bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Should endometriosis be managed within a chronic disease framework? An analysis of national policy documents
Authors: O'Hara Rebecca , Rowe Heather , Roufeil Louise , Fisher Jane
Published: August 2018

Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether endometriosis meets the definition for chronic disease in Australian policy documents. Methods A qualitative case study approach was used to thematically analyse the definitions contained in Australian chronic disease policy documents and technical reports. The key themes were then compared with descriptions of endometriosis in peer-reviewed literature, clinical practice guidelines and expert consensus statements. Results The search yielded 18 chronic disease documents that provided a definition or characteristics of chronic disease. The thematic analysis identified key elements of chronic diseases pertaining to onset, causation, duration, treatment, disease course and impact (individual and societal). A comparison with endometriosis descriptions indicated that endometriosis meets five of the six chronic disease key elements. Conclusion In Australia, long-term and complex conditions are managed within a chronic disease framework and include mechanisms such as chronic disease management plans (CDMPs) to assist with coordination and management of these conditions. Because endometriosis has most of the characteristics of chronic disease, it could potentially be reframed as a chronic disease in endometriosis clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements. Further, the use of CDMPs may provide a mechanism to promote individualised care and multidisciplinary management of this chronic, enigmatic and debilitating disease. What is known about the topic? In Australia, long-term complex diseases can be managed within a chronic disease framework that include mechanisms for coordinated care such as CDMPs and team care arrangements. Endometriosis is described as an inflammatory, progressive, relapsing and, for some women, debilitating condition, but is rarely described as a chronic disease in the clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements available in Australia. What does this paper add? Endometriosis shares most of the characteristics of a chronic disease so may benefit from chronic disease management systems such as CDMPs. What are the implications for practitioners? CDMPs may be a useful mechanism to coordinate and improve the effectiveness of care for women with endometriosis who experience sustained symptoms of endometriosis.
Biometric measurement of static space required by weaned piglets kept in groups of eight during 6 weeks
Authors: Fels M. , Konen K. , Hessel E. , Kemper N.
Published: August 2018

Adequate space allocation is deemed to be an important criterion for animal welfare in modern pig farming. However, it is not a simple matter to determine how much space a group of pigs needs, and precise, animal-based data about the floor area needed by the body dimensions of group-housed pigs in different weight categories are currently lacking. So as to collect biometric data on the static space of weaned pigs kept in groups and to evaluate current spatial requirements, an automatic measurement of the floor area covered by the pigs’ bodies within groups was performed. Consequently, the resulting free space in a pen, available for (non-) locomotor behaviours, was calculated. In three batches, two groups of eight piglets each were formed after weaning. Using three-dimensional cameras that recorded a piglets’ pen from top view and a software for image analysis, the exact static space of a group considering different body positions was measured and specified in square centimetres. Measurements were taken weekly for a total period of 6 weeks per batch. The area covered by the bodies of a group of eight piglets increased almost linearly with increasing average bodyweight (R
2 = 0.99, n = 1645 images). The highest mean static space was measured in Week 6 (1.54 m2, average bodyweight: 25.2 kg) when 100% of piglets were lying with less than 50% huddling. When 100% of piglets within a group were lying, more than 50% huddling reduced the mean static space to 1.4 m2 (P < 0.05). When all pigs of a group were lying, significantly more space was covered than in situations when all pigs of a group were standing (1.54 m2 vs 1.36 m2, P < 0.05). Exclusively in Week 1, when piglets were lying with more than 50% huddling, the space covered by the group was slightly reduced compared with the situation when 100% of piglets were standing. By the automatic method, realistic results on the static space of piglets kept in groups were achieved. Space requirements of the largest animals in the most space-demanding body positions should be the basis for space recommendations for nursery pigs.
Mixed community biofilms and microbially influenced corrosion
Authors: Marsili Enrico , Kjelleberg Staffan , Rice Scott A
Published: August 2018

Metals are used in most marine infrastructures for energy extraction and production. Metal corrosion is a serious concern, due to the environmental, safety, and replacement costs associated with it. Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) contributes to the overall corrosion process, through several chemical, electrochemical and biochemical mechanisms, particularly in the presence of microbial biofilms. In this short article, we discuss briefly recent advances in MIC research, comparing corrosion in single species and mixed species biofilms, and outline possible strategies for biofilm and corrosion control.
Moving beyond pragmatics
Authors: Adams Jennifer L.
Published: August 2018

For centuries, scholars have approached the study of rhetoric as a language-based method of analysis for understanding persuasion and as argumentation. However, more recently, scholars of rhetoric have expanded their focus to include images, architectures, and events. One development in this area has been “rhetoric in situ,” generally referring to studies of communication that present a richer understanding. In this chapter, I will first explore the scholarship related to the development of ethno-methodological techniques for understanding rhetoric and their relationships to linguistic pragmatics. Then, I will consider the ways that dialogue theory, as advanced by Edda Weigand, would enrich the study of rhetoric in situ, especially given their shared goals of understanding the contexts of lived experience.
Research interview as social interaction
Authors: Caronia Letizia
Published: August 2018

This chapter discusses and empirically illustrates the epistemic implications of a dialogic approach to language when used as a research tool. I analyze examples of one of the most commonly used methods in social science research, the interview, and discuss some implications of foregrounding the performative and emergent properties of dialogues occurring between the researcher and her informants. I contend that applying a dialogic view of language to the specific forms of talk used for doing research, requires a substantial change in how we conceive of scientific knowledge and what we expect from it. This is perhaps the reason why researchers often ignore contemporary linguistic theory and preserve their working tools from it: what if we consider referentiality as a dialogic, interactive achievement?
Bounded segments of interaction
Authors: Sanders Robert E. , Pomerantz Anita
Published: August 2018

This study examines naturally occurring instances of “bounded segments” of interaction. A bounded segment has a start point when interacting persons launch a task or activity, and a completion point when they reach closure. The importance of bounded segments from a dialogical perspective is that they account for the extensiveness of most interactions, and for the combination of successive action-reaction pairs into a progression from start point to completion point. In the instances we examine, the start point occurs when a participant flags a breach of a cultural norm by the other, and the end point occurs when the flagger is satisfied that the breach has been redressed, or the parties mutually give up trying to achieve an acceptable resolution.
Contextuele invloeden op de productie van /h/ in het Nederlands van Belgisch-Franstalige leerders
Authors: Fayt Charles , Heeren Willemijn
Published: August 2018

The phoneme /h/ is absent in French and its acquisition has been described as being difficult for second language learners of
Dutch, a language with /h/ in its phoneme inventory. In this study, several factors were examined that may affect the production
of /h/ by Belgian-French learners of Dutch. Specifically, the factors included in this exploratory study were (1) L1-to-L2
transfer, (2) semantic contrastiveness, (3) the monitoring of one’s speech, and (4) educational grade. L1-to-L2 transfer was
operationalized as the effect of liaison/elision contexts on /h/-production. The expectation was liaison contexts might transfer
and would therefore hinder /h/-production. Semantic contrasts in minimal pairs including an h-initial word would elicit more
/h/-productions if that word was contrasted with an empty onset than an onset (oor-hoor) filled by some other
consonant (hand-tand). If a speaker pays more attention to his/her speech in an increased-monitoring task, the
speaker is expected to produce /h/ more often, and finally it was expected that increased exposure to Dutch would result in more
correct productions.

In a cross-sectional study, students from the first, third and sixth grades of secondary education (60 in total, aged between 12
years and 19 years old) took part in two reading-aloud tasks, which were assumed to differ in the degree of speech monitoring they
require. The first task was a text, with which L1-to-L2 transfer was assessed, and the second a list of minimal pairs containing
h-onsets contrasting with either empty or filled onsets. Monitoring was assessed by comparing results between reading tasks.

Results showed that increased monitoring positively influenced the numbers of [h]s produced, but that L1-to-L2 transfer of
liaison/elision contexts did not occur. A small difference between conditions was found, but in the opposite direction. There was
large between-learner variability and no performance increase with amount of exposure from first to sixth grade. Overall,
performance left much room for improvement relative to native Dutch speakers and to the learners’ teacher. Further research is
needed to better understand the development of French-speaker learners’ production of Dutch /h/.
Bare numeral phrases in Mandarin and the Minimalist Mapping Hypothesis
Authors: Liao Wei-wen Roger
Published: August 2018

We pursue an agreement-based analysis of the bare numeral phrases in Chinese. Bare numeral phrases in Chinese often occur with theyoumarker in the preverbal position. With the marker, a bare numeral phrase obtains an individual-denoting reading, which has an existential meaning. In contrast, several syntactic environments do not need theyoumarker, and the bare numeral phrase obtains the quantity-denoting reading. In addition to the existentialyoumarker, we observe that the distributions of the two readings are correlated to the lower (root) modals (Mod) and the middle aspects (Asp). We argue that the correlation can be analyzed through syntactic feature agreement. That is, the bare numeral phrase carries an unvalued quantificational feature in the null D, and its unvalued feature is valued by the corresponding existentialyoumarker, Asp, and/or Mod heads through (multiple) agreement. We argue that the proposed feature agreement mechanism can improve upon the (Extended) Mapping Hypothesis (Diesing 1992;Tsai 1999,2001) under the Minimalist Program.
The language of Chinese Buddhism
Authors: Zhu Qingzhi , Li Bohan
Published: August 2018

This is a more detailed introduction of the language of Chinese Buddhism based on our latest research of Buddhist Chinese, which is a modern Chinese historical linguistic category applied to a form of written Chinese originated for and used in Buddhist texts, including the translations into Chinese of Indian Buddhist scriptures and all Chinese works of Buddhism composed by Chinese monks and lay Buddhists in the past. We attempt to answer in this paper the following questions: What is Buddhist Chinese? What is the main difference between Buddhist Chinese and non-Buddhist Chinese? What role did this language play in the history of Chinese language development? And what is the value of this language for the Chinese Historical Linguistics?
Data collection and analysis in developmental L2 pragmatics research
Authors: Taguchi Naoko
Published: August 2018

This chapter compares common data collection and analysis methods used in longitudinal studies in second language pragmatics. Specifically, three data collection methods used to document speech act development are compared: discourse completion tasks (written and spoken), role plays, and naturalistic recordings. I critically discuss benefits and shortcomings of these data collection methods, in response to three questions: (1) What is the nature of speech act data collected in each method?; (2) What kind of analysis is performed on the data collected?; and (3) What conclusions are drawn as evidence for speech act development? The chapter concludes with critical reflections and directions for future investigation into pragmatic development.
Data analysis and sampling
Authors: Leal Tania
Published: August 2018

This chapter addresses the construct of second-language (L2) proficiency as it pertains to L2 data analysis. In L2 studies, a common practice is to group participants into proficiency categories (i.e., groups such as ‘intermediate’ or ‘advanced’; a practice known as dichotomization). Nevertheless, I argue that, for theoretical and empirical reasons, proficiency should be analyzed as a true continuous variable. Theoretically, we conceptualize adult L2 acquisition as a continuous process driven by basic learning mechanisms that may be constrained by underlying principles. Empirically, I present evidence illustrating how creating categorical groups by carving up a continuous dependent measure is statistically inappropriate. Finally, I address the importance of sampling practices and why it is preferable to include participants from a broad proficiency spectrum.
Operationalizing variables
Authors: Edmonds Amanda , Gudmestad Aarnes
Published: August 2018

In the field of second language acquisition (SLA), the importance of and the challenges associated with data-coding decisions often go unaddressed. And yet the operationalization of variables ultimately determines our capacity to both enter into dialogue with previous research and to address new and innovative research questions. In the current chapter, we reflect on the operationalization of variables within the field of SLA, offering two concrete examples from investigations on the expression of future time in additional-language French. We demonstrate how two important independent variables – temporal distance and adverbial specification – have either been defined in numerous ways or underspecified in the literature. We then provide concrete illustrations of the impact of data-coding decisions by presenting reanalyses of these two variables using data from previously published research. We conclude with a discussion of the implications that these critical assessments of data coding have for knowledge of additional-language acquisition.
Concept-oriented analysis
Authors: Bardovi-Harlig Kathleen
Published: August 2018

This chapter reviews the basic tenets and goals of concept-oriented analysis, one type of functional analysis that documents meaning-to-form mapping in interlanguage development. It considers the benefits and challenges of an approach that has meaning, or concept, as its central construct, and explores the relation of such an approach to other approaches to research in second language acquisition (SLA) today. The chapter discusses how concepts are selected for investigation, how realizations of those concepts are identified in interlanguage, and how means of expression of those concepts are categorized and coded. The chapter also reflects on the use of the target language in this analysis, which views interlanguage as an independent system, and shows how recent studies have used a variety of resources to compare the balance of linguistic devices used in learner and native-speaker systems. The concept-oriented analysis has recently been used in combination with a variationist approach to SLA, and this is discussed in the final section, along with possible directions for future investigations.
Flexible perceptual sensitivity to acoustic and distributional cues
Authors: Cohen Clara , Kang Shinae
Published: August 2018

Pronunciation variation in many ways is systematic, yielding patterns that a canny listener can exploit in order to aid perception.
This work asks whether listeners actually do draw upon these patterns during speech perception. We focus in particular on a
phenomenon known as paradigmatic enhancement, in which suffixes are phonetically enhanced in verbs which are frequent in their
inflectional paradigms. In a set of four experiments, we found that listeners do not seem to attend to paradigmatic enhancement
patterns. They do, however, attend to the distributional properties of a verb’s inflectional paradigm when the experimental task
encourages attention to sublexical detail, as is the case with phoneme monitoring (Experiment 1a–b). When tasks require more
holistic lexical processing, as with lexical decision (Experiment 2), the effect of paradigmatic probability disappears. If
stimuli are presented in full sentences, such that the surrounding context provides richer contextual and semantic information
(Experiment 3), even otherwise robust influences like lexical frequency disappear. We propose that these findings are consistent
with a perceptual system that is flexible, and devotes processing resources to exploiting only those patterns that provide a
sufficient cognitive return on investment.
The journey of Arabic human rights testimonies, from witnesses to audiences via Amnesty International
Authors: Hawker Nancy
Published: August 2018

Within the human rights knowledge production infrastructure, information undergoes processes of entextualisation, archiving, publication, and reception. This article examines the place of testimonies – first-person accounts of suffering and/or historic events – in Amnesty International. A network of agents form around testimonies to produce them through translation from the witnesses’ languages – spoken varieties of Arabic – to the language of globalised governance – written English – and to formal written Arabic. The co-construction of meaning, in encounters between human rights researchers and witnesses, is a modern ritual that is entextualised in the genre ‘testimony’; its translations between spoken and written modes, languages and styles, are exercises in persuasive rhetoric aimed at redressing ‘testimonial injustice’. The researchers are not professional translators, yet their unselfconscious translations are constitutive of the knowledge that audiences receive. The data is based on interviews and questionnaires with Amnesty International staff, textual analysis of publications, and on focus groups and surveys.
Translation spaces
Authors: Hamaidia Lena , Methven Sarah , Woodin Jane
Published: August 2018

This article addresses the relationship between translation, intercultural communication and international development practice as encountered in the field. Through tracing parallel developments in the academic fields of translation studies and intercultural communication studies, it highlights the move from static concepts of language, nation, and culture to the fluid exchange spaces of multilingual and intercultural encounters. In-the-field examples of international development challenges are examined and discussed in the light of these theoretical shifts. We propose (a) that both fields of study can learn from each other, (b) that translation training should account for the messy intercultural spaces of contact zones, and (c) that guidance on intercultural practice be further developed to benefit those working in the field.
Interdisciplinary multilingual practices in NGOs
Authors: Moreno-Rivero Javier
Published: August 2018

Emanating from the recent sociological turn of translation studies scholarship (Wolf 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010), translation and interpreting practices in non-governmental organizations has become a field of research that imperatively requires cross-disciplinary approaches. This paper investigates multilingual initiatives carried out by the Human Rights Investigation Lab (HRIL) and Translators Without Borders (TWB) and their contribution to ensuring language access in crisis scenarios. Based on interviews with delegates from both organizations, and taking into consideration legal and sociological perspectives, it sets out a broad reflection on how translation studies research is evolving in the area of NGOs. It intends to address the caveats that can arise from both conceptual and empirical approaches in the design of future projects, as it explores the notion of discipline-specific knowledge and relevant concepts in translation training and external collaborations.
English, the Lingua Nullius of global hegemony
Authors: Phillipson Robert
Published: August 2018

Purportedly democratic states have many unjust and undemocratic features. This is also true of the management of EU affairs, including its multilingualism. These weaknesses co-articulate with an increased use of English in globalisation, neoliberalism, and greater European integration. There has been a transition from European colonisation worldwide, ostensibly justified by the Western myth of terra nullius, to worldwide penetration of American imperialism as a cultura nullius, in McDonaldisation processes in many social functions that accompany military and economic empire. English is now increasingly marketed as a necessity, as though it serves all equally well, a lingua nullius. Some European Commission initiatives accord linguicist priority to English, or argue for it as a seemingly neutral lingua franca, in effect a lingua nullius. This obscures the forces behind the power of English. Its hegemony has serious implications for speakers of other languages and their cultures. This chapter documents some of the workings of the project to establish “global English”.

The operation of the supranational EU system, and of EU-funded activities in Member States, builds on the evolution of novel forms of linguistic governance, “integration through law” (treaties), and judgments of the European Court of Justice. These not only interpret law but are teleological: they extend supranational law and the scope of the Common Market. Another example of the extension of English linguistic hegemony is the way in which the EU administration of post-conflict Bosnia has failed to achieve its goal of creating a viable state, but has served to enshrine English as a new language of power. Noble human rights aims are aspired to, but are subject to the influence of the forces behind corporate empire, a project that unites the USA and the EU. The failure to create more just societies and to substantiate deliberative democratic principles confirms the analysis of scholars who assess that “international relations” are pathologically inadequate, and that we have reached the “endtimes” of human rights. English in global and EU governance strengthens particular interests that are obscured by the myth of it as a lingua nullius. Existential language policy issues should not be consigned to the mercy of the market.
Fruit quality.
Authors: Bertin N.
Published: August 2018

This chapter focuses on the main quality traits of tomato fruits, such as fruit size or fresh weight, colour, taste, flavour, texture and nutritive value, and their underlying processes. The effects of environmental and genetic factors involved in quality variations is discussed. Some physiological disorders that may negatively impact the marketable yield are presented and an integrative approach for optimizing fruit quality is highlighted.
Investigation of microcracks on conversion film of AZ80 Mg alloy
Authors: Song Yingwei , Xu Zubin , Dong Kaihui , Shan Dayong , Han En-Hou
Published: August 2018

Chemical conversion films are widely used to improve the corrosion resistance of Mg alloys. However, abundant microcracks can be found on the surface of conversion film using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. The phosphate conversion film was dried by three methods in this study, thereafter the formation reasons of microcracks and their effect on the corrosion resistance were investigated using SEM and optical morphology observations, and electrochemical measurements. The results indicate that the conversion film dried at high temperature or vacuuming during SEM measurements can accelerate the formation of microcracks. Especially, the microcracks observed using SEM can be attributed to the effect of vacuuming instead of showing the original status. Corrosive mediums are susceptible to preferentially absorb on the microcracks, further to form localised corrosion. It is better to dry the conversion films at room temperature instead of high temperature during the actual applications.
Wheat gluten hydrolysate potently stimulates peptide-YY secretion and suppresses food intake in rats
Authors: Chen Wenya , Hira Tohru , Nakajima Shingo , Hara Hiroshi
Published: August 2018

The study was aimed to compare the satiating effect of various protein hydrolysates in rats and examine the underlying mechanism associated with the satiety hormones. Food intake and portal satiety hormone levels were measured in rats. Enteroendocrine cell-lines were employed to study the direct effect of protein hydrolysates on gut hormone secretions. The results showed that oral preload of wheat gluten hydrolysate (WGH) suppressed food intake greater and longer than other hydrolysates. The portal peptide-YY levels in WGH-treated rats at 2 h and 3 h were higher than those in control- and lactalbumin hydrolysate (LAH)-treated rats. In a distal enteroendocrine cell model, WGH more potently stimulated glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion than LAH, and the effect was largely enhanced by pepsin/pancreatin digestion of WGH. These results suggest WGH is potent in activating enteroendocrine cells to release satiety hormones leading to the prolonged suppression of food intake.
Diel patterns of zooplankton community structure in nearshore waters of different substrates off Tinggi and Sibu Islands, Malaysia, with special reference to copepods
Authors: Metillo Ephrime B. , Nishikawa Jun , Ross Othman BH , Yoshida Teruaki , Md. Yusoff Fatimah , Kuppan Perumal , Ohtsuka Susumu , Mulyadi  , Sekiguchi Hideo , Toda Tatsuki , Nishida Shuhei
Published: August 2018

The relationship between zooplankton community structure and selected environmental conditions was investigated by simultaneous two-day consecutive sampling in the waters overlying coral and sand sites off Sibu Island and a seagrass site off Tinggi Island, Johor, Malaysia. A total of 129 taxa were identified, 60 non-copepod taxa and 69 copepod species in all samples. Uni- and multi-variate analyses reveal distinct coral, sand, seagrass copepod assemblages with indicator copepod species and attributes of their size fractions. Small fraction (100–335 µm) samples contained greatest number of individuals, few rare species and were densest at onshore depths, and the opposite for large fraction (>335 µm) samples but were densest at nighttime and most species rich in the coral site at night. Higher species diversity at offshore stations is due likely to ecotonal effects of overlapping oceanic and nearshore communities. This study demonstrates the usefulness of uni- and multi-variate analyses in identifying patterns in zooplankton community structure in representative shallow tropical habitats, and the need for accurate zooplankton taxonomy, nighttime and daytime and onshore and offshore sampling, and size fractionation of samples.
In All Shapes and Colors: Varieties of Contract Farming
Authors: Bellemare Marc F , Lim Sunghun
Published: August 2018

Contract farming, wherein a processor contracts out the production of an agricultural commodity to a grower, is the first step toward more vertically coordinated—and thus more modern—agricultural value chains. As such, in principle contract farming is a necessary condition for the structural transformation of developing economies to occur. Yet contract farming is far from monolithic, and the institution takes on a variety of forms. In this article, we describe how the institution of contract farming varies in cross‐sectional data covering 1,200 households across six regions of Madagascar, half of which are growers in contract farming agreements covering a dozen different crops. In this setting, participation in contract farming has been associated with increases in income, improvements in food security, and reductions in income variability. Given those presumed effects in this setting of participation in contract farming, we then look at the correlates in our data of participation in contract farming. as well as one’s willingness to pay to participate in contract farming as a grower in an attempt to better target policies aimed at encouraging participation in contract farming.
Endocrine-Metabolic Response in Patients Undergoing Multiple Body Contouring Surgeries After Massive Weight Loss
Authors: Roxo Ana Claudia , Del Pino Roxo Carlos , Marques Ruy Garcia , Rodrigues Nadia Cristina Pinheiro , Carneiro Diego Vigna , Souto Francisco Mateus Dantas Carneiro , Nahas Fabio Xerfan
Published: August 2018

Background

The endocrine-metabolic response to trauma is directly related to its magnitude, but little is known about the adverse effects of combined surgical procedures on morbidity.

Objectives

The authors sought to evaluate risk factors by measuring the endocrine-metabolic response in patients who underwent multiple body-contouring surgeries after massive weight loss.

Methods

This prospective, randomized, interventional study included 46 massive weight loss patients who experienced a weight loss >30% of their body mass index (BMI) and were referred for body contouring surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to the control group (n = 10) or intervention group (n = 36), which in turn was divided into 3 subgroups (n = 12, each) according to BMI, surgical time, and scar length values. Blood samples were collected from all patients at different time points to assess biological stress markers.

Results

Levels of IL-6 in patients in the higher ranges of BMI and operating time and with more extensive scar length were significantly higher in the immediate postoperative period compared with baseline. Concentrations of noradrenaline were significantly higher 24 hours after surgery compared with baseline only in patients in the higher range of operating time. A higher level of IL-6 at 72 hours after surgery compared with baseline was associated with more extensive scar length. Levels of other biological stress markers did not significantly differ.

Conclusions

The combination of surgical procedures did not significantly affect the concentrations of most biological stress markers. The variable of operating time most influenced increase in plasma concentrations of stress markers.

Level of Evidence: 1
The genome of the golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata provides insight into stress tolerance and invasive adaptation
Authors: Liu Conghui , Zhang Yan , Ren Yuwei , Wang Hengchao , Li Shuqu , Jiang Fan , Yin Lijuan , Qiao Xi , Zhang Guojie , Qian Wanqiang , Liu Bo , Fan Wei
Published: August 2018

Background

The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) is a freshwater snail listed among the top 100 worst invasive species worldwide and a noted agricultural and quarantine pest that causes great economic losses. It is characterized by fast growth, strong stress tolerance, a high reproduction rate, and adaptation to a broad range of environments.

Results

Here, we used long-read sequencing to produce a 440-Mb high-quality, chromosome-level assembly of the P. canaliculata genome. In total, 50 Mb (11.4%) repeat sequences and 21,533 gene models were identified in the genome. The major findings of this study include the recent explosion of DNA/hAT-Charlie transposable elements, the expansion of the P450 gene family, and the constitution of the cellular homeostasis system, which contributes to ecological plasticity in stress adaptation. In addition, the high transcriptional levels of perivitelline genes in the ovary and albumen gland promote the function of nutrient supply and defense ability in eggs. Furthermore, the gut metagenome also contains diverse genes for food digestion and xenobiotic degradation.

Conclusions

These findings collectively provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of the ecological plasticity and high invasiveness.
Engaging hospital patients in the medication reconciliation process using tablet computers
Authors: Prey Jennifer E , Polubriaginof Fernanda , Grossman Lisa V , Masterson Creber Ruth , Tsapepas Demetra , Perotte Rimma , Qian Min , Restaino Susan , Bakken Suzanne , Hripcsak George , Efird Leigh , Underwood Joseph , Vawdrey David K
Published: August 2018

Objective

Unintentional medication discrepancies contribute to preventable adverse drug events in patients. Patient engagement in medication safety beyond verbal participation in medication reconciliation is limited. We conducted a pilot study to determine whether patients’ use of an electronic home medication review tool could improve medication safety during hospitalization.

Materials and Methods

Patients were randomized to use a toolbefore orafter hospital admission medication reconciliation to review and modify their home medication list. We assessed the quantity, potential severity, and potential harm of patients’ and clinicians’ medication changes. We also surveyed clinicians to assess the tool’s usefulness.

Results

Of 76 patients approached, 65 (86%) participated. Forty-eight (74%) made changes to their home medication list [before: 29 (81%),after: 19 (66%),p = .170].Before group participants identified 57 changes that clinicians subsequently missed on admission medication reconciliation. Thirty-nine (74%) had a significant or greater potential severity, and 19 (36%) had a greater than 50-50 chance of harm.After group patients identified 68 additional changes to their reconciled medication lists. Fifty-one (75%) had a significant or greater potential severity, and 33 (49%) had a greater than 50-50 chance of harm. Clinicians reported believing that the tool would save time, and patients would supply useful information.

Discussion

The results demonstrate a high willingness of patients to engage in medication reconciliation, and show that patients were able to identify important medication discrepancies and often changes that clinicians missed.

Conclusion

Engaging patients in admission medication reconciliation using an electronic home medication review tool may improve medication safety during hospitalization.
‘What Does the Term Refugee Mean to You?’: Perspectives from Syrian Refugee Women in Lebanon
Authors: Gissi Angela
Published: August 2018

In this article, I address the issue of ‘refugee’ denomination from the perspective of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon and argue that traditional representations of refugees shape negative interpretations of their own conditions, affect their wellbeing and constrain their abilities to move forward and build a dignified existence in exile. I identified four major areas in my respondents’ perceptions of the term refugee: loss, balancing past life and present reality, humanitarianism and host communities. Apart from voicing the views of one of the most marginalized groups in society, this article highlights the connections between refugee representations, policy making and empowerment.
Multicenter Study of Pipeline Flex for Intracranial Aneurysms
Authors: Brasiliense Leonardo B C , Aguilar-Salinas Pedro , Lopes Demetrius K , Nogueira Danilo , DeSousa Keith , Nelson Peter K , Moran Christopher J , Mazur Marcus D , Taussky Philipp , Park Min S , Dabus Guilherme , Linfante Italo , Chaudry Imran , Turner Ray D , Spiotta Alex M , Turk Aquilla S , Siddiqui Adnan H , Levy Elad I , Hopkins L Nelson , Arthur Adam S , Nickele Christopher , Gonsales Douglas , Sauvageau Eric , Hanel Ricardo A
Published: August 2018

Background

The Pipeline Flex (PED Flex; Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) was designed to facilitate deployment and navigation compared to its previous iteration to reduce the rate of technical events and complications.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the neurological morbidity and mortality rates of the PED Flex at 30 d.

Methods

Information from 9 neurovascular centers was retrospectively obtained between July 2014 and March 2016. Data included patient/aneurysm characteristics, periprocedural events, clinical, and angiographic outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of unfavorable clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] > 2).

Results

A total of 205 patients harboring 223 aneurysms were analyzed. The 30-d neurological morbidity and mortality rates were 1.9% (4/205) and 0.5% (1/205), respectively. The rate of intraprocedural events without neurological morbidity was 6.8% (14/205), consisting of intraprocedural ischemic events in 9 patients (4.5%) and hemorrhage in 5 (2.4%). Other technical events included difficulty capturing the delivery wire in 1 case (0.5%) and device migration after deployment in another case (0.5%). Favorable clinical outcome (mRS 0-2) was achieved in 186 patients (94.4%) at discharge and in 140 patients (94.5%) at 30 d. We did not find predictors of clinical outcomes on multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

The 30-d rates of neurological morbidity and mortality in this multicenter cohort using the PED Flex for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms were low, 1.9% (4/205) and 0.5% (1/205), respectively. In addition, technical events related to device deployment were also low, most likely due to the latest modifications in the delivery system.
The Difference in Surgical Site Infection Rates Between Open and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Pathology: A Retrospective Single Center Experience of 1442 Cases
Authors: Mueller Kyle , Zhao David , Johnson Osiris , Sandhu Faheem A , Voyadzis Jean-Marc
Published: August 2018

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection (SSI) in spinal surgery contributes to significant morbidity and healthcare resource utilization. Few studies have directly compared the rate of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) SSI with open surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether MIS techniques had a lower SSI rate in degenerative lumbar procedures as compared with traditional open techniques.

METHODS

A single-center, retrospective review of a prospectively collected database was queried from January 2013 to 2016 for adult patients who underwent lumbar decompression and/or instrumented fusion for which the surgical indication involved degenerative disease. The SSI rate was determined for all procedures as well as in the open and minimally invasive groups. Risk factors associated with SSI were also reviewed for each patient.

RESULTS

A total of 1442 lumbar spinal procedures were performed during this time period. Of these, there were 961 MIS and 481 open (67% vs 33%, respectively). The overall SSI rate was 1.5% (21/1442). The surgical site infection rate for MIS was less than open techniques (0.5% vs 3.3%; P = .0003). For decompression only, the infection rate for MIS and open was 0.4% vs 3.9% (P = .04), and for decompression with fusion it was 0.7% vs 2.6%, respectively (P = .68).

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates a significant 7-fold reduction in SSIs when comparing MIS with open surgery. This significance was also demonstrated with a 10-fold reduction for procedures involving decompression alone. Procedures that require fusion as well as decompression showed a trend towards a decreased infection rate that did not reach clinical significance.
Identification of Dialeurodes citri as a Vector of Citrus yellow vein clearing virus in China
Authors: Zhang Y. H. , Liu C. H. , Wang Q. , Wang Y. L. , Zhou C. Y. , Zhou Y.
Published: August 2018

In 2009, a new citrus viral disease caused by Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) was first discovered in China and now CYVCV is widely distributed in the field. CYVCV is transmissible by grafting and is spread by aphids from lemon to bean, and from bean to bean. However, until now, no vector has been shown to transmit CYVCV from citrus to citrus. In this study, after a 24-h acquisition access period (AAP), CYVCV was tested for in Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead), Panonychus citri McGregor, and Aphis citricidus (Kirkaldy) by quantitative RT-PCR. After an AAP of 48 h, groups of adults of D. citri, P. citri, and A. citricidus were given a 48 h inoculation access period on cultivar Daidai sour orange seedlings. Three, 6, and 12 months post-transmission by D. citri, CYVCV was detected in the receptor plants, and the mean incidence of infected trees was 31.9, 39.1, and 39.1%, respectively. CYVCV was not transmitted to citrus by P. citri or A. citricidus. This is the first report of the ability of D. citri to transmit CYVCV from infected to healthy citrus under laboratory conditions.
Prognostic Factors Associated With Bone Lymphoma Primarily Presenting in the Spine
Authors: Wang Yufu , Li Jing , Wei Rongzhi , Liu Chao , Nataraj Andrew , Yan Jinglong
Published: August 2018

Study Design.

Retrospective analysis.

Objective.

To determine the prognostic indicators in patients with bone lymphoma of the spine.

Summary of Background Data.

To date, prognosis for patients with spinal bone lymphoma is based on results from small series. Large population-based observational studies are lacking.

Methods.

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Registry was used to identify all patients with bone lymphoma of the spine from 1995 through 2014. Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) estimates were obtained using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared across groups using log-rank test. Association of survival with variables was assessed using Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. Nomograms were established and validated by R software.

Results.

A total of 1338 patients were identified with bone lymphoma of the spine. The trend of incidence was relative steady from 1995 to 2014. The mean and median age of diagnosis was 62.9 and 66.0 years, respectively. Men constituted a slightly greater proportion (55.5%) of the cohort. The most common subtype of lymphoma was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (59.8%). The 5- and 10-year OS rates for those patients were 60.6% and 44.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, sex, marital status, and race were sociodemographic predictors of OS and DSS. Extracompartmental invasion of tumor and stage IV of lymphoma were significantly correlated with poor OS and DSS. Patients without surgery or radiotherapy was linked to a poor OS. Both OS and DSS of patients with spinal bone lymphoma improved in 2005 to 2014 when compared to 1995 to 2004. In addition, pretreatment nomograms to predict 5- and 10-year survival were established.

Conclusion.

The findings of this study provide population-based estimates of the prognosis for patients with spinal bone lymphoma. Both sociodemographic and clinical factors may have an impact on the outcomes.

Level of Evidence: 4
Twenty-year Longitudinal Follow-up MRI Study of Asymptomatic Volunteers
Authors: Okada Eijiro , Daimon Kenshi , Fujiwara Hirokazu , Nishiwaki Yuji , Nojiri Kenya , Watanabe Masahiko , Katoh Hiroyuki , Shimizu Kentaro , Ishihama Hiroko , Fujita Nobuyuki , Tsuji Takashi , Nakamura Masaya , Matsumoto Morio , Watanabe Kota
Published: August 2018

Study Design:

A 20-year longitudinal study.

Objective:

To evaluate the long-term effect of sagittal alignment of the cervical spine on intervertebral disk degeneration in healthy asymptomatic subjects.

Summary of Background Data:

This study continues a previous 10-year longitudinal study to determine whether sagittal alignment affects disk degeneration during normal aging.

Materials and Methods:

We assessed 90 healthy subjects (30 men and 60 women) from among 497 volunteers who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and plain radiographs of the cervical spine between 1994 and 1996 (follow-up rate 18.1%). The mean age at the initial study was 35.5±13.4 years (11–65 y). We compared initial MRIs and follow-up MRIs, conducted at an average of 21.6 years after the initial study, for (1) decreased signal intensity of the intervertebral disks, (2) posterior disk protrusion, and (3) disk-space narrowing from C2–3 to C7–T1. Subjects were grouped by age at follow-up (under 40 vs. 40 y and older) and by a lordotic or nonlordotic cervical sagittal alignment at baseline. We assessed neck pain, stiff shoulders, and upper-arm numbness at follow-up, and examined associations between clinical symptoms and MRI parameters.

Results:

Progressive changes during the 20-year period included a decrease in disk signal intensity (84.4% of subjects), posterior disk protrusion (86.7%), and disk-space narrowing (17.8%). No significant association was observed between sagittal alignment and decreased disk signal intensity, posterior disk protrusion, or disk-space narrowing. Among subjects over the age of 40, progressive degenerative changes at C7–T1 were significantly more frequent in nonlordotic subjects (90.9%) compared with those with cervical lordosis (54.2%, P=0.032). The prevalence of clinical symptoms was similar in lordotic and nonlordotic subjects at follow-up.

Conclusions:

Nonlordotic cervical alignment was related to the progression of disk degeneration at C7–T1 but not other levels. Cervical alignment did not affect the development of clinical symptoms in healthy subjects.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
Clinical Application of Cultured Stratified Epithelial Sheets Grown Under Feeder or Feeder-Free Conditions for Stable Vitiligo
Authors: Li Jian , Chen Shujun , Uyama Taro , Wu Wenyu , Xu Jinhua
Published: August 2018

BACKGROUND

Autologous cultured therapy has emerged as an effective treatment for stable vitiligo. However, culture methods may include harmful agents and be unsuitable for therapeutic use in humans.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the safety and efficacy of autologous cultured epithelial sheets propagated under serum-free and feeder-free conditions for the treatment of stable vitiligo.

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients with stable vitiligo were included in this study. Keratinocytes and melanocytes from 14 patients were cultured under serum-free, feeder-free conditions (Group A). Epithelial cells from the remaining 14 patients were cultured according to Rheinward and Green's technique (Group B). Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation.

RESULTS

The epithelial sheets cultured in Group A were thinner and more fragile than Group B, but there were no significant differences in repigmentation between the 2 groups. At 12-month follow-up, in Group A, repigmentation at graft sites was classified as excellent in 9 patients and good in 2 patients. In Group B, repigmentation was excellent in 8 patients and good in 4 patients. Scars at the donor sites were the most frequent adverse events associated with the procedure.

CONCLUSION

Autologous epithelial sheet cultured in serum-free, feeder-free conditions is a safe and efficacious approach to cure stable vitiligo.