bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peace Movements and Religion in the United States
Authors: Nepstad Sharon Erickson
Published: November 2018

Religious groups in the United States have been active in the cause of peace, particularly in the 20th century. These groups come from a variety of traditions, such as progressive Catholicism, Reformed Judaism, mainline Protestantism, and the Historic Peace Churches (i.e., Quakers, Mennonites, and the Church of the Brethren). Under the broad umbrella of peace issues, religious movements have challenged U.S. foreign policies and intervention abroad, military training, the arms race, and conscription.

The Cold War generated significant faith-based organizing. At the close of World War II, there was growing concern about the nuclear arms race. The use of atomic weapons raised serious moral questions, and some religious activists believed that the indiscriminate and immense destructive capacity of these weapons rendered the Just War tradition obsolete. Religious movements challenged the nuclear arms race through a variety of campaigns, including noncooperation with city drill practices, interfering with nuclear testing, and damaging weapons. The Vietnam War also spurred a significant mobilization within U.S. religious communities. Radical Catholic groups began interfering with the conscription process by burning draft cards and destroying Selective Service files. More moderate religious groups were also active, primarily in promoting amnesty for draft resisters and through stockholder challenges that pressured corporations to stop producing weaponry. The Cold War battles in Central America in the 1980s were another major focus for religious peace movements, who organized delegations of U.S. citizens to travel to the war zones of Nicaragua to document and impede counterrevolutionary attacks against citizens. They also developed national networks of resistance to contest U.S. funding of authoritarian states in El Salvador and Guatemala and the training of these nations’ militaries. As the 20th century came to a close, an initiative was launched within the Historic Peace Churches to train volunteers in the art of nonviolent action and then send them to conflict zones to work with oppressed groups facing potentially lethal repression. These religious peace movements challenged faith communities to reflect on their ethical obligations and political commitments during periods of war and militarization.
American Narratives of Sin and Salvation
Authors: Gilpin W. Clark
Published: November 2018

Sin and salvation, as an interconnected pair of ideas, imply that human life as it is ordinarily lived has been diverted from its true good or distorted from its proper form. Taken together, these paired ideas thus imply a narrative of human transformation, a redemptive process that recovers human life from erroneous ways and reorients it toward an ultimate goal or a transcendent power through which life is fulfilled. Narratives of redemption from sin have taken many forms in the course of American history, but in considering any specific example it is useful to recognize its relationship to two especially common patterns. In some cases, the redemptive narrative is organized around a decisive personal experience, and autobiographical accounts of “conversion” that describe such transformative events are common in American religious literature. In other cases, the redemptive narrative accentuates the gradual process of shaping a way of life that incorporates an individual into the ongoing social practice of a community, through spiritual disciplines ranging from meditation and prayer to acts of public witness and compassion. In either of these versions, redemptive narratives frequently hinge on the reconciling work of a transcendent power, in which salvation represents the event or process that incorporates individual persons into a society or a natural order of existence that is itself the subject of a larger, even cosmic history of redemption. In all of these variations, American narratives of redemption have interacted with broader cultural ideas of human nature and the possibilities for human psychological and societal change.
Liberation Theologies in America
Authors: Nessan Craig L.
Published: November 2018

Liberation theologies employ action-reflection (praxis-oriented) methodologies in response to particular forms of oppression, normally consisting of five elements: 1) identification with particular forms of oppression and suffering, 2) prophetic critique of that condition, 3) social analysis of the causes of oppression and suffering, 4) biblical and theological engagement to address that suffering and overcome that oppression, and 5) advocacy of structural change toward a greater approximation of justice. Liberation theologies engage in intentional reflection upon particular experiences in which these five elements interact dynamically according to the forms of suffering and oppression specific to particular populations, historical experiences, and contexts.

Liberation theologies are contextual theologies, emerging in specific locations and times, and are formulated to address specific forms of suffering and oppression by employing methods of social analysis, which draw upon the sciences (especially the social sciences), and biblical-theological reflection, which draws upon Scripture, religious history, and doctrine. Because these theologies deal with the suffering and oppression of particular endangered groups, central to their concerns are the definition of the human; analysis of sin, especially structural sin that diminishes the worth and status of those in each particular group; and drawing upon theological resources to advocate justice for each oppressed group, including creation itself. Liberation theologies have been subject to affirmation and criticism in the theological literature since their emergence in the 1960s.

Major forms of liberation theology include Latin American liberation theology, black liberation theologies, feminist theologies, womanist theologies, Latina/o and mujerista theologies, Native American liberation theologies, LGBTQ+ liberation theologies, and ecojustice theologies. Liberation theologies in America frequently engage in solidarity with liberation theologies in other global contexts. Antecedents of liberation theologies include the abolitionist, social gospel, and women’s suffrage movements, among others.
Cultural Institutions of the Brazilian Empire
Authors: Schwarcz Lilia Katri Moritz
Published: November 2018

This article provides a larger panorama of the cultural politics of the Brazilian Empire during the 19th century and following the long Second Reign of Pedro II. The central figure of the emperor—as a kind of animator of cultural, scientific, and artistic life—and the conservative profile of the national movement are key issues. The article analyzes the development of the main professional schools of the country, which taught medicine (in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador) and law (in São Paulo and Recife), and also tells the story of the Historical and Geographical Institute and the origins of the museums of art in Rio de Janeiro, the former capital of the court, and scientific museums in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belém.
Corruption and the Governance of Disaster Risk
Authors: Alexander David
Published: November 2018

This article considers how corruption affects the management of disaster mitigation, relief, and recovery. Corruption is a very serious and pervasive issue that affects all countries and many operations related to disasters, yet it has not been studied to the degree that it merits. This is because it is difficult to define, hard to measure and difficult to separate from other issues, such as excessive political influence and economic mismanagement. Not all corruption is illegal, and not all of that which is against the law is vigorously pursued by law enforcement. In essence, corruption subverts public resources for private gain, to the damage of the body politic and people at large. It is often associated with political violence and authoritarianism and is a highly exploitative phenomenon. Corruption knows no boundaries of social class or economic status. It tends to be greatest where there are strong juxtapositions of extreme wealth and poverty.

Corruption is intimately bound up with the armaments trade. The relationship between arms supply and humanitarian assistance and support for democracy is complex and difficult to decipher. So is the relationship between disasters and organized crime. In both cases, disasters are seen as opportunities for corruption and potentially massive gains, achieved amid the fear, suffering, and disruption of the aftermath. In humanitarian emergencies, black markets can thrive, which, although they support people by providing basic incomes, do nothing to reduce disaster risk. In counties in which the informal sector is very large, there are few, and perhaps insufficient, controls on corruption in business and economic affairs.

Corruption is a major factor in weakening efforts to bring the problem of disasters under control. The solution is to reduce its impact by ensuring that transactions connected with disasters are transparent, ethically justifiable, and in line with what the affected population wants and needs. In this respect, the phenomenon is bound up with fundamental human rights. Denial or restriction of such rights can reduce a person’s access to information and freedom to act in favor of disaster reduction. Corruption can exacerbate such situations. Yet disasters often reveal the effects of corruption, for example, in the collapse of buildings that were not built to established safety codes.
Interventions for Adolescent Depression
Authors: Corcoran Jacqueline
Published: November 2018

Rates of depression increase during adolescence and may put youth at risk for suicidality, future episodes, and impaired functioning in multiple life domains. Increased vulnerability for depression during this stage may occur because it is when the cognitive capacity for personal reflection, abstract reasoning, and formal operational thought develop; depressive styles for attributing events may hence form, along with hopelessness about the future. However, other biological and social influences may also interact with the increased cognitive vulnerability. Latino ethnicity and female gender appear to exert particular influence. Treatment for adolescent depression includes medication (mainly Prozac and Zoloft), cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and family therapy. Medication and psychosocial treatment is also combined, particularly for treatment-resistant depression.
Strategies and Interventions for Improving School Attendance
Authors: Kim Johnny S. , Streeter Calvin L.
Published: November 2018

This article presents an overview of school absenteeism, truancy, and school refusal behaviors.

The various definitions of school truancy and absenteeism are described along with prevalence rates and correlates with school absenteeism. The article also discusses interventions and strategies that are empirically demonstrated as effective in helping school professionals increase school attendance. The article concludes by discussing ways to improve school attendance through multilevel interventions.
Addictions: Gambling
Authors: Nower Lia , Caler Kyle
Published: November 2018

Gambling disorder is a significant public health concern. The recent and continued proliferation of land-based and interactive gambling opportunities has increased both accessibility and acceptability of gambling in the United States and abroad, resulting in greater and more varied participation. However, there is currently no designated federal funding for prevention, intervention, treatment, or research, and states are left to adopt varying standards on an ad hoc basis. Social workers receive little or no training in screening or treating problem gamblers, though research suggests that a significant proportion of those with mental health and other addictive disorders also gamble excessively. Raising awareness about the nature and scope of gambling disorder and its devastating implications for families and children is a first-step toward integrating gambling into prevention, assessment and treatment education in social work. This, in turn, will increase the chances of early identification and intervention across settings and insure that social workers can lend a knowledgeable and credible voice to addressing this hidden addiction.
Global Community Practice
Authors: Pawar Manohar , Weil Marie
Published: November 2018

This article presents an integrated perspective and framework for global practice toward achieving the Global Agenda developed by international social work organizations. First, it presents “global practice” as a progressive, comprehensive, and future-oriented term that encompasses social work and social, economic, and sustainable development at multiple levels: local, national, regional, international, multinational, and global. Second, it discusses the origin and 21st-century understanding of the Global Agenda for social work. Third, it deliberates on ways of moving forward on the Global Agenda at multiple levels through an integrated perspectives framework consisting of global, ecological, human rights, and social development perspectives to guide practice. Finally, it concludes that global practice and the Global Agenda need to be translated into local-level social work and development practice and local-level agendas, making a case for social work and sustainable social development leadership and practice at grassroots and national levels.
Change in Metaphorical Framing: Metaphors of TRade in 225 Years of State of the Union Addresses (1790–2014)
Authors: Burgers Christian , Ahrens Kathleen
Published: November 2018

The literature provides diverging perspectives on the universality and stability of economic metaphors over time. This article contains a diachronic analysis of economic metaphors describing trade in a corpus of 225 years of US State of the Union addresses (1790–2014). We focused on two types of change: (i) replacement of a source domain by another domain and (ii) change in mapping within a source domain. In our corpus, five source domains of trade were predominant: (i) PhysicalObject, (ii) Building, (iii) Container, (iv) Journey, and (v) LivingBeing. Only the relative frequency of the Container source domain was related to time. Additionally, mappings between source and target domains were mostly stable. Nevertheless, our analyses suggest that the Trade metaphors in our corpus are related to concreteness in a more nuanced way as typically assumed in conceptual metaphor theory: metaphors high in the concreteness dimension of physicality and low in the concreteness dimension of specificity are likeliest to be used over longer time periods, by providing communicators with freedom to adjust the metaphor to changing societal circumstances.
Genetic Neural Networks: an artificial neural network architecture for capturing gene expression relationships
Authors: Eetemadi Ameen , Tagkopoulos Ilias
Published: November 2018

Motivation

Gene expression prediction is one of the grand challenges in computational biology. The availability of transcriptomics data combined with recent advances in artificial neural networks provide an unprecedented opportunity to create predictive models of gene expression with far reaching applications.

Results

We present the Genetic Neural Network (GNN), an artificial neural network for predicting genome-wide gene expression given gene knockouts and master regulator perturbations. In its core, the GNN maps existing gene regulatory information in its architecture and it uses cell nodes that have been specifically designed to capture the dependencies and non-linear dynamics that exist in gene networks. These two key features make the GNN architecture capable to capture complex relationships without the need of large training datasets. As a result, GNNs were 40% more accurate on average than competing architectures (MLP, RNN, BiRNN) when compared on hundreds of curated and inferred transcription modules. Our results argue that GNNs can become the architecture of choice when building predictors of gene expression from exponentially growing corpus of genome-wide transcriptomics data.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/IBPA/GNN

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
DeepCrystal: a deep learning framework for sequence-based protein crystallization prediction
Authors: Elbasir Abdurrahman , Moovarkumudalvan Balasubramanian , Kunji Khalid , Kolatkar Prasanna R , Mall Raghvendra , Bensmail Halima
Published: November 2018

Motivation

Protein structure determination has primarily been performed using X-ray crystallography. To overcome the expensive cost, high attrition rate and series of trial-and-error settings, many in-silico methods have been developed to predict crystallization propensities of proteins based on their sequences. However, the majority of these methods build their predictors by extracting features from protein sequences, which is computationally expensive and can explode the feature space. We propose DeepCrystal, a deep learning framework for sequence-based protein crystallization prediction. It uses deep learning to identify proteins which can produce diffraction-quality crystals without the need to manually engineer additional biochemical and structural features from sequence. Our model is based on convolutional neural networks, which can exploit frequently occurring k-mers and sets of k-mers from the protein sequences to distinguish proteins that will result in diffraction-quality crystals from those that will not.

Results

Our model surpasses previous sequence-based protein crystallization predictors in terms of recall, F-score, accuracy and Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC) on three independent test sets. DeepCrystal achieves an average improvement of 1.4, 12.1% in recall, when compared to its closest competitors, Crysalis II and Crysf, respectively. In addition, DeepCrystal attains an average improvement of 2.1, 6.0% for F-score, 1.9, 3.9% for accuracy and 3.8, 7.0% for MCC w.r.t. Crysalis II and Crysf on independent test sets.

Availability and implementation

The standalone source code and models are available at https://github.com/elbasir/DeepCrystal and a web-server is also available at https://deeplearning-protein.qcri.org.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Comparison of Amyloid β and Tau Spread Models in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Kim Hang-Rai , Lee Peter , Seo Sang Won , Roh Jee Hoon , Oh Minyoung , Oh Jungsu S , Oh Seung Jun , Kim Jae Seung , Jeong Yong
Published: November 2018

Tau and amyloid β (Aβ), 2 key pathogenic proteins in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), reportedly spread throughout the brain as the disease progresses. Models of how these pathogenic proteins spread from affected to unaffected areas had been proposed based on the observation that these proteins could transmit to other regions either through neural fibers (transneuronal spread model) or through extracellular space (local spread model). In this study, we modeled the spread of tau and Aβ using a graph theoretical approach based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We tested whether these models predict the distribution of tau and Aβ in the brains of AD spectrum patients. To assess the models’ performance, we calculated spatial correlation between the model-predicted map and the actual map from tau and amyloid positron emission tomography. The transneuronal spread model predicted the distribution of tau and Aβ deposition with significantly higher accuracy than the local spread model. Compared with tau, the local spread model also predicted a comparable portion of Aβ deposition. These findings provide evidence of transneuronal spread of AD pathogenic proteins in a large-scale brain network and furthermore suggest different contributions of spread models for tau and Aβ in AD.
The Epidemiology of Herpes Zoster in the United States During the Era of Varicella and Herpes Zoster Vaccines: Changing Patterns Among Children
Authors: Harpaz Rafael , Leung Jessica W
Published: November 2018

Varicella vaccination can have complex direct and indirect influences on the epidemiology of herpes zoster among children. We evaluated pediatric herpes zoster trends using administrative databases. The incidence has declined in a step-wise pattern since the varicella vaccination program’s introduction, suggesting that rates may eventually decline in the entire population.
Respiratory syncytial virus F and G protein core fragments fused to HBsAg-binding protein (SBP) induce a Th1-dominant immune response without vaccine-enhanced disease
Authors: Khan Inam Ullah , Ahmad Farooq , Zhang Shuren , Lu Panpan , Wang Jingbo , Xie Jun , Zhu Naishuo
Published: November 2018

The induction of a dominant Th2-type response is the main cause of harmful inflammation in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine trials. A balanced Th1 versus Th2 immune response is needed for a safe and effective RSV vaccine. In this study, we evaluated the potential of a recombinant protein SBP-FG as a vaccine candidate with the main focus on shifting the harmful Th2 response to a Th1 response. SBP-FG consists of epitopes from RSV fusion (F) and attachment (G) proteins conjugated to the N-terminus of HBsAg-binding protein (SBP). SBP-FG induced significantly stronger immune responses assessed at the level of total IgG, IgA and neutralizing antibodies as compared with formalin-inactivated RSV (FI-RSV) and live RSV. Analysis of IgG isotypes, lung cytokines and T helper cells showed that SBP-FG induced a dominant Th1-type response. Further, SBP-FG immunized mice showed significantly reduced lung eosinophilia, reduced viral multiplication in lungs after challenge infection and provided protection against RSV infection. These results suggest that SBP-FG can be developed into a safe and effective vaccine against RSV. However, more studies are required to further evaluate SBP-FG as a potent vaccine candidate against RSV.
Extended-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy for cervical cancer with para-aortic lymph nodes metastasis
Authors: Liu Xiaoliang , Wang Weiping , Meng Qingyu , Zhang Fuquang , Hu Ke
Published: November 2018

Objective

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of extended-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy in patients with cervical cancer with positive para-aortic lymph nodes (PALN).

Methods

From September 2007 to December 2014, a total of 59 patients who had cervical cancer with para-aortic lymph node metastasis were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy at our institution. A dose of 45–50.4 Gy in 25–28 fractions with extended-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy was prescribed to planning target volume, and a dose of 30–36 Gy in 5–6 fractions was prescribed to Point A with high-dose-rate brachytherapy. A concurrent first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimen was used.

Results

The median duration of follow-up was 32.1 months (range, 3.2–103.7 months). The 2- and 3-year overall survival, disease-free survival and local control rates were 69.0 and 52.8%, 45.0 and 41.3% and 83.4 and 81.0%, respectively. Distant metastasis was the major pattern of treatment failure, which occurred in 26 patients (44.1%). The incidence of Grade 3 or greater acute hematologic, gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity was 50.9, 1.7 and 3.4%, respectively. Only one patient had both Grade 3 late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity.

Conclusions

The study found that extended-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy was safe and effective in patients who had cervical cancer with positive PALN.
Theorizing Fundamental Music/Dance Interactions in Salsa
Authors: Simpson-Litke Rebecca , Stover Chris
Published: November 2018

Communication between music and dance can take many forms. In salsa, this communication begins with and builds upon two simple but crucial criteria: for music, a metric-rhythmic foundation based on clave and other essential performance strata, and for dance, the flow and metric orientation of one of three basic footwork patterns. Most of the rich complexity of music, dance, and their interaction stems from these fundamental gestures. In this article we analyze the basic structures of salsa music and dance, theorize how they interact, and investigate three scenarios where dancers have to make decisions about how to attend to musical features via their footwork orientations.
An intermediate-velocity H i cloud falling to the galactic disk; Possible evidence for low-metallicity H i gas originating outside the galactic disk
Authors: Fukui Yasuo , Koga Masako , Maruyama Shohei , Hayakawa Takahiro , Okamoto Ryuji , Yamamoto Hiroaki , Tachihara Kengo , Shelton Robin , Sasaki Manami
Published: November 2018

We found that an intermediate-velocity cloud (IVC), IVC 86−36, in H i 21 cm emission shows a head–tail distribution toward the Galactic plane with marked parallel filamentary streamers, which is extended over 40° in the sky. The distance of IVC 86−36 is constrained to be less than ∼3 kpc from absorption of a background star as determined from optical spectroscopy. There is a bridge feature in velocity between the IVC and the local interstellar medium with velocity separation of ∼50 km s−1, which may indicate dynamical interaction of the IVC with the disk. If the interaction is correct, the distance estimate d of the IVC ranges from 200 pc to 3 kpc, and the mass of the IVC head is estimated to be $7\times 10^3(d/1\:\mbox{kpc})^2\, M_{\odot }$. The IVC shares similar properties to the Smith Cloud located at 12 kpc, including the head–tail distribution, streamers, and bridge feature, while the mass of the IVC is less than ∼0.1 of the Smith Cloud. A comparison between the H i and the Planck/IRAS dust emission indicates that the dust emission of IVC 86−36 is not detectable in spite of its H i column density of 2 × 1020 cm−2, indicating a low metallicity for IVC 86−36, reduced by a factor of $\lesssim \!\!0.2$ as compared with the solar neighbor. We conclude that IVC 86−38 is an infalling cloud which likely originated in the low-metallicity environment of the Galactic halo or the Magellanic system.
Trends in Postoperative Opioid Prescribing in Outpatient Pediatric Surgery
Authors: Donohoe Gabrielle C , Zhang Bingqing , Mensinger Janell L , Litman Ronald S
Published: November 2018

Objective

To determine trends in opioid prescribing for home use after pediatric outpatient surgery.

Design

Retrospective analysis of a de-identified database.

Setting

Multispecialty children’s hospital and freestanding surgery centers.

Patients, Participants

A total of 65,190 encounters of pediatric outpatient surgeries from 2013 through 2017 for nine different surgical specialties. Patients in the cardiothoracic service and nonpainful procedures were excluded.

Main

Outcome Measures. Incidence rate of prescribing, dose, number of doses available (i.e., duration of therapy), and maximum weight-based home opioid availability from 2013 to 2017. Additional independent variables included sex, age, weight, race/ethnicity, insurance type (private vs public), and surgical service.

Results

The incidence rate of receiving a take-home opioid prescription at discharge ranged from 18% to 21% between 2013 and 2017, with no clear directional trend. Among patients prescribed opioids, however, the maximum available take-home dose steadily declined from 2013 through 2017 (P < 0.001). This was due to both a decrease in the number of doses prescribed (i.e., duration of treatment) and, beginning in 2015, the amount per dose. Females were more likely to receive an opioid than males, and patients with public insurance were more likely to receive an opioid than those with private insurance. Opioid prescribing was more likely in patients who did not disclose their ethnicity and those of ethnic minority compared with white patients (all P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The rate of receiving a take-home opioid prescription and the dose prescribed remained stable from 2013 to 2017, but the duration of treatment steadily declined, and beginning in 2015, the amount per dose also decreased. Certain subgroups of patients were more likely to be prescribed opioids and will require further investigation and confirmation.
Comparison of Effects of Manual and Mechanical Airway Clearance Techniques on Intracranial Pressure in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury on a Ventilator: Randomized, Crossover Trial
Authors: Tomar Gaurav Singh , Singh Gyaninder Pal , Bithal Parmod , Upadhyay Ashish Datt , Chaturvedi Arvind
Published: November 2018

Background

Physical therapist intervention can play a significant role in the prevention of mechanical and infectious complications in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are mechanically ventilated.

Objective

The objective of this study was to observe and compare the effects of manual and mechanical airway clearance techniques on intracranial pressure (ICP) and hemodynamics in patients with severe TBI.

Design

The design was a prospective, randomized, crossover trial.

Setting

The setting was a neurointensive care unit at a level 1 trauma center.

Patients

Forty-six adult patients aged 18 to 75 years, of either sex, with severe TBI, receiving mechanical ventilatory support with continuous ICP monitoring, and undergoing regular airway clearance techniques participated in this study.

Intervention

Two techniques were performed by a single trained physical therapist. Treatment A was a manual chest percussion technique and treatment B used a mechanical chest wall vibrator. Each treatment was applied for 10 minutes alternately, separated by an interval of 4 hours.

Measurements

ICP was measured from the start of intervention to 10 minutes postintervention. Secondary measurements included cerebral perfusion pressure, heart rate, mean arterial pressure (each from the start of the intervention until 10 minutes postintervention at 1-minute intervals), and arterial blood gas parameters (from just before the start of the intervention and 10 minutes postintervention).

Results

The increases in mean (95% CI) intracranial pressure of 2.4 (1.4–3.4) and 1.0 (0.2–1.8) mmHg, during and after the intervention with treatment A, respectively, were statistically significantly higher than for treatment B, irrespective of sequence. In contrast, a mean heart rate rise of 6.4 (3.3–9.5) beats/min and mean arterial pressure rise of 5.3 (2.0–8.6) mmHg were significantly higher only during the intervention phase of treatment A compared with treatment B. Peak mean values of ICP, heart rate, and arterial pressure were also significantly higher during treatment A. However, mean values of cerebral perfusion pressure or its degree of change were statistically comparable in both treatment groups.

Limitations

Patients with high baseline ICP values (>20 mmHg) were excluded, and, because of the crossover design, the effect of individual technique on final (long-term) neurological or respiratory outcomes could not be studied.

Conclusion

Manual chest percussion technique in patients with severe TBI was associated with statistically significant transient increases in ICP and hemodynamics, compared with the mechanical method. However, such transient increases in ICP by either technique were not clinically relevant in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI without intracranial hypertension on a mechanical ventilator.
H1N1 in the ‘A1 Empire’: Pandemic Influenza, Military Medicine, and the British Transition from War to Peace, 1918–1920
Authors: Harris James J
Published: November 2018

The article reexamines the history of the 1918–19 influenza pandemic to better place it in its war-time context. Using Britain as a case study, the essay examines how British military medicine took a leading role in studying and developing a (still largely ineffective) public health response to the epidemic, whereas domestic public health leaders did almost nothing to stem the spread of the pandemic due to the impact measures such as quarantine would have had on the war effort. The article ends by briefly considering how the pandemic affected efforts to restore Britain to ‘normalcy’ during the immediate post-war recovery. In so doing, this essay further argues how it is essential to consider the deep connections between the Great War and the influenza pandemic not simply as concurrent or consecutive crises, but more deeply intertwined.
Snakebite Mitigation Project of the Madras Crocodile Bank/Centre for Herpetology, India: background and a brief summary of activities
Authors: Whitaker Romulus
Published: November 2018

Snakebite is a serious problem in rural India where several highly venomous species are commonly found in and around agricultural areas where prey such as rodents and amphibians are abundant. Four snake species, referred to as the Big Four, are responsible for the most serious and fatal bites: spectacled cobra (Naja naja), Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii), common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) and saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus). A polyvalent antivenom is made to treat these bites but public awareness and distribution of this life-saving drug is inadequate. The Madras Crocodile Bank and its partners are conducting a snakebite project which includes venom sampling and research, snake and snakebite treatment centre mapping, and a nationwide awareness campaign for snakebite mitigation.
Safe Surgery Globally By 2030: The Essential Role of Anesthesia, The View From Obstetrics
Authors: Shaw D. , Christilaw J. , Munjanja S.P.
Published: November 2018

(Anesth Analg. 2018;126:1109–1111)

Although meaningful progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality, the Millennium Development Goal of a 75% reduction in maternal mortality is still to be met, with many of the deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The authors of the present editorial discussed Global Surgery 2030, which was commissioned by the Lancet and published in 2015, to identify barriers to safe obstetric surgery, training anesthesia providers, providing regional versus general anesthesia, and the use of cesarean delivery in low-income countries (LICs).
Aspirin for the Prevention of Preterm and Term Preeclampsia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Roberge S. , Bujold E. , Nicolaides K.H.
Published: November 2018

(Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;218(3):287–293)

Preeclampsia is a major contributor of maternal and fetal morbidity and death, especially in the case of preterm births. Numerous studies have investigated the effect of prophylactic aspirin in the prevention of preeclampsia; however, the results have been contradictory. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aspirin in preventing preeclampsia at term and preterm in relation to gestational age at onset of treatment as well as the therapeutic dose.
Placenta Accreta Spectrum
Authors: Silver R.M. , Branch D.W.
Published: November 2018

(N Engl J Med. 2018;378:1529–1536)

Placenta accreta spectrum, also known as morbidly adherent placenta, refers to an abnormal adherence of the placenta trophoblast to the uterine myometrium, which can lead to severe bleeding, multisystem organ failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, need for admission to an intensive care unit, hysterectomy, and death. It results from the absence of a normal decidua basalis, usually from surgical trauma, and its incidence has increased during the past decades, along with increasing rates of cesarean delivery (increased by a factor of 8 since the 1970s). The potential for bleeding correlates with the degree to which the placenta has invaded the myometrium, the area of abnormal adherence involved, and the presence or absence of invasion into extrauterine tissues, such as the bladder or parametrial tissues. It is an important contributor to maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States.
Association of the Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Provision With Prenatal Care Use and Birth Outcomes
Authors: Daw J.R. , Sommers B.D.
Published: November 2018

(JAMA. 2018;319(6):579–587)

Since 2010, young adults up to age 26 in the United States have been extended dependent coverage from their parent’s health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Nearly one-third of births in the United States are to women between ages 19 to 25. These changes could lead to improved prenatal care use and neonatal outcomes, compared with uninsured women who become eligible for Medicaid pregnancy benefits. This study aimed to investigate whether this dependent coverage provision of the ACA was associated with changes in birth outcomes, utilization of prenatal care, or payment methods for birth.
Contribution of Maternal Age, Medical, and Obstetric History to Maternal and Perinatal Morbidity/Mortality for Women Aged 35 or Older
Authors: Morris J.M. , Totterdell J. , Bin Y.S. , Ford J.B. , Roberts C.L.
Published: November 2018

(Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2018;58:91–97)

Pregnancy at advanced maternal age (defined as 35 y or greater at the time of birth) is becoming more common due to advanced fertility and contraceptive techniques and changing sociocultural trends. Pregnancy complications have been reported to occur at a higher rate in these women, including fetal chromosomal abnormalities, gestational diabetes, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. It is established that chromosomal abnormalities are directly related to maternal age. The other complications, however, have also generally been attributed to advanced maternal age with limited consideration given to whether the women’s medical history and previous pregnancies might contribute to the increased risk of these complications. The goal of this study was to determine the frequency of severe maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in women of advanced maternal age, on the basis of preexisting medical conditions and prior pregnancy complications, and to assess whether maternal age independently affected the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Health Care Utilization, Induced Labour and Cesarean Section in the Pregnancy After Stillbirth: A Prospective Study
Authors: Gravensteen I.K. , Jacobsen E.M. , Sandset P.M. , Helgadottir L.B. , Rådestad I. , Sandvik L. , Ekeberg Ø.
Published: November 2018

(BJOG. 2018;125:202–210)

In Norway, there are no national antenatal care guidelines concerning women with previous stillbirths. According to a recent international survey, pregnant patients who had previously delivered a stillbirth had additional ultrasounds and visits. Previous studies demonstrated increased rates of induced labor, preterm birth, forceps delivery, and cesarean delivery in pregnancies after unexplained stillbirth. The cause of these findings is unknown. This study aimed to investigate induced labor, cesarean delivery, and health care utilization in patients with a previous stillbirth and assess if anxiety and dread of childbirth may be possible causes of the increased cesarean rate and increased frequency of antenatal visits.
The Relationship Between Women’s Intention to Request a Labor Epidural Analgesia, Actually Delivering With Labor Epidural Analgesia, and Postpartum Depression at 6 Weeks: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Orbach-Zinger S. , Landau R. , Harousch A.B. , Ovad O. , Caspi L. , Kornilov E. , Ioscovich A. , Bracco D. , Davis A. , Fireman S. , Hoshen M. , Eidelman L.A.
Published: November 2018

(Anesth Analg. 2018;126:1590–1597)

At the Beilinson Campus of the Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva, Israel, a proportion of women who intend to deliver with labor epidural analgesia (LEA) are often unable to receive it due to a lack of available nursing staff, labor rooms, or anesthesiologists at the time of request. As there is no study to date that has specifically examined the relationship between birth plan, satisfaction with LEA, and development of postpartum depression (PPD), the authors of the present study examined the impact of delivering without analgesia when such was not the intended plan. They hypothesized that the PPD rate at 6 weeks would be highest among women who intended to deliver with LEA but who actually delivered without.
Labor Analgesia as a Predictor for Reduced Postpartum Depression Scores: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Lim G. , Farrell L.M. , Facco F.L. , Gold M.S. , Wasan A.D.
Published: November 2018

(Anesth Analg. 2018;126:1598–1605)

There is an established association between chronic pain and depression in nonobstetric populations. However, only a few studies in obstetric patients have examined the possible association between labor pain and postpartum depression (PPD), the latter of which places mothers and infants at risk for suicide, infanticide, and developmental/behavioral problems. Consequently, the authors of the present study assess whether or not the use of effective epidural analgesia during labor is associated with reduced PPD symptomatology.
Looking Beyond the Pain: Can Effective Labor Analgesia Prevent the Development of Postpartum Depression?
Authors: Toledo P. , Miller E.S. , Wisner K.L.
Published: November 2018

(Anesth Analg. 2018;126:1448–1450)

There is emerging evidence of an association among acute postpartum pain, chronic pain, and postpartum depression (PPD). Authors of this editorial discuss the relationship of pain during labor and delivery to PPD found in recent studies. In 2014, Ding et al found the use of labor epidural analgesia to be associated with a reduced risk of PPD [odds ratio, 0.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12-0.79]. However, this observational study was limited by potential misclassification bias and uncontrolled confounding. A 2018 study by Orbach-Zinger et al found that the rate of PPD among women who intended to use epidural analgesia but delivered without was not different compared with all other groups. In secondary analysis, they found that the relative risk of PPD was, in fact, higher among women who ultimately received epidural analgesia than those who did not use epidural analgesia (risk difference, 7.2%; 95% CI, 2.3%-12.1%). The authors acknowledged that unplanned epidural analgesia may be an indicator for physiologically difficult delivery. Lim et al examined the relationship between quality of intrapartum analgesia and PPD, finding an inverse association between greater improvements in pain and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores. Although the effect of labor analgesia on the scores was found to be relatively small, worse labor analgesia was significantly associated with positive score screen (adjusted odds ratio, 6.6; 95% CI, 1.9-22.4).
Relaxation of the One Child Policy and Trends in Cesarean Section Rates and Birth Outcomes in China Between 2012 and 2016: Observational Study of Nearly 7 Million Health Facility Births
Authors: Liang J. , Mu Y. , Li X. , Tang W. , Wang Y. , Liu Z. , Huang X. , Scherpbier R.W. , Guo S. , Li M. , Dai L. , Deng K. , Deng C. , Li Q. , Kang L. , Zhu J. , Ronsmans C.
Published: November 2018

(BMJ. 2018;360:k817)

Overuse of cesarean sections throughout the world is a cause of concern due to the potential adverse health effects on the mother and the child. In China, between 2008 and 2014, the cesarean section rate increased from 29% to 35%, although wide variations among provinces existed. To address this issue, the Chinese government introduced various policies and programs at central, provincial, district, county, and hospital levels in an attempt to decrease the rate. As a result, cesarean section rates started to decline, particularly in large urban areas, for example, from 60% in 2009 to 43% in 2014 in Beijing. An important societal change occurred within the country in 2013 when China relaxed its one child policy. The present study examined how the relaxation of the one child policy as well as the introduction of policies to reduce cesarean sections might have affected trends in cesarean section rates and perinatal and pregnancy related mortality rates in hospitals in China between 2012 and 2016.
Racial Disparities in Comorbidity and Severe Maternal Morbidity/Mortality in the United States: An Analysis of Temporal Trends
Authors: Metcalfe A. , Wick J. , Ronksley P.
Published: November 2018

(Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2018;97:89–96)

In the United States, there has been a temporal increase in the incidence of severe maternal morbidity and mortality (MMM) over the past several years. In fact, between 1998 and 2009 severe maternal morbidity occurring during hospitalization for delivery increased by 75%. However, this increase has not been consistent across all racial groups. The current population-based study aimed to demonstrate the racial disparities in maternal comorbidities and severe maternal morbidity/mortality.
Improved Neonatal Outcome After Active Management of Prolonged Pregnancies Beyond 41+2 Weeks in Nulliparous, But Not Among Multiparous Women
Authors: Lindegren L. , Stuart A. , Herbst A. , Källén K.
Published: November 2018

(Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2017;96:1467–1474)

Postterm pregnancies (defined as ≥42+0 wk) are associated with increased risks of adverse fetal and maternal outcomes, with some studies reporting that infants of primiparous women have a higher risk of adverse outcomes when compared with infants of multiparous women in the setting of postterm pregnancy. Therefore, many national guidelines recommend induction before or at the latest at 42+0 weeks of gestation. However, Sweden lacks any guidelines regarding induction for prolonged pregnancies. This study aimed to assess obstetric management in prolonged pregnancies in Sweden, by comparing maternal and fetal outcomes depending on the timing of delivery in primiparous and multiparous women.
Association Between Inadequate Antenatal Care Utilization and Severe Perinatal and Maternal Morbidity: An Analysis in the PreCARE Cohort
Authors: Linard M. , Blondel B. , Estellat C. , Deneux-Tharaux C. , Luton D. , Oury J.F. , Schmitz T. , Mandelbrot L. , Azria E.
Published: November 2018

(BJOG. 2018;125:587–595)

While antenatal care has been thought to be beneficial to women since its inception more than a century ago, it is difficult to evaluate modern antenatal care as both patients and providers are reluctant to take part in randomized trials. The associations between antenatal care utilization and severe maternal and perinatal morbidity have not been extensively investigated, in part due to the many confounding factors to be considered. Because of this lack of evidence, there are vastly differing recommendations worldwide. This study aimed to assess the association between the adequacy of antenatal care utilization and severe maternal and perinatal morbidity (SMM and SPM) in France.
Airway Changes Following Labor and Delivery in Preeclamptic Parturients: A Prospective Case Control Study
Authors: Ahuja P. , Jain D. , Bhardwaj N. , Jain K. , Gainder S. , Kang M.
Published: November 2018

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2018;33:17–22)

Pregnancy-related changes impact airway management in obstetric anesthesia and this can be especially challenging in unplanned, urgent situations when there is less time available for anesthetic preparation. Though preeclampsia is associated with more airway edema than in normal pregnancy, it is not clear whether these changes worsen further during labor and delivery. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate and compare airway changes in preeclamptic and normotensive parturients during labor and delivery.
The Accuracy of a Handheld Ultrasound Device for Neuraxial Depth and Landmark Assessment: A Prospective Cohort Trial
Authors: Seligman K.M. , Weiniger C.F. , Carvalho B.
Published: November 2018

(Anesth Analg. 2018;126:1995–1998)

Widespread use of neuraxial ultrasound may be limited by technical expertise, as blocks are usually performed using body surface landmarks to guide the epidural needle insertion point. A wireless handheld ultrasound (US) device with pattern recognition software programmed to calculate depth to the epidural space and identify bony landmarks has been developed (Accuro, Rivanna Medical, Charlottesville, VA) (AU). In the present study, the authors evaluated the accuracy of this device for neuraxial depth and landmark assessment.