managing Director of the CQF and CQF Institute, joins Wilmott Magazine Editor, Dan Tudball, to reflect on key milestones for the program, discuss the secrets behind the two decades of success, and examine how the typical CQF delegate has changed over the years.

Scale-dependent changes in ecosystem temporal stability over six decades of succession.

A widely assumed, but largely untested, tenet in ecology is that ecosystem stability tends to increase over succession. We rigorously test this idea using 60-year continuous data of old field succession across 480 plots nested within 10 fields. We found that ecosystem temporal stability increased over succession at the larger field scale (γ stability) but not at the local plot scale (α stability). Increased spatial asynchrony among plots within fields increased γ stability, while temporal increases in species stability and decreases in species asynchrony offset each other, resulting in no increase in α stability at the local scale. Furthermore, we found a notable positive diversity-stability relationship at the larger but not local scale, with the increased γ stability at the larger scale associated with increasing functional diversity later in succession. Our results emphasize the importance of spatial scale in assessing ecosystem stability over time and how it relates to biodiversity.