bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analizar la urbanización latinoamericana a partir de la heterogeneidad de modalidades de producción y consumo
Authors: Pírez Pedro Tomás
Published: March 2019

Este artículo propone un esquema para analizar la urbanización capitalista en general. Partimos de entender la urbanización como un proceso por medio del cual la población ocupa un espacio que ha sido transformado para soportar su asentamiento aglomerado. Espacio habilitado, o adecuado que resulta de procesos productivos particulares cuyos productos son los componentes de la urbanización. Es por ello por lo que esta última depende del predominio, en cada lugar y momento, de ciertas modalidades particulares de producción. El artículo propone analizar la urbanización en el capitalismo y en el capitalismo dependiente latinoamericano y su fuerte heterogeneidad de modalidades de producción - consumo que se combinan y articulan
Health care are associated with worsening of frailty in community older adults
Authors: Carneiro Jair Almeida , Lima Cássio De Almeida , Costa Fernanda Marques da , Caldeira Antônio Prates
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors associated with the worsening of frailty in older adults resident in the community. METHODS: This is a prospective, longitudinal, and analytical study. The data collection in the baseline occurred in the participants’ homes from a random sampling by conglomerates. Demographic and socioeconomic variables, morbidities, and use of health services were analyzed. Frailty was measured by the Edmonton Frail Scale. The second data collection was performed after an average period of 42 months. The adjusted prevalence ratios were obtained by multiple Poisson regression analysis with robust variance. RESULTS: A total of 394 older adults participated in both phases of the study, with 21.8% of them presenting worsening of the frailty condition. The variables that remained statistically associated with the transition to a worse state of frailty were: polypharmacy, negative selfperception of health, weight loss, and hospitalization over the past 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The factors associated with worsening of frailty along the studied period among older adults in the community were those related to health care. This result must be considered by health professionals when addressing frail and vulnerable older adults.
Metformin Enhances Autophagy and Provides Cardioprotection in δ-Sarcoglycan Deficiency-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kanamori Hiromitsu , Naruse Genki , Yoshida Akihiro , Minatoguchi Shingo , Watanabe Takatomo , Kawaguchi Tomonori , Yamada Yoshihisa , Mikami Atsushi , Kawasaki Masanori , Takemura Genzou , Minatoguchi Shinya
Published: March 2019

Background:

Metformin is a popular antidiabetic agent that is also used to treat heart failure patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Several reports suggest that metformin may also have cardioprotective effects in patients without diabetes mellitus. In the present study, we investigated the possible therapeutic effect of metformin in heart failure and its underlying molecular mechanisms using a δ-sarcoglycan-deficient mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Methods and Results:

Thirty-two-week-old δ-sarcoglycan-deficient mice exhibiting established cardiomyopathy with extensive left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction were administered saline or metformin (200 mg/kg per day) for 4 weeks using osmotic mini-pumps. Metformin partially reversed the left ventricular dilatation (reverse remodeling) and significantly improved cardiac function. The hearts of metformin-treated mice showed less fibrosis, less cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and fewer degenerative subcellular changes than saline-treated mice. These effects were accompanied by restored expression of the sarcomeric proteins myosin heavy chain and troponin I, and their transcription factor, GATA-4. Autophagy was enhanced in the hearts from metformin-treated mice, as indicated by increase of myocardial microtubule-associated protein-1 LC-3 (light chain 3)-II levels and LC3-II/-I ratios as well as levels of cathepsin D and ATP. In addition, increased numbers of autophagic vacuoles and lysosomes were accompanied increased AMP-activated protein kinase activity and suppression of mammalian target of rapamycin phosphorylation. Finally, autophagic flux assays using short-term chloroquine treatment revealed that autophagy was activated in δ-sarcoglycan-deficient hearts and was further augmented by metformin treatment.

Conclusions:

Metformin is a beneficial pharmacological tool that mitigates heart failure caused by δ-sarcoglycan deficiency in association with enhanced autophagy.
‘I Have Become a Stranger in a Foreign Land’: Reading the Exodus Narrative as the Villain
Authors: Hadjiev Tchavdar S.
Published: March 2019

This article offers a reading of the beginning of the Exodus narrative that recognises the affinity between contemporary western readers and the villains of the story, the Egyptians. Both groups live in prosperous places where migrants wish to come in and settle, and both have to deal with minorities living in their midst and posing apparent threat to their security. Against such a background the modern reader can choose to read against the grain of the text and construe the otherness of the Hebrews as the main reason behind the devastation that engulfs Egypt. However, a more fruitful and attractive approach is to embrace the ideological stance of the narrative and place oneself in the role of the villain. This allows us to hear through the story the voice of the one who has become a stranger in a foreign land.
The State of Sexuality
Authors: Al-Noaimi Haya
Published: March 2019

While many GCC states have been embracing widespread modernization reforms across various sectors in the past few decades, sexual and reproductive health education, social awareness campaigns, and relevant penal codes criminalizing sexual crimes still remain dangerously outdated. This article reviews the state of sexual norms and practices amongst khalījī youth, and argues that Persian Gulf states and families’ protectionist attitudes in restricting, regulating, and policing sexualities, has neither decreased the rate of sex crimes nor has it adequately defined the parameters of what is “acceptable” regarding sexual norms and behaviors. It argues that the domain of sexual norms needs to be renegotiated as a shared responsibility between the family unit and the state, considering that many youths’ mental and physical well-being is often contingent on the provision of sufficient sexual information, counseling, and education in their respective societies.
Cross-National Marriage in Qatar
Authors: Alharahsheh Sanaa Taha , Almeer Faras Khalid
Published: March 2019

While cross-national marriage has come to public attention and is gaining traction in Western scholarship, it is still an understudied phenomenon in the Arab region, including Qatar. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore and describe the phenomenological constructs of cross-national marriages by Qataris through documenting the societal perception, family reaction, and motivating factors behind this marriage form. To achieve the study’s aim, a phenomenological qualitative method was used along with in-depth interviews as the primary source of data collection. The results indicated that cross-national marriage among Qataris is on the rise. Qatari society has become more accepting of cross-national marriage over the years. Yet, negative perceptions and resistance to cross-national marriage still persist. Furthermore, acceptance and consent are not expressed uniformly between families. Some families are more open and supportive towards cross-national marriages, while others express rejection and resentment that may or may not resolve itself as time passes. The results further showed that the costs of marriage and mahr (dowry), background similarities, exposure to other nationalities, and attraction to individual attributes have been identified as dominant reasons for interviewees who chose to marry outside their nationality. More research is needed to further investigate this phenomenon using a mixed-method approach.
Literary Doodling in the Long Nineteenth Century: The Examples of E. Cotton, G. K. Chesterton, and Max Beerbohm
Authors: Mercurio Jeremiah Romano , Gabelman Daniel
Published: March 2019

Although scholars have paid increasing attention to textual marginalia and their role in the consumption and production of texts, they have largely overlooked the phenomenon of doodling and its parallel role in reading and writing. Doodles trouble their accompanying texts; they record inattention, whimsical digression, critique, and sometimes outright hostility toward those texts, revealing the complexity of readerly response and exposing authors’ visions as less unified than they seem. By attending to doodles in manuscripts, notebooks, and published literature, scholars can gain insight into the subconscious and occasionally contradictory forces at play in textual genesis and reception. This article examines doodles and closely related drawings by three author-artists from the long nineteenth century: Max Beerbohm, G. K. Chesterton, and an amateur illustrator named E. Cotton. Their work demonstrates the importance of doodling to their respective authorial enterprises and reveals the (sometimes ambiguous) generic boundaries between doodles and related graphic forms.
The Duty of Loyalty Imposed on a Company Director: A Comparison between Czech and English Law
Authors: Krtoušová Lucie Novotná
Published: March 2019

The aim of this contribution is to critically analyze the substance of the duty of loyalty imposed on a director of a company by the New Civil Code and the Business Corporation Act, which came into force in the Czech Republic on 1 January 2014, and consider the consequences of a breach thereof. The interpretation of recodified Czech private law is ambiguous and conflicting and there is neither consistent interpretation nor any case law, while at the moment it is not clear to what extent existing case law applies to these laws. This comparative analysis of the Czech and English concepts of the duty of loyalty aims to indicate a possible interpretation of the transplanted duty of loyalty and discuss theoretical issues connected with directors’ liabilty in recodified Czech private law.
On the Origins of Pop Rai
Authors: Swedenburg Ted
Published: March 2019

In this paper, I examine the emergence of pop rai in western Algeria during the 1970s and the subsequent transformation of rai into a very different sound, and a national and international phenomenon. The study is based in part on an analysis of previously hard-to-find pop rai recordings now available on the internet. Pop rai’s origins are in the rural music of the male performers of bédoui music and particularly the female cheikhat. After independence, constraints were imposed on female performances, and so, during the 1960s, male singers, most famously Belkacem Bouteldja, began to record a modern version of the cheikhat repertoire. Messaoud Bellemou, a trumpet player from the city of Aïn Témouchent, played a major role in the further development of the music; he created an ensemble that included singers like Boutaïba Sghir, Belkacem Bouteldja, Hamani Hadjoum and Younes Benfissa, that modernized the instrumental backing and overall sound of western Algeria’s local folkloric music, and thereby created the genre known as pop rai. Other artists who played a role in the development of pop rai include the Oran-based Chaba Fadela, who started her career with Bellemou’s group, Cheb Khaled, and Groupe El Azhar; and from Sidi Bel Abbès, guitarist and singer Ahmed Zergui. During the 1980s, rai music became national, and producer Rachid Baba Ahmed of Tlemcen further modernized its sound through the use of electronic keyboards. By the late 1980s, rai had become international, a new generation of artists had emerged, and the ensembles and artists that forged pop rai in the 1970s were displaced. Today those artists are largely forgotten, and this critical period in the history of rai remains seriously understudied.
Climate Change, Human Rights and Access to Justice
Authors: Krämer Ludwig
Published: March 2019

This paper discusses, if and how the challenges of climate change could be brought in a case before the Court of Justice of the European Union. It concentrates on the admissibility of such a case and finds in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights the lever to overcome the obstacles which Article 263 tfeu places in front of members of the civil society. It discusses successively the questions of the Union act which might be tackled, the questions whether individual persons are directly and whether they are individually concerned by climate change decisions; and it ends with a short concluding remark.
Aliens and Emperors: Faithful Mongolian Officials in the Ming History
Authors: Guida Donatella
Published: March 2019

The biographies of nine Mongol officials recorded in the Ming History are not only useful in tracing the enduring Mongol presence at the highest levels of the Ming court; they are also a political demonstration of the close and continuous relationship with this ethnic group until the very end of the dynasty. Besides, since the History was compiled under the auspices of the Qing dynasty, it may give some hints about its own relations with the Mongol allies.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, as a Mongol Prisoner
Authors: Bayarsaikhan Dashdondog
Published: March 2019

Armenian Historian Kirakos Gandzakets‘i was captured by Mongol noyan Molar during the first wave of Mongol conquest of the Caucasus. He was in captivity for about a year. This gave him a certain understanding of the history and religion of the Mongols as well as some knowledge of Mongolian.

On Molar’s orders, Kirakos was taken to serve the Mongols’ secretarial needs, writing and reading letters.

In this paper I argue that the Armenian source of Kirakos Gandzakets‘i is a first-hand history on the early Mongols in the Caucasus, and the Mongolian vocabulary that Kirakos gives in his work ranks among the earliest Mongolian glossaries in non-Mongol sources.
The Cumacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) from a North Atlantic Transect with RV “Sonne” with the description of ten new species
Authors: MÜHLENHARDT-SIEGEL UTE
Published: March 2019

In total 36 species were identified, from the abyssal of the Vema Fracture Zone in the tropical northern Atlantic and the Puerto Rico Trench, including ten new species. The new species are Chalarostylis erebos n. sp., Chalarostylis nyx n. sp. (Lampropidae), Bathycuma sonneae n. sp. (Bodotriidae), Leucon (Crymoleucn) fracturensis n. sp., Leucon (Crymoleucon) marinae n. sp., Leucon (Macrauloleucon) longiserratus n. sp., Leucon (Macrauloleucon) breviserratus n. sp. (Leuconidae), Atlantistylis paraborealis n.sp., Leptostylis abyssalis n. sp. and Leptostylis danieli n. sp. (Diastylidae).
Sea Spray and Its Feedback Effects: Assessing Bulk Algorithms of Air–Sea Heat Fluxes via Direct Numerical Simulations
Authors: Peng Tianze , Richter David
Published: March 2019

Sea spray exchanging momentum, heat, and moisture is one of the major uncertainties in modeling air–sea surface heat fluxes under high wind speeds. As a result of several untested assumptions in existing models and low fidelity in the measurements, questions regarding the appropriate method for modeling the effects of spray on air–sea fluxes still exist. In this study, we implement idealized direct numerical simulations (DNS) via an Eulerian–Lagrangian model to simulate spray droplets in turbulent flows. Then, we verify the bulk spray models of Fairall et al. and Andreas et al. with the detailed physics from DNS. We find that the quality of the underlying assumptions of bulk models is sensitive to the time scales governing spray microphysics and lifetime. While both models assume that spray experiences a uniform and steady ambient condition, our results show that this assumption only works well for droplets with long thermodynamic time scales and relatively short lifetime. When the thermodynamic time scales are short, the models fail to predict the correct temperature and radius change of spray (e.g., condensation), thus spray-mediated heat fluxes, which in turn overestimates the total heat fluxes. Moreover, using our two-way coupled simulations, we find a negative feedback induced by the spray evaporation that may be missing in the bulk models, which could lead to further overestimates of the total heat flux when the spray-mediated flux is treated as an add-on to the corresponding interfacial flux. We further illustrate that the feedback effects are consistent under different flow Reynolds numbers, which suggests that the findings are relevant at practical scales.
Effective Care Management for Children With Special Health Care Needs in the Era of Value-Based Payment
Authors: Weiss Michael A. , Marchese Sara , Zhang Lishi
Published: March 2019

Objectives. To evaluate the impact of a pediatric-specific care coordination program for Medicaid children with special health care needs under a fully capitated payment model and assess whether sufficient savings can be achieved to offset the cost of the care coordination program. Methods. 442 children with special health care needs, receiving health care under a Medicaid capitation payment program, were enrolled in a care coordination program. ED and inpatient utilization were measured for 1-year pre and post intervention. Use rates and costs for ED and inpatient services were evaluated using a Poisson random effect regression model. Results. There was a statistically significant reduction in ED utilization (31% reduction, P < .0001), inpatient admissions (38% reduction, P = .0002), and inpatient length of stay (34% reduction, P = .0112) comparing the pre and post intervention periods. Medical cost savings attributed to the reduction in ED and inpatient utilization was approximately 3 times the program costs. Conclusions. Enrolling children with special health care needs in a care management program was associated with a significant reduction in ED utilization, inpatient admissions, and hospital length of stay when compared with baseline expenditures. Under a fully capitated Medicaid model, the cost savings greatly exceeded the costs of the interventions. These results serve to highlight the efficacy of pediatric-specific care management programs for children with special health care needs, both clinically and economically. Such models can inform other interventions and contracting strategies to assure children receive the care they deserve in a sustainable cost model.
Serum level of miR-142-3p predicts prognostic outcome for colorectal cancer following curative resection
Authors: Gao Wencang , Pang Dexiang , Yu Senquan
Published: March 2019

Objective

MicroRNA (miR)-142-3p may function as a tumor suppressor in the development of various cancers. In this study, we measured serum levels of miR-142-3p in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-142-3p.

Methods

Serum samples from 363 consecutive CRC patients and 156 healthy controls were retrospectively collected. Serum miR-142-3p levels were measured using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. All patients were followed up regularly after tumor resection. The correlation between serum miR-142-3p level and survival outcomes was analyzed.

Results

Serum levels of miR-142-3p were significantly lower in CRC patients than in healthy volunteers. A low serum miR-142-3p level was significantly associated with advanced cancer. Survival analysis demonstrated that patients with a low serum miR-142-3p had a lower 5-year overall survival rate than patients with a high serum miR-142-3p level (67.4% vs. 76.9%). Serum miR-142-3p level was also shown to be an independent risk factor for CRC in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 2.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.21–7.95).

Conclusions

Serum miR-142-3p might serve as a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for CRC.
Motivation to pursue a career in music: The role of social constraints in university music programs
Authors: Miksza Peter , Evans Paul , McPherson Gary E
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to describe university music students’ perceptions of competitiveness, perfectionism, and teacher control in conservatory-style learning environments, and (2) to test a theoretical model of a network of relationships among perceptions of competitiveness, perfectionism, teacher control, quality of motivation, and intentions to pursue a career in music. Participants were undergraduate and graduate music majors from schools of music in the Midwestern United States and Australia. Results revealed that commitment to a career in music was strong, autonomous motivation orientations were more strongly endorsed than controlled motivation orientations, reports of teacher control and socially prescribed perfectionism were weak, whereas reports of competitiveness were strong. Path analyses indicated that those with stronger career intentions also have stronger autonomous motivation orientations and perceive their teachers as more controlling. Autonomous motivation orientations were stronger for those who perceive their environment to be more competitive and weaker for those who experience more perfectionism and teacher control. Participants reporting greater perceptions of teacher control and more perfectionism tended to report weaker career intentions by virtue of the indirect relationships of the variables through autonomous motivation. In contrast, those who experienced greater degrees of perfectionism tended to report stronger controlled motivation orientations.
Investigating High-Temperature PG Grade Adjustment Recommendations for Airfield Pavements
Authors: Chehab Ghassan R. , Hamdar Yara S. , Haddad Angela J.
Published: March 2019

This study aims to investigate the high-temperature performance grade (PG) adjustment (bumping) recommendations included in various international specifications and guidelines for airfield pavements, particularly for asphalt intermediate and base layers. The research was instigated following recent asphalt rutting occurrences in airport pavements. Mechanistic analysis, using the software FlexPave™, was employed to assess airfield pavement responses under hot climatic conditions and for different loading conditions. The results of the analysis pointed to three important factors that should be considered when selecting binder PG grades for airfield pavements, particularly for the asphalt intermediate and base layers: (1) deeper layers within an airfield pavement structure are subjected to considerably high compressive stresses; (2) deeper layers within an airfield pavement structure are subjected to longer loading times compared with surface layers; and (3) deeper layers within a pavement structure experience consistently high temperatures. Therefore, it is recommended that PG grade bumping be applied beyond the surface layer in airfield pavements, to the intermediate and base layers, in locations that experience very high temperatures and where rutting is a critical distress. This recommendation was supported by two case studies of airfield pavements in hot climates, where the one that applied PG grade bumping for the base layer performed well under heavy loading, while the one that did not apply PG grade bumping experienced premature rutting failure.
Anti-gay “Honor” Abuse: A Multinational Attitudinal Study of Collectivist- Versus Individualist-Orientated Populations in Asia and England
Authors: Lowe Michelle , Khan Roxanne , Thanzami Vanlal , Barzy Mahsa , Karmaliani Rozina
Published: March 2019

Cultural collectivism, a core feature of honor cultures, is associated with the acceptance of aggression if it is used in the name of so-called “honor.” Currently overlooked in the research literature, this study explored perceptions of antigay “honor” abuse in collectivist-orientated honor cultures, where homosexuality, in particular, is considered to be dishonorable. To conduct exploratory and comparative analysis, this study recruited 922 students in four Asian countries (India, Iran, Malaysia, and Pakistan), as well as Asian British and White British students in England. All participants read a brief vignette depicting a man whose relatives verbally abuse him and threaten him with life-threatening violence, after suspecting that he is gay and has joined an online dating website to meet men. Participants then completed a short questionnaire that assessed the extent to which they thought the man’s actions had damaged his family’s honor and their approval of the antigay “honor” abuse depicted in the scenario. Broadly in line with predictions, data analyses revealed attitudes more supportive of antigay “honor” abuse in all five collectivist-orientated populations than the sample of individualistic-orientated counterparts in England. Notably, however, a series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) demonstrated that these results varied depending on country of residence, gender, religious denomination, educational status, and age. The findings show that individual and demographic differences influence perceptions toward homophobic “honor” abuse in collectivist cultures. These differences are useful indices of the psychosocial factors that underpin hostile attitudes toward gay males in cultures where homosexuality is denounced.
Can Workers in Low-End Occupations Climb the Job Ladder?
Authors: Gabe Todd , Abel Jaison R. , Florida Richard
Published: March 2019

There is growing concern over rising economic inequality, the decline of the middle class, and a polarization of the U.S. workforce. This study examines the extent to which workers in the United States transition from low-end to higher-quality occupations, and explores the factors associated with such a move up the job ladder. Using data covering the expansion following the Great Recession (2011-2017) and focusing on short-term (i.e., less than 1 year) labor market transitions, the authors find that just slightly more than 5% of workers in low-end occupations moved into a higher-quality occupation. Instead, around 70% of workers in low-end occupations stayed in the same occupation, 11% exited the labor force, 7% became unemployed, and 6% switched to a different low-end occupation. Study results point to the importance of educational attainment in helping workers successfully climb the job ladder.
Are Our Assumptions About Diaspora and Immigrant Philanthropy Generalizable? Exploring the Relevance to High-Income Countries of Origin
Authors: Brinkerhoff Jennifer M. , McGinnis Johnson Jasmine , Gudelis Dangis
Published: March 2019

We examine the relevance of suggestive findings and assumptions about immigrant philanthropy to a diaspora from a high-income country of origin, whose members are generally highly educated and professionally employed: the Lithuanian diaspora. We investigate whether this immigrant group’s voluntary sector participation, despite these differences, may evolve similar to that of other immigrant groups studied. The study casts doubt on the generalizability of the current claims from the literature—which is largely derived from cases of immigrants migrating from the South to the North—to immigrant and diaspora groups who are highly skilled and originating from relatively more industrialized countries (North–North migration). The findings highlight the need to examine the voluntary sector participation of a greater variety of diasporas and to recognize that not all groups will behave similarly. Some of the differentiated behavior may stem from demographic characteristics specific to North–North migration.
From product liability to production liability: Modelling a response to the liability deficit of global value chains on historical transformations of production
Authors: Salminen Jaakko
Published: March 2019

A legal response to the liability deficits inherent in global value chains, the new standard of economic production, could be modelled on legal responses to the liability deficits of earlier transformations of production. One example is provided by the rise of product liability law in the 20th century. In the wake of centralized mass production and fragmented distribution chains, manufacturers and users of goods were increasingly separated from one another not only physically but also from a legal perspective. Law responded by developing causes of action that overcame contractual and corporate boundaries and allowed users of defective goods effective recourse towards manufacturers with whom they otherwise might not have had a legally relevant relationship otherwise. Similarly, in today’s global value chains a central problem is the lack of a legally relevant relationship between lead firms responsible for organizing and governing production and those harmed by their various tiers of subsidiaries, suppliers and subcontractors. Current approaches to developing such a legally relevant relationship, such as debates over a duty of care based on the common law tort of negligence, are comparable to early developmental phases of product liability law. Under product liability, these early developments were found insufficient for guaranteeing the rights of injured parties, as also seems to be the case in relation to global value chains today. I compare law’s responses to these two transformations of production and propose modelling lead firm liability for inadequate value chain governance (‘production liability’) on the current, more advanced phases of development of product liability law.
General Music Today Music Ideas Series: Viewpoints in Secondary General Music—Article Two: Power Trio: Three Ideas for Renewed Success With Classroom Ensembles
Authors: Davis Virginia Wayman , Singletary Laura , VanWeelden Kimberly
Published: March 2019

In this second of three in the series, we explore methods for incorporating instrumental ensembles into your music classroom. Experiences such as performing on ukulele, bucket drums, and in modern popular music ensembles are excellent ways to provide meaningful, relevant music education to students of all ages. Using both research-based information and practical experience, we will discuss ideas for three common instrumental ensembles. The techniques and resources provided in this article are starting points, appropriate for various levels and configurations of music classes: upper elementary music classes, secondary general music classes, afterschool or extracurricular music groups, or for teachers seeking to start an alternative ensemble or rebrand an existing nonperformance music class.
Intravenous Insulin Infusion Protocol Compared With Subcutaneous Insulin for the Management of Hyperglycemia in Critically Ill Adults
Authors: Tran Kenneth K. , Kibert Jeffery L. , Telford Evan D. , Franck Andrew J.
Published: March 2019

Background: The use of an intravenous insulin infusion protocol (IIP) is recommended for management of hyperglycemia in the intensive care unit (ICU); however, limited evidence of comparison has been made with subcutaneous (SC) insulin regimens. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an IIP compared with SC insulin regimens in an ICU patient sample since the implementation of an IIP using a computerized clinical-decision support tool. Methods: This investigation was a retrospective cohort study of patients who were treated for hyperglycemia while admitted to any of the ICUs at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients who were treated with either an IIP or a scheduled SC insulin regimen between May 1, 2015, and May 25, 2016, were included for evaluation. Results: Blood glucose (BG) was within the normoglycemia range (70-180 mg/dL) for 63.0% of the measurements in patients treated with an IIP (n = 171) compared with 45.7% in those treated with SC insulin regimens (n = 121; P < 0.01). Overall, patients managed with an IIP had a lower proportion of hypoglycemic BG measurements (1.2% vs 2.1%, P < 0.01), a lower proportion of hyperglycemic BG measurements (35.8% vs 52.2%, P < 0.01), and a lower mean BG (172.4 vs 194.3 mg/dL, P < 0.01). Conclusion and Relevance: The results of this study suggest that an IIP in a sample of adult ICU patients was associated with better BG control and lower occurrence of hypoglycemia compared with SC insulin regimens.
Economic Burden of Gastric Cancer: A Case of Iran
Authors: Eghdami Abed , Ostovar Rahim , Jafari Abdosaleh , Palmer Andrew J. , Bordbar Najmeh , Ravangard Ramin
Published: March 2019

Purpose:

Today, cancers have become a major cause of mortality in developed and developing countries. Among various cancers, gastric cancer imposes a huge economic burden on patients, their families, and on the health-care system. This study aimed to determine the economic burden of gastric cancer in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province of Iran in 2016.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional cost of illness study conducted in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province of Iran in 2016, using a prevalence-based approach. All patients were studied using the census method (N = 110). The required data on direct medical, direct nonmedical, and indirect costs were collected using a data collection form from the patients’ medical records, tariffs of diagnostic, and therapeutic services approved by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 2016.

Results:

The total cost and burden of gastric cancer in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province of Iran in 2016 were $US436 237, among which the majority were direct medical costs (59%). The highest costs among direct medical costs, direct nonmedical costs, and indirect costs were, respectively, related to the costs of medications used by the patients (35%), transportation (31%), and absence of patients’ families from work and daily activities caused by patient care (56%).

Conclusion:

Our study has revealed for the first time high costs of gastric cancer in Iran. To decrease the total costs and burden, the following suggestions can be made: increasing insurance coverage and government subsidies for purchasing necessary medications, providing the required specialized care and services related to cancer diseases such as gastric cancer in other provincial cities rather than just in capital cities, and so on.
Reduction of strength of GFRP sandwich panels in naval ships by face sheet holes, cracks and impact damage
Authors: Hayman Brian , Echtermeyer Andreas T
Published: March 2019

Extensive studies have been previously carried out on the effects of various types of local damage on the performance of sandwich panels used in the hull structures of naval ships. More recently, the approach was adapted for application on board a specific ship series. Strength reduction data were obtained for a set of sandwich materials that were representative for the vessels in question. The face sheet materials were glass fibre-reinforced plastics with non-crimp fabrics and two different types of vinylester resin. The core materials were PVC foams. Tests were performed on laminate specimens with and without circular holes under tensile loading and on sandwich face sheets with holes, cracks and impact damage under compressive loading. The strength reductions caused by impacts with sharp and blunt objects were compared with those caused by machined cracks and circular holes, respectively, and with Whitney and Nuismer’s point stress and average stress models for infinitely large laminates with cracks and holes. It was found that strength reductions due to impact damage can be estimated using tests on specimens with machined cracks and holes, and also with the average stress models if appropriate values of characteristic length are assumed. Special attention is paid to the need to take account of the geometry and the finite size of tested specimens.
Genomic Prediction Using Canopy Coverage Image and Genotypic Information in Soybean via a Hybrid Model
Authors: Howard Reka , Jarquin Diego
Published: March 2019

Prediction techniques are important in plant breeding as they provide a tool for selection that is more efficient and economical than traditional phenotypic and pedigree based selection. The conventional genomic prediction models include molecular marker information to predict the phenotype. With the development of new phenomics techniques we have the opportunity to collect image data on the plants, and extend the traditional genomic prediction models where we incorporate diverse set of information collected on the plants. In our research, we developed a hybrid matrix model that incorporates molecular marker and canopy coverage information as a weighted linear combination to predict grain yield for the soybean nested association mapping (SoyNAM) panel. To obtain the testing and training sets, we clustered the individuals based on their marker and canopy information using 2 different clustering techniques, and we compared 5 different cross-validation schemes. The results showed that the predictive ability of the models was the highest when both the canopy and marker information was included, and it was the lowest when only the canopy information was included.
Association Between Maternal Feeding Practices and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among 6-Year-Old Children
Authors: Flahive Shannon , Chavan Bhakti , Haile Zelalem T
Published: March 2019

Background:

Maternal feeding practices (MFPs) have been linked to childhood obesity and other eating disorders. However, population-based research examining the association between MFPs and children’s emotional well-being is currently lacking.

Methods:

We examined 1241 participants from Year 6 Follow-Up of the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, conducted from March to June 2012 in the United States.

Results:

Approximately 57.5% and 47.8% of participants reported at least one symptom of childhood anxiety and depression, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, mothers who responded “yes” to “If I did not guide or regulate my child’s eating, he or she would eat too much of his or her favorite food” had higher odds of having a child who has symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with mothers who responded “no” (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]) (2.02; 1.47-2.78, P < .001) and (1.41, 1.05-1.91, P = .024), respectively. The odds of having a child who has symptoms of depression were lower among mothers who responded “yes” to “I make sure that my child does not eat too many sweets or junk foods” compared with mothers who responded “no” (0.49; 0.26-0.91, P = .020). Mothers who responded “yes” to “I encourage my 6 year-old to eat all of the food on his or her plate” had higher odds of having a child who has symptoms of anxiety compared with mothers who responded “no” (1.43; 1.01-2.05, P = .049).

Conclusions:

Controlling MFPs may influence a child’s emotional well-being. Further research is needed to address the complex relationships between MFPs and psychosocial well-being in children.
Parents’ perceptions of raising children with autism spectrum disorders in the United States and Arab countries: A comparative review
Authors: Al Khateeb Jamal M , Kaczmarek Louise , Al Hadidi Muna S
Published: March 2019

Four databases were searched to identify studies published by Arab researchers on parents’ perceptions of autism spectrum disorder and studies conducted by US researchers and published in systematic reviews of this topic. The electronic search resulted in 14 studies published by Arab researchers and 55 studies published by US researchers. The results showed that autism spectrum disorder has many of the same effects on Arab and American families. Six major areas were identified in the results. Financial difficulties associated with raising children with autism spectrum disorder were mentioned more in Arab studies than in US studies. Arab studies had more emphasis on gender than US studies. The results related to quality of life of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Arab studies were equivocal. US studies included comparisons with families without a child with autism spectrum disorder, and addressed factors that were associated with quality of life indicators. More health, educational, and social services were available in United States than in Arab countries, but some frustration was reported by US parents in obtaining appropriate services in some studies. A higher percentage of Arab studies mentioned the role of religious faith than US studies. Finally, social stigma was evidenced in both cultures, but not much research was available.
Method of Preventive Ultrasound Diagnosis of Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Ignatyev Igor M.
Published: March 2019

The objective of the study is to develop the method of preventive diagnosis of venous thrombosis using the ultrasound duplex scanning (USDS). A total of 306 persons were examined: 146 were patients with acute venous thrombosis, 108 patients with varicose veins, and 52 healthy persons (control group). All participants were examined using USDS, and D-dimer level was evaluated. As the result of the conducted research, an ultrasound phenomenon of echogenic particles in valvular sinus area (further referred to as spontaneous echo contrast) is described. A classification of this phenomenon is developed; 2 degrees of spontaneous echo contrast are documented. Spontaneous echo contrast of the first degree reflects the fact that the valvular sinus area is the most thrombogenic zone. Spontaneous echo contrast of the second degree is characterized as pathological; it is a prethrombotic state and can serve as one of the most early predictors of developing venous thrombosis. A high correlation phenomenon of spontaneous echo contrast of the second degree, venous thrombosis, and D-dimer level indicators is determined ( r = 0.89, P < .01). An ultrasound study of valvular sinus is a simple, available, and reproducible method of screening and can be applied as a preventive diagnostics of acute venous thrombosis. The results of the investigations permit us to form risk groups of deep vein thrombosis and perform timely prevention of this pathology.
Internet of Medical Things–based decision system for automated classification of Alzheimer’s using three-dimensional views of magnetic resonance imaging scans
Authors: Khan Umair , Ali Armughan , Khan Salabat , Aadil Farhan , Durrani Mehr Yahya , Muhammad Khan , Baik Ran , Lee Jong Weon
Published: March 2019

Internet of Medical Things is a smart provision of medical services to patients interacting with the doctors in harmony to uplift healthcare facilities. It enables the automated diagnosis of diseases for patients in remote areas. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most chronic diseases and the main cause of dementia in human beings. Dementia affects the patient by a process of gradual degeneration of the human brain and results in an inability to perform daily routine tasks and actions. An automated system needs to be developed, to classify the subject with dementia and to determine the prodromal stage of dementia. Considering such requirement, a fully automated classification system is proposed. The proposed algorithm works on the hybrid feature vector combining the textural, statistical, and shape features extracted from three-dimensional views. The feature length is reduced using principal component analysis and relevant features are extracted for classification. The proposed algorithm is tested for both binary and multi-class problems. The method achieves the average precision of 99.2% and 99.02% for binary and multi-class classifications, respectively. The results outperform the existing methods. The algorithm showed accurate results with the average computational time of 0.05 s per magnetic resonance imaging scan.
Comparing 3 Suture Techniques After Muscle Laceration Repair
Authors: Castillo Alexander C. , Kaltwasser Kyle , Morris Randal , Sanchez Erick R. , Rai Surjit , Lombana Nicholas , Tran Dat , Branski Ludwik , Zhang Andrew Y.
Published: March 2019

Background: Skeletal muscle lacerations are a relatively common injury. Compared with nonrepaired lacerations, surgically repaired muscle lacerations regenerate faster, develop less scar tissue, have a higher return to baseline strength, and have lower incidence of hematomas. Despite the benefits of repair, the optimal repair technique is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanical properties of common muscle repair techniques to determine the optimal repair. Methods: Forty-two fusiform porcine muscle specimens were dissected and used for this study. Three suture techniques were used for comparative analysis: Figure-eight, Mason Allen, and Perimeter. Each muscle was transected and then repaired using one of the 3 techniques. Fourteen muscle-tendon specimens were prepared for each group and tested for tensile failure using a material testing system. Biomechanical properties, including peak failure point and stiffness, were compared for differences between the suture groups by 1-way analysis of variance. The average time per repair technique was also recorded. Results: The Perimeter technique showed a statistically significant higher peak failure point than the Mason Allen technique ( P = .03). Both the Figure-eight ( P = .047) and Perimeter techniques ( P < .001) were significantly stiffer than the Mason Allen technique. The repair time was comparable across all 3 techniques. Conclusions: The Figure-eight and Perimeter repairs were found to be similar in peak failure point and stiffness, whereas the Mason Allen technique showed significantly lower stiffness and peak failure point. The Figure-eight was the quickest repair to perform. The Figure-eight technique may be strongly considered for muscle laceration repairs due to its simplicity and efficiency.
Endovascular management of a ruptured aneurysm associated with distal PICA fenestration
Authors: Nadarajah Jeyaseelan , Jain Nishchint , Sebastian Leve Joseph Devarajan , Gaikwad SB , Garg Ajay , Prabhakar Anuj
Published: March 2019

Fenestrations are rare but well-known arterial anatomic variations in which a segment of artery divides into two parallel channels that reunite distally. Although fenestrations as such are asymptomatic, they have gained clinical significance because of their association with aneurysms and other intracranial vascular pathologies. Here we present a 35-year-old woman with history of sudden severe occipital headache and vomiting. Imaging revealed a ruptured aneurysm in the distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery arising from one of the limbs of the fenestration. The aneurysm was successfully managed by coiling, and the patient made complete recovery without neurological sequelae.
Resonance risk and global sensitivity analysis of a straight–curved combination pipe based on active learning Kriging model
Authors: Zhao Yuzhen , Liu Yongshou , Guo Qing , Han Tao , Li Baohui
Published: March 2019

The resonance failure of straight–curved combination pipes conveying fluid which are widely used in engineering is becoming a serious issue. But there are only few studies available on the resonance failure of combination pipes. The resonance failure probability and global sensitivity analysis of straight–curved combination pipes conveying fluid are studied by the active learning Kriging method proposed in this article. Based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, the dynamic stiffness matrices of straight and curved pipes are derived in the local coordinate system, respectively. Then the dynamic stiffness matrix and characteristic equation of a straight–curved combination pipe conveying fluid are assembled under a global coordinate system. The natural frequency is calculated based on the characteristic equation. A resonance failure performance function is established based on the resonance failure mechanism and relative criterions. The active learning Kriging model based on expected risk function is introduced for calculating the resonance failure probability and moment-independent global sensitivity analysis index. The importance rankings of input variables are obtained with different velocities. According to the results, it is shown that the method proposed in this article provides a lot of guidance for resonance reliability analysis and anti-resonance design in combination pipes conveying fluid.