bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Values of microRNAs in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Xi Yaguang , Formentini Andrea , Chien Minchen , Weir David B. , Russo James J. , Ju Jingyue , Kornmann Marko , Ju Jingfang
Published: November 2017

The functions of non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) in tumorigenesis are just beginning to emerge. Previous studies from our laboratory have identified a number of miRNAs that were deregulated in colon cancer cell lines due to the deletion of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. In this study, the in vivo significance of some of these miRNAs was further evaluated using colorectal clinical samples. Ten miRNAs ( hsa-let-7b, hsa-let-7g, hsa-miR-15b, hsa-miR-181b, hsa-miR-191, hsa-miR-200c, hsa-miR-26a, hsa-miR-27a, hsa-miR-30a-5p and hsa-miR-30c) were evaluated for their potential prognostic value in colorectal cancer patients. Forty eight snap frozen clinical colorectal samples (24 colorectal cancer and 24 paired normal patient samples) with detailed clinical follow-up information were selected. The expression levels of 10 miRNAs were quantified via qRT-PCR analysis. The statistical significance of these markers for disease prognosis was evaluated using a two tailed paired Wilcoxon test. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was generated followed by performing a Logrank test. Among the ten miRNAs, hsa-miR-15b (p = 0.0278), hsa-miR-181b (p = 0.0002), hsa-miR-191 (p = 0.0264) and hsa-miR-200c (p = 0.0017) were significantly over-expressed in tumors compared to normal colorectal samples. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that hsa-miR-200c was significantly associated with patient survival (p = 0.0122). The patients (n = 15) with higher hsa-miR-200c expression had a shorter survival time (median survival = 26 months) compared to patients (n = 9) with lower expression (median survival = 38 months). Sequencing analysis revealed that hsa-miR-181b (p = 0.0098) and hsa-miR-200c (p = 0.0322) expression were strongly associated with the mutation status of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Some of these miRNAs may function as oncogenes due to their over-expression in tumors. hsa-miR-200c may be a potential novel prognostic factor in colorectal cancer.
Soluble CD26 is inversely Associated with Disease Severity in Patients with Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia
Authors: Matsuno Osamu , Miyazaki Eishi , Nureki Shinichi , Ueno Takuya , Ando Masaru , Kumamoto Toshihide
Published: November 2017

Backgrounds

CD26, a multifunctional T cell surface glycoprotein, is a type II transmembrane protein containing only six amino acid residues in its cytoplasmic region. In addition to its membrane form, CD26 exists in plasma in a soluble form (sCD26), which is thought to be the extracellular domain of the molecule cleaved from the cell surface. Recent studies indicated CD26 have an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma, known as Th2 like disease. The function of CD26 in the esosinophlic lung disease is not well understood.

Methods

Serum sCD26 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with acute eosinophilic pneumonia, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP), and sarcoidosis, and in healthy volunteers, to establish its value for discriminating between disease entities and as marker of disease activity.

Results

Soluble CD26 was significantly reduced in CEP and was related to disease severity. In particular, sCD26 was inversely correlated with arterial oxygen tension in CEP.

Conclusion

Serum levels of sCD26 might appear to be useful as a new marker of CEP disease activity.
Integrating Soluble Biomarkers and Imaging Technologies in the Identification of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Patients
Authors: Páramo José A. , JA José A. Rodríguez , Orbe Josune
Published: November 2017

The clinical utility of a biomarker depends on its ability to identify high-risk individuals to optimally manage the patient. A new biomarker would be of clinical value if it is accurate and reliable, provides good sensitivity and specificity, and is available for widespread application. Data are accumulating on the potential clinical utility of integrating imaging technologies and circulating biomarkers for the identification of vulnerable (high-risk) cardiovascular patients. A multi-biomarker strategy consisting of markers of inflammation, hemostasis and thrombosis, proteolysis and oxidative stress, combined with new imaging modalities (optical coherence tomography, virtual histology plus IVUS, PET) can increase our ability to identify such thombosis-prone patients. In an ideal scenario, cardiovascular biomarkers and imaging combined will provide a better diagnostic tool to identify high-risk individuals and also more efficient methods for effective therapies to reduce such cardiovascular risk. However, additional studies are required in order to show that this approach can contribute to improved diagnostic and therapeutic of atherosclerotic disease.
Ceruloplasmin (2-D PAGE) Pattern and Copper Content in Serum and Brain of Alzheimer Disease Patients
Authors: Squitti Rosanna , Quattrocchi Carlo C. , Forno Gloria Dal , Antuono Piero , Wekstein David R. , Capo Concetta R. , Salustri Carlo , Rossini Paolo M.
Published: November 2017

A dysfunction in copper homeostasis seems to occur in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously evidenced that an excess of non-ceruloplasmin-copper (NCC) correlated with the main functional, anatomical as well as cerebrospinal markers of the disease. Aim of our study was to investigate ceruloplasmin isoforms as potential actors in this AD copper dysfunction. Our data show that AD patients have ceruloplasmin fragments of low molecular weight (<50 kDa) both in their serum and brain, contrary to healthy controls. Ceruloplasmin isoforms of higher molecular weight (115 and 135 kDa in serum and 135 kDa in brain), as well as copper levels in the brain, instead, do not seem to mark a difference between AD and healthy subjects. These data suggest a ceruloplasmin fragmentation in the serum of AD patients. Some clues in this direction have been found also in the AD brain.
Organising destruction: A derivative logic?
Authors: Lightfoot Geoff , Lilley Simon
Published: November 2017

In this article, we attempt to better understand war’s preponderance by exploring its relation to something we commonly see as ever present: the economy and the institutions of finance through which it is enacted. We delineate histories of warfare and finance, rendering our present as one of ‘war amongst the people’, in Rupert Smith’s words, in which finance is exemplified by the logic of the derivative. Through detailed examination of an infamous comment by Donald Rumsfeld, the then US Secretary of Defense, and the US Defense Department’s short-lived Policy Analysis Market, we explore the management of knowledge enabled by the derivative as emblematic of our times in both military and financial circles and draw upon the work of Randy Martin to suggest that this logic is increasingly imperial in its reach and ubiquitous in its effects, becoming in the process the key organisational technology of our times. At the core of the functioning of the derivative, we contend, in all of the domains in which we witness it at work, is an essential indifference to the underlying circumstances from which it purportedly derives, leaving us in a world in which we endlessly manage risks to our future security but at the cost of the loss of genuinely open futures worthy of our interest.
Licence to kill? On the organization of destruction in the 21st century
Authors: Bloomfield Brian P. , Burrell Gibson , Vurdubakis Theo
Published: November 2017

War, the organized destruction of human beings, of human lifeworlds and modes of livelihood, has long been regarded as outside the usual preoccupations of organization studies. And yet, as the various on-going “asymmetric wars” increasingly become the taken for granted background noise of contemporary life, this aloofness becomes difficult to maintain. This special issue then is an initial contribution to a long overdue conversation. By way of introduction to the articles that comprise the special issue this essay seeks to highlight some of the key connections between organization theory, forms of organized destruction and their ongoing mutations in the still young, but already quite bloody, 21st century.
The dialogical Self from the viewpoint of hermeneutic phenomenology
Authors: Ginev Dimitri
Published: November 2017

This paper aims at rereading some tenets of dialogical Self theory in the perspective of hermeneutic phenomenology. It aims at radicalizing the tendency to the anti-Cartesian interpretation of the Self in this theory. The Self is conceived of in terms of an ecstatic unity of psychic subjectivity (as enabling the choices of possibilities) and trans-subjective configurations of practices. The existential possibilities are addressed as emerging from the appropriation of possibilities generated by configured practices. The Self exists in and through (and not behind) this transformation of trans-subjective possibilities into existential ones. The paper defends the situated transcendence of the Self’s existence within practices. This defense provides arguments against any approach assuming the existence of “punctual self”. From the viewpoint of hermeneutic phenomenology, the conceptualization of the dialogical Self must avoid any form of essentialism. This conceptualization is also at odds with assuming a kind of “transcendental ego” operating behind the Self’s pluralism of I-positions. The view of the Self as existing in and through the ongoing transformation of trans-subjective into existential possibilities admits that from the very outset the formation of the Self’s identities is predicated on the ecstatic unity of subjectivity and trans-subjectivity.
Formulating autism systemically: Part 1 – A review of the published literature and case assessments
Authors: Crittenden Patricia M
Published: November 2017

Autism is a psychiatric disorder of unknown aetiology. In this article, the literature on genetic, neurological, psychological, relational and cultural causes of autism is reviewed, beginning with the 2014 review of Crittenden, Dallos, Landini et al. (pp. 64–70) up to and including recent publications in 2017. Some of the findings were unexpected; others led to new questions. The unexpected findings were the minimal contribution of genes to autism, the extremely evident neurological differences, the interpersonal quality of the psychological findings (that lacked evidence of parents’ behaviour), the relational evidence that mothers’ childhood trauma, perinatal stress and marital stress increased the risk of autism, and the reciprocal relation between funding for treatment of autism and diagnoses of autism. Notably, there was an abundance of genetic studies, numerous neurological studies and only scattered psychological, relational and cultural studies, thus rendering those findings speculative. The new questions included whether mothers used postural/gestural signs to signal their children to maintain distance and whether mothers experienced wariness of males as a result of childhood trauma, with their sons possibly experiencing gender confusion. Following the literature review, a small archival set of video-recorded and transcribed assessments of attachment of cases of autism were examined for evidence to corroborate or refute the psychological and relational findings of the literature review. The findings were striking in their support of mothers’ use of postural/gestural communication regarding distance, children’s close attention to mothers’ bodily signals, without looking at mothers’ face, mothers’ greater comfort when they approached their sons than when their sons approached them, one boy’s lack of verbal self-representation and mothers’ childhood triangulation. These became hypotheses regarding what to look for in Part 2 of this article, a prospective, 12-year case study.
Marching the devotional subject: The bodily-and-material cultures of religion
Authors: Mohan Urmila , Warnier Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2017

Drawing on the Maussian notion of the technologies of the body, on the Schilderian theory of the Körperschema, on the neurocognitive sciences and the Foucauldian concept of subjectivation, this article shifts the study of religion away from the verbalized creeds, doctrines and texts towards the consideration of the bodily-and-material cultures that are prominent in most, if not all, religious traditions. This shift helps us to understand how the bodily-and-material cultures of religious practice contribute to producing the devotee and obtaining compliance. The potential synergies, tensions and cognitive gaps between the verbalized creeds, on the one hand, and the bodily techniques and material culture, on the other hand, are emphasized for a better understanding of the complexities of the devotional subject.
Using fathers as a negative control exposure to test the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis: A case study on maternal distress and offspring asthma using Swedish register data
Authors: Brew Bronwyn K. , Gong Tong , Williams Dylan M. , Larsson Henrik , Almqvist Catarina
Published: November 2017

Background:

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis (DOHaD) studies are often observational in nature and are therefore prone to biases from loss to follow-up and unmeasured confounding. Register-based studies can reduce these issues since they allow almost complete follow-up and provide information on fathers that can be used in a negative control analysis to assess the impact of unmeasured confounding.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to propose a causal model for testing DOHaD using paternal exposure as a negative control, and its application to maternal distress in pregnancy and offspring asthma.

Methods:

A causal diagram including shared and parent-specific measured and unmeasured confounders for maternal (fetal) and paternal exposures is proposed. The case study consisted of all children born in Sweden from July 2006 to December 2008 ( n=254,150). Information about childhood asthma, parental distress and covariates was obtained from the Swedish national health registers. Associations between maternal and paternal distress during pregnancy and offspring asthma at age five years were assessed separately and with mutual adjustment for the other parent’s distress measure, as well as for shared confounders.

Results:

Maternal distress during pregnancy was associated with offspring asthma risk; mutually adjusted odds ratio (OR) (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23, 1.43). The mutually adjusted paternal distress−offspring asthma analysis (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.97, 1.13) indicated no evidence for unmeasured confounding shared by the mother and father.

Conclusions:

Using paternal exposure in a negative control model to test the robustness of fetal programming hypotheses can be a relatively simple extension of conventional observational studies but limitations need to be considered.
Estimating incidence and prevalence from population registers: example from myocardial infarction
Authors: Modig Karin , Berglund Anita , Talbäck Mats , Ljung Rickard , Ahlbom Anders
Published: November 2017

Aim:

To illustrate how the fundamental epidemiological measures, incidence rate and prevalence proportion, can be estimated based on Swedish population registers using acute myocardial infarction (MI) as an example, together with a discussion about the analytical decisions.

Methods:

All individuals in Sweden aged 60–89 (born 1904–1954) during the study period 1994–2014 were identified through the Total Population Register. Cases of MI were defined and identified from information on hospital admissions and causes of death. Incidence rates of all, first, and recurrent MI were calculated together with prevalence proportions.

Results:

The incidence rate of all, first, and recurrent MI declined over the study period. While the incidence rates of first MI are lower for women than men, the incidence rates of recurrent MI are considerably higher but similar for men and women. The prevalence calculated with duration of disease set at 28 days also declined. This was despite improved survival from MI and increased life expectancy over the same period meaning that the decline in incidence was large enough to compensate for increased survival.

Conclusions:

Calculating incidence and prevalence of diseases using population registers requires detailed and well-reasoned definitions. The definitions will affect both the study population and the number of disease events and it is essential that the cases and the study population are defined in a coherent way. Different measures of disease occurrence contribute with different aspects of the disease panorama and a joint interpretation contributes to a thorough understanding of the disease development in a population.
Nordic registry-based cohort studies: Possibilities and pitfalls when combining Nordic registry data
Authors: Maret-Ouda John , Tao Wenjing , Wahlin Karl , Lagergren Jesper
Published: November 2017

Aims:

All five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) have nationwide registries with similar data structure and validity, as well as personal identity numbers enabling linkage between registries. These resources provide opportunities for medical research that is based on large registry-based cohort studies with long and complete follow-up. This review describes practical aspects, opportunities and challenges encountered when setting up all-Nordic registry-based cohort studies.

Methods:

Relevant articles describing registries often used for medical research in the Nordic countries were retrieved. Further, our experiences of conducting this type of study, including planning, acquiring permissions, data retrieval and data cleaning and handling, and the possibilities and challenges we have encountered are described.

Results:

Combining data from the Nordic countries makes it possible to create large and powerful cohorts. The main challenges include obtaining all permissions within each country, usually in the local language, and retrieving the data. These challenges emphasise the importance of having experienced collaborators within each country. Following the acquisition of data, data management requires the understanding of the differences between the variables to be used in the various countries. A concern is the long time required between initiation and completion.

Conclusions:

Nationwide Nordic registries can be combined into cohorts with high validity and statistical power, but the considerable expertise, workload and time required to complete such cohorts should not be underestimated.
History as a double-edged sword
Authors: Carter David B
Published: November 2017

Recent evidence suggests that historical boundary precedents play a central role in the outbreak, character, and long-term consequences of territorial disputes. The institutional theory of borders holds promise in explaining why leaders find old borders to be attractive as new borders. However, the mechanisms that link historical precedents to territorial claims and their consequences are not fully specified in the extant literature. I argue that there are three key arguments that can explain why boundary precedents are associated with subsequent disputes: ease of justification, perpetual conflict over territories of particular value, and persistent coordination around old borders. I argue that the coordination mechanism is essential to understanding the connections between historical boundary precedents and territorial disputes.
Learning to live with doubt: Kierkegaard, Freire, and critical pedagogy
Authors: Roberts Peter
Published: November 2017

What role does doubt play in education? This article addresses this question, initially via an examination of Søren Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments. Kierkegaard, through his pseudonym Johannes Climacus, draws attention to the potentially debilitating and destructive effects of doubt on both teachers and learners. The work of Paulo Freire is helpful in responding to the problems posed by Kierkegaard’s account. It is argued that in Freire’s pedagogical theory and practice, doubt has both epistemological and ethical significance. It is linked with other key Freirean virtues such as humility and openness, and it forms part of the process of learning how to question. It is also related, through the Freirean idea of being ‘less certain of one’s certainties’, to the ethical priorities we determine, the political commitments we have, and the actions we take as we negotiate our way in the world.
Correct microarray analysis approaches in ‘Hsa-circRNA11783-2 in peripheral blood is correlated with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus’
Authors: Li Chenyu , Zhao Long , Jiang Wei , Che Lin , Xu Yan
Published: November 2017

We read with great interest the article by Li et al. The results are illuminating for understanding the relationship among Hsa-circRNA11783-2, coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, from our perspective, the bioinformatics analyses need further context as the statistics for differential fold changes in expression data are not explained fully. The authors seem to use unadjusted p values for detecting differentially expressed circular RNA (differentially expressed genes (DEGs)) between the control, CAD and T2DM group. Due to the high false positives caused by a large number of probes and multiple comparisons, it seems essential to analyse microarray data properly to reach a reliable result by a statistical method. Only selecting circular RNA with greater than two fold change with unadjusted p values < 0.05 in expression is not reliable and suitable for high-level microarray analysis.
Perceptions of trust in bionano sensors: Is it against our better judgement? An investigation of generalised expectancies and the emerging technology trust paradox
Authors: Mazey Natasha CHL , Wingreen Stephen C
Published: November 2017

This article examines the literature surrounding bionano sensors, its anticipated applications and biological risks associated with their use. Despite being largely unfamiliar with bionano technology, existing research indicates that individuals are optimistic about bionano technologies and are seemingly nonchalant about their potential risks. This would suggest individuals may hold significant positive trust beliefs in bionano sensors, contrary to the predictions of technology trust theory. This article draws on McKnight et al.’s technology trust model and generalised expectancies of technology (perceived functionality, reliability and effectiveness). Using experimental procedure, this article confirms that individuals perceive bionano sensors to be a trustworthy technology and seeks to understand this ‘emerging technology trust paradox’.
An intelligent power monitoring and analysis system for distributed smart plugs sensor networks
Authors: Lee Shih-Hsiung , Yang Chu-Sing
Published: November 2017

With the growth in power demand, energy management is an important issue in the 21st century. This article proposes a smart power management framework system, which comprises three parts. Part 1: a smart plug. Controlling the switching power supply, different sensors can be mounted for different application environments. The power supply can be switched on/off automatically according to environmental changes. Added to this, it can measure voltage and current for analysis. Part 2: a smart gateway. This can act as the mediation module for communication and implement the concept of fog computing. The local inference model is built and deployed by deep learning, and the model is learned, updated, and improved continuously to increase the intelligent control efficiency. Part 3: a management platform and mobile app. This allows for data visualization and a remote control for a user interface medium for scheduling. The smart plug and smart gateway are integrated into the overall distributed sensor network, analyzing and improving the power consumption effectively. Finally, the feasibility and practicability of the overall power management framework system are described experimentally.
A quality of service–aware preemptive tidal flow queuing model for wireless multimedia sensor networks in the smart grid environment
Authors: Peizhe Li , Muqing Wu , Min Zhao , Wenxing Liao
Published: November 2017

The smart grid incorporates a two-way communication system between customers and the utility for advanced monitoring and intelligent control of supply and demand. Wireless multimedia sensor network can be treated as an organic supplement and a peripheral network in this two-way communication system. However, the challenging smart grid environment makes it difficult to achieve a high quality of service in wireless multimedia sensor network. This article proposes a prioritization mechanism that considers the heterogeneous characteristics of smart grid traffic. Specifically, an innovative channel allocation and traffic scheduling scheme, named the preemptive tidal flow queuing model, is presented. This scheme achieves differentiated services for diverse communication data when the wireless multimedia sensor network accesses the core network and ensures the performance for high-priority data at the expense of the performance for low-priority data. Simulation analyses show that the performance for high-priority messages can be reliably guaranteed and that the preemptive tidal flow queuing model satisfies the requirements for a wireless multimedia sensor network operating in the smart grid environment. This article offers three main contributions: the development of a prioritization mechanism specifically for a wireless multimedia sensor network in the smart grid environment, the proposal of the preemptive tidal flow queuing model, and the presentation of formulas and simulations to verify the performance of the preemptive tidal flow queuing model.
Friction coefficient in mixed lubrication: A simplified analytical approach for highly loaded non-conformal contacts
Authors: Echávarri Otero Javier , de la Guerra Ochoa Eduardo , Chacón Tanarro Enrique , del Río López Benito
Published: November 2017

This article presents an analytical model for predicting friction in mixed lubrication regime. The calculations consider load shared between roughness asperities and the lubricant film, as well as the appearance of thermal effects in the contact and the influence of the lubricant rheology. Tests using tribometers have been performed to measure the friction coefficient in non-conformal surfaces for both point and line contacts. This allows verifying the results of the model under a broad range of experimental conditions with an influence on the lubrication conditions. Reasonably good precision has been found in the results obtained, which combined with a simplicity of use confers the model a high practical utility for rough estimates of the friction coefficient under mixed lubrication.
Study on a longitudinal–torsional ultrasonic vibration system with diagonal slits
Authors: Chen Tao , Liu Shuliang , Liu Wu , Wu Chaoqun
Published: November 2017

The longitudinal–torsional ultrasonic vibration machining process is popular for machining hard and brittle materials. A longitudinal–torsional ultrasonic vibration system with diagonal slits was designed for the ultrasonic vibration machining process based on the principle of acoustics propagation in this study. Four uniform diagonal slits were cut off on the horn cylinder to transform the longitudinal ultrasonic vibration into a longitudinal–torsional composite motion. A finite element analysis was used to optimize the mechanical structure of the vibration system. Dynamic characteristics of the vibration system were numerically studied, and the relationship of diagonal slits versus the resonance frequency and amplitudes of longitudinal–torsional vibration was analyzed, so that the longitudinal–torsional output amplitude can be optimized by rational choice of structure parameters of diagonal slits. Moreover, the movement locus of the system output end was obtained by utilizing the Origin software, which was proved to be elliptical, and the accuracy of the finite element model was confirmed by comparing numerically and experimentally determined resonant characteristics. In addition, the verification of longitudinal–torsional ultrasonic vibration was proved for the designed ultrasonic vibration system.
A system on chip-based real-time tracking system for amphibious spherical robots
Authors: Guo Shuxiang , Pan Shaowu , Li Xiaoqiong , Shi Liwei , Zhang Pengyi , Guo Ping , He Yanlin
Published: November 2017

Aiming at vision applications of our amphibious spherical robot, a real-time detection and tracking system adopting Gaussian background model and compressive tracking algorithm was designed and implemented in this article. Considering the narrow load space, the limited power resource and the specialized application scenarios of the robot, a heterogeneous computing architecture combining advanced Reduced Instruction-Set Computer (RISC) machine and field programmable gate array was proposed on the basis of Zynq-7000 system on chip.Under the architecture, main parts of the vision algorithms were implemented as software programs running on the advanced RISC machine-Linux subsystem. And customized image accelerators were deployed on the field programmable gate array subsystem to speed up the time-consuming processes of visual algorithms. Moreover, dynamic reconfiguration was used to switch accelerators online for reducing resource consumption and improving system adaptability. The word length of accelerators was optimized with simulated annealing algorithm to make a compromise between calculation accuracy and resource consumption. Experimental results confirmed the feasibility of the proposed architecture. The single board tracking system was able to provide an image processing rate of up to 89.2 frames per second at the resolution of 320 × 240, which could meet future demands of our robot in biological monitoring and multi-target tracking.
Ecological Covariates at Kill Sites Influence Tiger (Panthera tigris) Hunting Success in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand
Authors: Pakpien Somporn , Simcharoen Achara , Duangchantrasiri Somphot , Chimchome Vijak , Pongpattannurak Nantachai , Smith James L. D.
Published: November 2017

Despite significant knowledge of tiger ecology, information on hunting behavior is limited because tigers hunt in habitats where they are difficult to observe. From May 2013 to June 2015, we visited kill sites of eight female radio-collared tigers ( Panthera tigris) to identify prey species of this species in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. At 150 kill sites, 11 mammalian species were identified from skeletal remains or hair samples. Sambar ( Rusa unicolor), banteng ( Bos javanicus), and gaur ( Bos gaurus) composed 95.1% of tiger prey biomass. A subset of 87 kill sites was paired with 87 randomly selected sites within the home ranges of five of the eight radio-collared tigers to determine the influence of prey abundance and other ecological variables on hunting success. At each site, geomorphic and ecological covariates were sampled in 900 m2 square plots. A generalized linear model was used to investigate differences between kill sites and random sites. Mean relative prey abundance at kill sites was significantly lower than relative prey abundance at random sites (77.8 and 139.3 tracks/ha, respectively) indicating tigers did not kill in areas of higher relative prey abundance. Model selection was used to examine 12 landscape features that potentially influence kill site location. In the best model, low shrub cover and high crown cover were highly significant; tree density was included in this model but was not significant. This is the first study to demonstrate that kill location requires a combination of landscape features to first detect and then successfully stalk prey.
Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava: Incidence and Management in Patients Undergoing Repair of Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection
Authors: Clarke Nicholas S. , Murthy Raghav A. , Guleserian Kristine J.
Published: November 2017

Introduction:

A association between partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) and systemic venous anomalies has been described in the literature, but the true incidence is yet to be elucidated. At our institution, we sought to find the incidence of a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) in patients undergoing an operation for PAPVC.

Methods:

A retrospective review of all pediatric and adult patients with PAPVC who underwent surgical repair from February 2006 to February 2016. All clinical, radiographic, and operative data were reviewed.

Results:

Eighty-five patients underwent surgical repair. A PLSVC was identified in 15 (17.6%) patients. Every PLSVC drained/connected to the coronary sinus. A bridging vein was present in only 26.7% (4 of 15). Intraoperative management of the PLSVC consisted of direct cannulation in nine (60%) patients, temporary occlusion in one (6.7%) patient, and ligation in one (6.7%) patient. In the 15 PLSVC patients, 6 (40%) had a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD), 2 (13.3%) had a patent foramen ovale (PFO), 10 (66.6%) had a sinus venosus type defect, and 3 (20%) had both an ASD and sinus venosus–type defect. Of the 15 patients with PAPVC and PLSVC, 14 (93%) had anomalous drainage of pulmonary vein(s) on the right side, whereas 1 (7%) had veins on both sides with anomalous drainage.

Conclusion:

Persistent left superior vena cava is present in 17.6% of patients undergoing an operation for PAPVC. Awareness of this association as well as the intraoperative management of PLSVC is advised for those that perform operations for PAPVC. As improper myocardial protection and cardiopulmonary bypass strategies in the presence of a PLSVC can result in deleterious outcomes.
Multicenter Quality Improvement Project to Prevent Sternal Wound Infections in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Patients
Authors: Woodward Cathy , Taylor Richard , Son Minnette , Taeed Roozbeh , Jacobs Marshall L. , Kane Lauren , Jacobs Jeffrey P. , Husain S. Adil
Published: November 2017

Background:

Children undergoing cardiac surgery are at risk for sternal wound infections (SWIs) leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Single-center quality improvement (QI) initiatives have demonstrated decreased infection rates utilizing a bundled approach. This multicenter project was designed to assess the efficacy of a protocolized approach to decrease SWI.

Methods:

Pediatric cardiac programs joined a collaborative effort to prevent SWI. Programs implemented the protocol, collected compliance data, and provided data points from local clinical registries using Society of Thoracic Surgery Congenital Heart Surgery Database harvest-compliant software or from other registries.

Results:

Nine programs prospectively collected compliance data on 4,198 children. Days between infections were extended from 68.2 days (range: 25-82) to 130 days (range: 43-412). Protocol compliance increased from 76.7% (first quarter) to 91.3% (final quarter). Ninety (1.9%) children developed an SWI preprotocol and 64 (1.5%) postprotocol, P = .18. The 657 (15%) delayed sternal closure patients had a 5% infection rate with 18 (5.7%) in year 1 and 14 (4.3%) in year 2 P = .43. Delayed sternal closure patients demonstrated a trend toward increased risk for SWI of 1.046 for each day the sternum remained open, P = .067. Children who received appropriately timed preop antibiotics developed less infections than those who did not, 1.9% versus 4.1%, P = .007.

Conclusion:

A multicenter QI project to reduce pediatric SWIs demonstrated an extension of days between infections and a decrease in SWIs. Patients who received preop antibiotics on time had lower SWI rates than those who did not.
The Effects of Computer-Aided Instruction in Mathematics on the Performance of Grade 4 Pupils
Authors: Lashley Lidon
Published: November 2017

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of computer-aided instruction on mathematics performance of pupils at the Grade 4 level in Region 5. This focus was due to the trend of poor performances in mathematics at the National Grade 4 assessments for the past 5 years. Four intact Grade 4 classes in two primary schools were used in this study. Two classes were used as experimental group and the other two as control group. The Quasi Experimental, Nonequivalent Control Group design was employed for this study. The instrument which was used for data collection was a teacher-made test. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was .553, significant at alpha .01. The findings of the study indicated that there was a significant difference between the academic performance of pupils in mathematics who were taught using computer-aided instruction and those who were taught using the traditional method of teaching. Second, there was a significant difference between the academic performance of male and female pupils who were taught using computer-aided instruction and those who were taught using the traditional method of teaching. In addition, there was a significant difference between the academic performance of lower- and middle-income pupils who were taught using computer-aided instruction and those who were taught using the traditional method. Based on the findings of this study, some recommendations were made and among such were that computer-aided instruction should be integrated into the teaching of mathematics at the Grade 4 level in the area of study.
A Comparative Analysis of Zambian Governmental Institutions Using the HPO Framework
Authors: de Waal André , Mulimbika Tobias
Published: November 2017

It is generally accepted that, to move the governmental sector toward better performance, governmental agencies need to adopt high-performance management techniques. One such technique is the HPO (high-performance organization) Framework, which has been applied successfully in many countries. However, most of these applications were in developed countries and in the private sector, which raises the question of whether the framework would work equally well in an African governmental setting. Specifically, this study posits, and proposes to answer, the following three research questions: (a) Can the HPO Framework be used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Zambian governmental institutions and yield tangible recommendations to achieve sustainable high performance? (b) If so, can the performance of these institutions subsequently be shown to improve over time? (c) What is the role of the institutions’ managers in a successful implementation of the framework? To explore these considerations, the HPO Framework was applied at three Zambian governmental institutions. In a longitudinal research set-up, the application and accompanying organizational results were tracked. The study results showed that the HPO Framework is indeed applicable in the Zambian governmental sector and can significantly contribute to it becoming high-performing. However, the study’s results also made clear that full commitment from management has to be ensured before embarking on an HPO transition. This research is the first of its kind: a longitudinal study of the workings and effects of an HPO framework, in the context of a developing country’s governmental sector.
Attitude Toward Reading: L1 or L2 or Both
Authors: Akbari Hadi , Ghonsooly Behzad , Ghazanfari Mohammad , Shahriari Hesamodin
Published: November 2017

L2 reading attitude has been the subject of more recent studies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and many have attempted to define this construct and find its correlates such as gender and L1 and L2 proficiency level. This study builds on the previous studies and aims at highlighting the connection between L2 and L1 reading attitudes and the degree L2 reading attitude contributes to L2 reading achievement in Iranian EFL context. Participants of the study included 230 male and female Iranian language learners roughly at intermediate level of English reading proficiency. L2 and L1 reading attitudes were measured using reading attitude questionnaires, and data were analyzed by employing descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient, and regression analysis. Results showed that L1 and L2 reading attitudes were highly correlated ( r = .71); L1 reading attitude significantly explained 51% of the variance in L2 reading attitude, but between the L1 and L2 reading attitudes, only L2 reading attitude made unique significant contribution to L2 reading achievement. Findings suggest the importance of developing positive attitude among L2 learners generally and L2 readers particularly.
Synchronous Multiple Primary Malignant Melanoma in a Patient with Atypical Mole Syndrome
Authors: Ajekigbe Lo , Baguley Pe
Published: November 2017

Multiple primary malignant melanoma developing in people with atypical mole syndrome is well documented but rare. Synchronous occurrence of such melanomas is even rarer. The present case report, while not unique, provides an excellent opportunity to remind clinicians of presentation and management of atypical mole syndrome, while emphasizing the higher risk of developing malignant melanoma.
A survey of current practices in the diagnosis of and interventions for inhalational injuries in Canadian burn centres
Authors: Yeung Justin K , Fung Leung Leslie Tze , Papp Anthony
Published: November 2017

Objective

To summarize current Canadian practice patterns in the diagnosis of and interventions for inhalation injuries (INHI).

Methods

A 10-question survey regarding the diagnosis of and interventions for INHI was sent to the medical directors of all 16 burn centres across Canada.

Results

The response rate to the survey was 50%. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy is required for the diagnosis of INHI in only four centres (50%). The departments of intensive care, plastic surgery, otolaryngology and respirology are involved in performing fibreoptic bronchoscopy in 87.5%, 37.5%, 12.5% and 12.5% of Canadian burn centres, respectively. Intubation for INHI is most often based on physical examination results (87.5%) and clinical history (75%). The most common physical features believed to be most consistent with INHI are dyspnea (87.5%) and hoarseness (87.5%). Common treatments include intubation (87.5%), routine ventilatory support (87.5%) and chest physiotherapy (75%). None of the centres used nebulized heparin. A total of five centres (62.5%) routinely changed the fluid resuscitation protocol when INHI was diagnosed. Only two centres (25%) routinely used prophylactic antibiotics for INHI.

Conclusion

Prospective, multicentre trials are needed to generate evidence-based consensus in the areas of diagnosis, grading and treatment for INHI in Canada.
The effect of buffering on pain and duration of local anesthetic in the face: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Afolabi Oluwatola , Murphy Amanda , Chung Bryan , Lalonde Donald H
Published: November 2017

Background

The acidity of lidocaine preparations is believed to contribute to the pain of local anesthetic injection.

Objective

To investigate the effect of buffering lidocaine on the pain of injection and duration of anesthetic effect.

Methods

A double-blind, randomized trial involving 44 healthy volunteers was conducted. The upper lip was injected with a solution of: lidocaine 1% (Xylocaine, AstraZeneca, Canada, Inc) with epinephrine; and lidocaine 1% with epinephrine and 8.4% sodium bicarbonate. Volunteers reported pain of injection and duration of anesthetic effect.

Results

Twenty-six participants found the unbuffered solution to be more painful. Fifteen participants found the buffered solution to be more painful; the difference was not statistically significant. Twenty-one volunteers reported duration of anesthetic effect. The buffered solution provided longer anesthetic effect than the unbuffered solution (P=0.004).

Conclusion

Although buffering increased the duration of lidocaine's anesthetic effect in this particular model, a decrease in the pain of the injection was not demonstrated, likely due to limitations of the study.
Incidence of Klumpke's birth palsy: Comparison between two decades
Authors: El-Sayed Aaf , Al-Qattan Mohammed , Clarke Howard M , Curtis Cg
Published: November 2017

In a previous paper, the incidence of Klumpke's palsy as cited in the English literature over the last decade (1984 to 1994) was found to be 0.6%. However, during the last decade, there have been consistent increases of cesarean section rates. Therefore, it was unknown if this modern obstetric practice affected the incidence of Klumpke's palsy. This review demonstrates that Klumpke's palsy was equally rare (0.7% of birth palsies) in the previous decade (1973 to 1983). It is also shown that 16 out of the 26 cases of Kumpke's palsy reported in the literature over the last two decades were reported from one centre. It is concluded that the incidence of this rare type of birth palsy has not changed with modern obstetric practice and that this palsy is related to vaginal breech deliveries with hyperabduction of the arms.
Intra-arterial injection of diazepam
Authors: Rice Sean , Levine Ronald H
Published: November 2017

Diazepam is frequently and safely used in a wide variety of medical settings. However, an accidental intra-arterial injection of diazepam can have serious sequelae. This report describes the case of a intra-arterial injection of diazepam and outlines the current suggested treatment.
Calcinosis of the Hand in Scleroderma: A Case Report
Authors: Neumeister Michael W , Murray Kenneth A
Published: November 2017

Calcinosis associated with scleroderma is a well recognized phenomenon. Fifteen to 44% of patients with systemic scleroderma and associated CREST (calcifications, raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal motility disorder, sclerodactyly and telangiectasias) syndrome have deposition of calcium in the fingers and hands. The tumourous effect may limit motion, cause neuropraxia, compound microangiopathy or present as calcific ulcers. This report describes the case of a patient with scleroderma and CREST syndrome in whom calcinosis in the hand resulted in severe, debilitating pain necessitating surgical evacuation of the deposits. The patient had complete pain relief in the postopertive period. A further surgical extirpation of calcium was required for recurring pain at six months after surgery. The patient has remained symptom free since that time. The rare occurence of excruciating pain prompted this report and literature review.
The Impact of Nonwound Site Infection on Surgical Wound Healing
Authors: Shainhouse Tsippora , Zuker Ronald M
Published: November 2017

When infection occurs at a surgical site, it is clear that the normal wound healing process is destroyed, interrupted or at best retarded. However, little is known about the effects of nonwound site infections on the healing process. One concern is that the level of cytokine tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) produced in the inflammatory process of the infection will have a detrimental effect on the wound healing process. Another concern is that the negative clinical manifestations of sepsis on the maintenance of homeostasis are augmented by the effects of general anesthetic agents used in surgery. Therefore, if the infection is not minor and has the potential for systemic spread, it is best to defer surgery until the infection clears. However, in nonelective surgery, the candidacy of a surgical patient is more likely to be dependent on the clinical manifestations of the infection.