bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tai chi to prevent falls in older adults
Authors: Purdie Naomi
Published: November 2019

Frailty is common in older age and those living with frailty are at risk of adverse health outcomes. Exercise programmes could potentially reduce the risks for this group of people by increasing muscle strength, reducing falls and improving overall mobility. This study looks specifically at the effects of weekly tai chi classes in those people living with frailty in older age. This study monitored the participants who attended each week and looked to see if any improvements were made by reducing the risk of falls, and improving mobility. Validated tools that assess balance, gait, and identify falls risk were used throughout the study. Initial results indicate a perceived improvement in physical health and wellbeing.
Incidence and prognosis of patients with spinal metastasis as the initial manifestation of malignancy
Authors: Park Jin-Sung , Park Se-Jun , Lee Chong-Suh
Published: November 2019

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and prognosis of patients with spinal metastasis as the initial manifestation of malignancy (SM-IMM).

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 338 patients who underwent surgical treatment for metastatic spinal disease. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups. The SM-IMM group included patients with no history of malignancy whose site of primary malignancy was diagnosed after the identification of spinal metastasis. The other group included patients with a history of treatment for primary malignancy who then developed spinal metastasis (SM-DTM). The incidence of SM-IMM by site of primary malignancy was calculated. The difference between prognoses after surgical treatment for SM-IMM and SM-DTM was established.

Results

The median follow-up period was 11.5 months (interquartile range (IQR) 3.2 to 13.4) after surgical treatment. During the follow-up period, 264 patients died; 74 patients survived. The SM-IMM group consisted of 94 patients (27.8%). The site of primary malignancy in the SM-IMM group was lung in 35/103 patients (34.0%), liver in 8/45 patients (17.8%), kidney in 10/33 patients (30.3%), colorectum in 3/29 patients (10.3%), breast in 3/22 patients (13.6%), prostate in 3/10 patients (30%), thyroid in 4/8 patients (50%), and ‘other’ in 28/88 patients (31.8%). On Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, the SM-IMM group showed a significantly longer survival than the SM-DTM group (p = 0.013). The mean survival time was 23.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 15.5 to 30.5) in the SM-IMM group and 15.5 months (95% CI 11.8 to 19.2) in the SM-DTM group.

Conclusion

Of the 338 enrolled patients who underwent surgical treatment for spinal metastasis, 94 patients (27.8%) underwent surgical treatment for SM-IMM. The SM-IMM group had an acceptable prognosis with surgical treatment. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1379–1384.
Intraoperative monitoring of the femoral and sciatic nerves in total hip arthroplasty with high-riding developmental dysplasia
Authors: Kong Xiangpeng , Chai Wei , Chen Jiying , Yan Chunhoi , Shi Lewis , Wang Yan
Published: November 2019

Aims

This study aimed to explore whether intraoperative nerve monitoring can identify risk factors and reduce the incidence of nerve injury in patients with high-riding developmental dysplasia.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a historical controlled study of patients with unilateral Crowe IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Between October 2016 and October 2017, intraoperative nerve monitoring of the femoral and sciatic nerves was applied in total hip arthroplasty (THA). A neuromonitoring technician was employed to monitor nerve function and inform the surgeon of ongoing changes in a timely manner. Patients who did not have intraoperative nerve monitoring between September 2015 and October 2016 were selected as the control group. All the surgeries were performed by one surgeon. Demographics and clinical data were analyzed. A total of 35 patients in the monitoring group (ten male, 25 female; mean age 37.1 years (20 to 46)) and 56 patients in the control group (13 male, 43 female; mean age 37.9 years (23 to 52)) were enrolled. The mean follow-up of all patients was 13.1 months (10 to 15).

Results

The two groups had no significant differences in preoperative data. In the monitoring group, ten nerve alerts occurred intraoperatively, and no neural complications were detected postoperatively. In the control group, six patients had neural complications. The rate of nerve injury was lower in the monitoring group than in the control group, but this did not achieve statistical significance. The degree of leg lengthening was significantly greater in the monitoring group than in the control group. In further analyses, patients who had previous hip surgery were more likely to have intraoperative nerve alerts and postoperative nerve injury.

Conclusion

Nerve injury usually occurred during the processes of exposure and reduction. The use of intraoperative nerve monitoring showed a trend towards reduced nerve injury in THA for Crowe IV DDH patients. Hence, we recommend its routine use in patients undergoing leg lengthening, especially in those with previous hip surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1438–1446.
Gait after Birmingham Hip Resurfacing
Authors: Wiik Anatole V. , Lambkin Rhiannon , Cobb Justin P.
Published: November 2019

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the functional gain achieved following hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA).

Patients and Methods

A total of 28 patients (23 male, five female; mean age, 56 years (25 to 73)) awaiting Birmingham HRA volunteered for this prospective gait study, with an age-matched control group of 26 healthy adults (16 male, ten female; mean age, 56 years (33 to 84)). The Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and gait analysis using an instrumented treadmill were used preoperatively and more than two years postoperatively to measure the functional change attributable to the intervention.

Results

The mean OHS improved significantly from 27 to 46 points (p < 0.001) at a mean of 29 months (12 to 60) after HRA. The mean metal ion levels at a mean 32 months (13 to 60) postoperatively were 1.71 (0.77 to 4.83) µg/l (ppb) and 1.77 (0.68 to 4.16) µg/l (ppb) for cobalt and chromium, respectively. When compared with healthy controls, preoperative patients overloaded the contralateral good hip, limping significantly. After HRA, patients walked at high speeds, with symmetrical gait, statistically indistinguishable from healthy controls over almost all characteristics. The control group could only be distinguished by an increased push-off force at higher speeds, which may reflect the operative approach.

Conclusion

Patients undergoing HRA improved their preoperative gait pattern of a significant limp to a symmetrical gait at high speeds and on inclines, almost indistinguishable from normal controls. HRA with an approved device offers substantial functional gains, almost indistinguishable from healthy controls. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1423–1430.
Underarm bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis leads to flatback deformity
Authors: Cheung Jason P. Y. , Chong Christopher H. W. , Cheung Prudence W. H.
Published: November 2019

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of pelvic parameters on the tendency of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) to develop flatback deformity (thoracic hypokyphosis and lumbar hypolordosis) and its effect on quality-of-life outcomes.

Patients and Methods

This was a radiological study of 265 patients recruited for Boston bracing between December 2008 and December 2013. Posteroanterior and lateral radiographs were obtained before, immediately after, and two-years after completion of bracing. Measurements of coronal and sagittal Cobb angles, coronal balance, sagittal vertical axis, and pelvic parameters were made. The refined 22-item Scoliosis Research Society (SRS-22r) questionnaire was recorded. Association between independent factors and outcomes of postbracing ≥ 6° kyphotic changes in the thoracic spine and ≥ 6° lordotic changes in the lumbar spine were tested using likelihood ratio chi-squared test and univariable logistic regression. Multivariable logistic regression models were then generated for both outcomes with odds ratios (ORs), and with SRS-22r scores.

Results

Reduced T5-12 kyphosis (mean -4.3° (sd 8.2); p < 0.001), maximum thoracic kyphosis (mean -4.3° (sd 9.3); p < 0.001), and lumbar lordosis (mean -5.6° (sd 12.0); p < 0.001) were observed after bracing treatment. Increasing prebrace maximum kyphosis (OR 1.133) and lumbar lordosis (OR 0.92) was associated with postbracing hypokyphotic change. Prebrace sagittal vertical axis (OR 0.975), prebrace sacral slope (OR 1.127), prebrace pelvic tilt (OR 0.940), and change in maximum thoracic kyphosis (OR 0.878) were predictors for lumbar hypolordotic changes. There were no relationships between coronal deformity, thoracic kyphosis, or lumbar lordosis with SRS-22r scores.

Conclusion

Brace treatment leads to flatback deformity with thoracic hypokyphosis and lumbar hypolordosis. Changes in the thoracic spine are associated with similar changes in the lumbar spine. Increased sacral slope, reduced pelvic tilt, and pelvic incidence are associated with reduced lordosis in the lumbar spine after bracing. Nevertheless, these sagittal parameter changes do not appear to be associated with worse quality of life. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1370–1378.
The current role of robotics in total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Kayani Babar , Konan Sujith , Ayuob Atif , Ayyad Salamah , Haddad Fares S.
Published: November 2019

Robotic total hip arthroplasty (THA) improves accuracy in achieving the planned acetabular cup positioning compared to conventional manual THA. Robotic THA improves precision and reduces outliers in restoring the planned centre of hip rotation compared to conventional manual THA. Improved accuracy in restoring hip biomechanics and acetabular cup positioning in robotic THA have not translated to any differences in early functional outcomes, correction of leg-length discrepancy, or postoperative complications compared to conventional manual THA. Limitations of robotic THA include substantive installation costs, additional radiation exposure, steep learning curves for gaining surgical proficiency, and compatibility of the robotic technology with a limited number of implant designs. Further higher quality studies are required to compare differences in conventional versus robotic THA in relation to long-term functional outcomes, implant survivorship, time to revision surgery, and cost-effectiveness.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2019;4:618-625. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.4.180088
The future of surgery
Authors: Kerr Richard
Published: November 2019

Richard Kerr outlines the RCS’s role in implementing the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Surgery.
A transformation fit for the future
Authors: Weller Jackie , Shearman Cliff
Published: November 2019

How the home of surgery is changing to meet your needs.
Decrepitude is not just the province of your columnist!
Authors: Slop Mr
Published: November 2019

Our resident scribe laments the pitiful state of hospital buildings in the UK.
Gelado comestível de kefir adicionado de polpa de jabuticaba e morango
Authors: Pletsch Lidia Betina Hendges , Severo Joseana , Hermanns Gislaine , Preichardt Leidi Daiana
Published: November 2019

A crescente busca dos consumidores por alimentos diferenciados, que além de exercer suas funções básicas, apresentem também benefícios à saúde de quem os consome, tem proporcionado o desenvolvimento de novos produtos alimentícios. Dessa forma, buscou-se desenvolver um gelado comestível inovador, utilizando leite fermentado de kefir. Este foi adicionado de polpa de jabuticaba e morango e avaliado quanto à qualidade físico-química e microbiológica após 60 dias de armazenamento a temperatura de -2 °C. O gelado comestível apresentou significativos teores de compostos fenólicos e atividade antioxidante e, ainda, valores consideráveis de bactérias láticas (1,0.108 UFC.g-1) e bolores e leveduras (7,6.107 UFC.g-1) durante o período de armazenamento. A análise sensorial do produto, realizada nos tempos 0, 30 e 60 dias de armazenamento, demonstrou que o produto apresenta aceitabilidade superior a 80%, nos atributos textura, odor, sabor e cor. Conclui-se que o produto pode ser uma alternativa promissora na oferta de alimentos com potencial funcional, apresentando qualidade sensorial e microbiológica durante os 60 dias de armazenamento.
Benefícios dos probióticos para a microbiota intestinal e sua adição em derivados lácteos e suplementos
Authors: De Lima Tainara Luisa , Weschenfelder Simone
Published: November 2019

Probióticos são micro-organismos vivos que conferem benefícios à saúde dos seres humanos, e seu consumo deve estar associado a uma alimentação equilibrada e a hábitos de vida saudáveis. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a diversidade de leites fermentados e suplementos com alegação de propriedade funcional por conter probióticos disponíveis em supermercados e farmácias da região do Vale do Sinos, Rio Grande do Sul, bem como apresentar os benefícios da ingestão de probióticos relacionados à microbiota intestinal. Foi realizada uma pesquisa nos supermercados avaliando-se rótulos de derivados lácteos (leites fermentados) que apresentavam probióticos. Para analisar a suplementação, foi realizada uma pesquisa nas farmácias da mesma região, verificando-se os suplementos com probióticos, as cepas e quantidades de micro-organismos presentes. Foram identificados seis tipos de leites fermentados e seis tipos de suplementos. Os benefícios dos probióticos sobre a microbiota humana incluem fatores como efeitos antagônicos, competição e efeitos imunológicos, aumentando a resistência a micro-organismos patogênicos. Apesar de existirem inúmeros estudos sinalizando os benefícios dos probióticos para a saúde, ainda há uma variedade muito pequena de alimentos e suplementos que os contenham e que estejam disponíveis no mercado.
Technological characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from sheep milk for potential use as non-starter cultures
Authors: Dias Maria Rita Souto , Fusieger Andressa , Motta Amanda De Souza
Published: November 2019

O leite de ovelha possui diferentes propriedades físico-químicas, o que significa que seus derivados têm alto valor agregado. Parte dessas propriedades é conferida por bactérias lácticas que desempenham importantes atividades no leite cru. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar cinco bactérias lácticas previamente identificadas e avaliadas quanto a seus parâmetros de acidificação, proteólise, produção de diacetil e exopolissacarídeos, potencial atividade antimicrobiana e parâmetros de segurança. A identificação do gene 16S rDNA por sequenciamento mostrou concordância com os dados obtidos por MALDI-TOF/MS. As bactérias foram identificadas como Lactococcus lactis MRS1, Lactococcus lactis MRS2, Lactococcus lactis MRS5, Lactococcus lactis MRS6 e Enterococcus faecalis M173. Todos os isolados apresentaram o mesmo perfil de acidificação, mantendo o pH em 4,5 a partir de 6 horas de incubação, nas condições empregadas. Atividade proteolítica, capacidade de coexistência e produção de exopolissacarídeos foram observadas em todos os isolados testados. A produção de diacetil foi evidente nos isolados Lactococcus lactis MRS1 e Lactococcus lactis MRS2. Em relação à presença de atividade antimicrobiana, os isolados de Lactococcus lactis MRS6 e Enterococcus faecalis M173 inibiram todas as culturas testadas. Na avaliação dos parâmetros de segurança, nenhum dos isolados apresentou resistência de alto nível a antibióticos clinicamente importantes e não apresentaram produção de gelatinase e atividade hemolítica. Estes resultados fornecem uma informação importante sobre as potenciais bactérias a serem exploradas para a aplicação em produtos derivados de leite de ovelha, em condições de cultura starter ou adjuntas.
CONCEPÇÕES E PRÁTICAS PEDAGÓGICAS DE PROFESSORAS DE ESCOLAS RURAIS MULTISSERIADAS DE SÃO LOURENÇO DO SUL/RS (1970-1980)
Authors: Vargas Kolmar Angelita
Published: November 2019

O objetivo do presente artigo, que se materializou através de entrevistas, foi ter uma visão geral das concepções que as professoras têm sobre sua prática como docentes de escola multisseriada. Num primeiro momento foi apresentado um apanhado geral sobre a educação rural no Brasil na segunda metade do século XX, a apresentação das escolas rurais de São Lourenço do Sul/RS, localizadas no quinto distrito e das professoras que atuaram nelas, bem como algumas entrevistas que tornaram possível uma abordagem inicial às concepções das mesmas sobre sua formação e prática. Buscando o aporte teórico de autores do campo da História da Educação a partir da perspectiva teórica da História Cultural, entre eles: Leite (2002), Paiva (1987), Santos e Moura (2010), Cellard (2008), Darnton (1990), Nóvoa (1992), entre outros.
MULHERES QUILOMBOLAS E POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS: UMA ANÁLISE SOBRE O RACISMO INSTITUCIONAL
Authors: Krieger Grossi Patrícia , Barros de Oliveira Simone , Moreira de Almeida Eliane , Dos Santos Ferreira Ana Caroline
Published: November 2019

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar como ocorre o processo de efetivação das Políticas Públicas voltadas às mulheres quilombolas no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, destacando o racismo institucional vivenciado por esse segmento. Foram entrevistadas mulheres e lideranças quilombolas do RS e as entrevistas foram analisadas com base na análise de discurso de Bardin. Nesse contexto, pode-se observar as formas de resistência pelas mulheres quilombolas, pois essas assumem um protagonismo na reivindicação de melhorias para suas comunidades e reinventam no seu cotidiano, estratégias de sobrevivência, mas também de mobilização política para pressionar gestores na busca de acesso aos seus direitos de cidadania.
Hormonal contraceptives and the risk of ischemic stroke in women with migraine: a new international consensus
Authors: Ekusheva E. V. , Karpova M. I. , Osipova V. V.
Published: November 2019

The paper is devoted to the safe use of hormonal contraception in women with migraine, an urgent interdisciplinary problem daily faced by gynecologists, neurologists, and specialists in headache diagnosis and treatment. It gives information on the prevalence of migraine, the risk of ischemic stroke and other cardiovascular disorders in women with different types of migraine, including those receiving contraception and hormone replacement therapy. The paper presents the main provisions of the new interdisciplinary consensus «Hormonal contraceptives and the risk of ischemic stroke in women who have migraine», which are recommended to be taken into account by specialists of any profile when prescribing hormonal therapy to women with migraine in order to avoid cardiovascular events.
Neurological complications of alcoholic disease and ways of their correction
Authors: Emelyanova A. Yu. , Zinovyeva O. E. , Fedoseev S. R. , Misyuryaeva E. V.
Published: November 2019

The problem of alcohol abuse and its social and medical consequences has remained relevant for many years. Damage to the nervous system is one of the most common manifestations of alcoholic disease. The effect of ethanol and its metabolites results in damage to all parts of the nervous system and skeletal muscles. The paper provides a brief overview of Russian and foreign literature on the neurological manifestations of chronic alcohol intoxication. It considers modern ideas about the pathogenesis of alcoholic neuropathy (APN). It also discusses differences in the clinical presentation, course, and developmental mechanisms of the main (chronic toxic and acute/subacute) forms of APN associated with thiamine deficiency. The paper notes difficulties in diagnosing peripheral nerve damage, especially in the early stages of the disease and describes modern methods for objectifying damage to thin nerve fibers in chronic APN. It presents approaches to treating alcohol-induced damage to the peripheral nervous system, by taking into account the leading mechanisms of pathogenesis. Special attention is paid to B-complex vitamins and alpha-lipoic acid preparations frequently used in this disease, to the mechanisms of their therapeutic action, and to the evaluation of their efficacy in APN.
he amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease: past and present, hopes and disappointments
Authors: Litvinenko I. V. , Emelin A. Yu. , Lobzin V. Yu. , Kolmakova K. A. , Naumov K. M. , Lupanov I. A. , Kilivaeva G. A. , Alizade M. R.
Published: November 2019

In 1887, S.A. Belyakov, a physician of the Imperial Medical and Surgical Academy, first described amyloid deposits in the brain of patients with dementia. Later, in 1906, A. Alzheimer revealed amyloid plaques and tau tangles in a patient with clinical signs of dementia. Over the following 100 years, the development of the concept of the amyloid origin of Alzheimer's disease (AD) confirmed numerous relationships between the brain accumulation of APs and cognitive decline. And if at the beginning of the amyloid era many researchers considered that the disease was caused by amyloid beta (Aβ) protein overproduction, in recent years they have increasingly pointed to a defect in the mechanisms of Aβ clearance, especially after the discovery of the lymphatic system of the brain. The role of disturbed homeostasis of redox-active metals, primarily iron and copper, in the development of the disease is also considered.

The amyloid hypothesis of AD has served as the basis for several areas in the design of drugs, such as secretase inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs for active and passive immunization. However, only one drug (Akatinol memantine, an inhibitor of NMDA receptors and glutamatergic excitotoxicity) for the treatment of AD has been introduced into clinical practice over the past 20 years. Of interest are the data obtained in new studies of Akatinol memantine, which suggest that the latter is able to some extent affect the main pathophysiological processes underlying the development of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer-type pathology.
Secondary hypokalemic myoplegias
Authors: Sakovets T. G. , Bogdanov E. I.
Published: November 2019

Objective:to investigate the features of clinical manifestations and course of secondary hypokalemic myoplegia (SHM) of various etiologies.

Patients and methods. The investigation enrolled 10 patients with SHM. The patients' mean age was 39.5±16.2 years. The cause of SHM was hyperaldosteronism in 3 cases, thyrotoxicosis in 1, nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis in 2, and severe toxicosis and massive obstetric hemorrhage in 4.

Results and discussion. The blood potassium level difference between days 7 and 1 of hospitalization in patients with hyperaldosteronism and thyrotoxicosis was 2.2±0.4 mmol/l; this indicator in the other patients was less (1.6±0.8 mmol/l). The dynamics of an increase in the blood potassium concentrations during the 7 days differed significantly in 4 pregnant women who had undergone a cesarean section for placental abruption, antenatal fetal death, or their severe toxicosis with suddenly developed neuromuscular disorders (2.1±0.8 mmol/l), and in other patients with SHM (1.4±0.2 mmol/l). SHM in Conn's syndrome and thyrotoxicosis was characterized by long-term (11.8±3.6-day) neuromuscular disorders, while in SHM of another etiology, there were shorter (5.8±4-day) muscle weakness episodes (p<0.05). The SHM duration was recorded to be shorter in 4 pregnant women (4.3±4 days) than that in the other patients (10.3±2.9 days) (p<0.05). In nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis, the duration of hypokalemic paralysis (HP) was significantly longer (9±1.4 days) than in pregnancy (4.3±3.9 days). The episodes of HP in thyrotoxicosis and aldosteroma turned out to be longer (495.8±331.5 days) (p<0.05) than those in the presence of electrolyte changes in pregnant women and in rhabdomyolysis (14±5.7 days). In patients without adrenal tumors, thyrotoxicosis, the SHM periods requiring urgent hospitalization were more prolonged in nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis (30±8.5 days) (p<0.05) than those in the presence with electrolyte disorders in pregnant women (11.2±3.7 days).

Conclusion. The differential diagnostic algorithm for examining patients with acute flaccid paralysis of various etiologies due to hypokalemia has not been well elaborated, especially in endocrine disease and rhabdomyolysis. The differences in the rate of hypokalemia reversal in hyperaldosteronism, thyrotoxicosis, and rhabdomyolysis are likely to be associated with the multifactorial etiology of SHM. An incorrect assessment of the etiology of SHM is a common reason for its late diagnosis and inadequate treatment.
The use of vortioxetine for the correction of depression in Parkinson's disease: an example of clinical cases
Authors: Miliukhina I. V.
Published: November 2019

The prevalence of depression in Parkinson's disease (PD) amounts to as much as 90%. The paper describes patients at different ages and with different durations of PD in its early and advanced stages and with various types of depressive disorder.

The described clinical cases show that depression substantially worsens quality of life in a patient with PD and makes it difficult to choose antiparkinsonian therapy. Depression remains unrecognized on average in half of patients, while only a quarter of patients with identified depression receive timely treatment with antidepressants. PD complicated by depression is characterized by a faster progression and more significantly impaired quality of life and cognitive status than PD without affective disorders. Patients with PD and depressive disorder are characterized by an insufficient response to standard doses of antiparkinsonian drugs, which often leads to an irrational increase in the dose of dopaminergic drugs and to the development of complications.

Difficulties in choosing an antidepressant for PD are associated with the development of a complex multicomponent neurotransmitter imbalance in this disease. The prescription of multimodal antidepressants can solve this problem.

It is necessary to timely detect and correct depression in patients with PD using the currently available drugs and nonpharmacological methods (psychotherapy and physical rehabilitation).
The features of the pathogenesis and clinical picture of Parkinson's disease that has developed in essential tremor
Authors: Kudrevatykh A. V. , Miliukhina I. V.
Published: November 2019

In the past decades, there has been evidence on the relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET). In addition, PD frequently develops in already existing ET. The occurrence of PD in ET seems to be a problem of relevance, since the risk of PD is higher in patients with ET than that in the population. However, due to the lack of awareness about this nosological phenomenon among physicians, it can be difficult to formulate a diagnosis of PD that has developed in ET.

This paper gives an update on the clinical, epidemiological, pathogenetic, and neuroimaging characteristics of ET concurrent with PD.
Electrochemo-magneto abrasive flow machine setup fabrication and experimental investigation of the process alongwith mathematical modeling and optimization
Authors: Dhull Sachin , Walia Ravinderjit Singh , Murtaza Qasim , Niranjan Mahendra Singh
Published: November 2019

In abrasive flow machining, there are two sets of piston-cylinder arrangements, i.e. machine and media. the machine ram pushes the media piston two and fro so that media filled inside it flows past the inner wall of workpiece and the material is removed. The extrusion pressure is the main mechanism of material removal. Various authors have made the process more effective in terms of material removal and surface roughness by providing rotational and magnetic force.
Invistigating the effects of frp bars on the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete coupling beams
Authors: Fallahi Mojtaba , Roudsari Sajjad Sayyar , Abu-Lebdeh Taher M , Petrescu Florian Ion T.
Published: November 2019

Sometimes, it is necessary to install regular openings like windows or doors in the shear walls. Such openings require special reinforcement. There are several methods for reinforcing deep beams, one of which is the use of fiber reinforced polymer bars. In this study, an experimental work on a coupled shear wall has been used to mode the system by using finite element method with ABAQUS software. The finite element model was established based on part of the experimental study and verified with the other parts of the experimental results. The comparison shows good agreement. In the study, three different types of fiber reinforced polymer bars were considered in improving the mechanical and structural behavior of RC coupling beams. Results of the finite element analysis showed the superiority of the CFRP bars in improving seismic behavior of the coupled shear wall comparing to GFRP and BFRP.
Biologically structured materials
Authors: Petrescu Relly Victoria V. , Aversa Raffaella , Apicella Antonio , Petrescu Florian Ion Tiberiu
Published: November 2019

In this paper bio-tissue mathematical modeling serves as a central repository to interface design, simulation, and tissue fabrication. Finite element computer analyses will be used to study the role of local tissue mechanics on endochondral ossification patterns, skeletal morphology and mandible thickness distributions using single and multi-phase continuum material representations of clinical cases of patients implanted with the traditional protocols. New protocols will be hypothesized for the use of the new biologically techno-structured hybrid materials.
A method for pet mechanical properties enhancement
Authors: Aversa Raffaella , Petrescu Relly Victoria Virgil , Apicella Antonio , Petrescu Florian Ion Tiberiu
Published: November 2019

A method for PET mechanical properties enhancement by reactive blending with HBA/HNA Liquid Crystalline Polymers for in situ highly fibrillar composites preparation is presented. LCP/PET blends were reactively extruded in presence of Pyromellitic Di-Anhydride (PMDA) and then characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermally Stimulated Currents and tensile mechanical properties. Moderate amounts of LCP in the PET (0.5 and 5%) and small amounts of thermo-active and reactive compatibilizer in the blend (0.3%) were found to significantly improve LCP melt dispersion, melts shear transfer and LCP fibril formation and adhesion. An unexpected improvement was probably due to the presence of two distinct phases’ supra-molecular structures involving PET-LCP and PMDA.
A critical analysis of literacy discourses in two urban neighbourhoods in Brazil
Authors: Rios Guilherme Veiga
Published: November 2019

Literacy is a contested word, as Brian Street said in his article “The meanings of literacy”, which appeared in 1999 in Literacy: an international handbook, the work he co-edited with Daniel Wagner and Richard Venezky. Its meaning varies across countries with different levels of schooling. There is also considerable variation in academic and popular senses of literacy. Dominant, formal, school literacies have had longstanding visibility in academic research and in official policies. However, there is now greater awareness and understanding of the discursive contrasts between school and home/community literacies, between dominant and vernacular literacies, between formal and informal literacies in the academy and in official policies. In this article, I distinguish between dominant discourses about literacy, on the one hand, and critical knowledge of literacy, on the other hand. I argue that they represent two very different perspectives in public debates on literacy. Taking account of the differences between these perspectives shows us how everyday life can be a space for struggle and contestation over meanings and for the construction of future discourses about literacy. I characterise the relationship between vernacular and dominant literacies by employing Jürgen Habermas’ constructs of lifeworld and systems, as he defined them in The theory of communicative action in 1987. I also employ part of the explanatory framework proposed for Critical Discourse Analysis by Lilie Chouliaraki and Norman Fairclough, in 1999, in Discourse in late modernity. In the central sections of the article, I then draw on ethnographic research, related to literacy, that I carried out in two socioeconomically differentiated neighbourhoods in Brazil. My discussion focuses on ideological issues related to literacy emerging from the ethnographic fieldwork in these two Brazilian neighbourhoods.
Taking account of discourses, literacy practices and uses of texts in ethnographic research on educational inclusion: insights from two studies in Brazil
Authors: Magalhães Izabel
Published: November 2019

This article examines policy change in special education in Brazil, with regard to educational provision for learners with special needs. There has been a far-reaching policy shift from educational provision for such learners in special schools to provision in mainstream schools. The focus of the research reported here was on particular educational settings, schools and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Brazil. The research provided insights into the different discourses about inclusion that circulated in these settings and into the limited nature of capacity-building for teachers. It also showed that some teachers and educational practitioners (e.g. peripatetic support staff) were devising inclusive pedagogic practice by drawing on different textual and multimodal resources, thereby demonstrating individual agency and reflexivity. At the same time, they were constrained by the paperwork demands associated with the management and monitoring of policy change. These managerial constraints are illustrated here, with reference to the institutional practices, the particular literacy events, and the power asymmetries involved in the production of student evaluations. The article highlights the value of taking account of situated literacy practices and the uses of particular kinds of texts and genres in ethnographic research into educational policy processes, as well as analyzing policy discourses.
The impact of Crocus sativus stigma against methotrexate-induced liver toxicity in rats
Authors: Hoshyar Reyhane , Sebzari Ahmadreza , Balforoush Mohadeseh , Valavi Masoomeh , Hosseini Mehran
Published: November 2019

Background

The adverse effects of methotrexate (MTX) mainly hepatotoxicity restrict its clinical use. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of saffron (Crocus sativus) (CS) extract on MTX-induced hepatotoxicity.

Methods

Twenty-eight male Wistar rats randomly divided into four equal groups. Except for control, all groups received a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of MTX on the 3rd day of study. The CS extract was given (80 mg/kg i.p.) to rats 3 days before MTX and continued for the next 7 days (Pre&Post-CS group) or administrated after MTX injection and lasted for 7 days (Post-CS group). On the 11th day, all rats were sacrificed and their plasma levels of liver enzymes including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined. Also, liver histopathology and hepatic levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and super oxidase dismutase (SOD) were evaluated.

Results

The results showed that MTX significantly incremented plasma levels of AST, ALT, ALP and LDH (all p<0.001) and hepatic MDA and NO levels; whereas, decreased SOD activity. Histological alterations such as early fatty changes were evident in the MTX group. Administration of CS extract at both methods could ameliorate liver enzyme elevation, oxidative/nitrosative stresses and morphological alterations of the liver. Pre-and-post treatment with CS extract showed better protective effects than only post-treatment.

Conclusion

The present findings provide showing CS could effectively alleviate MTX-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Further investigations are recommended to determine the exact mechanisms underlying the hepatoprotective potential of saffron.
Improved Performance Investigation of 10 Gb/s–10 GHz 4-QAM Based OFDM-Ro-FSO Transmission Link
Authors: Grover Amit , Sheetal Anu
Published: November 2019

In this work, a 10 Gb/s–10 GHz hybrid orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-radio-over-free space optics (Ro-FSO) transmission link using 4-level quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) has been modeled and its performance is investigated under different atmospheric conditions and system parameters. A link distance of 4000 

m

m

at 10 Gb/s was achieved using the proposed link. Also, an improved performance by using a square root module (SRm) at the receiver end has been demonstrated. The results show a significant improvement in SNR and total received power using the proposed detection technique.
Dividend Practices in Listed Companies: Study on the Manufacturing Sector of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Mohammad Shahidul , Adnan Atm
Published: November 2019

The dividend model of the listed manufacturing firms and the organizational policies related to dividend decisions are analyzed to reveal the contemporary state of the payout pattern in the capital market of Bangladesh. This study exhibits the settings of dividend disbursement in association with the diverse aspects of the firm such as industry segment of the firm, the age of the firms, size, leverage, risk, and earnings.
Possible Impact of Facebook’s Libra on Volatility of Bitcoin: Evidence from Initial Coin Offer Funding Data
Authors: Senarathne Chamil W.
Published: November 2019

This paper examines the impact of Libra on volatility of Bitcoin using the classical framework of C. G. Lamoureux and W. D. Lastrapes (1990). ARCH and GARCH effects disappear when lagged ICO funding size is included in the variance equation. A negative association between volatility and funding size and the disappearance of volatility persistence (long-term volatility effect) suggest that Libra, as a dominant new currency, is likely to stabilize the cryptocurrency market and enhance potential for currency diversification. Furthermore, it is revealed that the stability cannot be ensured merely by backing decentralized blockchain instruments, such as Bitcoin, with bank deposits, government securities or exchange rate.
Exploring the Effect of Ambient Scent on Consumer Impulsive Buying Behaviour: Theoretical Insights
Authors: Šliburytė Laimona , Vaitiekė Jurgita
Published: November 2019

The paper analyses the sensory marketing of the sense of smell, its dimensions and usage in marketing decisions. By invoking the scent marketing decisions, one aims at attracting the consumer attention, to keep him/ her at a point of sale as long as possible, to affect the behaviour and encourage an impulsive process of buying decision making. The theoretical study was performed by analysing the insights of Lithuanian and foreign authors on the purpose of elaborating the coherence between the ambient scent at the point of sale and the consumer impulse buying behaviour. It was revealed during the study that the ambient scent at a point of sale can be assessed as a stimulus which invokes the consumer’s impulsive buying behaviour. The logic of the prepared conceptual model is related to S-O-R paradigm: the environmental stimulus (ambient scent at a point of sale) affects the human organism (consumer internal response) and causes reaction (consumer impulsive buying behaviour).
The Interplay of Religious Symbols and Cultural Values Theory in Advertising
Authors: Žitkienė Rima , Kriaučiūnaitė-Lazauskienė Gintarė
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this paper is to analyse symbolic advertising and its effect on cultural values in the consumer society. A conceptual framework is grounded in the scientific literature analysis on Christian religious symbols in advertising along with a critical view of its impact on consumers’ cultural values. There is a lack of empirical studies regarding consumers’ approaches towards religious symbols in advertising and their impact on consumption in different cultural values. In this article we are trying to seek an alternative approach to advertising, social, and cultural trends in society.
Current management of household hazardous waste (HHW) in the Asian region
Authors: Manggali Agni Amurbatami , Susanna Dewi
Published: November 2019

Background

This review intends to explore the household hazardous waste (HHW) generation rates, HHW management, and people’s awareness regarding HHW in Asian countries based on the economic levels using the available published articles.

Methods

This is a systematic review of the scientific literature based on several databases, namely Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed, Sage Journals, and Elsevier’s Science Direct from 2008 to 2018.

Results

HHW generation rates in various Asian cities do not seem to be influenced by the countries’ financial status, except for e-waste. The variety in HHW generation rates among Asian countries might be due to various reasons, which include differences in (1) sampling frame/locations; (2) sampling size; (3) study duration; (4) seasons; (5) study year; and (6) HHW definition/composition. Governmental intervention programs on HHW management have been implemented in some of the Asian countries, mostly in high and upper-middle income groups although misconducts are still found. There is a tendency for economically developed countries to ship their e-waste to less-developed countries, where the system relies heavily on the informal sectors where unsafe treatments are often discovered. Low level of awareness regarding HHW risks is mostly identified in the lower-middle income group. However, even though high and upper-middle income groups have a better awareness of HHW, many people do not entirely follow the recommended practices.

Conclusion

The lack of enforced regulation and proper treatment infrastructure may lead to HHW being mixed with general household waste, which is found in many Asian countries, despite their income levels. In addition, a good awareness of HHW does not guarantee proper handling of it.
Cerca mío/aorcerca de mí ? A variationist analysis of Spanish locative + possessive on Twitter
Authors: Hoff Mark
Published: November 2019

Spanish locative adverbs may be followed by either a prepositional phrase (PP) (e.g.cerca de mí‘close to/(of) me’) or, nonstandardly, a tonic possessive (TP) (e.g.cerca mío‘lit. close mine’). Some also take feminine forms (e.g.cerca mía, detrás mía). Using R, I analyze 16,809 tweets representing 14 locatives from Buenos Aires, Madrid, and Mexico City and demonstrate that, although dialects and individual locatives vary widely in their rates of TP use, the person, number, and animacy of the possessor significantly predict PP/TP selection across varieties. Also, feminine possessives are used almost exclusively in Spain, and the seemingly feminine morphology of locatives ending in–a(e.g.encima) and subsequent extension to other locatives via analogy is the most plausible explanation for their use. Further evidence of analogy is TP use in non-locative contexts (e.g. Arg.pensás mío‘you think of me,’ Sp.enamorado tuyo/a‘in love with you’). These findings illuminate the interactions between avoidance of ambiguity, form-based analogy, and speakers’ conceptualization of possession. My findings regarding animacy, which find parallels in research on English dative and genitive constructions, highlight the utility of both cross-linguistic and cross-constructional comparisons in analyzing morphosyntactic variation.
Der Absorptionskoeffizient an der langwelligen Grenze des kontinuierlichen Röntgenspektrums
Authors: Elwert Gerhard
Published: November 2019

In der Astrophysik wird für den Absorptionskoeffizienten am langwelligen Rand des kontinuierlichen Röntgenspektrums teils die korrespondenzmäßig-klassische, teils eine wellenmechanische Formel verwendet. Im folgenden wird im Anschluß an Arbeiten von Sommerfeld ein Ausdruck abgeleitet, der diese beiden Formeln als Grenzfälle enthält und damit ihren Zusammenhang und ihren Gültigkeitsbereich klärt.
Die Rotation kosmischer Gasmassen
Authors: Weizsäcker Carl Friedrich
Published: November 2019

1. Die hydrodynamischen Gleichungen für die Bewegungen eines turbulenten Gases werden im Sinne der Prandtlschen Theorie nochmals abgeleitet . Für die Anwendung auf kosmische Gasmassen wird dabei auch der Turbulenz druck und die durch ihn bedingte Stabilität bzw. Labilität der Schichtung untersucht . Für die Ableitung der Turbulenz-geschwindigkeit aus der mittleren Geschwindigkeit wird ein invarianter Ausdruck angegeben.

2. Die Gleichungen werden in einem zwei dimensionalen rotationssymmetrischen Modell genähert gelöst. Die turbulente Reibung löst eine rotierende Masse in einen Kern und eine ins Unendliche entweichende Hülle auf. In gewissen Fällen bilden sich in der Hülle „ Saturnringe " . Der Kern bleibt in der hier gewählten Näherung , in welcher der Druck vernachlässigt ist, starr rotierend zurück . Berücksichtigung des Druckes würde einlangsames Erlöschen der Rotation ergeben . Eine spezielle Dichteverteilung wird quantitativ behandelt . Für allgemeinere Dichteverteilungen werden Näherungsformeln entwickelt und graphisch diskutiert.

3. Im drei dimensionalen Fallläßt sich die Rechnung nicht bis zu derselben Näherung treiben . Die Näherung einer flachen Scheibe wird diskutiert und der Sonderfall eines stationären Materie stroms bei großer Zentralmasse durchgerechnet . Qualitativ weichen die Ergebnisse vom zwei dimensionalen Fall nicht ab.

4. Das Rotationsgesetz des Andromeda - Nebels scheint durch die hier entwickelten Methoden verständlich zu werden. Die turbulente Reibung hat die Tendenz, die im Andromeda-Nebel bestehende komplizierte Dichteverteilung (dichter Kern, dann ein Dichte minimum und weit er außen ein breiter Materiering) gegen den Druck aufrecht - zuer halten . Die äußersten Teile des Nebels sollten mit einer Geschwindigkeit von wenigen km/sec, welche ihrer Rotation überlagert ist, in den Weltraum abströmen . Damit ergibt sich eine Lebensdauer eines der artigen Gebildes von mehreren 109 Jahren . Es wird darauf hingewiesen , daß das empirische Rotationsgesetz des Nebels die Frage nahelegt ob die Spiralstruktur von innen nach außen nicht ein malden Richtungssinn umkehrt.
Ein elektronenoptischer Apochromat
Authors: Scherzer Otto
Published: November 2019

An einem Rechenbeispiel wird gezeigt, wie sich Elektronenlinsen durch eine für Elektronen durchlässige ebene Metallfolie chromatisch korrigieren lassen. Die benachbarten Elektroden influenzieren auf der Folie negative Ladungen, die die langsameren Strahl-elektronen verhältnismäßig stark nach außen drängen und dadurch den chromatischen Fehler korrigieren.