bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying psychosocial characteristics that predict outcome to the UPLIFT programme for people with persistent back pain: protocol for a prospective cohort study
Authors: Thomson Hayley , Evans Kerrie , Dearness Jonathon , Kelley John , Conway Kylie , Morris Collette , Bisset Leanne , Scholten-Peeters Gwendolijne , Cuijpers Pim , Coppieters Michel W
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Prognostic screening of people with low back pain (LBP) improves utilisation of primary healthcare resources. Whether this also applies to secondary healthcare remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to develop prognostic models to determine at baseline which patients with persistent LBP are likely to have a good and poor outcome to a 5-week programme of combined education and exercise (‘UPLIFT’) delivered in a secondary healthcare setting.

Methods and analysis

A prospective cohort study of 246 people with persistent LBP will be conducted in a secondary healthcare outpatient setting. Patients will be recruited from a physiotherapy-led neurosurgical screening clinic. Demographic data, medical history and psychosocial characteristics will be recorded at baseline. Fear avoidance beliefs, pain self-efficacy, LBP treatment beliefs, pain catastrophising, perceived injustice, depression, anxiety and stress, disability level, pain intensity and interference, health status and social connectedness will be considered as potential prognostic variables, which will be assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Participants will attend the UPLIFT programme, consisting of weekly 90 min group sessions that combine interactive education sessions and a graded exercise programme. The outcome measure to identify good and poor outcome is the Global Rating of Change scale, assessed at completion of the UPLIFT programme and at 6 months follow-up. Multiple imputation analyses will be performed for missing values. Prognostic models will be developed using multivariable logistic regression analyses, with bootstrapping techniques for internal validation. We will calculate the explained variance of the models and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Furthermore, we will determine whether participation in the UPLIFT programme is associated with changes in psychosocial characteristics.

Ethics and dissemination

Gold Coast Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/18/QGC/41) and the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (GU Ref No: 2018/408) approved the study. Dissemination of findings will occur via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12618001525279.
Sponsorship of national and regional professional paediatrics associations by companies that make breast-milk substitutes: evidence from a review of official websites
Authors: Grummer-Strawn Laurence M , Holliday Faire , Jungo Katharina Tabea , Rollins Nigel
Published: August 2019

Objectives

Professional paediatrics associations play an important role in promoting the highest standard of care for women and children. Education and guidelines must be made in the best interests of patients. Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health, development and survival of infants, children and mothers, paediatric associations have a particular responsibility to avoid conflicts of interest with companies that manufacture breast-milk substitutes (BMSs). The objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which national and regional paediatric associations are sponsored by BMS companies.

Methods

Data were collected on national paediatric associations based on online searches of websites and Facebook pages. Sites were examined for evidence of financial sponsorship by the BMS industry, including funding of journals, newsletters or other publications, conferences and events, scholarships, fellowship, grants and awards. Payment for services, such as exhibitor space at conferences or events and paid advertisements in publications, was also noted.

Results

Overall, 68 (60%) of the 114 paediatric associations with a website or Facebook account documented receiving financial support from BMS companies. Sponsorship, particularly of conferences or other events, was the most common type of financial support. The prevalence of conference sponsorship is highest in Europe and the Americas, where about half of the associations have BMS company-sponsored conferences. Thirty-one associations (27%) indicated that they received funding from BMS companies as payment for advertisements or exhibitor space. Only 18 associations (16%) have conflict of interest policies, guidelines, or criteria posted online.

Conclusion

Despite the well-documented importance of breastfeeding and the widespread recognition that commercial influences can shape the behaviours of healthcare professionals, national and regional paediatric associations commonly accept funding from companies that manufacture and distribute BMS. Paediatric associations should function without the influence of commercial interests.
Impact of China’s healthcare price reforms on traditional Chinese medicine public hospitals in Beijing: an interrupted time-series study
Authors: Zhu Dawei , Shi Xuefeng , Nicholas Stephen , Bai Qian , He Ping
Published: August 2019

Objective

To evaluate the 2017 implementation of China’s 2009 healthcare price reforms on Beijing’s secondary and tertiary traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals.

Design

We employed a panel-interrupted time-series model with hospital fixed effects to estimate the impact of the price reforms.

Setting

Beijing, April 2014 to April 2018.

Participants

All TCM hospitals in Beijing.

Outcome measures

Our dependent variables comprised the monthly outpatient and inpatient revenues, the number of monthly outpatient visits and inpatient admissions, the average total expenditures per outpatient visit and per inpatient admission, the average drug expenditures (except herbal medicines) per outpatient visit and per inpatient admission and the average medical service expenditures per outpatient visit and per inpatient admission.

Results

In tertiary hospitals, the price reforms led to significant reductions in the number of outpatient visits (23.1%), inpatients admission (4.6%) and drug expenditures (except herbal medicines) per inpatient admission (14.0%), and an instant raise in average total expenditure per outpatient (22.0%), medical service expenditures per outpatient visit (58.2%) and inpatient admission (19.0%). There was no significant association between the price reforms and the monthly outpatient and inpatient revenues. After the price reforms, the previous upward trend in medical service expenditures per outpatient visit rose more sharply (from 0.5% to 1.6%). In secondary hospitals, the price reforms decreased the level of drug expenditures (except herbal medicines) per outpatient visit (13.0%) and per inpatient admission (20.8%), but increased medical service expenditures per inpatient admission by 19.0%.

Conclusion

The Beijing price reforms adjusted the cost structures in secondary and tertiary TCM hospitals without negatively impacting the operation of the hospitals, and through the increased hierarchical medical service fee, shifted patient choices away from tertiary to other health facilities, especially for patients with minor illnesses.
High-flow nasal oxygen therapy alone or with non-invasive ventilation in immunocompromised patients admitted to ICU for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: the randomised multicentre controlled FLORALI-IM protocol
Authors: Coudroy Rémi , Frat Jean-Pierre , Ehrmann Stephan , Pène Frédéric , Terzi Nicolas , Decavèle Maxens , Prat Gwenaël , Garret Charlotte , Contou Damien , Bourenne Jeremy , Gacouin Arnaud , Girault Christophe , Dellamonica Jean , Malacrino Dominique , Labro Guylaine , Quenot Jean-Pierre , Herbland Alexandre , Jochmans Sébastien , Devaquet Jérôme , Benzekri Dalila , Vivier Emmanuel , Nseir Saad , Colin Gwenhaël , Thévenin Didier , Grasselli Giacomo , Assefi Mona , Guerin Claude , Bougon David , Lherm Thierry , Kouatchet Achille , Ragot Stéphanie , Thille Arnaud W
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is recommended as first-line therapy in respiratory failure of critically ill immunocompromised patients as it can decrease intubation and mortality rates as compared with standard oxygen. However, its recommendation is only conditional. Indeed, the use of NIV in this setting has been challenged recently based on results of trials finding similar outcomes with or without NIV or even deleterious effects of NIV. To date, NIV has been compared with standard oxygen but not to high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFOT) in immunocompromised patients. Several studies have found lower mortality rates using HFOT alone than when using HFOT with NIV sessions in patients with de novo respiratory failure, and even in immunocompromised patients. We are hypothesising that HFOT alone is more effective than HFOT with NIV sessions and reduces mortality of immunocompromised patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Methods and analysis

This study is an investigator-initiated, multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing HFOT alone or with NIV in immunocompromised patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) for severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Around 280 patients will be randomised with a 1:1 ratio in two groups. The primary outcome is the mortality rate at day 28 after inclusion. Secondary outcomes include the rate of intubation in each group, length of ICU and hospital stay and mortality up to day 180.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the ethics committee and patients will be included after informed consent. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT02978300
Single-arm, open-label, dose escalation phase I study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of transcranial direct current stimulation with electroencephalography biomarkers in paediatric disorders of consciousness: a study protocol
Authors: Saleem Ghazala T , Ewen Joshua Benjamin , Crasta Jewel E , Slomine Beth S , Cantarero Gabriela Lucila , Suskauer Stacy J
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Children with disorders of consciousness (DOC) represent the highest end of the acquired brain injury (ABI) severity spectrum for survivors and experience a multitude of functional impairments. Current clinical management in DOC uses behavioural evaluation measures and interventions that fail to (1) describe the physiological consequences of ABI and (2) elicit functional gains. In paediatric DOC, there is a critical need to develop evidence-based interventions to promote recovery of basic responses to improve rehabilitation and aid decision-making for medical teams and caregivers. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the safety, tolerability and feasibility of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in children with DOC.

Methods and analysis

This study is an open-label dose escalation trial evaluating the safety, tolerability and feasibility of tDCS in 10 children (5–17 years) receiving inpatient rehabilitation for DOC. This study will follow a modified rule-based design, allowing for intrapatient escalation, where a cohort of patients will be assigned to an initial tDCS current of 0.5 or 1 mA based on participant’s head circumference and according to the safety data available in other paediatric populations. The subsequent assignment of increased current (1 or 2 mA) according to the prespecified rules will be based on the clinical observation of adverse events in the patients. The study will include up to three, 20 min sessions of anodal tDCS (sham, 0.5 or 1 mA, 1 or 2 mA) applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The primary outcomes are adverse events, pain associated with tDCS and intolerable disruption of inpatient care. Secondary outcomes are changes in electroencephalography (EEG) phase-locking and event-related potential components and the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised total score from prestimulation to poststimulation.

Ethics and dissemination

The Johns Hopkins IRB (#IRB00174966) approved this study. Trial results will be disseminated through journals and conferences.

Registration number

NCT03618849.
Dynamic UrbanEnvironmentalExposures onDepression andSuicide (NEEDS) in the Netherlands: a protocol for a cross-sectional smartphone tracking study and a longitudinal population register study
Authors: Helbich Marco
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Environmental exposures are intertwined with mental health outcomes. People are exposed to the environments in which they currently live, and to a multitude of environments along their daily movements and through their residential relocations. However, most research assumes that people are immobile, disregarding that such dynamic exposures also serve as stressors or buffers potentially associated with depression and suicide risk. The aim of the Dynamic Urban Environmental Exposures on Depression and Suicide (NEEDS) study is to examine how dynamic environmental exposures along people’s daily movements and over their residential histories affect depression and suicide mortality in the Netherlands.

Methods and analysis

The research design comprises two studies emphasising the temporality of exposures. First, a cross-sectional study is assessing how daily exposures correlate with depression. A nationally representative survey was administered to participants recruited through stratified random sampling of the population aged 18–65 years. Survey data were enriched with smartphone-based data (eg, Global Positioning System tracking, Bluetooth sensing, social media usage, communication patterns) and environmental exposures (eg, green and blue spaces, noise, air pollution). Second, a longitudinal population register study is addressing the extent to which past environmental exposures over people’s residential history affect suicide risk later in life. Statistical and machine learning-based models are being developed to quantify environment–health relations.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval (FETC17-060) was granted by the Ethics Review Board of Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Project-related findings will be disseminated at conferences and in peer-reviewed journal papers. Other project outcomes will be made available through the project’s web page,http://www.needs.sites.uu.nl.
Trajectories of body mass index in adulthood and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study
Authors: Yang Yi , Dugué Pierre-Antoine , Lynch Brigid M , Hodge Allison M , Karahalios Amalia , MacInnis Robert J , Milne Roger L , Giles Graham G , English Dallas R
Published: August 2019

Objective

Limited research has assessed the association between patterns of body mass index (BMI) change across adulthood and mortality. We aimed to identify groups of individuals who followed specific group-based BMI trajectories across adulthood, using weight collected on three occasions and recalled data from early adulthood, and to examine associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Melbourne, Australia.

Participants

Adults (n=29 881) enrolled in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, who were aged from 40 to 70 years between 1990 and 1994, and had BMI data for at least three time points.

Outcome

Deaths from any cause before 31 March 2017 and deaths from obesity-related cancers, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and other causes before 31 December 2013.

Results

We identified six group-based BMI trajectories: lower-normal stable (TR1), higher-normal stable (TR2), normal to overweight (TR3), chronic borderline obesity (TR4), normal to class I obesity (TR5) and overweight to class II obesity (TR6). Generally, compared with maintaining lower-normal BMI throughout adulthood, the lowest mortality was experienced by participants who maintained higher-normal BMI (HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97); obesity during midlife was associated with higher all-cause mortality even when BMI was normal in early adulthood (HR 1.09; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.21) and prolonged borderline obesity from early adulthood was also associated with elevated mortality (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.33). These associations were stronger for never-smokers and for death due to obesity-related cancers. Being overweight in early adulthood and becoming class II obese was associated with higher CVD mortality relative to maintaining lower-normal BMI (HR 2.27; 95% CI 1.34 to 3.87).

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the importance of weight management throughout adulthood to reduce mortality.
Sensitivity of point-of-care testing C reactive protein and procalcitonin to diagnose urinary tract infections in Dutch nursing homes: PROGRESS study protocol
Authors: Kuil Sacha D , Hidad Soemeja , Fischer Johan C , Harting Janneke , Hertogh Cees MPM , Prins Jan M , van Leth Frank , de Jong Menno D , Schneeberger Caroline
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) ranks among the most common reasons for antibiotic use in nursing homes. However, diagnosing UTI in this setting is challenging because UTI often presents with non-specific symptomatology. Moreover asymptomatic bacteriuria is common in elderly, which complicates attribution of causality to detection of bacteria in urine. These diagnostic challenges contribute to overuse of antibiotics and emergence of antimicrobial resistance in nursing homes. Given the diagnostic challenges, there is a need for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests to support clinical rules for diagnosing UTI. Procalcitonin (PCT) and C reactive protein (CRP) are inflammatory blood markers that have been proven useful to support diagnosis and monitoring of (bacterial) respiratory tract infections and sepsis. While limited studies suggest their usefulness in supporting UTI diagnosis, their utility has not been studied in elderly populations for this purpose.

Methods and analysis

In a 24-month matched prospective study, ‘PROGRESS’ will assess and compare the sensitivity of rapid POC measurements of blood CRP and PCT levels to support clinical rules for diagnosing UTI in nursing home residents. The primary outcome measure is sensitivity of the POC tests to identify patients with true UTI based on the predefined definition, as derived from receiver operating curves.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will be conducted in accordance with Good Clinical Practice guidelines and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol is approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of Amsterdam UMC location VUmc with reference number 2017.350 and National Central Committee on Research involving Human Subjects with reference number NL62067.029.17.

Trial registration number

NTR6467.
Preparation for the next major incident: are we ready? A 12-year update
Authors: Mawhinney Jamie A , Roscoe Henry W , Stannard George A J , Tillman Sophie R , Cosker Thomas D
Published: August 2019

Objectives

A major incident is any emergency that requires special arrangements by the emergency services and generally involves a large number of people. Recent such events in England have included the Manchester Arena bombing and the Grenfell Tower disaster. Hospitals are required by law to keep a major incident plan (MIP) outlining the response to such an event. In a survey conducted in 2006 we found a substantial knowledge gap among key individuals that would be expected to respond to the enactment of an MIP. We set out to repeat this survey study and assess any improvement since our original report.

Methods

We identified NHS trusts in England that received more than 30 000 patients through the emergency department in the fourth quarter of the 2016/2017 period. We contacted the on-call anaesthetic, emergency, general surgery, and trauma and orthopaedic registrar at each location and asked each individual to answer a short verbal survey assessing their confidence in using their hospital’s MIP.

Results

Of those eligible for the study, 62% were able to be contacted and consented to the study. In total 50% of respondents had read all or part of their hospital’s MIP, 46.8% were confident that they knew where their plan was stored, and 36% knew the role they would play if a plan came into effect. These results show less confidence among middle-grade doctors compared with 2006.

Conclusions

Confidence in using MIPs among specialty registrars in England is still low. In light of this, we make a number of recommendations designed to improve the education of hospital doctors in reacting to major incidents.
More anxious than depressed: prevalence and correlates in a 15-nation study of anxiety disorders in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Chaturvedi Santosh K , Manche Gowda Shayanth , Ahmed Helal Uddin , Alosaimi Fahad D , Andreone Nicola , Bobrov Alexey , Bulgari Viola , Carrà Giuseppe , Castelnuovo Gianluca , Girolamo Giovanni de , Gondek Tomasz , Jovanovic Nikola , Kamala Thummala , Kiejna Andrzej , Lalic Nebojsa , Lecic-Tosevski Dusica , Minhas Fareed , Mutiso Victoria , Ndetei David , Rabbani Golam , Somruk Suntibenchakul , Srikanta Sathyanarayana , Taj Rizwan , Valentini Umberto , Vukovic Olivera , Wölwer Wolfgang , Cimino Larry , Nouwen Arie , Lloyd Cathy , Sartorius Norman
Published: August 2019

Background

Anxiety disorder, one of the highly disabling, prevalent and common mental disorders, is known to be more prevalent in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than the general population, and the comorbid presence of anxiety disorders is known to have an impact on the diabetes outcome and the quality of life. However, the information on the type of anxiety disorder and its prevalence in persons with T2DM is limited.

Aims

To assess the prevalence and correlates of anxiety disorder in people with type 2 diabetes in different countries.

Methods

People aged 18–65 years with diabetes and treated in outpatient settings were recruited in 15 countries and underwent a psychiatric interview with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Demographic and medical record data were collected.

Results

A total of 3170 people with type 2 diabetes (56.2% women; with mean (SD) duration of diabetes 10.01 (7.0) years) participated. The overall prevalence of anxiety disorders in type 2 diabetic persons was 18%; however, 2.8% of the study population had more than one type of anxiety disorder. The most prevalent anxiety disorders were generalised anxiety disorder (8.1%) and panic disorder (5.1%). Female gender, presence of diabetic complications, longer duration of diabetes and poorer glycaemic control (HbA1c levels) were significantly associated with comorbid anxiety disorder. A higher prevalence of anxiety disorders was observed in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Argentina with a lower prevalence in Bangladesh and India.

Conclusions

Our international study shows that people with type 2 diabetes have a high prevalence of anxiety disorders, especially women, those with diabetic complications, those with a longer duration of diabetes and poorer glycaemic control. Early identification and appropriate timely care of psychiatric problems of people with type 2 diabetes is warranted.
Novel strategy for oral peptide delivery in incretin-based diabetes treatment
Authors: Xu Yining , Van Hul Matthias , Suriano Francesco , Préat Véronique , Cani Patrice D , Beloqui Ana
Published: August 2019

Objective

To fulfil an unmet therapeutic need for treating type 2 diabetes by developing an innovative oral drug delivery nanosystem increasing the production of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the absorption of peptides into the circulation.

Design

We developed a nanocarrier for the oral delivery of peptides using lipid-based nanocapsules. We encapsulated the GLP-1 analogue exenatide within nanocapsules and investigated in vitro in human L-cells (NCl-H716) and murine L-cells (GLUTag cells) the ability of the nanosystem to trigger GLP-1 secretion. The therapeutic relevance of the nanosystem in vivo was tested in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice following acute (one administration) or chronic treatment (5 weeks) in obese and diabetic mice.

Results

We demonstrated that this innovative nanosystem triggers GLP-1 secretion in both human and murine cells as well as in vivo in mice. This strategy increases the endogenous secretion of GLP-1 and the oral bioavailability of the GLP-1 analogue exenatide (4% bioavailability with our nanosystem).

The nanosystem synergizes its own biological effect with the encapsulated GLP-1 analogue leading to a marked improvement of glucose tolerance and insulin resistance (acute and chronic). The chronic treatment decreased diet-induced obesity, fat mass, hepatic steatosis, together with lower infiltration and recruitment of immune cell populations and inflammation.

Conclusion

We developed a novel nanosystem compatible with human use that synergizes its own biological effect with the effects of increasing the bioavailability of a GLP-1 analogue. The effects of the formulation were comparable to the results observed for the marketed subcutaneous formulation. This nanocarrier-based strategy represents a novel promising approach for oral peptide delivery in incretin-based diabetes treatment.
Coping by metaphors: the versatile function of metaphors in blogs about living with advanced cancer
Authors: Gustafsson Anna W , Hommerberg Charlotte , Sandgren Anna
Published: August 2019

Living with a life-limiting cancer illness can entail a turmoil of feelings such as constant fear of loss, suffering and dying. Because patients live longer with life-limiting illness, there is a need for enhanced understanding of how people make sense of and cope with the complicated aspects that this life situation brings on. In this article, we explore how bloggers with advanced cancer use metaphors as ways of making sense of their experiences. Our study is theoretically grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory, where metaphors are seen as a powerful phenomenon that both reflects and affects our thinking. The data consist of a corpus of blogs written in Swedish by individuals with advanced cancer, and the findings from our linguistic metaphor analysis are consistently interpreted against the backdrop of literature on coping. Our study thus highlights the intersection of linguistic metaphor analysis and psychological theories of coping by illustrating the many and complex functions metaphors can have as part of sense-making processes. Our hermeneutic approach enables us to show some differences among the three most pervasive metaphor domains in our material, battle, journey and imprisonment: the journey and imprisonment domains are more flexible than the battle domain in terms of the different kinds of coping strategies that are actualised by the bloggers’ use of metaphors. One particular finding from our analysis is the way in which the bloggers make use of metaphors to compartmentalise experiences and emotions. Our contention is that careful attention to the metaphors used by patients can improve communication in healthcare and enhance understanding of the complex role language use plays in coping processes more generally. By highlighting the relation between metaphor use and coping, our analysis also provides a way to discuss coping strategies based on the patient’s own use of language.
Pectoral nerve blocks and postoperative pain outcomes after mastectomy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lovett-Carter Danielle , Kendall Mark C , McCormick Zachary L , Suh Edward I , Cohen Alexander D , De Oliveira Gildasio S
Published: August 2019

Background and objectives

Several studies have evaluated the effect of pectoral nerve blocks to improve postoperative analgesia following breast cancer surgery resulting in contradictory findings. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Pecs blocks on postoperative analgesia in women following mastectomies.

Methods

We performed a quantitative systematic review in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Articles of randomized controlled trials that compared Pecs block (types I and II) to a control group in patients undergoing mastectomy were included. The primary outcome was total opioid consumption 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores and side effects. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model.

Results

7 randomized controlled trials with 458 patients were included in the analysis. The effect of pectoral nerve blocks on postoperative opioid consumption compared with control revealed a significant effect, weighted mean difference (WMD) (95% CI) of -−4.99 (−7.90 to −2.08) mg intravenous morphine equivalents (p=0.001). In addition, postoperative pain compared with control was reduced at 6 hours after surgery: WMD (95% CI) of −0.72 (−1.37 to −0.07), p=0.03, and at 24 hours after surgery: WMD (95% CI) of −0.91 (−1.81 to −0.02), p=0.04.

Discussion

This quantitative analysis of randomized controlled trials demonstrates that the Pecs block is effective for reducing postoperative opioid consumption and pain in patients undergoing mastectomy. The Pecs block should be considered as an effective strategy to improve analgesic outcomes in patients undergoing mastectomies for breast cancer treatment.
Case of focal dystrophic calcification in the peritarsal soft tissues of a horse
Authors: De Cozar Michael Joseph , Barr Elizabeth
Published: August 2019

A 12‐year‐old Irish sports horse gelding presented with a recently developed oval firm mass at the plantaromedial aspect of right tarsus, located between the gastrocnemius and deep digital flexor tendon. At presentation, the horse was mildly right hind lame, with no exacerbation with flexion. Radiography and ultrasonography revealed an ovoid mineralised mass within soft tissues plantaromedially to tarsus and distal tibia and not associated with tarsal sheath or calcaneal bursa. Due to mild intermittent lameness and concerns regarding possibility for further increase in size, the horse underwent en bloc removal of the calcified mass under general anaesthesia. Histopathology showed the mass contained fibrous reactive connective tissue, undergoing bone and cartilage metaplasia and degeneration, with a central area of calcified bone and surrounding region of mononuclear inflammation. These characteristics although reminiscent of calcinosis circumscripta were diagnosed as focal dystrophic calcification. The horse made a full recovery and returned to a normal exercise level.
Airway management for tracheal resection proximal to carina in a cat
Authors: Calice Ivana , Rocchi Attilio
Published: August 2019

Tracheal tumours in cats are rare, and most primary tumours respond well to complete surgical excision. Providing secure airway management during resection of the trachea is particularly challenging and in some cases represents a limitation to surgery. We present the case of a cat with a primary tracheal neoplasm located close to the carina, undergoing complete resection. Successful management of the airway was accomplished by intubating the distal tracheal stump with a modified polyvinyl chloride endotracheal tube. Effective seal of the airway and adequate ventilation of both lungs were achieved. We describe a reliable, simple, low‐cost technique which provides control of the airways even in situations where the distal stump of the trachea is either too short or non‐existent.
Bounds on Subspace Codes Based on Orthogonal Space Over Finite Fields of Characteristic 2
Authors: Wang Gang , Niu Min-Yao , Fu Fang-Wei
Published: August 2019

In this paper, the Sphere-packing bound, Wang-Xing-Safavi-Naini bound, Johnson bound and Gilbert-Varshamov bound on the subspace code of length [Formula: see text], size [Formula: see text], minimum subspace distance [Formula: see text] based on [Formula: see text]-dimensional totally singular subspace in the [Formula: see text]-dimensional orthogonal space [Formula: see text] over finite fields [Formula: see text] of characteristic 2, denoted by [Formula: see text], are presented, where [Formula: see text] is a positive integer, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. Then, we prove that [Formula: see text] codes attain the Wang-Xing-Safavi-Naini bound if and only if they are certain Steiner structures in [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] denotes the collection of all the [Formula: see text]-dimensional totally singular subspaces in the [Formula: see text]-dimensional orthogonal space [Formula: see text] over [Formula: see text] of characteristic 2. Finally, Gilbert-Varshamov bound and linear programming bound on the subspace code [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] are provided, where [Formula: see text] denotes the collection of all the totally singular subspaces in the [Formula: see text]-dimensional orthogonal space [Formula: see text] over [Formula: see text] of characteristic 2.
Exponential Domination Critical and Stability in Some Graphs
Authors: Aytaç Aysun , Atay Atakul Betül
Published: August 2019

An exponential dominating set of graph [Formula: see text] is a kind of distance domination subset [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the length of a shortest path in [Formula: see text] if such a path exists, and [Formula: see text] otherwise. The minimum exponential domination number, [Formula: see text] is the smallest cardinality of an exponential dominating set. The minimum exponential domination number, [Formula: see text] can be decreased or increased by removal of some vertices from [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we investigate of this phenomenon which is referred to critical and stability in graphs.
Multi-fault Condition Monitoring of Slurry Pump with Principle Component Analysis and Sequential Hypothesis Test
Authors: Chen Hanxin , Huang Wenjian , Huang Jinmin , Cao Chenghao , Yang Liu , He Yibin , Zeng Li
Published: August 2019

A new method about the multi-fault condition monitoring of slurry pump based on principal component analysis (PCA) and sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) is proposed. The method identifies the condition of the slurry pump by analyzing the vibration signal. The experimental model is established using the normal impeller and the faulty impellers where the collected vibration signals were preprocessed using wavelet packet transform (WPT). The characteristic parameters of the vibration signals are extracted by time domain signal analysis and the dimension of data was reduced by PCA. The principal components with the largest contribution rate are chosen as the inputted signal to SPRT to assess the proposed algorithm. The new methodology is reasonable and practical for the multi-fault diagnosis of slurry pump.
A new two-variable generalization of the Jones polynomial
Authors: Goundaroulis Dimos , Lambropoulou Sofia
Published: August 2019

We present a new 2-variable generalization of the Jones polynomial that can be defined through the skein relation of the Jones polynomial. The well-definedness of this invariant is proved both algebraically and diagrammatically as well as via a closed combinatorial formula. This new invariant is able to distinguish more pairs of nonisotopic links than the original Jones polynomial, such as the Thistlethwaite link from the unlink with two components.
The girth of Cayley graphs over Sylow 2-subgroups of the symmetric groups S2n with diagonal bases
Authors: Pawlik Bartłomiej
Published: August 2019

A diagonal base of a Sylow 2-subgroup [Formula: see text] of symmetric group [Formula: see text] is a minimal generating set of this subgroup consisting of elements with only one nonzero coordinate in the polynomial representation. For different diagonal bases, Cayley graphs over [Formula: see text] may have different girths (i.e. minimal lengths of cycles). In this paper, all possible values of girths of Cayley graphs over [Formula: see text] with diagonal bases are calculated. A criterion for whenever such Cayley graph has girth equal to 4 is presented.
The second Hilbert coefficient of modules with almost maximal depth
Authors: Trung Van Duc
Published: August 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a good [Formula: see text]-filtration of a finitely generated [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text] of dimension [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a local ring and [Formula: see text] is an [Formula: see text]-primary ideal of [Formula: see text]. In the case of depth [Formula: see text], we give an upper bound for the second Hilbert coefficient [Formula: see text] generalizing the results by Huckaba–Marley, and Rossi–Valla proved that [Formula: see text] is Cohen–Macaulay. We also give a condition for the equality, which relates to the depth of the associated graded module [Formula: see text]. A lower bound on [Formula: see text] is proved generalizing a result by Rees and Narita.
The State of the World's Mangrove Forests: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Friess Daniel A. , Rogers Kerrylee , Lovelock Catherine E. , Krauss Ken W. , Hamilton Stuart E. , Lee Shing Yip , Lucas Richard , Primavera Jurgenne , Rajkaran Anusha , Shi Suhua
Published: August 2019

Intertidal mangrove forests are a dynamic ecosystem experiencing rapid changes in extent and habitat quality over geological history, today and into the future. Climate and sea level have drastically altered mangrove distribution since their appearance in the geological record ∼75 million years ago (Mya), through to the Holocene. In contrast, contemporary mangrove dynamics are driven primarily by anthropogenic threats, including pollution, overextraction, and conversion to aquaculture and agriculture. Deforestation rates have declined in the past decade, but the future of mangroves is uncertain; new deforestation frontiers are opening, particularly in Southeast Asia and West Africa, despite international conservation policies and ambitious global targets for rehabilitation. In addition, geological and climatic processes such as sea-level rise that were important over geological history will continue to influence global mangrove distribution in the future. Recommendations are given to reframe mangrove conservation, with a view to improving the state of mangroves in the future.
A Network Approach to Stroke Systems of Care
Authors: Zachrison Kori S. , Dhand Amar , Schwamm Lee H. , Onnela Jukka-Pekka
Published: August 2019

The landscape of stroke systems of care is evolving as patients are increasingly transferred between hospitals for access to higher levels of care. This is driven by time-sensitive disability-reducing interventions such as mechanical thrombectomy. However, coordination and triage of patients for such treatment remain a challenge worldwide, particularly given complex eligibility criteria and varying time windows for treatment. Network analysis is an approach that may be applied to this problem. Hospital networks interlinked by patients moved from facility to facility can be studied using network modeling that respects the interdependent nature of the system. This allows understanding of the central hubs, the change of network structure over time, and the diffusion of innovations. This topical review introduces the basic principles of network science and provides an overview on the applications and potential interventions in stroke systems of care.
Specific damage recognised on land snail shells as a tool for studying predation intensity: differences related to habitat and predator types
Authors: Němec Tomáš , Horsák Michal
Published: August 2019

Shell formation is the main defensive strategy against predation for the majority of snails. Therefore, various predators have had to develop a variety of techniques how to overcome this barrier. As shells can persist in a calcium-rich environment for a long time, specific external or internal traces on shells left by predators indicate whether and who killed the snail. Based on litter samples collected at 30 sites of five different habitat types, the intensity and type of predation were assessed. The minimal predation rate varied between 0.0 and 21%, with an average of 8%. The highest rate was observed at limestone steppes, on average 15%. Beetles were found to be the most common predators of snails; however, predation by snails was more common in calcareous fens. Predation by some vertebrates and dipteran flies was also recognised. To test the role of mouth barriers as a means to reduce predation by carabid beetles that break the shell from an aperture, we analysed the predation rate separately on adult and juvenile shells using 24 populations of the steppe snail Granaria frumentum (Draparnaud, 1801). As expected, carabid beetles chiefly preferred juveniles compared to adult shells (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.001). On the contrary, the parasitoid fly Pherbellia limbata (Meigen, 1830) and Drilus beetles preferred adults. We found that predation by carabid beetles positively increased with prey abundance (R2 = 42.8%, p = 0.021), while no relation was observed for the parasitoid (p = 0.703), likely due to their feeding specialisation.
Assessing the Role of Emotional Mediation in Explaining Crossmodal Correspondences Involving Musical Stimuli
Authors: Spence Charles
Published: August 2019

A wide variety of crossmodal correspondences, defined as the often surprising connections that people appear to experience between simple features, attributes, or dimensions of experience, either physically present or else merely imagined, in different sensory modalities, have been demonstrated in recent years. However, a number of crossmodal correspondences have also been documented between more complex (i.e., multi-component) stimuli, such as, for example, pieces of music and paintings. In this review, the extensive evidence supporting the emotional mediation account of the crossmodal correspondences between musical stimuli (mostly pre-recorded short classical music excerpts) and visual stimuli, including colour patches through to, on occasion, paintings, is critically evaluated. According to the emotional mediation account, it is the emotional associations that people have with stimuli that constitutes one of the fundamental bases on which crossmodal associations are established. Taken together, the literature that has been published to date supports emotional mediation as one of the key factors underlying the crossmodal correspondences involving emotionally-valenced stimuli, both simple and complex.
What Is a World (Literature)?
Authors: Cheah Pheng , Damrosch David
Published: August 2019

The following is an edited transcript of a presentation by Pheng Cheah on his book What Is a World? On Postcolonial Literature as World Literature, followed by a discussion with David Damrosch, with selections from the question and answer period. The event took place on the opening day of the July 2018 session of the Institute of World Literature, hosted by Professor Mitsuyoshi Numano and the Department of Contemporary Literary Studies at the University of Tokyo.
Hutcheson Macaulay Posnett, World Literature, and the Colonial Comparisons
Authors: Zabel Blaž
Published: August 2019

This article discusses the work of the early Irish comparatists Hutcheson Macaulay Posnett, who in 1886 published the first monograph in English in comparative literature. By bringing into discussion Posnett’s lesser-known journalistic publications on politics, the essay argues that his comparative project was importantly determined by the contemporary challenges of British imperial politics and by his own position in the British Empire. The article investigates several aspects of Posnett’s work in the context of British colonialism: his understanding of literature and literary criticism, his perception of the English and French systems of national literature, and his understanding of world literature and classical literature. Recognising the imperial and colonial context of Comparative Literature additionally highlights the development of literary comparisons, which have marked subsequent discussions in the discipline.
The Ottoman Empire, Southeastern European Literature, and Postcolonial Theory
Authors: Lameborshi Eralda L.
Published: August 2019

The Ottoman Empire shaped much of the Mediterranean world and yet, postcolonial scholarship has developed very few tools that engage with it as a pre-modern and pre-capitalist empire. Given its influence, it is necessary to understand the Ottoman Empire as a colonial force, especially in literatures that represent its reign. Southeastern European literature is ripe for such analysis as it seeks to understand the Ottoman legacy in Southeastern Europe, and to account for the ways in which the Ottoman Empire’s imperial model created worlds within worlds, where regions not located in the imperial center were not peripheries but provincial centers. The works of Ivo Andrić, Ismail Kadare, and Meša Selimović fictionalize history in an attempt to show how history itself happens in these provincial centers. Audiences become aware of the Ottoman presence as a droning hum in the background with a lasting cultural, linguistic, and religious legacy.
The Critical Attitude and the History of International Law
Authors: d’Aspremont Jean
Published: August 2019

This article questions the critical attitude that is informing the critical histories that have been flourishing since the ‘historical turn’ in international law. It makes the argument that the ‘historical turn’ falls short of being radically critical as the abounding critical histories which have come to populate the international literature over the last decades continue to be orchestrated along the very lines set by the linear historical narratives which they seek to question and disrupt. This article argues that the critical histories must move beyond a mere historiographical attitude and promotes radical historical critique in order to unbridle disciplinary imagination.
Law and Images
Authors: Dreier Thomas
Published: August 2019

Law and images are generally regarded as two separate areas. Yet, in many ways law and images intersect, such as when legal rules try to control the production, dissemination and consumption of images, and when law is the subject of images. In parallel to the well-established “law and literature”, the paper attempts to connect two fields of research, law studies and visual studies, that are usually disjointed, and it outlines what could be an area of interdisciplinarity research labelled “law and images”. The article explains how images work to the readers not familiar with visual sciences, and how normative prohibitions and commandments function to readers not familiar with law studies. In addition, the article provides a survey of the different issues raised when studying the complex relationship between law and images.
A new species of the Phanoperla pallipennis group (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Vietnam
Authors: MO RAORAO , YAN YANHUA , WANG GUOQUAN , LI WEIHAI
Published: August 2019

A new species of the perline genus Phanoperla Banks, P. zwicki sp. nov. is described from Vietnam. The new species is compared with related taxa.