bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of University Services and Student Retention: Differential Links for Student Service Members or Veterans and Civilian Students
Authors: Southwell Kenona H. , Whiteman Shawn D. , MacDermid Wadsworth Shelley M. , Barry Adam E.
Published: March 2016

Grounded in research and theory on college student retention, this study assessed differences in the use of various university services and the influence of key personnel on retention-related outcomes of student service members or veterans (SSM/Vs) compared with civilian students. Participants included 386 students, 199 (154 male, 45 female) of which were SSM/Vs and 187 (87 male, 100 female) were civilian students. Data were collected via electronic survey. Analyses revealed that civilian students visited advisors and faculty more frequently than SSM/Vs; no differences were evident for visits to registrars’ offices, financial aid offices, or student organizations. Visits to advisors and faculty were positively related to SSM/Vs’ expectations for degree completion and perception of university environment, yet unrelated to civilian students’ outcomes. Overall, this work suggests that university officials should invest in educating the personnel who are most influential in SSM/Vs outcomes about the unique needs of student veterans.
Original Research: Parvovirus B19 infection in children with sickle cell disease in the hydroxyurea era
Authors: Hankins Jane S , Penkert Rhiannon R , Lavoie Paul , Tang Li , Sun Yilun , Hurwitz Julia L
Published: March 2016

Parvovirus B19 infection causes transient aplastic crisis in sickle cell disease (SCD) due to a temporary interruption in the red blood cell production. Toxicity from hydroxyurea includes anemia and reticulocytopenia, both of which also occur during a transient aplastic crisis event. Hydroxyurea inhibits proliferation of hematopoietic cells and may be immunosuppressive. We postulated that hydroxyurea could exacerbate parvovirus B19-induced aplastic crisis and inhibit the development of specific immune responses in children with SCD. We conducted a retrospective review of parvovirus B19 infection in 330 children with SCD. Altogether there were 120 known cases of aplastic crisis attributed to parvovirus B19 infection, and 12% of children were on hydroxyurea treatment during the episode. We evaluated hematological and immune responses. Children with HbSS or HbSβ0-thalassemia treated with hydroxyurea, when compared with untreated children, required fewer transfusions and had higher Hb concentration nadir during transient aplastic crisis. Duration of hospital stays was no different between hydroxyurea-treated and untreated groups. Children tested within a week following aplastic crisis were positive for parvovirus-specific IgG. Immune responses lasted for the duration of the observation period, up to 13 years after transient aplastic crisis, and there were no repeat aplastic crisis episodes. The frequencies of parvovirus-specific antibodies in all children with SCD increased with age, as expected due to the increased likelihood of a parvovirus exposure, and were comparable to frequencies reported for healthy children. Approximately one-third of children had a positive parvovirus B19-specific IgG test without a documented history of transient aplastic crisis, and 64% of them were treated with hydroxyurea. Hydroxyurea may reduce requirements for blood transfusions and may attenuate symptoms during transient aplastic crisis episodes caused by parvovirus B19 infections. Children with SCD, whether treated or untreated with hydroxyurea, generate sustained and protective parvovirus B19-specific immune responses.
Sort Mii Out: Learning to Value Portable Gaming Encounters Through Nintendo’s Streetpass Software
Authors: Moore Kyle
Published: March 2016

Released in 2011, the Nintendo 3DS is the next generation of portal consoles from Japanese gaming company Nintendo. Following the success of the Nintendo DS (Dual Screen), the new console brings with it three-dimensional stereoscopic graphics and the new social software Streetpass. This article adopts a situated approach in order to explore the significance of Streetpass in mediating social encounters within material environments. This article suggests that this software follows a history of mediating encounters through portal consoles, resulting in a training of players to view encounters within a software-sorted logic of value.
Improving Nutritional Habits With No Diet Prescription: Details of a Nutritional Coaching Process
Authors: Lancha Antonio Herbert , Sforzo Gary A. , Pereira-Lancha Luciana Oquendo
Published: March 2016

Thousands of dollars are spent today with policies encouraging physical activity and healthy eating, but nutritional consultation per se has continuously failed to yield consistent and lasting results. The aim of this case report is to detail and evaluate nutritional coaching (employing health coaching techniques) in promoting lifestyle changes, enabling improvement of nutritional and body composition associated parameters. The patient in this study had previously engaged in a series of different diet regimens, all of which failed in achieving the proposed aim. After 12 nutritional coaching sessions (one per week) with the strategy presented herein, reductions in body fat mass and in total body weight were attained. Nutritional habits also improved, as the patient showed decreased total energy intake, decreased fat intake, and increased fiber ingestion. Daily physical activity and energy expenditure were enhanced. The coaching program was able to induce immediate health benefits using a strategy with the patient at the core of promoting his own lifestyle changes. In conclusion, the nutritional coaching strategy detailed was effective at helping our patient develop new eating patterns and improve related health parameters.
Gastric siderosis: An under-recognized and rare clinical entity
Authors: Kothadia Jiten P , Arju Rezina , Kaminski Monica , Mahmud Arif , Chow Jonathan , Giashuddin Shah
Published: March 2016

The increased deposition of iron in gastric mucosa is known as gastric siderosis. It is believed that the only regulated step of the iron metabolism cycle occurs during absorption in the small intestine. Once this system becomes overwhelmed due to either local or widespread iron levels, then iron can be absorbed very quickly by a passive concentration-dependent mechanism. This excess iron is initially stored in the liver but later can be found in the pancreas, heart and joints. Excess iron is not expected to deposit in the gastric mucosa. This gastric deposition has been found in association with hemochromatosis, oral iron medications, alcohol abuse, blood transfusions, hepatic cirrhosis and spontaneous portacaval shunt with esophageal varices. The precise mechanism of this iron deposition in gastric epithelial and stromal cells is still not well understood; thus, identification of iron in gastric mucosa raises many questions. On histology, the pattern of deposition is variable, and recognition of the pattern is often useful to choose the appropriate workup for the patient and to diagnose and possibly treat the cause of iron overload. In this article, we have described a well-referenced review of this rare clinical entity with different histological patterns, diagnostic tests and the clinical significance of the different patterns of iron deposition.
How to achieve care coordination inside health care organizations: Insights from organization theory on coordination in theory and in action
Authors: Prætorius Thim , Becker Markus C
Published: March 2016

Understanding how health care organizations can achieve care coordination internally is essential because it is difficult to achieve, but essential for high-quality and efficient health care delivery. This article offers an answer by providing a synthesis of knowledge about coordination from organization theory, where coordination is a central research topic. The article focuses on intra-organizational coordination, which is challenging especially across boundaries such as departments or professions. It provides an overview of the classic coordination mechanisms, e.g., standardization of work processes, but also of recent insights that have identified the conditions that are required to achieve coordination, and how these conditions can be provided by formal mechanisms, such as standardization, but also informally by drawing on features of the emerging situation. Such research highlights the contribution of, e.g., routines like those guided by care pathways or of artifacts like displays. The coordination insights are also discussed as regards inter-organizational care coordination.
The impact of transaction costs on the use of mixed service delivery by local governments
Authors: Brown Trevor L , Potoski Matthew , Van Slyke David M
Published: March 2016

When governments deliver services through mixed delivery arrangements, the sponsoring government and an implementing partner split or share service production, delivery, or management responsibilities. By combining aspects of contract and direct service delivery, mixed service delivery may combine the benefits of contracting with those of direct service delivery. Analyses of 87,009 services delivered by 2174 local governments in the USA shows that over 20% of local government services are delivered through approaches that mix elements of direct and contract production. Local governments choose mixed approaches in response to the transaction cost and market factors that affect their choice of direct and contract approaches. Mixed service delivery may provide the opportunity to harness the upsides of both contract and direct delivery approaches. If conditions are favorable, mixed service delivery allows governments to simultaneously evaluate alternative suppliers while maintaining a degree of their own internal production capacity.
Log-linear distance models of homophily in small groups
Authors: Carrington Peter J
Published: March 2016

This article demonstrates the innovative use of the log-linear distance model in the assessment of homophily in a set of small groups, such as the co-participants in a set of events. It traces the development of the application of the log-linear distance model to the study of homophily and reviews its recent use to assess the extent and structure of gender and age homophily in groups of criminal accomplices (‘co-offenders’). The transformations of the group membership data that are a prerequisite of the log-linear analysis, and the interpretation of the log-linear parameters, are explained in detail in order to make the approach accessible to potential users. Although the described applications are to gender and age homophily in groups of criminal accomplices, the method can be used to assess homophily on one or more variables in any small groups.
A method to detect criminal organizations from police data
Authors: Hashimi Sadaf , Bouchard Martin , Morselli Carlo , Ouellet Marie
Published: March 2016

Definitional problems in the area of organized crime have traditionally led to measurement problems that trickle down the criminal justice system. This study quantifies the broad conception of organized crime in the Canadian legal context and examines the types of crimes in which criminal organizations (and organized criminals) are involved. To estimate incidents potentially related to organized crime, we combine police-reported data from Montreal, Canada, with the three components of organized crime as prescribed by the Criminal Code of Canada: size, offence severity and continuity. The strategy of combining models on a continuum, varying in co-offending unit size, as well as offence severity provides both restrictive and inclusive estimates, accounting for the main discrepancy dividing scholarly and policy assessments of organized crime. Results showed that from 2005 to 2009, the extent and severity of incidents potentially related to organized crime that emerged from the three family of models proposed varied, ranging from 184 to 2086 incidents. The models also showed variations in incident rates across crime classification types with most organized crime incidents attributed to property and violent offences. This study is one of the first to propose a set of methods to detect incidents potentially related to organized crime using police data and to illustrate the potential implications of restrictive and inclusive measures for estimating its prevalence.
Signature dish: Triangulation from data signatures to examine the role of security in falling crime
Authors: Farrell Graham , Tseloni Andromachi , Tilley Nick
Published: March 2016

This article describes realist evaluation research combining data signatures and theories of causal mechanism as a means of shedding light on why crime has declined in recent years. A data signature is an empirical indicator of how or why something has occurred. The use of multiple signatures – a ‘dish’ – from different angles and contexts can, if they point in the same direction, result in a form of triangulation that reduces the chance of interpretive error. The signatures identified strongly suggest that more and better security played a key role in the global ‘crime drop’, and in so doing, they rebut rival hypotheses.
Functional equivalence and validity of religiousness indicators in cross-cultural comparative surveys
Authors: Höllinger Franz , Eder Anja
Published: March 2016

Cross-cultural comparative surveys have become an important tool to investigate social attitudes across different countries. However, this methodology is confronted with a number of challenges. One of the core problems is the functional equivalence of the concepts and indicators used. In this article, we study this problem in regard to the investigation of religiousness in three prominent surveys, the World Value Survey, the International Social Survey Programme, and the Religion Monitor. Our contribution starts with the fundamental question of the intercultural meaning of single items that are commonly used for the measurement of religiosity. From the comparison of the linguistic formulation of these items in different languages and across the three surveys, we obtain evidence of whether the concept of religiousness has the same meaning in different countries and to what extent the results depend on the formulation of the item. Subsequently, we use confirmatory factor analysis to test whether two religiousness scales derived from the International Social Survey Programme are structurally equivalent across countries. In the final step, we proceed to a substantive analysis, comparing religiousness scales from the three surveys in order to examine to what extent scales that claim to measure the same construct in fact produce similar results when applied to different countries. Our findings suggest that the paradigm of “asking the same questions” is difficult to apply and problematical with respect to some core indicators of individual religiousness and that questionnaires that are based on the Western concept of religion will lead to biased results when applied to worldwide cross-cultural comparison.
Temporal dynamics in covert networks
Authors: Broccatelli Chiara , Everett Martin , Koskinen Johan
Published: March 2016

Criminal organisations tend to be structured as a network in order to optimise flows of resource exchanges. The consolidation of these structures strengthens the criminal organisation’s capability of becoming more and more efficient over time. Recently, researchers in the field of covert networks have begun to analyse the dynamics of these networks. Thus far, the models and methods used to analyse the temporal dynamics of covert networks have come with a number of limitations. Our approach for analysing temporal dynamics attempts to address some of these limitations. In this article, we extend the use of dynamic line-graphs to bipartite networks for incorporating time directly into the network, and we suggest an alternative way to visualise the evolution of actors’ participation in successive covert actions and events. Our article intends to contribute to the research on dynamic networks by proposing a new approach for representing temporal dynamics in covert networks. After illustrating our method, we present some examples of its use on real-world data for visualising network evolutions over time.
Network positions
Authors: Brandes Ulrik
Published: March 2016

A formal definition of position in networks is proposed. Based on the conceptualization of networks as data on intersecting dyads, it leads to integrated means of analysis for various kinds of relational and attribute data and to a simultaneous unification and generalization of a wide range of network-analytic methods. In fact, by defining network positions explicitly, various methods can be broken down into sequences of generic steps that are more amenable to substantive theorizing, integration of qualitative insight, and empirical validation.
Mapping the musical universe: A blockmodel of UK music festivals, 2011–2013
Authors: Crossley Nick , Emms Rachel
Published: March 2016

There has been a growing recognition of the potential utility of social network analysis for the analysis of culture and more especially ‘music worlds’ in recent years. To date, however, studies have focused upon individual music worlds, defined by reference to either style or geography. In this article, we further develop this methodological innovation by using blockmodelling techniques to explore the coexistence of different music worlds within a common ‘musical universe’ and the pattern of connection between them. Specifically, we blockmodel a network of 106 UK music festivals, representing a variety of different music worlds and surveyed between 2011 and 2013. In addition to substantive findings, the article demonstrates that blockmodelling can be an effective way of identifying distinct ‘worlds’ within a wider network and of exploring the ‘universe’ constituted by the connections between those worlds.
The social sciences and the web: From ‘Lurking’ to interdisciplinary ‘Big Data’ research
Authors: Bone John , Emele Chukwuemeka David , Abdul Adeniyi , Coghill George , Pang Wei
Published: March 2016

‘Big data’ is an area of growing research interest within sociology and numerous other disciplines. The rapid development of social media platforms and other web resources offer a vast and readily accessible repository of data associated with participants’ activities, attitudes and personal information on a scale and depth that would have previously been difficult to access without substantial resources. However, as well as offering opportunities to social researchers, this medium also presents a significant range of challenges. Ethical issues are one much debated area where social scientists are having to reassess their longstanding modus operandi, given questions regarding access to personal data and ambiguities regarding its status and legitimate usage. In addition, the scale of data accessible and the possible skills required to collect and analyse it is also a critical issue, and is an area that, arguably, has received lesser attention. In its infancy, online research could be fairly rudimentary, employing simple techniques to gather information from weblogs, forums and so on. However, the possibilities now presented by large-scale social media platforms has created the potential for more sophisticated research that often requires specialist technical expertise, involving collaborative work by computer and social scientists working together. This is a scenario that raises its own concerns, not least in terms of forging areas of shared understanding between these disparate disciplines sufficient to facilitate such projects. This article addresses such issues, providing a reflection on the theoretical and practical experience of engaging in online research, from fledgling involvement to embarking on a current collaborative interdisciplinary project. The aim is to provide some insights to other social scientists with respect to some of the potential advantages and pitfalls of web research, while a flavour of the current project, exploring Scottish Referendum and UK General Election related Twitter data, is also presented.
Fate of the Young Patient Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Feller Julian , Webster KE
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Younger age has been increasingly recognised as a risk factor for ACL graft rupture and contralateral ACL injury following ACL reconstruction. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the re-injury rate and explore factors that might be associated with increased risk.

Methods:

In this observational study, a cohort of 362 consecutive patients was identified from patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction by a single surgeon form December 2004 to February 2012. Patients were under 20 years at the time of surgery and had a normal contralateral knee. The incidence of subsequent ACL injuries (graft rupture or contralateral ACL injury) was determined at a mean follow up time of 5 years (range 3-10). For further analysis the group was divided according to gender and age: under 18 or 18-19 at the time of surgery

Results:

The overall follow up rate was 89% (40/362 patients were unable to be contacted). Graft ruptures occurred in 60 patients (16.6%) at an average time of 1.9 years. Almost half (47%) occurred within the first postoperative year. The graft rupture rate was significantly higher in males (19.5%) than females (11.1%). The rupture rate in the youngest males (under 18) was the highest at 25.4%, which was significantly higher than females of the same age (11.7%) and males over 18 years (12.7%). Of the early graft ruptures, 75% occurred in the under 18 group. Contralateral ACL injuries occurred in 57 patients (15.7) at a longer average time of 3.7 years. There were no gender or age differences for contralateral ACL injuries. There were 4 patients who had a graft rupture as well as a contralateral ACL injury; therefore the total number of patients who had at least one further ACL injury subsequent to the primary surgery was 113 (31.2%).

Conclusion:

The high rate of subsequent ACL injury in younger patients was confirmed. Early graft ruptures are more prevalent in the very young and gender differences are more apparent for graft rupture, where the youngest males are at high risk. The high incidence of multiple ACL injuries in such a young cohort is concerning for future knee health.
Intravenous versus Intra-articular Tranexamic Acid in Patients Undergoing Primary Unilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Macdessi Samuel , Chen Darren , Goyal Navendu , Harris Ian , Kirsh George , Rowden Neville
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is commonly used in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to reduce blood loss, however the most appropriate route of administration is still debated. This study was conducted to compare the two most commonly used routes of TXA administration, intravenous (IV) and intra-articular (IA).

Methods:

This study was conducted as a non-inferiority, double blinded randomized trial to compare IA TXA with IV TXA in terms of efficacy in reducing blood loss as measured by post-operative Hb drop and transfusion rates. We hypothesized that IA TXA is not inferior to IV TXA in reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements.

Results:

One hundred and sixty eight patients were analysed. Mean day 1 and day 2 post-operative Hb values for both the groups were statistically similar (p=0.88, p=0.95 respectively). Also, no statistical difference was seen on comparison of change in Hb between pre-operative and day 1 or day 2 values (p=0.55, p=0.58 respectively). There were no transfusions given in either group.

Conclusion:

Intra-articular TXA is non-inferior to IV TXA in terms of fall in Hb and blood transfusion requirements. This trial further establishes and supports the use of IA TXA for primary TKA.
A New Method to Attain a Balanced Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: McAuliffe Michael , Roe J A , Garg G
Published: March 2016

Introduction & Aims:

The ANJRR has reported no improvement in early revision rates for patient matched versus conventional instrumentation and Nam et al demonstrated no improvement in PROMS or alignment data at 2 year follow-up patient matched TKA. Patient matched instrumentation may not provide clinically meaningful improvements. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a novel design process for patient matched cutting guides could both normalise soft tissue tension and produce a knee balanced mediolaterally and between 0 and 90°of flexion.

Method:

Patient specific guides of a novel and standard design were manufactured based on a novel design process and assessed via a prospective cohort study. The novel guides were applied to the intact knee in extension and/or flexion at the start of a TKA prior to soft tissue releases to mark bone resections. The guides contacted the femur and tibia simultaneously and acted to re-align the knee and tension the peri-articular soft tissues. 10 patients had novel guides applied in flexion and extension and 3 additional patients used guides in extension only. 9 patients had standard guides manufactured with the novel design process. We prospectively collected data on these 22 patients examining medial and lateral soft tissue laxity in maximum extension, 20 and 90° of flexion pre and post-operatively.

Results:

Soft tissue tension within parameters described for normal subjects was attained medially and laterally in: maximum extension in all 22 cases. For the 19 cases where the guides were used to plan the flexion resections; normal medial soft tissue tension was attained in 18/19 (94.7%) cases and normal lateral soft tissue tension in 16/19 (84.2%) cases. The 4 cases where normal soft tissue tension was not attained were outside this range by 1°. Post-operatively the mean difference in medial versus lateral laxity was 0.75°at 0°, 1.36° at 20° and 1.20° at 90°of flexion with a range of 0 - 4.5° across all positions and all knees. Pre-operatively the difference between medial and lateral laxity across all knees and positions ranged from 0 – 9°. Preoperatively the mean difference in medial versus lateral laxity was 4.43°at 0°, 5.25° at 20° and 1.64°at 90°of flexion. In the 19 cases where guides planned both the extension and flexion gap, 0 versus 90 ° flexion laxity on the medial side displayed a mean difference of 1.18° (range 0 - 3) and on the lateral side a mean difference of 1.52° (range 0 - 4.5) was recorded. To attain these balance parameters 16/22 (72.7%) cases utilised a 9mm poly and 6/22 (27.3%) utilised an 11mm poly.

Conclusions:

Patient Matched Instrumentation is widely used without clear benefit. This novel patient matched instrumentation design process shows promise for attaining soft tissue tension that is both normal and balanced. This may help diminish revision due to instability which was recorded as the revision diagnosis in 18.7% of patients (Lombardi 2013).
MPFL Reconstruction with TTT Versus TTT Alone for Recurrent Patella Instability
Authors: Annear Peter , Damasena Iswadi , Blythe Murray , Wysocki David
Published: March 2016

Purpose:

Reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is increasingly used to restore the primary ligamentous restraint to patella dislocation. The purpose of this randomised controlled trial is to compare the 5 year results of the addition of autograft MPFL reconstruction to tibial tubercle transfer (TTT) and lateral release (LR) (reconstruction group) to TTT and LR alone (control group) for recurrent patella dislocation.

Methods:

Thirty-four patients (36 knees) were randomised to two groups. Two patients in the control group (TTT + LR) and three patients in the reconstruction group (MPFL + TTT + LR) group were lost to follow up at 5 years.

Results:

There were no significant differences in Kujala and Tegner scores or “insecurity” Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at any time period. There was a trend to a lower average VAS in the reconstruction group at six weeks but also poorer average flexion. There were no significant differences in time to return to school, work or sports. Quantitative CT scans showed the reconstruction group had a significant improvement in average patella tilt (6 degrees vs -8 degrees, p = 0.03) and average congruence angle (13 degrees vs -11 degrees, p = 0.03) in the quadriceps contracted state. At 5 years the MPFL/TTT reconstruction group had a lower revision rate (2/17) compared to the control group of TTT alone (5/16).

Conclusion:

Patients who underwent an MPFL reconstruction in addition to a TTT had a comparatively significant improved patella congruence on quantitative CT Scan. At 5 years the MPFL/TTT reconstruction group had a lower but non significant revision rate compared to the control group of TTT alone.
Planning of High Tibial Osteotomy
Authors: Rahmadian Rizki , Lubis AMT , Singh C
Published: March 2016

Introduction:

High Tibial Osteotomy (HTO) is an establish technique for the treatment of varus malaligned knees. The aim of HTO is to reduce the load on the medial compartment by shifting the mechanical axis toward the lateral compartment. It is indisputable that appropriate patient selection, precise surgical planning, and correct operative techniques can provide favorable treatment outcomes of HTO.

Method:

Case Series. We reported four cases of HTO during clinical attachment in Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Two cases are simple Open Wedge HTO, and two cases are Open Wedge HTO that performed simultaneously with posterolateral corner reconstruction. The assessment of lower limb alignment is based on an examination of clinical assessment and full standing radiographs, andplanned correction was achieved when the weight-bearing line passedthrough a target point located at 62% (Fujisawa point) ofthe tibial plateau width measured from themedial border of the tibial plateau.

Result:

We performed 90, 110, and 60 corrections to shift the weight bearing area to Fujisawa point. Post operative radiologic measurement shown all patients had a good alignment with 60, 50, and 60 valgus over correction, and with insignificant change of tibial slope. PLC instability was reconstruct with modified Larson’s technique by using semitendinous graft. In these cases, we used Tomifix plate (Sythes, Switzerland) as a bridging internal fixation with the principle of a locking compression plate (LCP), and ChronOS (Sythes, Switzerland) as a bone void filler.

Conclusion:

To achieve good results with HTO requires proper patient selection, good surgical planning, accurate surgical technique, and discipline rehabilitation. Reconstruction of the ligament abnormalities that affect the stability around the knee joint is necessary to achieve better results.
Three Dimensional Printing in Orthopaedic Surgery
Authors: Mulford Jonathan , MacKay N , Babazadeh S
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Three dimensional (3D) printing technology has many current and future applications in orthopaedics. The objectives of this article are to review published literature regarding applications of 3D technology in orthopaedic surgery with a focus on knee surgery.

Methods:

A narrative review of the applications of 3D printing technology in orthopaedic practice was achieved by a search of computerised databases, internet and reviewing references of identified publications.

Results:

There is current widespread use of 3D printing technology in orthopaedics. 3D technology can be used in education, preoperative planning and custom manufacturing. Custom manufacturing applications include surgical guides, prosthetics and implants. Many future applications exist including biological applications. 3D printed models of anatomy have assisted in the education of patients, students, trainees and surgeons. 3D printed models also assist with surgical planning of complex injuries or unusual anatomy. 3D printed surgical guides may simplify surgery, make surgery precise and reduce operative time. Computer models based on MRI or CT scans are utilised to plan surgery and placement of implants. Complex osteotomies can be performed using 3D printed surgical guides. This can be particularly useful around the knee. A 3D printed guide allows pre osteotomy drill holes for the plate fixation and provides an osteotomy guide to allow precise osteotomy. 3D printed surgical guides for knee replacement are widely available. 3D printing has allowed the emergence of custom implants. Custom implants that are patient specific have been particularly used for complex revision arthroplasty or for very difficult cases with altered anatomy. Future applications are likely to include biological 3D printing of cartilage and bone scaffolds.

Conclusion:

3D printing in orthopaedic surgery has and will continue to change orthopaedic practice. Its role is to provide safe, reproducible, reliable models with reduced operative time and improves patient outcomes compared to traditional surgical techniques. Long term follow up of the techniques is still required.
A Performance Review Utilising Administratively Collected Hospital Patient Information and Coding Data
Authors: Rimmington Dale
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Collection of data and self audit can be a difficult undertaking in orthopaedic private practice. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that review of administratively collected patient information can provide useful information for self-audit and clinical outcomes.

Methods:

Baseline coding, Financial and Limited Adverse Outcome Screening (LAOS) data relating to a single Orthopaedic Surgeon’s Knee Practice at one private hospital, relating to surgical admissions between the 31st January 2013 and the 31st March 2015 was analysed. Measures looked at included; absolute numbers of surgical procedures, breakdown of procedures according to coding, readmissions within 30 days, length of stay per procedure, return to theatre, adverse events including thromboembolism, infection and bleeding.

Results:

Administratively collected data proved to be a useful self- audit and monitoring tool. It is not a substitute for prospectively collected clinical data. The strength of this data is that it is relatively easily accessed and may alert the individual to trends in their practice that may prompt further investigation and practice modification. This information is already being provided to insurers and statutory bodies without clinical interpretation and is becoming increasingly important as insurers look to stop funding certain adverse outcomes that require treatment. The process maybe mutually beneficial to both clinician and hospital. The clinician gets to access the data to assist in outcomes evaluation/ improvement whilst the hospital benefits through more accurate recording of adverse events and potentially better coding of data.

Conclusion:

Procurement and basic analysis of administratively collected data can be performed by a solo practitioner without access to any extra research resources. This data allows performance monitoring and may stimulate further practice evaluation and change.
Twelve Year Outcomes of Oxinium Total Knee Arthroplasty Compared to the Same Cobalt Chrome Prosthesis
Authors: Vertullo Christopher , Lewis Peter , Graves Stephen , Kelly Lan , Myers Peter
Published: March 2016

Introduction:

Alternative bearings surfaces to Cobalt Chrome (Co-Cr), such as Oxidised have been introduced in an attempt to reduce polyethylene wear and hence decrease TKA loosening and lysis. While non-comparative reports have been described as promising, no short or long term clinical studies exists showing the superiority of Oxinium on a polyethylene bearing surfaces. In this study, we investigate the long-term outcomes of Oxinium and Co-Cr TKR in a “like for like” or matched cohort analysis of the Genesis II design (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, TN, USA). Using data from a large national joint replacement registry we selected cohorts that used only the cruciate retaining design, with the same method of fixation and polyethylene type, differing only in the femoral component bearing surfaces. Our primary hypothesis was that Oxinium TKA would have a lower cumulative percent revision than the same Co-Cr prosthesis at 12 years for all causes of revision. Our secondary hypothesis was that Oxinium TKA would have a lower loosening/ lysis rate and lower rate of non-infective revision than the same Co-Cr prosthesis at 12 years.

Methods:

Cumulative percent revision and revision diagnosis data were obtained from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) from 1 September 1999, until 31 December 2013.

Results:

At 12 years the cumulative percent revision of the Co-Cr Genesis II of 4.8 % (95%: CI 4.2, 5.4) for all causes was not statistically different to the Oxinium Genesis II CPR of 7.7 % (95%: CI 6.2, 9.5) (For the entire period, Hazard Ratio = 1.09 (95%: CI 0.92, 1.29), p = 0.329). The CPR for all causes was not different in the under 55 years old age group (Figure 3) (HR= 1.06 (0.68, 1.66) p=0.798).). Subgroup analysis of the CPR for loosening /lysis in both groups overall was not different (HR= 0.87 (95%: CI 0.61, 1.26), p = 0.461) Subgroup analysis of all causes of revisions excluding infection in both groups overall was not different (HR = 0.87 (95%: CI 0.71, 1.06), p = 0.155) . No difference in CPR was found between the Oxinium and Co-Cr groups for any age category for all causes of revision, loosening/lysis or non-infective causes, except for loosening/lysis in the >75 years old group (p=0.033). In these patients, Oxinium TKA had a higher CPR due to uncertain reasons.

Conclusions:

In this AOANJRR age stratified matched cohort study, Oxinium femoral components did not reduce revision rates due to all causes, loosening/lysis or when infection as a cause of revision was removed, compared to the same Co-Cr femoral component, across all age groups including patients who were under 55 years of age.
Feasibility of an Australian Knee Osteotomy Registry
Authors: Vertullo Christopher
Published: March 2016

Background:

Osteotomy about the knee is a currently relatively neglected area of joint preserving research. HTO indications, frequency, complications, and outcomes of HTO in Australia remain relatively ill-defined. The success & existence of the ANJRR allows the implementation of a relatively inexpensive & comprehensive HTO Registry in Australia.

Aims:

Establish a comprehensive “opt-out” AKS Sponsored Australian HTO Registry using ANJRR existing resources. Establish a minimum HTO dataset for international data sharing with countries such as Sweden, New Zealand and Finland.

Discussion:

Benefits: AKS surgeons to define patient outcomes more accurately and objectively in High Tibial Osteotomy Will allow AKS surgeons to improve patient selection criteria for HTO Creates a multinational standard data-set to investigate a joint preserving procedure & fosters international collaboration to improve surgeons’ knowledge and patient outcomes in HTO Will assist in the management of what is often a difficult problem ie osteoarthritis in younger, active patients. Barriers: Cost Data Compliance Legislation & Data Security
Leptin Signaling Is Not Required for Anorexigenic Estradiol Effects in Female Mice
Authors: Kim Joon S. , Rizwan Mohammed Z. , Clegg Deborah J. , Anderson Greg M.
Published: March 2016

Estradiol and leptin are critical hormones in the regulation of body weight. The aim of this study was to determine whether this cross talk between leptin receptor (LepRb) and estrogen receptor-α (ERα) signaling is critical for estradiol's anorexigenic effects. Leprb-Cre mice were crossed with Cre-dependent Tau-green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter, Stat3-flox or Erα-flox mice to generate female mice with GFP expression, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) knockout (KO), or ERα KO, specifically in LepRb-expressing cells. The proportion of Leprb-GFP cells colocalizing ERα was high (∼80%) in the preoptic area but low (∼10%) in the mediobasal hypothalamus, suggesting that intracellular cross talk between these receptors is minimal for metabolic regulation. To test whether estradiol enhanced arcuate leptin sensitivity, ovarectomized mice received varying levels of estradiol replacement. Increasing estrogenic states did not increase the degree of leptin-induced STAT3 phosphorylation. LepRb-specific STAT3 KO mice and controls were ovarectomized and given either chronic estradiol or vehicle treatment to test whether STAT3 is required for estrogen-induced body weight suppression. Both groups of estradiol-treated mice showed an equivalent reduction in body weight and fat content compared with vehicle controls. Finally, mice lacking ERα specifically in LepRb-expressing neurons also showed no increase in body weight or impairments in metabolic function compared with controls, indicating that estradiol acts independently of leptin-responsive cells to regulate body weight. However, fecundity was impaired in in Leprb-ERα KO females. Contrary to the current dogma, we report that estradiol has minimal direct actions on LepRb cells in the mediodasal hypothalamus and that its anorexigenic effects can occur entirely independently of LepRb-STAT3 signaling in female mice.
Beyond the Brokers: Local Marriage Migration Industries of Rural Vietnam
Authors: Bélanger Danièle
Published: March 2016

Vietnamese immigrant female spouses account for the second largest group of “foreign brides” in Taiwan and South Korea. This essay examines the local industry in Vietnam that facilitates and organizes marriages between local women and foreign men. The analysis focuses on how this industry is negotiated at the village level in the context of Vietnamese state rhetoric equating female marriage migration to human trafficking and the delocalization of the marriage process (“being chosen,” being trained and being married) to foreign men from villages to larger cities. Recent expansions of the industry documented by the analysis include the recruitment of women from other provinces in the study location to marry a foreigner and matchmaking services for single men facing difficulties finding a spouse, given the current local demographic context. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in four rural villages in two provinces of Vietnam between March and December of 2012, this essay relies on the narratives of actors involved in the local industry, such as a wedding shop owner, a language trainer, and guesthouse owners, as well as interviews with local government representatives, parents of young men and women, single individuals, and married ones. The analysis shows how, at the local level, intimate industries may be embedded in kinship and intimate relationships. Consequently, the local industry outruns the commodification lens and the separation of public and private.
Armenian Women, Legal Bargaining, and Gendered Politics of Conversion in Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Aleppo
Authors: Semerdjian Elyse
Published: March 2016

This article examines the legal bargaining of Armenian women in the dual Armenian and Islamic legal system in Aleppo. This study based on twenty-two cases of Armenian conversion to Islam informs how conversion, while rare, affected women who found themselves suddenly married to Muslim men and mothers of Muslim children. The archives document women who appeared in the sharia court seeking either to remain tied to their religious communities by resisting conversion or to escape unwanted marriages through conversion to Islam. Particular to Aleppo’s courts were Armenian women’s requests for Christian burial rites. This study shows that in some cases the sharia courts offered those converted women a legal option for divorce that was absent in Armenian canon law. The products of these conversions were hybrid Armenian-Muslim families, which challenge the often static presentation of Armenian identity.
The neurotoxic effects of hydrogen peroxide and copper in Retzius nerve cells of the leechHaemopis sanguisuga
Authors: Jovanovic Zorica D. , Stanojevic Marija B. , Nedeljkov Vladimir B.
Published: March 2016

Oxidative stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in cellular damage. Electrophysiological analyses have shown that membrane transport proteins are susceptible to ROS. In the present study, oxidative stress was induced in Retzius nerve cells of the leech Haemopis sanguisuga by bath application of 1 mM of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and 0.02 mM of copper (Cu) for 20 min. The H2O2/Cu(II) produced considerable changes in the electrical properties of the Retzius nerve cells. Intracellular recording of the resting membrane potential revealed that the neuronal membrane was depolarized in the presence of H2O2/Cu(II). We found that the amplitude of action potentials decreased, while the duration augmented in a progressive way along the drug exposure time. The combined application of H2O2 and Cu(II) caused an initial excitation followed by depression of the spontaneous electrical activity. Voltage-clamp recordings revealed a second effect of the oxidant, a powerful inhibition of the outward potassium channels responsible for the repolarization of action potentials. The neurotoxic effect of H2O2/Cu(II) on the spontaneous spike electrogenesis and outward K+ current of Retzius nerve cells was reduced in the presence of hydroxyl radical scavengers, dimethylthiourea and dimethyl sulfoxide, but not mannitol. This study provides evidence for the oxidative modification of outward potassium channels in Retzius nerve cells. The oxidative mechanism of the H2O2/Cu(II) system action on the electrical properties of Retzius neurons proposed in this study might have a wider significance, referring not only to leeches but also to mammalian neurons.
Planar cell polarity: the Dachsous/Fat system contributes differently to the embryonic and larval stages ofDrosophila
Authors: Saavedra Pedro , Brittle Amy , Palacios Isabel M. , Strutt David , Casal José , Lawrence Peter A.
Published: March 2016

The epidermal patterns of all three larval instars (L1–L3) of Drosophila are made by one unchanging set of cells. The seven rows of cuticular denticles of all larval stages are consistently planar polarised, some pointing forwards, others backwards. In L1 all the predenticles originate at the back of the cells but, in L2 and L3, they form at the front or the back of the cell depending on the polarity of the forthcoming denticles. We find that, to polarise all rows, the Dachsous/Fat system is differentially utilised; in L1 it is active in the placement of the actin-based predenticles but is not crucial for the final orientation of the cuticular denticles, in L2 and L3 it is needed for placement and polarity. We find Four-jointed to be strongly expressed in the tendon cells and show how this might explain the orientation of all seven rows. Unexpectedly, we find that L3 that lack Dachsous differ from larvae lacking Fat and we present evidence that this is due to differently mislocalised Dachs. We make some progress in understanding how Dachs contributes to phenotypes of wildtype and mutant larvae and adults.