bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vivo endothelialization and neointimal hyperplasia assessment after angioplasty of sheep carotid artery with a novel polycarbonate polyurethane patch
Authors: Jalaie Houman , Steitz Julia , Afify Mamdouh , Barbati Mohammad Esmaeil , Hoeft Konrad , Assar Mona Ali Mahmoud , Hermanns-Sachweh Benita , Tolba Rene H , Jacobs Michael J , Schleimer Karina
Published: May 2019

The aim of this study was to compare two variants of a novel polycarbonate polyurethane prosthesis with polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron) prosthesis in an established sheep model of carotid patch angioplasty. Two variants of the polycarbonate polyurethane prosthesis were used: (1) Polycarbonate polyurethane equal (PCU-e) prosthesis consisted of a multilayered porous structure with equal internal and external layers; (2) Polycarbonate polyurethane with more porous inner layers (PCU-mp) prosthesis had more porous inner layers than external layers. Carotid patch angioplasty was performed in 12 sheep: in six sheep, the PCU-e variant and in the other six sheep, the PCU-mp variant was implanted. Dacron patches were implanted in the contralateral carotid artery of all sheep as a control. Half of the animals with each polycarbonate polyurethane variant were euthanized after two weeks and the other half after eight weeks. Cellular infiltration, endothelialization, and neointimal hyperplasia were examined. All grafts were patent, and no thrombus was seen in any of the harvested arteries. The pores of all the three patch materials allowed infiltration of inflammatory cells, capillaries, and connective tissue. After eight weeks, a nearly complete endothelialization was visible in all patch groups without an obvious difference between the three patch materials. The neointima was thinner in the PCU patches (PCU-e: 56 ± 13 µm, PCU-mp: 119 ± 60 µm) when compared to Dacron patches (156 ± 64 µm) after two weeks. After 8 weeks, a further neointimal growth was detectable, without any significant difference of neointimal thickness between the three patch materials (Dacron: 274 ± 82 µm, PCU-e: 324 ± 98 µm, PCU-mp: 235 ± 59 µm). With the novel polycarbonate polyurethane patch materials, we achieved promising functional and morphological results with 100% patency and nearly complete endothelialization. Our findings showed at least a non-inferiority of the novel polycarbonate polyurethane patch material compared to Dacron. There were no significant differences detected between the two polycarbonate polyurethane patch variants.
Cerium-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate bone substitute promotes osteogenesis
Authors: Xiang Haibo , Wang Yu , Chang Hong , Yang Shenyu , Tu Mei , Zhang Xianrong , Yu Bin
Published: May 2019

Bone substitute offers a promising strategy for the reconstruction of large bone defects. It may be feasible to develop a better substitute material by enhancing the osteoinductivity and delaying the degradation of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate. In this study, nano cerium oxide was incorporated with α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate at weight ratios of 5 and 10% to form nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate. Extracts from α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate, 5 and 10% nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate were prepared for in vitro treatment of cells. After critical bone defects were made on the left tibia of male Sprague–Dawley rats, the animals were randomly divided into four groups subjected to the filling with nothing (blank), α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (control), 5 and 10% nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate. Extraction from 5% nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate composite stimulated cells proliferation and increased cell migration and mRNA expression of osteoblastic marker genes in primary bone marrow stromal cells. X-ray and micro-computed tomography analyses showed increased bone formation and reduced degradation, and histological analysis showed mineralized staining on the boundary area between composites and bone marrow in the nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate group. Immunostaining of osteocalcin confirmed the increased bone formation in the nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate group. Nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate composite with 5% w/w nano cerium oxide showed a better capacity of enhancing osteogenesis and bone regeneration model than 10% cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate composite. The findings suggested that the nano cerium oxide-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate might be a potential material for bone substitutes since it may promote local bone regeneration.
Diesel engine injection faults' detection and classification utilizing unsupervised fuzzy clustering techniques
Authors: Ftoutou Ezzeddine , Chouchane Mnaouar
Published: May 2019

By using the unsupervised fuzzy clustering, this study attempts to design a new scheme for the unsupervised detection and classification of two injection faults using the time–frequency analysis of vibration signals of an internal combustion, four-stroke, diesel engine with six cylinders in-line. To reach this objective, two new methods called modified S-transform and two-dimensional non-negative matrix factorization are used. Three fuzzy clustering algorithms and nine cluster validity indices, for a variable number of classes, are also used to detect and classify the fault classes. The implementation of these methods resulted in a high detection rate of the injection faults.
Extended state observer based adaptive sliding mode tracking control of wheeled mobile robot with input saturation and uncertainties
Authors: Liu Kang , Ji Haibo , Zhang Yinuo
Published: May 2019

This paper proposes the control design for the wheeled mobile robot in the presence of external disturbances, parametric uncertainties together with input saturation. Integrating the extended state observer technique, a practical method named sliding mode control is designed to force the state variables to attain the stable equilibrium with the help of extended state observer by compensating uncertainty and disturbance (called lumped uncertainty). To handle the shortcoming of undesired chattering and the difficulty of choosing the control gain, sliding mode control with adaptive mechanism is applied, which has the ability to automatically adjust the control gain and can even work well without a requirement of knowing the upper bound on lumped uncertainty. Subsequently, an auxiliary system is further developed to cope with input saturation problem. In addition, the stability analysis of the closed-loop system is rigorously proved via Lyapunov theorem, manifesting that the proposed controller can guarantee the ultimate boundedness of all signals in the overall system and make tracking errors converge to an arbitrarily small neighborhood around zero by selecting appropriate control parameters. Finally, simulation results are intuitively carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of the introduced adaptive composite controller.
The effects of simulated knee arthrodesis on gait kinematics and kinetics
Authors: Hutchison Randolph E , Lucas Eric M , Marro Justin , Gambon Taylor , Bruneau Kaitlin N , DesJardins John D
Published: May 2019

Knee arthrodesis is commonly performed to treat joint pain and instability in cases of multiple failed knee replacement surgeries, bone loss, traumatic injury, infection, or loss of the quadriceps extensor mechanism, but its mechanics are poorly understood. This study quantified the changes in gait kinematics and kinetics induced by simulating knee arthrodesis. A total of 10 healthy subjects (M/F, n = 5/5; aged 18–23) with no history of gait abnormalities were recruited for this study, and knee arthrodesis was simulated for 0 through 24 h using an immobilizing knee brace. Gait analysis was conducted during level walking on a 15-m walkway using an eight-camera motion tracking system with a six-axis ground reaction force platform. Normal gait served as each subject’s control, and measurements of braced gait were taken immediately following the fitting of the brace and over a 24-h acclimation period. Results showed that simulated knee arthrodesis caused statistically significant and interrelated changes to gait when compared to normal gait, including reduced ankle plantar flexion and pelvic obliquity during swing phase of the braced limb, increased abduction of the left and braced hip during stance of the braced limb, and an increase in the net joint reaction force at the contralateral hip. These changes facilitated ground clearance of the braced limb, but however did not show increases in knee flexion moment that might serve as a cyclic fatiguing factor in implants or fusions used to fixate the knee. Increased acclimation time was not found to significantly alter braced gait kinematics, supporting the use of short-term bracing as an experimental model for the longer-term immobilized knee.
Effect of arbitrary blade tip design on tip leakage flow
Authors: Jin Jiahui , Song Yanping , Yu Jianyang , Chen Fu
Published: May 2019

Tip geometry modification is frequently used to suppress the tip leakage flow in the turbine cascade however a universally beneficial tip geometry modification design has not been fully discovered. In this paper, the two-surface coupling arbitrary blade tip design method in three-dimensional physical space which satisfies the simple trigonometric function law is proposed and the mathematical parametric description is presented. The effects of different arbitrary blade tips on tip leakage flow have been studied numerically in a highly loaded axial turbine cascade. The aerodynamic performance of different tips is assessed by the tip leakage mass flow rate and the total pressure loss coefficient at the exit section. The Kriging model and genetic optimization algorithm are used to optimize the arbitrary blade tips to obtain the optimal arbitrary blade tip. Compared with the flat tip, the tip leakage mass flow rate is decreased by 10.57% and the area-average total pressure loss coefficient at the exit section is reduced by 8.91% in the optimal arbitrary blade tip.
Parametric study for the prediction of wind energy potential over the southern part of India using neural network and geographic information system approach
Authors: Anwar Khalid , Deshmukh Sandip
Published: May 2019

Wind energy potential in India has so far not been evaluated state wise. Moreover, the prediction and assessment of wind potential are difficult due to the complexity of its nature. Here, a parametric study is done for the better prediction of wind potential using generalized feed-forward with back-propagation neural networks. Effect of three meteorological parameters (pressure, relative humidity, and temperature) on the wind speed prediction is studied in southern states of India. The meteorological parameters taken here are monthly mean, measured at ground station. These data were obtained at 28 sites over a period of 20 years from the IMD, Pune. Three different architectures of artificial neural network model were designed, trained, and evaluated for the prediction of wind speed. All three models have been optimized for varying neurons in the hidden layer. To evaluate the developed artificial neural network model for test locations, mean absolute percentage error and mean squared error have been calculated. It was found that the model with relative humidity as input parameter and having six neurons in the hidden layer give better prediction of the wind speed. The correlation coefficients were higher than 0.96 and the mean absolute percentage error and mean squared error of all test locations is less than 2.5 and 0.0176, respectively, which show high reliability of the model for the prediction of the wind speed within the region of study. Predicted wind speed has been analyzed and used to create monthly mean maps using geographic information system technology.
An Evidence-Based Checklist for Improving Scoping Review Quality
Authors: Cooper Simon , Cant Robyn , Kelly Michelle , Levett-Jones Tracy , McKenna Lisa , Seaton Philippa , Bogossian Fiona
Published: May 2019

A scoping review aims to systematically explore and map the research available from a wide range of sources. The objective of this study was to produce a scoping review checklist to guide future scoping studies to enable rigorous review and critique of phenomena of interest. The methods used included a review of literature, expert consensus group meetings, a modified Delphi survey and, finally, verification against recent scoping study examples. Results showed that the checklist was able to identify key elements of scoping reviews. The 22-item Scoping Review Checklist (SRC), which includes two optional stakeholder consultation items, has been developed using rigorous recommended approaches. The checklist can be used to guide the conduct and critique of scoping studies.
A retrospective analysis of tumor lysis syndrome management in a quaternary care hospital
Authors: Eng Stephen , Lee Chung-Shien , Ahn Seungjun , Sharma Amy
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Due to an increased use of rasburicase, the study’s purpose was to evaluate both the management of tumor lysis syndrome and the utilization of rasburicase in the hospital system. Additionally, the efficacy of flat dose rasburicase in lowering uric acid levels was evaluated. Based on the study’s findings, the investigators will evaluate the usefulness of implementing a tumor lysis syndrome order set.

Methods

This study evaluated patients from January 2013 through December 2016 for the rasburicase dose and the tumor lysis syndrome therapy administered.

Results

Overall, 251 patients were included: prophylactic rasburicase group (n = 125) vs. treatment rasburicase group (n = 126) and of rasburicase 3 mg (R3) group (n = 168) vs. 6 mg (R6) group (n = 83). The prophylactic rasburicase vs. treatment rasburicase group had a significantly lower rate of receiving a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (48.0% vs. 64.3%, p = 0.009), a phosphate binder (6.4% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.007) and an additional dose of rasburicase (20.8% vs. 41.3%, p = 0.001). Intravenous hydration was neither significantly different between the rasburicase groups (p = 0.399) nor between the two rasburicase dosing groups (p = 0.874). Between the rasburicase dosing groups, there was no significant difference in the rate of receiving a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (p = 0.521) or a phosphate binder (p = 0.390). R6 patients had a significantly greater reduction in uric acid change compared to R3 patients (median = −7.9 (−10.1, −5.5) vs. −4.3 (−6.0, −2.7), p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in uric acid change between the prophylactic rasburicase and treatment rasburicase groups (p = 0.875).

Conclusion

The study’s findings justified the need to implement a tumor lysis syndrome order set. In the study population, utilizing a flat dosing method was effective for hyperuricemia.
The Role of the Public Partner in Innovation in Transport Infrastructure PPPs: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Nine Dutch DBFM Projects
Authors: Verweij Stefan , Loomans Oscar , Leendertse Wim
Published: May 2019

By transferring risks and responsibilities to the private sector, governments hope that public–private partnerships (PPPs) bring about innovations in transport infrastructure development. Taking the position that a PPP is not equal to outsourcing, this article explores the role of the public partner in innovation in infrastructure PPPs. To this purpose, nine Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM) projects in Dutch transport infrastructure development were systematically analyzed with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). The results show that the presence of innovation is associated with multiple, nonexclusive combinations of three conditions: the procurement result of the partnership contract, the composition of the private construction consortium, and the project management by the public partner (i.e., stakeholder management, technical management, and contract management). In particular, the public partner’s choice to enter into a PPP with a construction consortium consisting of a small number of firms is associated with innovation.
Junior high school students’ achievement goals, social goals, and self-reported persistence in physical education settings
Authors: Guan Jianmin , Xiang Ping , Keating Xiaofen D , Land William M
Published: May 2019

This study utilized a 2 × 2 achievement goal model to explore a relationship between achievement goals and social goals, and how these goals are associated with junior high school students’ self-reported persistence toward physical activities. A total of 246 students from four junior high schools participated in the study. The results revealed that mastery-approach goals, social responsibility goals, and performance-approach goals were significantly positive predictors of persistence, whereas mastery-avoidance goals, performance-avoidance goals, and social relationship goals were not significant predictors of persistence. Additionally, girls scored significantly higher values on social relationship, social responsibility, and mastery-avoidance goals than boys, whereas boys reported significantly higher values on performance-approach goals than girls. Findings provide empirical support to the view that both achievement goals and social goals should be used to examine student motivation and achievement in junior high school physical education settings while considering gender differences.
Symmetries of comprehension-based language switch costs in conflicting versus non-conflicting contexts
Authors: Liu Cong , Timmer Kalinka , Jiao Lu , Wang Ruiming
Published: May 2019

Aims:

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of contexts (i.e., non-conflicting context versus conflicting context) on bilingual language switch costs during language comprehension.

Methodology:

Thirty-two unbalance Chinese-English bilinguals completed a modified comprehension-based language-switching task in two contexts. They made a judgement about the colour meaning of the word. In the non-conflicting context all words were presented in white ink, while in the conflicting context the words were printed in an inconsistent ink colour.

Data and analysis:

Reaction time and accuracy data were analysed using mixed-effects models.

Findings/conclusions:

Results showed that the switch costs were larger in the conflicting context than in the non-conflicting context. Further, in the non-conflicting context an asymmetrical switch cost with larger costs for the second language was observed as compared to symmetrical switch costs in the conflicting context.

Originality:

This is the first study that indicates that bilingual comprehension-based language control adapts flexibly depending on the context, just as during bilingual production.

Significance/implications:

These findings supported and expanded the classic adaptive control hypothesis.
Like me (please?): Connecting online self-presentation to pre- and early adolescents’ self-esteem
Authors: Meeus Anneleen , Beullens Kathleen , Eggermont Steven
Published: May 2019

The aim of the current study was to examine the role of social media in building the self-esteem of younger adolescents. Results from a cross-sectional survey ( N = 725, Mage = 11.61, SD = 1.01) provided support for a serial mediation between online self-presentation and self-esteem through both perceived online popularity and the need for popularity. Specifically, we found that self-presentation on social media was positively related to pre- and early adolescents’ self-esteem, via their perceived online popularity (e.g. receiving “likes”). However, results also revealed a relationship between online popularity and users’ need for popularity, which was in turn negatively associated with self-esteem. Findings indicate that when pre- and early adolescents engage in online self-presentation, they can generate feedback such as likes on social media. Although such positive appraisals are positively associated with their self-esteem, they also appear to provoke an increased dependence on social approval, which is paradoxically related to decreased self-esteem.
Towards a deeper understanding of the purchase of souvenirs
Authors: Amaro Suzanne , Morgado Ferreira Bruno , Henriques Carla
Published: May 2019

Although there are many studies addressing the purchase of souvenirs, a few provide practical insights for practitioners in the souvenir industry regarding tourist’s preferred souvenir attributes, what they purchase, and how much they spend. Furthermore, little is known about souvenir collectors’ preferences. To address these gaps, this study analyzes tourists’ souvenir purchasing behavior with both quantitative (277 responses to a questionnaire) and qualitative (85 interviews) methods. The results indicate that the quality of the souvenir, gift appropriateness, and having the name or design of the place visited were the souvenir attributes most valued by the tourists. The results also reveal the importance of souvenir collectors, since they buy more souvenirs and spend higher amounts per souvenir. Further insights are given regarding the purchase of souvenirs, providing practical implications for practitioners in the souvenir industry.
Overcoming the failures of citizen participation: The relevance of the liberal approach in planning
Authors: Slaev Aleksandar D , Kovachev Atanas , Nozharova Boriana , Daskalova Diliana , Nikolov Peter , Petrov Plamen
Published: May 2019

This article examines the obstacles to public participation in a representative democracy and the approaches that can help to overcome these obstacles. Democracy is never perfect because of the inherent difficulties of developing democratic institutions, yet the drawbacks of representative democracy are considerably greater than those of direct democracy. We consider public participation as an element of direct democracy integrated into the structure of representative democracy in order to balance the power of the centre with that of the constituent members of the democratic system. We underscore the role of nomocracy, by which we mean promoting the power of equitable legal and other social rules over the power of the centre. In public participation, the functioning of rules faces greater obstacles than in other forms of democracy. Thus, the professionalism of planners and public administrators is particularly important in formulating these rules; it is even more important when the challenges of establishing rules are major or insuperable. We distinguish between two types of planning professionalism: teleocratic (based primarily on technocratic skills) and nomocratic (based on the nomocratic liberal approach). We recognize the significance of the former, but our main contribution to the debate on public participation is to emphasize the crucial importance and priority of nomocratic professionalism in overcoming the difficulties of citizen involvement and the shortcomings of representative democracy. To test our conclusions, we explore the practice of citizen engagement in the process of planning bikeway networks in several large Bulgarian cities, where public participation is frustrated by the prevalence of the teleocratic approach and the lack of nomocratic traditions.
Exploring the Crabs in the Barrel Syndrome in Organizations
Authors: Miller Carliss D.
Published: May 2019

This article examines the existence of the crabs in the barrel syndrome (CBS) in organizational settings, as well as the affiliated intragroup, intergroup, and organizational dynamics. CBS is a metaphoric representation that describes the mentality and behaviors of in-group members that violate prescribed social norms of helping and support. Two qualitative studies are juxtaposed to capture the essence of CBS and associated socially complex issues that thrive in hypercompetitive and politicized work environments, resulting in negative collective and individual outcomes. This study provides a working definition of CBS and encourages further exploration of the phenomenon.
Longitudinal Outcomes of Women Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Kilic Arman , Bianco Valentino , Gleason Thomas G. , Lee Joon S. , Schindler John , Navid Forozan , Kliner Dustin , Cavalcante Joao L. , Mulukutla Suresh R. , Sultan Ibrahim
Published: May 2019

Objective

Recent data have suggested that women have a survival benefit at 1-year follow-up. However, long-term gender-based TAVR outcomes are lacking.

Methods

All patients undergoing isolated TAVR from 2011 to 2017 were included. Patients were stratified by gender. The primary outcomes of the study were 3-year mortality and 3-year hospital readmissions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk-adjusted impact of gender on TAVR outcomes.

Results

A total of 1,036 patients were divided into male ( n = 518) and female ( n = 518) cohorts. Women had a borderline significantly increased STS PROM (8.3% ± 5 vs. 7.7% ± 4.4; P = 0.05). The majority of procedures were performed under conscious sedation (male: 89% vs. female: 88%; P = 0.62) and via transfemoral access (male: 81.8% vs. female: 81.4%; P = 0.46). There was no difference in operative (30-day) mortality (male: 15 [3.3%] vs. female: 17 [3.7%]; P = 0.77) or 30-day readmissions (male: 40 [10.8%] vs. female: 44 [12.2%]; P = 0.56). Perioperative blood product usage was higher for women (male: 8.1% vs. female: 14.1%; P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in major vascular complications (male: 0.4% vs. female: 1.0%; P = 0.26) or major bleeding (male: 0.2% vs. female: 0.4%; P = 0.56). Permanent pacemaker placement was higher for males (11.6% vs. 7.0%; P = 0.01). On risk-adjusted multivariable analysis, gender was not a factor associated with mortality (HR 0.99 [0.76 to 1.30]; P = 0.99) or readmission (HR 0.90 [0.72 to 1.14]; P = 0.42) at 5 years.

Conclusions

There was no difference in survival or readmissions on multivariable analysis for women undergoing TAVR at 3 years. Longitudinal multi-institutional data will be important to validate these findings.
Assessing Residents’ Place Attachment to the Guatemalan Maya Landscape Through Mixed Methods Photo Elicitation
Authors: Peroff Deidre M. , Morais Duarte B. , Seekamp Erin , Sills Erin , Wallace Tim
Published: May 2019

We developed mixed methods photo elicitation to mitigate cultural and language barriers and to acquire deeper understandings of indigenous participants’ place attachment. We define mixed methods photo elicitation to integrate quantitative rankings of photos with qualitative induction of the meanings ascribed to the photos. Multidimensional scaling is used to thematically analyze the resulting photo clusters in relation to qualitative investigation of photo meanings. We also introduce a novel approach to a mixed methods joint display, which was used to visualize emerging themes and reveal how quantitative and qualitative findings are integrated. Reacting to a collection of landscape photographs endemic to rural Guatemala, indigenous farmers expressed place dependence to landscapes for economic and noneconomic reasons, and place identity for sociocultural reasons.
Relationship between haemodynamic changes and outcomes of intracranial aneurysms after implantation of the pipeline embolisation device: a single centre study
Authors: Chen Junfan , Zhang Yisen , Tian Zhongbin , Li Wenqiang , Zhang Qianqian , Zhang Ying , Liu Jian , Yang Xinjian
Published: May 2019

Background

Intracranial aneurysms are increasingly being treated by the placement of flow diverters; however, the factors affecting the outcome of aneurysms treated using flow diverters remain unclarified.

Methods

The present study investigated 94 aneurysms treated with pipeline embolisation device placement, and used a computational fluid dynamics method to explore the factors influencing the outcome of aneurysms.

Results

Seventy-six completely occluded aneurysms and 18 incompletely occluded aneurysms were analysed. Before treatment, inflow jets were found in 13 (72.2%) aneurysms in the incompletely occluded group and 34 (44.7%) in the completely occluded group ( P = 0.292). After deployment of the pipeline embolisation device, inflow jets remained in nine (50%) aneurysms in the incompletely occluded group and nine (11.8%) in the completely occluded group ( P = 0.001). In the incompletely occluded group, regions with inflow jets after treatment corresponded with the patent areas shown on follow-up digital subtraction angiography. The mean reduction ratios of velocity in the whole aneurysm and on the neck plane were lower in the incompletely occluded than in the completely occluded group ( P = 0.003; P = 0.017). Multivariate analysis revealed that the only independent risk factors for incomplete aneurysm occlusion were the reduction ratios of velocity (in the whole aneurysm, threshold 0.362, P = 0.005; on the neck plane, threshold 0.273, P = 0.015).

Conclusions

After pipeline embolisation device placement, reduction ratios of velocity in the whole aneurysm of less than 0.362 and on the neck plane of less than 0.273 are significantly associated with a greater risk of aneurysm incomplete occlusion. In addition, the persistence of inflow jets in aneurysms is associated with incomplete occlusion in the inflow jet area.
Dysregulation of proangiogeneic factors in pressure-overload left-ventricular hypertrophy results in inadequate capillary growth
Authors: Zeriouh Mohamed , Sabashnikov Anton , Tenbrock Arne , Neef Klaus , Merkle Julia , Eghbalzadeh Kaveh , Weber Carolyn , Liakopoulos Oliver J. , Deppe Antje-Christin , Stamm Christof , Cowan Douglas B. , Wahlers Thorsten , Choi Yeong-Hoon
Published: May 2019

Background:

Pressure-overload left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an increasingly prevalent pathological condition of the myocardial muscle and an independent risk factor for a variety of cardiac diseases. We investigated changes in expression levels of proangiogeneic genes in a small animal model of LVH.

Methods:

Myocardial hypertrophy was induced by transaortic constriction (TAC) in C57BL/6 mice and compared with sham-operated controls. The myocardial expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), its receptors (KDR and FLT-1), stromal-cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1) and the transcription factors hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and 2 (HIF1 and HIF2) were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction over the course of 25 weeks. Histological sections were stained for caveolin-1 to visualize endothelial cells and determine the capillary density. The left-ventricular morphology and function were assessed weekly by electrocardiogram-gated magnetic resonance imaging.

Results:

The heart weight of TAC animals increased significantly from week 4 to 25 ( p = 0.005) compared with sham-treated animals. At 1 day after TAC, the expression of VEGF and SDF1 also increased, but was downregulated again after 1 week. The expression of HIF2 was significantly downregulated after 1 week and remained at a lower level in the subsequent weeks. The expression level of FLT-1 was also significantly decreased 1 week after TAC. HIF-1 and KDR showed similar changes compared with sham-operated animals. However, the expression levels of HIF1 after 4 and 8 weeks were significantly decreased compared with day 1. KDR changes were significantly decreased after 1, 2, 4, 8 and 25 weeks compared with week 3. After 4 weeks post-TAC, the size of the capillary vessels increased ( p = 0.005) while the capillary density itself decreased (TAC: 2143 ± 293 /mm2 versus sham: 2531 ± 321 /mm2; p = 0.021). Starting from week 4, the left-ventricular ejection fraction decreased compared with controls ( p = 0.049).

Conclusions:

The decrease in capillary density in the hypertrophic myocardium appears to be linked to the dysregulation in the expression of proangiogeneic factors. The results suggest that overcoming this dysregulation may lead to reconstitution of capillary density in the hypertrophic heart, and thus be beneficial for cardiac function and survival.
Effectiveness of the golimumab educational program in ensuring healthcare professionals’ awareness of risks described in the European risk management plan
Authors: Felo Lauren , Otero-Lobato Marijo , Geldhof Anja , Noël Wim
Published: May 2019

Background:

The golimumab safety awareness study commenced in 2010 to measure, periodically, the awareness of golimumab prescriber healthcare professionals (HCPs) of specific risks associated with golimumab as well as awareness of the requirement to provide a patient alert card to each patient treated with golimumab, as described in the European golimumab educational program. The aim of this study was to measure the awareness of HCPs who prescribe or who intend to prescribe SIMPONI® (golimumab) of the risks potentially related to golimumab and of the requirements for distributing the patient alert card, as described in the golimumab educational program.

Methods:

A structured, quantitative Web-based survey was conducted in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 in eight European countries among HCPs who were at that time current or future prescribers of golimumab for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, or ulcerative colitis.

Results:

The overall golimumab risk awareness was high for golimumab prescriber HCPs across the risk statement categories (median awareness in 2016 across categories: 91%). The awareness of the golimumab risks was generally slightly higher among rheumatologists (75–98%) and gastroenterologists (73–97%) than among dermatologists (67–94%). Overall, the awareness of the requirements for handing out the patient alert card to golimumab-treated patients remained steady or increased slightly in 2016 relative to the other surveys.

Conclusions:

The results of this study show that the awareness of risks associated with golimumab by golimumab prescriber HCPs is high. The information made available to golimumab prescriber HCPs appears to have been sufficient with respect to golimumab risk awareness education.
Comprehensive Hip Fracture Care Program: Successive Implementation in 3 Hospitals
Authors: Jackson Kelly , Bachhuber Mary , Bowden Dawn , Etter Katherine , Tong Cindy
Published: May 2019

Introduction:

Hip fractures are common and costly in the elderly population, often contributing to loss of function and independence. Prompt, coordinated surgical care may improve clinical and economic outcomes for this population.

Materials and Methods:

We created an interdisciplinary care program focused on minimizing time spent immobilized awaiting surgery and streamlining the care pathway for hip fracture. Patients older than 65 years with any hip fracture type including hip fracture repair Diagnosis-Related Group codes (MS-DRG 480, 481, or 482) and MS-DRG 469 and 470 with a hip fracture diagnosis were included in the study. The Hip Fracture Care program (HFCP) was implemented on a staggered basis in 3 hospitals in the HonorHealth system. Time to surgery, length of stay, and discharge location (home/skilled nursing facility) were compared pre- and post-intervention, utilizing an interrupted time series analysis to account for background trends.

Results:

More than 2000 patients across the 3 facilities received HFCP care; demographics were similar for the 826 patients serving as the pre-implementation comparison group. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) length of stay decreased from 5.6 (4.0) to 4.7 (2.9) days (mean difference 0.9 days; P < .05). Mean (SD) time from admission to the operating room decreased from 30.8 (21.1) to 25.6 (20.5) hours (mean difference 5.2 hours; P < .05). There was no change in the proportion of patients discharged to home versus skilled nursing facility.

Discussion:

Optimal care of this vulnerable population can significantly reduce the time to surgery and length of stay.

Conclusions:

Length of stay was reduced by nearly 1 day with implementation of a multifactorial program for hip fracture care.
Factors for Chinese Students Choosing Australian Higher Education and Motivation for Returning: A Systematic Review
Authors: Zhai Keyu , Gao Xing , Wang Geng
Published: May 2019

Under the third wave of international student mobility, Australia has become the third largest country receiving international students. Compared with the United States and the United Kingdom, Australia can still maintain a stable increase in terms of hosting Chinese students. For Australia, attracting international students becomes an important part of Australian universities’ business and cultural diversity. This paper reports the Chinese students’ initiations of choosing Australian higher education and motivations for returning, aiming at contributing to a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of Chinese students’ international flows. By retrieving all relevant literature published from 2000 to 2017, this paper engages with a systematic review to provide an overview of what exactly motivates Chinese students choosing Australian higher education and returning. Based on the robust assessment criteria, we selected 68 articles for analysis, and according to the coding results, we developed four themes influencing Chinese students’ choice of Australia, including academic requirement and attainment, employment and future career prospects, host country environment, and social connections and three themes for returning: emotional needs, culture and integration in Australia, and career opportunities in China. The research results contribute to policy implications for Australian international higher education development.
He Said, She Said: An Exploration of Male and Female Print Sports Journalist Tweets, Sports Coverage, and Language Style
Authors: Abisaid Joseph L. , Li Bo
Published: May 2019

The professional role and responsibilities for sports journalists have evolved to now include using social media. In this study, we explore how male and female print sports journalists use Twitter to communicate with their followers about sports. Relying on previous research showing disparities in sports coverage and gender as well as assertive and affiliative language theory, we employ a content analysis of tweets from 57 sports journalists ( N = 4,897). We find that male and female sports journalists tweet at statistically the same rate, but male sports journalists are more likely to tweet about sports than female sports journalists, less likely to tweet about women sports and athletes, and more likely to use assertive language in their tweets. Findings are discussed with suggestions for future research.
Isolated Radial Nerve Palsy as a Complication After Anterior Dislocation of the Glenohumeral Joint: A Case Report and Clinical Review
Authors: Kastanis Grigorios , Kapsetakis Petros , Velivasakis George , Spyrantis Manolis , Pantouvaki Anna
Published: May 2019

Shoulder dislocation is the most common feature in emergencies, while the anterior dislocation of the glenohumeral joint is the most frequent and requires reduction. Accompanied nerve injury is common with an incidence of 21%, while radial nerve palsy is very rare. We describe the case of a 56-year-old man who presented with an anterior dislocation of the left shoulder due to a fall on an outstretched hand with wrist drop 8 hours after injury. Neurological examination revealed loss of sensation along the radial border of the forearm. Closed reduction with Kocher procedure was performed. Magnetic resonance image demonstrated a rotator cuff tear, and 3 weeks after the injury electromyography showed complete radial nerve palsy. A physiotherapy program was applied to the wrist and fingers with the goal of maintaining a full passive range of motion in all joints affected while shoulder rehabilitation started 6 weeks after his fall. Isolated radial nerve palsy associated with an anterior dislocation of the shoulder is very rare but not impossible to occur. Correct diagnosis of the nerve injury associated with the anterior dislocation is very important because it has serious implications on the management and activity morbidity.
Least-squares reverse time migration via linearized waveform inversion using a Wasserstein metric
Authors: Yong Peng , Huang Jianping , Li Zhenchun , Liao Wenyuan , Qu Luping
Published: May 2019

Least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM), an effective tool for imaging the structures of the earth from seismograms, can be characterized as a linearized waveform inversion problem. We have investigated the performance of three minimization functionals as the [Formula: see text] norm, the hybrid [Formula: see text] norm, and the Wasserstein metric ([Formula: see text] metric) for LSRTM. The [Formula: see text] metric used in this study is based on the dynamic formulation of transport problems, and a primal-dual hybrid gradient algorithm is introduced to efficiently compute the [Formula: see text] metric between two seismograms. One-dimensional signal analysis has demonstrated that the [Formula: see text] metric behaves like the [Formula: see text] norm for two amplitude-varied signals. Unlike the [Formula: see text] norm, the [Formula: see text] metric does not suffer from the differentiability issue for null residuals. Numerical examples of the application of three misfit functions to LSRTM on synthetic data have demonstrated that, compared to the [Formula: see text] norm, the hybrid [Formula: see text] norm and [Formula: see text] metric can accelerate LSRTM and are less sensitive to non-Gaussian noise. For the field data application, the [Formula: see text] metric produces the most reliable imaging results. The hybrid [Formula: see text] norm requires tedious trial-and-error tests for the judicious threshold parameter selection. Hence, the more automatic [Formula: see text] metric is recommended as a robust alternative to the customary [Formula: see text] norm for time-domain LSRTM.
The Empires Write Back: The Language of Postcolonial Nigerian Literature and the United States of America
Authors: Hallemeier Katherine
Published: May 2019

This article argues that reading for the vernacular of Standard American English in Nigerian Anglophone literature creates the opportunity to think about how the Englishes of British and American empire have not always been negotiated as singular or sequential, either in postcolonial or global Anglophone world literature. Writing by Buchi Emecheta, Chinua Achebe, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie suggests how the appropriation of the language of British colonization has been undercut and abetted by the Anglophone cultural and educational institutions of US empire.
On the Borders of Free Verse: Translating Varlam Shalamov’s Aesopian Texts
Authors: Larson K. Maya
Published: May 2019

Designed to deceive some readers, such as the censor, while inviting others to read “between the lines,” Aesopian texts task their translator with added interpretive complexity. Does a given translation reflect both text and subtext, target audience and hurdle audience? Is the target audience of the translated text even mappable onto an original text’s schema of hurdle and target audiences? The writings of Varlam Shalamov further complicate the translation of Aesopian texts. Whereas Leona Toker and others identify Aesopian moments in Shalamov’s prose, Svetlana Boym argues that in his writings the deceptive device of mimicry resists totalitarianism precisely when it goes beyond any Aesopian or other useful purpose. Shalamov’s 1963 essay “The National Borders of Poetry and Free Verse” (“Natsial’nye granitsy poezii i svobodnyi stikh”) invites engagement as an exemplary Aesopian text—one whose “deceptive means,” however, call for a more capacious understanding of Aesopian language. Nineteenth-century satirist Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin first used the term “Aesopian” to indicate the “trembling” littérateur’s unique style of writing, whose “deceptive means” showed “a remarkable resourcefulness in their invention.” The Aesopian mimicry of Shalamov’s essay on free verse exceeds both predator’s and trembling prey’s powers of appreciation, calling for equally artful mimicry on the part of the translator.
Rhyme in European Verse: A Case for Quantitative Historical Poetics
Authors: Maslov Boris , Nikitina Tatiana
Published: May 2019

Building on statistical approaches to poetic meter, this article puts forward a new quantitative method for exploring syllabo-accentual verse that takes into account several formal properties, including rhythm, rhyming, and stanzaic architecture. Against the background of a broad typology of European verse, it argues that a basic compensatory mechanism balancing different levels of organization of verse is complicated by the interaction between different national traditions. As a particularly complex case the article investigates the introduction of syllabo-accentual verse in Russia in the 1730s–40s, which represented an encounter between Polish, German, and French practices of versification. In addition to the general compensatory principle and local effects of borrowing, the article discusses a previously unexplored kind of formal complexity that evolves with the maturation of a tradition of verse making: certain nontrivial correlations between rhythm and rhyme that have been observed in Pushkin are not found in the work of Lomonosov, a poet who stands at the origin of Russian syllabo-accentual verse. The article’s conclusion addresses the relevance of the quantitative approach to the larger theoretical claims of Historical Poetics.
EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROLLER BRAKE TESTER FOR RUNNING OF SMALL-BASED ENGINES OF AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT IN COLD REGIMES
Authors: Иншаков Александр , Inshakov Aleksandr , Байков Дмитрий , Baykov Dmitriy , Курбаков Иван , Kurbakov Ivan , Голышев Михаил , Golyshev Mikhail
Published: May 2019

The research aim is to determine the function of the tester for running internal combustion engines of mobile agri-cultural machinery of low power. To this goal, it was proposed to run the engines of small-scale mechanization on the previously developed specialized rolling-brake tester, consisting of an asynchronous electric machine with a phase rotor connected to a three-phase electrical network and a matrix frequency. Converter included in the three-phase electrical network and consisting of nine bidirectional transistor keys, which receive signals of space-vector control from the automatic control system, associated with testing measuring equipment based on a personal com-puter. To establish the actual characteristics of the developed tester, the requirements for technical means for run-ning and of engines of small-sized agricultural machinery were formulated and trials were carried out. The experi-mental characterization was carried out in various modes, and a diesel engine F. GREENFIELD GF178 was used as a trial. The limitations of the tester in the field of setting the rotational speed for stepless and step-by-step change in the speed mode of the cold running of the engine of small-scale mechanization from 30 to 3000 rpm (with a task step of 1 rpm) with the decompressor open and from 500 to 3000 rpm (with a task step of 1 rpm) – when closed. At the same time, the deviation in the maintenance of this speed mode was in the range from 0.2 to 3.3% and de-creased with the increase in the rotation rate. Designed tester enables you to make speedy modes cold running engines small agricultural machinery power class 0.1 and 0.2 when it was created and technical service.