bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rebel without a Pause: An Interview with Henry Giroux
Authors: Giroux Henry , Rahmani Sina
Published: January 2015

Henry Giroux discusses his recent move to Canada and the role of intellectuals in a democratic society. Giroux express deep concern for his colleagues in America, especially considering the recent reelection of George W. Bush and the growing attack on academia. Despite this, Giroux sees an opportunity for movements of opposition and social reform. Henry A. Giroux, a leading figure in the fields of critical pedagogy and cultural studies, recently came to McMaster University in Canada from Penn State University, where he taught for more than a decade. He is the author of more than 30 books and 250 journal articles. Sina Rahmani spoke to him in his Togo Salmon Hall office.
Recognition versus Disclosure of Fair Values
Authors: Müller Maximilian A. , Riedl Edward J. , Sellhorn Thorsten
Published: January 2015

This paper examines pricing differences across recognized and disclosed fair values. We build on prior literature by examining two theoretical causes of such differences: lower reliability of the disclosed information, and/or investors' higher related information processing costs. We examine European real estate firms reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which require that fair values for investment properties, our sample firms' key operating asset, either be recognized on the balance sheet or disclosed in the footnotes. Consistent with prior research, we predict and find a lower association between equity prices and disclosed relative to recognized investment property fair values, reflecting a discount applied to disclosed fair values. We then predict and find that this discount is mitigated by lower information processing costs (proxied via high analyst following), and some support that it is also mitigated by higher reliability (proxied via use of external appraisals). These latter results are documented using subsample analyses to test one attribute (either information processing costs or reliability) while holding the other constant. Overall, these findings are consistent with fair value reliability and information processing costs providing complementary explanations for observed pricing discounts assessed on disclosed accounting amounts.

Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in the manuscript.
Strategic Corporate Tax Lobbying
Authors: Meade Janet A. , Li Shihong
Published: January 2015

We investigate the motivation for and outcome of corporate participation in shaping tax policy via lobbying. We posit that generally tax-sophisticated firms lobby on tax issues and that their motives for doing so are either to obtain a tax benefit or to avoid losing one. We label these motives as strategic and defensive tax lobbying, respectively, and we empirically investigate whether strategic lobbying yields a measurable reduction in future tax rates. Using a proxy measure of strategic tax lobbying, we find a significant and negative relation between our measure and future cash ETRs. Alternative specifications of our primary model produce similar results.
Neural Retinal Disorganization as a Robust Marker of Visual Acuity in Current and Resolved Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Sun Jennifer K. , Radwan Salma H. , Soliman Ahmed Z. , Lammer Jan , Lin Michael M. , Prager Sonja G. , Silva Paolo S. , Aiello Lloyd Bryce , Aiello Lloyd Paul
Published: January 2015

Despite treatment advances, diabetic eye disease remains a leading cause of visual acuity (VA) loss worldwide. No methods to prospectively determine which patients will gain or lose vision exist, limiting individualized risk assessment and management. We investigated whether noninvasive, readily obtainable spectral domain optical coherence tomography parameters were correlated with VA in eyes with current or resolved center-involved diabetic macular edema (DME). Images were evaluated for disorganization of the retinal inner layers (DRIL), cysts, epiretinal membranes, microaneurysms, subretinal fluid, and outer layer disruption/reflectivity. DRIL affecting ≥50% of the 1-mm central retinal zone was associated with worse VA in all eyes, eyes with current edema, and eyes with resolved edema. Furthermore, early 4-month change in DRIL extent predicted VA change from baseline to 1 year. These data suggest that DRIL is a robust predictor of VA in eyes with present or previous DME and more highly correlated with VA than other widely used measures, such as retinal thickness. If further studies confirm DRIL as a predictive biomarker of future VA, physicians would gain a new tool of substantial clinical and investigative importance that could significantly change the approach to ophthalmic counseling and therapeutic management in patients with diabetes.
Glucose Effectiveness in Obese Children: Relation to Degree of Obesity and Dysglycemia
Authors: Weiss Ram , Magge Sheela N. , Santoro Nicola , Giannini Cosimo , Boston Raymond , Holder Tara , Shaw Melissa , Duran Elvira , Hershkop Karen J. , Caprio Sonia
Published: January 2015

OBJECTIVE

Impaired glucose effectiveness (GE) plays a role in the deterioration of glucose metabolism. Our aim was to validate a surrogate of GE derived from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and to assess the impact of degrees of obesity and of glucose tolerance on it.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The OGTT-derived surrogate of GE (oGE) was validated in obese adolescents who underwent an OGTT and an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). We then evaluated anthropometric determinants of the oGE and its impact on the dynamics of glucose tolerance in a cohort of children with varying degrees of obesity.

RESULTS

The correlation of oGE and IVGTT-derived GE in 98 obese adolescents was r = 0.35 (P < 0.001) as a whole and r = 0.51 (P < 0.001) in subjects with normal glucose tolerance. In a cohort of 1,418 children, the adjusted GE was associated with increasing obesity (P < 0.001 for each category of obesity). Quartiles of oGE and the oral disposition index were associated with 2-h glucose levels (P < 0.001 for both). Among 421 nondiabetic obese subjects (276 subjects with normal glucose tolerance/145 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance who repeated their OGTT after a mean time of 28 ± 16 months), oGE changes were tightly associated with weight (r = 0.83, P < 0.001) and waist circumference changes (r = 0.67, P < 0.001). Baseline oGE and changes in oGE over time emerged as significant predictors of the change in 2-h glucose levels (standardized B = −0.76 and B = −0.98 respectively, P < 0.001 for both).

CONCLUSIONS

The oGE is associated with the degree of and changes in weight and waist circumference and is an independent predictor of glucose tolerance dynamics.
Initial Combination of Empagliflozin and Linagliptin in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Lewin Andrew , DeFronzo Ralph A. , Patel Sanjay , Liu Dacheng , Kaste Renee , Woerle Hans J. , Broedl Uli C.
Published: January 2015

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin/linagliptin in subjects with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Subjects not receiving antidiabetes therapy for ≥12 weeks were randomized to empagliflozin 25 mg/linagliptin 5 mg (n = 137), empagliflozin 10 mg/linagliptin 5 mg (n = 136), empagliflozin 25 mg (n = 135), empagliflozin 10 mg (n = 134), or linagliptin 5 mg (n = 135) for 52 weeks. The primary end point was change from baseline in HbA1c at week 24.

RESULTS

Mean HbA1c at baseline was 7.99–8.05% (64 mmol/mol). At week 24, adjusted mean (SE) changes from baseline in HbA1c with empagliflozin 25 mg/linagliptin 5 mg, empagliflozin 10 mg/linagliptin 5 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg, empagliflozin 10 mg, and linagliptin 5 mg were −1.08 (0.06)% (−11.8 [0.7] mmol/mol), −1.24 (0.06)% (−13.6 [0.7] mmol/mol), −0.95 (0.06)% (−10.4 [0.7] mmol/mol), −0.83 (0.06)% (−9.1 [0.7] mmol/mol), and −0.67 (0.06)% (−7.3 [0.7] mmol/mol), respectively. Reductions in HbA1c were significantly greater for empagliflozin 25 mg/linagliptin 5 mg compared with linagliptin 5 mg (P < 0.001) but not compared with empagliflozin 25 mg and were significantly greater for empagliflozin 10 mg/linagliptin 5 mg compared with the individual components (P < 0.001 for both). At week 24, 55.4%, 62.3%, 41.5%, 38.8%, and 32.3% of subjects with baseline HbA1c ≥7% (≥53 mmol/mol) reached HbA1c <7% with empagliflozin 25 mg/linagliptin 5 mg, empagliflozin 10 mg/linagliptin 5 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg, empagliflozin 10 mg, and linagliptin 5 mg, respectively. Efficacy was maintained at week 52. The proportion of subjects with adverse events (AEs) over 52 weeks was similar across groups (68.9–81.5%), with no confirmed hypoglycemic AEs.

CONCLUSIONS

Reductions from baseline in HbA1c with empagliflozin/linagliptin were significantly different versus linagliptin and empagliflozin 10 mg but not versus empagliflozin 25 mg. Empagliflozin/linagliptin was well tolerated.
Potential of High-Resolution Satellite Imagery for Mapping Distribution and Evaluating Ecological Characteristics of Tree Species at the Angkor Monument, Cambodia
Authors: Tomita Mizuki , Hirabuki Yoshihiko , Araki Yuji , Tsukawaki Shinji , Ly Bora , hang Peou
Published: January 2015

Large trees play several vital roles in the Angkor monuments landscape. They protect biodiversity, enhance the tourism experience, and provide various ecosystem services to local residents. A clear understanding of forest composition and distribution of individual species, as well as timely monitoring of changes, is necessary for conservation of these trees. using traditional field work, obtaining this sort of data is time-consuming and labour-intensive. This research investigates classification of very high resolution remote sensing data as a tool for efficient analyses. QuickBird satellite imagery was used to clarify the tree species community in and around Preah Khan temple, to elucidate differences in ecological traits among the three dominant species (Dipterocarpus alatus, Lagerstroemia calyculata and Tetrameles nudiflora), and to identify crowns of the dominant species.

Population structures of trees were determined using a 14.26ha study plot. Species name, DBH, height, height under the crown and crown area were recorded for all trees over 40 cm in DBH. Tree locations were also recorded so as to provide references for the imagery analysis. Ecological traits of the dominant species were estimated using regressions by an expanded allometric equation for both large and small trees, based on DBH, height, height under the crown and crown width.

The total number of species in the study plot was 45. From a spatial perspective, the three dominant species over 100 cm in DBH were segregated from each other. D. alatus, L. calyculata and T. nudiflora were concentrated, respectively, along the approach to the temple, near the centre of the complex, and on the walls of the monument. Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) conducted using QuickBird satellite imagery, showed that crowns of D. alatus were largely determined by maximum of NIR layer and mean of digital number in panchromatic layer. Differences in the parameters for both asymptotic height and spatial distribution among the dominant species, result from differences in ecological traits, and enhance the value of the tourism resource by providing a dramatic shift of forest scenery that can be enjoyed by visitors to the monument.
Interim estimates of 2014/15 vaccine effectiveness against influenza A(H3N2) from Canada’s Sentinel Physician Surveillance Network, January 2015
Authors: Skowronski D M , Chambers C , Sabaiduc S , De Serres G , Dickinson J A , Winter A L , Drews S J , Fonseca K , Charest H , Gubbay J B , Petric M , Krajden M , Kwindt T L , Martineau C , Eshaghi A , Bastien N , Li Y
Published: January 2015

Binary file ES_Abstracts_Final_ECDC.txt matches
Demography and Etiology of Congenital Cataract in a Tertiary Eye Centre of Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Sharma Ananda Kumar , Shah D N , Upadhyay M P , Thapa M , Shrestha G. S.
Published: January 2015

Background: Congenital Cataract is the most important cause of treatable childhood blindness. Rubella is one of the major causes of preventable disease in many countries. There are scanty reports on congenital cataract in Nepal. Objective: To find out the demographic and etiological factors of congenital cataract in children. Method: In a hospital based cross sectional study, 46 children with congenital cataract were evaluated to find out morphology of cataract, laterality, associated ocular and systemic abnormality, visual status and etiology of cataract. Assessment included antenatal, birth and neonatal history, a detailed eye examination in slit lamp or the operating microscope under general anaesthesia, serum serology for TORCH infections, random blood sugar, urine reducing substance and thyroid profile. Result: Among 46 children with congenital cataract, 76.1% children presented before 5 years of age and 78.2% had bilateral onset. Male to female ratio was 1.3:1. Most of the children were legally blind (79.3%) in cataractous eye. Family history of congenital cataract was present in 15.2% cases. The most common mode of presentation was leukocoria in 91.3%. Microcornea (28.3%), resolved uveitis (13.0%), and iris atrophy (8.7%) were the most common ocular associations. Delayed developmental milestone (21.7%) and cardiac anomalies (10.9%) were the most common systemic anomalies. Lamellar cataract (51.3%) was the most common morphology of cataracts observed. The maternal infection was the major cause of congenital cataract in 17.4% cases with predominantly rubella infection in 13% cases. Conclusion: Most of the children with cataract are legally blind. Maternal infection in the antenatal period is the major cause of congenital cataract.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v12i1.11975  Health Renaissance 2014;12(1):3-10
Clinico-Epidemiological Study of Intraarticular Phalangeal Fractures in Eastern Nepal
Authors: Khanal Guru Prasad , Rijal R , Shrestha B P , Chaudhary P , Maharjan R , Paneru S R , Kalawar RPS
Published: January 2015

Background: Fractures and dislocations of the hand are the most common injuries seen in emergency departments. Intraarticular fractures have worst functional outcomes if not managed properly. Objective: To find out the incidence and pattern of intra articular phalangeal fractures in the eastern part of Nepal Methods: Patients presenting at Emergency department of B.P.Koirala institute of Health Sciences between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2009 and who were diagnosed as phalangeal fractures of hand were included in the study. These patients were reviewed for age at time of injury, gender, location of the incident, mechanism of injury, site of injury, side, hand dominance and mode of treatment. Results: One hundred and one patients were included in the study after excluding twenty patients with other associated injuries like head injury (6), poly trauma (10) or those not giving consent (4). The age ranged from 3 to 76 years. Among them male were 79.2%. Farm related injuries were the most common cause in both the sexes. Left side was the most involved side. Most of the patients attended hospital more than 4 hours after injury. Among them 74% had open fracture. Proximal phalanx was involved in 54.4% of cases. Pattern of involvement was mostly oblique and transverse. Most of the patients were undergone wound debridement and Kirschner wire fixation. Conclusion: Farm related and household events are commonest causes of hand injuries with intraarticular phalangeal fractures in our set up. Young males belonging to economically productive age group are mostly affected by these fractures.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v12i1.11982Health Renaissance 2014;12(1):29-32
Betel Nut Chewing Associated With Severe Periodontitis
Authors: Giri Dhirendra K , Kundapur P , Bhat K M , Maharjan I K
Published: January 2015

Betel quid chewing has been in practice among people in many Asian countries since ages. It is the most widely used psychoactive substance and an important environmental risk factor for development of oral premalignant lesions and cancer. Arecoline, the major alkaloid of areca nut, has been known to cause cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in mammalian cells in vivo and in vitro and even contributes to carcinogenicity. It also increases the risk and severity of periodontal disease. This paper presents a case of betel nut chewing associated with severe periodontitis in a 32 year old male patient.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v12i1.11990Health Renaissance 2014;12(1):57-60
No Más! Actions/Acciones against Femicide in the Americas
Authors: Alvarez Natalie , Kovacs Sasha , Ortuzar Jimena
Published: January 2015

CTR 161’s slideshow is a photographic constellation of performances, protests, and acciones uniting women across the Americas in the fight against femicide. Taking as its starting point the current call for a national inquiry into the over 1,100 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, this photo journal traces hemispheric alliances and takes us to other localities across the Americas where women are rallying against the systemic disavowal of femicide in their communities.
Sin Maíz No Hay Vida: Corn, Politics, and Ethical Hemispheric Engagements in a Collaborative Performance Intervention
Authors: Batchelor Brian
Published: January 2015

Abstract:

In this article, I reflect on my own experiences as a participant in Sin Maíz No Hay Vida, a transnational multimodal performance intervention intended to raise public consciousness regarding Monsanto’s application to plant 250,000 hectares of corn seeds across northern Mexico. Facilitated by the Hemispheric Institute for Performance and Politics and the Yes Lab, Sin Maiz involved the activist-performance tactics known as “identity correction” (Bichelbaum) and “ethical spectacle” (Duncombe). Specifically, I discuss the Carnival del Maíz as a performance that works toward realizing the tenets of an ethical spectacle by being open, participatory, and democratized while also generating alternative political imaginings. I then investigate my own positionality as a Canadian visitor in San Cristóbal during this process, and how this cross-national interaction works within larger hemispheric contexts. Finally, I reflect on further hemispheric visions and considerations that ethical spectacles open up.
Urban Redevelopment and Displacement from Regent Park to El Cartucho
Authors: James Ryan K.
Published: January 2015

Abstract:

This article addresses the potential for artists and academics to partially redress the erasure of low-income communities caused by urban renewal and displacement. Its origins lie in two presentations at the panamerican ROUTES/RUTAS panamericanas international multiarts festival on human rights, held in Toronto’s Regent Park in March 2014: Mapa Teatro’s Witness to the Ruins, a performance documenting the demolition of Bogotá’s El Cartucho district; and “Urban Displacement and Renewal from Regent Park to El Cartucho,” a panel discussion which included the author of this article. Based primarily on the panel discussion, and on prior experience conducting participant-observation fieldwork in Regent Park, this article addresses how urban redevelopment can yield contingent benefits to poor and working-class city dwellers while leaving the racialized class inequality of neo-liberal capitalism entrenched. It argues that artists and academics working in such contexts would be wise to take cues from low-income residents as to how to navigate this tension between opportunity and displacement, while working to document the nuances of everyday life in communities commonly (and inaccurately) portrayed as hopeless and dangerous. The end result is an oppositional archive that “compensates for loss of urban memory” and “creates new communities of memory for readership,” in panellist Karina Vernon’s words.
Cultivating a Cross-border, Extra-theatrical Assemblage in Resistance to Femicide in the Americas
Authors: Vosters Helene
Published: January 2015

Abstract:

The panamerican ROUTES/RUTAS panamericanas international multiarts festival on human rights (RUTAS) took place at Toronto’s Daniels Spectrum from 27 February to 9 March 2014. Produced by Aluna Theatre—in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts—the international performing arts festival brought together artists, activists, and scholars from across the Americas. The events discussed in this article—performances and a panel—took place on the final weekend of RUTAS and were part of a cluster organized around the issue of “Femicide in the Americas.” In curating theatrical productions within the context a larger assemblage of performances and conversations organized around the question of Indigenous and human rights issues in the Americas RUTAS overcame two of theatre’s primary challenges—its containment and its positioning of the audience as spectator—dangers that are amplified when staging trauma and when placing narratives of the “other” on display. Further, by extending the horizon of our collectivist accounting to a Pan-American perspective RUTAS also challenged the containment of narratives of femicide and colonialism within nationalistically inscribed borders and in the process disrupted conventionally held notions of Canadian exceptionalism and cultivated possibilities for the mobilization of transborder resistance.
Are We All in the Same Boat? Staging the “Invisible Majority” in the Streets of Toronto
Authors: Melo Carla
Published: January 2015

Probing the ways in which activist performance practices may effectively generate public debate around pressing human rights issues, my article examines a Toronto-based hybrid project that brings together urban intervention, installation, and public discussion as a means of interrogating the interconnectedness of recent Canadian immigration policies, notions of belonging, colonial discourse, and racial identity. More specifically, the appropriately entitled Mass Arrival: The Intervention (2013) challenged the construction of whiteness vis-à-vis that of “boat people” refugees as it “celebrated” the third-year anniversary of the arrival of a ship carrying over four hundred Tamil asylum seekers to the coast of British Columbia—a contentious border occurrence that turned into a media spectacle, which subsequently triggered a number of regressive changes in refugee law. Inverting the colonial practice of exhibiting exotic others while carnivalizing the tradition of re-enactments, this urban intervention indeed staged a “mass arrival,” but this time the “boat people” were white-identified community participants. I consider the ways this performance of whiteness may trouble multiculturalist discourse, border politics, Toronto’s urban development, and the power dynamics of much community-based artistic work, ultimately suggesting that the piece not only performed a decolonial gesture but also relied on a decolonial creative process.
Human Rights (and Their Appearances) in Performing Arts Festivals
Authors: Zaiontz Keren
Published: January 2015

This article opens by examining Super Night Shot, a performance devised by the Berlin-Nottingham group Gob Squad that was produced at three arts festivals across Canada in 2014. It looks specifically at Super Night Shot’s performance in the PuSh Festival’s tenth-anniversary gala and examines the appeal that Gob Squad’s comic brand of art activism holds for festivals. In recent years the political dissent expressed on fringe and festival stages in Canada has often met with backdoor censorship through the defunding of grants by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Montreal-based group ATSA has experienced this first-hand through Canadian Heritage’s defunding of their “manifestival,” État d’Urgence. (The decision to withdraw funding happened on the eve of ATSA’s 2010 festival.) The article compares the art-activist tactics used in both Super Night Shot and État d’Urgence and proposes that in a climate of silencing by disinvestment it may be safer to program the appearance of dissent rather than a concrete manifestation of it. It concludes by examining a small-scale version of État d’Urgence staged in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, The Pigeon’s Club (2011), and argues for the importance of face-to-face encounters in the public square that challenge citizens to take social and political responsibility for one another.
Postshunt lateral ventricular volume, white matter integrity, and intellectual outcomes in spina bifida and hydrocephalus
Authors: Williams Victoria J. , Juranek Jenifer , Stuebing Karla K. , Cirino Paul T. , Dennis Maureen , Bowman Robin M. , Blaser Susan , Kramer Larry A. , Fletcher Jack M.
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

No previous reports exist that have evaluated the relationships of white matter (WM) integrity with the number of shunt revisions, ventricular volume after shunting, and cognition in medically stable children who have spina bifida and hydrocephalus (SBH). The authors hypothesized that enlarged ventricles and a greater number of shunt revisions decrease WM integrity in children.

METHODS

In total, 80 children (mean age 13.7 years) who had SBH underwent MRI and IQ testing. Probabilistic diffusion tractography was performed to determine mean diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics along the frontal and parietal tectocortical pathways. The DTI metrics were evaluated for significant correlation with a composite IQ measure and with the total number of shunt revisions and the total lateral ventricular volume obtained through semiautomated parcellation of T1-weighted MRI scans.

RESULTS

An enlargement in total lateral ventricle volume and an increase in the number of shunt revisions were both associated with higher fractional anisotropy (FA) and with lower radial diffusivity (RD) along both frontal and parietal tectocortical pathways. Children who had not undergone a shunt revision had on average a greater lateral ventricle volume and higher FA and lower RD along frontal and parietal pathways than those who had undergone multiple shunt revisions. The mean DTI metrics along parietal pathways predicted IQ scores, but intellectual ability was not significantly correlated with ventricular volume or with the number of lifetime shunt revisions.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant changes in DTI metrics were observed as a function of ventricular volume. An increased lateral ventricle volume was associated with elevated FA and decreased RD. Given that the participants were medically stable at the time of the MRI examination, the results suggested that those who have enlarged ventricles show a DTI pattern consistent with axonal compression due to increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in attenuated hydrocephalus. Although limited by a cross-sectional design, the study's findings suggest that DTI metrics may serve as sensitive indicators for chronic, mild hydrocephalus in the absence of overt clinical symptoms due to increased ICP. Having enlarged ventricles and undergoing multiple shunt revisions did not affect intellectual ability in children with SBH.
Solid noninfectious growing masses over cerebrospinal fluid shunts: report of 3 cases
Authors: James Hector E. , Postlethwait Richard A. , Sandler E. Dayan
Published: January 2015

The authors describe 3 children who presented with progressively enlarging skin-covered solid masses over the shunt catheter in the neck/clavicular region. The authors reviewed the clinical, laboratory, pathological, radiographic, and follow-up data for all 3 patients and reviewed the literature on the subject. The patients had no clinical evidence of an infectious process. Surgical exploration revealed that masses were surrounding and encasing the shunt tubing to which they were strongly attached. Pathological studies of the tissues demonstrated varying degrees of exuberant chronically inflamed granulation tissues, interstitial fibrosis, and dystrophic calcification. One patient had associated thinning of the skin overlying the mass and subsequently developed ulceration. No infectious organisms were observed. The cerebrospinal fluid aspirates from the shunts did not yield any organisms. There has been no recurrence of the masses. The presence of a growing mass over the shunt tube in the neck or the chest region without clinical evidence of infection does not indicate that the mass should be treated with antibiotics and complete shunt removal. Rather, the mass can be cured by extirpation and with “bypass” new shunt tubing locally.
Utility of neurophysiology in the diagnosis of tethered cord syndrome
Authors: Leung Victoria , Pugh Jeffery , Norton Jonathan A.
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

The diagnosis of tethered cord syndrome (TCS) remains difficult, and the decision to operate is even more complex. The objective of this study was to examine how detailed examination of neurophysiological test results can affect the diagnosis for patients undergoing a surgical cord release.

METHODS

Patients undergoing tethered spinal cord releases were matched by age and sex with control patients undergoing scoliosis correction in the absence of spinal cord pathology. The latency and width of the P37 peak of the posterior tibial nerve somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and the motor evoked potential (MEP) latencies were examined. Immediate changes as a result of the surgical procedure were reported.

RESULTS

The width of the P37 response differed significantly between TCS and control patients and changed significantly during the surgical procedure. Nonsignificant trends were seen in SSEP and MEP latencies.

CONCLUSIONS

The width of the P37 response may be a useful marker for TCS and may play a role in presurgical decision making.
Deep brain stimulation versus anterior capsulotomy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a review of the literature
Authors: Pepper Joshua , Hariz Marwan , Zrinzo Ludvic
Published: January 2015

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric condition. Traditionally, anterior capsulotomy (AC) was an established procedure for treatment of patients with refractory OCD. Over recent decades, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has gained popularity. In this paper the authors review the published literature and compare the outcome of AC and DBS targeting of the area of the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc).

Patients in published cases were grouped according to whether they received AC or DBS and according to their preoperative scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), and then separated according to outcome measures: remission (YBOCS score < 8); response (≥ 35% improvement in YBOCS score); nonresponse (< 35% improvement in YBOCS score); and unfavorable (i.e., worsening of the baseline YBOCS score).

Twenty studies were identified reporting on 170 patients; 62 patients underwent DBS of the VC/VS or the NAcc (mean age 38 years, follow-up 19 months, baseline YBOCS score of 33), and 108 patients underwent AC (mean age 36 years, follow-up 61 months, baseline YBOCS score of 30). In patients treated with DBS there was a 40% decrease in YBOCS score, compared with a 51% decrease for those who underwent AC (p = 0.004). Patients who underwent AC were 9% more likely to go into remission than patients treated with DBS (p = 0.02). No difference in complication rates was noted.

Anterior capsulotomy is an efficient procedure for refractory OCD. Deep brain stimulation in the VC/VS and NAcc area is an emerging and promising therapy. The current popularity of DBS over ablative surgery for OCD is not due to nonefficacy of AC, but possibly because DBS is perceived as more acceptable by clinicians and patients.
Transvenous embolization: a report of 4 pediatric cases
Authors: Renieri Leonardo , Limbucci Nicola , Consoli Arturo , Rosi Andrea , Nappini Sergio , Giordano Flavio , Genitori Lorenzo , Mangiafico Salvatore
Published: January 2015

The treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in children has always been a challenge for interventionalists, neurosurgeons, and radiosurgeons. Endovascular embolization is usually performed through transarterial access, but in selected cases the transvenous approach can be considered. The authors of this report aimed to evaluate the efficacy of transvenous embolization in very selected pediatric cases. They describe 4 children treated using transvenous embolization for AVMs that were small, had a single drainage vein, and were deeply located or had a difficult arterial access. The 6-month angiographic and clinical follow-ups are reported as well. In all cases, complete occlusion of the AVM was achieved with no side effects for the patient. Transvenous embolization may represent a promising alternative therapeutic option in very selected cases.
Minimally invasive laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis in patients with and without preoperative spondylolisthesis: clinical outcome and reoperation rates
Authors: Alimi Marjan , Hofstetter Christoph P. , Pyo Se Young , Paulo Danika , Härtl Roger
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

Surgical decompression is the intervention of choice for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) when nonoperative treatment has failed. Standard open laminectomy is an effective procedure, but minimally invasive laminectomy through tubular retractors is an alternative. The aim of this retrospective case series was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of this procedure in patients who underwent LSS and to compare outcomes in patients with and without preoperative spondylolisthesis.

METHODS

Patients with LSS without spondylolisthesis and with stable Grade I spondylolisthesis who had undergone minimally invasive tubular laminectomy between 2004 and 2011 were included in this analysis. Demographic, perioperative, and radiographic data were collected. Clinical outcome was evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, as well as Macnab's criteria.

RESULTS

Among 110 patients, preoperative spondylolisthesis at the level of spinal stenosis was present in 52.5%. At a mean follow-up of 28.8 months, scoring revealed a median improvement of 16% on the ODI, 2.75 on the VAS back, and 3 on the VAS leg, compared with the preoperative baseline (p < 0.0001). The reoperation rate requiring fusion at the same level was 3.5%. Patients with and without preoperative spondylolisthesis had no significant differences in their clinical outcome or reoperation rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive laminectomy is an effective procedure for the treatment of LSS. Reoperation rates for instability are lower than those reported after open laminectomy. Functional improvement is similar in patients with and without preoperative spondylolisthesis. This procedure can be an alternative to open laminectomy. Routine fusion may not be indicated in all patients with LSS and spondylolisthesis.
Anterior discectomy/corpectomy and fusion with internal fixation for the treatment of unstable hangman's fractures: a retrospective study of 38 cases
Authors: Li Zhonghai , Li Fengning , Hou Shuxun , Zhao Yantao , Mao Ningfang , Hou Tiesheng , Tang Jiaguang
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

The object of this study was to describe the authors' method of anterior discectomy/corpectomy and fusion combined with internal fixation for the treatment of unstable hangman's fractures and to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes.

METHODS

This study included 38 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for unstable hangman's fractures between July 2002 and October 2011 and were followed up for more than 2 years. The patients were 18 women and 20 men with a mean age of 42.8 years (range 20–69 years). The fracture resulted from a fall in 9 patients, a motor vehicle accident in 21 patients, and a motorcycle accident in 8 patients. The Levine-Edwards classification was Type II in 13 patients, Type IIA in 20 patients, and Type III in 5 patients. All patients underwent anterior C2–3 intervertebral disc excision or C-3 corpectomy, decompression and reduction, interbody implantation of an autologous iliac bone graft, and internal fixation with a titanium plate. Pain was assessed before and after surgery using a visual analog scale (VAS). Myelopathy was graded using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. Patient satisfaction with the surgery was assessed using Odom's grading system. Anteroposterior, lateral, and dynamic (flexion/extension) radiographs were obtained during the follow-up period. Two-dimensional CT studies with sagittal and coronal reconstructions were routinely performed.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up period was 49.2 months (range 24–132 months). There was a significant decrease between the preoperative and final follow-up VAS scores (mean [SD] 7.56 ± 1.52 vs 2.36 ± 1.25, p < 0.05) and a significant increase between the preoperative and final follow-up JOA scores (12.58 ± 1.34 vs 16.13 ± 1.17, p < 0.05). Postoperative radiographs showed satisfactory reduction of the fracture in all cases. Postoperative complications included transient neurological deficits (3 cases), hematoma (2 cases), temporary dysphagia (5 cases), temporary hoarseness (2 cases), prolonged pain at the iliac crest donor site (4 cases), and wound infection at the iliac crest donor site (2 cases). Solid fusion was achieved in 94.7% of patients at the final follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Anterior discectomy/corpectomy and fusion combined with internal fixation is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of unstable hangman's fractures.
The anatomy of Meyer's loop revisited: changing the anatomical paradigm of the temporal loop based on evidence from fiber microdissection
Authors: Goga Cristina , Türe Uğur
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

The goal in this study was to explore and further refine comprehension of the anatomical features of the temporal loop, known as Meyer's loop.

METHODS

The lateral and inferior aspects of 20 previously frozen, formalin-fixed human brains were dissected under the operating microscope by using fiber microdissection.

RESULTS

A loop of the fibers in the anterior temporal region was clearly demonstrated in all dissections. This temporal loop, or Meyer's loop, is commonly known as the anterior portion of the optic radiation. Fiber microdissection in this study, however, revealed that various projection fibers that emerge from the sublentiform portion of the internal capsule (IC-SL), which are the temporopontine fibers, occipitopontine fibers, and the posterior thalamic peduncle (which includes the optic radiation), participate in this temporal loop and become a part of the sagittal stratum. No individual optic radiation fibers could be differentiated in the temporal loop. The dissections also disclosed that the anterior extension and angulation of the temporal loop vary significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

The fiber microdissection technique provides clear evidence that a loop in the anterior temporal region exists, but that this temporal loop is not formed exclusively by the optic radiation. Various projection fibers of the IC-SL, of which the optic radiation is only one of the several components, display this common course. The inherent limitations of the fiber dissection technique preclude accurate differentiation among individual fibers of the temporal loop, such as the optic radiation fibers.
Safety and efficacy of the Pipeline Embolization Device in 100 small intracranial aneurysms
Authors: Chalouhi Nohra , Zanaty Mario , Whiting Alex , Yang Steven , Tjoumakaris Stavropoula , Hasan David , Starke Robert M. , Hann Shannon , Hammer Christine , Kung David , Rosenwasser Robert , Jabbour Pascal
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

Flow diverters are increasingly used for treatment of intracranial aneurysms. In most series, the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) was used for the treatment of large, giant, complex, and fusiform aneurysms. Little is known about the use of the PED in small aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the PED in small aneurysms (≤ 7 mm).

METHODS

A total of 100 consecutive patients were treated with the PED at the authors' institution between May 2011 and September 2013. Data on procedural safety and efficacy were retrospectively collected.

RESULTS

The mean aneurysm size was 5.2 ± 1.5 mm. Seven patients (7%) had sustained a subarachnoid hemorrhage. All except 5 aneurysms (95%) arose from the anterior circulation. The number of PEDs used was 1.2 per aneurysm. Symptomatic procedure-related complications occurred in 3 patients (3%): 1 distal parenchymal hemorrhage that was managed conservatively and 2 ischemic events. At the latest follow-up (mean 6.3 months), 54 (72%) aneurysms were completely occluded (100%), 10 (13%) were nearly completely occluded (≥ 90%), and 11 (15%) were incompletely occluded (< 90%). Six aneurysms (8%) required further treatment. Increasing aneurysm size (OR 3.8, 95% CI 0.99–14; p = 0.05) predicted retreatment. All patients achieved a favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale Score 0–2) at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, treatment of small aneurysms with the PED was associated with low complication rates and high aneurysm occlusion rates. These findings suggest that the PED is a safe and effective alternative to conventional endovascular techniques for small aneurysms. Randomized trials with long-term follow-up are necessary to determine the optimal treatment that leads to the highest rate of obliteration and the best clinical outcomes.
Test characteristics of quick brain MRI for shunt evaluation in children: an alternative modality to avoid radiation
Authors: Yue Esther L. , Meckler Garth D. , Fleischman Ross J. , Selden Nathan R. , Bardo Dianna M. E. , Chu O'Connor Amity K. , Vu Eugene T. , Fu Rongwei , Spiro David M.
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

Quick brain magnetic resonance imaging (QB-MRI) is a rapid, radiation-free technique to detect life-threatening CSF shunt malfunction. QB-MRI has not been widely studied or adopted. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the test characteristics of QB-MRI for detecting shunt malfunction. Test characteristics of brain computed tomography (CT) and QB-MRI were then compared. Secondary objectives included comparison of time to study completion and use of sedatives for both modalities, as well as comparison of time to study completion for QB-MRI before and after implementation of a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) shunt clinical pathway.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed at 2 tertiary care hospital PEDs. The authors reviewed the charts of children who underwent QB-MRI or CT for suspected shunt malfunction between July 2008 and June 2012. They also reviewed the patients' neuroradiology reports and classified ventricular size as positive (enlarged) or negative (normal, smaller, or unchanged). Shunt malfunction was defined by surgical revision within 30 days.

RESULTS

Nine hundred ninety-seven PED visits (involving 724 QB-MRIs and 273 CTs) were included. Surgical revision was performed in 235 cases (23.6%). For QB-MRI, sensitivity was 58.5% (95% CI 51.1%–65.6%) and specificity was 93.3% (90.8%–95.3%). For CT, sensitivity was 53.2% (95% CI 38.1%–67.9%) and specificity was 95.6% (92%–97.9%). The mean time to completion of QB-MRI was 115 minutes versus 83 minutes for CT (difference 32 minutes, 95% CI, 22–42 minutes, p < 0.001). The mean time from presentation to completion of QB-MRI prior to application of the CSF shunt pathway was 132 minutes versus 112 minutes after application of the CSF shunt pathway (difference 20 minutes, 95% CI 5–35 minutes, p = 0.01). Anxiolytic medications were used in 3.7% of CT studies and 4.4% of QB-MRI studies (p = 0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

QB-MRI and CT have similar test characteristics for detecting CSF shunt malfunction in children and similar requirements for sedation. The longer interval from order placement to imaging completion for QB-MRI is arguably justified by reduction of radiation exposure in this population subject to frequent brain imaging.
Specificity of Cognitive and Behavioral Complaints in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Pineau Hélène , Marchand André , Guay Stéphane
Published: January 2015

Characterization of cognitive and behavioral complaints is explored in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) samples according to the severity of PTSD, depression and general anxiety conditions. Self-reported questionnaires on cognitive and behavioral changes are administered to PTSD, MTBI, MTBI/PTSD and control groups. Confounding variables are controlled. All groups report more complaints since the traumatic event. PTSD and MTBI/PTSD groups report more anxiety symptoms, depression and complaints compared to the MTBI group. Relatives of the PTSD group confirm most of the behavioral changes reported. Results suggest the utility of self-reported questionnaires to personalize cognitive and behavioral interventions in PTSD and MTBI to cope with the impacts of the traumatic event.
Study on Droplet Size and Velocity Distributions of a Pressure Swirl Atomizer Based on the Maximum Entropy Formalism
Authors: Yan Kai , Ning Zhi , Lü Ming , Sun Chunhua
Published: January 2015

A predictive model for droplet size and velocity distributions of a pressure swirl atomizer has been proposed based on the maximum entropy formalism (MEF). The constraint conditions of the MEF model include the conservation laws of mass, momentum, and energy. The effects of liquid swirling strength, Weber number, gas-to-liquid axial velocity ratio and gas-to-liquid density ratio on the droplet size and velocity distributions of a pressure swirl atomizer are investigated. Results show that model based on maximum entropy formalism works well to predict droplet size and velocity distributions under different spray conditions. Liquid swirling strength, Weber number, gas-to-liquid axial velocity ratio and gas-to-liquid density ratio have different effects on droplet size and velocity distributions of a pressure swirl atomizer.
Thermal Model of a Dish Stirling Cavity-Receiver
Authors: Gil Rubén , Monné Carlos , Bernal Nuria , Muñoz Mariano , Moreno Francisco
Published: January 2015

This paper presents a thermal model for a dish Stirling cavity based on the finite differences method. This model is a theoretical tool to optimize the cavity in terms of thermal efficiency. One of the main outcomes of this work is the evaluation of radiative exchange using the radiosity method; for that purpose, the view factors of all surfaces involved have been accurately calculated. Moreover, this model enables the variation of the cavity and receiver dimensions and the materials to determine the optimal cavity design. The tool has been used to study the cavity optimization regarding geometry parameters and material properties. Receiver absorptivity has been identified as the most influential property of the materials. The optimal aperture height depends on the minimum focal space.
From Formamide to RNA, the Path Is Tenuous but Continuous
Authors: Pino Samanta , Sponer Judit , Costanzo Giovanna , Saladino Raffaele , Mauro Ernesto
Published: January 2015

Reactions of formamide (NH2COH) in the presence of catalysts of both terrestrial and meteoritic origin yield, in plausible and variegated conditions, a large panel of precursors of (pre)genetic and (pre)metabolic interest. Formamide chemistry potentially satisfies all of the steps from the very initial precursors to RNA. Water chemistry enters the scene in RNA non-enzymatic synthesis and recombination.
2,3,4,9-Tetrahydro-9-(3-hydroxy-1,4-dioxo-1H-dihydro-naphthalen-2-yl)-8-methoxy-3,3-dimethyl-1H-xanthen-1-one
Authors: Yoshioka Eito , Kohtani Shigeru , Miyabe Hideto
Published: January 2015

The title compound 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-9-(3-hydroxy-1,4-dioxo-1H-dihydro-naphthalen-2-yl)-8-methoxy-3,3-dimethyl-1H-xanthen-1-one (5) was obtained by the nucleophilic addition of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (4) to 2H-chromene derivative 3, which was prepared by the domino three-component coupling reaction of aryne precursor 1 with DMF and the active methylene compound dimedone (2). The one-pot synthesis of the title compound 5 from aryne precursor 1 was also achieved.