bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relative Abundance and Diet of Spiny Softshells (Apalone spinifera) in a Lake Erie Population
Authors: Mahoney Shannon M , Lindeman Peter V
Published: March 2017

Populations of the Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera) in the Great Lakes are of conservation concern despite being secure elsewhere in their North American range. We examined the relative abundance of Spiny Softshells among the turtle fauna at Presque Isle, a peninsula on the Pennsylvania shoreline of Lake Erie. We also compared male and female diets to determine the presence of invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussels (Dreissena spp.). The Spiny Softshell was the fifth most common of six turtle species captured (2% of captures). in the peninsula’s largest bay there was a significant increase in capture rate and proportion of Spiny Softshell captures in late summer (5% of five species of turtles) compared to early summer (3% of all turtles). Recapture was considerably lower for Spiny Softshells (5%) than for four other turtle species suggesting that either its relative abundance is higher than trapping data indicate or that they are a mobile species with less habitat fidelity than other residents. Prey from fecal samples were quantified using an index of Relative importance (iRi). Males (n = 26) ate primarily unidentified insects (iRi = 59), followed by algal stalks (iRi = 35) and caddisfly larvae (iRi = 4). Females (n = 5) ate primarily algal stalks (iRi = 54), followed by crayfish (iRi = 22) and fish (iRi = 19). only two turtles, one male and one female, passedZebra and Quagga Mussels in fecal samples, thus Spiny Softshells do not appear to make significant use of these invasive molluscs.
Housing market in Israel: Is there a bubble?
Authors: Arestis Philip , Gonzalez-Martinez Rosa
Published: March 2017

House prices in Israel have registered unprecedented growth rates in the last
few years. At first glance, these hikes could be explained by the evolution
of fundamentals such strong population growth and favourable macroeconomic
conditions, i.e. low interest rates. However, further investigation is needed
in order to explore whether there is a misalignment between house prices and
their fundamentals. Firstly, this paper investigates the role of construction
costs in the evolution of house prices. Secondly, this contribution
decomposes the ?price-to-rent? ratio into fundamentals, frictions and bubble
episodes for a better understanding of the recent trends of the market.
On solving Travelling Salesman Problem with Vertex Requisitions
Authors: Eremeev Anton , Kovalenko Yulia
Published: March 2017

We consider the Travelling Salesman Problem with Vertex Requisitions where, for each position of the tour, at most two possible vertices are given. It is known that the problem is strongly NP-hard. The algorithm, we propose for this problem, has less time complexity compared to the previously known one. In particular, almost all feasible instances of the problem are solvable in O(n) time using the new algorithm, where n is the number of vertices. The developed approach also helps in fast enumeration of a neighborhood in the local search and yields an integer programming model with O(n) binary variables for the problem.
Fast-Acting Insulin Aspart Improves Glycemic Control in Basal-Bolus Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes: Results of a 26-Week Multicenter, Active-Controlled, Treat-to-Target, Randomized, Parallel-Group Trial (onset 1)
Authors: Russell-Jones David , Bode Bruce W. , De Block Christophe , Franek Edward , Heller Simon R. , Mathieu Chantal , Philis-Tsimikas Athena , Rose Ludger , Woo Vincent C. , Østerskov Anne Birk , Graungaard Tina , Bergenstal Richard M.
Published: March 2017

OBJECTIVE

This multicenter, treat-to-target, phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of fast-acting insulin aspart (faster aspart) versus conventional insulin aspart (IAsp) in adults with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The primary end point was change from baseline in HbA1c after 26 weeks. After an 8-week run-in, subjects were randomized (1:1:1) to double-blind mealtime faster aspart (n = 381), IAsp (n = 380), or open-label postmeal faster aspart (n = 382)—each with insulin detemir.

RESULTS

HbA1c was reduced in both treatment groups, and noninferiority to IAsp was confirmed for both mealtime and postmeal faster aspart (estimated treatment difference [ETD] faster aspart–IAsp, mealtime, –0.15% [95% CI –0.23; –0.07], and postmeal, 0.04% [–0.04; 0.12]); mealtime faster aspart statistically significantly reduced HbA1c versus IAsp (P = 0.0003). Postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) increments were statistically significantly lower with mealtime faster aspart at 1 h (ETD –1.18 mmol/L [95% CI –1.65; –0.71], –21.21 mg/dL [–29.65; –12.77]; P < 0.0001) and 2 h (–0.67 mmol/L [–1.29; –0.04], –12.01 mg/dL [–23.33; –0.70]; P = 0.0375) after the meal test; superiority to IAsp for the 2-h PPG increment was confirmed. The overall rate of severe or blood glucose–confirmed (plasma glucose <3.1 mmol/L [56 mg/dL]) hypoglycemic episodes and safety profiles were similar between treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Faster aspart effectively improved HbA1c, and noninferiority to IAsp was confirmed, with superior PPG control for mealtime faster aspart versus IAsp. Subjects randomized to postmeal faster aspart for all meals maintained HbA1c noninferior to that obtained with mealtime IAsp.
Análisis de indicadores financieros del sector manufacturero del cuero y marroquinería: un estudio sobre las empresas colombianas
Authors: Cardona Olaya José Luis , Martínez Carvajal Andrés , Velásquez Restrepo Sandra Milena , López Fernández Yohana Marcela
Published: March 2017

Se presenta un análisis financiero de empresas colombianas del sector marroquinería y cuero, que busca tener información sobre el desempeño financiero de esta actividad económica y generar criterios que apoyen la toma de decisiones estratégicas. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, de carácter documental y exploratorio, en el que se usaron estados financieros de cincuenta y siete empresas clasificadas en cuatro actividades económicas, y se calcularon catorce indicadores de liquidez, rentabilidad, apalancamiento, administración de activos, y generación de valor, por actividad económica y por año. Se encontró que el número de empresas con grandes activos ha disminuido, que el sector afronta dificultades de liquidez, rentabilidad y baja rotación de activos, y que la generación de valor es baja, aunque la razón corriente y el nivel de apalancamiento son adecuados. Se detectaron diferencias entre el desempeño financiero de las cuatro actividades económicas que conforman el sector, lo cual se recomienda sea tomado en consideración cuando se evalúe la industria del cuero y marroquinería de forma integral. Se plantea cómo el análisis de la información financiera, al contrastarlo con las conclusiones de estudios sectoriales y de prospectiva, puede generar criterios para la toma de decisiones y la planeación estratégica.
Desarrollo de un sistema de iluminación artificial LED para cultivos en interiores - Vertical Farming (VF)
Authors: Ramos Gonzalías Yesid , Ramírez Lasso Eduardo
Published: March 2017

El concepto de granja vertical, también relacionada como Agricultura Integrada en Edificaciones del acrónimo BIA (Building Integrated Agriculture) es un nuevo enfoque de la producción basada en la idea de localizar sistemas de cultivo de alto rendimiento en edificaciones para producir alimentos al interior de estos, haciendo uso de fuentes Renovables, locales de energía y agua. Se les conoce como luces de crecimiento a los sistemas de iluminación empleados en los cultivos en interiores, hacen parte de este concepto y son una fuente de luz artificial. Estas funcionan de tres maneras diferentes: 1) proporcionan toda la luz que la planta necesita para crecer, 2) complementan la luz natural, sobre todo en los meses de invierno, donde las horas de luz día son cortas y 3) aumentan el periodo de la luz día con el fin de disparar el crecimiento y la floración. Se exponen las características más relevantes de los sistemas de iluminación LED (Light Emitting Diode) para cultivos en interiores y se propone un prototipo de iluminación que emula el comportamiento solar, es decir que varía la intensidad de la luz en un periodo de tiempo definido (6 horas de fase lumínica y 2 de fase oscura conforman un ciclo de trabajo, que se repite 3 veces en un día) donde el modelo de funcionamiento será el de proporcionar toda la luz que la planta necesita para crecer saludablemente, en un entorno libre de luz solar.
Recuperación de Hidrocarburos a partir de residuos de polietileno de baja densidad
Authors: Serna Morales Yeraldin , Guateque Jhon , Ávila Torres Yenny Patricia
Published: March 2017

La acumulación de polietileno de baja densidad constituye un problema que busca prontas y efectivas soluciones. En este sentido, el presente artículo de investigación plantea una alternativa al uso de estos residuos poliméricos. El proceso de pirólisis permite la degradación a combustibles comerciales con ventajas considerables; es el caso de hidrocarburos con menor cantidad de azufre. Se reporta la caracterización de los productos de recuperación de una mezcla de polietileno de baja y alta densidad. Los productos obtenidos fueron comparados con parámetros comerciales para gasolina regular, gasolina extra, nafta virgen y alquilato de alto octano; encontrando que las fracciones presentan una mezcla de gasolina regular y gasolina extra en su mayoría, para intervalos de temperatura entre 120 °C y 320 °C. Así mismo, se diseñó y construyó un reactor de pirolizado con las siguientes condiciones: sistema de vacío, una bomba rotativa de dos etapas, uso de lecho fluidizado de materia prima, separación de los productos a través del condensador con la remoción de los subproductos, sistema de liberación de presión y desprendimiento lateral.
Preliminares
Authors: Caicedo Carolina
Published: March 2017

Preliminares
Estimating chronic disease rates in Canada: which
population-wide denominator to use?
Authors: Ellison J. , Nagamuthu C. , Vanderloo S. , McRae B. , Waters C.
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Chronic disease rates are produced from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s
Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS) using administrative health data
from provincial/territorial health ministries. Denominators for these rates are based on estimates
of populations derived from health insurance files. However, these data may not be
accessible to all researchers. Another source for population size estimates is the Statistics
Canada census. The purpose of our study was to calculate the major differences between the
CCDSS and Statistics Canada’s population denominators and to identify the sources or reasons
for the potential differences between these data sources.

Methods

We compared the 2009 denominators from the CCDSS and Statistics Canada. The
CCDSS denominator was adjusted for the growth components (births, deaths, emigration
and immigration) from Statistics Canada’s census data.

Results

The unadjusted CCDSS denominator was 34 429 804, 3.2% higher than Statistics
Canada’s estimate of population in 2009. After the CCDSS denominator was adjusted for the
growth components, the difference between the two estimates was reduced to 431 323 people,
a difference of 1.3%. The CCDSS overestimates the population relative to Statistics
Canada overall. The largest difference between the two estimates was from the migrant
growth component, while the smallest was from the emigrant component.

Conclusion

By using data descriptions by data source, researchers can make decisions
about which population to use in their calculations of disease frequency.
Te Kete Tuawhā, Te Kete Aronui - The Fourth Basket
Authors: Kāretu Tīmoti
Published: March 2017

This article extends on the notion of the traditional Maori notion of three baskets of knowledge by adding a fourth category. The author draws on an extensive quantity of literature, over a diverse range of disciplines, with a general focus on the role of Te Reo Maori (the Maori language) in the modern world.
He poroporoaki ki te rangatira nā tana irāmutu
Authors: King Jason
Published: March 2017

Wharetoroa Robert (Bob) Kerr, a well-known respected elder from the Ngāti Mahuta tribe in Waikato, a man steeped in Māori history, knowledge and a repository of Māori lore passed away on the 29th of November, 2010 after enduring a long period of illness at the age of 93. 

Husband to the late Beatrice Kerr, father to Peter, Hoturoa, Manny, Bunny and John and grandfather to many mokopuna.  Wharetoroa was a man who was dedicated to preserving Māori language, customs and protocols.  He spent his life supporting the Kīngitanga and frequently spoke on behalf of the late Māori Queen, Dame Te Ātairangikaahu.  His passion was also rugby league especially with the Taniwharau Rugby League Club; he eventually became a speaker and elder for the New Zealand Māori Rugby League team.  Following is an account of a formal speech delivered in Māori at his funeral held on his Marae, Te Kōraha, situated south of Kāwhia harbour, west coast of the North Island.  Many from far and wide including the Māori King, tribal leaders, dignitaries and the like attended the funeral to farewell Wharetoroa.
Forget China: No Shark Trade in Tonga. Yeah Right
Authors: Brown Pulu Teena
Published: March 2017

In the South Pacific winter of 2013, Michael Brassington reported from Tonga that “China is now the South Pacific’s most valued VIP.”  The Australian journalist was interviewing Pesi Fonua, longstanding Tongan publisher who commented: “They are definitely calling the shots.  Whatever they want they can negotiate or take it.”  Referring to China, he ranked this regional power as a twenty first century precursor for South Seas debt, diplomacy, and indebtedness.

By Fonua’s description China was the debt stress killer.  In 2014, Tonga would start repaying Chinese soft loans worth 40% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) spent on buildings, wharfs, bridges, roads.  Ordinary people in this small island developing state were worried the government might default on loan payments.  Then what would happen?  Would China own Tonga? 

What have Pakeha New Zealanders’ perceptions of Pacific Islanders got to do with any of this?  Reconfiguring South Pacific relations with China as a contending power sparked off anxiety for the United States, Australian, and New Zealand governments.  The question was how did political unease shape strategies to control the region?  For Tonga’s national affliction of debt distress, did New Zealand’s regional engagement consider how an age old attitude towards Pacific Islanders weighed down this country’s excess baggage carried over from the 19th and 20th centuries, nudging them closer to China?
Dancing Earth: The Continuum of Dance as Embodiment of Inter-Tribal Knowledge
Authors: Tangen Rulan
Published: March 2017

Transcript of the paper as delivered, with special thanks to Dr Karen Barbour and to Dr Peter Cleave for editing
Illuminating Cultural Terrains in Dance: A Symbiotic Approach to Analysis and Interpretation
Authors: Ashley Linda
Published: March 2017

In a paper that I presented at Atarau Academic Symposium, and later developed in an article for Dance Research Aotearoa (Ashley, 2015), I argued that the colloquial understanding of dance as one universal language provides insufficient philosophical grounds for fostering a full understanding of contemporary, indigenous, intercultural dance. Nourishing an awareness of how dance can be understood not as one but many languages is important because it can, I contend, inform ethical practices in dance, and foster better understanding and appreciation of dance practices from diverse cultures. In the article for Dance Research Aotearoa I stated that:

  

Translating dances as semiotically, language-laden signs is quite a different approach to the application of Western Laban analysis and as such can reveal more about the intercultural terrains of indigenous contemporary dance.

Moreover, it could go some way towards establishing what marks ‘indigenous contemporary dance’ as different from other contemporary dance; a question that was discussed by delegates of Atarau. (2015)
Pembelajaran Statistik Melalui Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Snowball Throwing untuk Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar di Kelas VII SMP Negeri 1 Singosari
Authors: Asmarani Dewi
Published: March 2017

Cooperative learning and problem submission is one of the learning models that can be developed and implemented to solving the problem of low activity and learning achievement. One method of cooperative learning can be used to enable students to said their problem is snowball throwing method. This study used a qualitative approach in this case is classroom action research, which consists of two cycles. The result showed that the snowball throwing is proven to help improve learning outcomes of students of class VII-E SMP Negeri 1 Singosari in Statistics. This can be shown on the score of the average value obtained from the initial data, the first cycle and the second cycle (71, 75, and 80) and the thoroughness of classical learning was 83.3%. Therefore, it is recommended to teachers of mathematics to use Snowball Throwing.
Survival analysis of hypotensive cats admitted to an intensive care unit with or without hyperlactatemia: 39 cases (2005–2011)
Authors: Shea Emily K. , Dombrowski Stefan C. , Silverstein Deborah C.
Published: March 2017

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between blood lactate concentration and survival to hospital discharge in critically ill hypotensive cats.

DESIGN Retrospective case series.

ANIMALS 39 cats admitted to an intensive care unit of a university veterinary hospital between January 2005 and December 2011 for which blood lactate concentration was recorded ≤ 1 hour before or after a Doppler-derived arterial blood pressure measurement ≤ 90 mm Hg (ie, hypotension) was obtained.

PROCEDURES Medical records of each cat were reviewed to assess survival to hospital discharge, illness severity, duration of hospitalization, age, body weight, and PCV. Results were compared between hypotensive cats with and without hyperlactatemia (blood lactate concentration ≥ 2.5 mmol/L).

RESULTS 6 of 39 (15%) hypotensive cats survived to hospital discharge. Twelve (31%) cats were normolactatemic (blood lactate concentration < 2.5 mmol/L), and 27 (69%) were hyperlactatemic. Hypotensive cats with normolactatemia had a higher blood pressure and higher survival rate than hypotensive cats with hyperlactatemia. Five-day Kaplan-Meier survival rates were 57% for normolactatemic cats and 17% for hyperlactatemic cats. Age, body weight, duration of hospitalization, PCV, and illness severity did not differ significantly between hypotensive cats with and without hyperlactatemia.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Hypotensive, normolactatemic cats in an intensive care unit had a significantly greater chance of survival to hospital discharge than their hyperlactatemic counterparts. Blood lactate concentration may be a useful prognostic indicator for this patient population when used in conjunction with other clinical and laboratory findings.
Reconstruction of a mandibular segmental defect with a customized 3-dimensional–printed titanium prosthesis in a cat with a mandibular osteosarcoma
Authors: Liptak Julius M. , Thatcher Graham P. , Bray Jonathan P.
Published: March 2017

CASE DESCRIPTION A 12-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat had been treated for a mass arising from the lingual aspect of the caudal right mandibular body. Cytoreductive surgery of the mass had been performed twice over a 2-year period, but the mass recurred following both surgeries. The mass was diagnosed as an osteosarcoma, and the cat was referred for further evaluation and treatment.

CLINICAL FINDINGS Clinical findings were unremarkable, except for a 2-cm-diameter mass arising from the lingual aspect of the right mandible and mild anemia and lymphopenia. Pre- and postcontrast CT scans of the head, neck, and thorax were performed, revealing that the osteosarcoma was confined to the caudal right mandibular body, with no evidence of lymph node or pulmonary metastasis.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME The stereolithographic files of the CT scan of the head were sent for computer-aided design and manufacture of a customized 3-D–printed titanium prosthesis. Segmental mandibulectomy was performed, and the mandibular defect was reconstructed in a single stage with the 3-D–printed titanium prosthesis. The cat had 1 minor postoperative complication but had no signs of eating difficulties at any point after surgery. The cat was alive and disease free 14 months postoperatively.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE Reconstruction of the mandible of a cat following mandibulectomy was possible with computer-aided design and manufacture of a customized 3-D–printed titanium prosthesis. Cats have a high rate of complications following mandibulectomy, and these initial findings suggested that mandibular reconstruction may reduce the risk of these complications and result in a better functional outcome.
Bilingualism of Two Indonesian Siblings Living in Australia
Authors: Rahayu Dwi
Published: March 2017

Attitude is one of the most prominent issues in bilingualism. It becomes crucial and interesting because it is related to how speakers preserve their language to avoid language attrition and to maintain their established language competence. This study investigates the attitudes of two Indonesian siblings, a 19-year old and a 24–year old, who migrated to Australia with their parents in 2002. This study looks into their attitudes towards their Indonesian L1 after living for 11 years in Australia. An interview was conducted along with a guided questionnaire with both participants. The results revealed that their attitudes toward their Indonesian L1 are different regardless of having had the same treatments from their parents. The younger sibling seems to be more reluctant to use his Indonesian L1 and now, he has difficulties in speaking in Indonesian. Accordingly, the possibility of his partial loss of his L1 was indicated. The results further show that their different attitudes are one of the factors that foster the language loss suffered by the younger participant, especially the loss of vocabulary knowledge. The study also found some demographic factors such as the age of onset and the level of education when he started studying at an Australian school that may have influenced the difficulties that the younger participant has with production of his L1.
Longitudinal Monitoring of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain During Physical Therapy Treatment Using the STarT Back Screening Tool
Authors: Medeiros Flávia Cordeiro , Costa Leonardo Oliveira Pena , Added Marco Aurélio Nemitalla , Salomão Evelyn Cassia , Costa Lucíola da Cunha Menezes
Published: March 2017

Study Design

Preplanned secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Background

The STarT Back Screening Tool (SBST) was developed to screen and to classify patients with low back pain into subgroups for the risk of having a poor prognosis. However, this classification at baseline does not take into account variables that can influence the prognosis during treatment or over time.

Objectives

(1) To investigate the changes in risk subgroup measured by the SBST over a period of 6 months, and (2) to assess the long-term predictive ability of the SBST when administered at different time points.

Methods

Patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (n = 148) receiving physical therapy care as part of a randomized trial were analyzed. Pain intensity, disability, global perceived effect, and the SBST were collected at baseline, 5 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Changes in SBST risk classification were calculated. Hierarchical linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders were built to analyze the predictive capabilities of the SBST when administered at different time points.

Results

A large proportion of patients (60.8%) changed their risk subgroup after receiving physical therapy care. The SBST improved the prediction for all 6-month outcomes when using the 5-week risk subgroup and the difference between baseline and 5-week subgroup, after controlling for potential confounders. The SBST at baseline did not improve the predictive ability of the models after adjusting for confounders.

Conclusion

This study shows that many patients change SBST risk subgroup after receiving physical therapy care, and that the predictive ability of the SBST in patients with chronic low back pain increases when administered at different time points.

Level of Evidence

Prognosis, 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):314–323. Epub 29 Mar 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7199
On-Ice Return-to-Hockey Progression After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Capin Jacob J. , Behrns William , Thatcher Karen , Arundale Amelia , Smith Angela Hutchinson , Snyder-Mackler Lynn
Published: March 2017

Synopsis

The literature pertaining to the rehabilitation of ice hockey players seeking to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is currently limited. The purpose of this clinical commentary was to present a criterion-based progression for return to ice hockey for athletes after ACLR. First, we review pertinent literature and provide previously published guidelines on general rehabilitation after ACLR. Then, we present a 4-phase, on-ice skating progression with objective criteria to initiate each phase. During the early on-ice phase, the athlete is reintroduced to specific demands, including graded exposure to forward, backward, and crossover skating. In the intermediate on-ice phase, the emphasis shifts to developing power and introducing anticipated changes of direction within a controlled environment. During the late on-ice phase, the focus progresses to developing anaerobic endurance and introducing unanticipated changes of direction, but still without other players or contact. Finally, once objective return-to-sport criteria are met, noncontact team drills, outnumbered and even-numbered drills, practices, scrimmages, and games are progressively reintroduced during the return-to-sport phase. Recommendations for off-ice strength and conditioning exercises complement the on-ice progression. Additionally, we apply the return-to-hockey progression framework to a case report of a female collegiate defensive ice hockey player who returned to sport successfully after ACLR. This criterion-based return-to-hockey progression may guide rehabilitation specialists managing athletes returning to ice hockey after ACLR. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):324–333. Epub 29 Mar 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7245
Risk of Recurrence of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review
Authors: da Silva Tatiane , Mills Kathryn , Brown Benjamin T. , Herbert Robert D. , Maher Christopher G. , Hancock Mark J.
Published: March 2017

Study Design

Systematic review.

Background

While most people with acute low back pain (LBP) recover quickly, recurrences are believed to be common. To our knowledge, no published high-quality systematic review has assessed the risk of recurrent LBP or the factors that would predict LBP recurrence.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of, and prognostic factors for, a recurrence of LBP in patients who have recovered from a previous episode of LBP within the last year.

Methods

Systematic searches were conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases. We included longitudinal studies of adults who had recovered from a previous episode of LBP within 12 months. The primary outcome was a new episode of LBP. Secondary outcomes were other types of recurrence (eg, episodes causing care seeking).

Results

Eight studies were included in the review: 7 observational studies and 1 randomized trial (2 publications). Six studies reported recurrence proportions for the primary outcome of an episode of LBP. Meta-analysis was not conducted due to the low quality and heterogeneity of studies. Only 1 study was considered an inception cohort study; it reported a 1-year recurrence proportion of 33%. A history of previous episodes of LBP prior to the most recent episode was the only factor that consistently predicted recurrence of LBP.

Conclusion

The available research does not provide robust estimates of the risk of LBP recurrence and provides little information about factors that predict recurrence in people recently recovered from an episode of LBP.

Level of Evidence

Prognosis, 1a–. Prospectively registered in PROSPERO on February 9, 2016 (CRD42016030220). J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):305–313. Epub 29 Mar 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7415
Bacteriological profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern in patients with Urinary tract infection
Authors: Subedi N , Pudasaini S
Published: March 2017

Background: Urinary tract infection is one of the common bacterial infections seeking treatment in clinical practice. A variety of organisms are associated with UTI and the most common organisms are Escherichia coli and other coliforms. Bacteriological investigations of UTI are not complete without antibiotic sensitivity test of the isolate. The aim of this study is to determine the bacteriological profile and antibiotic sensitivity patterns and their disease association.Materials and methods: This study was conducted in Shankarapur Hospital over a period of one year. All cases of suspected UTI sent for urine culture and sensitivity test were evaluated in this study. Disease associated with UTI, bacteriological profile and antibiotic sensitivity patterns were evaluated.Results: A total of 974 cases were sent for urine culture and sensitivity test. The total culture positive cases were 165 (17.4%).  The most common age group for culture positive test was 21- 30 years (33.3%) followed by 31- 40 years (25.5%). Female patients formed the majority of culture positive cases (84.8%) and E Coli (86.1%) was the most common organism isolated. Piperacillin- tazobactum and ceftriaxone were the most common antibiotic sensitive to the organisms. Simple uncomplicated UTI and PID were the most common indication for subjecting the patients to urine culture.Conclusion: UTI is most commonly seen in female of reproductive age group and the most common causative organism is E coli. Culture result and antibiogram helps the clinician for specific treatment of UTI.
Study of prostatic pathology and its correlation with prostate specific antigen level
Authors: Hirachand S , Dangol UMS , Pradhanang S , Acharya S
Published: March 2017

Background: Diseases primarily inflicting prostate gland are inflammation, benign prostatic hyperplasia and cancer. Prostate specific antigen is a protein produced by the cells of prostate gland. It has been widely used in the diagnosis and management of patients with prostatic cancer. The aim this study was to determine the correlation between serum prostate specific antigen level and histological findings in biopsy specimens of men with prostatic disease.Materials and methods: This study was carried out at Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital, department of Pathology over a period of 2 years. One hundred and twenty eight cases with prostatic lesions were included in this study. Prostate specific antigen values of these cases were recorded before the surgical process. Histology of the tissue samples collected after transurethral resection of prostate was studied and relationship with prostate specific antigen level were analyzed.Results: Benign prostatic hyperplasia was the most common histological lesion encountered (n=95; 74.22%). Prostatic adenocarcinomas were seen a decade older than those with benign lesions. Maximum number of the benign cases had the Prostate specific antigen range of 0-7ng/ml. Most of the prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions were seen within the PSA range of 0-7ng/ml and adenocarcinoma in the range of >20ng/ml.Conclusion: Prostate specific antigen is specific for the prostate but not for prostate cancer. Both benign and malignant lesions in prostate can cause increase in serum prostate specific antigen levels, but the chances of malignancy it rising level.
Spectrum of histomorphological diagnosis in cystoscopic bladder biopsies
Authors: Thapa R , Lakhey M , Bhatta AD
Published: March 2017

Background:  Urinary bladder lesions are the main source of significant clinical symptoms which are more disabling than lethal. Bladder tumors constitute one of the most common urological pathology. Urothelial carcinoma accounts for 90% of all primary tumors of the bladder. This study aimed to determine the frequency of different types of lesions of the urinary bladder and to determine the grade and stage of urothelial tumors.Materials and Methods: This is a 2 years cross sectional study of cystoscopic biopsies carried out in the Department of Pathology, Medicare National Hospital and Research Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal.Results:  Out of 87 cases, 58 (66.67%) cases were neoplastic lesions and 29(33.33%) cases were non- neoplastic lesions. Majority of neoplastic lesions 96.55% were urothelial (transitional cell) tumors comprising predominantly of low grade papillary urothelial carcinoma 50.91%. Muscle invasion was seen only in high grade papillary urothelial carcinomas.Conclusion: Among bladder tumors low grade papillary urothelial carcinoma is the most common.
Hydrops fetalis secondary to supradiaphragmatic extrapulmonary sequestration with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation
Authors: Shukla S , Kini H , Ilias ML , Gautam K
Published: March 2017

Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation is a hamartomatous lesion. A 30 year old woman, G2P1L1, in the 29th week of gestation presented with pain abdomen, chest pain, cough with expectoration, fever and inability to appreciate fetal movements of 2 days duration. Clinically, she had pneumonia. An ultrasound revealed a single fetus in breech presentation with features of hydrops fetalis, hypoplastic left lung, mediastinal shift to the left and poor diastolic and systolic flow in the umbilical artery.A still born male baby delivered subsequently was found at autopsy to have hydrops fetalis, supradiaphragmatic right sided extralobar sequestration with associated congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation.The right lung also showed congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation. There were no other associated anomalies. We present a rare case of extralobar sequestrationwith congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation.
Clinicohistopathological correlation of leprosy
Authors: Shrestha A , Chauhan S , Mathur M
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: Leprosy is a chronic infectious granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It is a spectral disease which is classified into five groups according to Ridley and Jopling based on clinical, histological, microbiological and immunological criteria. Adequate clinical information combined with bacilloscopy and histopathology is helpful not only in classification of different types of leprosy but also useful for management of the cases.METHOD: 50 cases of leprosy were examined and clinical data was recorded. Slit skin smears were stained with Ziehl Neelsen stain. Skin biopsy was stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin stain and Fite Farraco stain was performed to demonstrate acid fast bacilli. All patients were classified according to Ridley & Jopling classification. Clinico-histopathological correlation was done. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) 16.0.RESULTS: Most common histological type of leprosy was tuberculoid leprosy seen in 19(38%) cases followed by indeterminate leprosy. Overall clinico-histopathological correlation was seen in 39.58%. The correlation was highest in indeterminate and histoid leprosy (100%) followed by lepromatous leprosy (66.66 %%) and tuberculoid leprosy (50%). Slit skin smear showed bacilli in 12 out of 48 cases (25%) while biopsy showed bacilli in 16 out of 48 cases (33.3%).CONCLUSION: In the present study, clinical diagnosis did not correlate with histopathological diagnosis significantly (p value=0.04159). The study emphasizes the role of histopathological and bacilloscopic examination to aid the clinical diagnosis for accurate typing of leprosy cases then better management of the patient.
Rational Clinical Use of Blood and Blood products – A summary
Authors: Ghartimagar D
Published: March 2017

Blood transfusion is an essential therapeutic intervention. The main role of the blood centre is to provide safe and timely blood and blood component(s) to the patients that will improve the physiological status of the patient. Various blood components can be harvested from a single donation of whole blood. The blood centre ensures that there is an adequate inventory of all blood types and blood components to meet the needs of the patients. The blood centre does donor selection, blood collection, component preparation, screening for transfusion – transmitted infections and blood processing. Serologically compatible blood and components are provided to the patients after meticulous pre-transfusion testing as per the standard protocol. Rational use of blood and blood products means right product is used with the right dose on right time for the right reason.
Spectrum of giant cells and its significance on FNAC in breast lesions
Authors: Dayal S , Mathur M , Gupta V
Published: March 2017

Fine needle aspiration of breast is being performed from last several years. It is not uncommon to find giant cell on FNAC of breast smears .Giant cells arises from monocyte / macrophage lineage which are capable of fusion to form multinucleated giant cell. The common giant cell seen in breast on fna smears are foreign body , Langhan’s type , stromal giant cells , tumor giant cells and osteoclastic giant cell . It arises in benign as well as malignant lesions of the breast. Hence, their recognition and correct interpretation can be valuable to cyto pathologist who identifies the variation in diagnosis of pathology and to the clinician for the treatment modalities of different breast pathologies.
Low-Budget Techniques for Road Network Mapping and Road Condition Assessment That Are Accessible to Transport Agencies in Developing Countries
Authors: Espinet Xavier , Wang Winnie , Mehndiratta Shomik
Published: March 2017

In rural areas of developing countries, the poor quality of road location and condition data—which in most cases are outdated or nonexistent—is a barrier to transport decision making and investment. Without good information about the transport infrastructure, the local administrations, national agencies, and international donors have difficulty prioritizing investments that will produce higher economic and social returns. Most local and national transport agencies in developing countries lack the specific technology, expensive equipment, and professionally trained staff to survey and collect data on rural roads. Lessons are shared from a pilot project that used an inexpensive technique to survey and assess the condition of road infrastructure in rural areas of Mozambique. Local transport engineers were provided with a smartphone app called RoadLab Pro to increase their awareness of new approaches, tools, and technologies. This pilot project aimed to build technical capacity in applying and replicating practices for use in the future while lowering the barriers to transport decision making and investment that asset management and data collection represent for low-capacity and underresourced transport agencies in developing countries.
Service Evaluation of Public Bicycle Scheme from a User Perspective: A Case Study in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Chen Mengwei , Wang Dianhai , Sun Yilin , Liu Chengxi , Bai Zhen
Published: March 2017

In late 2005, in an attempt to solve the last-mile problem, China started implementing public bikesharing programs. The effort quickly grew to a massive scale. An estimated 400,000 public bicycles now are in use in China, which is more than in all other countries that have implemented public bicycle schemes (PBSs). As with any emerging service that develops rapidly, an understanding of user behavior and satisfaction is lacking. Factors that influence the frequency of public bicycle use were studied in Hangzhou, China. Online and intercept surveys were conducted with PBS users. Willingness to use the PBS as well as satisfaction with and concerns about the PBS were investigated. Analysis of variance was conducted to identify the six factors that affect a user’s decision to rent: car ownership, bicycle ownership, travel purpose, having or lacking familiarity with the rental process, level of satisfaction with the PBS, and level of familiarity with the distribution of docking stations. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to elucidate details of key factors in the group of most frequent users—that is, survey respondents who did not own a car, rented a bicycle primarily for shopping or going out for business, and were familiar with the rental process and the distribution of docking stations. Based on study findings, advice is presented for implementing policy in developing countries. Suggestions include publicizing the PBS more, attracting more commuters to bicycling to reduce congestion, enhancing the accessibility of docking stations to accommodate more potential users, and improving bicycle quality to encourage more participation and make it easier for elderly citizens to participate.
Defining a Primary Market for Bikesharing Programs: A Study of Habits and Usage Intentions in León, Mexico
Authors: Gámez-Pérez Karla M. , Arroyo-López Pilar , Cherry Christopher R.
Published: March 2017

Bikeshare has emerged as an influential new technology to improve nonmotorized transportation in cities across the globe. Latin American countries have lagged in the implementation of bikeshare systems. As such, there is a lack of studies that focus on bikeshare potential in Latin America. This study contributes to filling that gap by examining the potential demand of a proposed bikeshare system in the city of León, located in the central part of Mexico. The data of a stratified survey of 519 respondents are used to estimate a binary logit model on the stated intention to use the bikeshare system and thus to assess the factors that influence the potential interest in this mode of transportation. Some aspects of the results are consistent with other studies: potential bikeshare users must have a safe infrastructure, they will use bikeshare for regular trips from home to work, and bikeshare is competitive for short-duration trips. A few findings contrast with other studies: potential bikeshare users tend to be lower income and are not already cyclists, and some have very long transit commutes.
Registration of ‘CP 06‐2042’ Sugarcane
Authors: Davidson R. Wayne , Sandhu Hardev S. , McCord Per , Comstock Jack C. , Edmé Serge J. , Zhao Duli , Glaz Barry , Sood Sushma , Glynn Neil C. , Gilbert Robert A. , Singh Maninder P. , Baltazar Miguel , McCorkle Katherine
Published: March 2017

‘CP 06‐2042’ (Reg. No. CV‐169, PI 675156) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp.) was developed through cooperative research conducted by the USDA‐ARS, the University of Florida, and the Florida Sugarcane League and released to growers for organic (muck) and mineral (sand) soils in Florida in September 2014. CP 06‐2042 was selected from a cross of ‘CP 96‐1252’ × 01 P 04 made at Canal Point, FL, in December 2001. The female parent, CP 96‐1252, is a commercial cultivar. The male parent is unknown, as it is one of 19 sugarcane cultivars in the polycross. Cane yield of CP 06‐2042 on muck soils, averaged across 18 harvests through three crop cycles (plant cane, first ratoon, and second ratoon), was 26.1% higher (P < 0.1) than that of ‘CP 89‐2143’, a commercial check for muck soils. Although CP 06‐2042 had 1.8% lower commercial recoverable sucrose than CP 89‐2143, high cane yield resulted in 22.8% higher (P < 0.1) sucrose yield than CP 89‐2143. Averaged across nine harvests through three crop cycles on sand soils, CP 06‐2042 had 12.1% (P < 0.1) higher cane yield, 2.9% higher commercial recoverable sucrose, and 13.1% (P < 0.1) higher sucrose yield than ‘CP 78‐1628’, a commercial check for sand soils. CP 06‐2042 was released because of its high cane and sucrose yields on both muck and sand soils and its acceptable levels of resistance to brown rust, leaf scald, Sugarcane mosaic virus strain E (mosaic), and ratoon stunt. CP 06‐2042 is susceptible to orange rust and has poor freeze tolerance.
RST Resilient Watermarking Scheme Based on DWT-SVD and Scale-Invariant Feature Transform
Authors: Zhang Yunpeng , Wang Chengyou , Zhou Xiao
Published: March 2017

Currently, most digital image watermarking schemes are affected by geometric attacks like rotation, scaling, and translation (RST). In the watermark embedding process, a robust watermarking scheme is proposed against RST attacks. In this paper, three-level discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is applied to the original image. The three-level low frequency sub-band is decomposed by the singular value decomposition (SVD), and its singular values matrix is extracted for watermarking embedding. Before the watermarking extraction, the keypoints are selected by scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) in the original image and attacked image. By matching the keypoints in two images, the RST attacks can be precisely corrected and the better performance can be obtained. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme achieves good performance of imperceptibility and robustness against common image processing and malicious attacks, especially geometric attacks.
A 5G Cognitive System for Healthcare
Authors: Chen Min , Yang Jun , Hao Yixue , Mao Shiwen , Hwang Kai
Published: March 2017

Developments and new advances in medical technology and the improvement of people’s living standards have helped to make many people healthier. However, there are still large design deficiencies due to the imbalanced distribution of medical resources, especially in developing countries. To address this issue, a video conference-based telemedicine system is deployed to break the limitations of medical resources in terms of time and space. By outsourcing medical resources from big hospitals to rural and remote ones, centralized and high quality medical resources can be shared to achieve a higher salvage rate while improving the utilization of medical resources. Though effective, existing telemedicine systems only treat patients’ physiological diseases, leaving another challenging problem unsolved: How to remotely detect patients’ emotional state to diagnose psychological diseases. In this paper, we propose a novel healthcare system based on a 5G Cognitive System (5G-Csys). The 5G-Csys consists of a resource cognitive engine and a data cognitive engine. Resource cognitive intelligence, based on the learning of network contexts, aims at ultra-low latency and ultra-high reliability for cognitive applications. Data cognitive intelligence, based on the analysis of healthcare big data, is used to handle a patient’s health status physiologically and psychologically. In this paper, the architecture of 5G-Csys is first presented, and then the key technologies and application scenarios are discussed. To verify our proposal, we develop a prototype platform of 5G-Csys, incorporating speech emotion recognition. We present our experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system. We hope this paper will attract further research in the field of healthcare based on 5G cognitive systems.