bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract Nouns in the Romance Languages
Authors: Burdy Philipp
Published: January 2018

Abstract words such as Fr. livraison ‘delivery’, It. fedeltà ‘faithfulness’, Sp. semejanza ‘resemblance’, belong to the word class of nouns. They do not possess materiality and therefore lack sensory perceivability. Within the spectrum of nouns, abstract nouns are located on the opposite side of proper names; between them, there are common nouns, collective nouns, and mass nouns. Abstract nouns are in part non-count and not able to be pluralized.

In terms of meaning, there is typically a threefold division in groups: (a) Action/result nouns (e.g., Fr. lavage ‘washing’, It. giuramento ‘oath’, Sp. mordedura ‘bite’); (b) Quality nouns (e.g., Fr. dignité ‘dignity’, It. biancore ‘whiteness’, Sp. modestia ‘modesty’); and (c) Status nouns (e.g., Fr. episcopat ‘episcopate’, It. cuginanza ‘cousinhood’, Sp. almirantazgo ‘admiralship’). From a purely morphological standpoint, a classification of abstract nouns according to derivation basis appears suitable: (a) (primary) denominal abstract nouns (e.g., Fr. duché ‘dukedom’, It. linguaggio ‘language’, Sp. añada ‘vintage’); (b) (primary) deadjectival abstract nouns (e.g., Fr. folie ‘madness’, It. bellezza ‘beauty’, Sp. cortesía ‘courtesy’); and (c) (primary) deverbal abstract nouns (e.g., Fr. mouvement ‘movement’, It. scrittura ‘writing’, Sp. venganza ‘revenge’). Other abstract nouns arise from conversion, for example, Fr. le devoir ‘duty’, It. il freddo ‘coldness’, Sp. el cambio ‘change’.

In light of this, the question of how far the formation of abstract nouns in Romance languages follows Latin patterns (derivation with suffixes) or whether new processes emerge is of particular interest. In addition, the individual Romance languages display different preferences in choosing abstract-forming morphological processes. On the one hand, there is a large number of Latin abstract-forming suffixes whose outcomes preserve the same function in the Romance languages, such as -ía (astrología ‘astrology’), -ura (scriptura ‘writing’), -ĭtia (pigrĭtia ‘sloth’), -io (oratio ‘speaking’). Furthermore, there is a group of Latin suffixes that gave rise to suffixes deriving abstract nouns only in Romance. Among these are, for example, -aticu (Fr. péage ‘road toll’, Sp. hallazgo ‘discovery’), -aceu (Sp. cuchillazo ‘knife thrust’), -aria (Sp. borrachera ‘drunkenness’, It. vecchiaia ‘old age’). On the other hand, suffixless processes of abstract noun formation are coming to full fruition only in Romance: The conversion of past participles (e.g., Fr. vue ‘sight’, It. dormita ‘sleep’, Sp. llegada ‘arrival’) is of special importance. The conversion of infinitives to nouns with abstract meaning is least common in Modern French (e.g., penser ‘thought’) and most common in Romanian (iertare ‘pardon’, durere ‘pain’, etc.). Deverbal noun formation without suffixes (Fr. amende ‘fine’, It. carica ‘charge’, Sp. socorro ‘help’, etc.), in contrast, is known to have developed a broad pan-Romance geographic spread.
Defectiveness in Morphology
Authors: Fábregas Antonio
Published: January 2018

Morphological defectiveness refers to situations where one or more paradigmatic forms of a lexeme are not realized, without plausible syntactic, semantic, or phonological causes. The phenomenon tends to be associated with low-frequency lexemes and loanwords. Typically, defectiveness is gradient, lexeme-specific, and sensitive to the internal structure of paradigms.

The existence of defectiveness is a challenge to acquisition models and morphological theories where there are elsewhere operations to materialize items. For this reason, defectiveness has become a rich field of research in recent years, with distinct approaches that view it as an item-specific idiosyncrasy, as an epiphenomenal result of rule competition, or as a normal morphological alternation within a paradigmatic space.
Zero Morphemes
Authors: Dahl Eystein , Fábregas Antonio
Published: January 2018

Zero or null morphology refers to morphological units that are devoid of phonological content. Whether such entities should be postulated is one of the most controversial issues in morphological theory, with disagreements in how the concept should be delimited, what would count as an instance of zero morphology inside a particular theory, and whether such objects should be allowed even as mere analytical instruments.

With respect to the first problem, given that zero morphology is a hypothesis that comes from certain analyses, delimiting what counts as a zero morpheme is not a trivial matter. The concept must be carefully differentiated from others that intuitively also involve situations where there is no overt morphological marking: cumulative morphology, phonological deletion, etc.

About the second issue, what counts as null can also depend on the specific theories where the proposal is made. In the strict sense, zero morphology involves a complete morphosyntactic representation that is associated to zero phonological content, but there are other notions of zero morphology that differ from the one discussed here, such as absolute absence of morphological expression, in addition to specific theory-internal interpretations of what counts as null. Thus, it is also important to consider the different ways in which something can be morphologically silent.

Finally, with respect to the third side of the debate, arguments are made for and against zero morphology, notably from the perspectives of falsifiability, acquisition, and psycholinguistics. Of particular impact is the question of which properties a theory should have in order to block the possibility that zero morphology exists, and conversely the properties that theories that accept zero morphology associate to null morphemes.

An important ingredient in this debate has to do with two empirical domains: zero derivation and paradigmatic uniformity. Ultimately, the plausibility that zero morphemes exist or not depends on the success at accounting for these two empirical patterns in a better way than theories that ban zero morphology.
Existential and Locative Constructions in the Romance Languages
Authors: Bentley Delia
Published: January 2018

Existential and locative constructions form an interesting cluster of copular structures in Romance. They are clearly related, and yet there are theoretical reasons to keep them apart. In-depth analysis of the Romance languages lends empirical support to their differentiation. In semantic terms, existentials express propositions about existence or presence in an implicit contextual domain, whereas locatives express propositions about the location of an entity. In terms of information structure, existentials are typically all new or broad focus constructions. Locatives are normally characterized by focus on the location, although this can also be a presupposed topic.

Romance existentials are formed with a copula and a postcopular phrase (the pivot). A wide range of variation is found in copula selection, copula-pivot agreement, expletive subjects, the presence and function of an etymologically locative precopular proform, and, finally, the categorial status of the pivot, which is normally a noun phrase, but can also be an adjective (Calabrian, Sicilian). As for Romance locatives, a distinction must be drawn between, on the one hand, a construction with canonical SV order and S-V agreement and, on the other hand, another construction, with VS order and, in some languages, lack of V-S agreement. This latter structure has been named inverse locative.

Both existentials and locatives have a nonverbal predicate: the locative phrase in locatives and the postcopular noun or adjectival phrase in existentials. In locatives the predicate selects a thematic argument (i.e., an argument endowed with a thematic role), which serves as the syntactic subject, exception being made for inverse locatives in some languages. Contrastingly, in existentials, there is no thematic argument. In some languages the copula turns to the pivot for agreement, as this is the only overt noun phrase endowed with person and number features (Italian, Friulian, Romanian, etc.). In other languages this non-canonical agreement is not licensed (French, some Calabrian dialects, Brazilian Portuguese, etc.). In others still (Spanish, Sardinian, European Portuguese, Catalan, Gallo-Italian, etc.), it is only admitted with pivot classes that can be defined in terms of specificity. When the copula does not agree with the pivot, an expletive subject form may figure in precopular position. The cross-linguistic variation in copula-pivot agreement has been claimed to depend on language-specific constraints on subjecthood.

Highly specific pivots are only admitted in contextualized existentials, which express a proposition about the presence of an individual or an entity in a given and salient context. These existentials are found in all the Romance languages and would seem to defy the semantico-pragmatic constraints on the pivot that are widely known as Definiteness Effects.
The Role of Intermediaries in Flood Risk Management
Authors: Becker Matilda
Published: January 2018

Flood Risk Management (FRM) calls for stakeholders from multiple technical and social spheres to plan and implement policies and actions to manage flooding successfully. To work effectively across boundaries of knowledge, practice, priority, scale, institutions, and language created by such interdisciplinary or inter-stakeholder work, it is often necessary to employ intermediaries to create communication pathways between groups and spaces.

Intermediaries (also sometimes referred to as mediators or boundary spanners) are responsible for managing boundaries in such a way that multiple actors are able to communicate effectively with limited ambiguity or frustration. Sometimes, intermediaries enable two actors to come together who would usually not interact. For FRM, knowledge and experiences should ideally be brought together collaboratively and smoothly, whilst accounting for the diversity of perspectives and priorities between stakeholders involved.

Intermediaries may be organizations of humans, e.g., a public communications department; or objects, e.g., a computer model, website, or maps. Recognizing the utility of objects as intermediaries is important for understanding the multiplicity of mechanisms used to communicate FRM between experts and nonspecialist publics.

Charting how intermediaries bridge different boundaries, we see the diversity and utility of their work. Inspecting the construction of boundary objects as intermediaries allows the actors involved in their creation and definition to be identified and analyzed. This is important as it may contribute an understanding of how just and representative FRM decision making is.

Since the 1980s, various academic literatures from science and technology studies (STS) to organizational studies have addressed the role of intermediaries and mediators, particularly in relation to business management, computer sciences, and biomedicine. However, in FRM where risk analysis and communication is king, discussing how to manage pertinent and credible transboundary information is also important.
1. What is English?
Authors: Horobin Simon
Published: January 2018

Over 1 billion people speak English either as their first or second language. Are all these people speaking the same language, or are we witnessing the emergence of new Englishes? English has been in use for 1,500 years and has changed to such an extent that the form of the language used by the Anglo-Saxons—Old English—is unrecognizable to contemporary English speakers. ‘What is English?’ considers five different translations of a passage from the New Testament, each of which has a claim to represent a kind of English. These translations raise different questions about the status of the English language, its linguistic forebears, and progeny. What does the future hold for Standard British English?
6. Global Englishes
Authors: Horobin Simon
Published: January 2018

A major reason for the huge expansion in English speakers was the colonization of America. As the migration process continued throughout the seventeenth century, the discrete dialect boundaries that had existed in England were jumbled up. Consequently, new dialects emerged drawing features from each of the contributing dialects. ‘Global Englishes’ considers the spread of English into America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Asia, as well as mixed varieties, pidgins, and creoles. It also describes the Kachru model that employs three concentric circles to reflect the different ways in which English continues to gain new speakers. Given this narrative of constant expansion, language mixing, and new dialect formation, what is future for English in the twenty-first century?
Spaces real and imagined
Authors: Davis Stephen J.
Published: January 2018

Given the close relationship between residential spaces and monastic identities, ‘Spaces real and imagined’ looks at the locations where monks and nuns live in community: monasteries. It first focuses on monastic archaeology, considering examples from around the world. What can material evidence tell us about monks’ and nuns’ places and modes of habitation, from architecture to agriculture, from practices of visitation to visual culture? It then examines monastic stories and art to mine the meanings that such landscapes and homescapes had for their resident populations. What did the cell, the monastery, the desert, and the forest, signify for the monastic imaginary? How have local spaces imprinted themselves on monastic pieties, and vice versa?
A global phenomenon in the contemporary world
Authors: Davis Stephen J.
Published: January 2018

After serious decline from the 16th to 19th centuries, the 20th and 21st centuries have witnessed the flourishing of monastic practice worldwide. ‘A global phenomenon in the contemporary world’ considers what might explain this unexpected renaissance, and also asks what difference monasticism makes in modern times. It looks at the relationship between religion, nation, and identity and also modern hybrid monasticisms that have developed through four case studies: Scientology, Taizé and the so-called New Monasticism, certain kinds of ‘interspiritual’ monastic practice, and the Art Monastery Project. Monasticism has sometimes been radically redefined and adapted to the modern world, but these new forms of monastic practice continue to engage in ritualized acts of social differentiation.
Deep waters
Authors: Vincent Warwick F.
Published: January 2018

‘Deep waters’ explains the role of François A. Forel in the birth and development of limnology, a new integrative science he defined as ‘the oceanography of lakes’. In his comprehensive monograph on Lake Geneva (1892), Forel subdivided the science of lakes into different disciplines and subjects. There were two aspects of Forel’s new science that set his thinking apart from many of his contemporaries. Studying the physical, chemical, and biological properties of lakes produced an integrated picture of the ecosystem. The second aspect recognized that human beings were also part of the ecosystem. The creation of lakes, their underwater shape, and the importance of lake sediments analysis is also discussed.
Extreme lakes
Authors: Vincent Warwick F.
Published: January 2018

‘Extreme lakes’ describes a range of lakes that are of great scientific interest because of their unusual physical, chemical, and biological features. Salt water lakes occur in many parts of the world and are often highly productive, with a simplified food chain supporting large flocks of birds. Polar and alpine lakes are strongly affected by snow and ice, and are therefore sensitive to small changes in temperature across the freezing–melting threshold of water. Other extreme lakes include those that have acid and alkaline waters; geothermal hot-water lakes, and water bodies that periodically erupt, disgorging liquid and gas. In some, only the hardiest of ‘extreme-loving’ microbes can survive and grow.
Lakes and us
Authors: Vincent Warwick F.
Published: January 2018

Humans are not only part of the lake ecosystem through activities including lake shore development and transportation of goods and people, but we can also do great damage to a lake and its ability to provide essential services. ‘Lakes and us’ considers the impact of dam-building and the threats facing lakes due to the proliferation of algae and water plants caused by eutrophication and toxins formed by cyanobacterial blooms. It asks whether a eutrophic ‘dead lake’ can be restored to its original, near-pristine condition; and concludes that an integrated, system-level perspective on lakes is now vital in managing the world’s freshwater resources in the face of rapid, global, climate change.
3. How the EU is governed
Authors: Usherwood Simon , Pinder John
Published: January 2018

The EU has major economic and environmental powers, and is increasingly active in foreign policy, defence, and internal security. ‘How the EU is governed’ asks: how is this power used and controlled, and how is the EU governed? The system for governing the EU, with its complex mix of intergovernmental and federal elements, makes decision-making difficult and a satisfactory relationship between the institutions and the citizens hard to achieve. The EU has, however, been able to benefit from its growing democratic elements, such as the powers of the European Parliament, and that model is still likely to continue, along with the development of the EU as a whole.
8. A great civilian power … and more—or less?
Authors: Usherwood Simon , Pinder John
Published: January 2018

The EC’s external relations were, in line with its powers, originally concentrated in the economic field. But there were from the outset also political aims. ‘A great civilian power … and more—or less?’ argues that as the EU develops its capacity in the field of security, it will become something more than a great civilian power. However, its strength in the economic, environmental, and other aspects of external policy, somewhat condescendingly called ‘soft power’, is already very important, and has great further potential as a force for the development of a safer and more prosperous world.
9. The EU and the rest of Europe
Authors: Usherwood Simon , Pinder John
Published: January 2018

A most impressive aspect of the EU project has been its ability to develop and expand from a small group of relatively similar states in Western Europe into an EU of much greater width and depth. ‘The EU and the rest of Europe’ argues that enlargement can be seen as an essential part of the EU and its continued development, not least in its dealings with those who remain outside. The treaty still affirms that membership is open to any European state that respects ‘the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law’.
Fairy Tale: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Warner Marina
Published: January 2018

The characters and images of fairy tales have cast a spell over adults and children for centuries. These fantastic stories have travelled across cultural borders, and been passed on from generation to generation, ever-changing, renewed with each re-telling. Few forms of literature have greater power to enchant us and rekindle our imagination than a fairy tale. But what is a fairy tale? Where do they come from and what do they mean? What do they try and communicate to us about morality, sexuality, and society? Fairy Tale: A Very Short Introduction draws on both classics and modern-day realizations in order to define a genre and evaluate a literary form that keeps shifting through time and history.
2. With a touch of her wand
Authors: Warner Marina
Published: January 2018

‘Magic tale’ has been suggested as a term that captures the idea of the form better than ‘fairy tale’ or even ‘wonder tale’; it points to the pivotal role that enchantment plays, both in the action of the stories and the character of its agents. Enchantment, however, has its own changing history, its own tides and currents, from medieval faerie to Romantic possession and hauntedness, from sceptical magic entertainment to the contemporary technological uncanny. ‘With a touch of her wand: magic and metamorphosis’ discusses how classic fairy tales, deploying wonders and inspiring astonishment, depend on magic as causation. It considers the magic of nature, metamorphosis, and words.
3. Voices on the page
Authors: Warner Marina
Published: January 2018

‘Voices on the page: tales, tellers, and translators’ describes how the modern fairy tale came about. The late seventeenth and early eighteenth century marks the start; Charles Perrault and Antoine Galland were the key exponents who, in the history of readership and reception, established as literature ‘the Fairy way of writing’. Collectors and writers like Perrault and, later, the Grimm Brothers, formed a corpus, or canon, of fairy tales, and their printed versions established standard elements. Arguments still carry on between the diffusionists, who believe stories travel, and the universalists, who propose a collective unconscious. It is now accepted wisdom that there are only seven stories and all the rest are variations on them.
6. On the couch
Authors: Warner Marina
Published: January 2018

‘On the couch: house training the Id’ explains how the intertwining of psychoanalysis and fairy tale is tight, and the stories are still trusted to offer a key to understanding the human psyche—regardless of history or social circumstances. It considers Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment, one of the most influential studies of fairy tales ever written, and the work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. The stories have universal meaning, but most decodings remain subjective. The belief that the stories have the power to lead by example and shape character, especially gender, to engineer social citizens, and inculcate values and ideology has been widely held and is still accepted.
7. In the dock
Authors: Warner Marina
Published: January 2018

In the post-war period, fairy tales were denounced as a blunt tool of patriarchy, the bourgeoisie, cosmetic surgeons, the fashion industry, and psychoanalysts bent on curbing girls’ energies and desires. ‘In the dock: don’t bet on the prince’ considers tbe feminist response to the fairy tale from the 1970s onwards. After critical close readings of fairy tales, the strategies feminists devised ranged from furious satire, irony, and parody and, at the other end of the literary spectrum, romancing on their own terms, in inventive and witty re-visionings. The most incandescent work to rise from the feminist explosion—The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter—opens up ten fairy tales to reveal their latent, erotic content.
9. On stage & screen
Authors: Warner Marina
Published: January 2018

Because fairy tales can be meddled with, mixed up, and turned around in ways that an authored text resists, they have emerged as the favoured reservoir of contemporary mass entertainment, and their yields are in a perpetual state of metamorphosis. ‘On stage and screen: states of illusion’ discusses how composers of opera and ballet and writers of plays and film have mined classic tales and national folklore for material. The general consensus now agrees with Dickens, Tolkien, Bettelheim, and Windling, who declared that sweetening the tales was tantamount to vandalism. But at the same time, the darkness of contemporary retellings threatens to grow so deep it throws a shadow over the happy ending itself.
2. Selection in Islam
Authors: Heilbron J. L.
Published: January 2018

‘Selection in Islam’ chronicles the developments of Muslim science. It begins with the Christian Nestorians who settled in Persia after the excommunication of Nestorius in 431 ce. They built an important school and hospital in which they enlarged their study of Aristotle and Galen. The project to render Greek science into Arabic lasted three centuries and the word falsafa was adopted for philosophy. The writings of key figures in falsafa— al-Kindī, al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), Ibn Bājja (Avempace), and Ibn Rushd (Averroes)—are discussed along with the developments in mathematics and astronomy, which were assisted by the creation of observatories and substantial instruments such as the astrolabe.
7. The quintessential
Authors: Heilbron J. L.
Published: January 2018

The modern evolution of the physicists’ world picture continues the ancient programme of locating human beings in a directionless universe. Physics has given civilization a sombre, disturbing, and challenging world picture, many fertile and some terrifying inventions, and notice of responsibility for the outcome of the human story. ‘The quintessential’ explains that there is still much to learn and suggests that if humankind accepts the responsibility and the concomitant loss of providential deities and sacred dicta, the human species might beat the odds against the survival of an electromagnetic civilization; preserve the Earth; and, in the fullness of time, arrive at several satisfactory theories of everything.
Native American Literature
Authors: Teuton Sean
Published: January 2018

Native American literature began over thirty thousand years ago when indigenous people started telling stories of emergence, creation, journey, quest, heroism, and trickery. By setting indigenous literature in historical moments, Native American Literature: A Very Short Introduction traces its evolution from the ancient role of bringing rain and healing the body, to its later purpose in resisting European invasion and colonization, into its current place as a world literature confronting dominance while celebrating the imagination and resilience of indigenous lives. This VSI describes the diversity of indigenous peoples who, owing to their differing lands, livelihoods, and customs, molded literature to a nation's specific needs.
2. Oral literatures
Authors: Teuton Sean
Published: January 2018

Native Americans carefully trained their memories to record and transmit vast bodies of knowledge verbatim because, in an oral society, the known universe always stood only one generation from loss. ‘Oral literatures’ explains that indigenous tales instruct in ethics, ecology, religion, or governance, and record ancient migrations, catastrophes, battles, and heroism. Oral literatures grow from differing landscapes and forms of life, and still form the basis of modern Native American writing. Despite their differences, oral literatures usually communicate a wish to live intimately with a unique ancestral land and its creatures, a commitment to a proper relationship with that land and its broad community, and a belief in the power of story to achieve this accordance.
3. To write in English
Authors: Teuton Sean
Published: January 2018

‘To write in English’ explains how the written word allowed Native Americans to more easily pass on the oral literature of their people and to be recognized as educated and rational agents. In 1815, Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith, single-handedly invented a written language, which was embraced by the Cherokee Nation. By the late 1820s, most Cherokees could write in Sequoyan and, with the eventual success of missionary schools, many could speak, read, and write English. In 1828, the first issue of North America’s first indigenous language newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix, was published. The paper declared in English and Cherokee the vital role that American literacy would play in transforming Native people.
Plasma Activation of a Breast Implant Shell in Conjunction With Antibacterial Irrigants Enhances Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Barnea Yoav , Hammond Dennis C , Geffen Yuval , Navon-Venezia Shiri , Goldberg Keren
Published: January 2018

Background

Infection and capsular contracture are two of the most significant complications of breast-implant surgery. Both complications are associated with bacterial contamination of the implant surface. Plasma activation of the surface of a silicone breast implant changes its surface properties from water repelling (hydrophobic) to water absorbing (hydrophilic), thus making it possible for antibacterial irrigants to temporarily adsorb onto the implant surface.

Objectives

To support our hypothesis that by changing the surface properties we could render antibacterial irrigation more effective in inhibiting bacterial growth on a breast implant shell.

Methods

An in vitro study using silicone discs cut from a textured silicone breast implant shell was performed by treating some of the discs with plasma activation and then exposing the discs to contamination with either Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa and then variously treating the discs with 10% povidone iodine, Cefazolin, or Gentamicin. Bacterial contamination was verified and counted using contact plates as well as culture media.

Results

Plasma activation changed the wetting properties of the disc’s surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Nonplasma activated contaminated discs demonstrated clear bacterial growth both in the untreated group and in the antibacterial-treated group. Combining antibacterial treatment with plasma activation resulted in complete inhibition of bacterial growth in each of the groups treated with antibacterial irrigants.

Conclusions

Combining plasma activation with topical antibacterial irrigants can inhibit the growth of bacteria on implant shell discs. By changing the properties of the surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, the adsorption of the antibacterial irrigants is enhanced.
Cyclosporine before Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Does Not Prevent Postoperative Decreases in Renal Function
Authors: Ederoth Per , Dardashti Alain , Grins Edgars , Brondén Björn , Metzsch Carsten , Erdling André , Nozohoor Shahab , Mokhtari Arash , Hansson Magnus J. , Elmér Eskil , Algotsson Lars , Jovinge Stefan , Bjursten Henrik
Published: January 2018

Background

Acute kidney injury is a common complication after cardiac surgery, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. One suggested cause for acute kidney injury is extracorporeal circulation–induced ischemia–reperfusion injury. In animal studies, cyclosporine has been shown to reduce ischemia–reperfusion injury in the kidneys. We hypothesized that administering cyclosporine before extracorporeal circulation could protect the kidneys in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods

The Cyclosporine to Protect Renal Function in Cardiac Surgery (CiPRICS) study was an investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-center study. The primary objective was to assess if cyclosporine could reduce acute kidney injury in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with extracorporeal circulation. In the study, 154 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 15 to 90 ml · min–1 · 1.73 m–2 were enrolled. Study patients were randomized to receive 2.5 mg/kg cyclosporine or placebo intravenously before surgery. The primary endpoint was relative plasma cystatin C changes from the preoperative day to postoperative day 3. Secondary endpoints included biomarkers of kidney, heart, and brain injury.

Results

All enrolled patients were analyzed. The cyclosporine group (136.4 ± 35.6%) showed a more pronounced increase from baseline plasma cystatin C to day 3 compared to placebo (115.9 ± 30.8%), difference, 20.6% (95% CI, 10.2 to 31.2%, P < 0.001). The same pattern was observed for the other renal markers. The cyclosporine group had more patients in Risk Injury Failure Loss End-stage (RIFLE) groups R (risk), I (injury), or F (failure; 31% vs. 8%, P < 0.001). There were no differences in safety parameter distribution between groups.

Conclusions

Administration of cyclosporine did not protect coronary artery bypass grafting patients from acute kidney injury. Instead, cyclosporine caused a decrease in renal function compared to placebo that resolved after 1 month.
Development and External Validation of an Automated Computer-Aided Risk Score for Predicting Sepsis in Emergency Medical Admissions Using the Patient’s First Electronically Recorded Vital Signs and Blood Test Results*
Authors: Faisal Muhammad , Scally Andy , Richardson Donald , Beatson Kevin , Howes Robin , Speed Kevin , Mohammed Mohammed A.
Published: January 2018

Objectives:

To develop a logistic regression model to predict the risk of sepsis following emergency medical admission using the patient’s first, routinely collected, electronically recorded vital signs and blood test results and to validate this novel computer-aided risk of sepsis model, using data from another hospital.

Design:

Cross-sectional model development and external validation study reporting the C-statistic based on a validated optimized algorithm to identify sepsis and severe sepsis (including septic shock) from administrative hospital databases using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, codes.

Setting:

Two acute hospitals (York Hospital - development data; Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital - external validation data).

Patients:

Adult emergency medical admissions discharged over a 24-month period with vital signs and blood test results recorded at admission.

Interventions:

None.

Main Results:

The prevalence of sepsis and severe sepsis was lower in York Hospital (18.5% = 4,861/2,6247; 5.3% = 1,387/2,6247) than Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital (25.1% = 7,773/30,996; 9.2% = 2,864/30,996). The mortality for sepsis (York Hospital: 14.5% = 704/4,861; Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital: 11.6% = 899/7,773) was lower than the mortality for severe sepsis (York Hospital: 29.0% = 402/1,387; Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital: 21.4% = 612/2,864). The C-statistic for computer-aided risk of sepsis in York Hospital (all sepsis 0.78; sepsis: 0.73; severe sepsis: 0.80) was similar in an external hospital setting (Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital: all sepsis 0.79; sepsis: 0.70; severe sepsis: 0.81). A cutoff value of 0.2 gives reasonable performance.

Conclusions:

We have developed a novel, externally validated computer-aided risk of sepsis, with reasonably good performance for estimating the risk of sepsis for emergency medical admissions using the patient’s first, electronically recorded, vital signs and blood tests results. Since computer-aided risk of sepsis places no additional data collection burden on clinicians and is automated, it may now be carefully introduced and evaluated in hospitals with sufficient informatics infrastructure.
Oral Hypertonic Saline Is Effective in Reversing Acute Mild-to-Moderate Symptomatic Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia
Authors: Bridges Eileen , Altherwi Tawfeeq , Correa José A. , Hew-Butler Tamara
Published: January 2018

Objectives:

To determine whether oral administration of 3% hypertonic saline (HTS) is as efficacious as intravenous (IV) 3% saline in reversing symptoms of mild-to-moderate symptomatic exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) in athletes during and after a long-distance triathlon.

Design:

Noninferiority, open-label, parallel-group, randomized control trial to IV or oral HTS. We used permuted block randomization with sealed envelopes, containing the word either “oral” or “IV.”

Setting:

Annual long-distance triathlon (3.8-km swim, 180-km bike, and 42-km run) at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada.

Participants:

Twenty race finishers with mild to moderately symptomatic EAH.

Independent Variables:

Age, sex, race finish time, and 9 clinical symptoms.

Main Outcome Measures:

Time from treatment to discharge.

Methods:

We successfully randomized 20 participants to receive either an oral (n = 11) or IV (n = 9) bolus of HTS. We performed venipuncture to measure serum sodium (Na) at presentation to the medical clinic and at time of symptom resolution after the intervention.

Results:

The average time from treatment to discharge was 75.8 minutes (SD 29.7) for the IV treatment group and 50.3 minutes (SD 26.8) for the oral treatment group (t test, P = 0.02). Serum Na before and after treatment was not significantly different in both groups. There was no difference on presentation between groups in age, sex, or race finish time, both groups presented with an average of 6 symptoms.

Conclusions:

Oral HTS is effective in reversing symptoms of mild-to-moderate hyponatremia in EAH.
Curriculum Evaluation Using Path Analysis
Authors: Schooley Angela , Kuhn Jonathan , Strahm Charlotte
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study was to explore the application of path analysis to evaluate the curriculum model and provide guidance in course sequencing. Using statistical package R to add and subtract various path connections, the curriculum model was improved to a proposed curriculum model, which passed the exact-fit test (χ2
42 = 45.612, with P = .286 > .05). Path analysis provided an objective method to evaluate the curriculum model and course sequencing in the baccalaureate program under study, while informing possible placement of courses.
Bay Leaf: Leaf of the European Laurel
Authors: Dinsmore Suzanne , Grams Mary-Kathleen , Couris R. Rebecca
Published: January 2018

Laurus nobilis is an herb that has historically been used not only for cooking by many cultures, but also for its proposed medicinal benefits, including aiding digestion and alleviating nausea. It has been studied for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects, which may suggest future areas of research for application in medicine. A summary of the potential benefits and safety is presented in this article.
A Universal Label for GMOs
Authors: Ragland Rachel E. , Mansfield Jennifer L. , Savaiano Dennis A.
Published: January 2018

In order to address the variation in state-level GMO labeling, Congress passed a national GMO labeling law in July 2016. Under this legislation, Public Law No. 114-216, all food manufacturers are required to disclose whether their products contain genetically modified ingredients. However, manufacturers have a choice as to how they provide the information, including a text statement or symbol, a digital QR code, a phone number, or a Web site. The US Department of Agriculture was granted 2 years following passage of the legislation to finalize and implement the regulations. The primary critique of Public Law No. 114-216 is that the label forms (ie, an unregulated icon, telephone number, Web site, or digital code) are neither transparent nor convenient for the consumer. One universal GMO “label” is more likely to provide consumers with clear, direct, and usable information. With a universal label, consumers who want to know if GMOs are included in a food product can do so without the undue burden of accessing a secondary source.
Intraocular Pressure Response to Maximal Exercise Test during Recovery
Authors: Najmanova Eliska , Pluhacek Frantisek , Botek Michal
Published: January 2018

SIGNIFICANCE

The main aim of this study was to determine the intraocular pressure (IOP) response to maximal incremental running test during 30 minutes of recovery. Exhaustive exercise induced a highly individually variable IOP response, which was related to its initial value and the initial heart rate.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to analyzed the IOP response to a maximal incremental running test in healthy women during a 30-minute recovery period. Secondarily, the study attempted to determine if the IOP was dependent on its baseline, maximal oxygen uptake, initial heart rate, and autonomic nervous system regulation.

METHODS

Twenty-four healthy women between the ages of 19 and 30 years were recruited for the study. Initial IOP (baseline), heart rate, and autonomic nervous system regulation were measured after 30 minutes of rest. Each subject then underwent an incremental running test on a treadmill to reach the maximal physical activity and to determine physical fitness based on maximal oxygen uptake. Intraocular pressure and autonomic nervous system activity were measured immediately after completion of the physical activity during a 30-minute recovery period in the supine position.

RESULTS

The IOP variability increased markedly after the exercise up to 1.7-fold of the resting state. The IOP before and after exercise did not differ significantly; however, the lower baseline revealed a significant increase in comparison with the higher baseline. The time course of the IOP changes was significantly influenced by the initial heart rate. All other effects, interactions, and correlations were insignificant.

CONCLUSIONS

The IOP response after maximal exercise was highly dependent on the individual. The IOP seems to be slightly increasing with a significant dependence on its resting baseline and initial heart rate.
Differentiating Occult Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion from Primary Open-angle Glaucoma
Authors: Sullivan-Mee Michael , Amin Pathik , Pensyl Denise , Katiyar Suchitra
Published: January 2018

SIGNIFICANCE

Clinical findings in occult branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) can mimic those of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Because management of these conditions substantially differs, accurate diagnosis is crucial. Our comparative analysis indicates that specific macular thickness variables reliably differentiate these conditions and that macular scanning may enhance routine glaucoma evaluation.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to identify clinical factors that reliably and efficiently identify occult BRAO masquerading as POAG.

METHODS

All subjects had comprehensive eye examinations including measurements of retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness (MT) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). All subjects were asymptomatic for previous acute vision loss episodes, had optic nerve appearances suggestive of glaucoma, and exhibited SD-OCT retinal nerve fiber layer thinning with corresponding visual field loss. Macular thickness scans were divided into 64 individual thickness blocks with thin MT blocks defined by the lower 99% confidence interval from a group of normal eyes. We defined BRAO by the presence of regional inner retinal thinning with lack of inner-layer stratification on macular SD-OCT b-scan images that spatially corresponded with arteriolar distribution and visual field loss location. Primary open-angle glaucoma eyes were selected to match the BRAO eyes by age and disease severity. Pairwise and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to compare occult BRAO and POAG eyes.

RESULTS

Compared with POAG (n = 52), occult BRAO eyes (n = 11) demonstrated lower cup-disc ratio, greater intereye and intraeye (superior vs. inferior) MT asymmetry, and higher frequency of thin MT blocks (<200 μm). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for differentiating these conditions was highest for intraeye MT asymmetry (AUC = 0.990 [95% confidence interval, 0.925 to 1.000]) and number of thin MT blocks (AUC = 0.993 [95% confidence interval, 0.929 to 1.000]).

CONCLUSIONS

Macular thickness parameters provided accurate and efficient diagnostic capability in this study. Considering the clinical implications of inaccurate diagnosis, macular scanning may be important in baseline glaucoma evaluation.
Assessing the True Intraocular Pressure in the Non-human Primate
Authors: McAllister Faith , Harwerth Ronald , Patel Nimesh
Published: January 2018

SIGNIFICANCE

For glaucoma patients, high intraocular pressure (IOP) is a risk factor for progressive neuropathy. Similarly, animal models used to study the disease are based on an experimental elevation of IOP. Thus, accurate IOP measurements are important in characterizing experimental models and resulting effects.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the present study was to investigate IOP measurements in a non-human primate model of experimental glaucoma by comparing clinical tonometry (Tono-Pen and TonoVet) to the true IOP from intracameral manometry.

METHODS

A total of 17 rhesus macaque eyes from 12 animals were used for this study. Eleven eyes had no previous experimental intervention, whereas six eyes were at varying stages of laser-induced experimental glaucoma. IOPs were adjusted by inserting a needle in the anterior chamber that was attached to a pressure transducer and syringe pump system. The anterior chamber IOP was adjusted to values between 10 and 50 mmHg and corresponding measures with Tono-Pen and TonoVet were taken.

RESULTS

The IOPs by TonoVet and Tono-Pen were linearly related over the range of pressures tested (slope = 0.68 normal/healthy and 0.72 experimental glaucoma). For the most, TonoVet measures overestimated IOP at all anterior chamber pressure settings (mean difference of 3.17 mmHg, 95% CI 12.53 to −4.74 normal and 3.90 mmHg, 95% CI 12.90 to −6.53 experimental glaucoma). In contrast, Tono-Pen measures overestimated IOP at lower IOPs and underestimated at higher IOP (slope = −0.26 normal and −0.21 experimental glaucoma).

CONCLUSIONS

The TonoVet and Tono-Pen tonometers that are often used to assess IOP in both clinical and experimental settings generally reflect the status of IOP, but the results from this study suggest that the instruments need calibration with true anterior chamber pressure for accurate measures in experimental models of glaucoma.
The Role of Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Devices in the Management of Glaucoma
Authors: Fingeret Murray , Dickerson Jaime E.
Published: January 2018

SIGNIFICANCE

Noncompliance is a problem affecting glaucoma patients. Approaches to improve adherence include the use of drug-delivery systems and safer forms of surgery. Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) has reduced complications, particularly in combination with cataract surgery, and with its good intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction may reduce or eliminate glaucoma medications.

Glaucoma is a progressive disease and a leading cause of irreversible blindness. Elevated IOP is the most important risk factor, but effective medical management is dependent on patient adherence. This review summarizes the adherence problem in glaucoma and the efforts, including MIGS, to provide effective IOP control that is not dependent on patient compliance.

The current understanding of patient adherence to pharmacological treatment of glaucoma is discussed including the challenges facing glaucoma patients. Historical approaches to providing IOP control in a sustained and reliable way are presented culminating in a review of the burgeoning use of MIGS devices.

It is estimated that, in the United States, 27% of prescriptions written, across all medications, are not filled or are filled but not taken. For ocular hypotensive medications, even when filled, a large percentage (which varies widely by study) are not instilled as prescribed. To address this problem, methods for sustained drug delivery have been and continue to be developed, as well as surgical and laser approaches. Most recently, MIGS devices have gained popularity because of the ease of implantation during cataract surgery, favorable safety profile, and the possibility for effective and long-lasting IOP lowering, as well as the reduction or elimination of need for IOP-lowering medication.

Poor adherence to treatment is relatively common among glaucoma patients and is associated with progression of disease. Recommending MIGS implantation during cataract surgery may offer optometrists a valuable treatment option in managing glaucoma patients, particularly where good adherence is in doubt.