bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social justice implications for educational psychologists working with orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa
Authors: Pillay Jace
Published: December 2019

The aim of this article is to discuss the social justice implications for educational psychologists working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) who comprise 3.7 million of the population in South Africa. The author begins with a global conceptualisation of social justice and then discusses the nature of social justice in South Africa. This is followed by an exploration of social justice within the discipline of educational psychology and how it would apply to the contexts of OVC, especially taking their psychosocial and educational challenges into consideration. These challenges allude to the point that educational psychologists have to be active agents of social justice who advocate for better learning and development opportunities for OVC to succeed in life. Thus, the social justice implications for educational psychologists working with OVC are discussed. In concluding, the author points out the global value of this article noting that OVC and educational psychologists are prevalent across the globe.
Cultural humility as a form of social justice: Promising practices for global school psychology training
Authors: Fisher Emily S.
Published: December 2019

In an increasingly diverse global context in which school psychologists strive to ensure appropriate educational services for all, addressing social injustice is critical. Cultural humility can serve as a link between cultural diversity and social justice, providing a deep awareness that allows school psychologists to understand themselves and their interactions with diverse students and families. Additionally, cultural humility provides a lens for framing advocacy necessary to address social justice concerns. This article reviews the literature on cultural humility and suggests promising practices for training school psychologists as culturally humble practitioners.
Noncardiac surgery in patients with a left ventricular assist device
Authors: Puri Archana , Tobin Raj , Bhattacharjee Shameek , Kapoor Mukul Chandra
Published: December 2019

Left ventricular assist devices are implanted in patients with chronic left heart failure refractory to maximal medical therapy. These devices were initially meant as bridge-to-transplant therapy, but with technological advances they are now also used as destination therapy. With improved survival, many patients with implanted devices need noncardiac surgery. We present three representative cases of noncardiac surgery in such patients to highlight the issues involved in their management. We also review the contemporary literature on various aspects of perioperative management. Anesthesia for noncardiac surgery in these patients was initially the domain of cardiac anesthesiologists, but with an increasing number of such patients needing surgery, general anesthesiologists are frequently tasked to provide anesthetic care. An understanding of left ventricular assist device physiology and issues unique to these patients is essential for safe management of these cases.
Reporting and handling of equivocal imaging findings in diagnostic studies of bone metastasis in prostate cancer
Authors: Petersen Lars J , Johansen Martin N , Strandberg Jesper , Stenholt Louise , Zacho Helle D
Published: December 2019

Background

Equivocal scanning results occur. It remains unclear how these results are presented and their management influence diagnostic characteristics.

Purpose

To investigate the reporting and handling of equivocal imaging findings in diagnostic studies of bone metastases, and to assess the impact on diagnostic performance of the methods used to analyze equivocal findings. The conceptual issue was reified based on two actual observations.

Material and Methods

A recent meta-analysis of bone metastases in prostate cancer was conducted and data were obtained from a large clinical trial with a true reference of bone metastasis, where diagnostic characteristics were calculated with equivocal scans handled by: removal; considered malignant; considered benign; and intention-to-diagnose.

Results

The meta-analysis included 18 trials where the median proportion of reported equivocal results was 27%. Eleven (61%) studies reported an equivocal option for the index test, 42% reported equivocal results and described how these were analyzed. The clinical trial included 583 prostate cancer patients with 20% equivocal results. The different methods of managing equivocal findings resulted in highly variable outcomes: sensitivity = 85%–100%; specificity = 78%–99%; and positive and negative predictive values = 44%–94% and 97%–100%, respectively. The diagnostic performances obtained using the four methods were differentially susceptible to the proportion of equivocal imaging findings and the prevalence of bone metastases.

Conclusion

Reporting of equivocal results was inadequate in bone imaging trials. The handling of equivocal findings strongly influenced diagnostic accuracy.
Evidence-based practice in relation to post-adoption support in educational settings
Authors: Stother Andi , Woods Kevin , McIntosh Sarah
Published: December 2019

This article presents a critical review of research into post-adoption support in educational settings using a rigorous systematic methodology. This is an important topic as effective support services at every stage can be transformative to adopted children’s school experiences and achievements. Relevant studies were found to be limited in number and methodological quality. Aspects of effective support identified across 11 studies were classified under four themes: strategies for support; shared understanding; communication; and monitoring. These themes can inform collaborative planning to meet adoptive children’s needs and could be introduced to school staff and adoptive parents through joint training. We propose that co-ordinated interdisciplinary research that focuses on the views of children and young people is required to meet the requirements of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and make effective use of funding provided at both organisational and school levels.
From information, to data, to knowledge – Digital Scholarship Centers: An emerging transdisciplinary digital knowledge and research methods integrator in academic and research libraries
Authors: Wang Zheng (John) , Wang Xuemao
Published: December 2019

In this essay, the authors will discuss the similarities and differences of knowledge management and librarianship. They will propose and articulate the emerging role of academic and research libraries as the integrators of digital knowledge and research methods among academic enterprises, a role which they believe will transform librarians to knowledge professionals. The authors will try to answer or stimulate further discussion of multi-dimensional and provocative questions such as: What are the critical differences between knowledge management and library and information science? Will emerging functions or services, such as digital scholarship centers and research data management practices, allow academic and research libraries to more fully perform the functions of knowledge management? Will libraries’ emerging role in the knowledge creation ecosystem help define their new value proposition, from a collection-centric to knowledge-centric service model? How should libraries position library-based digital scholarship centers to be digital integrators for enterprise-wide digital learning, research, and knowledge creation?
Factors Associated With an Increased Risk of Recurrence After a First-Time Patellar Dislocation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Huntington Lachlan S. , Webster Kate E. , Devitt Brian M. , Scanlon John P. , Feller Julian A.
Published: December 2019

Background:

Recurrent dislocations after a first-time lateral patellar dislocation may occur in more than 50% of patients and can cause long-term disability. Many factors have been suggested to influence the risk of recurrence.

Purpose:

To systematically review and quantitatively synthesize the literature for factors associated with an increased risk of recurrence after a first-time patellar dislocation.

Study Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Methods:

A total of 4 electronic databases were searched to identify relevant studies published before February 7, 2019. A quality assessment was performed with the National Heart, Lung, and Bone Institute quality assessment score. Factors assessed for their effect on the recurrence rate were documented, and the rates of recurrence were compared. Pooled dichotomous data were analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis with odds ratios (ORs).

Results:

A total of 17 studies met the criteria for inclusion. The overall rate of recurrent dislocations after a first-time lateral patellar dislocation was 33.6%. An increased risk of recurrence was reported in patients with a younger age (OR, 2.61; P < .00001), open physes (OR, 2.72; P < .00001), trochlear dysplasia (OR, 4.15; P = .009), an elevated tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance (OR, 2.87; P < .00001), and patella alta (OR, 2.38; P = .004). Sex, patterns of medial patellofemoral ligament injury, and history of contralateral dislocations were not found to be associated with an increased recurrence rate ( P≥ .05). In studies that reported on the presence of multiple risk factors, recurrence rates were 7.7% to 13.8% when no risk factors were present but increased to 29.6% to 60.2% when 2 risk factors were present and to 70.4% to 78.5% when 3 risk factors were present.

Conclusion:

Younger age, open physes, trochlear dysplasia, elevated TT-TG distance, and patella alta were key risk factors for the recurrence of lateral patellar dislocations. Despite being not infrequently cited as risk factors, patient sex and a history of contralateral dislocations were not found to be significant risk factors. The presence of multiple risk factors increased the risk, and the development of predictive instability scores in large patient cohorts using all established risk factors should be a focus of future studies.
A design of brain port with a built-in bi-directional check valve improves the ventriculostomy
Authors: Chung Taishin , Yoon Ki-Cheol , Kim Kwang Gi , Lee Seung Hoon , Yoo Heon
Published: December 2019

The increase of intracranial pressure is a life-threatening condition which requires urgent treatment to prevent the further neurologic problem. A design of the brain port is proposed, in which a bi-directional check valve controls the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid depending on the intracranial pressure in accordance with the other devices. Drug administration and cerebrospinal fluid drainage could be performed easily without any additional surgery other than the transplant of a brain port. The intracranial pressure value at which the cerebrospinal fluid should be drained is adjustable by altering the pressure of the drainage bag. The results of the experiment with the simulated brain system are supporting and verifying the substance of this article.
Cannabis Use in Children With Pantothenate Kinase–Associated Neurodegeneration
Authors: Wilson Jenny L. , Gregory Allison , Wakeman Katrina , Freed Alison , Rai Puneet , Roberts Colin , Hayflick Susan J. , Hogarth Pennylope
Published: December 2019

Background:

Pantothenate kinase–associated neurodegeneration is characterized by severe, progressive dystonia. This study aims to describe the reported usage of cannabis products among children with pantothenate kinase–associated neurodegeneration.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, 37-item survey was distributed in April 2019 to the families of 44 children who participate in a clinical registry of individuals with pantothenate kinase–associated neurodegeneration.

Results:

We received 18 responses (40.9% response rate). Children were a mean of 11.0 (SD 4.3) years old. The 15 respondents with dystonia or spasticity were on a median of 2 tone medications (range 0-9). Seven children had ever used cannabis (38.9%). The most common source of information about cannabis was other parents. Children who had ever used cannabis were on more tone medications, were more likely to have used opiates, were less likely to be able to roll, and less likely to sit comfortably, than children who had never used cannabis. Four children reported moderate or significant improvement in dystonia with cannabis. Other areas reported to be moderate or significantly improved were pain (n = 3), sleep (n = 4), anxiety (n = 3), and behavior (n = 2). Adverse effects included sadness (n = 1), agitation/behavior change (n = 1), and tiredness (n = 1).

Conclusion:

Cannabis use was commonly reported among children with pantothenate kinase–associated neurodegeneration whose parents responded to a survey, particularly when many other dystonia treatments had been tried. Physicians should be aware that parents may treat their child with severe, painful dystonia with cannabis. Placebo-controlled studies of products containing cannabidiol and 9-tetrahydrocannabinol are needed for pediatric tone disorders.
Queering Smart Decarceration: Centering the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Young People to Imagine a World Without Prisons
Authors: Hereth Jane , Bouris Alida
Published: December 2019

Addressing mass incarceration through smart decarceration initiatives is one of the Grand Challenges for Social Work named by the American Academy of Social Work Welfare and Research. The exponential growth of the U.S. prison system is largely due to legislation that targets marginalized communities, including people of color, poor people, people with mental illness, and those living with disabilities, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people of all ages. In this article, we seek to complicate the current conversation on smart decarceration by arguing that social workers committed to addressing mass incarceration should engage abolitionist theory, politics, and organizing in their work in order to effectively address the root causes driving the buildup of the prison nation. We engage feminist and queer theories as two theoretical interventions that can guide this work. We next describe how LGBTQ+ youth enter the criminal legal system, highlighting how normative systems of gender and sexuality subject LGBTQ+ youth to punitive policing, surveillance, and discipline. Finally, we share three models of prison abolitionist organizing led by LGBTQ+ people of color as case studies. By examining how these organizations embrace queer and feminist abolitionist frameworks, we identify concrete ways that social workers can adopt abolitionist principles and practices in their work to address mass incarceration.
Soft Sterilization: Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives in the Carceral State
Authors: Winters Della J. , McLaughlin Adria Ryan
Published: December 2019

In the United States, between 1907 and 1978, the proliferation of eugenic state practices routinely targeted institutionalized women with legalized involuntary sterilization. Sterilization laws and policies were a form of reproductive control, which predominantly impacted women from marginalized communities. After the implementation of federal regulations prohibiting involuntary sterilization practices, state agencies continued to engage in coercive sterilization under the guise of “voluntariness.” Using a reproductive justice framework, we introduce a concept of reproductive control embedded within the carceral state. Tracing historical sterilization practices and examining the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC), we argue that LARC represents a different form of involuntary sterilization. The emergence of LARC as a highly effective, nonagentive, and mediated form of contraception for vulnerable populations demands interrogation. We identify the use of LARC as soft sterilization, which is both related to and distinct from other forms of reproductive control. As such, reproductive autonomy is not possible without the destruction of the carceral state.
Beyond the Local–Global Binaries of Higher Education Internationalization in Post-apartheid South Africa
Authors: Majee Upenyu S.
Published: December 2019

The article critiques the tendency in the field of international education to theorize internationalization around the impacts of and policy responses to globalization in local contexts. The central argument of the article is that South Africa’s history and development prospects are so intricately bound up with those of its neighbors in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region that it would be misleading for the country to be talked about in just national/local and global terms. To develop this argument on South Africa’s roles and situation in a regionally interconnected context, I draw on insights from an institutional ethnography of a top-rated, historically White South African public university. While local–global discourses were institutionalized nationally and institutionally through policies for transformation and internationalization, the conspicuous absence of formal institutional structures for regionalization shows the limitations of local–global or global north–south dichotomies in analyzing structures that operate both above and below the level of the nation-state.
Effects of adding necitumumab to first-line chemotherapy in patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer: Meta-analysis
Authors: Ilic Irena , Sipetic Sandra , Grujicic Jovan , Ilic Milena
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Almost half of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Our aim was to assess the effects of adding necitumumab to chemotherapy in patients with stage IV NSCLC.

Material and methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed according to pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data on overall survival, progression-free survival, objective response rate and adverse events were extracted. A meta-analysis was performed to obtain pooled hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for time-to-event data and pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI for dichotomous outcomes.

Results

The meta-analysis included four randomized clinical trials with 2074 patients. The pooled results showed significant improvement for overall survival (HR = 0.87 (95% CI 0.79–0.95), p = 0.004) when necitumumab was added to chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. No statistically significant improvement was noted for progression-free survival and objective response rate (HR = 0.83 (95% CI 0.69–1.01), p = 0.06 and OR = 1.46 (95% CI 0.90–2.38), p = 0.13, respectively). Subgroup analysis showed that in patients with non-squamous NSCLC, there was no benefit in overall survival and objective response rate. Patients with advanced NSCLC who received necitumumab were at the highest odds of developing a skin rash (OR = 14.50 (95% CI 3.16–66.43), p = 0.0006) and hypomagnesaemia (OR = 2.77 (95% CI 2.23–3.45), p < 0.00001), while the OR for any grade ≥3 adverse event was 1.55 (95% CI 1.28–1.87, p < 0.00001).

Conclusions

The addition of necitumumab to standard chemotherapy in a first-line setting in patients with stage IV NSCLC results in a statistically significant improvement in overall survival, while the results were not significant for progression-free survival and objective response rate.
Arterial compression by an adjacent venous stent graft in a patient undergoing dialysis
Authors: Chen Tsung-Yan , Wu Chih-Cheng , Hsieh Mu-Yang
Published: December 2019

Background:

Stent graft is effective for management of balloon-angioplasty-related complications in hemodialysis access. These complications include post-angioplasty venous rupture, dissection/recoil, and acute formation of pseudoaneurysm.

Case report:

We report a stent-graft complication that caused immediate acute arterial insufficiency by external compression. An 84-year-old woman presented with acute arteriovenous graft thrombosis. During percutaneous balloon thrombectomy, a stent graft was placed because of persistent recoil and mural thrombus, but the flow into the arteriovenous graft immediately ceased. External compression of the brachial artery was observed. A nitinol self-expandable stent was deployed in the brachial artery to oppose the external compression. The flow in the arteriovenous graft was recovered.

Conclusion:

This case demonstrates the possibility of arterial compression by an adjacent venous stent graft, especially in a patient with a thin habitus and a brachial–brachial arteriovenous graft. Detailed identification of the outflow vein anatomy before stent implantation is mandatory to avoid such a complication.
A retrospective comparison analysis of results of drug-coated balloon versus plain balloon angioplasty in treatment of juxta-anastomotic de novo stenosis of radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas
Authors: Kocaaslan Cemal , Oztekin Ahmet , Bademci Mehmet Senel , Denli Yalvac Emine Seyma , Bulut Nurgul , Aydin Ebuzer
Published: December 2019

Background:

Juxta-anastomotic stenosis is a common issue of arteriovenous fistulas. We aimed to evaluate the results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with drug-coated balloon versus plain balloon for the treatment of juxta-anastomotic stenoses of mature but failing distal radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas.

Methods:

A total of 80 patients with a juxta-anastomotic stenosis of distal radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula in our clinic between January 2016 and September 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the type of treatment as drug-coated balloon – percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (n = 44) and plain balloon – percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (n = 43). Intra- and post-procedural data were recorded. Target lesion primary patency rate was evaluated at 6 and 12 months. Of all patients, 48 were females and 39 were males with a mean age of 56.3 ± 10.4 (range, 24–75) years. Both groups had mature fistulas, and the mean age of fistula was 11.3 ± 9.1 months in the drug-coated balloon – percutaneous transluminal angioplasty group and 10.3 ± 8.8 months in the plain balloon – percutaneous transluminal angioplasty group (p = 0.24).

Results:

There was no significant difference in the target lesion stenosis rate and the median lesion length between the groups. Technical and clinical success were achieved in both groups. Target lesion primary patency was similar at 6 months between the two groups (93.1% vs 81.3%, respectively; p = 0.14) but significantly higher for the drug-coated balloon – percutaneous transluminal angioplasty group at 12 months (81.8% vs 51.1%, respectively; p = 0.01).

Conclusion:

Our study results suggest that the use of drug-coated balloon combined with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is an effective treatment for juxta-anastomotic stenoses of mature but failing distal radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas with significantly improved target lesion primary patency rates and reduced need for juxta-anastomotic reinterventions.
On the steady posture of conical spindle distribution used in ball piston pump
Authors: Zhou Junjie , Jing Chongbo , Liu Jianhao
Published: December 2019

Conical spindle distribution is a new type of hydraulic pump distribution, its steady working conditions refer to a stable position of the shaft and lubrication state under constant operating condition, which directly influences the hydraulic pump efficient and reliable work. In this paper, the Reynolds equation of the tapered flow field is used to establish the lubrication model. The static pressure boundary condition of the distribution pair is obtained by the hydraulic resistance network method. The finite difference method is employed to solve the model. The static and dynamic lubricating performances including the shaft eccentricity and the distribution gap height are obtained by solving the model with a numerical method. Accordingly, the influences of structural parameters and operating parameters on the steady state are investigated, and an experimental test rig is built to validate the model. The experimental results show that the model can predict the higher working pressure which leads to higher distribution gap and eccentricity; the higher the rotational speed is, the smaller the distribution gap and the eccentricity will become, which provides theoretical support for further guidance of the distribution design.
Perceived sleep quality, coping behavior, and associations with major depression among older adults
Authors: Bergmans Rachel S , Zivin Kara , Mezuk Briana
Published: December 2019

In older adults, we determined (1) the association of perceived sleep quality with stress-coping behaviors (drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, medication/drug use, overeating, prayer, exercise, social support, and treatment from a health professional) and (2) whether coping behavior mediated the relationship of perceived sleep quality with depression. Data came from the US Health and Retirement Study 2008–2010 ( n = 1174). Using logistic regression, poor perceived sleep quality was associated with medication/drug use (odds ratio = 2.9; 95% confidence interval = 1.4–6.0) and overeating (odds ratio = 1.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.1–2.5). However, using structural equation modeling, coping behavior did not mediate the relationship of perceived sleep quality with depression symptomology ( p = 0.14).
Diachronic change of rapport orientation and sentence-periphery in Mandarin
Authors: Tantucci Vittorio , Wang Aiqing
Published: December 2019

This article provides a corpus-based analysis of formal structure and rapport orientation of evaluative speech acts in written Mandarin starting from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) leading up to the present. It focuses on illocutional concurrences (IC) where the change of rapport management with the interlocutor significantly correlates with evaluative speech acts. The IC are holistic patterns that emerge at various levels of an utterance. They contribute both locally (i.e. at the morphosyntactic level) and peripherally (i.e. at the illocutionary level) to the encoding of contextually and temporally situated speech acts or pragmemes. Mixed methods of hierarchical clustering and multiple correspondence analysis indicate that the recent history of evaluative speech acts in written Chinese is characterised by a shift from prevalently rapport-maintaining orientation to utterances more overtly marked for (im-)politeness. Evaluative language in written Mandarin became less mitigated at the structural level and increasingly oriented towards rapport enhancement and rapport challenge. This shift significantly intersects with a progressive replacement of clause-final particles during the 20th century, especially after the so-called ‘May the 4th Movement’.
Exploring the perceptions of people with dementia about the social robot PARO in a hospital setting
Authors: Hung Lillian , Gregorio Mario , Mann Jim , Wallsworth Christine , Horne Neil , Berndt Annette , Liu Cindy , Woldum Evan , Au-Yeung Andy , Chaudhury Habib
Published: December 2019

New technology, such as social robots, opens up new opportunities in hospital settings. PARO, a robotic pet seal, was designed to provide emotional and social support for older people with dementia. We applied video-ethnographic methods, including conversational interviews and observations with video recording among 10 patient participants while they were using the robot. We also conducted semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups with nursing staff to gain contextual information. Patient and family partners were actively involved in the study as co-researchers. This study reports our findings on the perceptions of 10 patients with dementia about their experiences with PARO in a hospital setting. Thematic analysis yielded three substantive themes: (a) ‘it’s like a buddy’ – the robot helps people with dementia uphold a sense of self in the world, (b) ‘it’s a conversation piece’ – the baby seal facilitates social connection and (c) ‘it makes me happy’ – PARO transforms and humanizes the clinical setting. Our findings help provide a better understanding of the perspectives of patients with dementia on the use of social robots.
The acoustic analogy in four dimensions
Authors: Dunn Mark H
Published: December 2019

The classical acoustic analogy theory is incomplete in the sense that the original research on the subject focused only on the prediction of acoustic pressure. There were no provisions for predicting the three components of acoustic velocity which are needed as input for aeroacoustic scattering applications. This is because the scalar wave equations of Lighthill and Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings were derived from the fluid conservation equations by eliminating three of the four governing differential equations from which the acoustic velocity could have been obtained. Recently developed acoustic analogy methods for predicting the acoustic velocity lead to complex formulations whose numerical evaluation can be problematic when providing input for large-scale scattering problems. Their calculation can overwhelm the numerical scattering process when the incident sound has high-frequency content, such as that produced by the rotating blades of various propulsion devices. To obtain improved acoustic analogy formulations for scattering and other applications, the three discarded differential equations are returned to the analysis in this paper and the historical acoustic analogy equations are derived anew using four-dimensional tensor methods. The 4-D formulation is an application of the electromagnetic analogy (EMA), a concept based on the equivalence of Maxwell’s equations and the fluid conservation equations of mass and momentum. The scalar equations of Lighthill, Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings, Farassat, and Kirchhoff are extended to four equations – one equation for the acoustic pressure (or acoustic density) and three equations for the acoustic velocity. The 4-D tensor representation provides significant theoretical and computational simplification relative to the classical approach. For each of the original acoustic analogy results, a single, concise formulation in 4D is derived that enables the simultaneous prediction of acoustic pressure and the three components of acoustic velocity.
Neurophysiological Findings and Brain Injury Pattern in Patients on ECMO
Authors: Cho Sung-Min , Choi Chun Woo , Whitman Glenn , Suarez Jose I. , Martinez Nirma Carballido , Geocadin Romergryko G. , Ritzl Eva K.
Published: December 2019

Introduction. Brain injury is a major determinant of outcomes in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Neurologic prognostication in ECMO has not been established. Absent electroencephalogram (EEG) reactivity and absent N20 on somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) are associated with poor outcome in other types of brain injuries, especially following cardiopulmonary arrest. It is currently known if the same criteria are applicable in patients on ECMO. Methods. Continuous EEG (cEEG) was performed for patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <8 and SSEP data were performed for patients with a motor GCS < 4 in a prospective observational cohort undergoing ECMO at a tertiary center. EEG variables including reactivity were collected. SSEPs were categorized into absence, delay, or presence of N20. Poor outcome was defined as cerebral performance category 3 to 5 at discharge. Results. We present 13 consecutive patients who underwent both cEEG and SSEP. The median time from cannulation to EEG and SSEP were 3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 1-6) and 5 (IQR = 2-7) days, respectively. All patients were in coma and 12 (92%) had poor outcomes. Ten (77%) underwent brain computed tomography, the findings of which explained coma in only 2. Patients (n = 12) with poor outcome had poor variability, absent reactivity, and lack of sleep features with diffusely slow theta-delta background on the EEG. Despite poor outcomes, all had relatively preserved or normal N20 responses. One patient with preserved reactivity and sleep features on the EEG and intact SSEP had a good outcome. Conclusions. Absent EEG reactivity with the preservation of SSEP N20 was associated with poor outcome in comatose ECMO patients. We advise caution in interpreting electrophysiological tests in prognosticating ECMO patients until the patterns and outcomes are better understood.
Weibull stress analysis for the corner crack in reactor pressure vessel nozzle
Authors: Jin Ting , Wang Zihang , Wang Qiwei , Wang Dasheng , Li Yuebing , Zhou Mingjue
Published: December 2019

The nozzle region of a reactor pressure vessel experiences higher and more complex stresses than the remaining part of the reactor pressure vessel. If a corner crack is postulated in the nozzle region, it is necessary to consider the potential strong influence of constraint on fracture behavior due to inelastic deformations of crack tip. In accordance with the requirement of probabilistic fracture mechanics, Weibull stress in local approach to fracture is analyzed with the consideration of constraint effect. Conventional fracture analysis is also carried out using a three-dimensional crack model, and the fracture driving forces ( KI and J) and T-stress are obtained. Weibull stress along the crack tip is also computed by three-dimensional models. The modified boundary layer model with plastic correction is developed for a corner crack in the reactor pressure vessel nozzle. Under the J- T stress field from three-dimensional models, Weibull stress values obtained using the modified boundary layer model are compared and discussed with that by three-dimensional models. It is found that the modified boundary layer model can effectively predict the Weibull stress under the J- T stress field, which simplified the Weibull stress calculation process for complex structures.
Flexible method for accurate calibration of large-scale vision metrology system based on virtual 3-D targets and laser tracker
Authors: Zhang Xi , Xu Yuanzhi , Li Haichao , Zhu Lijing , Wang Xin , Li Wei
Published: December 2019

For the purpose of obtaining high-precision in stereo vision calibration, a large-size precise calibration target, which can cover more than half of the field of view is vital. However, large-scale calibration targets are very difficult to fabricate. Based on the idea of error tracing, a high-precision calibration method for vision system with large field of view by constructing a virtual 3-D calibration target with a laser tracker was proposed in this article. A virtual 3-D calibration target that covers the whole measurement space can be established flexibly and the measurement precision of the vision system can be traceable to the laser tracker. First, virtual 3-D targets by calculating rigid body transformation with unit quaternion method were constructed. Then, the high-order distortion camera model was taken into consideration. Besides, the calibration parameters were solved with Levenberg–Marquardt optimization algorithm. In the experiment, a binocular stereo vision system with the field of view of 4 × 3 × 2 m3 was built for verifying the validity and precision of the proposed calibration method. It is measured that the accuracy with the proposed method can be greatly improved comparing with traditional plane calibration method. The method can be widely used in industrial applications, such as in the field of calibrating large-scale vision-based coordinate metrology, and six-degrees of freedom pose tracking system for dimensional measurement of workpiece, as well as robotics geometrical accuracy detection and compensation.
How and why SGLT2 inhibitors should be explored as potential treatment option in diabetic retinopathy: clinical concept and methodology
Authors: May Marcus , Framke Theodor , Junker Bernd , Framme Carsten , Pielen* Amelie , Schindler* Christoph
Published: December 2019

Patients suffering from type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of developing classical microvascular complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy, which represent a significant health burden. Tight control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol reduce the risk of microvascular complications but effective pharmacologically targeted treatment options for the treatment and prevention of diabetic microangiopathy are still lacking. Pharmacological inhibition of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) might have the potential to directly protect against microvascular complications and could represent a potential treatment option. Randomized controlled clinical proof of concept trials are needed to investigate a potential central role of SGLT2 inhibitors in the prevention of diabetic microangiopathy and its classical clinical complications of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy.
Punctures versus shocks: a comparison of renal functional and structural changes after percutaneous nephrolithotomy and shockwave lithotripsy for solitary renal stone
Authors: Shrivastava Nitin , Nayak Brusabhanu , Singh Prabhjot , Dogra Prem N , Kumar Rakesh , Khan Maroof A
Published: December 2019

Objective:

To evaluate renal functional and structural changes following percutaneous nephrolithotomy and shockwave lithotripsy for solitary non-obstructing non-staghorn renal stone.

Materials and methods:

Patients with solitary unilateral non-staghorn renal stones who were planned for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (20 patients) and shockwave lithotripsy (20 patients) were prospectively evaluated for renal functional and structural changes 60 days after the procedure and complete clearance of stones. Tc99-dimercaptosuccinic acid was used to assess cortical scarring and Tc99-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid and Tc99-levo levo ethylecysteine were used for glomerular filtration rate calculations, respectively.

Results:

The mean stone size was 24.4 mm and 13.7 mm in the percutaneous nephrolithotomy group and the shockwave lithotripsy group, respectively. No new cortical scars developed in either of the groups on Tc99-dimercaptosuccinic acid scan. Both the treated and untreated kidneys showed an overall insignificant fall in glomerular filtration rate in both the groups. The number of patients showing significant deterioration in the individual glomerular filtration rate in both the treated and untreated renal unit was more in the shockwave lithotripsy group.

Conclusion:

Both percutaneous nephrolithotomy and shockwave lithotripsy are comparable in terms of adverse effects on renal parenchyma and renal function.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable for this multicentre audit.
What Do We Know About Prevalence and Management of Intoxicated Women During Labor and Delivery?
Authors: Schaff Elizabeth , Moreno Marcos , Foster Katrina , Klug Marilyn G. , Burd Larry
Published: December 2019

Objective. To review the published literature on women who were intoxicated at delivery and outcomes for their infants. Methods. A systematic literature review was utilized to identify articles meeting our inclusion criteria. After screening using titles and abstracts, we identified 34 articles requiring full-text review. Each of these were reviewed by at least 2 of the authors. We identified 12 articles that met our inclusion criteria. Results. We identified case reports of 16 mothers who delivered with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) ranging from 42.1 to 473 mg/dL. Three of the pregnancies (18.8%) ended with a stillbirth, 5 (31.3%) were infant deaths, 6 (37.5%) lived, and 2 (12.5%) had no fetal or infant outcome reported. The BAC for the stillborn infants ranged from 120 to 460 mg/dL. The BAC among the infant deaths ranged from 96 to 715 mg/dL. Among surviving infants, the BAC ranged from 38.4 to 246.5 mg/dL. Conclusion. We identified no deaths with a BAC <96 mg/dL. However, it is not clear if this represents the lower level of BAC where mortality risk increases. In this article, we present 9 suggestions to improve detection and management of these mothers and their infants.
Responder Analysis of Daikenchuto Treatment for Constipation in Poststroke Patients: A Subanalysis of a Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Arita Ryutaro , Numata Takehiro , Takayama Shin , Obara Taku , Kikuchi Akiko , Ohsawa Minoru , Suzuki Akifumi , Yokota Takashi , Kusaba Mizue , Yaegashi Nobuo , Ishii Tadashi
Published: December 2019

A traditional Japanese medicine, daikenchuto (DKT), is used for treating abdominal bloating and pain with coldness. In modern medicine, it is used to treat postoperative intestinal dysfunction and ileus. We previously showed the effective improvement in functional constipation with DKT in poststroke patients. However, response prediction for the treatment has not been elucidated. We investigated the data from the prior trial (UMIN000007393) to predict the DKT treatment response. We assessed the efficacy of DKT for chronic constipation in poststroke patients. Neurogenic bowel dysfunction score (NBDS) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale–constipation subscale (GSRS-C) score were newly analyzed comparing the pre- and postintervention data after intake of 15 g of DKT extract granule daily for 4 weeks. Single and multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the correlations between the changes in NBDS, GSRS-C score, patient characteristics, clinical symptom score, gas volume in the gut, and serum calcitonin gene–related peptide level. The total NBDS and GSRS-C score were significantly reduced after DKT administration. The total NBDS, GSRS-C score, and gas volume score at baseline were significantly correlated with the change in these scores. Higher NBDS and GSRS-C scores and more gas volume in the gut may be possible predictors of response to DKT when treating constipation.
Knowledge-based analysis of proteomics data
Authors: Bessarabova Marina , Ishkin Alexander , JeBailey Lellean , Nikolskaya Tatiana , Nikolsky Yuri
Published: December 2019

As it is the case with any OMICs technology, the value of proteomics data is defined by the degree of its functional interpretation in the context of phenotype. Functional analysis of proteomics profiles is inherently complex, as each of hundreds of detected proteins can belong to dozens of pathways, be connected in different context-specific groups by protein interactions and regulated by a variety of one-step and remote regulators. Knowledge-based approach deals with this complexity by creating a structured database of protein interactions, pathways and protein-disease associations from experimental literature and a set of statistical tools to compare the proteomics profiles with this rich source of accumulated knowledge. Here we describe the main methods of ontology enrichment, interactome topology and network analysis applied on a comprehensive, manually curated and semantically consistent knowledge source MetaBase and demonstrate several case studies in different disease areas.
Phylogenetic reconstruction in the Order Nymphaeales: ITS2 secondary structure analysis and in silico testing of maturase k (matK) as a potential marker for DNA bar coding
Authors: Biswal Devendra Kumar , Debnath Manish , Kumar Shakti , Tandon Pramod
Published: December 2019

Background

The Nymphaeales (waterlilly and relatives) lineage has diverged as the second branch of basal angiosperms and comprises of two families: Cabombaceae and Nymphaceae. The classification of Nymphaeales and phylogeny within the flowering plants are quite intriguing as several systems (Thorne system, Dahlgren system, Cronquist system, Takhtajan system and APG III system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III system) have attempted to redefine the Nymphaeales taxonomy. There have been also fossil records consisting especially of seeds, pollen, stems, leaves and flowers as early as the lower Cretaceous. Here we present an in silico study of the order Nymphaeales taking maturaseK (matK) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) as biomarkers for phylogeny reconstruction (using character-based methods and Bayesian approach) and identification of motifs for DNA barcoding.

Results

The Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian approach yielded congruent fully resolved and well-supported trees using a concatenated (ITS2+ matK) supermatrix aligned dataset. The taxon sampling corroborates the monophyly of Cabombaceae. Nuphar emerges as a monophyletic clade in the family Nymphaeaceae while there are slight discrepancies in the monophyletic nature of the genera Nymphaea owing to Victoria-Euryale and Ondinea grouping in the same node of Nymphaeaceae. ITS2 secondary structures alignment corroborate the primary sequence analysis. Hydatellaceae emerged as a sister clade to Nymphaeaceae and had a basal lineage amongst the water lilly clades. Species from Cycas and Ginkgo were taken as outgroups and were rooted in the overall tree topology from various methods.

Conclusions

MatK genes are fast evolving highly variant regions of plant chloroplast DNA that can serve as potential biomarkers for DNA barcoding and also in generating primers for angiosperms with identification of unique motif regions. We have reported unique genus specific motif regions in the Order Nymphaeles from matK dataset which can be further validated for barcoding and designing of PCR primers. Our analysis using a novel approach of sequence-structure alignment and phylogenetic reconstruction using molecular morphometrics congrue with the current placement of Hydatellaceae within the early-divergent angiosperm order Nymphaeales. The results underscore the fact that more diverse genera, if not fully resolved to be monophyletic, should be represented by all major lineages.
MGMR: leveraging RNA-Seq population data to optimize expression estimation
Authors: Rozov Roye , Halperin Eran , Shamir Ron
Published: December 2019

Background

RNA-Seq is a technique that uses Next Generation Sequencing to identify transcripts and estimate transcription levels. When applying this technique for quantification, one must contend with reads that align to multiple positions in the genome (multireads). Previous efforts to resolve multireads have shown that RNA-Seq expression estimation can be improved using probabilistic allocation of reads to genes. These methods use a probabilistic generative model for data generation and resolve ambiguity using likelihood-based approaches. In many instances, RNA-seq experiments are performed in the context of a population. The generative models of current methods do not take into account such population information, and it is an open question whether this information can improve quantification of the individual samples

Results

In order to explore the contribution of population level information in RNA-seq quantification, we apply a hierarchical probabilistic generative model, which assumes that expression levels of different individuals are sampled from a Dirichlet distribution with parameters specific to the population, and reads are sampled from the distribution of expression levels. We introduce an optimization procedure for the estimation of the model parameters, and use HapMap data and simulated data to demonstrate that the model yields a significant improvement in the accuracy of expression levels of paralogous genes.

Conclusions

We provide a proof of principal of the benefit of drawing on population commonalities to estimate expression. The results of our experiments demonstrate this approach can be beneficial, primarily for estimation at the gene level.
Bioinformatics in Italy: BITS2012, the ninth annual meeting of the Italian Society of Bioinformatics
Authors: Gissi Carmela , Romano Paolo , Ferro Alfredo , Giugno Rosalba , Pulvirenti Alfredo , Facchiano Angelo , Helmer-Citterich Manuela
Published: December 2019

The BITS2012 meeting, held in Catania on May 2-4, 2012, brought together almost 100 Italian researchers working in the field of Bioinformatics, as well as students in the same or related disciplines. About 90 original research works were presented either as oral communication or as posters, representing a landscape of Italian current research in bioinformatics.

This preface provides a brief overview of the meeting and introduces the manuscripts that were accepted for publication in this supplement, after a strict and careful peer-review by an International board of referees.