bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey of the assessment and management of gout in general practitioners and medical officers within the Illawarra Network, Australia
Authors: Terrill Matthew , Riordan John
Published: May 2016

Aim

To review the assessment and management of gout by general practitioners (GPs) and medical officers (MOs) within the Illawarra Network, Australia.

Method

A survey was sent to GPs and MOs within the Illawarra Network.

Results

Of 110 GPs, 45 responded. Of 129 MOs, 42 responded. The overall response was 32.6%. On analysis, 65.1% felt their knowledge of gout to be adequate and 61.6% thought they had been educated well. In acute assessment, 59.1% of GPs responded that the diagnosis of gout best be confirmed with a joint aspiration and 36.4% clinical suspicion. Differing, 85.7% of MOs chose a joint aspiration. In acute management, if colchicine were used, 59.1% of GPs would give 1 mg followed by 0.5 mg an hour later, then 0.5 mg twice daily, compared to 9.5% of MOs, while 20.5% of GPs would use 1 mg twice daily. Chronic management was answered poorly. After an acute attack, urate lowering therapy (ULT) would be started 14 days after by 47.7% of GPs, compared to 69.0% of MOs. GPs were more likely to start ULT within 7 days (52.3% vs. 31.0%). With dosing of ULT, 45.3% would treat to target, while 46.5% would dose to the creatinine clearance. Prophylactic therapy with ULT would be started by 81.8%, although only 17.4% would continue it for 3–6 months.

Conclusion

There is poor adherence to recommended practice for dosing of colchicine in acute gout. Also in the management of chronic gout, in particular, the timing of starting ULT and the use of prophylaxis when initiating ULT.
An association study revealed substantial effects of dominance, epistasis and substance dependence co‐morbidity on alcohol dependence symptom count
Authors: Chen Gang , Zhang Futao , Xue Wenda , Wu Ruyan , Xu Haiming , Wang Kesheng , Zhu Jun
Published: May 2016

Alcohol dependence is a complex disease involving polygenes, environment and their interactions. Inadequate consideration of these interactions may have hampered the progress on genome‐wide association studies of alcohol dependence. By using the dataset of the Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment with 3838 subjects, we conducted a genome‐wide association studies of alcohol dependence symptom count (ADSC) with a full genetic model considering additive, dominance, epistasis and their interactions with ethnicity, as well as conditions of co‐morbid substance dependence. Twenty quantitative trait single nucleotide polymorphisms (QTSs) showed highly significant associations with ADSC, including four previously reported genes (ADH1C, PKNOX2, CPE and KCNB2) and the reported intergenic rs1363605, supporting the overall validity of the analysis. Two QTSs within or near ADH1C showed very strong association in a dominance inheritance mode and increased the phenotype value of ADSC when the effect of co‐morbid opiate or marijuana dependence was controlled. Highly significant association was also identified in variants within four novel genes (RGS6, FMN1, NRM and BPTF), two non‐coding RNA and two epistasis loci. QTS rs7616413, located near PTPRG encoding a protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor, interacted with rs10090742 within ANGPT1 encoding a protein tyrosine phosphatase in an additive × additive or dominance × additive manner. The detected QTSs contributed to about 20 percent of total heritability, in which dominance and epistasis effects accounted for over 50 percent. These results demonstrated that perturbations arising from gene–gene interaction and conditions of co‐morbidity substantially influence the genetic architecture of complex trait.
Agricultural Subsidies and Farm Consolidation
Authors: Bruckner Traci
Published: May 2016

Although agricultural subsidies were begun during the New Deal to provide enough income to enable farmers to continue operating, their net effect has been to raise the price of farmland and to squeeze many owner‐operated farms out of existence, leaving mostly large‐scale operations that are often tied to agribusiness. Numerous efforts have been made, with limited success, to mitigate this problem by limiting the subsidy to small or mid‐size farm operations. The 2014 farm bill, adopted by the U.S. Congress, made the situation worse. Rather than imposing stricter limits on subsidies to the largest farms, the legislation removed existing limits, ended direct payments, and increased subsidies for insurance against crop losses and income risk. The new law not only provides a windfall to owners of very large farms, it also encourages plowing of fragile soils, since the risks of crop failure are now borne primarily by taxpayers. The article concludes by offering recommendations about how to correct these problems
The Middle Way: The National Catholic Rural Life Conference and Rural Issues in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Authors: Bovée David S.
Published: May 2016

This article explains how the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (NCRLC), from its founding in 1923 to the present, applied basic Catholic principles in response to a succession of changes in American rural society. In doing so, it proposed a middle way between capitalism and socialism and between the Democratic and Republican parties. In the 1920s, the Reverend Edwin V. O'Hara founded the NCRLC mainly to bolster the demographically weak rural Church. In the 1930s, the NCRLC turned to economic concerns in response to the Great Depression. It supported many New Deal programs that helped farmers as well as cooperatives and a “back‐to‐the‐land” movement. The Conference consistently supported the family farm as the basic institution of a morally and economically sound rural society. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Conference entered the realm of international affairs under Monsignor Luigi G. Ligutti and addressed problems of world hunger, land reform, and underdeveloped countries. Under Monsignor Edward W. O'Rourke, who became director in 1960, the NCRLC joined in the movement for social justice and campaigned for the rights of the rural poor and migrant farm workers. Starting around 1970, the Conference became increasingly interested in environmental and energy issues. The NCRLC is in harmony with the 21st‐century pope, Francis, on rural and ecological issues.
Comparability and reproducibility of adult male anogenital distance measurements for two different methods
Authors: Mendiola J. , Oñate‐Celdrán J. , Samper‐Mateo P. , Arense‐Gonzalo J. J. , Torres‐Roca M. , Sánchez‐Rodríguez C. , García‐Escudero D. , Fontana‐Compiano L. O. , Eisenberg M. L. , Swan S. H. , Torres‐Cantero A. M.
Published: May 2016

The distance from the genitals to the anus, anogenital distance, reflects androgen concentration during prenatal development in mammals. The use of anogenital distance in human studies is still very limited and the quality and consistency of measurements is an important methodological issue. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and reproducibility of adult male anogenital distance measurements by two different methods. All men were attending an outpatient clinic at a university hospital and underwent an andrological examination and completed a brief questionnaire. Two variants of anogenital distance [from the anus to the posterior base of the scrotum (AGDAS) and to the cephalad insertion of the penis (AGDAP)] by two methods (lithotomy or frog‐legged position) were assessed in 70 men. Within and between coefficient of variations, intra‐class correlation coefficients, two‐way repeated‐measures analysis of variance, and scatter and Bland–Altman plots were calculated. The two methods produced similar values for AGDAP but different estimates for AGDAS. Nonetheless, the overall agreement (ICC ≥ 0.80) was acceptable for both measures. Therefore, both methods are internally consistent and adequate for epidemiological studies, and may be used depending on the available medical resources, clinical setting, and populations.
Efficacy of photodynamic therapy in steroid‐associated chronic central serous chorioretinopathy: a case–control study
Authors: Breukink Myrte B. , Mohabati Danial , van Dijk Elon H. C. , den Hollander Anneke I. , de Jong Eiko K. , Dijkman Greet , Keunen Jan E. E. , Hoyng Carel B. , Boon Camiel J. F.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

To investigate whether patients who developed chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (cCSC) in association with corticosteroid treatment respond differently to photodynamic therapy (PDT) as compared to patients who have not used corticosteroids.

Methods

Clinical evaluation included visual acuity (VA), fundoscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography. The main outcome measure was a complete resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF) on OCT after PDT.

Results

One hundred and twenty‐three eyes (117 patients), including 35 steroid‐associated cases (29%), who received PDT treatment with reduced settings for active cCSC were included. Complete resolution of SRF on OCT was seen in 69% of the steroid‐associated cases and in 50% of the controls after PDT treatment (p = 0.062). At the final follow‐up moment, 74% of the cases had a complete resolution of SRF compared to 60% in the control group (p = 0.142). The VA at the first visit after therapy showed an increase in both groups (mean VA before treatment; cases: 69 ± 14 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters, controls: 74 ± 13 ETDRS letters, mean VA first visit after treatment; cases: 76 ± 13 ETDRS letters, controls: 75 ± 13 ETDRS letters). No significant differences were seen in response to PDT between the patients who continued corticosteroid treatment and those who ceased the use of corticosteroids.

Conclusions

Photodynamic therapy appears to be equally effective in patients suffering from steroid‐associated cCSC as compared to patients with cCSC who do not use corticosteroids. Continuation of corticosteroids at the time of PDT treatment does not seem to adversely affect PDT response.
Using humorous images to lighten the learning experience through questioning in class
Authors: Huang Yueh‐Min , Liu Ming‐Chi , Lai Chia‐Hung , Liu Chia‐Ju
Published: May 2016

Teachers often use in‐class questions to examine the level of understanding of their students, while these also enable students to reorganize their acquired knowledge. However, previous studies have shown that students may resist being questioned because of negative emotions. Therefore, this paper proposes the idea of eliciting positive emotions by showing students funny images to reward them for providing correct answers. Three studies were conducted with different courses, using either a video lecture or classroom lecture. The results of Study 1 indicated that 22 learners who watched 10 financial literacy video segments and were rewarded with funny images tended to have more positive emotions, an upward trend in their attention levels, and greater test scores as compared to the other 22 learners watching the same videos who received no rewards. Studies 2 and 3 were conducted in the data structure and computer networks courses, respectively. With regard to affective states, the 52 students in the two courses gained more learning confidence in classes that providing the amusing stimuli as compared to those without such rewards. However, only students in the computer networks course had higher test scores on their mid‐term exams when answering rewarded questions compared to when they answered those questions without rewards, although this was not found with the students in the data structure course. The findings suggest that rewarding students with amusing stimuli can enhance students’ affective states, even though this instructional strategy does not lead to higher learning performance all the time.
Histopathologic and mutational analysis of a case of blue nevus‐like melanoma
Authors: Dai Julia , Tetzlaff Michael T. , Schuchter Lynn M. , Elder David E. , Elenitsas Rosalie
Published: May 2016

Blue nevi are a heterogeneous group of dermal melanocytic proliferations that share a common clinical appearance but remain controversial in their histopathologic and biologic distinction. While common blue nevi and cellular blue nevi are well‐defined entities that are classified without significant controversy, the distinction between atypical cellular blue nevi and blue nevus‐like melanoma remains diagnostically challenging. We report a case of a 46‐year‐old female with recurrent blue nevus‐like melanoma of the scalp with liver metastases; mutational analysis showed GNA11 Q209L and BAP1 Q393 mutations. To our knowledge, this is the first case of blue nevus‐like melanoma with GNA11 and BAP1 mutations. These particular mutations and the predilection for liver metastases in our patient's case underscore a fundamental biological relationship between blue nevi and uveal melanoma and suggest the two entities may prove amenable to similar diagnostic and prognostic testing and targeted therapies
β‐cell specific T‐lymphocyte response has a distinct inflammatory phenotype in children with Type 1 diabetes compared with adults
Authors: Arif S. , Gibson V. B. , Nguyen V. , Bingley P. J. , Todd J. A. , Guy C. , Dunger D. B. , Dayan C. M. , Powrie J. , Lorenc A. , Peakman M.
Published: May 2016

Aim

To examine the hypothesis that the quality, magnitude and breadth of helper T‐lymphocyte responses to β cells differ in Type 1 diabetes according to diagnosis in childhood or adulthood.

Methods

We studied helper T‐lymphocyte reactivity against β‐cell autoantigens by measuring production of the pro‐inflammatory cytokine interferon‐γ and the anti‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin‐10, using enzyme‐linked immunospot assays in 61 people with Type 1 diabetes (within 3 months of diagnosis, positive for HLA DRB1*0301 and/or *0401), of whom 33 were children/adolescents, and a further 91 were unaffected siblings.

Results

Interferon‐γ responses were significantly more frequent in children with Type 1 diabetes compared with adults (85 vs 61%; P = 0.04). Insulin and proinsulin peptides were preferentially targeted in children (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.04, respectively) and the breadth of the interferon‐γ response was also greater, with 70% of children having an interferon‐γ response to three or more peptides compared with 14% of adults (P < 0.0001). Islet β‐cell antigen‐specific interleukin‐10 responses were similar in children and adults in terms of frequency, breadth and magnitude, with the exception of responses to glutamic acid decarboxylase 65, which were significantly less frequent in adults.

Conclusions

At diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, pro‐inflammatory autoreactivity is significantly more prevalent, focuses on a wider range of targets, and is more focused on insulin/proinsulin in children than adults. We interpret this as indicating a more aggressive immunological response in the younger age group that is especially characterized by loss of tolerance to proinsulin. These findings highlight the existence of age‐related heterogeneity in Type 1 diabetes pathogenesis that could have relevance to the development of immune‐based therapies.
Risk factors and consequences of decreased kidney function in nursing home residents: A longitudinal study
Authors: Bolmsjö Beata Borgström , Mölstad Sigvard , Gallagher Martin , Chalmers John , Östgren Carl Johan , Midlöv Patrik
Published: May 2016

Aim

The aim of the present study was to study the renal function and the relationship of deterioration in renal function with major outcomes in elderly nursing home residents. A second aim was to compare the internationally recommended formulae for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) consisting of both creatinine and cystatin C in a nursing home population.

Methods

A total of 429 patients from 11 nursing homes were included during 2008–2011. GFR was estimated, from formulae based on both creatinine and cystatin C, at baseline and after 1 and 2 years. The patients were divided into groups based on chronic kidney disease level, and comparisons were made for mortality, morbidity, the use of medications and between the different formulae for eGFR.

Results

Survival was lower in the groups with lower renal function. Over 60% of the residents had impaired renal function. Those with impaired renal function were older, had a higher number of medications and a higher prevalence of heart failure. Higher number of medications was associated with a greater risk of rapid decline in renal function with an odds ratio of 1.2 (95% confidence interval 1.06–1.36, P = 0.003). The compared eGFR formulae based on both cystatin C and creatinine were in excellent concordance with each other.

Conclusions

Decreased renal function was associated with increased mortality. A majority of nursing home residents had declining renal function, which should be considered when prescribing medications. The more medications, the higher the risk for rapidly declining renal function. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 791–797.
A randomized clinical trial comparing plaque removal efficacy of an oscillating–rotating power toothbrush to a manual toothbrush by multiple examiners
Authors: Kurtz B , Reise M , Klukowska M , Grender JM , Timm H , Sigusch BW
Published: May 2016

Objective

To determine whether multiple examiners can demonstrate consistent plaque removal advantages for an oscillating–rotating power toothbrush versus a manual toothbrush.

Methods

This was a replicate‐use, single brushing, examiner‐blind, randomized, two‐treatment, four‐period crossover clinical trial involving four examiners. Subjects were randomized to one of four treatment sequences involving two toothbrushes: an oscillating–rotating power toothbrush or a manual toothbrush. At each of the four visits, subjects arrived having abstained from oral hygiene for 24 h prior, and brushed with their assigned toothbrush and a marketed fluoride dentifrice under supervision unaided by a mirror. Plaque was assessed by each examiner using the Turesky‐Modified Quigley–Hein Plaque Index at each study period before and after brushing. Data was analysed separately for each examiner using the analysis of covariance for crossover design.

Results

Ninety‐five subjects between the ages of 18 and 70 met the entrance criteria and were enrolled in the study. Eighty‐seven subjects completed all four periods of the study. Both brushes delivered a significant plaque reduction when compared to baseline. Significant treatment differences were observed for all four examiners – ranging from 0.10 to 0.16 – in favor of the oscillating–rotating brush (P < 0.001). There were no adverse events reported or observed for either brush.

Conclusions

All four examiners demonstrated the power toothbrush removed significantly more plaque after a single brushing than the standard manual toothbrush. Both brushes were well tolerated.
CITIES, WAGES, AND THE URBAN HIERARCHY
Authors: Soto Juan , Paredes Dusan
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we estimate the size of the wage premium necessary to compensate for remoteness incurred by workers compared to the city size productivity effects. We construct five urban hierarchy tiers for cities in Chile based on their level of remoteness from the urban system. We then contrast the effect generated by these variables on worker wages. We report a positive gradient of wages the higher the size of the urban tier and a loss in wages that can reach 35 percent for more remote cities.
Multigene analyses resolve early diverging lineages in the Rhodymeniophycidae (Florideophyceae, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Saunders Gary W. , Filloramo Gina , Dixon Kyatt , Le Gall Line , Maggs Christine A. , Kraft Gerald T.
Published: May 2016

Multigene phylogenetic analyses were directed at resolving the earliest divergences in the red algal subclass Rhodymeniophycidae. The inclusion of key taxa (new to science and/or previously lacking molecular data), additional sequence data (SSU, LSU, EF2, rbcL, COI‐5P), and phylogenetic analyses removing the most variable sites (site stripping) have provided resolution for the first time at these deep nodes. The earliest diverging lineage within the subclass was the enigmatic Catenellopsis oligarthra from New Zealand (Catenellopsidaceae), which is here placed in the Catenellopsidales ord. nov. In our analyses, Atractophora hypnoides was not allied with the other included Bonnemaisoniales, but resolved as sister to the Peyssonneliales, and is here assigned to Atractophoraceae fam. nov. in the Atractophorales ord. nov. Inclusion of Acrothesaurum gemellifilum gen. et sp. nov. from Tasmania has greatly improved our understanding of the Acrosymphytales, to which we assign three families, the Acrosymphytaceae, Acrothesauraceae fam. nov. and Schimmelmanniaceae fam. nov.
Neuroblastoma‐like schwannoma of the skull base: an enigmatic peripheral nerve sheath tumor variant
Authors: Kaur Kavneet , Kakkar Aanchal , Binyaram  , Suri Vaishali , Garg Ajay , Sharma Suresh C , Sharma Bhawani Shankar , Sarkar Chitra , Sharma Mehar Chand
Published: May 2016

Neuroblastoma‐like schwannoma is an extremely rare histological variant of schwannoma, which histologically mimics a malignant small round cell tumor. Only 19 cases have been reported in the literature to date. We report a case of this tumor located at the skull base in a 44‐year‐old woman who presented with symptoms of right‐sided earache and hearing loss. MRI revealed a large, lobulated, extra‐axial mass measuring 8.8 cm × 3.6 cm × 4.2 cm in the floor of the middle and posterior cranial fossa. Microscopic examination revealed a perplexing histopathology with peculiar collagenous rosettes. Differential diagnoses included a broad range of benign and malignant tumors. Typical schwannoma seldom poses a difficulty in diagnosis; however, this unusual variant is a diagnostic challenge which requires an extensive clinico‐radiological correlation and immunohistochemical work‐up. Hence, knowledge of this entity is a must to avoid erroneous diagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
The impact of abuse and mood on bowel symptoms and health‐related quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Authors: Kanuri N. , Cassell B. , Bruce S. E. , White K. S. , Gott B. M. , Gyawali C. P. , Sayuk G. S.
Published: May 2016

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common abdominal pain disorder without an organic explanation. Abuse histories (physical, sexual, emotional) are prevalent in IBS. While abuse relates to mood disorders (depression and anxiety) also common in IBS, the influence of abuse on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and its independence from psychological symptom comorbidity has not been studied.

Methods

Consecutive GI outpatients completed the ROME III Research Diagnostic Questionnaire and questionnaires on trauma (Life‐Stress Questionnaire), mood (Beck Depression/Anxiety Inventories), somatic symptoms (PHQ‐12), and HRQOL (SF‐36). Current GI symptom severity and bother were assessed using 10‐cm Visual Analog Scales.

Key Results

272 ROME‐defined IBS (47.6 ± 0.9 years, 81% female) and 246 non‐FGID (51.6 ± 1.0 years, 65% female) subjects participated. IBS patients reported greater rates of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse (p < 0.006 each), and higher depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms (p < 0.001). Greater bowel symptom bother (7.4 ± 0.2 vs 6.7 ± 0.2, p = 0.040), severity (7.7 ± 0.2 vs 6.5 ± 0.2, p < 0.001), recent symptomatic days (9.8 ± 0.4 vs 8.5 ± 0.3, p = 0.02), and poorer HRQOL (40.9 ± 2.3 vs 55.5 ± 1.7, p < 0.001) were noted in IBS with abuse. Abuse effects were additive, with greater IBS symptom severity and poorer HRQOL noted in cases with multiple forms of abuse. Mediation analyses suggested that abuse effects on GI symptoms and HRQOL were partially mediated by mood.

Conclusions & Inferences

Abuse experiences common among IBS sufferers are associated with reports of greater GI symptoms and poorer HRQOL, particularly in those with multiple forms of abuse; this relationship may be partially mediated by concomitant mood disturbances.
Judgment, Logos, and Knowledge in Plato's Theaetetus
Authors: Thaler Naly
Published: May 2016

In this second installment on the Theaetetus, I discuss Theaetetus' second and third definitions of knowledge, namely, ‘true judgment’ and then ‘true judgment with the addition of an account’. I offer a brief description of Socrates' intricate examination of these suggestions, concentrating especially on the discussion of false judgment and that of the so‐called ‘Dream Theory’. I then proceed to map different lines of interpretation for these passages that have been offered by scholars writing in the last 40 years.
Defining Miracles: Direct vs. Indirect Causation
Authors: Luck Morgan
Published: May 2016

In this paper, a candidate necessary condition of a miracle is introduced: the direct restriction. The direct restriction holds that all miraculous effects have direct non‐natural causes.
Drinking from the Talent Pool: A Resource Endowment Theory of Human Capital and Agency Performance
Authors: Teodoro Manuel P. , Switzer David
Published: May 2016

This article advances a resource endowment theory of human capital and performance in government organizations. Building on research on human capital and firm location in business economics and task complexity in public management, the authors argue that an agency's ability to implement policy is determined both by its scale and by the human capital of the population from which it draws its employees. The authors cast labor as a factor of production in public agencies and argue that access to higher‐quality labor improves government effectiveness. The effect of human capital on performance is especially pronounced when agencies are charged with the implementation of technically complex tasks. The empirical subject is U.S. municipal water utilities’ compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Comparing records of compliance with more and less complex regulatory requirements provides evidence consistent with the general model. The findings carry important implications for public management and policy design.
A first assignment to create student buy‐in in an introductory business statistics course
Authors: Newfeld Daria
Published: May 2016

This paper presents a sample assignment to be administered after the first two weeks of an introductory business focused statistics course in order to promote student buy‐in. This assignment integrates graphical displays of data, descriptive statistics and cross‐tabulation analysis through the lens of a marketing analysis study. A marketing sample was chosen because marketing is a tangible business practice to which all students, regardless of their background, have been exposed. The purpose of the assignment is to quickly cement in the students minds both the applicability of the course material within the business world as well as their own ability to master it.
Unilateral retrobulbar hematoma following maxillary nerve block in a dog
Authors: Loughran Claire M. , Raisis Anthea L. , Haitjema Griet , Chester Zigrida
Published: May 2016

Objective

To describe the clinical findings and management of a case of retrobulbar hematoma formation secondary to performance of a maxillary nerve block in a dog.

Case Summary

An 11‐year‐old dog was presented for a routine dental procedure including dental extraction to be performed under general anesthesia. After premedication with intramuscular methadone, anesthesia was induced with intravenous alfaxalone until depth of anesthesia was sufficient to allow orotracheal intubation. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane delivered in 100% oxygen. A bilateral maxillary nerve block was performed. During administration of the left nerve block, blood was aspirated. Twenty minutes after placement of the left maxillary nerve block, exophthalmos, periorbital swelling, extensive scleral hemorrhage, and ecchymosis with a 2 × 2 cm region of moderate swelling on the palatal mucosa around the injection site were noted. These lesions were the result of retrobulbar hematoma formation following vessel puncture. Treatment included immediate creation of a drainage tract and administration of anti‐inflammatories (carprofen 2 mg/kg PO q 12 h for 7 days), broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy (cefovicin 8 mg/kg SC once), and eye drops (viscotears, 2 drops OS q 12 h for 7 days). The periorbital swelling was significantly reduced within 1 hour of drainage and had almost completely resolved 1 week later.

New or Unique Information Provided

This clinical report details the development and successful management of a unilateral retrobulbar hemorrhage following maxillary nerve block. Management of this condition requires prompt recognition and treatment to prevent permanent damage to the eye. The cornerstone of treatment is drainage, which rapidly decreases the increased intraorbital and intraocular pressure. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of this complication in the English language literature.
Non‐Typhoidal Salmonella Colonization in Chickens and Humans in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam
Authors: Trung N. V. , Carrique‐Mas J. J. , Nghia N. H. , Tu L. T. P. , Mai H. H. , Tuyen H. T. , Campbell J. , Nhung N. T. , Nhung H. N. , Minh P. V. , Chieu T. T. B. , Hieu T. Q. , Mai N. T. N. , Baker S. , Wagenaar J. A. , Hoa N. T. , Schultsz C.
Published: May 2016

Salmonellosis is a public health concern in both the developed and developing countries. Although the majority of human non‐typhoidal Salmonella enterica (NTS) cases are the result of foodborne infections or person‐to‐person transmission, NTS infections may also be acquired by environmental and occupational exposure to animals. While a considerable number of studies have investigated the presence of NTS in farm animals and meat/carcasses, very few studies have investigated the risk of NTS colonization in humans as a result of direct animal exposure. We investigated asymptomatic NTS colonization in 204 backyard chicken farms, 204 farmers and 306 matched individuals not exposed to chicken farming, in southern Vietnam. Pooled chicken faeces, collected using boot or handheld swabs on backyard chicken farms, and rectal swabs from human participants were tested. NTS colonization prevalence was 45.6%, 4.4% and 2.6% for chicken farms, farmers and unexposed individuals, respectively. Our study observed a higher prevalence of NTS colonization among chicken farmers (4.4%) compared with age‐, sex‐ and location‐ matched rural and urban individuals not exposed to chickens (2.9% and 2.0%). A total of 164 chicken NTS strains and 17 human NTS strains were isolated, and 28 serovars were identified. Salmonella Weltevreden was the predominant serovar in both chickens and humans. NTS isolates showed resistance (20–40%) against tetracycline, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole‐trimethoprim and ampicillin. Our study reflects the epidemiology of NTS colonization in chickens and humans in the Mekong delta of Vietnam and emphasizes the need of larger, preferably longitudinal studies to study the transmission dynamics of NTS between and within animal and human host populations.
ASTROBIOLOGY AND ASTROCHRISTOLOGY
Authors: Peters Ted
Published: May 2016

Astrochristology, as a subfield within the more comprehensive astrotheology, speculates on the implications of what astrobiology and related space sciences learn about our future space neighbors. Confirmation of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations living on exoplanets will force Christian theologians to decide on two issues. The first issue deals with the question: should Christians expect many incarnations, one for each inhabited exoplanet; or will the single incarnation in terrestrial history suffice? The second issue deals with the question: why is there an incarnation in the first place? Does the divine presence in the historical Jesus mark a divine attempt to fix a broken creation or does it mark a divine self‐communication that would occur with or without creation's fall into sin and death? Sorting these issues out is one task for astrochristology. My own position is to affirm both a single incarnation on Earth valid for cosmic redemption from the brokenness of creation in its present state.
ASTROTHEOLOGY: ON EXOPLANETS, CHRISTIAN CONCERNS, AND HUMAN HOPES
Authors: Losch Andreas
Published: May 2016

Are there planets beyond our solar system? What may appear quite plausible now had only been a hypothesis until about twenty years ago. The search for exoplanets is driven by the interest in the “habitable” ones among them. Could such planets one day in the far future provide resources or even shelter for humankind? Will we find one day a habitable planet that is even inhabited? These kinds of imaginative speculations drive public interest in the subject. Imagining alien intelligent life in the universe is not at all new. When Ted Peters called for establishing the field of “astrotheology,” he was certainly thinking less of historical precedents than of something analogous to the emerging field of astrobiology. Will astrotheology result in the decentering of humanity in cosmic dimensions? One could also conclude that we are alone, at least for all practical purposes.
CHANCE, NECESSITY, LOVE: AN EVOLUTIONARY THEOLOGY OF CANCER
Authors: Hummel Leonard M. , Woloschak Gayle E.
Published: May 2016

In his 1970s work Chance and Necessity, Jacques Monod provided an explanatory framework not only for the biological evolution of species, but, as has become recently apparent, for the evolutionary development of cancers. That is, contemporary oncological research has demonstrated that cancer is an evolutionary disease that develops according to the same dynamics of chance (that is, random occurrences) and necessity (that is, law‐like regularities) at work in all evolutionary phenomena. And just as various challenges are raised for religious thought by the operations of chance and necessity within biological evolution, so this particular theological question is raised by the findings of contemporary cancer science: Where is love, divine and human, within the evolutionary chance and necessity operative in all dimensions of cancer? In this article, we contribute to the dialogue in science and religion by offering the following responses to this question: (1) the thought of Arthur Peacocke to claim that divine love may be understood to be at work in, with, and under our very efforts to make theological meaning of the chance and necessity that inform the evolution of cancers; and (2) Charles Sanders Peirce's evolutionary philosophy to make this claim: that the work of scientific communities of inquiry to understand and to find better ways to cope with the disease of cancer is itself the work of divine love amid the chance and necessity of cancer.
MIND WITHIN MATTER: SCIENCE, THE OCCULT, AND THE (META)PHYSICS OF ETHER AND AKASHA
Authors: Pokazanyeva Anna
Published: May 2016

The intersection between quantum theory, metaphysical spirituality, and Indian‐inspired philosophy has an established place in speculative scientific and alternative religious communities alike. There is one term that has historically bridged these two worlds: “Akasha,” often translated as “ether.” Akasha appears both in metaphysical spiritual contexts, most often in ones influenced by Theosophy, and in the speculative scientific discourse that has historically demonstrated a strong affinity for the brand of monistic metaphysics that Indian‐derived spiritualities tend to foster. This article traces the relationship between these groups with special attention to the role of Indian concepts and terminology. More specifically, it argues that Akasha‐as‐ether comes to operate in a manner that bridges gross matter (of which the individual mind is part and parcel) with the notion of a subtle material and transpersonal mind—a version of panpsychism allowing for a coherent quantum monism.
Hedging Medical Spending Growth: An Adaptive Expectations Approach
Authors: Lieberthal Robert D.
Published: May 2016

Long-term health insurance provides consumers with protection against persistent, negative health shocks. While the stochastic rise in medical spending growth may make some health risks harder to insure, financial assets could act as a hedge for medical spending growth risk. The purpose of this research was to determine whether such hedges exist. The results of this study were two-fold. First, the asset classes with the strongest statistical evidence as hedges were bonds, not stocks. Second, any strategy to hedge medical spending growth involved shorting assets i.e. betting against the bond or stock market. Health insurers writing long-term contracts should combine the use of hedges in the bond market with of portfolio diversification, and may benefit from health policies to moderate the uncertainty of medical spending growth.
A Numerical Investigation on the Influence of Porosity on the Steady-State and Transient Thermal–Hydraulic Behavior of the PBMR
Authors: Latifi Masoumeh Sadat , Setayeshi Saeed , Starace Giuseppe , Fiorentino Maria
Published: May 2016

The thermal–hydraulic phenomena in a pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) core have been simulated under steady-state and transient conditions. The PBMR core is basically a long right circular cylinder with a fuel effective height of 11 m and a diameter of 3.7 m. It contains approximately 452,000 fuel pebbles. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model of the PBMR core has been developed to study the influence of porosity on the core performance after reactor shutdown. The developed model was carried out on a personal computer using ANSYS fluent 14.5. Several important heat transfer and fluid flow parameters have been examined under steady-state and transient conditions, including the coolant temperature, effective thermal conductivity of the pebble bed, and the decay heat. Porosity was found to have a significant influence on the coolant temperature, on the effective thermal conductivity of the pebble bed, on the decay heat, and on the required time for heat removal.
Improved Perturbative Solution of Yaroshevskii's Planetary Entry Equation
Authors: Saikia Sarag J. , Rhoads Jeffrey F. , Longuski James M.
Published: May 2016

An improved approximate analytical solution is developed for Yaroshevskii's classical planetary entry equation for the ballistic entry of a spacecraft into planetary atmospheres at circular speed. Poincaré's method of small parameters is used to solve for the altitude and flight path angle as a function of the spacecraft's speed. From this solution, other important expressions are developed including deceleration, stagnation-point heat rate, and stagnation-point integrated heat load. The accuracy of the solution is assessed via numerical integration of the exact equations of motion. The solution is also compared to the classical solutions of Yaroshevskii and Allen and Eggers. The new second-order analytical solution is more accurate than Yaroshevskii's fifth-order solution for a range of shallow (−3 deg) to steep (up to −90 deg) entry flight path angles, thereby extending the range of applicability of the solution as compared to the classical Yaroshevskii solution, which is restricted to an entry flight path of approximately −40 deg.
A Microstructure-Sensitive Model for Simulating the Impact Response of a High-Manganese Austenitic Steel
Authors: Mirzajanzadeh M. , Canadinc D.
Published: May 2016

Microstructurally informed macroscopic impact response of a high-manganese austenitic steel was modeled through incorporation of the viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) crystal plasticity model into the ansys ls-dyna nonlinear explicit finite-element (FE) frame. Voce hardening flow rule, capable of modeling plastic anisotropy in microstructures, was utilized in the VPSC crystal plasticity model to predict the micromechanical response of the material, which was calibrated based on experimentally measured quasi-static uniaxial tensile deformation response and initially measured textures. Specifically, hiring calibrated Voce parameters in VPSC, a modified material response was predicted employing local velocity gradient tensors obtained from the initial FE analyses as a new boundary condition for loading state. The updated micromechanical response of the material was then integrated into the macroscale material model by calibrating the Johnson–Cook (JC) constitutive relationship and the corresponding damage parameters. Consequently, we demonstrate the role of geometrically necessary multi-axial stress state for proper modeling of the impact response of polycrystalline metals and validate the presented approach by experimentally and numerically analyzing the deformation response of the Hadfield steel (HS) under impact loading.
A Comparative Simulation Study of the Annual Maxima and the Peaks-Over-Threshold Methods
Authors: Caires Sofia
Published: May 2016

In order to assess their relative merits in the context of the determination of metocean extremes, the annual maxima (AM) and the peaks over threshold (POT) approaches are compared in terms of their accuracy in estimating exceedance probabilities on the basis of time series with various lengths and with characteristic that mimic those of real time series, such as nonstationarity and serial dependence. Based on the results of this study, the use of the POT approach is recommended. Furthermore, the method of probability weighted moments (PWMs) is recommended for the estimation of the parameters of the generalized Pareto distribution (GPD).
Improving lung cancer prognosis assessment by incorporating synthetic minority oversampling technique and score fusion method
Authors: Yan Shiju , Qian Wei , Guan Yubao , Zheng Bin
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

This study aims to investigate the potential to improve lung cancer recurrence risk prediction performance for stage I NSCLS patients by integrating oversampling, feature selection, and score fusion techniques and develop an optimal prediction model.

Methods:

A dataset involving 94 early stage lung cancer patients was retrospectively assembled, which includes CT images, nine clinical and biological (CB) markers, and outcome of 3‐yr disease‐free survival (DFS) after surgery. Among the 94 patients, 74 remained DFS and 20 had cancer recurrence. Applying a computer‐aided detection scheme, tumors were segmented from the CT images and 35 quantitative image (QI) features were initially computed. Two normalized Gaussian radial basis function network (RBFN) based classifiers were built based on QI features and CB markers separately. To improve prediction performance, the authors applied a synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) and a BestFirst based feature selection method to optimize the classifiers and also tested fusion methods to combine QI and CB based prediction results.

Results:

Using a leave‐one‐case‐out cross‐validation (K‐fold cross‐validation) method, the computed areas under a receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were 0.716 ± 0.071 and 0.642 ± 0.061, when using the QI and CB based classifiers, respectively. By fusion of the scores generated by the two classifiers, AUC significantly increased to 0.859 ± 0.052 (p < 0.05) with an overall prediction accuracy of 89.4%.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated the feasibility of improving prediction performance by integrating SMOTE, feature selection, and score fusion techniques. Combining QI features and CB markers and performing SMOTE prior to feature selection in classifier training enabled RBFN based classifier to yield improved prediction accuracy.
Method for simulating dose reduction in digital mammography using the Anscombe transformation
Authors: Borges Lucas R. , Oliveira Helder C. R. de , Nunes Polyana F. , Bakic Predrag R. , Maidment Andrew D. A. , Vieira Marcelo A. C.
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

This work proposes an accurate method for simulating dose reduction in digital mammography starting from a clinical image acquired with a standard dose.

Methods:

The method developed in this work consists of scaling a mammogram acquired at the standard radiation dose and adding signal‐dependent noise. The algorithm accounts for specific issues relevant in digital mammography images, such as anisotropic noise, spatial variations in pixel gain, and the effect of dose reduction on the detective quantum efficiency. The scaling process takes into account the linearity of the system and the offset of the detector elements. The inserted noise is obtained by acquiring images of a flat‐field phantom at the standard radiation dose and at the simulated dose. Using the Anscombe transformation, a relationship is created between the calculated noise mask and the scaled image, resulting in a clinical mammogram with the same noise and gray level characteristics as an image acquired at the lower‐radiation dose.

Results:

The performance of the proposed algorithm was validated using real images acquired with an anthropomorphic breast phantom at four different doses, with five exposures for each dose and 256 nonoverlapping ROIs extracted from each image and with uniform images. The authors simulated lower‐dose images and compared these with the real images. The authors evaluated the similarity between the normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and power spectrum (PS) of simulated images and real images acquired with the same dose. The maximum relative error was less than 2.5% for every ROI. The added noise was also evaluated by measuring the local variance in the real and simulated images. The relative average error for the local variance was smaller than 1%.

Conclusions:

A new method is proposed for simulating dose reduction in clinical mammograms. In this method, the dependency between image noise and image signal is addressed using a novel application of the Anscombe transformation. NNPS, PS, and local noise metrics confirm that this method is capable of precisely simulating various dose reductions.
A field measurement study on the acoustic environment of primary and secondary schools in Southwestern China
Authors: Xie Hui , He Yang
Published: May 2016

A number of studies over the past 30 years have shown that the environmental and classroom noise have detrimental impacts on children’s academic performance. This paper presents the field measurement results of the acoustic environment in 15 typical primary and secondary schools in Southwestern China. RT and three different background noise levels (outdoor, indoor with and without fan) were taken into account for all the 30 classrooms (two rooms per school). Compared with UK’s schools, Chinese classrooms are normally bigger, with the average volume of 180 m3. Both RT and background levels at most of the measured schools largely exceeded the suggested values, as guided by the relevant Chinese standard. RT ranged from 0.62 s to 2.63 s, whereas the maximum background noise levels were as high as 74 dBA. A possible reason might be the lack of appropriate acoustic treatments in those selected schools.
Community noise annoyance: Connecting regression methodologies and theoretical models
Authors: Wilson D. K. , Nykaza Edward T. , Pettit Chris L. , Wayant Nicole M. , Armstrong Chandler M.
Published: May 2016

Recent statistical analyses indicate that the large, seemingly random scatter in community noise annoyance survey data results from systematic variations in noise tolerance between communities. This paper describes a simple hierarchical (or multilevel) modeling approach to community noise, which incorporates variations in tolerance among individuals, communities, and surveys. A regression methodology consistent with this hierarchical perspective, namely, that of partial pooling with a generalized linear model, is also described and applied to survey data for transportation noise. From this approach, it is shown that the “community tolerance level” (CTL) model proposed by Fidell et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130, 791–806 (2011)] is a particular case of partial pooling regression, in which it is implied that the annoyance responses of all surveyed communities are independent and grow at a fixed rate with increasing day-night level. Simulations and a meta-analysis of transportation noise annoyance studies provide strong evidence that individual- and community-level variations have distinct statistical signatures, and that the growth of annoyance is not fixed between communities.