bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymptotic generalized Fermat’s last theorem over number fields
Authors: Kara Yasemin , Ozman Ekin
Published: October 2019

Recent work of Freitas and Siksek showed that an asymptotic version of Fermat’s Last Theorem (FLT) holds for many totally real fields. This result was extended by Deconinck to the generalized Fermat equation of the form [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] are odd integers belonging to a totally real field. Later Şengün and Siksek showed that the asymptotic FLT holds over number fields assuming two standard modularity conjectures. In this work, combining their techniques, we show that the generalized Fermat’s Last Theorem (GFLT) holds over number fields asymptotically assuming the standard conjectures. We also give three results which show the existence of families of number fields on which asymptotic versions of FLT or GFLT hold. In particular, we prove that the asymptotic GFLT holds for a set of imaginary quadratic number fields of density 5/6.
The number of equivalence classes arising from partition involutions
Authors: Huh JiSun , Kim Byungchan
Published: October 2019

Involutions have played important roles in many research areas including the theory of partitions. In this paper, for various sets of partitions, we give relations between the number of equivalence classes in the set of partitions arising from an involution and the number of partitions satisfying a certain parity condition. We examine the number of equivalence classes arising from the conjugations on ordinary partitions, overpartitions, and partitions with distinct odd parts. We also consider other types of involutions on partitions into distinct parts, unimodal sequences with a unique marked peak, and partitions with distinct even parts.
In Situ Growth of MOF-Derived NaCoPO4@Carbon for Asymmetric Supercapacitive and Water Oxidation Electrocatalytic Performance
Authors: Guo Peng , Wang Zhaojie , Chen Hongyu , Ge Shaohui , Chen Chen , Wang Haowei , Zhang Jinbao , Hua Minglei , Wei Shuxian , Lu Xiaoqing
Published: October 2019

The increasing energy crisis promotes the study on novel electrode materials with high performance for supercapacitive storage and energy conversion. Transition metal phosphates have been reported as a potential candidate due to the unique coordination and corresponding electronic structure. Herein, we adopted a facile method for preparing NaCoPO4@C derived from a metal organic framework (MOF) as a bifunctional electrode. ZIF-67 was synthesized before a refluxing process with Na2HPO4 to form a precursor, which is transformed into the final product via calcination in different atmospheres. Specifically, the resultant NaCoPO4@C exhibits a high specific capacitance of 1178.7[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at a current density of 1[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] for a supercapacitor. An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) assembled with active carbon displays a high capacitance of 163.7[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at 1[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]. In addition, as an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst, the NaCoPO4@C electrode requires only 299[Formula: see text]mV to drive a current density of 10[Formula: see text]mA[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]. These results suggest that the rational design of MOF-derived NaCoPO4@C provides a variety of practical applications in electrochemical energy conversion and storage.
Role of Muscle Profile in Alzheimer’s Disease: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Moon Yeonsil , Moon Won-Jin , Kim Jin Ok , Kwon Kyoung Ja , Han Seol-Heui
Published: October 2019

Introduction: Many factors are known to affect the rate of cognitive decline; however, studies on clinical outcomes are rare. Muscle profile and their relationship to dementia trajectories have not been extensively investigated. We investigated factors that affect the rate of clinical decline and the usefulness of muscle profiles for predicting the clinical outcomes of patients with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). Objective: Sixty-nine subjects with probable AD were included and several factors that are known to affect the rate of cognitive decline were evaluated. Methods: Over a period of 3 years, each subject received an annual evaluation that included a clinical interview and an assessment of their cognitive status as measured by a clinical dementia rating-sum of boxes (CDR-SOB) score. Linear mixed-effects models were used to test for associations between each factor and the ­CDR-SOB score over time. These analyses were repeated in a multivariate linear mixed-effects model after adjusting the covariates. Results: Age, diabetes mellitus, and baseline dementia severity were identified as potential covariates that influence clinical progression. However, a subject’s muscle profile was not found to predict dementia progression. Conclusions: We expect that early screening and intervention, as well as new drugs with mechanisms of action similar to those of antidiabetic medications, will help patients with dementia maintain their clinical status.
Etoposide Combined with FLAG Salvage Therapy Is Effective in Multiple Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid leukemia
Authors: Westhus Jonas , Noppeney Richard , Schmitz Christine , Flasshove Michael , Dührsen Ulrich , Hanoun Maher
Published: October 2019

Managing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is often hampered by repeated failure to achieve complete remission as well as recurrent relapse that causes an emergent need for alternative salvage therapies. The efficacy of most salvage therapies is based on anthracycline combinations. In highly pretreated patients who are not eligible for anthracycline-based protocols therapeutic alternatives are limited. For this particular group we evaluated the efficacy and safety of fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (FLAG) in combination with etoposide (FLAG-Eto) in 36 patients. The complete remission rate (CR) was 25.7% with a median overall survival of 6 months (95% CI 4.5–7.7). The median disease-free survival for CR/CRi/MLFS (CR/CR with incomplete he­matological recovery/morphologic leukemia-free state) patients was 8 months (95% CI 0.6–15.5). The mortality rate on day 30 was 8% and increased on day 60 to 17%. Our results show meaningful anti-leukemic activity of the FLAG-Eto regimen with a moderate toxicity profile in heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory AML patients enabling consolidating allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Increase in Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Levels without Tumor Progression after Polaprezinc Administration that Induced Deep Vein Thrombosis in a Colon Cancer Patient
Authors: Naito Masahito , Torii Ryota , Hashimoto Yuki , Kawamoto Yuki , Hayashi Kenichi , Shinoda Hiroaki , Honjo Yumiko , Hiroyoshi Motoki
Published: October 2019

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a well-known tumor marker of adenocarcinoma (reference range, 37 U/mL). It can also be used, together with computed tomography, to monitor responses and resistance to chemotherapy in cancer patients. False elevation of CA 19-9 levels is often seen in conditions such as biliary tract obstruction and cholangitis. However, whether medication might induce false elevation of CA 19-9 levels has not yet been reported. A 74-year-old man was treated with third-line CPT-11 (irinotecan) plus panitumumab for stage IV cancer of the ascending colon. The patient developed chemotherapy-induced dysgeusia and was treated with polaprezinc. After polaprezinc administration, his CA 19-9 levels gradually increased from 18.9 to 1,699.4 U/mL. He developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT), although it was not associated with progressive disease or metastasis. Upon discontinuation of polaprezinc, CA 19-9 levels gradually decreased. This case demonstrates that polaprezinc may not only induce false elevation of CA 19-9 levels but also cause development of DVT induced by increased CA 19-9 levels, both of which are very rare events.
Investigating the Osteoinductive Potential of a Decellularized Xenograft Bone Substitute
Authors: Bracey Daniel N. , Jinnah Alexander H. , Willey Jeffrey S. , Seyler Thorsten M. , Hutchinson Ian D. , Whitlock Patrick W. , Smith Thomas L. , Danelson Kerry A. , Emory Cynthia L. , Kerr Bethany A.
Published: October 2019

Bone grafting is the second most common tissue transplantation procedure worldwide. One of the alternative methods for bone repair under investigation is a tissue-engineered bone substitute. An ideal property of tissue-engineered bone substitutes is osteoinductivity, defined as the ability to stimulate primitive cells to differentiate into a bone-forming lineage. In the current study, we use a decellularization and oxidation protocol to produce a porcine bone scaffold and examine whether it possesses osteoinductive potential and can be used to create a tissue-engineered bone microenvironment. The decellularization protocol was patented by our lab and consists of chemical decellularization and oxidation steps using combinations of deionized water, trypsin, antimicrobials, peracetic acid, and triton-X100. To test if the bone scaffold was a viable host, preosteoblasts were seeded and analyzed for markers of osteogenic differentiation. The osteoinductive potential was observed in vitro with similar osteogenic markers being expressed in preosteoblasts seeded on the scaffolds and demineralized bone matrix. To assess these properties in vivo, scaffolds with and without preosteoblasts preseeded were subcutaneously implanted in mice for 4 weeks. MicroCT scanning revealed 1.6-fold increased bone volume to total volume ratio and 1.4-fold increase in trabecular thickness in scaffolds after implantation. The histological analysis demonstrates new bone formation and blood vessel formation with pentachrome staining demonstrating osteogenesis and angiogenesis, respectively, within the scaffold. Furthermore, CD31+ staining confirmed the endothelial lining of the blood vessels. These results demonstrate that porcine bone maintains its osteoinductive properties after the application of a patented decellularization and oxidation protocol developed in our laboratory. Future work must be performed to definitively prove osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells, biocompatibility in large animal models, and osteoinduction/osseointegration in a relevant clinical model in vivo. The ability to create a functional bone microenvironment using decellularized xenografts will impact regenerative medicine, orthopedic reconstruction, and could be used in the research of multiple diseases.
A Way to Prеdict an Imminеnt Cardiac Arrеst on Abdominal CT Scan: About a Casе
Authors: Audi Perla , Menassa-Moussa Lina , Smayra Tarek , Aoun Noel
Published: October 2019

Imaging of a patiеnt undеrgoing cardiac arrеst is not common but thе abnormal hеmodynamics duе to thе pump failurе havе charactеristic imaging fеaturеs on CT-scan. Thе main imaging fеaturеs includе stasis and pooling of blood in thе dеpеndеnt organs of thе body, thе infеrior vеna cava, thе right rеnal vеin, thе right hеpatic vеin and thе right hеpatic parеnchyma. Knowlеdgе of thеsе signs is еssеntial in ordеr to start rеsuscitating thе patiеnt and can havе important survival implications. Wе rеport thе contrast-еnhancеd CT-scan fеaturеs of thе casе of a critically-ill patiеnt having imminеnt cardiac arrеst fеw minutеs aftеr thе еxamination.
The Effect of Video Assisted Information on Anxiety and Pain Associated with Intrauterine Device Insertion
Authors: Eriç Jule , Purut Yunus Emre , Harmancı Hatice
Published: October 2019

Introduction: Fear of procedural pain or stress may be a barrier to women accessing intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of video-assisted information on the anxiety and pain levels of patients undergoing IUD placement procedure. Methods: A total of 100 patients who underwent IUD insertion were prospectively enrolled in this observational case-control study. Study group included 50 patients who received both verbal and video-based information, while control group included 50 patients who received only verbal information regarding IUD insertion. The anxiety of the participants was measured by Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scale, both before and after the IUD insertion. State Anxiety Scale (STAI-S) was used to evaluate the current anxiety levels, and Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-T) was used to evaluate the general and stable aspects of anxiety. Pain was measured using visual analog scale (VAS) immediately after the IUD insertion procedure. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-intervention STAI-S and STAI-T scores between the study and control groups (p = 0.098 for STAI-S, p = 0.641 for STAI-T). Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference between the post-intervention STAI-S score between the groups (p = 0.381). However, pain scores measured by VAS were significantly lower in the study group when compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Video-assisted information about IUD insertion did not have a reducing effect on anxiety, but was associated with a statistically significant decrease in pain.
Association of Body Mass Index and Extreme Obesity With Long‐Term Outcomes Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Biswas Sinjini , Andrianopoulos Nick , Dinh Diem , Duffy Stephen J. , Lefkovits Jeffrey , Brennan Angela , Noaman Samer , Ajani Andrew , Clark David J. , Freeman Melanie , Oqueli Ernesto , Hiew Chin , Reid Christopher M. , Stub Dion , Chan William
Published: October 2019

Background

Previous studies have reported a protective effect of obesity compared with normal body mass index (
BMI
) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (
PCI
). However, it is unclear whether this effect extends to the extremely obese. In this large multicenter registry‐based study, we sought to examine the relationship between
BMI
and long‐term clinical outcomes following
PCI
, and in particular to evaluate the association between extreme obesity and long‐term survival after
PCI
.

Methods and Results

This cohort study included 25 413 patients who underwent
PCI
between January 1, 2005 and June 30, 2017, who were prospectively enrolled in the Melbourne Interventional Group registry. Patients were stratified by World Health Organization–defined
BMI
categories. The primary end point was National Death Index–linked mortality. The median length of follow‐up was 4.4 years (interquartile range 2.0‐7.6 years). Of the study cohort, 24.8% had normal
BMI
(18.5‐24.9 kg/m
2
), and 3.3% were extremely obese (
BMI
≥40 kg/m
2
). Patients with greater degrees of obesity were younger and included a higher proportion of diabetics (
P
<0.001). After adjustment for age and comorbidities, a J‐shaped association was observed between different
BMI
categories and adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for long‐term mortality (normal
BMI
,
HR
1.00 [ref]; overweight,
HR
0.85, 95%
CI
0.78‐0.93,
P
<0.001; mild obesity,
HR
0.85, 95%
CI
0.76‐0.94,
P
=0.002; moderate obesity,
HR
0.95, 95%
CI
0.80‐1.12,
P
=0.54; extreme obesity
HR
1.33, 95%
CI
1.07‐1.65,
P
=0.01).

Conclusions

An obesity paradox is still apparent in contemporary practice, with elevated
BMI
up to 35 kg/m
2
associated with reduced long‐term mortality after
PCI
. However, this protective effect appears not to extend to patients with extreme obesity.
Corticospinal Tract Injury Estimated From Acute Stroke Imaging Predicts Upper Extremity Motor Recovery After Stroke
Authors: Lin David J. , Cloutier Alison M. , Erler Kimberly S. , Cassidy Jessica M. , Snider Samuel B. , Ranford Jessica , Parlman Kristin , Giatsidis Fabio , Burke James F. , Schwamm Lee H. , Finklestein Seth P. , Hochberg Leigh R. , Cramer Steven C.
Published: October 2019

Background and Purpose—

Injury to the corticospinal tract (CST) has been shown to have a major effect on upper extremity motor recovery after stroke. This study aimed to examine how well CST injury, measured from neuroimaging acquired during the acute stroke workup, predicts upper extremity motor recovery.

Methods—

Patients with upper extremity weakness after ischemic stroke were assessed using the upper extremity Fugl-Meyer during the acute stroke hospitalization and again at 3-month follow-up. CST injury was quantified and compared, using 4 different methods, from images obtained as part of the stroke standard-of-care workup. Logistic and linear regression were performed using CST injury to predict ΔFugl-Meyer. Injury to primary motor and premotor cortices were included as potential modifiers of the effect of CST injury on recovery.

Results—

N=48 patients were enrolled 4.2±2.7 days poststroke and completed 3-month follow-up (median 90-day modified Rankin Scale score, 3; interquartile range, 1.5). CST injury distinguished patients who reached their recovery potential (as predicted from initial impairment) from those who did not, with area under the curve values ranging from 0.70 to 0.8. In addition, CST injury explained ≈20% of the variance in the magnitude of upper extremity recovery, even after controlling for the severity of initial impairment. Results were consistent when comparing 4 different methods of measuring CST injury. Extent of injury to primary motor and premotor cortices did not significantly influence the predictive value that CST injury had for recovery.

Conclusions—

Structural injury to the CST, as estimated from standard-of-care imaging available during the acute stroke hospitalization, is a robust way to distinguish patients who achieve their predicted recovery potential and explains a significant amount of the variance in poststroke upper extremity motor recovery.
Which Hugo? This One! Hugo de Hervorst
Authors: Berger Harald
Published: October 2019

One of the riddles of the history of late medieval philosophy is the identity of a certain Hugo who is frequently quoted in manuscripts as well as in early prints. This article offers solutions to the relevant problems, identifying the work to which these quotations refer. One of the manuscripts presents the author’s name as “Hugo de Reyss,” Reyss being identified with Rees in North-Rhine/Westphalia. A passage in that work links the author to the University of Paris. Among the Hugos documented at the University of Paris at the relevant time, Hugo de Hervorst is the most promising candidate. Hugo of Hervorst and his family had close relations to Rees. In sum, a chain of arguments leads to the identification of Hugo de Reyss as Hugo de Hervorst, whose academic and ecclesiastical careers can thus be outlined. Documented for the first time in 1372, he died in 1399.
First record of a rare copepod Lucicutia hulsemannae Markhaseva & Ferrari, 2005 (Calanoida, Lucicutiidae) for the South China Sea
Authors: Feng Y. Z. , Liu Z. S.
Published: October 2019

The calanoid copepod Lucicutia hulsemannae Markhaseva & Ferrari, 2005 has, until now, only been recorded from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, i.e., in its description as a new species. The present study now reports L. hulsemannae for the first time from the southern basin of the South China Sea (7°59.57′N 113°0.1′E), at depths of 500-800 m. The main morphological characteristics of females of this species are: (i) Cephalosome with a pair of strong, triangular, lateral protrusions; (ii) plug of genital double-somite conical in lateral view, with swollen base; (iii) second urosomal somite significantly wider and shorter than third; (iv) inner marginal seta of second exopodal segment of fifth pereiopod (P5) thin towards its tip. This finding considerably expands the reported global distribution of L. hulsemannae, at the same time updating the checklist of copepods for Chinese waters.
Person and Context
Authors: Cha Jaeseung
Published: October 2019

The way in which theology is formulated often relates to three components—texts, traditions, and contexts—each of which has its own distinctive and interactive forces to shape theology. The major conundrum affecting methodology of contemporary theology is, however, a radical shift from text and tradition to context, as if both text and tradition had been contextual and thus theology were always to be contextual. What if our contexts are oppressive and violent? On what basis can we resist such violent contextual values? Who are ‘we’ here and what does ‘resist’ imply for theological method? Reviewing various concepts of person in Max Scheler, Korean neo-Confucian scholar Dasan Cheong Yak Yong (1762–1836), and Emmanuel Levinas, this article argues that person, not as a self-sufficient subjectivity but as one interacting with others and their contexts, must be included as one of the subjects that formulates theology, along with texts, traditions, and contexts, and that interactions among the four components are the actual forces for constructing theology.
A Case Study on the Impact of Ensemble Data Assimilation with GNSS-Zenith Total Delay and Radar Data on Heavy Rainfall Prediction
Authors: Yang Shu-Chih , Huang Zih-Mao , Huang Ching-Yuang , Tsai Chih-Chien , Yeh Ta-Kang
Published: October 2019

The performance of a numerical weather prediction model using convective-scale ensemble data assimilation with ground-based global navigation satellite systems-zenith total delay (ZTD) and radar data is investigated on a heavy rainfall event that occurred in Taiwan on 10 June 2012. The assimilation of ZTD and/or radar data is performed using the framework of the WRF local ensemble transform Kalman filter with a model grid spacing of 2 km. Assimilating radar data is beneficial for predicting the rainfall intensity of this local event but produces overprediction in southern Taiwan and underprediction in central Taiwan during the first 3 h. Both errors are largely overcome by assimilating ZTD data to improve mesoconvective-scale moisture analyses. Consequently, assimilating both the ZTD and radar data show advantages in terms of the location and intensity of the heavy rainfall. Sensitivity experiments involving this event indicate that the impact of ZTD data is improved by using a broader horizontal localization scale than the convective scale used for radar data assimilation. This optimization is necessary in order to consider more fully the network density of the ZTD observations and the horizontal scale of the moisture transport by the southwesterly flow in this case.
How Social Entrepreneurs Zig-Zag Their Way to Impact at Scale
Authors: Rangan V. Kasturi , Gregg Tricia
Published: October 2019

This article provides guidance to social entrepreneurs and their funders as they seek to advance the enterprise from startup to scale. It focuses on the evolution of four social entrepreneurs and their decision-making paths as they attempt to scale their respective organizations. It then develops a framework to understand how social entrepreneurs alternate between pursuing activities to increase the scale of their work and delivering social impact in a “zig-zagging” process.
Arundhati Roy and the politics of language
Authors: Ross Michael Lawrence
Published: October 2019

This essay argues that Arundhati Roy’s inclusion of numerous Indian vernacular words and phrases in her fiction is carefully calibrated to serve the author’s activist political agenda. This is true not only of her first novel, The God of Small Things, but also of the more recent Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Both feature a Bakhtinian or dialogic interplay of linguistic modes. The earlier work poses two languages against each other: Malayalam, the primary language of Kerala, and English, the medium of narration and the preferred tongue of the prominent Ipe family. The outcome of this contest highlights the Ipes’ imprisonment within a life-denying straitjacket of outworn prejudices and conventions. In The Ministry of Utmost Happiness the linguistic terrain broadens to include several tongues of the subcontinent, along with English. Roy gives special exposure to two: Urdu and Kashmiri, to reclaim them from the oppression both of them, along with their speakers, are undergoing at the hands of the dominant Hindi-speaking majority. Tilo, a pivotal character, is enthusiastically polyglot, a trait which accords with her more general adaptability and freedom from sectarian narrowness. The other central figure, the transgender Anjum, resembles Tilo in her resistance to strict definitions of her fluid selfhood, but must endure forms of verbal as well as physical violence. Like her first novel, but on a more capacious stage, Roy’s second aims at speaking multilingual truth to monolingual power.
Nursing and training of pigs used in renal transplantation studies
Authors: Rydén Anneli , Manell Elin , Biglarnia Alireza , Hedenqvist Patricia , Strandberg Gabriel , Ley Charles , Hansson Kerstin , Nyman Görel , Jensen-Waern Marianne
Published: October 2019

The pig is commonly used in renal transplantation studies since the porcine kidney resembles the human kidney. To meet the requirements of intense caretaking and examination without stress, a 2-week socialisation and training programme was developed. Conventional cross-breed pigs ( n = 36) with high health status were trained for 15 min/day in a four-step training programme before kidney transplantation. The systematic training resulted in calm animals, which allowed for ultrasound examination, blood sampling and urine sampling without restraint. When a 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine polymer-coated jugular catheter introduced via the auricular vein was used for post-operative blood sampling, clotting was avoided. To assess renal function, urinary output was observed and creatinine and cystatin C were measured; the latter was not found to be useful in recently transplanted pigs. The results presented contribute to the 3Rs (refine, reduce, replace).
Nurses’ Barriers to Care of Ethnic Minorities: A Qualitative Systematic Review
Authors: Joo Jee Young , Liu Megan F.
Published: October 2019

Several studies have reported nurses’ challenges when caring for ethnic minority patients from diverse cultures and who have language differences. This qualitative systematic review aims to identify and describe barriers to nursing practices and to understand the common perceptions that nurses in Western countries have when providing culturally competent care to ethnic minority patients. In this review, eight qualitative, peer-reviewed studies published from 2010 to 2018 are synthesized to identify barriers to nurses’ practice with ethnic minority patients. Qualitative systematic review protocols with thematic synthesis as a methodology were employed, and five common themes were identified: communication issues; unclear, missing, or culturally inappropriate care information and resources; insufficient cultural training and education; challenging therapeutic relationships with patients; and concern about quality of care. These results suggest that future studies should explore the cost-effectiveness of cultural competency training.
In the age of the smart artificial intelligence: AI’s dual capacities for automating and informating work
Authors: Jarrahi Mohammad Hossein
Published: October 2019

Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated tidal waves, which are shaking the foundation of organizations and businesses. Even though AI is considered an unprecedented disruptive force for work automation, much can be learned from current research on the computerization of work. Drawing on the seminal work of Shoshana Zuboff, this article provides a balanced perspective on the dual affordances of AI systems for automating and informating work. Whereas AI offers unique capacities for automating cognitive work that once required high-skill workers, it may be a source of unintended consequences such as cognitive complacency or de-skilling workers. To overcome such effects, the informating capacities of AI systems can be invoked to augment work, generate a more comprehensive perspective on organization, and finally equip workers with new sets of intellectual skills.
Distance Estimation by Blindfolded Sighted Participants Using Echolocation
Authors: Maezawa Tomoki , Kawahara Jun I
Published: October 2019

Auditory perceived distance can be distorted in one’s internal representation. Thus, the present study examined whether blindfolded sighted participants could reduce the bias and preserve estimated distance for 5 to 15 s using echolocation. The participants performed a delayed reproduction task that consisted of testing sessions on 2 separate days in which the target distance was manipulated from 20 to 50 cm. Participants were blindfolded and asked to reproduce the distance of a target after a temporal delay of several seconds using click bursts produced by a loudspeaker. The testing session was preceded by a practice session that included training and feedback. The relationship between estimated and actual distances was approximated based on a power function and the over- and underestimation of the target distance on each test day. Although participants showed systematic bias in distance estimation on both days, participants changed their bias in the second session by shifting reproduced locations closer to their bodies. The accuracy and consistency of their responses improved across the 2 days. Neither accuracy nor consistency was affected by the retention intervals. These enhancements of performance might be due to improved hearing ability or calibration of internal spatial references through a practice session.
A surgical girdle postoperatively may prevent pain and tunnel infections of peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: Nilsson Christina , Sperker Wolfgang , Schien Claudia , Isaksson Malin , Stegmayr Bernd G
Published: October 2019

Aim:

When performing acute onset dialysis after insertion of catheters for peritoneal dialysis, pain exists and tunnel infections may develop. This study investigated whether patients benefit from the use of a surgical girdle and specific dressing postoperatively to prevent pain and tunnel infections.

Materials and Methods:

In 85 consecutive patients, the development of tunnel infections was followed. The patients used a surgical girdle when they were in supine position from day 1 to day 3. The peritoneal dialysis catheter was fixed in a curvature avoiding stretch in the exit. A total of 53 patients participated in a retrospective questionnaire to evaluate abdominal pain within the first 3 days after surgery either with or without girdle. A visual analogue scale from 0 to 10 was used.

Results:

In 23 patients, data on pain both with and without the girdle could be recorded. Pain was relieved more when using the girdle versus no girdle (median day 1 3.0 vs 4.0, p < 0.001, n = 30, Wilcoxon paired). The development of tunnel infections during the latest 7-year period (exposure period 1487 months) showed a total of three episodes (one every 495 months) of which one caused a subsequent peritonitis, while the other two resolved after antibiotic therapy. Peritonitis episodes appeared at a mean of 37-month interval.

Conclusion:

The use a surgical girdle for 3 days postoperatively and a fixation of the peritoneal dialysis catheter in a curved loop relieves the pain and results in few tunnel infections and subsequent episodes of peritonitis.
Regulation as Political Control: China’s First Charity Law and Its Implications for Civil Society
Authors: Spires Anthony J.
Published: October 2019

With the passage of a nationwide Charity Law in March 2016, Chinese nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) entered a new and unprecedented era of legal regulation, one that dramatically transformed the formal rules governing state–civil society relations. This article highlights problems experienced under earlier regulations and outlines the major features of the new law. Drawing on multiple focus groups and interviews with grassroots NGOs around China, the article highlights gaps between NGO leaders’ understandings of their work and several of the law’s key provisions, revealing civil society’s skepticism and pessimism about prospects for change. It concludes by considering the law’s likely implications for civil society development in China and lessons for other authoritarian states, suggesting that regulation in such regimes should be seen more properly as a tool of political control.
Entrepreneurship, economic crisis, and the role of higher education: Evidence from Greece
Authors: Bagiatis Christos , Saiti Anna , Chletsos Michael
Published: October 2019

This article, through an empirical investigation, examines (a) the attitudes toward entrepreneurship among those of a productive age, and (b) the effect of the economic and political characteristics of a country on an individual’s tendency toward entrepreneurship. An anonymous questionnaire was designed and administered to a random sample of 180 people, ranging in age from 18 to 58, in the Athens area (Attica region) during the 2015–2016 academic year. Of those issued, 100 were completed sufficiently for analysis (response rate: 55.5%). The study supports the view that entrepreneurship is a vital asset for sustainable development and that integrating entrepreneurship into the formal education system (including higher education), together with greater flexibility, consistency, and continuity in public policy, will help improve its impact.
The South Korean public’s evaluation of the mix of power generation sources: A choice experiment study
Authors: Kim Hyo-Jin , Lim Seul-Ye , Yoo Seung-Hoon
Published: October 2019

The South Korean government is pursuing an energy transition, which means a reduction in nuclear power and coal-fired power generation, and an expansion into renewable energy. This study seeks to evaluate the South Korean public’s preference for a mix of power generation sources. For this purpose, 1000 households throughout the country were randomly selected and a choice experiment survey of them was undertaken in March 2018. We considered four attributes: the ratio of nuclear power, the ratio of coal-fired generation, the ratio of natural gas-fired generation, and the ratio of renewable energy. An increase in the monthly electric bill was also considered as an attribute. The results of applying the choice experiment approach show that households were willing to accept an increase in their monthly electric bill by KRW 192 (USD 0.17) and KRW 165 (USD 0.15) for reducing the proportion of nuclear power and coal, respectively, by 1%p. They were willing to pay KRW 159 (USD 0.14) and KRW 409 (USD 0.38) for raising the ratio of natural gas and renewable energy, respectively, through an increase in the monthly electricity bill. The findings reveal that the government’s energy transition has overall support from the public.
One-step triplex reverse-transcription PCR detection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, porcine sapelovirus, and porcine sapovirus
Authors: Jiang Chunyan , He Haijian , Zhang Chaoying , Zhang Xiaoju , Han Jianfeng , Zhang Hongbing , Luo Yu , Wu Yuan , Wang Yanli , Ge Bingqian , Xu Jia
Published: October 2019

Swine diarrhea can be caused by multiple agents, including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine sapelovirus (PSV), and porcine sapovirus (SaV). We designed a one-step triplex reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) detection method including 3 pairs of primers that focused on the S1 gene of PEDV, a conserved gene of PSV, and the VP1 gene of SaV. The optimal concentrations of upstream and downstream primers in the triplex RT-PCR were 0.24 μM for PEDV, 0.15 μM for PSV, and 0.2 μM for SaV, and the optimal annealing temperature was 55.5°C. Triplex RT-PCR assessment of 402 piglet diarrhea samples was compared with conventional individual RT-PCR. Concordance rates in both tests for individual viruses were 100%, 97.6%, and 94.4% for PEDV, PSV, and SaV, respectively. PEDV, PSV, and SaV were detected in 57.2%, 10.4%, and 9.0% of the samples, respectively. The high sensitivity and specificity of this triplex RT-PCR–based detection method for PEDV, PSV, and SaV could allow rapid detection and analysis of mixed infections by these 3 viruses.
Retropalatal Cross-Sectional Area Is Predictive of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients With Syndromic Craniosynostosis
Authors: Resnick Cory M. , Middleton Jason K. , Calabrese Carly E. , Ganjawalla Karan , Padwa Bonnie L.
Published: October 2019

Objective:

There is a high rate of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with syndromic craniosynostosis (SCS). Little is known about the airway anatomy in this population. The purpose of this study is to characterize the 3 dimensional (3D) upper airway in patients with SCS with and without OSA.

Design:

This is a retrospective study of patients with SCS treated at Boston Children’s Hospital from 2000 to 2015. Patients were divided into OSA and no-OSA groups based on polysomnography. Predictor variables included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and 3D upper airway measurements. The primary outcome variable was the presence or absence of OSA. Secondary outcome variables were apnea–hypopnea index and oxygen saturation nadir. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed, and significance was set as P < .05.

Results:

There were 24 patients: 16 in the OSA group and 8 in the no-OSA group. The 2 groups did not differ significantly by age, BMI, or syndromic diagnosis. The presence of OSA was associated with a smaller minimum retropalatal cross-sectional area (minRPCSA; P < .001). In a logistic regression model controlling for age, sex, and upper airway length, minRPCSA was the primary predictor of OSA ( P ≤ .002). Receiver operating characteristic analysis determined minRPCSA = 55.3 mm2 to be the optimal diagnostic threshold for OSA, with sensitivity = 100% and specificity = 87.5% ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

A minRPCSA ≤55.3 mm2 is predictive of the presence of OSA in patients with SCS.
Destination Image, Sport Event Quality, and Behavioral Intentions: The Cases of Three World Sambo Championships
Authors: Milovanović Ivana , Matić Radenko , Alexandris Kostas , Maksimović Nebojša , Milošević Zoran , Drid Patrik
Published: October 2019

This research tested the interactions among destination image, destination quality, sport event quality, and behavioral intentions in the context of small-scale sport events. The study included elite sambo athletes (N = 350) who participated in the World Sambo Championships, which were organized in Novi Sad (Serbia) in 2017 and 2018. The destination image was measured with the affective and cognitive dimensions, while the event quality was measured with the core, tangible and supporting dimensions. The results supported the measurement and structural models. They further indicated that the core aspect of the event quality directly influences participants’ behavioral intentions, while the destination quality partially mediates the relationship between destination image and participant behavioral intentions. The event quality was shown to have a direct relationship with the development of destination loyalty. The theoretical and applied value of these results are discussed.
Loneliness, adolescence, and global mental health: Soledad and structural violence in Mexico
Authors: Jenkins Janis H. , Sanchez Giselle , Lidia Olivas-Hernández Olga
Published: October 2019

In this article, we call into question recent public health claims that loneliness is a problem of epidemic proportions. Current research on this topic is hindered by an overreliance on limited survey data and by paradigmatic imbalance that delineates the study of loneliness to psychological, cognitive, neuroendocrinological and immunological effects, social functioning, physical health, mortality, and gene effects. The article emphasizes that scientific approaches to the phenomena of loneliness are more appropriately conceived and investigated as inherently matters for social, relational, cultural, and contextual analysis of subjective experience. Studies of loneliness and possible relationships to mental health status require investigations of social, environmental, and institutional structures as well as families, peers, friends, counselors, and health providers. This article takes a step in this direction through examining the lived experience of 35 high school students and their families living under conditions of social adversity in Tijuana, B.C., Mexico, with attention to anxiety and depression. Utilizing ethnographic interviews, observations, and psychological screening tools, we provide an overview for the group and illustrate the interrelations of subjective experience and social environment through a case study. These data reveal the vital role of understandings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety from the perspectives of adolescents themselves. We conclude that future studies of loneliness are best informed by in-depth data on subjective experience in relation to social features to advance understandings within the field of global mental health and allied fields.
Avoiding Breach of Patient Confidentiality: Trial of a Smartphone Application That Enables Secure Clinical Photography and Communication
Authors: Dumestre Danielle O. , Fraulin Frankie
Published: October 2019

Background:

To evaluate a smartphone application for clinical photography that prioritizes and facilitates patient security.

Methods:

Ethics was obtained to trial the application Sharesmart. Calgary plastic surgeons/residents used the application for clinical photography and communication. Surveys gauging the application usability, incorporated consent process, and photograph storage/sharing were then sent to surgeons and patients.

Results:

Over a 1-year trial period, 16 Calgary plastic surgeons and 24 residents used the application to photograph 84 patients. Half (56%) of the patients completed the survey. The majority of patients found the applications consent process acceptable (89%) and felt their photograph was secure (89%). Half (51%) of the surgeons/residents completed the survey and would use the application as is (67%) or with modifications (33%). The consent process was felt to be superior (73%) or equivalent (23%) to participant’s prior methods and was felt to resolve issues present with current photography practices of secure transmission and storage of photographs by 100% and 95% of respondents, respectively. Perceived limitations of the application included difficulties in use with poor cellphone service or Internet, decreased speed compared to current practices, the lack of a desktop platform, video capability, and ability to transmit the photograph directly to the patient’s medical record.

Conclusions:

A smartphone clinical photography application addresses the risks of patient confidentiality breach present with current photography methods; broad implementation should be considered.
Comparative Cost-Effectiveness of Cranioplasty Implants
Authors: Binhammer Adam , Jakubowski Josie , Antonyshyn Oleh , Binhammer Paul
Published: October 2019

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to compare operative duration and total hospital costs incurred for patients undergoing elective cranioplasty with a variety of materials, including manually shaped autogenous bone graft and titanium mesh, custom patient-specific titanium mesh, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) acrylic, and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants.

Methods:

A single-centre retrospective chart review was used. Patient demographics, defect characteristics, total operative time, and length of hospital stay were obtained. Total costs were sourced from Sunnybrook and standardized to the 2014 to 2015 year. Bivariate and age-controlled multivariate analyses were performed with (n = 119) and without (n = 101) outliers.

Results:

When outliers were removed, an age-controlled analysis revealed that autogenous implants resulted in an operative time of 178 ± 37 minutes longer than manually shaped titanium implants ( P < .01). The average cost of cranioplasty was CAD$18 335 ± CAD$10 265 for manually shaped titanium implants, CAD$31 956 ± CAD$31 206 for custom patient-specific titanium implants, CAD$20 786 ± CAD$13 075 for PMMA, CAD$14 291 ± CAD$5562 for autogenous implants, and CAD$27 379 ± CAD$4945 for PEEK implants ( P = .013). When outliers were removed, cranioplasty with PMMA and PEEK incurred greater costs, CAD$4442 ± CAD$2100 and CAD$13 372 ± CAD$2728, respectively, more than manually shaped titanium implants ( P < .01).

Conclusions:

Manually shaped titanium mesh is the most cost-effective implant choice for small cranial defects. Large unknown defects and frontal paranasal sinus defects are most effectively treated with autogenous bone or titanium mesh. Despite prolonged operative duration and inpatient admission, total costs were not significantly increased. Both PMMA and PEEK implants were significantly more costly, which may be a result of higher complications necessitating reoperation.
Examining Processes of Normative Isomorphism and Influence in Scaled Change Among Higher Education Intermediary Organizations
Authors: Kezar Adrianna , Bernstein-Sierra Samantha
Published: October 2019

This study examines the Association of American Universities Undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) initiative and the ability of a national organization and its member institutions to reshape norms about the importance and value of teaching and dedicated efforts to teaching improvement. The study is framed with literature from institutional theory, meso-influence theories from organizational theory, and research on higher education intermediary organizations. Our findings suggest that Association of American Universities’ influence was a powerful motivator for institutions to alter deeply ingrained perceptions and behaviors. We organize our findings into three categories of “enactments” based on the vehicles through which an influence behavior is motivated: prioritization, social pressure, and recognition. This study was able to provide concrete descriptions for what influence can look like within national organizations that are organizational field actors.
Concordance for clonal hematopoiesis is limited in elderly twins
Authors: Fabre Margarete A. , McKerrell Thomas , Zwiebel Maximillian , Vijayabaskar M. S. , Park Naomi , Wells Philippa M. , Rad Roland , Deloukas Panagiotis , Small Kerrin , Steves Claire J. , Vassiliou George S.
Published: October 2019

Although acquisition of leukemia-associated somatic mutations by 1 or more hematopoietic stem cells is inevitable with advancing age, its consequences are highly variable, ranging from clinically silent clonal hematopoiesis (CH) to leukemic progression. To investigate the influence of heritable factors on CH, we performed deep targeted sequencing of blood DNA from 52 monozygotic (MZ) and 27 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs (aged 70-99 years). Using this highly sensitive approach, we identified CH (variant allele frequency ≥0.5%) in 62% of individuals. We did not observe higher concordance for CH within MZ twin pairs as compared with that within DZ twin pairs, or to that expected by chance. However, we did identify 2 MZ pairs in which both twins harbored identical rare somatic mutations, suggesting a shared cell of origin. Finally, in 3 MZ twin pairs harboring mutations in the same driver genes, serial blood samples taken 4 to 5 years apart showed substantial twin-to-twin variability in clonal trajectories. Our findings propose that the inherited genome does not exert a dominant influence on the behavior of adult CH and provide evidence that CH mutations may be acquired in utero.