bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polycystin-1 Assembles With Kv Channels to Govern Cardiomyocyte Repolarization and Contractility
Authors: Altamirano Francisco , Schiattarella Gabriele G. , French Kristin M. , Kim Soo Young , Engelberger Felipe , Kyrychenko Sergii , Villalobos Elisa , Tong Dan , Schneider Jay W. , Ramirez-Sarmiento Cesar A. , Lavandero Sergio , Gillette Thomas G. , Hill Joseph A.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Polycystin-1 (PC1) is a transmembrane protein originally identified in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease where it regulates the calcium-permeant cation channel polycystin-2. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients develop renal failure, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and diastolic dysfunction, among other cardiovascular disorders. These individuals harbor PC1 loss-of-function mutations in their cardiomyocytes, but the functional consequences are unknown. PC1 is ubiquitously expressed, and its experimental ablation in cardiomyocyte-specific knockout mice reduces contractile function. Here, we set out to determine the pathophysiological role of PC1 in cardiomyocytes.

Methods:

Wild-type and cardiomyocyte-specific PC1 knockout mice were analyzed by echocardiography. Excitation-contraction coupling was assessed in isolated cardiomyocytes and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, and functional consequences were explored in heterologous expression systems. Protein-protein interactions were analyzed biochemically and by means of
ab initio
calculations.

Results:

PC1 ablation reduced action potential duration in cardiomyocytes, decreased Ca
2+
transients, and myocyte contractility. PC1-deficient cardiomyocytes manifested a reduction in sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
stores attributable to a reduced action potential duration and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
ATPase (SERCA) activity. An increase in outward K
+
currents decreased action potential duration in cardiomyocytes lacking PC1. Overexpression of full-length PC1 in HEK293 cells significantly reduced the current density of heterologously expressed Kv4.3, Kv1.5 and Kv2.1 potassium channels. PC1 C terminus inhibited Kv4.3 currents to the same degree as full-length PC1. Additionally, PC1 coimmunoprecipitated with Kv4.3, and a modeled PC1 C-terminal structure suggested the existence of 2 docking sites for PC1 within the N terminus of Kv4.3, supporting a physical interaction. Finally, a naturally occurring human mutant PC1
R4228X
manifested no suppressive effects on Kv4.3 channel activity.

Conclusions:

Our findings uncover a role for PC1 in regulating multiple Kv channels, governing membrane repolarization and alterations in SERCA activity that reduce cardiomyocyte contractility.
Prognostic Value of Carotid and Radial Artery Reservoir‐Wave Parameters in End‐Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Fortier Catherine , Côté Gabrielle , Mac‐Way Fabrice , Goupil Rémi , Desbiens Louis‐Charles , Desjardins Marie‐Pier , Marquis Karine , Hametner Bernhard , Wassertheurer Siegfried , Schultz Martin G. , Sharman James E. , Agharazii Mohsen
Published: June 2019

Background

Reservoir‐wave approach is an alternative model of arterial hemodynamics based on the assumption that measured arterial pressure is composed of volume‐related (reservoir pressure) and wave‐related components (excess pressure). However, the clinical utility of reservoir‐wave approach remains debatable.

Methods and Results

In a single‐center cohort of 260 dialysis patients, we examined whether carotid and radial reservoir‐wave parameters were associated with all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. Central pulse pressure and augmentation index at 75 beats per minute were determined by radial arterial tonometry through generalized transfer function. Carotid and radial reservoir‐wave analysis were performed to determine reservoir pressure and excess pressure integral. After a median follow‐up of 32 months, 171 (66%) deaths and 88 (34%) cardiovascular deaths occurred. In Cox regression analysis, carotid excess pressure integral was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.33 (95%
CI
, 1.14–1.54;
P
<0.001 per 1 SD) for all‐cause and 1.45 (95%
CI
: 1.18–1.75;
P
<0.001 per 1 SD) for cardiovascular mortality. After adjustments for age, heart rate, sex, clinical characteristics and carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity, carotid excess pressure integral was consistently associated with increased risk of all‐cause (hazard ratio per 1 SD, 1.30; 95%
CI
: 1.08–1.54;
P
=0.004) and cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio per 1 SD, 1.31; 95%
CI
: 1.04–1.63;
P
=0.019). Conversely, there were no significant associations between radial reservoir‐wave parameters, central pulse pressure, augmentation index at 75 beats per minute, pressure forward, pressure backward and reflection magnitude, and all‐cause or cardiovascular mortality after adjustment for comorbidities.

Conclusions

These observations support the clinical value of reservoir‐wave approach parameters of large central elastic vessels in end‐stage renal disease.
Learning to Complete Knowledge Graphs with Deep Sequential Models
Authors: Guo Lingbing , Zhang Qingheng , Hu Wei , Sun Zequn , Qu Yuzhong
Published: June 2019

Knowledge graph (KG) completion aims at filling the missing facts in a KG, where a fact is typically represented as a triple in the form of ( head, relation, tail). Traditional KG completion methods compel two-thirds of a triple provided (e.g., head and relation) to predict the remaining one. In this paper, we propose a new method that extends multi-layer recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to model triples in a KG as sequences. It obtains state-of-the-art performance on the common entity prediction task, i.e., giving head (or tail) and relation to predict the tail (or the head), using two benchmark data sets. Furthermore, the deep sequential characteristic of our method enables it to predict the relations given head (or tail) only, and even predict the whole triples. Our experiments on these two new KG completion tasks demonstrate that our method achieves superior performance compared with several alternative methods.
Type specimens of amphibians in the National Museum of Natural History, Leiden, The Netherlands
Authors: MIRACLE M. EULÀLIA GASSÓ , VAN DEN HOEK OSTENDE LARS W. , ARNTZEN JAN WILLEM
Published: June 2019

The amphibian type specimens held in the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden are listed. A total of 775 type specimens representing 143 taxon names were encountered. The list provides the original name, the original publication date, pagination and illustrations, current name, type locality and notes on the type status.
Two new species of Itagonia Reitter (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Blaptini) from Tibet, China
Authors: SHI AI-MIN , REN GUO-DONG
Published: June 2019

Two new species of Itagonia Reitter, 1887, I. cordiformis, sp. nov. and I. zayica, sp. nov. are described from Tibet, China. A key to 7 known species of Itagonia from Tibet and Sichuan is given.
Review of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Sauria: Gekkonidae) in Sri Lanka with the description of five new species
Authors: WICKRAMASINGHE L. J.MENDIS , MUNINDRADASA D. A.I.
Published: June 2019

Five new species of geckos are described from Sri Lanka by morphological comparison and morphometric analysis leading to review the genus Cnemaspis in the country. The type series of these species were identified from following localities: C. alwisi and C. kumarasinghei from the intermediate zone, C. retigalensis from the dry zone, C. molligodai from the lowland wet zone and C. samanalensis from the mountain region of the wet zone in the country. The high degree of endemicity (90%) shown by Cnemaspis in Sri Lanka could be attributed to geographical isolation. In addition, the taxonomic issue of C. jerdonii scalpensis is discussed and the species C. scalpensis is errected.
Do Restoring and Maintaining Sinus Rhythm Have a Beneficial Effect on Secondary Prevention of Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation? A Pilot Study
Authors: Conkbayir Cenk , Yigit Zerrin , Hural Refika , Ugurlucan Murat , Oztas Didem Melis , Okcun Baris , Kucukoglu Serdar
Published: June 2019

We aimed to determine whether attempts to restore and maintain sinus rhythm will reduce recurrent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients (n = 245) between March 1998 and May 2002 with AF who had an ischemic stroke including transient ischemic attack 1 to 12 months before transesophageal echocardiographic examination and had been followed for 3 years were retrospectively reviewed. Cardioversion was attempted in 130 patients; 117 (90%) patients were successfully cardioverted (rhythm control group). The 13 patients who could not be cardioverted and 115 patients who did not undergo cardioversion were assigned to the rate control group. Age, gender, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, mitral valve disease, and left atrial diameter were similar in both groups. The rhythm control group included 56 patients (48.7%) who were still in sinus rhythm after 3 years. During follow-up, there were 2 embolic events (3.4%) and 2 deaths (3.4%) in the rhythm control group, whereas 18 embolic events (14.6%) and 18 deaths (14.6%) occurred in the rate control group ( P = .049 and P = .049, respectively). Restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm seems to have a beneficial effect on secondary prevention of stroke in patients with AF.
A pilot study of the utility of cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain in differentiating neurodegenerative from psychiatric disorders: A ‘C-reactive protein’ for psychiatrists and neurologists?
Authors: Eratne Dhamidhu , Loi Samantha M , Walia Nirbaanjot , Farrand Sarah , Li Qiao-Xin , Varghese Shiji , Walterfang Mark , Evans Andrew , Mocellin Ramon , Dhiman Kunal , Gupta Veer , Malpas Charles B , Collins Steven , Masters Colin L , Velakoulis Dennis
Published: June 2019

Objective:

Neurofilament light has shown promise as a biomarker for diagnosis, staging and prognosis in a wide range of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. This study explored the utility of cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light in distinguishing primary psychiatric disorders from neurodegenerative and neurological disorders, a common diagnostic dilemma for psychiatrists and neurologists.

Methods:

This cross-sectional retrospective pilot study assessed cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light on patients referred to a tertiary neuropsychiatry service from 2009 to 2017 for diagnostic assessment of neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive symptoms, where a neurodegenerative disorder was a differential diagnosis, who received lumbar punctures as part of a comprehensive workup. The most recent gold-standard clinical consensus diagnosis was categorised into psychiatric disorder or neurodegenerative or neurological disorder. Data from healthy controls were available for comparison. Data extraction and diagnostic categorisation was blinded to neurofilament light results.

Results:

A total of 129 participants were included: 77 neurodegenerative or neurological disorder (mean age 57 years, including Alzheimer’s dementia, frontotemporal dementia), 31 psychiatric disorder (mean age 51 years, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder) and 21 healthy controls (mean age 66 years). Neurofilament light was significantly higher in neurodegenerative or neurological disorder (M = 3560 pg/mL, 95% confidence intervals = [2918, 4601]) compared to psychiatric disorder (M = 949 pg/mL, 95% confidence intervals = [830, 1108]) and controls (M = 1036 pg/mL, 95% confidence intervals = [908, 1165]). Neurofilament light distinguished neurodegenerative or neurological disorder from psychiatric disorder with an area under the curve of 0.94 (95% confidence intervals = [0.89, 0.98]); a cut-off of 1332 pg/mL was associated with 87% sensitivity and 90% specificity.

Conclusion:

Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light shows promise as a diagnostic test to assist with the often challenging diagnostic dilemma of distinguishing psychiatric disorders from neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. Further studies are warranted to replicate and expand on these findings, including on plasma neurofilament light.
E-governance: Learning from Karnataka
Authors: Vaddiraju Anil Kumar , Manasi S.
Published: June 2019

The technological changes of the 20th and 21st centuries, the growth of computer technologies, digital technologies and telecommunications have changed the way the state conducts its functions and delivers governance. Whether or not they have improved the welfare function of the state, the way governance is delivered has been altered. In this article, we discuss the application of electronic governance (e-governance) in Karnataka with the help of three case studies. We discuss the cases of land records management in rural and urban areas and initiatives in Bengaluru traffic management. The case studies indicate that e-governance improves service delivery and that there are points to be gleaned from the successful implementation of the same in Karnataka. Finally, we argue that while there is necessity for optimism regarding the application of technology in service-delivery functions, the overall digitisation of economy may be something qualitatively different.
Grief and Best Friendship Among Adolescent Girls
Authors: Winther-Lindqvist Ditte A. , Larsen Ida O.
Published: June 2019

This article explores the relationship between grief and best friendship (BF) dynamics among adolescent girls. Based on a qualitative interview study with 10 Danish girls, findings suggest that bereavement affects friendship dynamics in ways that challenge the by-standing friend in succeeding with being and staying supportive. Through a thematic analysis, we identify 12 themes that cut across the case stories, all of which testify to the difficulties bereavement represent to friendship quality and maintenance. Among other issues, it seems like grief is contagious and the bereaved friend changes her way of responding to the by-standing friend in ways that disturb expectations, values, and virtues of BF among girls in adolescence. The general categories found to be characteristic for long-term BFs, that is, positivity, supportiveness, openness, and interaction are all affected by bereavement in adolescent BFs among girls.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Law of Prior Consultation: Obstacles and Opportunities for Democratization and Political Participation in Peru
Authors: Sarmiento Barletti Juan Pablo , Seedhouse Lexy
Published: June 2019

A study informed by long-term fieldwork with Amazonian and Andean indigenous peoples examines their experiences of Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Law of Prior Consultation. It engages with these efforts, which sought to address injustice by creating a new pact between the state and its indigenous citizens, their various failures, and the unintended opportunities that they have created for the political participation of indigenous peoples and their representatives.

Un estudio basado en el trabajo de campo a largo plazo con los pueblos indígenas amazónicas y andinos examine sus experiencias de la Comisión de Verdad y Reconciliación y la Ley de Consulta Previa de Perú, que buscaba abordar la injusticia creando un nuevo pacto entre el estado y sus ciudadanos indígenas. Aborda sus diversos fracasos y las oportunidades no previstas que han creado para la participación políticas de los pueblos indígenas y sus representantes.
Maternal and paternal functions in the formation of subjectivity: Kristeva and Lacan
Authors: Rae Gavin
Published: June 2019

The Kristeva–Lacan relationship has been a difficult one, with commentators tending to either collapse the former into the latter or insist on an absolute division wherein Kristeva emphasizes the maternal function over Lacan’s privileging of the symbolic paternal law. In contrast, I argue that Kristeva’s actual position regarding Lacan and, by extension, the semiotic–symbolic relation is far more complicated than even her defenders often realize, before turning to the role(s) that the paternal function play(s) in Lacan’s analysis of the psyche’s movement into the symbolic to show that nevertheless Kristeva’s critique is based on a number of key misreadings regarding Lacan’s conception of (1) the paternal function, (2) the maternal–paternal relation and (3) the movement from the pre-symbolic to the symbolic. Rather than operating through a straightforward binary opposition between a maternal and a (privileged, repressive) paternal function, Lacan actually claims, in a similar vein to Kristeva, that the transmission of the symbolic law occurs through a complex and heterogeneous process wherein both the maternal and paternal functions are multiple and bound to and expressive of the other. This sheds light on the Kristeva–Lacan relationship, defends Lacan against the charge that he affirms a straightforward logic of patriarchy, identifies the multidimensionality inherent in both Kristeva’s and Lacan’s notions of the maternal and paternal functions and shows how the intertwinement of both functions aids the formation of subjectivity generally and the child’s symbolic acquisition specifically.
Intraepidermal Nerve Fiber Analysis in Human Patients and Animal Models of Peripheral Neuropathy: A Comparative Review
Authors: Mangus Lisa M. , Rao Deepa B. , Ebenezer Gigi J.
Published: June 2019

Analysis of intraepidermal nerve fibers (IENFs) in skin biopsy samples has become a standard clinical tool for diagnosing peripheral neuropathies in human patients. Compared to sural nerve biopsy, skin biopsy is safer, less invasive, and can be performed repeatedly to facilitate longitudinal assessment. Intraepidermal nerve fiber analysis is also more sensitive than conventional nerve histology or electrophysiological tests for detecting damage to small-diameter sensory nerve fibers. The techniques used for IENF analysis in humans have been adapted for large and small animal models and successfully used in studies of diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, HIV-associated sensory neuropathy, among others. Although IENF analysis has yet to become a routine end point in nonclinical safety testing, it has the potential to serve as a highly relevant indicator of sensory nerve fiber status in neurotoxicity studies, as well as development of neuroprotective and neuroregenerative therapies. Recently, there is also interest in the evaluation of IENF via skin biopsy as a biomarker of small fiber neuropathy in the regulatory setting. This article provides an overview of the anatomic and pathophysiologic principles behind IENF analysis, its use as a diagnostic tool in humans, and applications in animal models with focus on comparative methodology and considerations for study design.
How does information technology-based service degradation influence consumers’ use of services? An information technology-based service degradation decision theory
Authors: Tsohou Aggeliki , Siponen Mikko , Newman Mike
Published: June 2019

Information technology is crucial for modern services. Service delivery may include a complex mix of information technology and telecommunication providers, global networks and customers’ information technology devices. This research focuses on service failures that are caused by information technology problems, which we conceptualize as information technology-based service degradation (ITSD). When information technology-based service degradation occurs in a modern service, the information technology problem may originate from the service provider, another partner or any information technology equipment involved. But the customer may not be able to pinpoint the source of the problem immediately. We argue that existing research can only partially explain customers’ behavior following information technology-based service degradation; current research cannot account for the way in which information technology characteristics in information technology-based service degradation influence customers’ decisions to continue using or rejecting the service. To fulfill this gap, we interviewed information technology-based services’ customers. Our interviews suggest that the reasons affecting customers’ behavior may change and have differing importance during the information technology-based service degradation experience. We theorized the information technology-based service degradation experience into five stages: blaming, bypassing, tolerating, abandoning and overcoming. The first two stages contain stage-specific factors influencing the progression of service usage, and the final three stages contain stage-specific factors that matter in the decision to use or quit the service. As a new contribution, we propose a stage theory for explaining customers’ behavior following information technology-based service degradation. Our results outline new research directions in information technology-based service degradation, including further testing and refinement of our proposed theory in the case of different services. For service providers, our findings provide new information for improving service recovery strategies to keep customers engaged.
Design-led innovation and Circular Economy practices in regional Queensland
Authors: Fleischmann Katja
Published: June 2019

The Circular Economy proposes a sustainable economic model that encourages businesses and governments to work towards the goal of conserving natural resources and reducing waste. This model largely relies on government policies that encourage waste reduction and help businesses creating markets to re-purpose that waste profitably. Design-led innovation offers methods to drive required business model transformation and is recognized as one of the key enablers in the transition to a Circular Economy. It is evident globally that metropolitan cities and countries with high innovation indices are better able to transition to a Circular Economy by applying design-led innovation. Although more populous states and densely populated cities in Australia have started to initiate Circular Economy practices, it is unclear if similar initiatives could be developed in regional economies in Australia and if design-led innovation has a role to play in their acceptance and development. This study is an exploration into two regional areas in the state of Queensland: the Sunshine Coast and North Queensland. The qualitative study explores the views of waste managers of local councils, small-scale applications of the Circular Economy on two university campuses and an experiment to introduce a street of business owners to Circular Economy practices.
Sagittal discrepancies of the jaw in a Bangladeshi cohort: three-dimensional computed tomography analysis
Authors: Islam Mushrath , Uraibi Ayman Hameed , Al Azzawi Arkan , Alam Mohammad Khursheed , Yusof Asilah
Published: June 2019

Objectives

In orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning, the assessment of skeletal jaw relationships is an essential step. This study aimed to evaluate skeletal jaw relationships in a Bangladeshi cohort by using traditional (ANB angle and Wits appraisal) and newly described (Beta angle, W angle, and Yen angle) sagittal measurements in three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT).

Methods

The radiology department conducted CT scans of Bangladeshi patients. Mimics 3D imaging software (Materialise) was used to process the CT images and evaluate 3D sagittal measurements. SPSS software (IBM) was used to assess significant differences in the data at a confidence level of 5%. Independent-samples t-tests were used to evaluate sexual dimorphism for the measured values.

Results

In total, 85 men and 32 women were included in this study. All measurements were equivalent to the existing standards. There were no significant differences in the acquired values between men and women. Measurements were consistent with Class I normal classification.

Conclusions

This study established 3D CT standards for ANB, Wits appraisal, Beta angle, W angle, and Yen angle in Bangladeshi patients.
Establishment and Validation of an Ultra-Short-Term Skin Carcinogenicity Bioassay Using Tg-rasH2 Mice
Authors: Kawabe Mayumi , Urano Koji , Suguro Mayuko , Hara Tomomi , Kageyama Yasushi , Mera Yukinori , Tsutsumi Hideki
Published: June 2019

After initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), the promoting potential of 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on skin tumor development can be detected by an ultra-short-term skin carcinogenicity bioassay using Tg-rasH2 mice. In the present study, 10 chemicals were assessed using this ultra-short-term bioassay as a first step to validate this practical and easy-to-use skin carcinogenicity bioassay. These chemicals belonged to 4 categories: dermal vehicles (acetone, 99.5% ethanol, anhydrous ethanol, and Vaseline), skin noncarcinogens (oleic acid diethanolamine condensate, benzethonium chloride, and diisopropylcarbodiimide), skin tumor promoters (TPA and benzoyl peroxide), and a skin carcinogen (4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene diepoxide). In a first study, DMBA was used as the initiator at a dose of 50 μg according to previous data, but skin tumors were observed in the no-treatment and vehicle groups. Therefore, the dose of DMBA for skin tumor initiation was reevaluated using 12.5 or 25 μg, with 12.5 μg found to be sufficient for initiation activity. In the ultra-short-term assay, the vehicles and skin noncarcinogens were negative while the skin tumor promoters and the skin carcinogen were positive. The detection of skin tumor promotion and carcinogenicity was feasible in only 8 weeks. In conclusion, this carcinogenicity bioassay may represent a useful tool for the assessment of the carcinogenicity potential of topically applied chemicals.
Vision, an Optical User Interface
Authors: Koenderink Jan
Published: June 2019

I present a personal account of visual awareness, from a biological, that is, ethological and evolutionary perspective. The facts I select are mainly phenomenological, with a sprinkle of psychophysics, and a snuff of brain theory. This is because I consider visual awareness to be a phenomenological brute fact that has no equivalent in either physiology or cognitive science. My emphasis is on bare fundamentals and integration. I primarily aim at academic understanding.
A Novel Approach for Identifying, Diagnosing, and Treating Active Transportation Safety Issues
Authors: Osama Ahmed , Sayed Tarek
Published: June 2019

There has been an increasing interest in active transportation because of its many health, environmental, and economical benefits. However, active commuters are subjected to an elevated level of severe crash risk, which can be a deterrent to many road users to shift to active transportation. Therefore, there is a need for developing systematic approaches to improve the safety of active commuters. This paper presents a new approach for identifying, diagnosing, and remedying active transportation safety issues. The approach is demonstrated through a case study of the City of Vancouver’s 134 traffic analysis zones. Comprehensive GIS data related to traffic exposure, socio-economics, land use, built environment, street network, and cyclist and pedestrian networks were used in the analysis. A multivariate full Bayesian spatial mixed crash model (CM) was developed incorporating cyclist and pedestrian crashes as well as motorized and non-motorized traffic exposure measures. The CM was used to identify the top 10% active transportation crash-prone zones (CPZs) and safe zones (SZs) using the novel Mahalanobis distance method. CPZs were found clustered in the Downtown. Sixteen trigger variables were statistically investigated for each CPZ and SZ. Lastly, remedies, related to land use, traffic demand, and traffic supply management, were proposed using the trigger variable analysis and literature consultation.
The Perioperative Continuation of Aspirin in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Surgery of the Knee
Authors: Bogunovic Ljiljana , Haas Amanda K. , Brophy Robert H. , Matava Matthew J. , Smith Matthew V. , Wright Rick W.
Published: June 2019

Background:

The perioperative withdrawal of aspirin increases the risk of cardiac, neurologic, and vascular thromboembolic events. The safety of continuing aspirin in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy is unknown.

Hypothesis:

Perioperative continuation of aspirin does not increase surgical complications or worsen outcomes in patients 50 years of age and older undergoing knee arthroscopy.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This is a single-center, institutional review board–approved, prospective matched dual-cohort study comparing the surgical complication rates and postoperative outcomes of patients taking daily aspirin with those of unmedicated controls. Ninety patients who were 50 years of age or older and taking 81 mg or 325 mg daily aspirin were matched to 90 controls. Patients were matched on age, surgery type, and the use of a tourniquet. A complication was defined as bleeding, wound dehiscence, or wound infection requiring reoperation. Postoperative outcome measures including hematoma formation, extent of ecchymosis (mm), visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain and swelling, and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were collected preoperatively and postoperatively (10-14 days and 4-6 weeks).

Results:

There were no complications (0%) in either cohort. There was no difference in hematoma formation (aspirin, 1.8%; controls, 2.4%; P = .79), incidence of ecchymosis (aspirin, 17%; controls, 21%; P = .70), or the average extent of ecchymosis (aspirin, 124.6 mm; controls, 80.3 mm; P = .36) between patients taking aspirin and controls. There was no significant difference in pre- or postoperative knee range of motion between controls and patients taking aspirin. The KOOS subscores and VAS pain scores were similar between patients taking aspirin and controls at baseline and at follow-up.

Conclusion:

The perioperative continuation of daily aspirin in patients 50 years of age and older undergoing arthroscopic procedures of the knee is safe and does not result in an increased rate of bleeding or wound complications requiring reoperation. Continued aspirin use in patients 50 years of age and older had no significant effect on postoperative physical examination measures or patient-rated outcome scores.
Hospital practices and family support in maternity wards
Authors: Kalanlar Bilge
Published: June 2019

This study aims to determine the hospital practices implemented before, during, and after birth in Turkey, and to identify the support to families during this process. Purposive sampling was used in the study to identify the hospitals to be surveyed. Ankara, İstanbul, and İzmir, the provinces with the highest number of hospitals in Turkey, were selected for the collection of data. There were 178 eligible private hospitals in these provinces. The questionnaire form of the Canadian Hospitals Maternity Policies and Practices Survey was used to collect data and the necessary permissions were obtained. There are many restrictions and variations in maternity-related hospital practices in Turkey. 71.4% of the responding private hospitals identified themselves as baby-friendly. 57.1% had a policy facilitating families being together immediately after birth, 39.5% encouraged the presence of the father in the delivery room. 44.9% did not have any policy for assessing women who were going home to potentially violent situations. Eighty-five percent reported that they did not have a written policy or guidelines about procedures regarding labor, birth, or postpartum periods. This study recommended that private hospitals should review their maternal practices and routines in an evidence-based way that helps parents, culturally sensitive standards for mothers should be developed and supervised by related health authorities, and structures should be created to effectively deal with patients’ complaints.
Surface nano-modification by ion beam–assisted deposition alters the expression of osteogenic genes in osteoblasts
Authors: Miralami Raheleh , Haider Hani , Sharp John G , Namavar Fereydoon , Hartman Curtis W , Garvin Kevin L , Hunter Carlos D , Premaraj Thyagaseely , Thiele Geoffrey M
Published: June 2019

Biomaterials with enhanced biocompatibility are favored in implant studies to improve the outcomes of total joint replacement surgeries. This study tested the hypothesis that nano-structured surfaces for orthopedic applications, produced by the ion beam–assisted deposition method, would enhance osteointegration by altering the expression of bone-associated genes in osteoblasts. The ion beam–assisted deposition technique was employed to deposit nano-films on glass or titanium substrates. The effects of the ion beam–assisted deposition produced surfaces on the human osteosarcoma cell line SAOS-2 at the molecular level were investigated by assays of adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis on coated surfaces versus uncoated cobalt–chrome, as the control. Ion beam–assisted deposition nano-coatings enhanced bone-associated gene expression at initial cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation compared to cobalt–chrome surfaces as assessed by polymerase chain reaction techniques. Increased cell proliferation was observed using a nuclear cell proliferation–associated antigen. Moreover, enhanced cell differentiation was determined by alkaline phosphatase activity, an indicator of bone formation. In addition, programmed cell death assessed by annexin V staining and flow cytometry was lower on nano-surfaces compared to cobalt–chrome surfaces. Overall, the results indicate that nano-coated surfaces produced by the ion beam–assisted deposition technique for use on implants were superior to orthopedic grade cobalt–chrome in supporting bone cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation and reducing apoptosis. Thus, surface properties altered by the ion beam–assisted deposition technique should enhance bone formation and increase the biocompatibility of bone cell–associated surfaces.
NIR model transfer of alkali-soluble polysaccharides in Poria cocos with piecewise direct standardization
Authors: Wang Weihao , Huck Christian W , Yang Bin
Published: June 2019

Objective

To investigate the feasibility for establishing near-infrared spectra model transfer with traditional Chinese medicine.

Method

Poria cocos, a kind of fungi (called “ Fuling” in Chinese), was used as an investigative object. NIR quantification model transfer of alkali-soluble polysaccharides in Poria cocos was studied. Spectra were obtained from Thermo Antaris II (master device) and Buchi NIRFlex N-500 (slave device), respectively. Procedures and factors that may have effects on the performance of spectral standardization have been investigated. Spline interpolation was applied to align spectra from two different instruments, and piecewise direct standardization was employed to standardize spectra from slave instrument. Full cross-validation was used to evaluate the result of model transfer.

Results

Spectral pre-processing including multiplicative signal correction and wavelength selection played an important role in operating the model transfer. Spectra within the region of 9000–6500 cm−1 provided relatively good transfer result. In addition, increasing window size had positive effect on improving the spectral transfer. In this study, a window size of 13 provided the best spectra standardization result. Test validation with five samples produced the best full cross-validation result with the values of correlation coefficient of calibration ([Formula: see text]), correlation coefficient of prediction ([Formula: see text]) and root mean square error of prediction as 0.86, 0.73 and 2.3, respectively.

Conclusion

In this study, many factors influenced the quality of the transferred slave spectra. And it is hard to provide a pretty good quantitative model transfer result about alkali-soluble polysaccharide in Poria cocos. The following factors have great effects on the quality of model transfer: (i) multiplicative signal correction which is necessary for model building; (ii) increasing the window size which has a positive effect on slave spectra standardization; (iii) a proper wavelength region benefits for model building; (iv) a proper scale of standardization group including proper samples is necessary.
Folate pathway genes linked to mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration are associated with outcome of patients with stage III colorectal cancer
Authors: Odin Elisabeth , Sondén Arvid , Carlsson Göran , Gustavsson Bengt , Wettergren Yvonne
Published: June 2019

5-fluorouracil in combination with the folate leucovorin is the cornerstone in treatment of colorectal cancer. Transport of leucovorin into cells, and subsequent metabolic action, require expression of several genes. The aim was to analyze if tumoral expression of genes putatively involved in leucovorin transport, polyglutamation, or metabolism was associated with outcome of patients with stage III colorectal cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 363 stage III colorectal cancer patients who received adjuvant bolus 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin alone, or in combination with oxaliplatin according to Nordic bolus regimes were included. Expression of 11 folate pathway genes was determined in tumors using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and related to disease-free survival. The median follow-up time was 5 years. During follow-up, 114 (31%) patients suffered from recurrent disease. A high tumoral expression of the genes SLC46A1/PCFT, SLC19A1/RFC-1, ABCC3/MRP3, GGH, and MTHFD1L, which are involved in folate transport, polyglutamation, or metabolism, was associated with longer disease-free survival of the patients. Each of these genes either encodes mitochondrial enzymes or is being regulated by mitochondrial transcription factors. Expression of the SLC46A1/PCFT gene was most strongly associated with disease-free survival, regardless of treatment regimen. In conclusion, the results show that expression of folate pathway genes are associated with outcome of colorectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant 5-fluorouracil in combination with leucovorin. A prospective study needs to be conducted to determine if expression of these genes can be used to predict response to leucovorin and other folates that are now being tested in clinical studies. Moreover, there seems to be a link between folate metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration that deserves further exploration.
The introduction of a ‘monthly living wage’ in Slovenia
Authors: Poje Andreja
Published: June 2019

This article provides a chronological account of the Slovenian trade unions’ successful campaign to turn the statutory national monthly minimum wage into a living wage. The campaign led to a 23 per cent increase in the minimum wage and a change of its adjustment mechanism in 2010 and successive changes to its definition. The analysis starts with a historical overview of minimum wage developments in Slovenia and an account of the events prompting trade unions to launch their campaign. Reviewing the impact of the 23 per cent minimum wage increase, the Slovenian experience shows that turning the monthly minimum wage into a living wage does not necessarily lead to negative macroeconomic effects in terms of reduced growth or increased unemployment. The example of Slovenia furthermore illustrates that, even though the campaign was not explicitly couched in terms of a living wage campaign, the trade unions managed to adapt key elements of the living wage concept to the country-specific institutional context.
A Tripartite Model of Community Attitudes to Palliative Care
Authors: O’Connor Moira , Breen Lauren J. , Watts Kaaren J. , James Henry , Goodridge Rhys
Published: June 2019

Background:

Despite a growth in palliative care services, access and referral patterns are inconsistent and only a minority of people who would benefit from such care receive it. Use of palliative care is also affected by community attitudes toward palliative care. As such, determining community attitudes toward palliative care is crucial. We also need to determine what predicts attitudes in order to provide appropriate information and education.

Objectives:

The 2 research questions were: (1) What are community attitudes toward palliative care? and (2) what are the determinants of community attitudes toward palliative care?

Design:

A tripartite model of attitudes was used, which articulates attitudes as comprising knowledge and experience, emotions, and beliefs. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was used.

Participants:

A community sample of 180 participants completed the survey.

Results:

The average attitude and belief responses were very positive, the average emotions responses were somewhat positive. The sample had good knowledge of palliative care. Lowest knowledge scores were reported for the items: “Euthanasia is not part of palliative care,” “Palliative care does not prolong or shorten life,” and “Specialist palliative care is only available in hospitals.” After controlling place of birth and age, it was found that beliefs, emotions, and knowledge each accounted for a significant proportion of unique variance in attitude toward palliative care. Each variable had a positive relationship with attitude.

Conclusion:

Beliefs, emotions, and knowledge all need to be incorporated into palliative care community education programs.
Feed and Swaddle: An Alternative to Infant Sedation for Craniofacial Imaging
Authors: Esmonde Nick , Jedrzejewski Breanna , Fitzpatrick Beth , Koh Jeffrey , Bardo Dianna , Urbinelli Leo , Crupi Lisa , Oliverio Maureen , Selden Nathan R. , Kuang Anna
Published: June 2019

Objective:

The gold standard for diagnosis of craniosynostosis is a clinical examination and motionless head computed tomography (CT). Computed tomography sedation is associated with increased cost, resource utilization, medical, and possible developmental risks. This study investigates whether a “feed and swaddle” protocol can be used to achieve diagnostic quality craniofacial imaging without the use of infant sedation.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Setting:

Tertiary academic medical center.

Patients:

Ninety patients <18 months of age undergoing evaluation for craniosynostosis from 2012 to 2018.

Interventions:

A feed and swaddle protocol.

Main Outcome Measures:

Diagnostic level imaging without the use of infant sedation.

Results:

Eighty-five (94%) achieved a diagnostic quality craniofacial CT scan using the “feed and swaddle” method. Mean patient age was 24.0 ± 10.0 weeks. Craniosynostosis was diagnosed in 74% of patients. Mean age of patients with successful completion of a CT scan was 23.7 ± 9.6 weeks, compared to 27.2 ± 17.1 weeks for unsuccessful completion. Mean weight for the successful group was 15.6 ± 2.9 pounds and 15.9 ± 2.5 pounds for the unsuccessful group. Mean travel distance was 59.2 ± 66.5 miles for successful patients and 66.5 ± 61.5 miles for unsuccessful patients. For the unsuccessful patients, there were no delays in surgical planning or scheduling.

Conclusion:

The “feed and swaddle” protocol described here is an effective alternative to infant sedation for motionless craniofacial CT imaging.
It Won’t Happen to Me: An Examination of the Effectiveness of Defensive Attribution in Rape Victim Blaming
Authors: Pinciotti Caitlin M. , Orcutt Holly K.
Published: June 2019

Defensive attribution posits that victim blame results from one’s underlying perception of vulnerability. The resulting blame is believed to reduce perceived similarity to the victim and vulnerability to victimization, though extant research has neglected to examine its effectiveness in men and women. The current study employed multigroup analysis structural equation modeling with 618 male and female undergraduates exposed to fictional police reports of a reported rape. The theory was partially supported; among women, defensive attribution of blame effectively reduced perceived vulnerability to sexual victimization, whereas among men, blame had no effect on perceived similarity or vulnerability. Recommendations for interventions to target perceived vulnerability are discussed.
Ultrasound in dialysis access: Opportunities and challenges
Authors: Niyyar Vandana Dua
Published: June 2019

Sonography is increasingly being used by nephrologists and the field of dialysis access is no exception. Advances in technology have allowed the addition of this universally available, portable, non-invasive tool to the nephrologist’s armamentarium, which provides information on both morphology and physiology without the need for contrast or radiation. Ultrasound may be used across the spectrum of dialysis access, including central venous catheter placements, vascular mapping, regional anesthesia, creation, maintenance and assessment of hemodialysis access as well as assessment of the abdominal wall and peritoneal dialysis catheter placements. However, the lack of exposure in most training programs limits incorporation of routine use of ultrasounds in nephrology practice. As our specialty embarks on the ultrasound revolution, a two-pronged approach is essential to provide ample training opportunities while ensuring establishment of basic standards for training and competency.
Gendering the Holocaust gallery in POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Authors: Krasuska Karolina
Published: June 2019

Even though a gender perspective, in reference to various aspects of museums and their exhibits, permeates the reflection on museums, gender is not explicitly taken up as a category of knowledge within the self-reflective narratives about the core exhibition or the conceptualization of the Holocaust gallery in POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jewish, which opened in Warsaw, Poland in 2014. Building upon the research gendering the memory of the Holocaust, especially with regard to historical exhibitions, and using a cultural studies framework to the study of representation, this article asks how femininities are framed by the representation of masculinities and how museum technologies work to produce gendered meanings. It concludes that most of the Holocaust gallery in POLIN problematically instrumentalizes gender relations to underpin a chronological historical narrative. In a dialogue with queer research on temporality, underscoring the coincidence of normative gender/sexuality and linear progressive narrative, it analyses this strategy as gender chronotechnology.
Brexit, Trumpism and paradox: Epistemological lessons for the critical consensus
Authors: Vine Tom
Published: June 2019

Brexit and the election of Donald Trump can be interpreted as the culmination of a chain of events beginning with neoliberalism. This certainly appears to be the position we critical scholars have adopted. We readily paint neoliberalism as our ideological nemesis and cite it as the reason the developed world faced austerity measures in the late 2000s and early 2010s. And it is austerity, we tell ourselves, that led to the electoral surprises of 2016. In this article, I invoke the epistemological nuance found in Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Weber to re-evaluate this linear cause-and-effect logic. Linear thinking is borne of a broader epistemological bias, a bias which the world of physics, for example, has long abandoned. However, linear thinking continues to pervade critical management studies, especially where it yields results consistent with our leftist inclinations. As critical management theorists, our ontological predisposition to continually rationalise macrosociological shifts in respect of oversimplified linear thinking reveals crude ideological conviction, political prejudice and identity anxiety. This article suggests that we can usefully reflect on the events of 2016 such that critical management studies can (1) dislodge itself from its ideological biases; (2) move away from overly simplistic cause-and-effect thinking and instead pay greater attention to nonlinear logic including, in particular, the pedagogical potential of paradox; (3) actively engage across disciplinary boundaries; and (4) breathe new life into truly ethnographic endeavours to better understand the sorts of factors that contributed to Brexit and Trump’s election in the first place.