bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smartphone-based tele-electrocardiography support for primary care physicians reduces the pain-to-treatment time in acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Chauhan Vivek , Negi Prakash C , Raina Sujeet , Raina Sunil , Bhatnagar Mukul , Guleri Rajesh , Kanwar Vikrant , Pandey Kumar S
Published: July 2017

Background

The Himachal Pradesh state acute coronary syndrome registry recorded a median delay of 13 h between the time of onset of pain to the time of making the diagnosis and giving treatment for acute coronary syndrome. We conducted a pilot study on providing 24-h tele-electrocardiography (Tele-ECG) services in the district Kangra of Himachal Pradesh, with the aim to reduce the time taken for diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome.

Methods

The intervention group for the study included eight rural community health centres, each with one to three primary care physicians, who were all unskilled in electrocardiogram interpretation. We provided them with 24-h Tele-ECG support. The primary care physicians used their smartphones to transmit the electrocardiogram image to the command centre, which was then read by the skilled specialist physicians in our medical college hospital and the report sent back within five minutes of having received the electrocardiogram. Antiplatelets were given by the primary care physician to patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome, who was then transported to the medical college hospital. The urban sub-divisional hospitals ( n = 6) formed the control group for the study. These hospitals had five to fifteen unskilled primary care physicians and one to two skilled specialist physicians; no intervention was done in this group. A pilot was run from February 2015–January 2016.

Results

We received 819 Tele-ECG consultations within the intervention group; 157 cases of acute coronary syndrome were confirmed and transferred to our medical college hospital facility. Similarly, we admitted 177 cases of acute coronary syndrome at the medical college hospital, who were first attended to by the primary care physician in the control group. Aspirin was administered to 91% and 58% of patients with acute coronary syndrome in the intervention and the control groups, respectively ( p < 0.0001). The median hospital-to-aspirin time (h) in the intervention and the control groups was 0.7 ± 1.45 h and 3.5 ± 10 h, respectively ( p < 0.0001). In the intervention group, 72% of the ST elevation myocardial infarction patients were diagnosed within 12 h by the primary care physician using Tele-ECG support.

Interpretation and conclusions

Smartphone-based Tele-ECG support for primary care physicians reduced the hospital-to-aspirin time in acute coronary syndrome significantly ( p < 0.0001). This is an effective low cost strategy and is easily replicable anywhere in the world.
“Shopping while Black”: Black consumers’ management of racial stigma and racial profiling in retail settings
Authors: Pittman Cassi
Published: July 2017

This article draws on qualitative interview data collected from 55 African Americans residing in the New York City area to examine African Americans’ experiences of consumer racial profiling or “Shopping While Black.” I find that racial discrimination alters African Americans’ experiences as consumers. Racial stigma in retail settings impacts the consumptive process for Blacks in two central ways. First, retail settings are often sites where anti-Black bias is made evident, requiring Black shoppers to navigate racial hierarchies while procuring goods. Second, discrimination alters the experience of shopping, arguably raising the costs and reducing the rewards derived from consumption. When a store’s sales staff is hesitant to serve Black shoppers or suspects that they are prospective shoplifters, shopping no longer becomes a form of leisure. A qualitative assessment of Blacks’ reports of racial stigma and discrimination in retail settings reveals that race can change the meaning and status attached to goods, when they are sought out or owned by racial minorities. By examining Blacks’ experiences of retail racism and the cultural strategies they adopt in responding to occasions when they are treated discriminatorily, this research brings to light Blacks’ experiences of discrimination on the ground, while also examining how racism impacts the quality of Black consumers’ experiences.
Applying theories of adult learning in developing online programs in gerontology
Authors: Carter Christy S , Solberg Lauren B , Solberg Laurence M
Published: July 2017

The Department of Aging and Geriatric Research at the University of Florida College of Medicine has established online education programs to provide healthcare professionals with advanced training in the field of gerontology to establish proficiency in providing quality care to older individuals. A major barrier to creating our online education programs was the challenge of transitioning our faculty from a traditional face-to-face learning environment to an online platform. A current trend in this type of professional development is to treat the faculty themselves as adult learners. Meyer has made several recommendations for professional faculty development specific to online education based on an extensive literature review. Here we present a reflection on how we addressed these various recommendations in the professional development of our faculty. We focus on our team’s ability to mentor the faculty through the course creation process by piloting an adult learning/transformative theory approach to instruct the faculty to think as online educators. Our intent is to inform other educators creating similar programs so they may learn from our experiences and use our methods for creating their own online education programs, especially with a “lean team.”
Pastoral power, sovereignty and class: Church, tithe and simony in Quebec
Authors: Curtis Bruce
Published: July 2017

Michel Foucault’s analysis of pastoral power has generated a large body of work in many different disciplines. Much of it has considered the paradox of the power of “each and all” or has seen pastoral power as an extension of the disciplinary gaze into welfare state policy. The political economy of the pastorate and the mutual dependence of sovereign and pastoral power, by contrast, are both relatively neglected. This article focuses on the exercise of pastoral power in a moral and political economy and examines the “arts of government” through which the Catholic Church attempted to claim that pastors lived from the flock only to live for it. While there is heuristic value in Foucault’s diagram of pastoral power, in practice that power cannot be separated from class relations and political sovereignty. Empirical material is drawn from the novel attempt of Britain to govern its Quebec colony through the Catholic Church.
Tapping Into the Potential of African American Alumni of Urban Schools
Authors: Johnson Adrian D.
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this study was to identify and understand how African American alumni of urban high schools perceived that they could best contribute to their former schools. Despite numerous improvement efforts for several decades, the academic performance of urban high school students has failed to keep pace with that of their suburban counterparts. This research was framed around the premise that the rich legacies and diverse cultural experiences of African American alumni of urban high schools could mitigate the outside factors that negatively impact student performance at urban schools. The 45 participants of this study were African American alumni of two prominent urban high schools, located in Jacksonville, Florida. Using Q methodology, participants sorted 38 statements reflecting how they perceived that African American alumni could best contribute to their former schools. The researcher then correlated the 45 Q sorts, factor analyzed those correlations, and extracted five collectively held factors. However, because the fifth factor was bipolar, the researcher interpreted the five-factor solution as having six perspectives, one for each of the first four factors and two opposite perspectives for Factor 5. The six perspectives were named College Preparation, Relationship Building, Spirituality, Self-Efficacy, Visibility (students), and Visibility (parents). Through the lens of social capital, these resulting perspectives were then systematically interpreted to provide a rich description of how African American alumni of urban high schools perceived that they could best contribute to their former schools.
Comparison Perioperative Factors During Minimally Invasive Pre-Psoas Lateral Interbody Fusion of the Lumbar Spine Using Either Navigation or Conventional Fluoroscopy
Authors: Zhang Yue-Hui , White Ian , Potts Eric , Mobasser Jean-Pierre , Chou Dean
Published: July 2017

Study Design:

Retrospective clinical study.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to compare intraoperative conditions and clinical results of patients undergoing pre-psoas oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) using navigation or conventional fluoroscopy (C-ARM) techniques.

Methods:

Forty-two patients (22 patients by navigation and 20 by fluoroscopy) underwent the OLIF procedure at 2 medical centers, and records were reviewed. Clinical data was collected and compared between the 2 groups. Patients were followed-up with a range of 6 to 24 months.

Results:

There were no significant differences on demographic data between groups. The navigation group had zero radiation exposure (RE) to the surgeon and radiation time compared to the C-ARM group, with total RE of 44.59 ± 26.65 mGy and radiation time of 88.30 ± 58.28 seconds ( P < .05). The RE to the patient was significantly lower in the O-ARM group (9.38 mGy) compared to the C-ARM group (44.59 ± 26.65 mGy). Operating room time was slightly longer in the navigation group (2.49 ± 1.35 hours) compared to the C-ARM group (2.30 ± 1.17 hours; P > .05), although not statistically significant. No differences were found in estimated blood loss, length of hospitalization, surgery-related complications, and outcome scores with an average of 8-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

Compared with C-ARM techniques, using navigation can eliminate RE to surgeon and decrease RE to the patient, and it had no significant effect on operating time, estimated blood loss, length of hospitalization, or perioperative complications in the patients with OLIF procedure. This study shows that navigation is a safe alternative to fluoroscopy during the OLIF procedure in the treatment of degenerative lumbar conditions.
Early Single-Sport Specialization: A Survey of 3090 High School, Collegiate, and Professional Athletes
Authors: Buckley Patrick S. , Bishop Meghan , Kane Patrick , Ciccotti Michael C. , Selverian Stephen , Exume Dominique , Emper William , Freedman Kevin B. , Hammoud Sommer , Cohen Steven B. , Ciccotti Michael G.
Published: July 2017

Background:

Youth participation in organized sports in the United States is rising, with many athletes focusing on a single sport at an increasingly younger age.

Purpose:

To retrospectively compare single-sport specialization in current high school (HS), collegiate, and professional athletes with regard to the rate and age of specialization, the number of months per year of single-sport training, and the athlete’s perception of injury related to specialization.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A survey was distributed to HS, collegiate, and professional athletes prior to their yearly preparticipation physical examination. Athletes were asked whether they had chosen to specialize in only 1 sport, and data were then collected pertaining to this decision.

Results:

A total of 3090 athletes completed the survey (503 HS, 856 collegiate, and 1731 professional athletes). A significantly greater percentage of current collegiate athletes specialized to play a single sport during their childhood/adolescence (45.2% of HS athletes, 67.7% of collegiate athletes, and 46.0% of professional athletes; P < .001). The age of single-sport specialization differed between groups and occurred at a mean age of 12.7 ± 2.4 (HS), 14.8 ± 2.5 (collegiate), and 14.1 ± 2.8 years (professional) ( P < .001). Current HS (39.9%) and collegiate athletes (42.1%) recalled a statistically greater incidence of sport-related injury than current professional athletes (25.4%) ( P < .001). The majority (61.7%) of professional athletes indicated that they believed specialization helps the athlete play at a higher level, compared with 79.7% of HS and 80.6% of collegiate athletes ( P < .001). Notably, only 22.3% of professional athletes said they would want their own child to specialize to play only 1 sport during childhood/adolescence.

Conclusion:

This study provides a foundation for understanding current trends in single-sport specialization in all athletic levels. Current HS athletes specialized, on average, 2 years earlier than current collegiate and professional athletes surveyed. These data challenge the notion that success at an elite level requires athletes to specialize in 1 sport at a very young age.
Objective Assessment of Listening Effort: Coregistration of Pupillometry and EEG
Authors: Miles Kelly , McMahon Catherine , Boisvert Isabelle , Ibrahim Ronny , de Lissa Peter , Graham Petra , Lyxell Björn
Published: July 2017

Listening to speech in noise is effortful, particularly for people with hearing impairment. While it is known that effort is related to a complex interplay between bottom-up and top-down processes, the cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms contributing to effortful listening remain unknown. Therefore, a reliable physiological measure to assess effort remains elusive. This study aimed to determine whether pupil dilation and alpha power change, two physiological measures suggested to index listening effort, assess similar processes. Listening effort was manipulated by parametrically varying spectral resolution (16- and 6-channel noise vocoding) and speech reception thresholds (SRT; 50% and 80%) while 19 young, normal-hearing adults performed a speech recognition task in noise. Results of off-line sentence scoring showed discrepancies between the target SRTs and the true performance obtained during the speech recognition task. For example, in the SRT80% condition, participants scored an average of 64.7%. Participants’ true performance levels were therefore used for subsequent statistical modelling. Results showed that both measures appeared to be sensitive to changes in spectral resolution (channel vocoding), while pupil dilation only was also significantly related to their true performance levels (%) and task accuracy (i.e., whether the response was correctly or partially recalled). The two measures were not correlated, suggesting they each may reflect different cognitive processes involved in listening effort. This combination of findings contributes to a growing body of research aiming to develop an objective measure of listening effort.
Psychosocial Development in 5-Year-Old Children With Hearing Loss Using Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants
Authors: Wong Cara L. , Ching Teresa Y. C. , Cupples Linda , Button Laura , Leigh Greg , Marnane Vivienne , Whitfield Jessica , Gunnourie Miriam , Martin Louise
Published: July 2017

This article reports on the psychosocial development and factors influencing outcomes of 5-year-old children with cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs). It further examines differences between children with CIs and HAs with similar levels of hearing loss. Data were collected as part of the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment study—a prospective, population-based study. Parents/caregivers of children completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire ( n = 333), the Social Skills subscale from the Child Development Inventory ( n = 317), and questionnaires on functional auditory behavior (Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/oral performance of Children), and demographics. Children completed assessments of nonverbal cognitive ability (Wechsler Non-verbal Scale of Ability) and language (Preschool Language Scale - fourth edition). On average, parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores on emotional or behavioral difficulties were within 1 SD of the normative mean; however, Child Development Inventory scores on social skills were more than 1 SD below the norm. Children with severe-to-profound hearing losses using HAs had significantly more behavioral problems than children with CIs. Regression analyses showed that non-verbal cognitive ability, language, and functional auditory behavior were significantly associated with psychosocial outcomes for children with HAs, whereas outcomes for children with CIs were associated with functional auditory behavior and the presence of additional disabilities. Age at hearing intervention, severity of hearing loss, and communication mode were not associated with outcomes. The results suggest that even children who develop good language ability with the help of a HA or CI may have psychosocial problems if they exhibit difficulties with listening and communicating in everyday environments. The findings have implications for developing interventions for young children with hearing loss.
Safety evaluation of α-galacto-oligosaccharides for use in infant formulas investigated in neonatal piglets
Authors: Kruger Claire , Zhou Yuting , Thorsrud Bjorn A , Morel-Despeisse Fanny , Chappuis Eric
Published: July 2017

Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), comprising galactoses with a glucose or sucrose, is a family of nondigestible oligosaccharides. The present study evaluates the safety of an α-GOS product (P-GOS® P) in a neonatal piglet model for 3 weeks. Three days after birth, neonatal piglets were divided into control and treated groups and provided with swine milk replacers in the absence and presence of 8 mg/mL—of the α-GOS product, respectively. An increase in the weight of the large intestines in treated males was noted, which is a common finding in studies of animals fed nondigestible oligosaccharides. There were no α-GOS product-related adverse effects in the piglets in terms of clinical signs, body weights, feed consumption, clinical chemistry, hematology, organ weights, or histopathology. The study demonstrated that formula supplemented with 8 mg/mL of P-GOS P is safe and well tolerated in neonatal piglets and supports the safe use of P-GOS P in infant formulas.
Response of chlorophyll a to total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in lotic ecosystems: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Bennett Micah G. , Schofield Kate A. , Lee Sylvia S. , Norton Susan B.
Published: July 2017

Background

Eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems resulting from nitrogen and phosphorus pollution is a major stressor across the globe. Despite recognition by scientists and stakeholders of the problems of nutrient pollution, rigorous synthesis of scientific evidence is still needed to inform nutrient-related management decisions, especially in streams and rivers. Nutrient stressor-response relationships are complicated by multiple interacting environmental factors, complex and indirect causal pathways involving diverse biotic assemblages and food web compartments, legacy (historic) nutrient sources such as agricultural sediments, and the naturally high spatiotemporal variability of lotic ecosystems. Determining nutrient levels at which ecosystems are affected is a critical first step for identifying, managing, and restoring aquatic resources impaired by eutrophication and maintaining currently unimpaired resources. The systematic review outlined in this protocol will compile and synthesize literature on the response of chlorophyll a to nutrients in streams, providing a state-of-the-science body of evidence to assess nutrient impacts to one of the most widely-used measures of eutrophication. This review will address two questions: “What is the response of chlorophyll a to total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in lotic ecosystems?” and “How are these relationships affected by other factors?”

Methods

Searches for published and unpublished articles (peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed) will be conducted using bibliographic databases and search engines. Searches will be supplemented with bibliography searches and requests for material from the scientific and management community. Articles will be screened for relevance at the title/abstract and full text levels using pre-determined inclusion criteria; 10% (minimum 50, maximum 200) of screened papers will be examined by multiple reviewers to ensure consistent application of criteria. Study risk of bias will be evaluated using a questionnaire developed from existing frameworks and tailored to the specific study types this review will encounter. Results will be synthesized using meta-analysis of correlation coefficients, as well as narrative and tabular summaries, and will focus on the shape, direction, strength, and variability of available nutrient-chlorophyll relationships. Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression will be used to evaluate potential effects of study quality and modifying factors on nutrient-chlorophyll relationships.
President's Page
Authors: Martinez Ruben D.
Published: July 2017

Key components of the SEG strategy are to become the trusted “go-to” source for information about applied geophysics, to connect the world of applied geophysics, to connect geology and engineering to geophysics, and to show the power of applied geophysics. Clearly, this strategic vision promotes communication among members, integration of geophysics with other disciplines, and continuous innovation. It is also broad enough to include many fields such as hydrogeophysics, near-surface geophysics, engineering geophysics, mining geophysics, petroleum geophysics, and others.
Compressive sensing: A new approach to seismic data acquisition
Authors: Baraniuk Richard G. , Steeghs Philippe
Published: July 2017

Sensing and imaging systems are under increasing pressure to accommodate ever-larger and higher-dimensional data sets; ever-faster capture, sampling, and processing rates; ever-lower power consumption; ever-smaller form factor; and new sensing modalities. These needs have motivated the development of new approaches to signal acquisition and processing. We provide an introduction to the field of compressive sensing (CS), which has stimulated a rethinking of sensor and signal processing system design. In CS, analog signals are digitized and processed not via uniform sampling but via measurements using more general, even random, test functions. In contrast to conventional wisdom, the new theory asserts that one can combine “sub-Nyquist rate sampling” with large-scale optimization for efficient and accurate signal acquisition when the signal has a sparse structure. Particular topics addressed include signal sparsity, randomized sampling, optimization-based signal recovery, and perspectives on applications to seismic data acquisition and processing.
Reviews
Authors: Taylor Patrick , Bartel David
Published: July 2017

A Pictorial Guide to Metamorphic Rocks in the Field, by Kurt Hollocher, ISBN 978-1-138-02630-8, 2014, CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group, 326 p., US$49.95 (paper), US$34.97 (eBook). Interpreter Sam Carries On, by D. A. Herron, ISBN 978-1-560-80339-3, 2016, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 116 p., US$35 (members), US$63 (nonmembers).
Prevalence of and associations with agitation in residents with dementia living in care homes: MARQUE cross-sectional study
Authors: Livingston Gill , Barber Julie , Marston Louise , Rapaport Penny , Livingston Deborah , Cousins Sian , Robertson Sarah , La Frenais Francesca , Cooper Claudia
Published: July 2017

Background

Agitation is reportedly the most common neuropsychiatric symptom in care home residents with dementia.

Aims

To report, in a large care home survey, prevalence and determinants of agitation in residents with dementia.

Method

We interviewed staff from 86 care homes between 13 January 2014 and 12 November 2015 about residents with dementia with respect to agitation (Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)), quality of life (DEMQOL-proxy) and dementia severity (Clinical Dementia Rating). We also interviewed residents and their relatives. We used random effects models adjusted for resident age, gender, dementia severity and care home type with CMAI as a continuous score.

Results

Out of 3053 (86.2%) residents who had dementia, 1489 (52.7%) eligible residents participated. Fifteen per cent of residents with very mild dementia had clinically significant agitation compared with 33% with mild (odds ratios (ORs)=4.49 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.30) and 45% with moderate or severe dementia (OR=6.95 95% CI=3.63, 13.31 and OR=6.23 95% CI=3.25, 11.94, respectively). More agitation was associated with lower quality of life (regression coefficient (rc)=-0.53; 95% CI=-0.61, -0.46) but not with staffing or resident ratio (rc=0.03; 95% CI=-0.04, 0.11), level of residents' engagement in home activities (rc=3.21; 95% CI=-0.82, 7.21) or family visit numbers (rc=-0.03; 95% CI=-0.15, 0.08). It was correlated with antipsychotic use (rc=6.45; 95% CI=3.98, 8.91).

Conclusions

Care home residents with dementia and agitation have lower quality of life. More staffing time and activities as currently provided are not associated with lower agitation levels. New approaches to develop staff skills in understanding and responding to the underlying reasons for individual resident's agitation require development and testing.
Cabazitaxel Versus Docetaxel As First-Line Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Randomized Phase III Trial—FIRSTANA
Authors: Oudard Stéphane , Fizazi Karim , Sengeløv Lisa , Daugaard Gedske , Saad Fred , Hansen Steinbjørn , Hjälm-Eriksson Marie , Jassem Jacek , Thiery-Vuillemin Antoine , Caffo Orazio , Castellano Daniel , Mainwaring Paul N. , Bernard John , Shen Liji , Chadjaa Mustapha , Sartor Oliver
Published: July 2017

Purpose

In patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), overall survival (OS) is significantly improved with cabazitaxel versus mitoxantrone after prior docetaxel treatment. FIRSTANA ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01308567) assessed whether cabazitaxel 20 mg/m2 (C20) or 25 mg/m2 (C25) is superior to docetaxel 75 mg/m2 (D75) in terms of OS in patients with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC.

Patients and Methods

Patients with mCRPC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2 were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive C20, C25, or D75 intravenously every 3 weeks plus daily prednisone. The primary end point was OS. Secondary end points included safety; progression-free survival (PFS); tumor, prostate-specific antigen, and pain response; pharmacokinetics; and health-related quality of life.

Results

Between May 2011 and April 2013, 1,168 patients were randomly assigned. Baseline characteristics were similar across cohorts. Median OS was 24.5 months with C20, 25.2 months with C25, and 24.3 months with D75. Hazard ratio for C20 versus D75 was 1.01 (95% CI, 0.85 to 1.20; P = .997), and hazard ratio for C25 versus D75 was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.82 to 1.16; P = .757). Median PFS was 4.4 months with C20, 5.1 months with C25, and 5.3 months with D75, with no significant differences between treatment arms. Radiographic tumor responses were numerically higher for C25 (41.6%) versus D75 (30.9%; nominal P = .037, without multiplicity test adjustment). Rates of grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse events were 41.2%, 60.1%, and 46.0% for C20, C25, and D75, respectively. Febrile neutropenia, diarrhea, and hematuria were more frequent with C25; peripheral neuropathy, peripheral edema, alopecia, and nail disorders were more frequent with D75.

Conclusion

C20 and C25 did not demonstrate superiority for OS versus D75 in patients with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC. Tumor response was numerically higher with C25 versus D75; pain PFS was numerically improved with D75 versus C25. Cabazitaxel and docetaxel demonstrated different toxicity profiles, with overall less toxicity with C20.
Improving Adherence to Intraoperative Lung-Protective Ventilation Strategies at a University Medical Center
Authors: Josephs Sean A. , Lemmink Gretchen A. , Strong Judith A. , Barry Cassandra L. , Hurford William E.
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND:

Intraoperative lung-protective ventilation (ILPV) is defined as tidal volumes <8 mL/kg ideal bodyweight and is increasingly a standard of care for major abdominal surgical procedures performed under general anesthesia. In this study, we report the result of a quality improvement initiative targeted at improving adherence to ILPV guidelines in a large academic teaching hospital.

METHODS:

We performed a time-series study to determine whether anesthesia provider adherence to ILPV was affected by certain improvement interventions and patient ideal body weight (IBW). Tidal volume data were collected at 3 different time points for 191 abdominal surgical cases from June 2014 through April 2015. Improvement interventions during that period included education at departmental grand rounds, creation of a departmental ILPV policy, feedback of tidal volume and failure rate data at grand rounds sessions, and reducing default ventilator settings for tidal volume. Mean tidal volume per kilogram of ideal body weight (VT/kg IBW) and rates of noncompliance with ILPV were analyzed before and after the interventions. A survey was administered to assess provider attitudes after implementation of improvement interventions. Responses before and after interventions and between physician and nonphysician providers were analyzed.

RESULTS:

Reductions in mean VT/kg IBW and rates of failure for providers to use ILPV occurred after improvement interventions. Patients with IBW <65 kg received higher VT/kg IBW and had higher rates of failure to use ILPV than patients with IBW >65 kg. Surveyed providers demonstrated stronger agreement to having knowledge and practice consistent with ILPV after interventions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our interventions improved anesthesia provider adherence to low tidal volume ILPV. IBW was found to be an important factor related to provider adherence to ILPV. Provider attitudes about their knowledge and practice consistent with ILPV also changed with our interventions.
Standard metabolic rate predicts growth trajectory of juvenile crucian carp (Carassius auratus) under changing food availability
Authors: Zeng Ling-Qing , Zhang An-Jie , Killen Shaun S. , Cao Zhen-Dong , Wang Yu-Xiang , Fu Shi-Jian
Published: July 2017

Phenotypic traits vary greatly within populations and can have a significant influence on aspects of performance. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of individual variation in standard metabolic rate (SMR) on growth rate and tolerance to food-deprivation in juvenile crucian carp (Carassius auratus) under varying levels of food availability. To address this issue, 19 high and 16 low SMR (individuals were randomly assigned to a satiation diet for 3 weeks, whereas another 20 high and 16 low SMR individuals were assigned to a restricted diet (approximately 50% of satiation) for the same period. Then, all fish were completely food-deprived for another 3 weeks. High SMR individuals showed a higher growth rate when fed to satiation, but this advantage of SMR did not exist in food-restricted fish. This result was related to improved feeding efficiency with decreased food intake in low SMR individuals, due to their low food processing capacity and maintenance costs. High SMR individuals experienced more mass loss during food-deprivation as compared to low SMR individuals. Our results here illustrate context-dependent costs and benefits of intraspecific variation in SMR whereby high SMR individuals show increased growth performance under high food availability but had a cost under stressful environments (i.e., food shortage).
Dlx3b/4b is required for early-born but not later-forming sensory hair cells during zebrafish inner ear development
Authors: Schwarzer Simone , Spieß Sandra , Brand Michael , Hans Stefan
Published: July 2017

Morpholino-mediated knockdown has shown that the homeodomain transcription factors Dlx3b and Dlx4b are essential for proper induction of the otic-epibranchial progenitor domain (OEPD) as well as subsequent formation of sensory hair cells in the developing zebrafish inner ear. However, increasing use of reverse genetic approaches has revealed poor correlation between morpholino-induced and mutant phenotypes. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis, we generated a defined deletion eliminating the entire open reading frames of dlx3b and dlx4b (dlx3b/4b) and investigated a potential phenotypic difference between mutants and morpholino-mediated knockdown. Consistent with previous findings obtained by morpholino-mediated knockdown of Dlx3b and Dlx4b, dlx3b/4b mutants display compromised otic induction, the development of smaller otic vesicles and an elimination of all indications of otic specification when combined with loss of foxi1, a second known OEPD competence factor in zebrafish. Furthermore, sensorigenesis is also affected in dlx3b/4b mutants. However, we find that only early-born sensory hair cells (tether cells), that seed and anchor the formation of otoliths, are affected. Later-forming sensory hair cells are present indicating that two genetically distinct pathways control the development of early-born and later-forming sensory hair cells, respectively. Finally, impairment of early-born sensory hair cell formation in dlx3b/4b mutant embryos reverses the common temporal sequence of neuronal and sensory hair cell specification in zebrafish, resembling the order of cell specification in amniotes; Neurog1 expression before Atoh1 expression. We conclude that the Dlx3b/4b-dependent pathway has been either acquired newly in the fish lineage or lost in other vertebrate species during evolution and that the events during early inner ear development are remarkably similar in fish and amniotes in the absence of this pathway.
The cell polarity proteins Boi1p and Boi2p stimulate vesicle fusion at the plasma membrane of yeast cells
Authors: Kustermann Jochen , Wu Yehui , Rieger Lucia , Dedden Dirk , Phan Tamara , Walther Paul , Dünkler Alexander , Johnsson Nils
Published: July 2017

Eukaryotic cells can direct secretion to defined regions of their plasma membrane. These regions are distinguished by an elaborate architecture of proteins and lipids that are specialized to capture and fuse post-Golgi vesicles. Here, we show that the proteins Boi1p and Boi2p are important elements of this area of active exocytosis at the tip of growing yeast cells. Cells lacking Boi1p and Boi2p accumulate secretory vesicles in their buds. The essential PH domains of Boi1p and Boi2p interact with Sec1p, a protein required for SNARE complex formation and vesicle fusion. Sec1p loses its tip localization in cells depleted of Boi1p and Boi2p but overexpression of Sec1p can partially compensate for their loss. The capacity to simultaneously bind phospholipids, Sec1p, multiple subunits of the exocyst, Cdc42p and the module for generating active Cdc42p identify Boi1p and Boi2p as essential mediators between exocytosis and polar growth.
Role and Correlation of High Resolution Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluation of Patients with Shoulder Pain
Authors: Singh Amandeep , Thukral Chuni Lal , Gupta Kamlesh , Singh Mahesh Inder , Lata Sneh , Arora Ram Krishan
Published: July 2017

Background: The study aimed to evaluate of the role of high-resolution ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with shoulder pain.

Material/Methods: This prospective study included 50 patients referred for ultrasound and MRI because of shoulder pain. All patients were examined clinically, followed by radiography of the affected shoulder. High-resolution ultrasound examination of the involved shoulder was performed together with an examination of the contralateral normal shoulder, followed by MRI of the symptomatic shoulder in all 50 patients.

Results: In the present study, the majority of patients were in age group 56–65 years, 56% were males and 44% were females (of a total of 50 patients). A total of 40 patients were diagnosed as having rotator cuff tears on ultrasound (USG) and MRI. USG showed complete-thickness tears in 25 patients and partial-thickness tears in 15 patients. MRI detected 28 complete- and 12 partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. In the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears, the strength of agreement between ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging was good (kappa coefficient=0.79).

Conclusions: Ultrasonography of the shoulder shows promising results in the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears and in differentiating partial from complete tears. A wide availability, cost effectiveness and better tolerability of ultrasonography make it a modality of first choice for evaluating rotator cuff tears.
GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE GAS MANIFESTATIONS OF GREECE: METHANE AND LIGHT HYDROCARBONS
Authors: Daskalopoulou K. , D’Alessandro W. , Cabassi J. , Calabrese S. , Fiebig J. , Grassa F. , Kyriakopoulos K. , Parello F. , Tassi F.
Published: July 2017

Greece has a very complex geodynamic setting deriving from a long and complicated geological history being characterized by intense seismic activity and enhanced geothermal gradient. This activity, with the contribution of an active volcanic arc, favours the existence of many gas manifestations. Depending on the prevailing gas species, the latter can be subdivided in three main groups: CO2-, N2- and CH4- dominated. In the present work, we focus on methane and light hydrocarbons (C2-C6) to define their origin. CH4 concentrations (<2 to 915,200 μmol/mol) and isotopic ratios (δ13C -79.8 to +16.9 ‰, δD -298 to +264‰) cover a wide range of values indicating different origins and/or secondary post-genetic processes. Samples from gas discharged along the Ionian coast and in northern Aegean Sea have a prevailing microbial origin. Cold and thermal gas manifestations of central and northern Greece display a prevalent thermogenic origin. Methane in gases released along the active volcanic arc is prevailingly abiogenic, although thermogenic contributions cannot be excluded. Gases collected in the geothermal areas of Sperchios basin and northern Euboea are likely affected by strong secondary oxidation processes, as suggested by their highly positive C and H isotopic values (up to +16.9‰ and +264‰ respectively) and low C1/(C2+C3) ratios.
APPLICATIONS OF THE HELLENIC NATURAL ZEOLITE (HENAZE) AND SPECIFICATIONS OF ZEOLITIC TUFFS
Authors: Filippidis A.
Published: July 2017

The Hellenic Natural Zeolite (HENAZE) is free of fibres and contains 89 wt% clinoptilolite, 3 wt% mica + clay minerals, 3 wt% quartz, 2 wt% cristobalie ± tridymite and 3 wt% feldspars. HENAZE do not meet the requirements of the EU Regulation No 651/2013, and thus cannot be used as feed additive for all animal species and consequently as nutrition supplement, since it contains 3 wt% quartz. HENAZE is suitable for use as soil conditioner, since the concentration of trace elements are lower than the maximum allowable concentrations in agricultural soils (EU Directive 278/1986). HENAZE as soil conditioner: a) improved the pH of acid soils by 47-55%, b) reduced the leaching of metals by 33-71% from contaminated soils, c) reduced the Hg concentration by 47-78% in shoots and roots of plants, d) increased the production of agricultural products by 17-95%, e) decreased the plantlosses in new vineyard by 12% and f) improved the quality of tomato by 4-46%. The HENAZE neutralized sewage sludge (producing zeo-sewage-sludge), industrialsludge (producing zeo-sludge), battery solid waste and mine solid wastes (minetailings). The zeo-sewage sludge and zeo-sludge are odorless, cohesive and suitable for safe deposition. The treatment of sewage-sludge and industrial-sludge with the HENAZE, reduced the leaching of metals by 91-100% and of NO3 - by 81-82%. Depending on the trace element contents, the zeo-sewage-sludge can be used as soil conditioner. HENAZE sorbed-removed 37-92% of metals, radionuclides and cyanobacteria from their solutions and waters. The treatment of wastewaters (urban, dyeing-industry, industrial area and tanning-work) with HENAZE, improved the quality characteristics by 48-99%. The HENAZE reduced the NO3 - load by 54-94% in groundwater, nitrate-solutions, industrial and urban wastewaters. Considering, the European, Global and Greek legislation, the mineralogical, chemical, morphological and radiological characteristics, as well as the leachability and bioavailability of chemical elements, the specifications for the different applications-uses of the zeolitic tuffs are defined
RESERVES ESTIMATION OF A MARBLE QUARRY USING QUALITY INDICATORS
Authors: Kapageridis I. , Albanopoulos C.
Published: July 2017

The use of standard estimation and modelling software tools in estimating marble quarry reserves poses a number of challenges. Marble quarry reserves are based on marble quality categories, almost unique for each quarry/deposit considered. These categories represent visual and physical aspects of marble such as colour, texture and fractures. Classification of marble to one of the categories is performed by experienced personnel and is based on samples much smaller in area than the blocks of marble which are potentially exploited. The available information is, also, mostly qualitative leading to further complications in the application of geomathematical estimation methods. The estimation of marble reserves described in this paper is based on interpolating quality indicator values from drillhole and quarry face samples to blocks in three dimensions. The procedure is applied in all working quarries of Iktinos Hellas SA and is based on Maptek Vulcan Quarry Modeller, a mine planning package adapted for quarrying. Its application and results is demonstrated using a case study from one of the quarries in NE Greece.
GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SILICEOUS SEDIMENTS FROM VASILIKA, NORTHERN GREECE
Authors: Karageorgiou S. , Vavelidis M. , Andreou S. , Melfos V.
Published: July 2017

The present paper presents new mineralogical and geochemical data of the siliceous sediments from the region of Vasilika in northern Greece. The studied material consists of reddish and brownish cherts and jaspers containing mostly microcrystalline quartz and Fe-oxides. Chemical analysis has been carried out, including the identification of major oxides, trace elements and REE, in order to determine their geotectonic affinity based on the correlation of immobile trace element distribution. The geochemical features combined with the mineralogical composition of these siliceous sediments indicate that they were formed as the result of a hydrothermal circulating convection system near a mid-ocean ridge. Rare earth elements (REE) are regarded as the most reliable immobile elemental components in the complex geological process of the sedimentary cycle because they are relatively stable during post-depositional processes such as diagenesis, alteration and weathering. In addition Ce anomaly can help to establish the marine environment in which cherts were formed
GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MAFIC ENCLAVES AND THEIR HOSTS FROM NEOGENE ERENLERDAGI VOLCANITES, AROUND YATAGAN VILLAGE AND SAĞLIK TOWN (KONYA), CENTRAL TURKEY
Authors: Koçak K.
Published: July 2017

Late Miocene to Pliocene volcanism is represented by development of lava domes, nuée ardentes and pyroclastic fall and flow (ignimbrites) deposits in the WSW and NW of Konya city. The lava dome contains various mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs), which have various size (a few cm to a few meters), shape (ellipse/sphere to rounded), with a well-developed chilly zone. The MMEs samples are situated on mostly basaltic andesite and andesite, and a few MME samples on basaltic trachyandesite area while the host rocks are concentrated on dacite and andesite areas. The felsic samples have more fractionated chondrite-normalised REE pattern (La/YbN: 9.5-18.1) than MMEs (6.7-16.0) ones, but both have slightly developed negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu*: 0.67-0.89 in felsic rocks, 0.68-0.87 in MMEs). In primitive mantlenormalized spider diagram, the MMEs and felsic rocks have negative Nb, Ta, P and Ti anomalies, indicating some subduction component in their genesis. Based on geochemical data, the MMEs are suggested to have been formed by hybridization of basic magma mingled with partially crystallized felsic magma.
PHOSPHORUS ZONING FROM SECONDARY OLIVINE IN MANTLE XENOLITH FROM MIDDLE ATLAS MOUNTAINS (MOROCCO, AFRICA): IMPLICATIONS FOR CRYSTAL GROWTH KINETICS
Authors: Mavrogonatos K. , Flemetakis S. , Papoutsa A. , Klemme S. , Berndt J. , Economou G. , Pantazidis A. , Baziotis I. , Asimow P.D.
Published: July 2017

Mantle xenolith samples in contact with basalt flows were collected from the Tafraoute maar in Morocco. Discrete melt veins are present in one xenolith sample, crosscutting primary layering and foliation. We used both optical microscopy and electron microprobe analysis to characterize the glasses and minerals in the melt veins. The melt veins consist of glass and crystals of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, spinel and apatite. The olivine in the melt veins is quite distinct from the same mineral within the matrix due to its characteristic P-enriched rims (up to 0.3 wt.%). Correlations between Al and P, as well as experimentally determined partition coefficient for P, point towards non-equilibrium partitioning during rapid crystal growth at the end of crystallization.
MINERALOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE TRIADESGALANA PB-ZN-AG-AU INTERMEDIATE-HIGH SULFIDATION EPITHERMAL MINERALIZATION, MILOS ISLAND, GREECE
Authors: Papavasiliou K. , Voudouris P. , Kanellopoulos C. , Alfieris D. , Xydous S.
Published: July 2017

The Triades-Galana Pb-Zn-Ag-Au mineralization is a shallow-submarine epithermal mineralization located along NE-trending faults, NW Milos Island, Greece. It is hosted in 2.5–1.4 Ma pyroclastic rocks and is genetically related to andesitic/dacitic lava domes. Mineralization occurs as breccias, quartz-barite galena veins and stockworks within sericite-adularia or kaolinitic altered rocks. The mineralization is enriched in Mo, W and base- and precious metals (e.g. Pb, Zn, Ag) similarly to the neighbouring mineralization at Kondaros-Katsimouti and Vani, indicating common source of metals from a deep buried granitoid feeding western Milos with metals and volatiles. Paragenetic relations suggest early deposition of pyrite, followed by famatinite, polybasite and Ag-rich tetrahedrite, and then by enargite, suggesting fluctuating sulfidation states during ore formation. The evolution from Sb- towards As-rich enrichment indicate a renewed magmatic pulse (probably in the form of magmatic gases) in the hydrothermal system. Silver is present in the structure of sulfosalts (up to 66.2 wt.% in polybasite-pearceite, 15.1 wt.% in tetrahedrite and 60 wt. % in pyrargyrite). Boiling processes (as evidenced by the presence of adularia accompanying intermediate-sulfidation ore) and mixing with seawater (presence of hypogene lead chlorides) and contemporaneous uplift, contributed to ore formation.