bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Al-Ḥāʾik’s Notebook, Part I
Authors: Davila Carl
Published: April 2020

By far the most important manuscript anthology of the texts of the Andalusian music in Morocco (al-āla), Kunnāsh al-Ḥāʾik has undergone a lengthy process of evolution since its apparent first iteration (manuscript #144 at al-Khizāna l-Dāwūdiyya in Tetouan, dated 1202 AH). This article presents an annotated listing of all known songbooks relating to al-āla, whether in manuscript or print form, as reference material for scholarship and raw data for later articles in a series that explores the complex history of the Kunnāsh. Annotations include publication information for print anthologies, material descriptions of manuscripts, and occasional observations about notable features, contents, etc.
Rediscovery of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle Protistolophus spangleri Short with notes on its habitat and behavior (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilinae)
Authors: SHORT ANDREW EDWARD Z. , SANTANA LARISSA , BENETTI CESAR J. , HAMADA NEUSA
Published: April 2020

The water scavenger beetle genus Protistolophus Short contains a single species, P. spangleri Short, 2010, known from southern Venezuela. The genus was hitherto known only from a single partly-incomplete male specimen, making it one of the rarest and most poorly known aquatic hydrophilid genera in the world. Only one other New World aquatic hydrophilid genus, the Ecuadorian cave endemic Troglochares Spangler, is known from a single specimen or locality. In a phylogenetic analysis of the Hydrophilini based on adult morphology, the genus Protistolophus was resolved as the sister taxon to the remaining genera of the tribe, implying it is an ancient and possibly relict lineage—it possesses a very unusual combination of characters, including a very weakly developed mesoventral keel. It was the only genus not included in a recent molecular phylogeny of the Hydrophilini as no suitable material was available for DNA (Toussaint et al. 2017).
A new distributional record of the black coral Antipathes cf. griggi in Mactan Island, Philippines
Authors: BACHARO KURT BRYANT B. , SOTTO FILIPINA B.
Published: April 2020

The black coral Antipathes cf. griggi was reported for the first time outside the Hawaiian Archipelago. This short report provides details and short description of the newly recorded species in Mactan Island, Philippines.
Ovomanonychus, a new genus of South American Sericoidini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)
Authors: COSTA FÁBIO CORREIA , CHERMAN MARIANA ALEJANDRA , IANNUZZI LUCIANA
Published: April 2020

Ovomanonychus new genus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericoidini) is described based on Ovomanonychus rosettae (Frey, 1976), new combination (type species), Ovomanonychus inajae new species, and Ovomanonychus striatus new species. The genus occurs in Bahia, Mato Grosso, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo States, Brazil. Description is provided for the new genus and for its placement in Sericoidini. A key to species is presented along with illustrations, distributional data, and a map for each species.
Atrial Fibrillation and Cognitive Impairment: An Associated Burden or Burden by Association?
Authors: Manolis Theodora A. , Manolis Antonis A. , Apostolopoulos Evdoxia J. , Melita Helen , Manolis Antonis S.
Published: April 2020

Growing evidence suggests that atrial fibrillation (AF), in addition to its thromboembolic risk, is a risk factor for cognitive impairment (CI) via several pathways and mechanisms, further contributing to morbidity/mortality. Prior stroke is a contributor to CI, but AF is also associated with CI independently from prior stroke. Silent brain infarctions, microemboli and microbleeds, brain atrophy, cerebral hypoperfusion from widely fluctuating ventricular rates, altered hemostatic function, vascular oxidative stress, and inflammation may all exacerbate CI, particularly in patients with persistent/permanent rather than paroxysmal AF and with increased duration/burden of the arrhythmia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging is an important screening tool in eliciting and monitoring vascular and nonvascular lesions contributing to CI. Evidence is also emerging about the role of genetics in CI development. Anticoagulation and rhythm/rate control strategies may protect against CI preventing or slowing its progression or conversion to dementia, particularly at the early stages when CI may still be a treatable condition. Importantly, AF and CI share many common risk factors. Thus, screening for these 2 conditions and searching for and managing modifiable risk factors and potentially reversible causes for both AF and CI remains an important step toward prevention or amelioration of the impact incurred by these 2 conditions.
Cinematografia e ispirazione letteraria socialista
Authors: Giacci Vittorio
Published: April 2020

Il saggio affronta il tema della relazione tra letteratura e cinema sia in termini generali che in ambito più strettamente politico, soffermandosi sugli adattamenti di opere letterarie scritte da autori di area e ispirazione socialista, ma anche su opere cinematografiche, tratte da soggetti originali, realizzate da registi che si sono riconosciuti, stabilmente o temporaneamente, nel socialismo italiano. Si vuole colmare l’evidente lacuna di una critica che ha preferito guardare alle esperienze di autori che palesavano altre ispirazioni, come quelle cattolica e comunista, benché il contributo di cineasti dell’area socialista sia stato altrettanto, se non più ampio e profondo, come il presente saggio intende dimostrare.

Lo studio considera anche l’apporto fornito dai socialisti laddove hanno operato, con incarichi di responsabilità, nelle politiche culturali italiane, partecipando anche alla definizione legislativa di settore, con posizioni di rilievo in importanti istituzioni del cinema pubblico (Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Cinecittà, Italnoleggio, Istituto Luce), senza escludere la Biennale, i vari festival e le organizzazioni del settore pubblico. Ne risulta il ruolo determinante giocato dal pensiero e dai valori socialisti nel quadro del rinnovamento culturale del paese attuato mediante lo strumento della settima arte.

La relazione cinema/socialismo non può essere colta in tutte le sue articolazioni se non la si inscrive in un più ampio contesto storico/politico e all’interno delle due anime che hanno da sempre caratterizzato le vicende del Partito Socialista, la tensione massimalista e la progettualità riformista, le scissioni ed i tentativi di riunificazione, l’unità d’azione e il contrasto a sinistra tra Partito Comunista e Partito Socialista, la propensione del primo al monopolio culturale ed a tacciare di “revisionismo” qualunque tentativo di innovazione politica che fosse al passo con i tempi e la refrattarietà del secondo a ogni forma di immobilismo ideologico, di egemonia culturale e di subalternità.
Comparative study on the carbon–carbon composites developed from petroleum pitch, coal tar pitch, and their mixture
Authors: Sharma Shishobhan , Patel Rasmika H , Patel Bharat K
Published: April 2020

Carbon–carbon composites, as developed from various pitch precursors and chopped carbon fiber reinforcement, have been characterized and compared on the prime basis of the precursor materials used as the matrix. Evaluation of the properties and characterization have been carried out by various techniques such as thermal analysis by thermogravimetric analysis, thermomechanical analysis, and flame ablation method, microstructural characterization by scanning electron microscopy and optical microscope, mechanical characterization by Universal Testing Machine (UTM), IZOD impact, and hardness and frictional characterization by a pin on disc tribometer were carried out. Petroleum pitch, coal tar pitch, and the mixture of both the kinds of the pitch have shown a difference in the ultimate properties on the finished composite materials. The presence of volatiles, quinoline insoluble content, and various softening point have proved to impart differences in behavior for different systems. Composites developed to form the three systems have shown robust characteristics with superior mechanical and thermal behavior. Microstructural analysis has shown good compatibility between the reinforcement and matrix, while it is also evidence of a uniform distribution of the reinforcement. The fiber–matrix interaction in all the three systems is appreciably weak, which is favorable for non-catastrophic failure.
Catholics v. the Interstates: The fight to protect Catholic institutions from Interstate Highways in Birmingham, Alabama
Authors: Retzlaff Rebecca
Published: April 2020

This article analyses the conflicts between Catholic churches and Interstate Highway routing during the civil rights era, looking at three Catholic institutions in Birmingham, Alabama, that were adjacent to planned Interstate Highways. The article concludes that Alabama Highway officials did not significantly change Interstate Highway plans because of concerns about the impacts on Catholic institutions, which many Catholics viewed as religiously and racially biased. Catholic institutions that served African American or White children were unable to affect significant changes to politically and racially motivated Interstate Highway routing because those changes would have been to the detriment of middle-class White neighbourhoods.
The Benefits of Interactive and Individual Rehearsals for Developing Second Language Communicative Ability
Authors: Nagasaki Mutsuko , Armitage Kristin , Orimoto Sunao
Published: April 2020

The present study examined whether oral interactive (pair) rehearsals and individual rehearsals promote second language (L2) learners’ communication ability. The participants were 60 first-year students from two required English classes at a national university in Japan. One class was designated as ‘the compulsory rehearsal’ group (CR, n=28); the other as ‘the free rehearsal’ group (FR, n=32). In class, participants engaged in a five-minute conversation in pairs five times on different topics during the course, while at home, they were required (CR) or encouraged (FR) to engage in two interactive rehearsals with a partner and five individual rehearsals per conversation. Pre- and post-conversation tests were conducted in pairs, and each student’s performance was assessed using a rubric developed for this study. Multiple regression analysis showed that the frequencies of both an interactive rehearsal and an individual rehearsal were significant predictors of the students’ improvement in the conversation test (R2 = .304, Interactive Rehearsal: β = .37, p < .05, Individual Rehearsal: β = .39, p < .05). It also revealed that interactive rehearsals helped learners improve their L2 communicative ability, while individual rehearsals were likely to improve their ability to express their ideas.
Rapid identification of plant- and chemical-dyed cotton fabrics using the near-infrared technique
Authors: Li Mingxia , Han Guangting , Jiang Wei , Zhou Chengfeng , Zhang Yuanming , Wang Sishe , Su Jianjun , Li Xianbo
Published: April 2020

Plant dye is a promising dyestuff to be used in textiles due to its unique environmental compatibility. However, currently there is no effective method for the identification of plant-dyed and chemical-dyed textiles. In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with three kinds of pattern recognition methods, namely soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA), partial least squares (PLS) regression and principal component regression (PCR), were applied to identify cotton fabrics dyed with plant and chemical dyes. A total of 336 plant dye and chemical dye dyed cotton fabrics were prepared and the NIR spectra were collected; 267 samples were used as the calibration set, while the remaining 69 samples were used as the validation set. After pretreatment with the Savitzky–Golay first derivative, the calibration model was constructed. In the SIMCA model, the correct recognition rate values of the calibration and prediction sets were 100% and 98.55%, respectively. The PLS model showed that the number of principal components (PCs) and the correlation coefficient ( R2) were 8 and 0.9978, respectively, and the results of PCR were PC = 10, R2 = 0.9937. Both methods were satisfactory for the predicted results. The overall results indicated that NIR spectroscopy could be used for rapid and nondestructive identification of plant-dyed cotton fabrics and chemical-dyed cotton fabrics.
Three Hamlet ballets from World War II to the Ukrainian crisis
Authors: Bührle Iris Julia
Published: April 2020

Breaking with a tradition of action-filled ballets with a heroic protagonist, a number of 20th- and 21st-century choreographies of Hamlet have probed the psychological and political themes of William Shakespeare’s tragedy. Inspired by theatre and film productions, choreographers have also used the medium’s visual language to comment on Shakespeare’s text and open up its interpretive potentialities. This article analyses three adaptations: Robert Helpmann’s 1942 version for the Sadler’s Wells Ballet, Kenneth MacMillan’s 1988 Sea of Troubles for six former Royal Ballet dancers, and Radu Poklitaru and Declan Donnellan’s iconoclastic 2015 Hamlet for Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet.
Disordered eating attitudes among Iranian university students of medical sciences: The role of body image perception
Authors: Momeni Maryam , Ghorbani Azam , Arjeini Zahra
Published: April 2020

Background:

Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors have become an issue of worldwide concern.

Aim:

This research was designed to investigate the role of body image satisfaction in the relationship with eating attitudes among students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 385 Qazvin university students of medical sciences were recruited by randomized stratified sampling in 2014. The students completed a three-part questionnaire (socio-demographic, Eating Attitudes Test and Body Shape Questionnaire) in their classrooms. We used hierarchical generalized linear models to identify variables significantly associated with Eating Attitudes Test scores.

Results:

The mean age of the students was 21.80 ± 2.98 years. Mean scores for the Eating Attitudes Test and Body Shape Questionnaire were 66.75 ± 29.8 and 11.86 ± 10.97 respectively; 18.5% of students had a score of 20 and above (≥ 20) that indicated disordered eating attitudes or as being at risk of eating disorders. In the multiple regression model, the Eating Attitudes Test was related to screening body image dissatisfaction (β = 0.122, P < 0.001). Body mass index was negatively related to the Eating Attitudes Test score (β= -0.488, P < 0.016), and diet was significantly correlated with an increased Eating Attitudes Test score (β = 5.803, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The risk of eating disorders is relatively high among Iranian university students. It can be a warning to health policy makers and should be the focus of special attention. In the present study, the most important factor related to abnormal eating attitudes was body image dissatisfaction. Regarding the complexity of the causes of eating disorders, various preventive and therapeutic interventions are necessary to avoid the dissemination in society of an idealized view of excessive thinness and further unfavorable outcomes in college students.
Queer and trans* geographies of liminality: A literature review
Authors: March Loren
Published: April 2020

This article brings together work from across the fields of queer geographies, geographies of sexualities, and trans* geographies to consider the ways in which these fields offer important insights into the question of liminality. Queer and trans* approaches question presumptions about norms and being upon which many geographical understandings of liminality currently rely. I highlight queer and trans* approaches to the topic that unsettle existing binary constructs, and foreground an everyday lived, experiential realm of in-betweenness that brings new stakes into the currently conceptualized political dimensions of liminality. I seek to bring attention to queer and trans* work on liminality and propose that it is relevant to spatial theory and human geography more broadly.
A paradigm shift in practice—the benefits of early active wound temporisation rather than early skin grafting after burn eschar excision
Authors: Greenwood John E
Published: April 2020

After major burn injury, once survival is achieved by the immediate excision of all deep burn eschar, we are faced with a patient who is often physiologically well but with very extensive wounds. While very early grafting yields excellent results after the excision of small burns, it is not possible to achieve the same results once the wound size exceeds the available donor site. In patients where 50%–100% of the total body surface area is wound, we rely on serial skin graft harvest, from finite donor site resources, and the massive expansion of those harvested grafts to effect healing. The result is frequently disabling and dysaesthetic. Temporisation of the wounds both passively, with cadaver allograft, and actively, with dermal scaffolds, has been successfully employed to ameliorate some of the problems caused by our inability to definitively close wounds early. Recent advances in technology have demonstrated that superior functional and cosmetic outcomes can be achieved in actively temporised areas even when compared with definitive early closure with skin graft. This has several beneficial implications for both patient and surgeon, affecting the timing of definitive wound closure and creating a paradigm shift in the care of the burned patient.
Strontium-substituted calcium sulfate hemihydrate/hydroxyapatite scaffold enhances bone regeneration by recruiting bone mesenchymal stromal cells
Authors: Chang Hong , Xiang Haibo , Yao Zilong , Yang Shenyu , Tu Mei , Zhang Xianrong , Yu Bin
Published: April 2020

Fabrication of osteoconductive scaffold with osteoinductive capability and appropriate resorption rate is of great significance for treating bone defects. To achieve this aim, strontium-substituted calcium sulfate hemihydrate (Sr-CSH) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were mixed to develop a novel composite. Sr-CSH containing 5% and 10% strontium was mixed with HA at the weight ratio of 6:4, respectively. Female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bone defect surgery in left tibia were randomly assigned to three different treatment groups filled with CSH/HA, 5% and 10% Sr-CSH/HA. Micro-CT analysis showed increased new bone formation in 10% Sr-CSH/HA group compared to CSH/HA group. In addition, histological analysis showed large amounts of chondrocytes and osteoblasts within the pores of Sr-CSH/HA composites as a result of the CSH resorption. Further, CFU-F assay demonstrated the increased amount of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) colonies in 10% Sr-CSH/HA group. In primary BMSCs, extraction from Sr-CSH/HA composite significantly increased the migration of cells, up-regulated the expression of osteoblastic marker genes, and increased the area of mineralized nodules. Together, Sr-CSH/HA may promote bone formation by recruiting and stimulating osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Therefore, this composite may be proposed as an ideal substitute to repair bone defects.
Living Environment, Mobility, and Wellbeing among Seniors in the United States: A New Interdisciplinary Dialogue
Authors: Li Shengxiao (Alex)
Published: April 2020

In view of the demographic profile of the older adults in the United States, in the next two decades, cities and communities need to adapt the form, environment, and transportation systems to accommodate the growing aging population. In this article, I review two streams of literature in the mobility among the older population: the mobility/living environment and wellbeing; the relationship between living environment and mobility. I argue that two streams of literature should be combined to inform an interdisciplinary dialogue and a new agenda for future research.
The impact of department structure on policy-making: How portfolio combinations affect interdepartmental coordination
Authors: Hegele Yvonne
Published: April 2020

Departments are the primary structure of the bureaucratic apparatus of governments. They can be structured as silo organizations responsible for one policy sector or as non-silo organizations combining different portfolios under one roof. While several studies have identified explanations for the structure of government departments and their portfolio combinations, little is known about the effects portfolio combinations have on public policy. This article theoretically discusses department structure from a procedural perspective, and, taking an empirical approach, explores its effects on policy coordination as one aspect of policy-making. Circumventing the problem of lacking counterfactuals of national governments, the study analyzes the 16 German substate governments and their joint decision-making processes in the German Bundesrat. The analysis is based on two original datasets, one on the combination of portfolios in departments and one network dataset on the policy coordination process. Applying the tools of social network analysis, the findings show that departments develop preferences and goals and allocate attention based on their portfolio combination. Consequently, governments with atypical portfolio combinations are less integrated into the policy coordination process while departments comprised of similar policy sectors coordinate more closely with each other, which make them more likely to influence policy according to their interests. This study thus provides useful insights not only to researchers but also practitioners. The bureaucratic structure of departments has consequences for policy-making and, ultimately, for policy itself, which should be considered when setting up and structuring government departments.
Clinical implications of IL-10 promoter polymorphisms on disease susceptibility in Indian SLE patients
Authors: Umare Vinod , Pradhan Vandana , Dadheech Sneha , Rajadhyaksha Anjali , Ghosh Kanjaksha , Nadkarni Anita
Published: April 2020

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in cytokine genes including interleukin-10 have been described to play a vital role in the overall pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. However, due to a lack of evidence from the Indian population, this study was conducted to analyse the possible influence of interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms over the disease susceptibility, serum interleukin-10 level and clinical manifestations of the disease in Indian systemic lupus erythematosus patients. In total, 200 systemic lupus erythematosus patients and 201 controls were recruited under this study. Genotyping of interleukin-10 (−1082A/G; −819T/C and −592C/A) polymorphisms was done by direct DNA sequencing and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods respectively. Serum interleukin-10 levels were measured by multiplex assay. Interleukin-10 −1082G and −592A allele frequencies were significantly increased in systemic lupus erythematosus patients (corrected p value <0.05). Also, combined −1082AG+GG, −819TC+CC and −592CA+AA genotype frequencies were significantly increased in the patient group. A higher trend of association between −1082AG+GG genotype frequency was observed in patients with serositis (odds ratio = 2.7, p = 0.0233, corrected p value = 0.2097). Serum interleukin-10 levels were significantly higher in systemic lupus erythematosus patients (4.3 ± 3.1 pg/ml) than controls (2.6 ± 1.4 pg/ml) ( p < 0.0001). Furthermore, interleukin-10 levels were positively correlated with disease activity ( p = 0.39, p < 0.0001). The frequency of the GCA (−1082, −819, −592) haplotype was significantly higher in systemic lupus erythematosus patients (10.6%) than controls (1.6%) (odds ratio = 5.4, p = 0.0330). Moreover, ACC, GCC and GCA haplotypes were found to be strongly associated with serositis. However, the frequency of the ACC haplotype was significantly higher in patients with neurologic involvement (odds ratio = 14.9, corrected p value <0.001). Thus, interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms suggest they have a proactive role in increased susceptibility to the disease among Indian systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
Transplantation of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in the Treatment of Coronary Artery Microembolism in Rats
Authors: Xue Yajun , Zhou Boda , Wu Jian , Miao Guobin , Li Kun , Li Siyuan , Zhou Jie , Geng Yu , Zhang Ping
Published: April 2020

As the impairment of myocardial microenvironments due to coronary microembolization (CME) compromises the treatment effect of percutaneous coronary intervention and leads to adverse prognosis, we hypothesized that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) transplantation could improve cardiac function in the condition of CME.

Low- (2 × 105) and high- (2 × 106) dose rat bone marrow-derived EPCs were transplanted in a model of CME. To develop a CME model, rats were injected with autologous micro-blood-clots into the left ventricle. Echocardiograph was examined before and 1, 7, and 28 days after EPC transplantation; serum cardiac troponin I (cTNI), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and cardiac microRNA expression were examined one day after EPCs transplantation. Heart morphology and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vWF, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression were examined one day after EPC transplantation.

After 10 days of culture inductions, BM-EPCs have high purity as confirmed by flow cytometry. Cardiac function reflected by left ventricular ejection fraction significantly decreased after CME treatment and rescued by low-dose EPC. Compared to the sham group, cTNI and vWF serum levels increased significantly after CME treatment and rescued by low-dose EPC and high-dose EPC. Low-dose EPC treatment decreased myocardial necrosis and fibrosis and elevated cardiac expression of VEGF and vWF, while decreasing the cardiac expression of bFGF. Low-dose EPC treatment significantly suppressed cardiac expression of microRNA-19a but significantly enhanced microRNA-21, microRNA-214, and microRNA-486-3p expression. In conclusion, our results indicate that low-dose EPC transplantation may play a proangiogenic, antifibroblast, antifibrosis, and antinecrosis role and enhance cardiac function in a rat model of CME through a microRNA-related pathway.
Intoxication by Astragalus garbancillo var. garbancillo in llamas
Authors: Marin Raul E. , Micheloud Juan F , Vignale Nilda D. , Gimeno Eduardo J. , O’Toole Donal , Gardner Dale R. , Woods Leslie , Uzal Francisco A.
Published: April 2020

Lysosomal storage diseases are inherited and acquired disorders characterized by dysfunctional lysosomes. Intracytoplasmic accumulation of undegraded substrates leads to impaired cellular function and death. Several plant species are toxic to livestock because of the presence of indolizidine alkaloids, including swainsonine, which cause a storage disease. Swainsonine-induced nervous disease (i.e., locoism) of sheep and cattle is well recognized in several parts of the world, particularly in the western United States and in parts of Australia. Spontaneous intoxication by Astragalus garbancillo var. garbancillo was suspected in a group of 70 llamas ( Lama glama) in Jujuy Province, northwestern Argentina. The animals grazed an area dominated by stands of A. garbancillo var. garbancillo. Clinical signs were staggering, ataxia, hypermetria, and progressive weight loss. The clinical course in individual animals was ~50 d. The main microscopic changes were Purkinje cell degeneration, necrosis, and loss, associated with intracytoplasmic vacuolation, meganeurite formation, and Wallerian degeneration. Specific positive labeling for ubiquitin was observed in axonal spheroids. Composite leaf and stem samples of A. garbancillo var. garbancillo analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography contained 0.03% swainsonine. Based on the microscopic lesions, clinical history, and plant analysis, a diagnosis was made of storage disease caused by consumption of swainsonine-containing A. garbancillo var. garbancillo.
A Novel Interprofessional Palliative Care and Geriatrics Curriculum for Nephrology Teams
Authors: Fulton Ana Tuya , Richman Katherine , Azar Maroun , Sanzen Kelley , Devine Jessica , Ferrone Christine , Tanzer Joshua Ray , Lally Kate
Published: April 2020

Background:

The population of older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing and nephrologists need education on the principles of geriatrics and palliative care to effectively care for this population.

Objectives:

Our objective was to develop and deliver a curriculum to interprofessional clinicians caring for older adults with CKD. The aim of this curriculum would be to improve knowledge of the principles of geriatrics and palliative care.

Design:

We have previously developed a curriculum on geriatrics and palliative care targeted toward primary care teams. In this project, we used an interdisciplinary steering committee to modify the curriculum for nephrology teams.

Setting:

This curriculum was delivered in a live grand rounds setting and was recorded and made available via online platform for virtual learning.

Participants:

The 6-session curriculum was delivered to 611 live and online learners between January 2018 and April 2019, with more than half of the participants (n = 317) completing more than 1 session. Participants came from a variety of disciplines including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work.

Results:

Participants had a high rate of agreement with the statement that the curriculum met learning objectives, with live participants having stronger agreement. Participants reported that the activity would change their practice behavior by calling palliative care earlier, as well as improving their communication skills.

Conclusion:

Interprofessional collaboration can result in improved learning around the management of patients with CKD or end-stage kidney disease.
Analysis of the Intrinsic Predictors of Oronasal Fistula in Primary Cleft Palate Repair Using Intravelar Veloplasty
Authors: Yi Chang Ryul , Kang Min Kyu , Oh Tae Suk
Published: April 2020

Introduction:

The purpose of the present study was to investigate various factors of cleft palate and to analyze their effect on fistula occurrence following palatal muscle repair using intravelar veloplasty.

Methods:

A retrospective review of patients who underwent palatoplasty was performed. Primary palatoplasty was performed by a single surgeon in a single center. A total of 165 patients who underwent palatoplasty were enrolled. Primary palatoplasty with levator veli palatini muscle repair using intravelar veloplasty was performed. Three extrinsic factors (age, gender, and body weight) and 6 intrinsic factors (cleft width, ratio of cleft width to intermaxillary tuberosity distance, cleft anterior margin shape, uvula position, cleft lip, and radical intravelar veloplasty) were analyzed.

Results:

Palatal fistula occurred in 11 (6.67%) patients. The occurrence of fistula was significantly correlated with a specific Veau classification, that is, type II ( P = .041). Fistula tended to occur more frequently with a wide cleft palate ( P = .063), and the high-risk cutoff value of the width was 7.75 mm.

Conclusions:

A larger cleft width tended to increase the occurrence of fistula. Close observation and information about the higher risk of fistula formation should be given to patients with a large cleft width who underwent intravelar veloplasty.
Gene-Based Clustering Algorithms: Comparison Between Denclue, Fuzzy-C, and BIRCH
Authors: Nwadiugwu Martin C
Published: April 2020

The current study seeks to compare 3 clustering algorithms that can be used in gene-based bioinformatics research to understand disease networks, protein-protein interaction networks, and gene expression data. Denclue, Fuzzy-C, and Balanced Iterative and Clustering using Hierarchies (BIRCH) were the 3 gene-based clustering algorithms selected. These algorithms were explored in relation to the subfield of bioinformatics that analyzes omics data, which include but are not limited to genomics, proteomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics data. The objective was to compare the efficacy of the 3 algorithms and determine their strength and drawbacks. Result of the review showed that unlike Denclue and Fuzzy-C which are more efficient in handling noisy data, BIRCH can handle data set with outliers and have a better time complexity.
Challenges in ADHD care for ethnic minority children: A review of the current literature
Authors: Slobodin Ortal , Masalha Rafik
Published: April 2020

While attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been extensively studied in the past decades, the role of social and cultural practices in its assessment, diagnosis, and treatment has been often overlooked. This selective review provides an overview of research that explores social and cultural influences on help-seeking behavior in ethnic minority children with ADHD. Studies were selected that address cultural diversity in three areas of ADHD help-seeking: problem recognition, access to mental health services, and treatment. Special attention was given to studies of treatment selection and adherence in minority groups. Findings suggested that cultural disparities in ADHD care among ethnic minority children occur in the early stages of problem recognition, through service selection, and in the quality of treatment. Ethnic minority children were less likely than their nonminority counterparts to be diagnosed with ADHD and its comorbid conditions and less likely to be prescribed and adhere to stimulant drug treatment. These differences reflect cultural diversity in norms and attitudes towards mental health issues (e.g., fear of social stigma) as well as limited access to qualified health care. Paradoxically, cultural, racial, and language bias may also lead to the overidentification of ethnic minority children as disabled and to higher ratings of ADHD symptoms. This review highlights the importance of sociocultural factors in understanding developmental psychopathology and help-seeking behavior. In addition, it further supports calls for increasing cultural competence in communications during clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment in minority communities. Clinical, theoretical, and methodological considerations for future research are discussed.
The concealed gift
Authors: Andre Alex
Published: April 2020

If homo economicus exists anywhere, surely he must be found among financial traders. Amid the shouting and shoving of trading pits and the manic clicking and phone slamming of electronic trading desks, the atomized, rational, self-interested agency of neoclassical economic theory appears to emerge. Ethnographers of traders have refuted atomism and instead proposed a socially embedded but still rational and self-interested agent: an embedded homo economicus. I take this critique a step further and argue that traders are neither rational nor self-interested. Certainly, traders present themselves as rational and self-interested, but a ‘thick’ understanding of their social performances and cultural forms proves otherwise. My analysis focuses on the practice of friendly betting among Chicago traders. Despite its competitive appearances, friendly betting constitutes a non-rational, non-self-interested system of gift exchange and evinces why the myth of embedded homo economicus is both beguiling and false. This conclusion cuts to fundamental issues of agency and practice, and calls for widespread scepticism of theories of rational self-interest. As neoclassical economic theory and market ideology spread around the globe and rational self-interest becomes increasingly normalized, we must be wary of confirmation bias and remember the old ethnographic principle that people aren’t always what they say they are.
Successful Aneurysmorrhaphy for a Giant Idiopathic Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm
Authors: Hong Son Phung Duy , Tu Vu Ngoc , Uoc Nguyen Huu , Vo Hoang-Long
Published: April 2020

Idiopathic aneurysm of pulmonary artery is a rare disorder with unclear pathology and mechanism. The indications for its surgical treatment are not clear, especially in cases with normal pulmonary pressure. We report the case of a 64-year-old man with a giant idiopathic aneurysm of the pulmonary artery (max diameter 97.3 mm). The patient successfully underwent surgical treatment with the aneurysmorrhaphy in our Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. The patient was extubated successfully within 6 hours of the operation and discharged hospital after 10 days. In cases with giant aneurysm of the pulmonary artery, the aneurysmorrhaphy may be considered as a safe and feasible choice.
From first concepts to Diasonograph: The role of product design in the first medical obstetric ultrasound machines in 1960s Glasgow
Authors: Macdonald Alastair S
Published: April 2020

In the late 1950s and early-to-mid-1960s, Glasgow led the world in the development of diagnostic obstetric ultrasound technology, the result of fortuitous collaboration between key individuals advancing the application of an industrial technology. Originally used to detect flaws in metal pressure vessels, the obstetrician Ian Donald, during his military service, reflected on how ultrasound could benefit his own field. Donald involved the engineer Tom Brown to tackle the technical challenges. Brown, in turn, employed a young graduating industrial designer, Dugald Cameron, to address the design, aesthetic and ergonomic aspects of these early engineering prototypes. While previous accounts of these developments have rightly celebrated the medical, technical engineering and imaging achievements of this innovative technology, the discussion of the role of the creative design expertise which addressed serious ergonomic, aesthetic and production manufacturing shortcomings of the first prototypes has been less coherent. This article relates, through key drawings, extracts from witness statements and discussions with Cameron himself, the key design decisions and features resulting in the Sundén and Diasonograph machines, the latter being the world’s first commercial production-series obstetric ultrasound machine, deployed in Glasgow hospitals and beyond.
Structural integrity of white matter tracts as a predictor of acute ischemic stroke outcome
Authors: Rajashekar Deepthi , Mouchès Pauline , Fiehler Jens , Menon Bijoy K , Goyal Mayank , Demchuk Andrew M , Hill Michael D , Dukelow Sean P , Forkert Nils D
Published: April 2020

Background and purpose

Clinical assessment scores in acute ischemic stroke are only moderately correlated with lesion volume since lesion location is an important confounding factor. Many studies have investigated gray matter indicators of stroke severity, but the understanding of white matter tract involvement is limited in the early phase after stroke. This study aimed to measure and model the involvement of white matter tracts with respect to 24-h post-stroke National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).

Material and methods

A total of 96 patients (50 females, mean age 66.4 ± 14.0 years, median NIHSS 5, interquartile range: 2–9.5) with follow-up fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging data sets acquired one to seven days after acute ischemic stroke onset due to proximal anterior circulation occlusion were included. Lesions were semi-automatically segmented and non-linearly registered to a common reference atlas. The lesion overlap and tract integrity were determined for each white matter tract in the AALCAT atlas and used to model NIHSS outcomes using a supervised linear-kernel support vector regression method, which was evaluated using leave-one-patient-out cross validation.

Results

The support vector regression model using the tract integrity and tract lesion overlap measurements predicted the 24-h NIHSS score with a high correlation value of r = 0.7. Using the tract overlap and tract integrity feature improved the modeling accuracy of NIHSS significantly by 6% (p < 0.05) compared to using overlap measures only.

Conclusion

White matter tract integrity and lesion load are important predictors for clinical outcome after an acute ischemic stroke as measured by the NIHSS and should be integrated for predictive modeling.
Deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Allen Lisa , Wilkinson Andrew
Published: April 2020

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common and serious condition with a substantial risk of morbidity and mortality for patients. A diagnosis of DVT affects both the physical health and psychosocial functioning of patients. It represents a significant cost to the NHS in both expenditure and resource allocation. Management should focus on early recognition, prompt referral and prevention of its associated complications. This article aims to provide relevant background knowledge about DVT with advice on assessment using a clinical risk tool and appropriate referral to secondary care.
Association between platelet count and osteoarthritis in women older than 50 years
Authors: Kwon Yu-Jin , Koh Il-Hyun , Chung Kwangho , Lee Yong-Jae , Kim Hyoung-Sik
Published: April 2020

Background:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease involving inflammatory processes. Platelets play important roles in both hemostasis and the inflammatory response; however, the relationship between platelet count and OA is unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the association between platelet count and knee and hip OA in Korean women.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional designed study, we included a total of 6011 women aged ⩾50 years from the 2010–2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Knee and hip OA were defined as Kellgren–Lawrence grade ⩾2 and presence of knee or hip pain, respectively. Platelet counts were divided into quartiles as follows: Q1, 150–212 (103/µl); Q2, 213–246 (103/µl); Q3, 247–283 (103/µl); and Q4, 284–450 (103/µl). Multiple logistic-regression analysis was conducted to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine the optimal platelet count cut-off with which to discriminate participants with knee and/hip OA versus those without OA.

Results:

Of the 6011 participants, 1141 (18.1%) had knee or hip OA. The mean age of participants without OA was 60.6 years, and that of participants with OA was 68.0 years. Compared with the lowest quartile, odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for OA were 1.08 (0.84–1.39) for Q2, 0.94 (0.73–1.23) for Q3, and 1.35 (1.08–1.69) for Q4 after adjusting for confounders. The prevalence of OA was significantly higher with platelet counts ⩾288 × 103/µl, compared with platelet counts <288 × 103/µl.

Conclusion:

High platelet counts within the normal range are significantly associated with knee and hip OA.
Achievement of European guideline-recommended lipid levels post-percutaneous coronary intervention: A population-level observational cohort study
Authors: Harris Daniel E , Lacey Arron , Akbari Ashley , Torabi Fatemeh , Smith Dave , Jenkins Geraint , Obaid Daniel , Chase Alex , Gravenor Mike , Halcox Julian
Published: April 2020

Aims

European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society 2019 guidelines recommend more aggressive lipid targets in high- and very high-risk patients and the addition of adjuvant treatments to statins in uncontrolled patients. We aimed to assess (a) achievement of prior and new European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society lipid targets and (b) lipid-lowering therapy prescribing in a nationwide cohort of very high-risk patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational population study using linked health data in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (2012–2017). Follow-up was for one-year post-discharge.

Results

Altogether, 10,071 patients had a documented LDL-C level, of whom 48% had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)<1.8 mmol/l (2016 target) and (23%) <1.4 mmol/l (2019 target). Five thousand three hundred and forty patients had non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) documented with 57% <2.6 mmol/l (2016) and 37% <2.2 mmol/l (2019). In patients with recurrent vascular events, fewer than 6% of the patients achieved the 2019 LDL-C target of <1.0 mmol/l. A total of 10,592 patients had triglyceride (TG) levels documented, of whom 14% were ≥2.3 mmol/l and 41% ≥1.5 mmol/l (2019). High-intensity statins were prescribed in 56.4% of the cohort, only 3% were prescribed ezetimibe, fibrates or prescription-grade N-3 fatty acids. Prescribing of these agents was lower amongst patients above target LDL-C, non-HDL-C and triglyceride levels. Females were more likely to have LDL-C, non-HDL-C and triglyceride levels above target.

Conclusion

There was a low rate of achievement of the new European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society lipid targets in this large post-percutaneous coronary intervention population and relatively low rates of intensive lipid-lowering therapy prescribing in those with uncontrolled lipids. There is considerable potential to optimise lipid-lowering therapy further through statin intensification and appropriate use of novel lipid-lowering therapy, especially in women.
Association between ideal cardiovascular health and risk of sudden cardiac death and all-cause mortality among middle-aged men in Finland
Authors: M Isiozor Nzechukwu , Kunutsor Setor K , Voutilainen Ari , Kurl Sudhir , Kauhanen Jussi , A Laukkanen Jari
Published: April 2020

Background

Strong associations have been demonstrated between the American Heart Association’s cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and various cardiovascular outcomes, but the association with sudden cardiac death (SCD) is uncertain. We examined the associations between these CVH metrics and the risks of SCD and all-cause mortality among men in Finland.

Methods and results

We used the prospective population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease cohort study, which consists of men between 42 and 60 years of age at baseline. CVH metrics were computed for 2577 men with CVH scores at baseline ranging from 0 to 7, categorized into CVH scores of 0–2 (poor), 3–4 (intermediate) and 5–7 (ideal). Multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of ideal CVH metrics for SCD and all-cause mortality. During a median follow-up period of 25.8 years, 280 SCDs and 1289 all-cause mortality events were recorded. The risks of SCD and all-cause mortality decreased continuously with increasing number of CVH metrics across the range 2–7 (p value for non-linearity for all <0.05). In multivariable analyses, men with an ideal CVH score had an 85% reduced risk of SCD compared with men with a poor CVH score (HR 0.15; 95% CI 0.05–0.48; p = 0.001). For all-cause mortality, there was a 67% lower risk among men with an ideal CVH score compared with those with a poor CVH score (HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.23–0.49; p <0.001).

Conclusions

Ideal CVH metrics were strongly and linearly associated with decreased risks of SCD and all-cause mortality among middle-aged men in Finland.