Early Stages Of Evaluation Research Articles

Innovation-driven efficient development of the Longwangmiao Fm large-scale sulfur gas reservoir in Moxi block, Sichuan Basin

The Lower Cambrian Longwangmiao Fm gas reservoir in Moxi block of the Anyue Gas field, Sichuan Basin, is the largest single-sandbody integrated carbonate gas reservoir proved so far in China. Notwithstanding this reservoir's advantages like large-scale reserves and high single-well productivity, there are multiple complicated factors restricting its efficient development, such as a median content of hydrogen sulfide, low porosity and strong heterogeneity of fracture–cave formation, various modes of gas–water occurrences, and close relation between overpressure and stress sensitivity. Up till now, since only a few Cambrian large-scale carbonate gas reservoirs have ever been developed in the world, there still exists some blind spots especially about its exploration and production rules. Besides, as for large-scale sulfur gas reservoirs, the exploration and construction is costly, and production test in the early evaluation stage is severely limited, all of which will bring about great challenges in productivity construction and high potential risks. In this regard, combining with Chinese strategic demand of strengthening clean energy supply security, the PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company has carried out researches and field tests for the purpose of providing high-production wells, optimizing development design, rapidly constructing high-quality productivity and upgrading HSE security in the Longwangmiao Fm gas reservoir in Moxi block. Through the innovations of technology and management mode within 3 years, this gas reservoir has been built into a modern large-scale gas field with high quality, high efficiency and high benefit, and its annual capacity is now up to over 100 × 108 m3, with a desirable production capacity and development indexes gained as originally anticipated. It has become a new model of large-scale gas reservoirs with efficient development, providing a reference for other types of gas reservoirs in China.

Using the proportion of barren samples as a proxy for minimum grade in a diamondiferous linear beach deposit - an application of the Nachman model

�7.,!*-* Over the past 80 years, the Namibian diamondiferous marine placer has been studied extensively to develop solutions for mining and sampling challenges. The types of studies include the statistical modelling of the distributions of the stone counts per sample; investigating the relationship between geology and the grade distribution; assessing the quality potential of the entrapment of the available diamond pulse; using predetermined acceptability of barren samples (zero proportion (Z p) samples) to model distributions; optimal sample sizes; and more. During early-stage project evaluation it is more important to find out if a particular area is likely to be above a specific cut-off grade than to focus on sampling for the purpose of accurate resource estimation. Previous work using mixed Poisson and Sichel distributions to model the abundant onshore diamond data has been very successful in modelling the long- tailed nature of these linear beach deposits. The means of these distrib- utions are, however, sensitive to extreme values. Technical and cost constraints prevent a similar scale of sample collection in an adjacent, geologically equivalent, submerged beach environment. A method not sensitive to extreme values is thus required to make early-stage assessments of the likelihood that the grade of a particular target is above a minimum cut-off grade. The Nachman model describes the functional relationship between the mean population density and proportion of barren patches (Z

Assessment of Live Plague Vaccine Candidates.

Since its creation in the early twentieth century, live plague vaccine EV has been successfully applied to millions of people without severe complications. This vaccine has been proven to elicit protection against both bubonic and pneumonic plague, and it is still in use in populations at risk mainly in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Despite extensive efforts in developing subunit vaccines, there is a reviving interest in creation of a precisely attenuated strain of Yersinia pestis superior to the EV that can serve as a live plague vaccine with improved characteristics. Here we summarize decades of experience of the Russian anti-plague research in developing a standard protocol for early-stage evaluation of safety and immunogenicity of live plague vaccines. This protocol allows step-by-step comparison of the novel test candidates with the EV vaccine by using subcutaneous immunization and bubonic plague infection models in two animal species, e.g., guinea pigs and mice.

The effect of altruistic tendency on fairness in third-party punishment.

Third-party punishment, as an altruistic behavior, was found to relate to inequity aversion in previous research. Previous researchers have found that altruistic tendencies, as an individual difference, can affect resource division. Here, using the event-related potential (ERP) technique and a third-party punishment of dictator game paradigm, we explored third-party punishments in high and low altruists and recorded their EEG data. Behavioral results showed high altruists (vs. low altruists) were more likely to punish the dictators in unfair offers. ERP results revealed that patterns of medial frontal negativity (MFN) were modulated by unfairness. For high altruists, high unfair offers (90:10) elicited a larger MFN than medium unfair offers (70:30) and fair offers (50:50). By contrast, for low altruists, fair offers elicited larger MFN while high unfair offers caused the minimal MFN. It is suggested that the altruistic tendency effect influences fairness consideration in the early stage of evaluation. Moreover, the results provide further neuroscience evidence for inequity aversion.

Beauty matters: social preferences in a three-person ultimatum game.

Preference for beauty is human nature, as previous behavior studies have supported the notion of “beauty premium” in which attractive people were more easily to get promoted and receive higher salaries. In the present study, 29 males were recruited to participate in a three-person ultimatum game (UG) including a proposer, a responder and a powerless third player. Each subject, playing as the responder, had to decide whether to accept an offer from the allocator both for himself and a female third person. We aimed to elucidate how the facial attractiveness of the female subject affected the male subjects’ fairness and decision-making in social exchanges. Frontal feedback-related negativity (FRN) in response to four offers in an attractive-face condition revealed no significant differences between offers; however, when the companion was an unattractive female, an “unfair/fair” offer, which assigned a lower share to the responder and a fair share to the third player, elicited the largest FRN. Furthermore, when the third player was offered the smallest amount (“fair/unfair” offer), a larger FRN was generated in an attractive-face condition than unattractive-face condition. In the “unfair/fair” offer condition in which subjects received a smaller allocation than the third person, the beauty of their female counterparts attenuated subjects’ aversion to inequality, resulting in a less negative FRN in the frontal region and an increased acceptance ratio. However, the influence of the third player’s facial attractiveness only affected the early evaluation stage: late P300 was found to be immune to the “beauty premium”. Under the two face conditions, P300 was smallest following an “unfair/fair” offer, whereas the amplitudes in the other three offer conditions exhibited no significant differences. In addition, the differentiated neural features of processing facial attractiveness were also determined and indexed by four event-related potentials (ERP) components: N170, frontal N1, N2 and late positive potentials (LPPs).

Gallbladder cancer in Chile: what have we learned?

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) should be considered an orphan disease in oncology and represent a unique carcinogenetic model. This review will analyse some of the current aspects of GBC. Chile has the highest incidence and mortality of GBC in the world. Most patients are diagnosed in advanced stages with few treatment options. During the last two decades, little progress has been made in early diagnosis and treatment. At the molecular level, recent access to next-generation sequencing and other techniques for detecting the mutations of multiple genes have made advances in this area. The use of therapies targeted according to the detection of specific molecular alterations is in the early stages of evaluation and could represent a significant advance in the treatment of a large number of patients from developing countries.

Comparison of Underground Root Growth Characteristics of Major Cool-Season Grasses according to Establishment Stages in Sports Turf Designed by the USGA Soil System

본 연구는 USGA 지반으로 조성된 연구포장에서 조성단계별 주요 한지형 잔디의 뿌리생육 특성 차이 파악 및 스포츠 잔디설계, 시공 및 관리에 필요한 기본 정보를 수집하고자 수행하였다. 공시초종은 켄터키 블루그래스, 퍼레니얼 라이그래스, 톨 페스큐와 이들 한지형 혼합구 세 종류로 전체 6종류이었다. 본 실험결과 한지형 초종별 뿌리생장, 뿌리활착도 및 근계발달에 대해 유의한 차이가 나타났다. 전반적으로 뿌리생장, 뿌리활착도 및 근계발달은 조성 후 시간이 지남에 따라 증가하는 경향이었으며 조성단계에 따라 차이가 크게 나타났다. 조성 초기 단일 초종 간 뿌리생장은 퍼레니얼 라이그래스 > 톨 페스큐 > 켄터키 블루그래스 순서로 나타났다. 조성 중기 뿌리생장은 조성 초기와 비슷한 경향이었지만, 전체적인 뿌리생장은 초기에 비해 13-31% 정도 낮게 나타났다. 그리고 조성 후기 뿌리생장은 조성 중기에 비해 34-85% 정도 크게 증가하였으며 혼합구 I을 제외한 대부분 초종의 뿌리길이가 22cm 전후로 비슷하였다. 뿌리활착도는 경시적인 차이가 있었지만, 초종 간 우열관계는 조성단계에 따라 다르게 나타났다. 즉 조성 초기 단일 초종구의 뿌리활착도는 퍼레니얼 라이그래스 > 켄터키 블루그래스 > 톨 페스큐, 조성 중기에는 퍼레니얼 라이그래스 > 톨 페스큐 > 켄터키 블루그래스, 그리고 조성 후기에는 톨 페스큐 > 퍼레니얼 라이그래스 > 켄터키 블루그래스 순서로 나타났다. 잔디밭 조성이 완료된 시점 초종간 근계발달 범위는 톨 페스큐 > 퍼레니얼 라이그래스 > 켄터키 블루그래스 순서로 나타났다. 종합적으로 뿌리생장, 뿌리활착도 및 근계발달 특성을 고려 시 한지형 잔디의 지하부 뿌리생육 특성은 톨 페스큐가 가장 우수한 초종으로 판단되었으며, 혼합구의 뿌리생육 특성은 초종 및 혼합정도에 따라 다양하게 나타났다. 초종별 뿌리생육 특성 차이는 발아속도, 생육습성 및 유전적 특성 때문에 나타나는 것으로 판단되었다. 즉, 톨 페스큐는 조성 후 시간이 경과할수록 뿌리생장, 특히 근계발달 형성능력이 우수하게 나타났으며, B-type 퍼레니얼 라이그래스는 조성 초기 뿌리생장이 우수하였지만, 조성 후기로 갈수록 근계발달 능력이 저조한 경향으로 나타났다. R-type 켄터키 블루그래스는 초기 뿌리생장은 저조하였지만, 조성 후기 활착이 진행될수록 뿌리생장 및 근계발달 능력이 양호하게 나타났다. 스포츠 잔디밭 설계 및 시공 시 지상부 생육특성과 함께 지하부 뿌리특성도 함께 고려해서 컨셉에 적합한 잔디밭 조성이 중요한데 본 연구에서 밝혀진 한지형 잔디의 조성단계별 뿌리생장, 뿌리활착도 및 근계발달 특성은 실무에 유용하게 활용될 것이다. Research was initiated to investigate root growth characteristics of major cool-season grasses (CSG) and to collect basic information useful for sports turf design, construction and maintenance. Several turfgrasses were evaluated in the USGA (United States Golf Association) soil system. Turfgrass entries were comprised 3 blends and 3 mixtures of Kentucky bluegrass (KB, Poa pratensis L.), perennial ryegrass (PR, Lolium perenne L.), and tall fescue (TF, Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Significant differences were found in root growth, rooting potential and rooting development. These characteristics increased with time after seeding, but varied with establishment stages. In early stage, root length was highest with PR, intermediate with TF and lowest with KB. Evaluation in a middle stage indicated that root growth was similar to early-stage evaluation, but decreased by 13 to 31% compared with early-stage values. Root growth of late stage increased by 34 to 85% over middle-stage root growth. Overall, thhere was not much difference in root length among treatments, with all except Mixture I reaching 22cm in root length. Rooting potential ranking was variable with establishment stage, being PR > KB > TF in early stage, PR > TF > KB in middle stage and TF > PR > KB in late stage. At the end of the study, TF was rated best for rooting development, followed by PR and finally KB. Our results showed that TF was the best species in regard to overall rooting characteristics. TF exhibited excellent rooting development with time after establishment. Bunch-type PR showed fast root growth in the early stage, but rooting quality characteristics decreased with time, especially for rooting development. By contrast, rhizomatous-type KB was poor in early-stage root growth, but rooting characteristics improved with time after establishment. These variations in rooting characteristics among CSGs were considered to arise from differences in establishment vigor, growth habit and genetic characteristics. Information on root growth, rooting potential and rooting development by establishment stages will be useful for sports turf design, construction and maintenance.

Practical Assessment Methodology for Converting Fine Chemicals Processes from Batch to Continuous

A practical methodology is proposed to assess the feasibility of converting a batch process into a continuous one. Simple guidelines are illustrated to facilitate decision making at different stages of the evaluation, in particular the swift first decision either to proceed with or kill the idea at the early evaluation stage to avoid wasted effort. The ordered approach also provides a whole process assessment and decision making for the appropriate choice of continuous or hybrid processing mode. Three multistep processes that have been operated at kilogram scale are presented to demonstrate the application of this methodology.

Analysis on the impacts of public disclosure of physician's antibiotics prescription indicators

Objective To evaluate the impacts of public ranking and disclosure of physicians' prescribing indicators on the antibiotics usage. Methods Applying randomized cohort study, twenty primary health institutions were assigned into an intervention group and a control group. Intervention group received the public disclosure information of physicians' indicators. Hospital characteristics and data of prescription records were collected from June 2013 to February 2014. Difference-in-difference analysis was used to evaluate the intervention effect. Results Intervention did not reduce the probability of prescribing antibiotics, but did decrease the probability of prescribing two or more antibiotics for the patients (-7%, P<0.001). The doctors prescribed more antibiotics for females than males (OR=0.6, P<0.001). Patients under 18 years old received much more antibiotics than the others (P<0.001). The prescribed probability of two or more antibiotics for the patients was much higher for the NCMS insurance patients (OR=2.91 and OR=2.34). Conclusion Based on the early-stage evaluation, it is found that public disclosure of doctors' prescribing indicators can reduce the probability of two and more antibiotics, but more detailed research is needed. Key words: Prescribing indicator; Antibiotics; Difference-in-difference; Multilevel model

On Solution Concept Evaluation/Selection in Inventive Design

Inventive Design Method (IDM) is an extension of TRIZ. It was developed to solve classical TRIZ limits and address therefore wider and more complex problematic situations. The context of Solution Concepts developed with the aid of IDM is incomplete, conflicting and produces uncertain information. As a result, it becomes more difficult to evaluate then select which Solution Concepts to refine for more in-depth development. The early evaluation stage that is held by experts is usually an informal meeting and it involves generally instinctive judgments based on the experience of the experts. Thus it has a tendency to lack accuracy. The immediate reactions of experts have a strong influence on the decision and always tend to be negative when facing novel Solution Concept and time restrictions in the design cycle. This obvious reaction causes them to abandon Solution Concepts that are considered as unfeasible, too risky or outside of the primary focus of the design project. In order to prevent the rejection of good Solution Concepts or to screen out unfeasible ones, we proposed an approach to assist the designers in increasing confidence in the Solution Concept by providing a rapid estimation and/or exploration of the feasibility of a tested Solution Concept. The results obtained will be further used as inputs in the selection task. In this way, a designer acquires a certain degree of justification in bypassing expert intuition. Consequently, the evaluation and selection process can be implemented with accuracy. In this paper, we will report on current progress made on our ongoing research, and a case study will be given to demonstrate the practicability of the proposed approach.

Radionuclide therapy of endocrine-related cancer

This article gives an overview of the established radionuclide therapies for endocrine-related cancer that already have market authorization or are currently under evaluation in clinical trials. Radioiodine therapy is still the gold standard for differentiated iodine-avid thyroid cancer. In patients with bone and lung metastases (near) total remission is seen in approximately 50% and the 15-year survival rate for these patients is approximately 90%. In contrast to the USA, meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) therapy has market approval in Europe. According to the current literature, in the setting of advanced stage neuroblastoma and malignant pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma, radiological remission can be achieved in >30% and symptom control in almost 80% of the treated patients. Somatostatin receptor targeted radionuclide therapies (e.g. with DOTATATE or DOTATOC) demonstrated promising results in phase 2 trials, reporting progression-free survival in the range of 24-36 months. A first phase 3 pivotal trial for intestinal carcinoids is currently recruiting and another trial for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors is planned. Radiopharmaceuticals based on glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) or minigastrins are in the early evaluation stage for application in the treatment of insulinomas and medullary thyroid cancer. In general, radiopharmaceutical therapy belongs to the group of so-called theranostics which means that therapy is tailored for individual patients based on molecular imaging diagnostics to stratify target positive or target negative tumor phenotypes.

Development and validation of a technoeconomic analysis tool for early-stage evaluation of bio-based chemical production processes

By using cost correlations and standard scale-factors, a spreadsheet-based early-stage cost estimation tool was developed. Named BioPET (Biorenewables Process Evaluation Tool), this tool allows users to specify up to seven primary unit operations--fermentation, separation, three catalytic stages, and purification--along with key parameters for each. BioPET then computes an estimated minimum selling price for the pathway. Model validation was conducted by selecting three molecules (ethanol, succinic acid, and adipic acid), and comparing BioPET's results to literature values and to results from a commercial process design tool. BioPET produced virtually identical prices to the process design tool, although the costs were not identically distributed amongst the categories. BioPET produced estimates that were within 40% of other literature values at low feedstock costs, and within 5% at high feedstock costs.

CLINICAL UTILITY OF BIOMARKERS IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AND CHRONIC HEART FAILURE

Biomarkers have an increasingly important clinical role in managing patients with heart failure as well as those with kidney disease, both common conditions with generally poor prognostic outcomes and huge impacts on healthcare economics. For patients with chronic heart failure, biomarkers have become centre place in streamlining diagnostic pathways as well as identifying those with worse prognosis. There is much interest in the role for biomarkers in identifying patients at risk of acute kidney injury, although a number of these currently remain as research tools or are in the early stages of evaluation in clinical practice. Patients with cardiorenal syndrome represent a particular challenge to the clinician, and recent studies have suggested a valuable clinical role for certain biomarkers in this setting, either on their own or in combination. This paper will focus on biomarkers with a current clinical role in patients with cardiorenal disease (natriuretic peptides and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin), although brief reference will be made to other biomarkers with potential future application.

Life cycle assessment of phosphorus use efficient wheat grown in Australia

Over and above private economic benefits to individual farmers, new wheat varieties with phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) traits have the potential to make an important contribution to addressing major global environmental and food security challenges. One strategy being pursued is the development of wheat with enhanced organic anion release (mainly citrate) from the root system, which can solubilize soil-bound phosphorus (P) and increase the efficiency of P fertilizer uptake. Agricultural production system modeling, using a special purpose configuration of the APSIM modeling platform, was used to assess the potential long-term P fertilizer application savings for commercial wheat grown in three agro-ecological regions of Australia with varying conceptual levels of root citrate efflux enhancement. Life cycle assessment modeling (LCA) was subsequently used to quantify the potential environmental relevance of the PUE trait. At the lower level of trait expression (100nmolgFW−1h−1), annual P fertilizer savings ranged from 34% to 46% (5.5–12kg P ha−1 yr−1) between sites. This increased up to 68%, or 16kg P ha−1 yr−1, at the higher level of expression (500nmolgFW−1h−1). These savings could represent an important reduction in dependence on P fertilizer derived from finite rock phosphate resources, as well as offering farmers a high degree of buffering against future P fertilizer price increases and price spikes should they occur. In addition, the trait could contribute to increasing food production by extending the economic frontier of cropping on high P sorption and P deficient soils, which is where the trait is most efficacious. An important environmental benefit of citrate efflux PUE wheat was the potential to reduce freshwater eutrophication: from 0.83 to 2.2kg PO43-eha-1 depending on level of trait expression and site. In comparison, reductions in total abiotic resource depletion and global warming potential were of less importance. Since the citrate efflux PUE trait had a positive impact across all environmental impact categories assessed, there is strong justification for its further development and deployment provided this can be shown to be technically and economically feasible and field performance can be verified. The integration of agricultural production system modeling and LCA was found to be valuable in enabling early-stage evaluation of an environmentally-oriented new cereal trait where sustainability benefits can only be assessed over a large number of cropping rotations and the genetics ×environment ×management fitness landscape is complex.

English

This paper treats the dynamic and energy absorption responses of nonlinear spring-mass system using a developed two dimensional solver code. The influence of spring stiffness and various mass configurations on the impact response was investigated using validated models. Results are quantified in terms of important impact response and indicate that an assembly of spring-mass system can be employed to examine the impact response of energy absorption system prior to the detailed numerical analysis and experiment. The developed solver code will be useful for educational purposes to preliminarily understand the behavior and impact response of energy absorbing system without learning a piece of complicated nonlinear commercial finite element codes namely LS-DYNA. The developed code could facilitate the early stage of evaluation for impact applications. &nbsp; Key words:&nbsp;Spring-mass, dynamic, solver, energy absorption, finite element, impact.

Valor e predição do nível crítico de índices para avaliar o estado nitrogenado da batateira

Independentemente do indice nitrogenio (N) utilizado, a existencia valores aceitos como concentracao critica e necessaria para uso como padrao referencia. Objetivou-se estabelecer niveis criticos do indice SPAD, ângulo Hue, concentracao N-total e massa da materia seca da quarta-folha da batateira por dois metodos e utilizar tais niveis criticos para a predicao do estado N da planta com base na produtividade relativa. Os experimentos foram conduzidos nas safras de inverno e das aguas. Os tratamentos foram constituidos por 5 doses N aplicadas em pre-plantio (0; 50; 100; 200 e 300 kg ha-1 N), na forma ureia. O delineamento foi em blocos ao acaso com 4 repeticoes. A cultivar batata utilizada foi a Agata. Aos 21 dias apos a emergencia (DAE) foram determinados o indice SPAD, concentracao N-total, ângulo Hue e massa da materia seca da quarta-folha a partir do apice da batateira (MSQF). Para o calculo do valor do nivel critico foram utilizados o procedimento grafico Cate-Nelson e matematico. Os erros da predicao do diagnostico do estado N, a partir dos niveis criticos, foram estimados a partir do metodo grafico Cate-Nelson, quantificando-se a porcentagem observacoes localizadas nos quadrantes negativos. Houve aparente discrepância no valor do nivel critico dos indices N utilizando-se os dois procedimentos calculo. Os niveis criticos determinados aos 21 DAE sao adequados para fazer avaliacoes relativamente precisas suficiencia N em um estadio precoce avaliacao.

Using motivational interviewing with children and adolescents: a cognitive and neurodevelopmental perspective

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an effective method of promoting change in adults, but its efficacy with children and adolescents is in the early stages of evaluation. The brevity of the intervention, documented effectiveness in adult populations and emphasis on motivating behavioural change have encouraged some researchers to test MI in educational settings. However, the number and quality of studies of MI with children and adolescents are limited, and it remains unclear whether MI is developmentally appropriate for children. This conceptual paper reviews cognitive and neurodevelopmental evidence of children's and adolescents' cognitive and social–emotional readiness for mental tasks thought to drive behavioural change in MI. Owing to the social context of MI, we place this research in a developmental framework using the social information processing network model of Nelson, Leibenluft, McClure, and Pine (2005). Based on these findings, we recommend continued testing of MI with students in middle and h...

Increased serum sTRAIL levels were correlated with survival in bevacizumab-treated metastatic colon cancer

BackgroundColorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody developed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for the treatment of metastatic cancer. The parameters of RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors) are not adequate to detect important treatment effects and response. Our goal was to evaluate the possibility of using sTRAIL (serum-soluble TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) and VEGF as markers of treatment efficacy and prognosis in patients with metastatic colon cancer.MethodssTRAIL and VEGF levels were measured by ELISA in the sera of 16 bevacizumab-treated metastatic colon cancer patients and 10 presumably healthy age-matched controls. The measurements were taken before and after treatment for comparison purposes.ResultsElevated levels of sTRAIL were found in seven out of 16 patients after bevacizumab treatment. Although these patients had a median survival time of 20.6 months, the remaining bevacizumab-treated patients who did not show an increase in sTRAIL had a median survival time of 9.4 months. As expected, serum VEGF levels were decreased in all patients who received bevacizumab therapy and showed no correlation between serum VEGF levels and patient survival (data not shown).ConclusionsSerum sTRAIL levels might be a useful predictor of prognosis in metastatic colon cancer, in the early evaluation stages following bevacizumab treatment.

Estructura factorial del cuestionario disejecutivo en una muestra de población española con daño cerebral adquirido y quejas de déficit de memoria

The dysexecutive questionnaire (DEX) has been used to study executive deficits in both clinical samples (both psychiatric and neurological) and non-clinical samples, although agreement on its factorial structure is lacking. The aim of this research is to study that structure in the self-administered version in a sample of the Spanish population with acquired brain injury and memory loss complaints, and to compare that solution with those obtained in other studies. The questionnaire was administered to 119 subjects with acquired brain injury with different aetiologies (traumatic, vascular, tumours, multiple sclerosis, toxic-metabolic and others). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.88. All the items showed adequate discriminatory power, except item 15. No relation was found between the total score on the DEX and the age, gender and time elapsed since the injury. A negative correlation between total score and level of schooling was confirmed. The total score does not follow a normal distribution. The five-factor solution accounts for a higher percentage of the total variance than those of two, three and four factors (63.76%). The Spanish version of the DEX is an instrument that is valid for evaluating general dysexecutive symptoms in subjects with acquired brain injury. The five-factor factorial structure (planning, cognitive control, inhibition, social awareness and impulse control) offers a greater wealth of information because it measures more aspects of the dys-executive pathology and therefore appears to be more useful in the clinical setting. It is advisable to use the questionnaire in an early stage of evaluation or screening and to use it as a complement to the proxy-reported version.

Knowledge, ignorance and priorities for research in key areas of cancer survivorship: findings from a scoping review

Background:Patients who have completed initial cancer treatment (cancer survivors) have been relatively neglected. We need data to help us better understand the needs of this group and to underpin evidence-based service development.Methods:Scoping reviews of research published in the last two decades focussing on the problems faced by cancer survivors, and the effectiveness of interventions for these problems were undertaken. The aim was to identify what we know, what we do not know and opportunities where research could provide new information. We searched for, retrieved and rapidly appraised systematic reviews sourced from the most common electronic databases supplemented by more recently published individual studies.Results:The research evidence is surprisingly limited. We have some knowledge of the prevalence and nature of depression, pain and fatigue in cancer survivors. We know much less about cognitive and physical impairment, employment, financial well-being and relationships. Even where we have evidence, it is mostly of only moderate quality, is most often only for breast cancer and focuses almost exclusively on the early phase of survivorship. We have good evidence for the effectiveness of drug treatments for pain and moderate evidence for fatigue and depression, but not for other symptoms. Interventions based on rehabilitative and self-management approaches remain in the early stages of evaluation.Interpretation:There has been a substantial amount of research describing many of the problems experienced by the cancer survivors. This is strongest in the area of symptoms in the period soon after treatment. However, the quality of the evidence is often poor, and some topics have been little examined. We urgently need data on the natural evolution and scale of the problems of cancer survivors obtained from well-designed, large-scale cohort studies and the robust testing of interventions in clinical trials. Given the current financially constrained research funding environment, we suggest areas in which strategic investment might give findings that have the potential to make a major impact on patient well-being in a 5-year time scale.