bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alien hand syndrome and migraine with aura: A case report
Authors: Erdal Yuksel , Emre Ufuk , Cimen Atalar Arife , Gunes Taskın
Published: March 2018

Background

Alien Hand Syndrome (AHS) is an uncontrollable, involuntary, but in appearance, purposeful motor control disorder of the upper extremity.

Case report

A 42-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic complaining of involuntary motor activity in his right hand. He had a previous history of migraine with visual aura. The uncontrollable motor control disorder was compatible with Alien Hand Syndrome, which was appearing immediately after the visual aura and before the beginning of headache.

Conclusion

Alien Hand Syndrome is usually observed with anterior cerebral artery infarction, midline tumors, trauma and several neurodegenerative diseases, but is rarely seen in paroxysmal conditions such as migraine with aura.
Isolated Optic Nerve Glioma in Children With and Without Neurofibromatosis: Retrospective Characterization and Analysis of Outcomes
Authors: Hamideh Dima , Hoehn Mary Ellen , Harreld Julie H. , Klimo Paul D. , Gajjar Amar , Qaddoumi Ibrahim
Published: March 2018

Isolated optic nerve glioma is a rare tumor with no consensus for the best therapeutic approach. Therefore, tumor control and preservation of visual function remain a challenge. In this retrospective study, we describe our experience over 30 years in a single-institutional cohort of children with isolated optic nerve glioma, focusing on treatments and visual outcomes. Seventeen children were followed for a median period of 8 years (range, 2-22 years). Diagnosis was based on typical neuroradiologic findings, and 3 patients had histologic confirmation of their tumors. In our study, conservative management preserved the vision of most patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). NF1-related optic nerve gliomas were less often treated but were associated with a lower probability of progression and with occasional spontaneous regression. Sporadic tumors more frequently exhibited aggressive clinical behavior with a higher propensity for posterior extension, often requiring surgical intervention.
Structured Spatial Modeling and Mapping of Domestic Violence Against Women of Reproductive Age in Rwanda
Authors: Habyarimana Faustin , Zewotir Temesgen , Ramroop Shaun
Published: March 2018

The main objective of this study was to assess the risk factors and spatial correlates of domestic violence against women of reproductive age in Rwanda. A structured spatial approach was used to account for the nonlinear nature of some covariates and the spatial variability on domestic violence. The nonlinear effect was modeled through second-order random walk, and the structured spatial effect was modeled through Gaussian Markov Random Fields specified as an intrinsic conditional autoregressive model. The data from the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2014/2015 were used as an application. The findings of this study revealed that the risk factors of domestic violence against women are the wealth quintile of the household, the size of the household, the husband or partner’s age, the husband or partner’s level of education, ownership of the house, polygamy, the alcohol consumption status of the husband or partner, the woman’s perception of wife-beating attitude, and the use of contraceptive methods. The study also highlighted the significant spatial variation of domestic violence against women at district level.
Abusive Relationship and Its Associated Factors Between Deployed and Un-Deployed Veterans in College
Authors: Min Hosik
Published: March 2018

This study is to examine the effect of student veteran status on abusive relationships, namely, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. In addition, this study divided student veterans into two groups, deployed and un-deployed veterans, to see whether two groups demonstrate different results on abusive relationships. Logistic regression models were employed as a statistical strategy using the 2011-2014 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA-II) data. The results found that deployed veterans were more likely to experience physical abuse, while un-deployed veterans were more likely to experience emotional abuse. Student veterans did not show any significant relationship with sexual abuse regardless deployment experience. It would be appropriate to consider the results of this study to address abusive relationships among student veterans, which help them to not only adjust college life but also succeed in careers and have healthy family relationships.
Intimate Partner Violence and Pet Abuse: Responding Law Enforcement Officers’ Observations and Victim Reports From the Scene
Authors: Campbell Andrew M. , Thompson Shannon L. , Harris Tara L. , Wiehe Sarah E.
Published: March 2018

The risk of harm/injury in homes where intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs is not limited to humans; animals reside in as many as 80% of these homes and may be at substantial risk of suffering severe or fatal injury. Gaining a better understanding of IPV-pet abuse overlap is imperative in more accurately identifying the risks of harm for all individuals and animals residing in these homes. The objectives of this study were to utilize law enforcement officers’ observations and IPV victim reports from the scene of the incident to (a) determine the prevalence of pet abuse perpetration among suspects involved in IPV incidents, (b) compare characteristics of IPV incidents and the home environments in which they occur when the suspect has a history of pet abuse with incidents involving suspects with no reported history of pet abuse, and (c) compare IPV incident outcomes involving suspects with a history of pet abuse with those involving suspects with no reported history of pet abuse. IPV victims residing in homes with a suspect who has a history of pet abuse often describe “extremely high-risk” environments. With nearly 80% reporting concern that they will eventually be killed by the suspect, victims in these environments should be considered at significant risk of suffering serious injury or death. In addition, IPV victims involved in incidents with a suspect that has a history of pet abuse were significantly more likely to have had at least one prior unreported IPV incident with the suspect (80%) and to have ever been strangled (76%) or forced to have sex with the suspect (26%). Effective prevention/detection/intervention strategies are likely to require multidisciplinary collaboration and safety plans that address the susbstantial risk of harm/injury for all adults, children, and animals residing in the home.
Dynamic Risk Factors Characterizing Aggressive Sexual Initiation by Female College Students
Authors: Carvalho Joana , Rosa Pedro J. , Pereira Bruna
Published: March 2018

Past research has supported that community women engage in sexually coercive strategies as a means to initiate sexual intercourse with men. However, at the present state of the knowledge, there is a great lack of scientific information on the psychological characterization of these women. In accordance, the aim of the present study was to characterize the psychopathological and personality profile of a sample of college women reporting sexual initiation by coercive approaches, and to predict membership in the categories of sexually abusive strategies that were used by these women. Findings revealed that 32.7% of women reported to have used some kind of sexually coercive strategy in the past; these women were characterized by the endorsement of more psychopathology symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, somatization), and a maladaptive personality style (e.g., neuroticism, impulsiveness, negative trait-affect), in relation to the nonaggressive peers. Also, among the sexually aggressive group, extraversion predicted membership in the category of physical force (i.e., women using physical force to initiate sexual interaction). Findings add to the literature by showing that college women reporting sexually aggressive strategies as a means to initiate sexual intercourse with men present a set of psychopathological and personality features that are qualitatively similar to those features that were previously found to characterize samples of convicted sexual offenders.
The Effect of Moral Disengagement on Bullying: Testing the Moderating Role of Personal and Social Factors
Authors: Travlos Antonios K. , Tsorbatzoudis Haralambos , Barkoukis Vassilis , Douma Irene
Published: March 2018

Bullying is a subset of aggressive behavior that has severe consequences in children’s psychosocial development. Bullying behaviors can be influenced by personal and social factors, such as gender, age, school type, and sport participation, as well as psychological constructs, such as moral disengagement. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of moral disengagement on bullying behaviors and the moderating role of personal and social factors. In this study, 2,252 students ( M = 13.57, SD = 1.17; 1,125 girls, and 1,127 boys) attending the sixth grade of primary school and secondary education have participated. Participants completed the revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and Bandura’s Moral Disengagement Questionnaire along with general questions about their demographic characteristics. The results of the analyses demonstrated moderation effects of gender on the moral disengagement–physical bullying relationship and of age on the moral disengagement–verbal bullying relationship. No significant moderating effect emerged for school type and sport participation. The findings of the present study provide valuable information about the role of personal and social factors on bullying behavior.
A Dyadic Analysis of PTSD and Psychological Partner Aggression Among U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans: The Impact of Gender and Dual-Veteran Couple Status
Authors: Watkins Laura E. , Laws Holly B.
Published: March 2018

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have been repeatedly linked to intimate partner aggression (IPA), and previous research has suggested that this association may be stronger among veterans and men. However, few studies have examined veteran status and gender as moderators of the association between PTSD and psychological IPA, taking both partners’ perspectives into account (i.e., within a dyadic framework). The current study aimed to address this limitation by using dyadic multilevel modeling to examine the association between PTSD symptoms and psychological IPA perpetration among a sample of 159 Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans and their partners ( N = 318 participants). Findings revealed that both one’s own and one’s partner’s PTSD symptoms were positively associated with greater psychological IPA. In addition, the effects of partner PTSD symptoms on psychological IPA perpetration differed across gender and veteran status. Results suggested that the association of partner PTSD and IPA perpetration may be stronger for male veterans than for female veterans. Findings from the current study are consistent with previous research showing associations between PTSD and IPA, and have clinical implications for treatment of PTSD and IPA among Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans.
Psychometric Properties of the Dating Violence Questionnaire: Reviewing the Evidence in Chilean Youths
Authors: Lara Laura , López-Cepero Javier
Published: March 2018

The Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ) is a 42-item questionnaire that measures victimization in romantic relationships between young people, through eight interrelated scales assessing detachment, humiliation, coercion, emotional punishment, gender-based, sexual, physical, and instrumental violence. It has been validated in a myriad of countries and languages and is commonly used in Spanish-speaking countries; however, two scales (emotional punishment and instrumental violence) have shown reliability issues. The aim of present study is to analyze the psychometric proprieties of the adapted version of the DVQ for the Chilean population, reviewing evidence of structure validity, external validity, and reliability—using polychoric and ordinal analysis—and including new items to improve instrumental and emotional punishment scales (DVQ+). Eight hundred forty-six high school and university students (14-24 years old) participated in the study. Results showed that both DVQ and DVQ+ versions had an adequate fit with the original correlated eight-factor model (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .023; comparative fit index [CFI] = .97, in both cases), as well as with a more parsimonious second-order factor model (RMSEA = .024-.025; CFI = .97-.97, respectively). Reliability analysis also showed both version presented satisfactory values for internal consistency. Finally, scores of DVQ were correlated—as expected—negatively with quality of the relationship and positively with fear, perceived abuse, and attachment-related anxiety, thus providing new evidences of validity.
Film cooling optimization on leading edge gas turbine blade using differential evolution
Authors: García Juan C , Dávalos José O , Urquiza Gustavo , Galván Sergio , Ochoa Alberto , Rodríguez José A , Ponce Carlos
Published: March 2018

This article reports the optimization of film cooling on a leading edge of a gas turbine blade model, with showerhead configuration, it is based on five input parameters, which are hole diameter, hole pitch, column holes pitch, injection angle, and velocity at plenum inlet. This optimization increased the Area-Averaged Film Cooling Effectiveness [Formula: see text] and reduced the consumption of coolant flow. Differential Evolution assisted by artificial neural networks was used as optimization algorithm. Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes computations were carried out to getting the net database and to evaluate the optimized models predicted by artificial neural network. The results show an effective increment of [Formula: see text] by 36% and a mass flow reduction by 66%. These results were reached by means of a better distribution of cooling flow at blade surface as function of the input parameters. To assure the reliability of the numerical model, particle image velocimetry technique was used for its validation.
Conflict and compromise in planning decision-making: How does a Chinese local government negotiate its construction land quota with higher-level governments?
Authors: Zhu Jin , Tang Weicheng
Published: March 2018

Economic decentralization in China has intensified the tension between higher-level and local governments in policy implementation. It is a core development right for local governments in urbanizing China to have construction land quotas determined in local plans. Negotiation around this quota can reveal the hidden rules and operating mechanisms of organizational structures in the urban development field. This paper undertakes a long-term tracing of a planning process in a case study area to reveal the conflicts and bargaining processes that occur when top-down enforcement of relevant policies deviates from or even contradicts local appeals and development goals. This study found that the local governments initially adopted a passive response in order to encourage the opportunity for informal bargaining to maximize their own benefits. The outcome was that higher-level government created incentives and offered flexibility in policy implementation to compensate local government. The role of the planning group in effective information delivery and technical support accelerated consensus reaching with compromise from both higher-level and local governments.
Chinese Dreams of the Middle Ages
Authors: Kurtz Joachim
Published: March 2018

Dreams of a return to a golden age in remote antiquity were common tropes in imperial Chinese philosophy, literature and art. But such yearnings could also relate to the more recent past of a diffuse ‘Middle Period’ situated flexibly between the time of the legendary sage kings and the respective present. This article illustrates how evocations of this unwieldy era were re-signified through its association with Europe’s ‘Middle Ages’. Far from producing a unified image, the uneasy coupling opened up a space in between the normative poles of ‘antiquity’ and ‘modernity’ that served as a platform to negotiate competing visions of China’s past, present and future. Alternately romanticised or demonised, the Chinese medieval could be enlisted as a site of cultural nostalgia, social utopia or a tool of political propaganda. By reviewing a selection of these diverse uses, I aim to understand the limited but persistent appeal of medievalism in modern China. At the same time, I will explore what this example can teach us about the ways in which ‘colligatory concepts’ such as the Middle Ages and the obsessions that may be attached to them travel across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Modelling the Impact of Different Tuberculosis Control Interventions on the Prevalence of Tuberculosis in an Overcrowded Prison
Authors: Naning Herlianna , Al-Darraji Haider Abdulrazzaq Abed , McDonald Scott , Ismail Noor Azina , Kamarulzaman Adeeba
Published: March 2018

The aim of this study was to simulate the effects of tuberculosis (TB) treatment strategies interventions in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated prison with both high (5 months) and low (3 years) turnover of inmates against improved environmental conditions. We used a deterministic transmission model to simulate the effects of treatment of latent TB infection and active TB, or the combination of both treatment strategies. Without any intervention, the TB prevalence is estimated to increase to 8.8% for a prison with low turnover of inmates but modestly stabilize at 5.8% for high-turnover prisons in a 10-year period. Reducing overcrowding from 6 to 4 inmates per housing cell and increasing the ventilation rate from 2 to 12 air changes per hour combined with any treatment strategy would further reduce the TB prevalence to as low as 0.98% for a prison with low inmate turnover.
Exploring decision consistency and decision accuracy across rating designs in rater-mediated music performance assessments
Authors: Wind Stefanie A. , Ooi Pey Shin , Engelhard George
Published: March 2018

Music performance assessments frequently include panels of raters who evaluate the quality of musical performances using rating scales. As a result of practical considerations, it is often not possible to obtain ratings from every rater on every performance (i.e., complete rating designs). When there are differences in rater severity, and not all raters rate all performances, ratings of musical performances and their resulting classification (e.g., pass or fail) depend on the “luck of the rater draw.” In this study, we explored the implications of different types of incomplete rating designs for the classification of musical performances in rater-mediated musical performance assessments. We present a procedure that researchers and practitioners can use to adjust student scores for differences in rater severity when incomplete rating designs are used, and we consider the effects of the adjustment procedure across different types of rating designs. Our results suggested that differences in rater severity have large practical consequences for ratings of musical performances that impact individual students and group of students differently. Furthermore, our findings suggest that it is possible to adjust musical performance ratings for differences in rater severity as long as there are common raters across scoring panels. We consider the implications of our findings as they relate to music assessment research and practice.
Parametric structural modelling of fish bone active camber morphing aerofoils
Authors: Rivero Andres E , Weaver Paul M , Cooper Jonathan E , Woods Benjamin KS
Published: March 2018

Camber morphing aerofoils have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of fixed and rotary wing aircraft by providing significant lift control authority to a wing, at a lower drag penalty than traditional plain flaps. A rapid, mesh-independent and two-dimensional analytical model of the fish bone active camber concept is presented. Existing structural models of this concept are one-dimensional and isotropic and therefore unable to capture either material anisotropy or spanwise variations in loading/deformation. The proposed model addresses these shortcomings by being able to analyse composite laminates and solve for static two-dimensional displacement fields. Kirchhoff–Love plate theory, along with the Rayleigh–Ritz method, are used to capture the complex and variable stiffness nature of the fish bone active camber concept in a single system of linear equations. Results show errors between 0.5% and 8% for static deflections under representative uniform pressure loadings and applied actuation moments (except when transverse shear exists), compared to finite element method. The robustness, mesh-independence and analytical nature of this model, combined with a modular, parameter-driven geometry definition, facilitate a fast and automated analysis of a wide range of fish bone active camber concept configurations. This analytical model is therefore a powerful tool for use in trade studies, fluid–structure interaction and design optimisation.
Representation When Constituent Opinion and District Conditions Collide
Authors: Adler E. Scott , Cayton Adam F. , Griffin John D.
Published: March 2018

When constituent opinion and district conditions point in two different directions, which factor is most influential for representatives who face important legislative roll calls? To address this question, we combine four types of data for the period from 2000 to 2012: key congressional roll call votes, district-level survey data, objective measures of district conditions, and other district demographics. We show (1) that material conditions in a district have an effect on legislative behavior independent of constituents’ opinions; (2) that opinions are not always a better predictor of lawmaker decisions, compared to conditions; and (3) that whether lawmakers tend to reflect constituent opinions or district conditions is a function of the demographic makeup of their districts.
Cardiovascular Safety of the Selective μ-Opioid Receptor Antagonist Naloxegol: A Novel Therapy for Opioid-Induced Constipation
Authors: White William B. , Kowey Peter , Diva Ulysses , Sostek Mark , Tummala Raj
Published: March 2018

Background:

Naloxegol is a novel selective, peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonist for treating opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with chronic pain syndromes. We analyzed the cardiovascular (CV) safety of naloxegol based on data from its development program prior to approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2015.

Methods:

Comprehensive CV safety analyses were performed in 4 clinical studies of naloxegol (12.5 and/or 25 mg) in patients with noncancer pain and OIC: two 12-week, double-blind, randomized studies; a 12-week, double-blind, extension study; and a 52-week, randomized, open-label study versus usual care. Evaluations of baseline CV risk were obtained from medical histories and clinical findings at the time of study initiation.

Results:

Across the 4 studies (N = 2135), 68% of patients had ≥1 CV risk factor and 41% had a history of CV disease, diabetes, or ≥2 other CV risk factors. There were no increases in blood pressure, heart rate, or the rate-pressure product with naloxegol versus placebo. The rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) per 100 patient-years of exposure were 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-2.89) for placebo/usual care and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.24-1.75) for naloxegol. The relative risk of MACE for all doses of naloxegol versus placebo was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.14-3.36).

Conclusion:

These data demonstrate that naloxegol has a CV safety profile comparable to placebo/usual care in patients with OIC. Although the observed number of events was low, the data show no CV signal in patients with OIC treated with naloxegol.
Examining the Rate of Self-Reported ADHD-Related Traits and Endorsement of Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Autistic-Like Traits in Australian University Students
Authors: Nankoo Marie M. A. , Palermo Romina , Bell Jason Alan , Pestell Carmela M.
Published: March 2018

Objective: To investigate the rate of ADHD-related traits among young adults in an Australian university, and to examine whether higher endorsement of ADHD-related symptoms is associated with self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, distress, and autistic-like traits. Method: In total, 1,002 students aged 17 to 25 years completed the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), and the Autism Quotient (AQ). Results: About 17.3% of students reported “at-risk” levels of ADHD-related symptoms. Regression analyses revealed that CAARS scores explained unique variance in self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and autism-related traits. Conclusion: The rate of self-reported ADHD symptoms is higher in Australian undergraduate students than that reported in previous studies using the CAARS to investigate rates of diagnosed students. Problems with self-concept accounted for the most unique variance in DASS subscale scores. Hyperactivity/restlessness and inattention/memory problems accounted for the most unique variance in AQ-Social and AQ-Attention-to-Detail scores, respectively.
On Allotopia: The Spatial Accumulation of Difference in Bixiga (São Paulo, Brazil)
Authors: Stevens Jeroen , De Meulder Bruno
Published: March 2018

This article will unfold a longe durée spatial biography of the urban area of Bixiga (São Paulo, Brazil) to probe the particular role of space in the conflation of different cultural practices and territorial claims. The extended case study bridges indigenous, colonial, and postcolonial urbanization as they amalgamated an intricate assemblage of material and cultural strata. Combined historical urban analysis and fieldwork allow to uncover how the resulting urban milieu integrates discrepant urban worlds, perpetually iterating between centrality and marginality, innovation and degradation, oppression and resistance. Building on Foucault’s (1984) conception of heterotopia, Bixiga will surface as an allotopia, a place that accommodates, cumulates, and celebrates a multitude of differences. It sheds light, this way, on more insurgent histories of urbanism, where urban space is piecemeal forged through contentious struggles over space in the city.
Jean-Luc Nancy and La Peau des images
Authors: Howells Christina
Published: March 2018

This article considers Jean-Luc Nancy’s reflections on the nude in painting and photography in the light of his aesthetics, his philosophy of the body and soul, and some of his other writings on portraiture. It explores Nancy’s insistence on skin as the truth behind and beyond which no further meaning waits to be revealed: there are no hidden depths, no secret or sacred truths, nothing is concealed beneath the skin.
Auditory Mismatch Negativity and P300a Elicited by the “Optimal” Multi-feature Paradigm in Early Schizophrenia
Authors: Fisher Derek J. , Campbell Debra J. , Abriel Shelagh C. , Ells Emma M. L. , Rudolph Erica D. , Tibbo Philip G.
Published: March 2018

The mismatch negativity (MMN) is an EEG-derived event-related potential (ERP) elicited by any violation of a predicted auditory “rule,” regardless of whether one is attending to the stimuli and is thought to reflect updating of the stimulus context. Redirection of attention toward a rare, distracting stimulus event, however, can be measured by the subsequent P3a component of the P300. Chronic schizophrenia patients exhibit robust MMN deficits, as well as reductions in P3a amplitude. While, the substantial literature on the MMN in first-episode and early phase schizophrenia in this population reports reduced amplitudes, there also exist several contradictory studies. Conversely, P3a reduction in this population is relatively consistent, although the literature investigating this is small. The primary goal of this study was to contribute to our understanding of whether auditory change detection mechanisms are altered in early phase schizophrenia and, if so, under what conditions. Event-related potentials elicited by duration, frequency, gap, intensity, and location deviants (as elicited by the “optimal” multi-feature paradigm) were recorded in 14 early phase schizophrenia (EP) patients and 17 healthy controls (HCs). Electrical activity was recorded from 15 scalp electrodes. MMN/P3a amplitudes and latencies for each deviant were compared between groups and were correlated with clinical measures in EPs. There were no significant group differences for MMN amplitudes or latencies, though EPs did exhibit reduced P3a amplitudes to gap and duration deviants. Furthermore, PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) positive symptom scores were correlated with intensity MMN latencies and duration P3a amplitudes in EPs. These findings suggest that MMNs may not be as robustly reduced in early phase schizophrenia (relative to chronic illness), but that alterations may be more likely in patients with increased positive symptomatology. Furthermore, these findings offer further support to previous work suggesting that the understudied P3a may have good complementary utility as a marker of early cortical dysfunction in psychosis.
Transanal Hemorrhoidal Dearterialization Versus Stapled Hemorrhoidopexy: Long-Term Follow-up of a Prospective Randomized Study
Authors: Giarratano Gabriella , Toscana Edoardo , Toscana Claudio , Petrella Giuseppe , Shalaby Mostafa , Sileri Pierpaolo
Published: March 2018

Aim. This study aims to compare the early and late outcomes of transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) versus stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) for the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease. Methods. From January 2013 to December 2014, 100 patients—50 patients on each arm—were randomly allocated to THD or SH groups. The inclusion criteria were grade III and IV hemorrhoids diagnosed by clinical examination and proctoscopy. The primary outcome was to compare the recurrence rate with a minimum follow-up of 2 years, and the secondary outcome was to compare complications rate, time to return to work postsurgery, procedure length, and patient’s satisfaction between the 2 techniques. Results. The mean follow-up period was 33.7 ± 7.6. The recurrence rate was 4% in the SH group and 16% in the THD group ( P = .04). There was no difference in the intraoperative and postoperative complications rate; the pain score was significantly higher in the THD group. The mean operative time was significantly shorter in the SH group compared with the THD group. Patients in the THD group returned to work or routine activities significantly later compared with patients in the SH group. The overall satisfaction rate was also higher in the SH group. Conclusion. Both procedures are simple and easy to perform for the treatment of grade III and IV hemorrhoids. SH showed better results in terms of lower rate of recurrence, lower postoperative pain, quicker return to work, and higher patient satisfaction.
Investigation and comparison of performance of some air gun projectiles with nose shape modifications
Authors: Salimipour Seyed Erfan , Teymourtash Ali Reza , Mamourian Mojtaba
Published: March 2018

Shooting accuracy of air gun projectiles is very important in sport tournaments and has always been questioned by enthusiasts. For this purpose, the performance of four samples of air gun projectiles (pellets) with various shapes and calibers of 4.5, 5.5 and 6.35 mm was studied in this article. The projectiles were four basic shapes: flat nose, sharp nose, round nose and spherical. After these projectiles were modeled geometrically, the three-dimensional compressible turbulent Navier–Stokes equations and dynamic equations of the projectiles’ motion were solved in a coupled form and in a moving computational grid. The computed results describe the trajectory, velocity variations and the altitude loss of the projectiles with time and location. Comparisons indicate that the round nose projectile had the best performance at long distances compared to the other samples. The flat nose projectile exhibited great performance at short distances, but behaved weakly at long distances. In addition, the effect of nose shape on the performance of the sharp and round nose projectiles was studied and the optimum nose shapes were identified.
Through the Eyes of the User: Evaluating Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Design
Authors: Denham Megan E. , Bushehri Yousef , Lim Lisa
Published: March 2018

Objective:

This article presents a pilot study that employed a user-centered methodology for evaluating and quantifying neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) designs based on the needs of the primary users.

Background:

The design of NICUs has begun to shift from open-bay to single-family rooms. Both designs present unique advantages and challenges that impact babies, families, and caregivers.

Methods:

One NICU design was analyzed using the functional scenario (FS) analysis method. For the FS, users’ needs were determined through literature review, interviews with NICU providers and parents, and a review of published design guidelines. Quantitative metrics were developed for each FS, so that characteristics of the NICU design could be analyzed to determine how successful they were in meeting the users’ needs. The results were graphically represented to visualize the success and considerations of the design.

Results:

A total of 23 FSs and 61 spatial metrics were developed. FSs for babies focused on infection prevention, minimizing exposure to environmental stimuli, and supporting enriching care activities. FSs for family members focused on direct access to the baby, and privacy and adequate space for daily activities. FSs for providers and caregivers focused on infection prevention, care activities, care zones, and visibility.

Conclusion:

Using an FS approach highlights design characteristics in the NICU that need to be addressed during the design process to more successfully meet the needs of the different users. Additionally, using this approach can inform design professionals’ decision-making by presenting them with the design characteristics that impact the needs of the user groups.
Improving the safety and tolerability of local anaesthetic outpatient transperineal prostate biopsies: A pilot study of the CAMbridge PROstate Biopsy (CAMPROBE) method
Authors: Thurtle D , Starling L , Leonard K , Stone T , Gnanapragasam VJ
Published: March 2018

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to pilot the use of a bespoke device (CAMPROBE, the CAMbridge PROstate Biopsy) to enable routine outpatient free-hand local anaesthetic (LA) transperineal prostate biopsies.

Materials and methods:

The CAMPROBE prototype was designed and built in our institution. Men on active surveillance due prostate resampling were invited to have a CAMPROBE biopsy as an alternative to repeat transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies (TRUSBx) as part of an approved trial (NCT02375035). Biopsies were performed using LA infiltration only, without sedation or additional analgesia. Patient-reported outcomes were recorded at day 0 and 7 using validated questionnaires and visual analogue scales (VAS). Complications were recorded prospectively.

Results:

Thirty men underwent biopsies with a median of 11 cores taken per procedure (interquartile range 10–12). There were no infections, sepsis or retention episodes. Haematuria and haematospermia occurred in 67% and 62% of patients, which are similar to rates reported for TRUSBx. Mean VAS for pain (0–10 scale) was less than 3 for every part of the procedure. All 30 men described the procedure as tolerable under LA. In total, 26/30 (86.7%) men expressed a preference for a CAMPROBE procedure over TRUSBx and a further 3 (10.0%) would have either.

Conclusions:

In this small pilot study, the CAMPROBE device and method appears to be a safe, simple and well-tolerated out-patient transperineal replacement for TRUSBx. A major new National Institute for Health Research grant will allow its further development from a prototype to a single use, low-cost disposable device ready for multi-centre testing.

Level of evidence:

1b: individual cohort study.
MRI findings of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in a cat
Authors: White Crystal , Mortier Jeremy , Verin Ranieri , Maddox Thomas , Goncalves Rita , Sanchez-Masian Daniel
Published: March 2018

Case summary

A 2-year-old male domestic shorthair cat presented to the University of Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital with a 2 week history of altered mentation, blindness and focal epileptic seizures. MRI examination revealed generalised cerebral and cerebellar atrophy, diffuse T2-weighted hyperintensity of the white matter and meningeal thickening. Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis was confirmed on post-mortem examination.

Relevance and novel information

This is the first report of the MRI findings of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in a cat.
Role of CT angiography in bilateral pulmonary sequestration: a case report
Authors: Yasmin Rizwana , Stærk Dorte R , Kalhauge Anna , Hansen Henrik J , Olsen Tina E , Maroun Lisa L
Published: March 2018

Bilateral pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a very rare congenital malformation. We describe a case of bilateral intralobar pulmonary sequestration (ILS) in a newborn. Both sequestrations received arterial supply from separate branches of the descending aorta and venous drainage was into ipsilateral inferior pulmonary veins. Prenatal ultrasonography showed cystic changes in the lungs. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) with supplemental two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) images was performed to clearly define the pathology and revealed bilateral intralobar pulmonary sequestration with aberrant blood supply. The child underwent successful video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) lobectomy on the left side and thoracoscopic wedge resection on the right side. There were no complications. CTA with supplemental 2D and 3D images plays a vital role in revealing the exact pathology in congenital pulmonary malformations associated with anomalous vasculature.
A Descriptive Study of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Long-Haul Truck Drivers: A NIOSH National Survey
Authors: Combs Bryan , Heaton Karen , Raju Dheeraj , Vance D. E. , Sieber W. Karl
Published: March 2018

Long-haul truck drivers are significantly affected by musculoskeletal injuries with incidence rates 3.5 times higher than the national average. Yet, little is known about injuries that affect long-haul trucks drivers. In 2010, interviewers collected data from 1,265 long-haul truck drivers at 32 truck stops across the United States. These surveys were analyzed to describe all self-reported musculoskeletal injuries. Injuries to the arm (26.3%) and back (21.1%) were the two areas most reported in the survey. Musculoskeletal injuries were most often caused by falls (38.9%) and contact with an object or equipment (33.7%) resulting most commonly in sprains/strains (60%). This large scale survey highlights the significance of musculoskeletal injuries in long-haul truck drivers and suggests the need to develop interventions to prevent injuries and improve recovery once injuries occur.
Racial and Other Sociodemographic Disparities in Terrorism Sting Operations
Authors: Norris Jesse J. , Grol-Prokopczyk Hanna
Published: March 2018

Previous research suggests a high prevalence of entrapment in post-9/11 terrorism sting operations, but it is unknown whether entrapment abuses are disproportionately targeted at specific racial/ethnic, religious, or socioeconomic groups. Drawing on Black’s theory of law, symbolic threat theory, and research on stereotypes, cognitive biases, and institutional incentives, the authors hypothesize that government agents and informants will use problematic tactics disproportionately against certain marginalized groups. This study empirically tests for such disparities using detailed data on post-9/11 terrorism prosecutions. Specifically, the authors code the sociodemographic characteristics of the 316 domestic terrorism defendants in cases occurring in the 13 years after 9/11 and involving informants. These data are integrated with an existing database of indicators of entrapment for each defendant. Using multivariable models, the authors test whether sociodemographic characteristics predict four key entrapment-related outcomes. Results indicate that minority racial and religious groups, undocumented immigrants, and individuals with low socioeconomic status all have elevated risk for at least one entrapment-related outcome. Strikingly, the most consistent predictor of entrapment is black Muslim identity. In contrast, white Muslims show no increased risk for entrapment vis-à-vis white non-Muslims for all but one outcome. This study thus documents apparent discrimination against African Americans (and white privilege) in yet another area of the criminal justice system. It also demonstrates that deeply ingrained forms of discrimination may become dominant even in policy fields characterized by intense discrimination against other groups.
Practice-Based Teaching and Public Health Training: Bringing Real-World Projects to the Classroom to Teach Intervention Planning and Communication Strategies
Authors: Greece Jacey A. , DeJong William , Gorenstein Schonfeld Jonina , Sun Ming , McGrath Donna
Published: March 2018

Master of Public Health (MPH) courses can strengthen competency-based education by having students work on real-world problems in collaboration with public health agencies. This article describes practice-based teaching (PBT) and illustrates its importance for coursework in intervention planning and health communications. With a PBT course, community agencies benefit by receiving high-quality deliverables at no cost, such as intervention plans, policy proposals, and communication strategies. For faculty, PBT results in potentially richer practice and scholarship opportunities, plus a deeper understanding of local public health issues and exposure to new topics. Importantly, PBT allows students to expand their professional networks, explore potential careers, obtain teamwork experience, and develop a broader set of professional skills. PBT in public health training is a pedagogy that has immense benefit to students, public health agencies, communities, and faculty, particularly in the areas of intervention planning and communication, which often require innovative solutions and thorough understanding of various modes of technology and social media to effectively address a public health problem. The example presented in this article demonstrates the immense utility of the pedagogy in public health. With the growing demand for skilled public health workers, PBT warrants more extensive application in schools of public health and specifically in courses focused on basic skills for developing and implementing programs and policies to address public health problems.
Comparison of a Pocket-Sized Versus a Full-Sized Ultrasound System in the Diagnosis of Proximal Lower Limb Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Lau Hang Yee , Luk Wing Hang , Lui Dilys Choi Yu , Fung Eliza Po Yan
Published: March 2018

This study assessed the performance of a pocket-sized ultrasound system for the diagnosis of proximal lower limb acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) compared to a full-sized ultrasound system. Patients who needed urgent lower limb sonograms for acute DVT were invited for the study. In each examination, the investigator scanned the patient using the pocket-sized system and then repeated the scan using the full-sized system. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the pocket-sized system were determined in reference to the full-sized system. The venous segments that failed to be visualized using the two systems were compared. One hundred lower limbs comprising 500 venous segments were examined. There were four venous segments, including two mid and two lower femoral veins in two patients who failed to be visualized using both systems. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing proximal lower limb acute DVT were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.94%–100%), 100% (95% CI, 99.05%–100%), and 100% (95% CI, 99.19%–100%), respectively. The pocket-sized ultrasound system and the full sized-ultrasound system demonstrated a comparable performance in detecting acute DVT in the leg.
Circulating Tumor DNA Analysis in Patients With Cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology and College of American Pathologists Joint Review
Authors: Merker Jason D. , Oxnard Geoffrey R. , Compton Carolyn , Diehn Maximilian , Hurley Patricia , Lazar Alexander J. , Lindeman Neal , Lockwood Christina M. , Rai Alex J. , Schilsky Richard L. , Tsimberidou Apostolia M. , Vasalos Patricia , Billman Brooke L. , Oliver Thomas K. , Bruinooge Suanna S. , Hayes Daniel F. , Turner Nicholas C.
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Clinical use of analytical tests to assess genomic variants in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is increasing. This joint review from ASCO and the College of American Pathologists summarizes current information about clinical ctDNA assays and provides a framework for future research.

Methods

An Expert Panel conducted a literature review on the use of ctDNA assays for solid tumors, including pre-analytical variables, analytical validity, interpretation and reporting, and clinical validity and utility.

Results

The literature search identified 1,338 references. Of those, 390, plus 31 references supplied by the Expert Panel, were selected for full-text review. There were 77 articles selected for inclusion.

Conclusion

The evidence indicates that testing for ctDNA is optimally performed on plasma collected in cell stabilization or EDTA tubes, with EDTA tubes processed within 6 hours of collection. Some ctDNA assays have demonstrated clinical validity and utility with certain types of advanced cancer; however, there is insufficient evidence of clinical validity and utility for the majority of ctDNA assays in advanced cancer. Evidence shows discordance between the results of ctDNA assays and genotyping tumor specimens and supports tumor tissue genotyping to confirm undetected results from ctDNA tests. There is no evidence of clinical utility and little evidence of clinical validity of ctDNA assays in early-stage cancer, treatment monitoring, or residual disease detection. There is no evidence of clinical validity and clinical utility to suggest that ctDNA assays are useful for cancer screening, outside of a clinical trial. Given the rapid pace of research, re-evaluation of the literature will shortly be required, along with the development of tools and guidance for clinical practice.
Chiral Recognition of Anions by Fluorescence Tetraamide-Based Receptors Bearing Hydroxy Groups from l-Serine and l-Threonine Residues
Authors: Kondo Shin-ichi , Sato Keisuke , Matsuta Yuka , Osawa Kohei
Published: March 2018

Chiral recognition abilities of tetraamide-based receptors 1 and 2 bearing l-serine and l-threonine as recognition sites, respectively, and terminal pyrenyl groups as signaling units for enantiomers of biologically important N-acetyl amino acid tetrabutylammonium salts were studied in acetonitrile. The receptors showed ratiometric fluorescence changes upon the addition of chiral guest anions. The binding constants for amino acid derivatives were in the 104–105 mol−1 dm3 range. The chiral discrimination abilities (K11,D/K11,L) of 1 and 2 were significantly large, for instance K11,D/K11,L for Ac-Leu-O− were found to be 3.9 and 4.6, respectively. The complex structures were evaluated by 1H NMR titrations and DFT calculations implying that the effective hydrogen bond formations by six N-H and O-H groups and a CH-π interaction of the acetyl group of d-enantiomer with a terminal pyrenyl group of the receptor.