bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
АНАЛІЗ РЕАЛЬНИХ ДАНИХ ПРИЗНАЧЕНЬ ЛІКАРСЬКИХ ЗАСОБІВ У ПРОТОКОЛАХ СТИМУЛЯЦІЇ ПРИ ДОПОМІЖНИХ РЕПРОДУКТИВНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЯХ В УКРАЇНІ
Authors: Stasiv Kh.-O.Y. , Zaliska O. M. , Maksymovych N. M.
Published: October 2019

Значна поширеність показників безпліддя серед жінок та чоловіків в Україні за останні 5 років зростання в 3 рази, вимагає застосування допоміжних репродуктивних технологій (ДРТ).

Мета роботи – вивчити реальні дані призначень лікарських засобів і витрат на них у протоколах стимуляції при ДРТ на основі ретроспективного аналізу медичних карт пацієнток у державному та приватному медичних центрах з ДРТ.

Матеріали і методи. Аналіз частоти призначень, ранжування за витратами та ступенем важливості препаратів провели з допомогою АВС, VEN - аналізу та інтегрованого частотного / АВС, VEN- аналізу.

Результати і обговорення. Частотний аналіз показав, що найбільш призначуваними препаратами за частотою у протоколах стимуляції жінок, які включені у Державну Програму лікування, були: хоріонічний гонадотропін, кислота ацетилсаліцилова, ганірелікс; а у приватному медичному центрі для жінок з довгим чи коротким протоколом лікування - полівітаміни з мікроелементами, прогестерон, кислота ацетилсаліцилова. Таким чином, структура призначень ЛЗ у протоколах стимуляції овуляції жінкам у приватному центрі показує, що найвищу частоту призначень мають вітамінно-мінеральні комплекси, які не включені у Протоколи лікування. Нами встановлено, що вартість курсу лікування на початку 2019 року (оптові ціни ЛЗ) у приватній структурі для жінки коротким протоколом стимуляції овуляції у середньому становить 15237,48 грн, при використанні довгого протоколу становлять 22793,86 грн.,  тобто є  на 33,2%  вищі витрати для пацієнтки.

Висновки. Встановлено, що при використанні довгого протоколу стимуляції  77% витрат припадає на ЛЗ, які є життєво необхідними при ДРТ,  16 % - на основні (essential) ЛЗ та 7% - на другорядні ЛЗ. Для короткого протоколу стимуляції овуляції 73% витрат припадає на ЛЗ, які належать до категорії “V”, 10% - для категорії “Е” та майже 17%  - на  другорядні ЛЗ, тому виявлено напрями оптимізації призначень у цих схемах ДРТ.

Виявлено, що у довгих та коротких протоколах стимуляції овуляції  у приватному центрі використовуються ЛЗ, які належать до другорядних, що вимагає оптимізації призначень для раціональності витрат. Перспективним є фармакоекономічний аналіз схем стимуляції за показниками «витрати-ефективність» для визначення економічно вигідних препаратів на курс лікування.
СИНТЕЗ І ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ АНТИОКСИДАНТНОЇ АКТИВНОСТІ 3-[5-(5,7-ДИМЕТИЛ-2-ОКСО-ТІАЗОЛО[4,5-B]ПІРИДИН-3-ІЛМЕТИЛ)-[1,3,4]ОКСОДІАЗОЛ-2-ІЛСУЛЬФАНІЛ-ПРОПІОНОВОЇ КИСЛОТИ ТА ЇЇ АМІДІВ
Authors: Chaban T. I. , Matiichuk J. E. , Chaban I. G. , Ogurtsov V. V. , Matiychuk V. S.
Published: October 2019

Мета роботи. Здійснити синтез 3-[5-(5,7-диметил-2-оксо-тіазоло[4,5-b]піридин-3-ілметил)-[1,3,4]оксодіазол-2-ілсульфаніл-пропіонової кислоти та її амідів, а також провести первинний скринінг їх антиоксидантної активності.

Матеріали і методи. Органічний синтез, 1Н ЯМР-спектроскопія, елементний аналіз, фармакологічний скринінг.

Результати й обговорення. Отриманий нами раніше 3-[5-(5,7-диметил-2-оксо-тіазоло[4,5-b]піридин-3-ілметил)-[1,3,4]оксодіазол-2-ілсульфаніл-пропіонітрил піддали гідролізу, що привело до отримання 3-[5-(5,7-диметил-2-оксо-тіазоло[4,5-b]піридин-3-ілметил)-[1,3,4]оксодіазол-2-ілсульфаніл-пропіонової кислоти. Для трансформації за карбоксильною групою зазначеної сполуки одержано відповідний хлорангідрид, який введено у реакції ацилювання ароматичних амінів, що дозволило отримати ряд відповідних пропіонамідів. Для усіх синтезованих сполук проведений первинний скринінг антиоксидантної активності.

Висновки. У результаті структурної модифікації 3-[5-(5,7-диметил-2-оксо-тіазоло[4,5-b]піридин-3-ілметил)-[1,3,4]оксодіазол-2-ілсульфаніл-пропіонітрилу, одержано серію нових тіазоло[4,5-b]піридинів. Отримані результати первинного скринінгу антиоксидантної активності синтезованих сполук демонструють потенціал для пошуку антиоксидантних агентів серед тіазоло[4,5-b]піридин-2-онів.
ВИВЧЕННЯ МОРФОЛОГО-АНАТОМІЧНОЇ БУДОВИ БРУНЬОК ВІЛЬХИ КЛЕЙКОЇ ALNUS GLUTINOSA (L.) Gaertn.
Authors: Khvorost O. P. , Fedchenkova Yu. A. , Skrebtsova K. S. , Popik A. I.
Published: October 2019

Мета роботи – дослідити морфолого-анатомічну будову бруньок вільхи клейкої Аlnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.

Матеріали і методи. За допомогою фармакопейних методів аналізу дослідили морфологічну та анатомічну будову 5 серій бруньок вільхи клейкої вітчизняних регіонів заготівлі. Морфологічні особливості вивчали не менш ніж на 15 зразках сировини кожної серії. Для дослідження анатомічної будови, виготовляли не менш ніж 15 препаратів сировини кожної серії.

Результати й обговорення. Проведені виміри бруньок та криючих брактей (морфометричні показники) дозволили встановити граничні межі довжини та діаметру власне бруньки та довжини і ширини криючих брактей. Складений морфологічний опис бруньок вільхи клейкої з визначенням діагностичних ознак (форма, колір, характер поверхні криючих брактей).

Дослідили анатомічну будову бруньок вільхи клейкої. Виділили основні діагностичні риси: форма клітин епідерми брактей та пористість їхніх оболонок, типи та топографія трихом брактей, наявність ефіроолійних залозок.

Висновки. Встановлено особливості морфолого-анатомічної будови 5 серій бруньок вільхи клейкої різних регіонів заготівлі. Визначено морфометричні показники, встановлено граничні межі довжини та діаметру бруньки та криючих брактей. Обрано критерії морфологічного опису та створено морфологічний опис бруньок вільхи клейкої із визначенням діагностичних ознак. Дослідження анатомічної будови бруньок вільхи клейкої дозволило виділити діагностичні риси сировини. Отриманні результати можуть стати основою для розробки розділів «Ідентифікація А» та «Ідентифікація В» проекту монографії на бруньки вільхи клейкої як перспективного виду лікарської рослинної сировини.
Noninferiority Margins in Trials of Thrombectomy Devices for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Lin Chun-Jen , Saver Jeffrey L.
Published: October 2019

Background and Purpose—

Novel endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) devices for acute ischemic stroke are often cleared by regulatory agencies on the basis of noninferiority trials. The relation between the noninferiority margins used in trials and the minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) determined by experts have not been systematically investigated.

Methods—

Systematic searches were performed to identify (1) all noninferiority design or noninferiority-presented stroke-EVT trials for acute ischemic stroke, (2) all studies determining the MCIDs for the same outcomes, and (3) all noninferiority coronary revascularization trials. Stroke-EVT trial results were reanalyzed using the broad noninferiority margins originally used and narrower noninferiority margins derived from formal MCID studies.

Results—

We identified 7 noninferiority-designed or noninferiority-interpreted stroke-EVT controlled trials, enrolling 1766 patients, variously comparing coil retrievers, first- and second-generation stent retrievers, and aspiration devices. In 6 trials, the primary outcome was achievement of reperfusion, using noninferiority margins of 15% (3 trials), 10% (2 trials), and 8% (1 trial). In contrast, a stroke expert survey identified the MCID for reperfusion as 3.1% to 5%, and cardiac trials used noninferiority margins of 3.5% to 4.4%. In one stroke-EVT trial, the primary outcome was functional independence, using a noninferiority margin of 15%. However, 2 stroke expert survey studies identified MCIDs for functional independence as having lower values, 5% and 1% to 1.5%. For both reperfusion and functional independence outcomes, all 7 trials demonstrated noninferiority with the broadest noninferiority margin, but only 4 and 3 trials demonstrated noninferiority with actual expert-derived margins for reperfusion and functional independence, respectively.

Conclusions—

Noninferiority margins used in EVT device trials have regularly exceeded the MCIDs determined by stroke experts, as well as margins used for cardiac devices. New approaches, such as the use of reasonably adequate performance margins, rather than noninferiority margins, are needed to optimize stroke-EVT trial design integrity and trial performance feasibility.
Leukocytes, Collateral Circulation, and Reperfusion in Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated With Mechanical Thrombectomy
Authors: Semerano Aurora , Laredo Carlos , Zhao Yashu , Rudilosso Salvatore , Renú Arturo , Llull Laura , Amaro Sergi , Obach Victor , Planas Anna M. , Urra Xabier , Chamorro Ángel
Published: October 2019

Background and Purpose—

Peripheral immune cells are activated after stroke and may in turn influence the fate of ischemic brain tissue, thus exerting a dual role in ischemic stroke. We evaluated the contribution of neutrophil and lymphocyte counts to hemorrhagic complications and functional outcome in stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) with varying degrees of collateral circulation and reperfusion.

Methods—

We retrospectively analyzed 433 consecutive ischemic stroke patients treated with MT. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were collected before MT and 1 day after symptom onset. Outcome measures included categories of hemorrhagic transformation, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, 3-month functional dependence (modified Rankin Scale, 3–6), and mortality. Patients were categorized according to their baseline collateral status and the degree of reperfusion after MT.

Results—

Neutrophil counts and NLR increased, whereas lymphocyte counts decreased after MT (
P
<0.001), and changes in neutrophils and NLR at day 1 were significantly greater in patients with poor reperfusion. Neutrophil counts and NLR were significantly higher already at admission in patients with poor 3-month outcome. In adjusted analysis, the impact of neutrophilia on poor functional outcome was more substantial in patients with good collaterals achieving successful reperfusion (aOR, 3.09 per quartile; 95% CI, 1.95–4.90), whereas admission lymphopenia (aOR, 4.08 per decreasing quartile; 95% CI, 1.56–10.64) and higher NLR (aOR, 3.76 per quartile; 95% CI, 1.44–9.79) predicted subsequent symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with poor collaterals and successful reperfusion.

Conclusions—

In patients treated with MT, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts are dynamic parameters associated with hemorrhagic complications and long-term outcome. The extent of collateral circulation and the success of brain reperfusion influence the strength of these associations and highlight the dual role of leukocytes in acute stroke.
Eusebius of Caesarea’s or Eusebius of Emesa’s Theophania? Evidence from the Lemmata in Vaticanus Graecus 1611
Authors: Szesnat Holger
Published: October 2019

This paper is a response to Alice Whealey’s proposal concerning the authorship of certain fragments traditionally assigned to Eusebius of Caesarea, arguing that they are more likely the work of his pupil, Eusebius of Emesa. The paper considers the manuscript evidence, specifically the lemmata in Vat.gr. 1611, in relation to the internal evidence considered by Whealey.
Different Influences of Two El Niño Types on Low-Level Atmospheric Circulation over the Subtropical Western North Pacific
Authors: Tan Wei , Wei Zexun , Liu Qiang , Fu Qingjun , Chen Mengyan , Li Bingtian , Li Juan
Published: October 2019

This study focuses on different evolutions of the low-level atmospheric circulations between eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño and central Pacific-II (CP-II) El Niño. The western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC) originates from the northern South China Sea for EP El Niño, and moves to the western North Pacific (WNP) afterward. Compared with EP El Niño, the origin of the WNPAC is farther west during CP-II El Niño, with the center over the Indochina Peninsula. Moreover, the WNPAC shows a weaker eastward shift. Such discrepancies are attributed to different evolutions of the cyclonic response over the WNP, which can suppress the convection in the western flank of the anomalous cyclone. The eastward retreat of the anomalous cyclone is significant for EP El Niño, but less evident for CP-II El Niño. These discrepancies are related to zonal evolutions of the increased precipitation over the equatorial Pacific. Following the southward migration of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), the deep-convection region extends eastward along the equator, reinforcing the atmospheric response to the eastern Pacific warming in EP El Niño. For CP-II El Niño, the atmospheric response is insignificant over the eastern Pacific without warming. Moreover, the meridional migration of the ITCZ can modulate zonal variations of the easterly trade wind and specific humidity as well. Due to the combined effects of the climatological background and atmospheric anomalies, the specific humidity–induced and wind-induced moist enthalpy advection contribute to different shifts of the precipitation center.
Seasonal Covariability of Dryness or Wetness in China and Global Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Li Chunxiang , Wang Chunzai , Zhao Tianbao
Published: October 2019

Seasonal covariability of the dryness/wetness in China and global sea surface temperature (SST) is investigated by using the monthly self-calibrated Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) data and other data from 1950 to 2014. The singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis shows two recurring PDSI–SST coupled modes. The first SVD mode of PDSI is associated with the warm phases of the eastern Pacific–type El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO) or Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), the Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) in the autumn and winter, and the cold phase of the IOBM in the spring. Meanwhile, the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) pattern appears in every season except the autumn. The second SVD mode of PDSI is accompanied by a central Pacific–type El Niño developing from the winter to autumn over the tropical Pacific and a positive phase of IPO or PDO from the winter to summer. Moreover, an AMO pattern is observed in all seasons except the summer, whereas the SST over the tropical Indian Ocean shows negligible variations. The further analyses suggest that AMO remote forcing may be a primary factor influencing interdecadal variability of PDSI in China, and interannual to interdecadal variability of PDSI seems to be closely associated with the ENSO-related events. Meanwhile, the IOBM may be a crucial factor in interannual variability of PDSI during its mature phase in the spring. In general, the SST-related dryness/wetness anomalies can be explained by the associated atmospheric circulation changes.
The Dynamics of Labor Militancy in the Extractive Sector: Kazakhstan’s Oilfields and South Africa’s Platinum Mines in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Evans Allison D. , Sil Rudra
Published: October 2019

This article investigates why, in two very different regimes, similarly high levels of labor militancy are evident in Kazakhstan’s oilfields and South Africa’s platinum belt. It also explores the common dynamics leading up to the massacres at Zhanaozen (2011) and Marikana (2012). The hypothesis-generating most different systems comparison highlights the challenges of labor relations where extraction at fixed sites combines with volatile prices and shareholder pressures in a globalized economy to raise the stakes for business, labor, and state. Also significant are blockages in existing channels for bargaining linked to quiescent unions. These jointly necessary conditions account for increased militancy in extractive industries in Kazakhstan and South Africa. To account for the Zhanaozen and Marikana massacres, timing and sequence are considered. Both standoffs came later in the strike wave, prompting impatient state and business elites to criticize the protests as “criminal” acts, and priming security personnel to employ violent repression.
Disputant Experience and Preferences for Mediated or Adjudicated Processes in Administrative Agencies: The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Settlement Part Program
Authors: Malatesta Deanna , Amsler Lisa Blomgren , Scott Susanna Foxworthy
Published: October 2019

Research is limited regarding the type and amount of experience that matters for disputant preferences in dispute resolution processes. The authors focus on a unique federal appellate agency dispute resolution program at the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Participants are professionals with repeat experience who are likely to have future interactions with the agency. Using survey data and regression analyses, the authors find that 1) greater personal experience with mediation or adjudication leads to a greater preference for mediation over adjudication; 2) higher levels of satisfaction with the fairness of process are associated with stronger preferences for mediation over adjudication; and 3) disputants who perceive a fair process in their most recent cases will express a greater preference for mediation over adjudication. Results have important implications for dispute system design.
Angry or Weary? How Violence Impacts Attitudes toward Peace among Darfurian Refugees
Authors: Hazlett Chad
Published: October 2019

Does exposure to violence motivate individuals to support further violence or to seek peace? Such questions are central to our understanding of how conflicts evolve, terminate, and recur. Yet, convincing empirical evidence as to which response dominates—even in a specific case—has been elusive, owing to the inability to rule out confounding biases. This article employs a natural experiment based on the indiscriminacy of violence within villages in Darfur to examine how refugees’ experiences of violence affect their attitudes toward peace. The results are consistent with a pro-peace or “weary” response: individuals directly harmed by violence were more likely to report that peace is possible and less likely to demand execution of their enemies. This provides microlevel evidence supporting earlier country-level work on “war-weariness” and extends the growing literature on the effects of violence on individuals by including attitudes toward peace as an important outcome. These findings suggest that victims harmed by violence during war can play a positive role in settlement and reconciliation processes.
Settlement scaling theory: Bridging the study of ancient and contemporary urban systems
Authors: Lobo Jose , Bettencourt Luis MA , Smith Michael E , Ortman Scott
Published: October 2019

A general explanatory framework for the social processes underpinning urbanisation should account for empirical regularities that are shared among contemporary urban systems and ancient settlement systems known throughout archaeology and history. The identification of such shared properties has been facilitated by research traditions in each field that define cities and settlements as areas that capture networks of social interaction embedded in space. Using Settlement Scaling Theory (SST) – a set of hypotheses and mathematical relationships that together generate predictions for how measurable quantitative attributes of settlements are related to their population size – we show that aggregate properties of ancient settlement systems and contemporary metropolitan systems scale up in similar ways across time, geography and culture. Settlement scaling theory thus provides a unified framework for understanding and predicting these regularities across time and space, and for identifying putative processes common to all human settlements.
Reviving the inter-laboratory comparison measurement results
Authors: Arif Sanjid Mahammed , Ghoshal Sanjoy K , Sen Mrinal
Published: October 2019

Key comparison measurements serve as an ultimate tool of quality assurance of results. Whenever the inter-comparison results indicate inconsistency, the participating laboratory needs to take the corrective actions. Practically, the systematic errors involved in the measuring system confines the achievable accuracy. Therefore, the corrective action involves either empirically determine the influences afresh or intuitively reassigns these error values. Alternatively, an analytical method based on inter laboratory comparison results is proposed. The novelty of the proposal is considering task-specific errors in the model that is used for the analysis of interlaboratory comparison results. Without accounting the uncertainties of task-specific errors, the analysis grows complicated and even sometimes it is not feasible. To supplement the proposed method, task-specific errors due to the imperfect geometry of ring gauge, practical inability in implementing the measurement, and unattended environmental influences are explored. The proposed method is demonstrated using some internal diameter key comparison data. The systematic errors responsible for the outlier in the measurement comparison are clearly distinguished.
The Assessment of Consistency in Single-Case Experiments: Beyond A-B-A-B Designs
Authors: Tanious René , Manolov Rumen , Onghena Patrick
Published: October 2019

Quality standards for single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) recommend inspecting six data aspects: level, trend, variability, overlap, immediacy, and consistency of data patterns. The data aspect consistency has long been neglected by visual and statistical analysts of SCEDs despite its importance for inferring a causal relationship. However, recently a first quantification has been proposed in the context of A-B-A-B designs, called CONsistency of DAta Patterns (CONDAP). In the current paper, we extend the existing CONDAP measure for assessing consistency in designs with more than two successive A-B elements (e.g., A-B-A-B-A-B), multiple baseline designs, and changing criterion designs. We illustrate each quantification with published research.
Treatment Gains from Early and Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) are Maintained 10 Years Later
Authors: Smith Dean P. , Hayward Diane W. , Gale Catherine M. , Eikeseth Svein , Klintwall Lars
Published: October 2019

This study reports outcome in adolescents with autism who in their childhood received Early and Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI). Nineteen children (16 boys) who had received two years of EIBI starting at a mean age of 2-years-and-11-months were followed up, on average, 12 years later. Results showed the participants significantly increased their cognitive and adaptive standard scores during the two years of EIBI, and that these gains were maintained at follow-up, 10 years after the EIBI had ended. Participants also showed a significant reduction in autism symptoms between intake and follow-up. At follow-up, none of the participants had received any additional psychiatric diagnoses, and none were taking any psychotropic medication. Results indicate that treatment gains achieved in EIBI are maintained into adolescence.
Frequency and Evolution of Acute Oral Complications in Patients Undergoing Radiochemotherapy Treatment for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Palmieri Michelle , Sarmento Dmitry J. S. , Falcão André P. , Martins Victor A. O. , Brandão Thais B. , Morais-Faria Karina , Ribeiro Ana C. P. , Hasséus Bengt , Giglio Daniel , Braz-Silva Paulo H.
Published: October 2019

Despite its effectiveness, radiochemotherapy treatment in the head and neck region is accompanied by acute oral complications such as oral mucositis, dysphagia, xerostomia, and dysgeusia. The aim of this study was to analyze and prospectively assess the frequency and evolution of acute oral complications during radiochemotherapy in patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region. We have analyzed oral complications of 20 patients during 6 weeks of radiochemotherapy treatment for squamous cell carcinoma. Oral mucositis was evaluated according to the World Health Organization criteria, dysphagia, and dysgeusia according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria, and xerostomia according to parameters set by the Seminars in Radiation Oncology. Mucositis was first observed in the second week and all patients presented some degree of mucositis in the fourth week of radiotherapy. Xerostomia and dysphagia were initially reported already in the first week of radiotherapy. All patients presented xerostomia in the fourth week; however, dysphagia was observed in all patients, only in the sixth week. Dysgeusia was first observed in the second week, becoming more severe in the third week. Acute oral complications can be observed throughout the treatment, but the third week of radiotherapy seems to represent a critical week, regardless of the grade of the complication. The sixth week presents the worst grades of these complications. Knowledge about the natural course of oral complications during radiotherapy is important to develop better strategies for treatment and improve the patients’ quality of life.
Is Disgust a “Conservative” Emotion?
Authors: Elad-Strenger Julia , Proch Jutta , Kessler Thomas
Published: October 2019

Extant political–psychological research has identified stable, context-independent differences between conservatives and liberals in a wide range of preferences and psychological processes. One consistent finding is that conservatives show higher disgust sensitivity than liberals. This finding, however, is predominantly based on assessments of disgust to specific elicitors, which confound individuals’ sensitivity and propensity to the experience of disgust with the extent to which they find specific elicitors disgusting. Across five studies, we vary specific elicitors of disgust, showing that the relations between political orientation and disgust sensitivity depend on the specific set of elicitors used. We also show that disgust sensitivity is not associated with political orientation when measured with an elicitor-unspecific scale. Taken together, our findings suggest that the differences between conservatives and liberals in disgust sensitivity are context dependent rather than a stable personality difference. Broader theoretical implications are discussed.
Surgical options in rheumatic heart disease: an Indian surgeon’s perspective
Authors: Sampath Kumar Arkalgud
Published: October 2019

Rheumatic heart disease is the primary cause of valvular heart disease in India and other Southeast Asian countries. The disease is quite different from that seen in France, USA, and Australia. Poverty, malnutrition, and delayed referral affect the outcomes. Rheumatic heart disease can affect all four heart valves, mitral being the most common, aortic second, tricuspid next, and finally the pulmonary valve. The combinations of mitral and aortic, mitral and tricuspid, and all three valves are the next in frequency. Acute rheumatic fever usually manifests as quadrivalvular involvement. However, chronic rheumatic quadrivalvular heart disease has also been reported. The technical aspects taught and practiced in one institution over the past four decades are described here. Closed mitral valvotomy, mitral valve repair, or replacement with mechanical, bioprosthetic, and autograft valves are the choices. Aortic valve disease is usually treated with valve repair or replacement with mechanical, homograft or pulmonary autograft valves.
Intrapersonal skills and music performance in elementary piano students in Spanish conservatories: Three case studies
Authors: Campayo-Muñoz Emilia , Cabedo-Mas Alberto , Hargreaves David
Published: October 2019

This study is based on the premise that emotional skills—comprised of an intrapersonal dimension and an interpersonal dimension—help to achieve personal balance, which in turn can enhance performance. Following from this premise, the improvement of music students’ emotional skills might have a positive effect on their musical performance. The recognized relationship between music and emotion therefore suggests that music education is a suitable context for developing emotional skills. The article examines the relationship between intrapersonal skills and the musical performance of elementary students studying the piano in a Spanish conservatory. The research was developed as an action research process and involved the study of three 10-year-old students. A set of activities were designed specifically for students attending the third course of piano studies; these activities were intended to develop students’ intrapersonal skills throughout the school year and were implemented in the subjects of piano and ensemble playing in parallel with the musical tasks. The relationship between intrapersonal skills and musical performance is investigated and discussed for each of the three cases.
Alexander Technique classes for tertiary music students: Student and teacher evaluations of pre- and post-test audiovisual recordings
Authors: Davies Janet
Published: October 2019

Tertiary music students show patterns of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) similar to professionals, indicating the need for effective education in management and prevention during student years. When problems occur, music students are most likely to seek advice from their instrumental teachers; therefore, it is important for teachers to be involved in ensuring education programs are relevant to the occupational and artistic needs of both student and professional musicians. Musicians have previously reported improvements in outcomes associated with PRMDs and performance quality following Alexander Technique (AT) classes. In this study, 12 university music students and eight of their teachers evaluated video-recordings filmed before and after a semester of weekly, purpose-designed AT classes. Positive changes were observed in muscle tension, posture, tonal resonance, breathing, instrumental technique, and movement quality. Noted improvements were consistent with student participants’ subjective experiences, reported previously from questionnaire data. The results suggest that AT training at the instrument may have a direct positive impact on key factors associated with PRMDs as well as playing quality. Use of video assessments as a component of controlled, mixed-method studies with larger populations is recommended to establish the potential value of AT for inclusion in music training.
Learning from the voices and life trajectories of our most able students: A listening guide analysis
Authors: Killas Harry , Lo C Owen , Porath Marion , Tan Yuen Sze Michelle , Hsieh Chia-Yen , Ralph Rachel
Published: October 2019

The “Superkids,” a group of highly gifted students, were first portrayed in a 2004 documentary. In response to the question of what happened to these students after the original film, a second documentary has been produced. The sequel focused on these individual’s lives, their retrospective insights about gifted education, their educational and career choices, and their reflections on their early adulthood. Transcripts of filmed interviews were analyzed using The Listening Guide, a qualitative method for understanding and interpreting voices. The researchers further highlighted first-person voices that may not have been apparent in interviews. This information was used to identify contrapuntal voices among the participants that reflected their views on the meaning of giftedness and their experience of studying in full-time congregated gifted programs. These voices provided a foundation for understanding the variety of pathways to accomplishment, the meaning of the gifted label, and the purpose of education at large.
Missional Holiness in the Context of Work and Economics: A Biblical Perspective on Work and Economics for Mission in the Context of Global Poverty
Authors: Cho Banseok
Published: October 2019

This paper intends to provide the church with a biblical perspective of work and economics in order for the church to missionally respond to global poverty. For this purpose, the Western Church’s attitude toward work and economics is critically examined in light of how the church’s biblical identity, a holy people, is related to work and economics in Scripture. This paper demonstrates that God’s mission in Scripture always involves redeeming work and economics from the influence of sin. As its main thesis, this paper contends that, from a biblical perspective, the church’s call to be a holy people requires practicing a way of work and economics that embodies and presents the compassionate character of God who envisions human flourishing. In conclusion, this paper suggests that the church, which seeks to missionally respond to global poverty, should participate in God’s mission of redeeming work and economics from the influence of sin.
Legitimacy of authoritarian law: Legal compliance in China
Authors: Liao Wenjie
Published: October 2019

Very few studies of legal compliance have been conducted outside the context of liberal democracies. This study tests and expands theoretical expectations regarding legitimacy and its effect on legal compliance in the context of China, a society under authoritarian rule where clashing cultural discourses coexist. In addition, it examines different types of laws, highlighting the importance of social relations regulated by and cultural elements supporting various laws. Using linear regressions with data from an original representative social survey of 556 individuals in Chengdu, China, the author finds that (1) the perceived legitimacy of law, (2) expectations concerning compliance with law, and, most importantly, (3) the association between law’s legitimacy and expected compliance all vary according to the type of social relationship targeted by the legal regulation (familial, state-oriented, or economic). The article shows how China’s cultural, political, and historical environments contribute to the patterns identified in this analysis.
EMD386088 (5 mg/kg) has no effect on latent inhibition shown to both light and noise stimuli
Authors: Cassaday Helen Joan , Thur Karen Elizabeth
Published: October 2019

Activation of 5-hydroxytyptamine6 (5-HT6) receptors stimulates attentional switching and 5-HT6 receptor antagonists are putative drugs for psychosis. Latent inhibition (LI) provides a pre-clinical model of attentional switching and ‘antipsychotic-like’ action and is known to be modulated by 5-hydroxytyptamine. In the present study, LI was shown in a fear conditioning procedure that measured suppression of drinking after conditioning with footshock. In two experiments (each n = 48) it was shown that pre-exposure to both light- and noise-conditioned stimuli reduced conditioned suppression relative to the corresponding non-pre-exposed control. However, counter to prediction, LI was intact after treatment with the 5-HT6 agonist EMD386088 (5 mg/kg).
Role of deep medullary veins in pathogenesis of lacunes: Longitudinal observations from the CIRCLE study
Authors: Zhou Ying , Li Qingqing , Zhang Ruiting , Zhang Wenhua , Yan Shenqiang , Xu Jinjin , Wang Shuyue , Zhang Minming , Lou Min
Published: October 2019

Our purpose is to assess the role of deep medullary veins in pathogenesis of lacunes in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). We included patients with baseline and 2.5-year follow-up MRI in CIRCLE study. Susceptibility Weighted Imaging-Phase images were used to evaluate deep medullary veins based on a brain region-based visual score, and T2-Fluid-Attenuated-Inversion-Recovery images were used to evaluate lacunes. Cerebral blood flow and microstructural parameters in white matter hyperintensities and normal appearing white matter were also analyzed. A total of 203 cSVD patients were analyzed and 101 (49.8%) patients had baseline lacunes. Among them, 64 patients had follow-up MRI, including 16 (25.0%) with new lacunes. The patients’ deep medullary veins median score was 9 (7–12). At baseline, high deep medullary veins score was independently associated with the presence of lacunes after adjusting for age, diabetes mellitus, white matter hyperintensities volume and cerebral blood flow or white matter microstructural parameters (all p <  0.001). Longitudinally, high deep medullary veins score was independently associated with new lacunes after adjusting for gender ( p <  0.001). The association was also independent of white matter hyperintensities volumes, cerebral blood flow or white matter microstructural parameters (all p <  0.05). Our results suggest that deep medullary veins disruption might be involved in pathogenesis of lacunes.
Probabilistic Graphical Modeling for Estimating Risk of Coronary Artery Disease: Applications of a Flexible Machine-Learning Method
Authors: Gupta Alind , Slater Justin J. , Boyne Devon , Mitsakakis Nicholas , Béliveau Audrey , Druzdzel Marek J. , Brenner Darren R. , Hussain Selena , Arora Paul
Published: October 2019

Objectives. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death and disease burden worldwide, causing 1 in 7 deaths in the United States alone. Risk prediction models that can learn the complex causal relationships that give rise to CAD from data, instead of merely predicting the risk of disease, have the potential to improve transparency and efficacy of personalized CAD diagnosis and therapy selection for physicians, patients, and other decision makers. Methods. We use Bayesian networks (BNs) to model the risk of CAD using the Z-Alizadehsani data set—a published real-world observational data set of 303 Iranian patients at risk for CAD. We also describe how BNs can be used for incorporation of background knowledge, individual risk prediction, handling missing observations, and adaptive decision making under uncertainty. Results. BNs performed on par with machine-learning classifiers at predicting CAD and showed better probability calibration. They achieved a mean 10-fold area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.93 ± 0.04, which was comparable with the performance of logistic regression with L1 or L2 regularization (AUC: 0.92 ± 0.06), support vector machine (AUC: 0.92 ± 0.06), and artificial neural network (AUC: 0.91 ± 0.05). We describe the use of BNs to predict with missing data and to adaptively calculate prognostic values of individual variables under uncertainty. Conclusion. BNs are powerful and versatile tools for risk prediction and health outcomes research that can complement traditional statistical techniques and are particularly useful in domains in which information is uncertain or incomplete and in which interpretability is important, such as medicine.
Planar in-hand manipulation via motion cones
Authors: Chavan-Dafle Nikhil , Holladay Rachel , Rodriguez Alberto
Published: October 2019

In this article, we present the mechanics and algorithms to compute the set of feasible motions of an object pushed in a plane. This set is known as the motion cone and was previously described for non-prehensile manipulation tasks in the horizontal plane. We generalize its construction to a broader set of planar tasks, such as those where external forces including gravity influence the dynamics of pushing, or prehensile tasks, where there are complex frictional interactions between the gripper, object, and pusher. We show that the motion cone is defined by a set of low-curvature surfaces and approximate it by a polyhedral cone. We verify its validity with thousands of pushing experiments recorded with a motion tracking system. Motion cones abstract the algebra involved in the dynamics of frictional pushing and can be used for simulation, planning, and control. In this article, we demonstrate their use for the dynamic propagation step in a sampling-based planning algorithm. By constraining the planner to explore only through the interior of motion cones, we obtain manipulation strategies that are robust against bounded uncertainties in the frictional parameters of the system. Our planner generates in-hand manipulation trajectories that involve sequences of continuous pushes, from different sides of the object when necessary, with 5–1,000 times speed improvements to equivalent algorithms.
International institutional design and human rights: The case of the Inter-American Human Rights System
Authors: Haglund Jillienne
Published: October 2019

Most studies examining the effectiveness of international human rights law treat international human rights institutions as equally (un)influential on state behavior. I argue that institutional design explains variation in state response to international human rights law. Using the institutions in the Inter-American Human Rights System (Court and Commission), I argue that judgments from the highly legalized body (Court) are associated with human rights improvements, while decisions from the less legalized body (Commission) are associated with a greater likelihood of formal complaints. Using the Ill-Treatment and Torture data and original data on Commission decisions, I find support for these expectations.
Unreliable Early Neuroprognostication After Severe Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Is Likely Due to Cytopathic Hypoxia: A Case Report and Discussion
Authors: Joffe Ari R. , Brin Geoff , Farrow Sarah
Published: October 2019

A 17-year-old girl was found unconscious in a running vehicle. She developed very severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (which was treated with rescue high-frequency oscillation), hemodynamic instability, acute kidney injury, rhabdomyolysis, and remained comatose with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 and gasping respirations for 67 hours (when the Glasgow Coma Scale score improved to 6, with tachypnea to Paco 2 28 and pH 7.5). By 92 hours, she was obeying commands, and she was extubated at 96 hours, shortly after which she was conversing with family and texting on her phone. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan 6 days after being found showed subacute infarctions affecting the medial aspect of the globus pallidus bilaterally as well as a small cortical/subcortical infarction in the right parietal lobe. At a 7-week follow-up, she had no delayed-onset signs of brain injury. This case demonstrated that neurologic prognostication after carbon monoxide poisoning may be unreliable for more than 72 hours after injury. We discuss that it is possible that the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by carbon monoxide was responsible for a functional coma without irreversible brain injury, similar to the mechanism of cytopathic hypoxia in multiple-organ dysfunction that allows some other organ recovery without necrosis in survivors.
Validation of the Belief Into Action Scale (BIAC) in Portuguese Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy
Authors: Martins Helga , Caldeira Sílvia , Dias Domingues Tiago , Vieira Margarida , Koenig Harold G.
Published: October 2019

Background: A large proportion of the world’s population have religious beliefs, with 84.0% indicating an affiliation with a specific religious group. Few comprehensive measures to assess religious involvement currently exist in Portugal, particularly for the assessment of religiosity in cancer patients. Objective: To translate, adapt, and validate the 10-item Belief Into Action Scale (BIAC) in Portuguese cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Method: The methodological guidelines provided by Sousa and Rojjanasrirat were used to examine the psychometric properties of the BIAC. Results: The linguistic and conceptual equivalence of the scale was determined. The internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s α = .86). Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization identified two factors made up of nine items. Conclusion: The European Portuguese version of the BIAC is a reliable and valid measure for assessing religiosity in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to provide holistic care.
The Lived Experiences of Folklore Healing Practices as a Health Patterning Modality
Authors: Joseph Mary A.
Published: October 2019

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to understand the meaning of folklore as a health patterning modality and to uncover its unique characteristics in the life-health process. Design: Hermeneutic phenomenological. Method: Max van Manen’s methodology was used for this study. The sample was selected from the Afro-Caribbean American community in the United States. The criterion for selection was that participants used folklore healing practices for health and well-being on an ongoing basis. In-depth interviews were done. Purposive sampling with networking was done based on whether the participants used folk healing on a regular basis. Themes of the meaning of folklore healing practices were identified from participants’ verbatim data. Findings: The meaning of folklore healing practices was interpreted as phenomena with six interconnected essential themes. Additionally, Barrett’s nursing theory of power as knowing participation in change was used to reflect and understand the findings from a nursing perspective. Conclusion: The research findings have implications for nursing science, and the knowledge gleaned from the study may be applied to nursing practice.
Chronic disease management: Discussing the perspectives of general practitioners in Italy
Authors: Barsanti Sara , Guarneri Francesca
Published: October 2019

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of general practitioners’ perspectives across key criteria for effective chronic disease management. The study setting is the Tuscany Region in Italy that implemented the Chronic Care Model in 2010 with multidisciplinary team to assist chronic patients. We used the results of a web-based survey of general practitioners (N = 1136) conducted in 2015 to compare the experiences and satisfaction of general practitioners involved (group 1) and not involved (group 2) in the Chronic Care Model. The analysis included all general practitioners, and compared the two groups’ perspectives of the different core aspects of Chronic Care Model through conducting an ANOVA analysis and Bonferroni test. General practitioners involved in the Chronic Care Model are found to be more favourably disposed toward measurement and benchmarking, and more satisfied in terms of decision support system. Conversely, no significant differences were found in terms of collaboration with specialists, which remains weak and in terms of community collaboration and involvement. This study provides a detailed investigation of the implementation of Disease Management Programs, by considering the professional point of view.
Strategies for preserving memes as artefacts of digital culture
Authors: García López Fátima , Martínez Cardama Sara
Published: October 2019

The Internet archives kept by heritage libraries are analysed, focusing specifically on that new type of expression characteristic of web culture and digital folklore, the meme. Five paradigmatic examples of heritage institutions engaging in web archive initiatives are explored: the Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Biblioteca Nacional de España and National Library of Australia. Specific assessment categories are defined for the study. The findings reveal a lack of collection policies for such representative objects of today’s mass culture and identify the challenges both for the custodial institutions and for research in the future.