Impact of liver cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis C viral infection on the outcome of ovarian cancer: a prospective study

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate the impact of liver cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on the disease-free and overall survival of ovarian cancer patients undergoing a standard primary operation followed by standard chemotherapy. Attainment of the operative goals, intra- and postoperative events, possible complications under chemotherapy necessitating the termination of treatment, and the impact of ovarian cancer treatment on liver function were assessed. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study that included only patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Only patients with Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification class A disease were recruited. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had liver cirrhosis. All the patients underwent primary debulking surgery followed by 6 cycles of chemotherapy, and were followed-up for 24 months after chemotherapy was completed. RESULTS: We recruited 77 patients, 19 of whom had liver cirrhosis. There were no significant differences between patients with or without liver cirrhosis with respect to tumor stage, histopathological type, tumor grade, or optimal operative debulking. There was no registered liver dysfunction-related mortality in the follow-up period, and there were no statistically significant differences between the groups with respect to disease-free or overall survival (p = 0.719 and p = 0.524, respectively). CONCLUSION: From the results of this study, we conclude that compensated liver cirrhosis (Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A) due to chronic HCV infection affects neither the disease-free nor the overall survival of ovarian cancer patients, regardless of their stage. This study shows that it is possible to treat ovarian cancer patients with cirrhosis caused by HCV infection the same as any other patient; treatment does not have to be adjusted as long as the patients have Class A disease

Priorities for synthesis research in ecology and environmental science

Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science improves understanding, advances theory, identifies research priorities, and supports management strategies by linking data, ideas, and tools. Accelerating environmental challenges increases the need to focus synthesis science on the most pressing questions. To leverage input from the broader research community, we convened a virtual workshop with participants from many countries and disciplines to examine how and where synthesis can address key questions and themes in ecology and environmental science in the coming decade. Seven priority research topics emerged: (1) diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), (2) human and natural systems, (3) actionable and use-inspired science, (4) scale, (5) generality, (6) complexity and resilience, and (7) predictability. Additionally, two issues regarding the general practice of synthesis emerged: the need for increased participant diversity and inclusive research practices; and increased and improved data flow, access, and skill-building. These topics and practices provide a strategic vision for future synthesis in ecology and environmental science

Cultures’ outcomes on entrepreneurship, innovation, and national quality of life

This theoretical and empirical study applies complexity theory tenets to deepen understanding, explanation, and prediction of how configurations of national cultures and need motivations influence national entrepreneurial and innovation behavior and nations’ quality of life (QOL). Also, the study examines whether or not high national ethical behavior is sufficient for indicating nations high in quality of life. Applying core tenets of complexity theory, the study constructs asymmetric, case-based (nations), explanation, and predictive models of cultures’ consequences (via Schwartz’s seven value dimensions) and implicit need motivations (via McClelland’s three need motivations) indicating national entrepreneur and innovation activities and subsequent national quality of life and ethical behavior. The study includes testing configuration models empirically for predictive accuracy. The empirical examination is for a set of data for 24 nations in Asia, Europe, North and South America, and the South Pacific. The findings confirm the usefulness of applying complexity theory to learn how culture and motivation configurations support versus have negative consequences on nations’ entrepreneurship, innovation, and human well-being. Nurturing of entrepreneur activities supports the nurturing of enterprise innovation activity, and their joint occurrence indicates nations achieving high quality of life. The findings advance the perspective that different sets of cultural value configurations indicate nations high versus low in entrepreneur and innovation activities. High entrepreneur activities without high innovation activity are insufficient for achieving high national quality of life. Achieving high ethical behavior supports high quality of life. This study is one of the first to apply complexity theory tenets in the field of entrepreneurship research. The study here advances the perspective that case-based asymmetric modeling of recipes is necessary to explain and predict entrepreneur activities and outcomes rather than examining whether or not variable relationships are statistically significant from zero.</p

Is it God or Just the Data that Moves in Mysterious Ways? How Well-Being Research may be Mistaking Faith for Virtue

Spirituality, Religiosity, Well-being, Virtues, Character strengths,