bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Treatment and Analysis of 58 Cases of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media
Authors: Wang Yan
Published: January 2016

Objective: Analyzing cause of disease and clinical performance of clinical patients with chronic suppuratie otitis media, as well as discuss the effective surgical treatment methods and post-operative nursing prevention. Methods: 58 cases of chronic suppurative otitis media patients, clinical data and follow-up results were retrospectively analyzed during March 2008 to July 2011 in our hospital, in order to investigate the treatment effect of the operation. Results: 58 cases (60 ears) patients were indicated the procedure, including 33 ears open vesssed dash forward line, and 17 ears did close type papilloma wildly improved, and 10 ears did for drum sinus and attic area open treatment. After 2 years of follow-up observation, fifty-six ears was survived, with the survival rate of 93.3%, and second perforated eardrums happened in 4 ears, accounted for 6.7%. After eight months, There were 31 ears with hearing improvement of 10‒15 dB (accounting for 51.7%), 22 ears with hearing improvement of 15‒30 dB (accounting for 36.7%), 3 ears with no hearing improvement (accounting for 5.0%), 4 ears with mild hearing loss (accounting for 6.7%); total effective rate of hearing improvement was 88.3%, and hearing ability has improved significantly statistical significance. Conclusion: According to the different patients with the disease choosing appropriate surgical method, it has a great significance to enhance the curative rate, reduce post-operative complications and recrudescent possibility.
Analysis of Operation Room in Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Radical Operation
Authors: Jie Chen
Published: January 2016

Objective: To analyze the effect of operation room combined with laparoscopic colorectal cancer radical resection, for clinical reference. Method: From July 2011 to June 2012 in our hospital, 62 cases of laparoscopic colorectal cancer radical resection as the observation group, which treated with optimize operation room nursing. In the same period, 58 patients were treated with routine nursing, and the clinical data were retrospectively analyzed, and the difference of post-operative complications and nursing satisfaction rate of the two groups were compared. Results: Compared with the control group, the incidence of post-operative complications was significantly lower in the observation group, and nursing quality satisfaction rate was higher, there was significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Quality of operation room nursing care reduces complications of laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection, improve quality of care, reduce patient’s pain, and it is worth to be promoted in operation room nursing work in the future.
Analysis of Nursing Care of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zhao Xiaoling
Published: January 2016

Objective: To investigate and improve the clinical nursing care method of acute myocardial infarction. Methods: Make a retrospective analysis of the clinical data for 69 cases of acute myocardial infarction from January 2009 to December 2012 in our hospital and summarize the clinical nursing method. Results: 63 from 69 patients are improved after being rescued and nursed through the above-mentioned method, and improvement rate was 92.0%. 5 patients were died (all of them were died from the heart failure), which the mortality is 8.0%. Wherein the complicated arrhythmia cases were 24, the complicated cardiogenic shock cases were 12, hospitalization time: 4‒17 days, and the average hospitalization time is 9.2 days. Conclusion: The strengthened nursing cooperation of acute myocardial infarction for patients may enhance clinical improvement rate and improve the prognosis.
Clinical Study on Local Application of Lidocaine in Reducing the Rate of Maternal Perineal Incision
Authors: Yin Xinhong , Xue Wenying , Song Yan
Published: January 2016

Objective: To carry out feasibility study and determine the effect of local lidocaine in reducing the rate of maternal perineal incision. Method: A retrospective study of our hospital in January 2010 January 2012, with 80 cases of local application of lidocaine after perineal side cut lying in women and in the same period were randomly selected and 100 cases of conventional guild shade side cut of mother’s surgery as control group. Results: There was no difference between the weight of the newborn and the experimental group at the time of birth. The use of local lidocaine can reduce the rate of maternal perineal incision. Besides, in experimental group it show reduce in maternal postpartum hemorrhage and incision infection, with not increase the incidence of neonatal asphyxia. Conclusion: The use of local lidocaine in reduce the rate of maternal perineal incision is a simple, safe and reliable method to reduce the pain during delivery.
Analysis of Clinical Effect of Treating Arrhythmia with Stable Heart Granules
Authors: Liu Li
Published: January 2016

Objective: To study the clinical effect on the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, and further guide the clinical treatment. Method: From January 2011 to January 2013, 100 patients with arrhythmia were randomly divided into observation group and control group with 50 cases in each group. Observation group patients given oral Stable heart granule treatment, while control group was treated with oral propafenone treatment. The therapeutic effect and adverse reactions of the two groups were observed and compared. Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was higher than control group and incidence of adverse reactions was lower than control group, the difference was statistically significant, p < 0.05. The use of stable heart particles in the treatment of arrhythmia produce significant effect. Conclusion: Clinical effect for Stable heart granule on arrhythmia was significant and should widely entrenched in clinical practice.
Analysis of Etiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Neonatal Pathological Jaundice
Authors: He Mingjie
Published: January 2016

Objectives: To investigate the causes of neonatal pathological jaundice and provide the basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Method: The clinical data of 120 cases of neonatal jaundice were analyzed retrospectively. Results: In the cause of the disease, 22 cases of neonatal asphyxia, accounting for 21, 17.50% cases of breast feeding, accounting for 13, 10.83% cases of ABO hemolytic disease, accounting for 24.17%, 8 cases of cesarean section, accounting for 6.67%, 5 cases of premature delivery, accounting for 4.17%, 6 cases of intracranial hematoma, accounting for 5%. Infection, breast feeding, neonatal asphyxia, ABO blood group incompatibility is an independent factor. 120 cases were cured and discharged. No serious sequelae and dysfunction occurred. Conclusion: To strengthen the perinatal health care, and pay attention to the prevention and treatment of risk factors, such as infection, neonatal asphyxia, and the use of appropriate breast feeding, can effectively reduce the incidence of neonatal pathological jaundice.
Clinical Study of Azithromycin in Treatment of Respiratory Tract Infections in Children
Authors: Qian Fei , Yang Ershang , Zheng Haoyuan
Published: January 2016

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of azithromycin in the treatment of respiratory tract infections in children. Method: This study was select 110 cases of respiratory tract infection in our hospital from April 2013 to December 2014 as the research object. According to the random grouping method, the children were divided into two groups, 55 cases in the control group and 55 cases in the treatment group. On the basis of conventional treatment, the control group was treated with erythromycin 15 to 30 mg/kg per day for 1 week while for the treatment group was treated with Azithromycin 10 mg/kg per day by intravenous drip, and 8 mg/kg per day was administered orally for 4 days. To observe the clinical symptoms, signs, chest X-ray and adverse reactions of two groups before and after treatment. Results: The treatment group cure rate was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05), cough and fever disappearance time is shorter than that of the control group (p < 0.05), adverse reactions occurred rate of treatment group was lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The efficacy of azithromycin in the treatment of respiratory tract infections in children is reliable, less adverse reactions and it is worthy of promotion.
I Would Have Had More Success If: Student Reflections On Their Performance In Online And Blended Courses
Authors: Lewis G. Sherrie
Published: January 2016

Anecdotal research is a common phenomenon in the study of distance education.  In an effort to review some of the factors that affect student satisfaction, an existing instrument was used to gauge learner perceptions of online interaction/communication, learning and performance, collaboration, hardware and software issues and the quality of support. According to some authors, use of samples of convenience and small study populations, the conclusions drawn by Yu and Brandenburg (2006) could not be generalized across differing student populations.  In an effort to create some generalizable conclusions regarding student perceptions, surveys contained some of Yu and Brandenburg’s (2006) inquiries on communication, interaction, perceptions of the instructor, course materials and the availability of student support services in online and blended courses. Questions on student demographic data were also included.  The purpose of this study is to examine some of the ideas associated with existing distance education research.  It was hypothesized that students would have had more success if 1) they had more time to interact with other students, 2) knew what the course expectations were prior to registration, c) they had access to a newer computer, and 4) they had administrative support.
The Effect of an In-shoe Orthotic Heel Lift on Loading of the Achilles Tendon During Shod Walking
Authors: Wulf Mathias , Wearing Scott C. , Hooper Sue L. , Bartold Simon , Reed Lloyd , Brauner Torsten
Published: January 2016

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Background

Orthotic heel lifts are thought to lower tension in the Achilles tendon, but evidence for this effect is equivocal.

Objective

To investigate the effect of a 12-mm, in-shoe orthotic heel lift on Achilles tendon loading during shod walking using transmission-mode ultrasonography.

Methods

The propagation speed of ultrasound, which is governed by the elastic modulus and density of tendon and proportional to the tensile load to which it is exposed, was measured in the right Achilles tendon of 12 recreationally active men during shod treadmill walking at matched speeds (3.4 ± 0.7 km/h), with and without addition of a heel lift. Vertical ground reaction force and spatiotemporal gait parameters were simultaneously recorded. Data were acquired at 100 Hz during 10 seconds of steady-state walking. Statistical comparisons were made using paired t tests (α = .05).

Results

Ultrasound transmission speed in the Achilles tendon was characterized by 2 maxima (P1, P2) and minima (M1, M2) during walking. Addition of a heel lift to footwear resulted in a 2% increase and 2% decrease in the first vertical ground reaction force peak and the local minimum, respectively (P<.05). Ultrasonic velocity in the Achilles tendon (P1, P2, M2) was significantly lower with the addition of an orthotic heel lift (P<.05).

Conclusion

Peak ultrasound transmission speed in the Achilles tendon was lower with the addition of a 12-mm orthotic heel lift, indicating that the heel lift reduced tensile load in the Achilles tendon, thereby counteracting the effect of footwear observed in previous studies. These findings support the addition of orthotic heel lifts to footwear in the rehabilitation of Achilles tendon disorders where management aims to lower tension within the tendon. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(2):79–86. Epub 11 Jan 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6030
Exercise and Cognitive Functioning in People With Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders: A Controlled Laboratory Study
Authors: Ickmans Kelly , Meeus Mira , De Kooning Margot , De Backer Annabelle , Kooremans Daniëlle , Hubloue Ives , Schmitz Tom , Van Loo Michel , Nijs Jo
Published: January 2016

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Background

In addition to persistent pain, people with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) commonly deal with cognitive dysfunctions. In healthy individuals, aerobic exercise has a positive effect on cognitive performance, and preliminary evidence in other chronic pain conditions reveals promising results as well. However, there is evidence that people with chronic WAD may show a worsening of the symptom complex following physical exertion.

Objective

To examine postexercise cognitive performance in people with chronic WAD.

Methods

People with chronic WAD (n = 27) and healthy, inactive, sex- and age-matched controls (n = 27) performed a single bout of an incremental submaximal cycling exercise. Before and after the exercise, participants completed 2 performance-based cognitive tests assessing selective and sustained attention, cognitive inhibition, and simple and choice reaction time.

Results

At baseline, people with chronic WAD displayed significantly lower scores on sustained attention and simple reaction time (P<.001), but not on selective attention, cognitive inhibition, and choice reaction time (P>.05), compared with healthy controls. Postexercise, both groups showed significantly improved selective attention and choice reaction time (chronic WAD, P = .001; control, P<.001), while simple reaction time significantly increased (P = .037) only in the control group. In both groups, no other significant changes in sustained attention, cognitive inhibition, pain, and fatigue were observed (P>.05).

Conclusion

In the short term, postexercise cognitive functioning, pain, and fatigue were not aggravated in people with chronic WAD. However, randomized controlled trials are required to study the longer-term and isolated effects of exercise on cognitive functioning. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(2):87–95. Epub 11 Jan 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6060
Division I College Football Concussion Rates Are Higher at Higher Altitudes
Authors: Lynall Robert C. , Kerr Zachary Y. , Parr Matthew S. , Hackney Anthony C. , Mihalik Jason P.
Published: January 2016

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Background

Participating in sports at high altitude may have a protective effect on the brain, according to research studies. Research using validated data-collection methods in a previously unexplored cohort may better estimate the association between concussion injury risk and altitude.

Objectives

To determine the association between concussion rates and altitude during college football games.

Methods

Athletic trainers from 21 Division I football programs provided exposure and injury data to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance Program (ISP) from the 2009–2010 to 2013–2014 academic years. The elevation of each stadium was determined. Concussion rates per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs) were compared in 2 ways, based on the sample of stadium elevations: (1) median split (elevation higher than 178 m or lower than 178 m), and (2) quartile split. Rate ratios (RRs), rate differences, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed.

Results

One hundred sixty-nine concussions were reported over 49 040 AEs (3.45/1000 AEs). Using the median split, the concussion rate above 178 m (RR = 4.18/1000 AEs) was 1.47 times the concussion rate below 178 m (RR = 2.84/1000 AEs; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.00; P = .01). The concussion rate at the highest altitude quartile (higher than 284 m; RR = 5.01/1000 AEs) was 1.67 times greater than the concussion rate at the lowest altitude quartile (lower than 43 m; RR = 3.00/1000 AEs; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.48; P = .01).

Conclusion

College football game concussion rates appear to increase at higher altitudes. The clinical significance of this relatively small increase is unknown. Future research should explore potential physiologic underpinnings associated with concussion risk at relatively higher and lower altitudes.

Level of Evidence

Prognosis, level 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(2):96–103. Epub 11 Jan 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6315
Mechanotransduction: Relevance to Physical Therapist Practice—Understanding Our Ability to Affect Genetic Expression Through Mechanical Forces
Authors: Dunn Sharon L. , Olmedo Margaret L.
Published: January 2016

Mechanotransduction, the mechanism by which mechanical perturbation influences genetic expression and cellular behavior, is an area of molecular biology undergoing rapid exploration and discovery. Cells are sensitive to forces such as shear, tension, and compression, and they respond accordingly through cellular proliferation, migration, tissue repair, altered metabolism, and even stem cell differentiation and maturation. The study of how cells sense and respond to mechanical stimulation is under robust expansion, with new scientific methods and technologies at our disposal. The application of these technologies to physical therapist practice may hold answers to some of our age-old questions while creating new avenues for our profession to optimize movement for societal health. Embracing this science as foundational to our profession will allow us to be valuable scientific collaborators with distinctive knowledge of the effects of loading. These partnerships will be key to augmenting the clinical utility of emerging therapies such as regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and gene therapy. Collaboration with other scientific disciplines in these endeavors, along with the inclusion and application of these discoveries in our academic programs, will enhance the understanding of the impact of our practice on biologic and genetic processes. A basic understanding of mechanotransduction and its relevance to physical therapist practice is warranted to begin the conversation.
Acrochordons and diabetes mellitus: A Case control study
Authors: Shrestha Pratistha , Poudyal Y , Rajbhandari S L
Published: January 2016

Background: Acrochordons (Skin tags) are common benign skin tumors usually occurring on the neck and major flexors of older people. These range in size from 1 mm to 1cm in diameter and are skin colored or brownish. A possible association with diabetes mellitus has been suggested in previous studies, but the result is not conclusive. Objectives: The aim of this study was to find out the association of diabetes mellitus with acrochordons. Material and Methods: One hundred and two patients were selected for the study. Among them 51 (males-23 and females-28) with acrochordons were taken as cases and 51 with other dermatologic disease after matching age and sex were taken as controls. The patients were selected from OPD of Department of Dermatology and Venereology in Universal College of Medical Sciences - Teaching Hospital (UCMS-TH). Blood glucose level including both fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour  post-glucose  load  were  determined  for  both  case  and  control  and  compared. Results: Patients with acrochordons had significantly higher frequency of diabetes than the control group (p<0.001). Total of 48.5% and 40% of patients with acrochordons having diabetes were obese and overweight respectively. Conclusion: There is an increased risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with acrochordons. With regard to the importance of early diagnosis of diabetes, it is recommended a high level of suspicion for diabetes mellitus in patients with acrochordons.NJDVL Vol. 13, No. 1, 2015 Page: 32-37
The New Prometheans: Technological Optimism in Climate Change Mitigation Modelling
Authors: Keary Michael
Published: January 2016

Technological change modelling (TCM) is quietly transforming the landscape of environmental debate. It provides a powerful new basis for technological optimism, which has long been a key battleground. The technique is at the heart of mainstream climate change mitigation policies and greatly strengthens environmentalism over ecologism. It seems to show that technological change can solve the problem. I argue that the models employ a flawed understanding of technological change and that policies based on them are a major gamble. The article aims to begin a wider debate on TCM, offering a defence of ecolo-gism rooted in the history of technology and SCOT literatures.
Aerosol Geoengineering Deployment and Fairness
Authors: Svoboda Toby
Published: January 2016

If deployed, aerosol geoengineering (AG) could involve unfairness to both present and future parties. I discuss three broad risks of unfairness that an AG deployment policy might carry: (1) causing disproportionate harm to those least responsible for climate change, (2) burdening future parties with the costs and risks of AG and (3) excluding some interested parties from contributing to AG decision-making. Yet despite these risks, it may be too hasty to reject AG deployment as a potential climate-change policy. I argue that since it is very unlikely that a completely fair climate-change policy will be pursued, we have ethical reason to prefer some ‘incompletely fair’ policy. Given various facts about our world, it might be the case that some AG policy is ethically preferable to many other feasible climate change policies, even if AG carries deeply problematic risks of unfairness.
How Much Risk Ought We to Take? Exploring the Possibilities of Risk-Sensitive Consequentialism in the Context of Climate Engineering
Authors: Stelzer Harald , Schuppert Fabian
Published: January 2016

When it comes to assessing the deontic status of acts and policies in the context of risk and uncertainty, moral theories are often at a loss. In this paper we hope to show that employing a multi-dimensional consequentialist framework provides ethical guidance for decision-making in complex situations. The paper starts by briefly rehearsing consequentialist responses to the issue of risk, as well as their shortcomings. We then go on to present our own proposal based on three dimensions: wellbeing, fairness and probability. In the last section we apply our approach to a comparison of different climate policy options, including stratospheric solar-radiation management.
Climate Engineering and the Cessation Requirement: The Ethics of a Life-Cycle
Authors: Preston Christopher J.
Published: January 2016

Much of the work on the ethics of climate engineering over the last few years has focused on the front-end of the potential timeline for climate intervention. Topics have included the initial taboo on bringing the discussion of climate engineering into the open, guidelines to put in place before commencing research, and governance arrangements before first deployment. While this work is clearly important, the current paper considers what insights can be gleaned from considering the tail-end, that is, by using the requirement for future cessation as a criterion for any acceptable climate engineering strategy. After showing that time-limited interventions are a key part of the rhetoric of leading climate engineering advocates, the paper examines the implications of imposing a ‘cessation requirement’ on solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal strategies. Consideration of a cessation requirement turns out to reveal a great deal about what ought to be happening now, before any decision to proceed with climate engineering deployment has been taken.
Star Path to a New World: Reappraising an Account of a Polynesian Voyage to the American Continent from an Environmental History Perspective
Authors: Clement Vincent
Published: January 2016

For the past two centuries, scholars from many fields have attempted to prove that Pacific Islanders reached the American continent in pre-Columbian times. Guided by DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating on items like chicken bones and sweet potatoes, recent scholarship has brought to light strong evidence to support this argument. This article contributes to this long-standing debate, focusing on the Hawaiian Song of Kualii. The most compelling feature of this particular narrative is its reference to a pre-contact voyage towards a distant land called
Kahiki
, which is allegedly located on the American continent. This study revisits the document to determine the plausibility of such a destination and to ascertain the geographic area where the explorers may have landed. After reconstructing the star path followed by the Hawaiian explorers and analysing the descriptions of the unknown land's environment, the article proves that Hawaiian explorers discovered a country vastly different from their tropical homeland. The cold climate, the unknown forest trees and the strange people inhabiting the land all appeared to them as if they belonged to another world. Comparing the key elements of the explorers' sea route to the Eastern Pacific and prevailing winds in the Late Holocene, this study concludes that the coast of Southern California was their most plausible destination.
Crisis and Opportunity: Environmental NGOs, Debt-for-Nature Swaps, and the Rise of 'People-Centred' Conservation
Authors: Macekura Stephen
Published: January 2016

This article presents a history of the rise of 'people-centred' conservation in international environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) during the global debt crisis of the early 1980s. In the mid-1980s, many NGOs embraced complicated financial arrangements called 'debt-for-nature swaps' to relieve the debt crisis and to promote environmental conservation in many developing nations. The swaps presented an opportunity for NGOs to promote environmental protection in the developing world in an era of crisis.

Yet the implementation of the swaps reveal the challenges major environmental NGOs faced in incorporating new ideas about indigenous participation into their policies. The swaps came just as many of the leading environmental NGOs embraced market-oriented solutions to conservation issues and also adopted 'people-oriented' conservation strategies. Conservationists had a troubled history with indigenous peoples, but this article reveals how, by the late 1970s, many NGOs came to view them as allies in conservation efforts. Yet NGOs struggled to reconcile their desire for indigenous participation with the institutional demands of the swaps. Two brief case studies of swaps in Bolivia and Madagascar show how institutional and political challenges undermined a successful implementation of this new participatory vision.

This article thus expands on scholarship of the relationship between environmentalists, native populations, and 'wilderness' ideology by showing how many leading environmental NGOs came to find a place for people in parks by the late twentieth century. It also highlights how the institutionalisation of the environmental movement into large NGOs both provided new opportunities to promote environmental protection and created constraints on individuals in implementing new ideas.
Past Management of Energy Demand: Promotion and Adoption of Electric Heating in Britain 1945-1964
Authors: Carlsson-Hyslop Anna
Published: January 2016

Changes in energy use have been a key part of many dramatic social, economic and environmental changes during the twentieth century and before, making energy interesting to environmental historians. Today, policy makers seek reductions in energy use and carbon emissions to mitigate climate change through demand management policies that attempt to reduce usage or shift it in time away from peak demand. To understand the impact of such policies it is necessary to understand both how they were promoted and received. This article discusses electric heating in early post-war Britain, which was seen as a particularly problematic energy use, as electric fires were used at peak times. The Electricity Development Association (EDA) tried simultaneously to reduce undesirable peak demand while encouraging increased demand more generally. In the late 1940s it advertised against peak use of electric fires, whereas in the 1950s and 1960s it instead concentrated on promoting off-peak heating appliances, first under-floor heating and then block storage heaters. I will analyse how the London County Council and its tenants adopted and adapted electric underfloor heating, illustrating the complicated way demand is made and unmade. The paper concludes that, while demand management has been attempted by the electricity industry since well before the 1970s, these attempts only had a limited effect on the overall trend towards increasing demand, in part to do with how these promotions were adopted.
Intensive cycle ergometer training improves gait speed and endurance in patients with Parkinson’s disease: A comparison with treadmill training
Authors: Arcolin Ilaria , Pisano Fabrizio , Delconte Carmen , Godi Marco , Schieppati Marco , Mezzani Alessandro , Picco Daniele , Grasso Margherita , Nardone Antonio
Published: January 2016

Purpose:

Cycle ergometer training improves gait in the elderly, but its effect in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is not completely known.

Methods:

Twenty-nine PD inpatients were randomized to treadmill ( n = 13, PD-T) or cycle ergometer ( n = 16, PD-C) training for 3 weeks, 1 hour/day. Outcome measures were distance travelled during the 6-min walking test (6MWT), spatio-temporal variables of gait assessed by baropodometry, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) duration, the balance score through the Mini-BESTest, and the score of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).

Results:

Sex, age, body mass index, disease duration, Hoehn-Yahr staging, comorbidity and medication did not differ between groups. At end of training, ANCOVA showed significant improvement, of similar degree, in both groups for 6MWT, speed, step length and cadence of gait, TUG, Mini-BESTest and UPDRS.

Conclusions:

This pilot study shows that cycle ergometer training improves walking parameters and reduces clinical signs of PD, as much as treadmill training does. Gait velocity is accompanied by step lengthening, making the gait pattern close to that of healthy subjects. Cycle ergometer is a valid alternative to treadmill for improving gait in short term in patients with PD.
Sensory feedback – Dependent neural de-orchestration: The effect of altered sensory feedback on Musician’s Dystonia
Authors: Cheng F.P.-H. , Eddy M.-L. , Ruiz M. Herrojo , Großbach M. , Altenmüller E.O.
Published: January 2016

Purpose:

Musician’s dystonia (MD) is a task-specific movement disorder related to extensive expert music performance training. Similar to other forms of focal dystonia, MD involves sensory deficits and abnormal patterns of sensorimotor integration. The present study investigated the impaired cortical sensorimotor network of pianists who suffer from MD by employing altered auditory and tactile feedback during scale playing with multichannel EEG.

Methods:

9 healthy professional pianists and 9 professional pianists suffering from right hand MD participated in an experiment that required repeated scale playing on a MIDI piano under altered sensory feedback while EEG was measured.

Results:

The comparison of EEG data in healthy pianists and pianists suffering from MD revealed a higher degree of inter-regional phase synchronisation between the frontal and parietal regions and between the temporal and central regions in the patient group and in conditions that are relevant to the long-trained auditory-motor coupling (normal auditory feedback and complete deprivation of auditory feedback), but such abnormalities decreased in conditions with delayed auditory feedback and altered tactile feedback.

Conclusions:

These findings support the hypothesis that the impaired sensorimotor integration of MD patients is specific to the type of overtrained task that the patients were trained for and can be modified with altered sensory feedback.
Efficacy of cognitive intervention in stroke: A long road ahead
Authors: Paiva Sílvia , Magalhães Rosana , Alves Jorge , Sampaio Adriana
Published: January 2016

Numerous studies have been conducted discussing the importance and effectiveness of cognitive interventions for stroke-related cognitive impairments. Definite conclusions, however, are yet to be established. An extensive literature and database search was executed to summarize the existing evidence from high-quality randomized clinical trials on the effects of cognitive intervention and feasibility of this approach in stroke patients. Out of 507 identified studies, after thorough inspection, only three randomized clinical trials, with low risk of bias, met the established criteria and were included in the following meta-analysis. No significant effects of cognitive intervention in any of the analyzed outcomes were observed with feasibility analyzes displaying high rates of completion and adherence.

The following study suggests a lack of sufficient evidence to support or refute the efficacy of cognitive intervention in stroke patients. However, these results should be interpreted with caution. Additionally, serious efforts must be made to improve the quality of empirical studies in the field. In sum, the quality of methodological techniques in the field were inspected in hopes of contributing to further development of this therapeutic approach.
Pattern of tobacco consumption and related factors among the people residing in a rural area
Authors: Khan Nirmeen Rifat , Mahmood Afzalur Rahman
Published: January 2016

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with an aim to find out the pattern of tobacco consumption and its related factors in a rural area of Sripur upazilla under Gajipur district of Bangladesh. The study was carried out from February 2010 to June 2010. Total sample was 361. Mean age of respondents was 39.01 years with standard deviation of ±13.54 years. Among them 85.04% and 14.96% were male and female respectively. Most (27.16%) of them were illiterate and 26.86% were able to write their name only. Maximum were businessman (25.48%) followed by day laborers (20.23%). Their mean monthly family income was 8,867.31 taka with SD of ± 7733.56 taka and 39.88% of them had monthly family income equal or below 5000 taka. The most frequent types of tobacco use among male was cigarette smoking (77.20%) and among female, consumption of jarda was 81.48%. The mean age of starting tobacco consumption was around 22 years and mean duration of consumption was nearly 17 years. Regarding causes behind tobacco consumption, majority (29.92%) answered 'addiction'. Mean daily expenditure on tobacco consumption was 24 taka. Maximum (90%) were known about harmful effects of tobacco consumption and regarding harmful effects they mentioned 'cancer' in 74.54% cases and 'tuberculosis' in 64.7%. The findings of this study suggest that, tobacco use is more prevalent among the poor, illiterate middle-aged segment of the population.Bangladesh Med J. 2015 Jan; 44 (1): 32-37
Thyroid surgery when general anesthesia is not feasible
Authors: Aich Manilal , Rahman Md Asadur , Mahmud Sharfuddin , Rahman Siddikur , Rahman Md Mizanur , Akaiduzzaman DGM , Alam Md Zahedul
Published: January 2016

Historically, thyroid and parathyroid surgery was done initially under local anesthesia. With the advent of safer general anesthetic techniques, the need for local anesthesia fell dramatically. Recently the use of local anesthesia combined with monitored anesthesia care (MAC) has been reintroduced as an alternative to general anesthesia for some particular thyroidectomy. Newer intravenous anesthetic agents allow for the establishment of effective sedation and analgesia with adjusted level and duration of action. This allows for monitoring of the effectiveness of the anesthesia during the surgical procedure that meet the patient's comfortable needs and the surgeon's technical needs. This approach allows for rapid recovery of alertness and early assessment of the patient's initial postoperative recovery. Additionally, it optimizes the potential for outpatient .Bangladesh Med J. 2015 Jan; 44 (1): 38-40
Large electric wire in abdominal cavity : a case report
Authors: Alam Md Zakirul
Published: January 2016

Abstract not availableBangladesh Med J. 2015 Jan; 44 (1): 41-42
A review on gestational trophoblastic disease
Authors: Begum Shirin Akter , Bhuiyan Md Zillur Rahman , Akhter Rehana , Afroz Romena , Khanom Afroza , Keya Kashfia Ahmed
Published: January 2016

Molar pregnancy occurs when the fertilization of the egg by the sperm goes wrong and leads to the growth of abnormal cells or clusters of water filled sacs inside the womb. This condition is one of a group of conditions known as gestational trophoblastic tumours (GTTs). Molar pregnancies used to be called hydatidiform mole but now most people call them molar pregnancies. Molar pregnancies are rare but they are the most common type of gestational trophoblastic tumour. In the UK, about 1 in 590 pregnancies is a molar pregnancy. In Asian women, molar pregnancies are about twice as common as in Caucasian women. Most molar pregnancies are benign. They can spread beyond the womb in some women, but are still curable. Molar pregnancies can either be complete or partial. In case of complete mole, no parts of foetal tissue are formed. In case of partial mole there may be some foetal tissue in the womb, alongside the molar tissue. By measuring the levels of ?hCG in blood and urine in high dilution helps to diagnose a molar pregnancy; an ultrasound scan can also diagnose many women with molar pregnancy. The molar tissue needs to be surgically removed. Afterwards, in around 10 to 15 out of 100 women, some molar tissue remains in the deeper tissues of the womb or other parts of the body. This is called a persistent gestational tumour. Invasive mole, choriocarcinoma, and placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) termed as gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), which can progress, invade, metastasize, and lead to death if left untreated.These women need to have chemotherapy completely get rid of the abnormal cells.Bangladesh Med J. 2015 Jan; 44 (1): 51-56
RETRACTED: Clematichinenoside Serves as a Neuroprotective Agent Against Ischemic Stroke: The Synergistic Action of ERK1/2 and cPKC Pathways
Authors: Liu Chao , Du Qianming , Zhang Xu , Tang Zhichao , Ji Hui , Li Yunman
Published: January 2016

There are numerous evidences suggesting that inhibition of apoptosis of neurons play a critical role in preventing the damage and even death of neurons after brain ischemia/reperfusion, which shows therapeutic potential for clinical treatment of brain injury induced by stroke. In this study, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of Clematichinenoside (AR) and its underlying mechanisms. MCAO mode was performed in rats and OGD/R model in primary cortical neurons to investigate the neuroprotective effect of AR. The rate of apoptotic cells was measured using TUNEL assay in cerebral cortex and flow cytometric assay in cortical neurons. Apoptosis-related proteins such as bcl-2, bcl-xl, and bax and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, cPKC, p90RSK, and CREB in ischemic penumbra were assayed by western blot. Furthermore, we made a thorough inquiry about how these proteins play roles in the anti-apoptotic mechanism using targets-associated inhibitors step by step. The results revealed that AR could activate both ERK1/2 and cPKC which resulted in p90RSK phosphorylation and translocation into the nucleus. Moreover, CREB, a downstream target of p90RSK, was phosphorylated and then bound to cAMP-regulated enhancer (CRE) to activate apoptosis-related genes, and finally ameliorate ischemic stroke through preventing neuron death. In conclusion, these data strongly suggest that AR could be used as an effective neuroprotective agent to protect against ischemic stroke after cerebral I/R injury through regulating both ERK1/2 and cPKC mediated p90RSK/CREB apoptotic pathways.
Extracellular Trapping of Soil Contaminants by Root Border Cells: New Insights into Plant Defense
Authors: Hawes Martha , McLain Jean , Ramirez-Andreotta Monica , Curlango-Rivera Gilberto , Flores-Lara Yolanda , Brigham Lindy
Published: January 2016

Soil and water pollution by metals and other toxic chemicals is difficult to measure and control, and, as such, presents an ongoing global threat to sustainable agriculture and human health. Efforts to remove contaminants by plant-mediated pathways, or “phytoremediation”, though widely studied, have failed to yield consistent, predictable removal of biological and chemical contaminants. Emerging research has revealed that one major limitation to using plants to clean up the environment is that plants are programmed to protect themselves: Like white blood cells in animals, border cells released from plant root tips carry out an extracellular trapping process to neutralize threats and prevent injury to the host. Variability in border cell trapping has been found to be correlated with variation in sensitivity of roots to aluminum, and removal of border cell results in increased Al uptake into the root tip. Studies now have implicated border cells in responses of diverse plant roots to a range of heavy metals, including arsenic, copper, cadmium, lead, mercury, iron, and zinc. A better understanding of border cell extracellular traps and their role in preventing toxin uptake may facilitate efforts to use plants as a nondestructive approach to neutralize environmental threats.
The Effect of Stromal Integrin β3-Deficiency on Two Different Tumors in Mice
Authors: Reigstad Inga , Sortland Kristina , Skogstrand Trude , Reed Rolf , Stuhr Linda
Published: January 2016

There is an increasing focus on the tumor microenvironment in carcinogenesis. Integrins are important receptors and adhesion molecules in this environment and have been shown to be involved in cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and migration. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of stromal integrin β3-deficiency on tumor growth, angiogenesis, interstitial fluid pressure (PIF), fibrosis and metastasis in a murine breast cancer (4T1) and a prostate tumor (RM11) model. We showed that stromal integrin β3-deficiency led to an elevation in PIF that correlated to a shift towards thicker collagen fibrils in the 4T1 mammary tumor. In the RM11 prostate carcinoma model there was no effect of integrin β3-deficiency on PIF and collagen fibril thickness. These findings support the notion that changes in the collagen scaffold influence PIF, and also indicate that there must be important crosstalk between the stroma and tumor cells, in a tumor cell line specific manner. Furthermore, stromal integrin β3-deficiency had no effect on tumor growth or angiogenesis in both tumor models and no effect on lung metastasis in the 4T1 mammary tumor model. In conclusion, the stromal β3 integrin influence PIF, possibly via its effect on the structure of the collagen network, in a tumor cell line dependent manner.
Analysis of the Channel Influence to Power Line Communications Based on ITU-T G.9904 (PRIME)
Authors: Llano Asier , Angulo Itziar , Angueira Pablo , Arzuaga Txetxu , De la Vega David
Published: January 2016

ITU-T G.9904 standard, also known as PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME), is a Power Line Communications standard for advanced metering, grid control and asset monitoring defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In this paper, an analysis about how different characteristics of the communication channel and types of noise might affect the system performance is carried out. This study is based on simulations of the PRIME physical layer using different channel characteristics and transmission parameters. The conclusions obtained are very valuable for better understanding the behavior of the ITU-T G.9904 (PRIME) standard in the field, allowing future improvements in deployment strategies and equipment design.
Transactivation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor by G Protein-Coupled Receptors: Recent Progress, Challenges and Future Research
Authors: Wang Zhixiang
Published: January 2016

Both G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and receptor-tyrosine kinases (RTKs) regulate large signaling networks, control multiple cell functions and are implicated in many diseases including various cancers. Both of them are also the top therapeutic targets for disease treatment. The discovery of the cross-talk between GPCRs and RTKs connects these two vast signaling networks and complicates the already complicated signaling networks that regulate cell signaling and function. In this review, we focus on the transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a subfamily of RTKs, by GPCRs. Since the first report of EGFR transactivation by GPCR, significant progress has been made including the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the transactivation. Here, we first provide a basic picture for GPCR, EGFR and EGFR transactivation by GPCR. We then discuss the progress made in the last five years and finally provided our view of the future challenge and future researches needed to overcome these challenges.
Improved Sectional Image Analysis Technique for Evaluating Fiber Orientations in Fiber-Reinforced Cement-Based Materials
Authors: Lee Bang , Kang Su-Tae , Yun Hae-Bum , Kim Yun
Published: January 2016

The distribution of fiber orientation is an important factor in determining the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced concrete. This study proposes a new image analysis technique for improving the evaluation accuracy of fiber orientation distribution in the sectional image of fiber-reinforced concrete. A series of tests on the accuracy of fiber detection and the estimation performance of fiber orientation was performed on artificial fiber images to assess the validity of the proposed technique. The validation test results showed that the proposed technique estimates the distribution of fiber orientation more accurately than the direct measurement of fiber orientation by image analysis.
Identification of Shearer Cutting Patterns Using Vibration Signals Based on a Least Squares Support Vector Machine with an Improved Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Si Lei , Wang Zhongbin , Liu Xinhua , Tan Chao , Liu Ze , Xu Jing
Published: January 2016

Shearers play an important role in fully mechanized coal mining face and accurately identifying their cutting pattern is very helpful for improving the automation level of shearers and ensuring the safety of coal mining. The least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) has been proven to offer strong potential in prediction and classification issues, particularly by employing an appropriate meta-heuristic algorithm to determine the values of its two parameters. However, these meta-heuristic algorithms have the drawbacks of being hard to understand and reaching the global optimal solution slowly. In this paper, an improved fly optimization algorithm (IFOA) to optimize the parameters of LSSVM was presented and the LSSVM coupled with IFOA (IFOA-LSSVM) was used to identify the shearer cutting pattern. The vibration acceleration signals of five cutting patterns were collected and the special state features were extracted based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and the kernel function. Some examples on the IFOA-LSSVM model were further presented and the results were compared with LSSVM, PSO-LSSVM, GA-LSSVM and FOA-LSSVM models in detail. The comparison results indicate that the proposed approach was feasible, efficient and outperformed the others. Finally, an industrial application example at the coal mining face was demonstrated to specify the effect of the proposed system.