bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urban Domestic Water Governance in the Philippines: Paradigms and Capacities
Authors: Blanco Dennis V.
Published: October 2019

The paper analyzes urban water governance paradigms in the Philippines using available literature and describes the various water policies with specific emphasis on the underlying main legal frameworks which relate to urban domestic water governance. It also focuses on various urban domestic water governance actors, institutions and stakeholders involved and engaged in water governance as an added dimension. Employing a synthesis integrative review and policy-capacity analysis, the paper proposes some key policy-capacity solutions in which urban domestic water governance actors and stakeholders can adopt and replicate, such as capacity-building, epistemic governance, and hydrosolidarity, as possible recommendations or ways forward in urban domestic water good governance studies. Finally, the paper recommends the need for potential review and reform of the main legal foundations, functions, and responsibilities of water institutions through the assignment and determination of jurisdictional capacities exclusively to specialized agencies within the urban domestic water governance framework.
A new species of Megophrys Kuhl & Van Hasselt (Amphibia: Megophryidae) from Borneo allied to M. nasuta (Schlegel, 1858)
Authors: MUNIR MISBAHUL , HAMIDY AMIR , MATSUI MASAFUMI , ISKANDAR DJOKO T. , SIDIK IRVAN , SHIMADA TOMOHIKO
Published: October 2019

Within Sundaland, the species diversity of the genus Megophrys is richest in Borneo, with some species restricted to the northern highlands of the island. On the basis of molecular, morphological and acoustic evidence, we describe a new species of large-sized Megophrys, once confused with M. nasuta. The new species Megophrys kalimantanensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from all its congeners by large genetic distance more than 6.11% in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, much shorter rostral and orbital appendages, and unique advertisement call. This new species has been recorded from medium to high altitudes of mountain forest in southern and northernmost Borneo.
Desmicola lamdongensis sp. n. (Oxyuridomorpha: Thelastomatidae) from Vietnamese wood-burrowing cockroaches (Panesthiinae)
Authors: SOKOLOVA ELENA A.
Published: October 2019

A new thelastomatid species, Desmicola lamdongensis sp. n. from the hindgut of Panesthiinae cockroaches collected in Bi Doup-Nui Ba National Park, Vietnam is described and illustrated. Males of the new species are characterized by seven to eight modified ventrally projected cuticular annuli on the posterior third of body and the straight spicule with a pointed distal tip; females are distinguished by the presence of tiny circular protrusions on the lip surface, three setiform sensilla as interlabial formations, horseshoe-shaped amphids and smooth oval egg-shells. D. lamdongensis sp. n. differs from the rest of Desmicola species in having males with ventrally projected cuticular annuli on the posterior body third vs. semispherical ventral cuticular protuberance. Similarly to females of other species of the genus, females of D. lamdongensis sp. n. possess a seminal receptacle only on the posterior branch of the reproductive system that allows them to produce a mixture of fertilized and non-fertilized eggs among their progeny. A key to species of Desmicola based on females is given. Posterovulva danieli Spiridonov & Ivanova, 1998 is regarded as D. danieli n. comb. in accordance with the latest revision of the genus (Adamson & Van Waerebeke 1992).
Chronic maxillary atelectasis under the wrappings of an Egyptian mummy
Authors: Michailidis Georgios , Kyriazi Stavroula , Maravelia Alicia , Tourna Eleni , Couvaris Constantinos M. , Kalampoukas Kiriakos , Pantazis Ioannis , Lazaris Panagiotis , Geroulanos Stefanos , Kalogerakou Kleanthi , Bontozoglou Nikos
Published: October 2019

Objectives:

In the context of a joint Mummy Research Project of the National Archaeological Museum, the Hellenic Institute of Egyptology and the Athens Medical Centre, an Egyptian mummy of the mid-Ptolemaic Period was transferred to our hospital and was thoroughly investigated with Computed Tomography.

Methods:

The mummy was carefully removed from its coffin and scanned in a 64-detector row computed tomographic scanner. Multiplanar and anthropometric measurements were obtained using advanced software.

Results:

The mummy appeared to be well-preserved and belonged to a young male adult. Among the findings, the most interesting and uncommon one was the asymmetry of the maxillary sinuses and the orbits. There were no signs of trauma.

Conclusions:

Computed Tomography revealed in a non-destructive way a rare, based on the published data, facial deformity in an Egyptian mummy attributed to chronic maxillary atelectasis.
Ascorbic acid in urine still compromises urinalysis results
Authors: Nikolac Gabaj Nora , Miler Marijana , Unic Adriana , Milevoj Kopcinovic Lara , Vrtaric Alen , Culej Jelena
Published: October 2019

Background

The aim of this work was to determine the frequency of ascorbic acid-positive urine samples and to evaluate the potential risk on patient safety.

Materials and methods

A total of  27,856 samples submitted for urinalysis in previous year were retrospectively analysed from the laboratory information system. Urinalysis was done on Iris IQ200 analyzer using 11-parameter iChem Velocity test strips. Risk analysis combined the impact of potentially erroneous results (due to ascorbic acid interference) on patient safety (severity – S) with their frequency (occurrence – O). Potential risk was identified as high, intermediate and low.

Results

One thousand one hundred and ninety-nine (4.3%) and 1646 (5.9%) samples were mildly (20 mg/dL, 1+) and highly positive (40 mg/dL, 2+) for ascorbic acid, respectively. Severity (S1 to S5) was assigned to four possible errors: false-negative glucose (U-Glc: S2), blood (U-Hb: S5), nitrite (U-Nit: S4) and bilirubin (U-Bil: S1). Based on the frequency of errors, occurrence was categorized as: O2 for U-Glc, and O3 for U-Bil, U-Nit and U-Hb. The risk analysis matrix revealed that false-negative U-Hb was associated with potentially high risk, false-negative U-Nit with intermediate risk, while false-negative U-Glc and U-Bil were associated with low risk on patient safety.

Conclusions

Positive ascorbic acid can cause potentially high risk for patient safety by missing positive blood in urine.
Organ Donation and the Ars Moriendi
Authors: Doran Stephen
Published: October 2019

Organ donation is rightly understood as a gift that is a genuine act of love. Organ donation as an act of love requires it to be an act of freedom that honors the integrity of the human person who is in the process of dying. However, the process of organ donation, by necessity, inserts a third party of interest whose primary aim is to assist someone other than the dying person. Caregivers can become “organ focused” instead of “patient focused.” The procurement of organs potentially results in the commodification of the potential organ donor. Furthermore, death is not a momentary event but rather an ontological change in the person where the union of body and soul becomes divided. This Catholic understanding of death is important to assess the impact of organ donation on the process of dying. Family members of organ donors often have traumatic memories associated with the organ donation process, potentially overshadowing the ars moriendi—the art of dying.

While organ donation is an act of love, the donation process can be distraction from the care of the dying patient, who may be treated differently than other dying patients who are not organ donors. A Catholic understanding of death is helpful in assessing the impact of the organ donation process.
Five-Year Follow-up of a Severe Case of Pertussis in Oregon, 2012
Authors: Liko Juventila , Koenig William J. , Cieslak Paul R.
Published: October 2019

Oregon continues to face epidemics of pertussis, and infants younger than 2 months of age have the highest incidence and rates of hospitalization and complications. We describe the medical course and sequelae of an infant’s severe pertussis illness through age 5½ years. The child has failed to meet developmental milestones, requires substantial medical care, and bears the burdens of chronic lung disease, stroke, epilepsy, impaired neurodevelopment, and problems with vision. The medical and social burden of pertussis among infants too young to be vaccinated underscores the importance of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccination during pregnancy.
Computational optimal launching control for balloon-borne solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles in near-space
Authors: Hu Yanpeng , Yang Yanping , Ma Xiaoping , Li Shu
Published: October 2019

The near-space solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle has broad prospects in application owing to its high altitude long-endurance performance. Launching solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle into the near-space with balloon-borne approach has advantages over the traditional sliding take-off methods, in that it is able to quickly and safely cross the turbulent zone. In this article, we investigate the control technology of balloon-borne launching for the solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. First, the motion of the launching process is divided into longitudinal and lateral-directional motion, with the longitudinal process and its equation addressed in detail. We then analyze the flight state and restriction conditions that the unmanned aerial vehicle should meet during the process. Second, the target variables and constraints are selected to formulate the optimization problem. The control variable parameterization method is applied to find the optimal pitch angle in the releasing-and-pulling process. More explicitly, a three-channel attitude stabilization controller is designed, in which the longitudinal channel takes the optimal pitch angle as the pitch instruction, the transverse channel carries out the zero control of the inclination angle, and the course channel takes the stabilization control, respectively. Numerical simulation results show that our proposed control design is capable of accelerating the solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles from the vertical state and pulling them up to the horizontal cruising flight state, with the flight angle of attack, the maximum speed, and the maximum axial acceleration in the pulling process all within the designed range.
Heuristic Q-learning based on experience replay for three-dimensional path planning of the unmanned aerial vehicle
Authors: Xie Ronglei , Meng Zhijun , Zhou Yaoming , Ma Yunpeng , Wu Zhe
Published: October 2019

In order to solve the problem that the existing reinforcement learning algorithm is difficult to converge due to the excessive state space of the three-dimensional path planning of the unmanned aerial vehicle, this article proposes a reinforcement learning algorithm based on the heuristic function and the maximum average reward value of the experience replay mechanism. The knowledge of track performance is introduced to construct heuristic function to guide the unmanned aerial vehicles’ action selection and reduce the useless exploration. Experience replay mechanism based on maximum average reward increases the utilization rate of excellent samples and the convergence speed of the algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed three-dimensional path planning algorithm has good learning efficiency, and the convergence speed and training performance are significantly improved.
Application of optimized variational mode decomposition based on kurtosis and resonance frequency in bearing fault feature extraction
Authors: Li Hua , Liu Tao , Wu Xing , Chen Qing
Published: October 2019

Variational mode decomposition (VMD) is an adaptive signal processing method proposed recently. It has gradually been widely used due to its good performance. According to the problem that the parameters of VMD need to be determined in advance, a simple and feasible method of determining the influence parameters based on the principle of kurtosis maximum is put forward. A novel intrinsic mode function (IMF) selection method based on resonance frequency is proposed in order to select the IMF that contains the abundant fault feature information. Firstly, the parameters of VMD are optimized by the principle of kurtosis maximum, the optimal penalty parameter and mode number of VMD are set, and the original fault signal is processed by the optimized VMD to obtain the established IMF components. Then, the sensitive IMF(s) with the fault information is selected by resonance frequency. Finally, the selected IMF(s) is analyzed by the envelope demodulation analysis to extract the fault characteristic frequency to judge the fault type of the rolling bearing. It is shown that the method can extract the weak characteristics of the early fault signal of the rolling bearing, and it can realize the judgment of the bearing fault accurately through the analysis of simulated signal and the actual data of bearing.
Impact of Varying Types of Nasal Septal Deviation on Nasal Airflow Pattern and Warming Function: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis
Authors: Li Lifeng , Zang Hongrui , Han Demin , London Nyall R.
Published: October 2019

Nasal septal deviations (NSD) have been categorized into 7 types. The effect of these different deviations on airflow pattern and warming function has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to utilize a computational fluid dynamics approach to assess the impact of NSD of varying types on nasal airflow and warming function. Patients with each type of NSD were enrolled in the study, and a normal participant as the control. Using a computational fluid dynamics approach, modeling of nasal function was performed. Indices of nasal function including airflow redistribution, total nasal resistance, airflow velocity, and airflow temperature were determined. Among all types of NSD, the maximal velocity and total nasal resistance were markedly higher in type 4 and 7 deviations. The flow partition and velocity distribution were also altered in type 4 and 7 as well as type 2 and 6 deviations. Airflow in all categories of NSD was fully warmed to a similar degree. From a computational aerodynamics perspective, the type of septal deviation may contribute to altered airflow characteristics. However, warming function was similar between septal deviation types. Future studies will help to ascertain the functional importance of septal deviation types and the applicability of these computational studies.
A deep learning-based quality assessment model of collaboratively edited documents: A case study of Wikipedia
Authors: Wang Ping , Li Xiaodan , Wu Renli
Published: October 2019

Wikipedia is becoming increasingly critical in helping people obtain information and knowledge. Its leading advantage is that users can not only access information but also modify it. However, this presents a challenging issue: how can we measure the quality of a Wikipedia article? The existing approaches assess Wikipedia quality by statistical models or traditional machine learning algorithms. However, their performance is not satisfactory. Moreover, most existing models fail to extract complete information from articles, which degrades the model’s performance. In this article, we first survey related works and summarise a comprehensive feature framework. Then, state-of-the-art deep learning models are introduced and applied to assess Wikipedia quality. Finally, a comparison among deep learning models and traditional machine learning models is conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The models are compared extensively in terms of their training and classification performance. Moreover, the importance of each feature and the importance of different feature sets are analysed separately.
Office‐Based Stapes Surgery
Authors: Voizard Béatrice , Maniakas Anastasios , Saliba Issam
Published: October 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to provide a proof of concept and to assess the success and safety of stapes surgery for otosclerosis under local anesthesia in an office‐based setting (OBS) as compared with a hospital operating room setting (ORS).

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

We reviewed all patients who underwent stapes surgery by the same surgeon from October 2014 to January 2017 at our tertiary care center (ORS, n = 36, 52%) and in an OBS (n = 33, 48%).

Subjects and Methods

The surgical technique was identical in both groups. All patients had a temporal bone computed tomography scan and audiogram within the 6 months prior to surgery. Air‐bone gaps (ABGs), bone conduction, and air conduction pure tone average values were calculated. Preoperative results for pure tone average, bone conduction, ABG, and word recognition scores were compared with early (4 months) and late (12 months) follow‐up audiograms. Intra‐ and postoperative complications were compared.

Results

Both groups were comparable in terms of demographic characteristics and severity of disease. The mean 1‐year postoperative ABG was 5.66 dB (95% CI = 4.42‐6.90) in the ORS group and 6.30 dB (95% CI = 4.50‐8.10) in the OBS group (P =. 55). ABG improved by 24.27 dB (95% CI = 21.40‐27.13) in the ORS group and 23.15 dB (95% CI = 18.45‐27.85) in the OBS group (P =. 68). Complication rates did not differ, although this study remains underpowered.

Conclusions

In this small group of patients, the success of stapes surgery performed in an OBS and its complications were comparable to those of an ORS, thus providing an alternative to patients on long operating room waiting lists.
Assessment of a white matter reference region for 11C-UCB-J PET quantification
Authors: Rossano Samantha , Toyonaga Takuya , Finnema Sjoerd J , Naganawa Mika , Lu Yihuan , Nabulsi Nabeel , Ropchan Jim , De Bruyn Steven , Otoul Christian , Stockis Armel , Nicolas Jean-Marie , Martin Paul , Mercier Joel , Huang Yiyun , Maguire R Paul , Carson Richard E
Published: October 2019

11C-UCB-J is a positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand that has been used in humans for synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) imaging and as a potential synaptic density marker. The centrum semiovale (CS) is a proposed reference region for noninvasive quantification of 11C-UCB-J, due to negligible concentrations of SV2A in this region in baboon brain assessed by in vitro methods. However, in displacement scans with SV2A-specific drug levetiracetam in humans, a decrease in 11C-UCB-J concentration was observed in the CS, consistent with some degree of specific binding. The current study aims to validate the CS as a reference region by (1) optimizing CS region of interest (ROI) to minimize spill-in from gray matter with high radioactivity concentrations; (2) investigating convergence of CS ROI values using ordered subset expectation maximization (OS-EM) reconstruction, and (3) comparing baseline CS volume of distribution ( VT) to nondisplaceable uptake in gray matter, VND. Improving ROI definition and increasing OS-EM iterations during reconstruction decreased the difference between CS VT and VND. However, even with these corrections, CS VT overestimated VND by ∼35–40%. These measures showed significant correlation, suggesting that, though biased, the CS may be a useful estimate of nondisplaceable uptake, allowing for noninvasive quantification for SV2A PET.
Improvement of image quality applying iterative scatter correction for grid-less skeletal radiography in trauma room setting
Authors: Lisson Christoph G , Lisson Catharina S , Vogele Daniel , Strauss Beatrice , Schuetze Konrad , Cintean Raffael , Beer Meinrad , Schmidt Stefan A
Published: October 2019

Background

Iterative reconstruction is well established for CT. Plain radiography also takes advantage of iterative algorithms to reduce scatter radiation and improve image quality. First applications have been described for bedside chest X-ray. A recent experimental approach also provided proof of principle for skeletal imaging.

Purpose

To examine clinical applicability of iterative scatter correction for skeletal imaging in the trauma setting.

Material and Methods

In this retrospective single-center study, 209 grid-less radiographs were routinely acquired in the trauma room for 12 months, with imaging of the chest (n = 31), knee (n = 111), pelvis (n = 14), shoulder (n = 24), and other regions close to the trunk (n = 29). Radiographs were postprocessed with iterative scatter correction, doubling the number of images. The radiographs were then independently evaluated by three radiologists and three surgeons. A five-step rating scale and visual grading characteristics analysis were used. The area under the VGC curve (AUCVGC) quantified differences in image quality.

Results

Images with iterative scatter correction were generally rated significantly better (AUCVGC = 0.59, P < 0.01). This included both radiologists (AUCVGC = 0.61, P < 0.01) and surgeons (AUCVGC = 0.56, P < 0.01). The image-improving effect was significant for all body regions; in detail: chest (AUCVGC = 0.64, P < 0.01), knee (AUCVGC = 0.61, P < 0.01), pelvis (AUCVGC = 0.60, P = 0.01), shoulder (AUCVGC = 0.59, P = 0.02), and others close to the trunk (AUCVGC = 0.59, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Iterative scatter correction improves the image quality of grid-less skeletal radiography in the clinical setting for a wide range of body regions. Therefore, iterative scatter correction may be the future method of choice for free exposure imaging when an anti-scatter grid is omitted due to high risk of tube-detector misalignment.
A new instrument for surgical stabilization of multiple rib fractures
Authors: Jian Xiong , Lei Wu , Yuyang Pi , Yongdong Xu
Published: October 2019

Objective

Rib fixation is an effective treatment for patients with multiple rib fractures. We retrospectively evaluated the application of a four-claw titanium plate in patients with rib fractures.

Methods

Fifty-four patients treated for multiple rib fractures in our hospital from 2012 to 2016 were divided into a surgery group (n = 27) and conservative treatment group (n = 27). The patients’ age, sex, cause of fracture, Injury Severity Score, chest Abbreviated Injury Scale score, number of ventilator days, and length of hospitalization were recorded.

Results

The mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 4.5 ± 0.7 and 7.9 ± 1.7 days in the surgery and control group, respectively, with a significant difference. The length of intensive care unit stay was also significantly different between the groups (5.9 ± 0.6 vs. 10.6 ± 1.9 days, respectively). The length of hospital stay and recovery time to regular life in the surgery and control group were 11.5 ± 1.9 and 3.9 ± 4.0 days and 38.2 ± 8.3 and 60.8 ± 12.1 days, respectively, both with significant differences.

Conclusion

A four-claw titanium plate is valuable for patients with multiple rib fractures, allowing easy fixation of broken ribs beneath the scapula, even the second rib.
Rural–urban disparities in caesarean section rates in minority areas in China: evidence from electronic health records
Authors: Kang Lili , Gu Hai , Ye Shangyuan , Xu Biao , Jing Kangzhen , Zhang Ning , Zhang Bo
Published: October 2019

Objective

To assess the rural–urban disparity in caesarean section rates using electronic health records from hospitals located in the Province of Inner Mongolia, which is a minority area in Northeastern China.

Methods

The study examined the electronic health records of women that gave birth in three major public hospitals between January 2012 and December 2016. Multinomial regression analyses were used to estimate rural–urban disparities in caesarean section rates.

Results

Data from 61 903 women were examined. Caesarean section rates increased slightly over the study period and the rate was significantly higher in rural compared with urban hospitals (48% versus 38%). This disparity consistently increased over time. Multinomial regression analyses showed that maternal age, ethnicity, health insurance type, employment status, reproductive history and the newborn’s sex were significant risk factors associated with caesarean section rate. Furthermore, stratified analysis of first-time pregnancies, minorities and different age groups showed that the odds of undergoing an emergency caesarean section was lower in the rural hospital, but the odds of undergoing a planned caesarean section was higher in the rural hospital.

Conclusions

Caesarean section rates have increased in rural areas and the disparity in rural–urban areas has increased substantially over the years.
Progression of osteoarthritis and reoperation in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: A comparison of national joint registries
Authors: Castiello Emanuela , Affatato Saverio
Published: October 2019

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty remains a challenge for orthopaedic surgeons because of its higher revision rate compare with the total knee arthroplasty. The hypothesis of this work is that the progression of osteoarthritis in unicompartmental knee prostheses is the natural history of the degenerative disease and a reason for reoperation. Most international joint registries consider this fact as a failure of the implant and a cause of revision. Annual joint registries were searched for progression of osteoarthritis in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and reasons for their revisions. Current data from registries for unicompartmental knee indicate that the revision rate of such prostheses is overestimated. Considering osteoarthritis progression as the development of the existing disease and not as a failure of the implant, revision rate will be reduced. Registries, reports, and studies are needed to evaluate the progression of osteoarthritis as a cause of reoperation instead of a reason for revision, reducing unicompartmental revision rate and encouraging surgeons to implant more of them.
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in Children:: A Prospective Follow-up Study
Authors: Darwish Amira Hamed
Published: October 2019

Aim:

To evaluate clinical and radiologic presentation, and neurologic outcome of pediatric posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).

Patients and Methods:

The study included 24 children (14 males and 10 females) diagnosed with PRES who were prospectively followed for 2 years. They were evaluated using Wechsler Intelligence Scale, electroencephalograph (EEG), and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results:

The mean age of the studied patients at the time of diagnosis of PRES was 6 years (±2.2). Chemotherapy for cancer represented 66.7% of the causes of PRES in the studied children, followed by renal disorders and immunosuppressive agents for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Twenty-seven attacks of PRES were reported as 3 children developed a second attack of PRES. Normal intelligence quotient was found in 95.8% of studied children after PRES. Residual abnormalities in follow-up MRI were demonstrated in 3 children. Epilepsy and residual MRI lesions were reported in 2 of the 3 children with recurrent PRES. Residual lesions in follow-up MRI and epilepsy were more significantly reported after recurrent PRES ( P < .05).

Conclusions:

Neoplastic, renal disorders and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation represent the main disorders associated with PRES in children. Chemotherapeutic drugs, immunosuppressants, and hypertension are the main risk factors for pediatric PRES. The outcome of pediatric PRES is good, but long-term neurologic sequelae can occur, mainly epilepsy and residual MRI abnormalities. Recurrence of PRES is infrequently reported in children receiving chemotherapeutic or immunosuppressive drugs. Recurrent PRES is a risk factor for long-term neurologic sequelae.
Politics and Constitutionalism: Entrenching the Rule of Law in Africa
Authors: Chigudu Daniel
Published: October 2019

The influence of a constitution may seem obvious particularly in Africa. Sometimes, there are tensions between the principles supporting governance issues such as an electoral process and the promotion of majority rule; giving a voice for minorities, inclusiveness, and freedom of expression; assembly; the free press and political culture. This study employs a content analysis to examine the concept of politics and constitutionalism in Africa and how the rule of law can be entrenched. The findings provide lessons in the development of constitutionalism relating to governance of the political life in which the constitutional forms are located. In some cases, regional institutions have only paid lip service. Elites amend the constitution to reserve for themselves unfettered discretion on public affairs. It appears that electoral systems in some African countries have fallen short of expectations of a democratic process due to non-compliance of the rule of law, lack of the practice of constitutionalism, weak institutions and bad political culture. Kenya and Zimbabwe serve as examples where election results have been disputed heavily. It is recommended that politics should be instrumental to the implementation of constitutions and not vice versa and that Afro-pessimism or Afro-optimism should translate to Afro-realism.
City Profile: Manila, Philippines
Authors: Gamboa Mark Anthony M. , Rivera Ryan Randle B. , Reyes Mario R. Delos
Published: October 2019

Manila is a primate city with national and international significance. Unlike any other city in the Philippines, Manila has the mandate of serving not just its local constituents, but also a clientele of national and even global scale. Recognizing that the localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at sub-national levels is a key element in meeting the targets by 2030, it is important to look at how cities have been confronting local challenges relating to the development goals. Focusing on SDGs 3, 4 and 11, this city profile shows that Manila has performed reasonably well against key national and regional benchmarks on health, education and urban sustainability. However, as the city continues to lag behind many of its regional counterparts, key reforms must be undertaken in the areas of local policymaking, targeting of resources, scale of public participation and engagement of national government agencies. Heading into the first four years of the SDGs, the aim of this profile is to recognize and contextualize Manila’s existing urban conditions, best practices and pressing challenges—which would all have a significant implication on how Manila stands to attain SDGs 3, 4 and 11.
City Profile: Kigali, Rwanda
Authors: Manirakiza Vincent , Mugabe Leon , Nsabimana Aimable , Nzayirambaho Manassé
Published: October 2019

Rwanda is experiencing rapid development and urbanization in the Post-genocide perpetrated against Tutsi (1994) period. Kigali as the capital and the leading city is undergoing remarkable changes in the process of modernization. This is being done through the rejuvenation of commercial areas, building of new business offices and quality infrastructure, improvement of urban service delivery, tourism and industrial development (Kigali Special Economic Zone). Together with a clean city policy, the City of Kigali is now known to be one of the cleanest cities in Africa. This has been effectively achieved through consistent and integrated urban policies. However, the city has been facing challenges related to informal settlements and equitable provision of urban services to all residents. In this paper, data from secondary sources, mainly official reports, policy documents and academic papers, are presented and discussed through various perspectives related to the urban growth of Kigali. Likewise, the implications of existing policies on the implementation of strategic initiatives have also been highlighted.
Whitening Italian sport: The construction of ‘Italianness’ in national sporting fields
Authors: Kyeremeh Sandra Agyei
Published: October 2019

This article examines the ways in which narrow understandings of race and Italianness are reproduced by those who govern and administer sport at elite levels of competition. By shedding light on how citizenship discourses establish who can and cannot represent the nation, I specifically focus upon the belongings and identities of Black, foreign-origin and mixed-heritage Italian women athletes. By doing so, this article elucidates the complex ways in which racially minoritized sportswomen fight for recognition within the Italian ‘imagined community’. This article suggests that despite their commitment to, and pride in, representing the nation, their struggles have not proved sufficient to re-define Italianness: that is, to make it more open and inclusive of non-white citizens.
Australian Secret Intelligence Service’s new powers: A step too far towards extraterritorial killings?
Authors: Fellows Jamie , Chong Mark D
Published: October 2019

This article examines recent amendments to the Intelligence Services Act 2001 (Cth) ( IS Act). The amendments provide Australian Secret Intelligence Service staff and agents with additional protection from Australian criminal prosecution when using force under certain circumstances in overseas jurisdictions. The authors assert that while well-intentioned, and despite new and existing oversight provisions, the amendments allow pre-emptive use of force that could potentially be used to justify carrying out extraterritorial killings of Australians and foreign nationals, thereby breaching the lawful boundaries of Australian Secret Intelligence Service’s functions.
The Safety of Midline Catheters for Intravenous Therapy at a Large Academic Medical Center
Authors: Seo Hangil , Altshuler Diana , Dubrovskaya Yanina , Nunnally Mark E. , Nunn Catherine , Ello Naomi , Papadopoulos John , Chen Xian Jie (Cindy)
Published: October 2019

Background: Midline catheters (MCs) have arisen as alternatives to peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) for both general intravenous therapy and extended outpatient parenteral therapy. However, there is a lack of data concerning the safety of medication therapy through midline for extended durations. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety of MCs for extended intravenous use. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study evaluating patients who received intravenous therapy through an MC at a tertiary care academic medical center. The primary end point was the incidence of composite catheter-related adverse events that included local events, catheter dislodgment, infiltration, catheter occlusion, catheter-related venous thromboembolism, extravasation, and line-associated infection. Results: A total of 82 MC placements and 50 PICC placements were included; 50 MCs were for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy, and 32 were for inpatient intravenous use. There were 21 complications per 1000 catheter-days in the outpatient group and 7 complications per 1000 catheter-days in the PICC group ( P = 0.91). The median time to complication in both groups was 8 days. The antimicrobial classes commonly associated with complications were cephalosporins, carbapenems, and penicillins. Conclusion and Relevance: Our results suggest that intravenous therapy with MCs is generally safe for prolonged courses that do not exceed 14 days as compared with PICC lines, which can be placed for months. There is still limited evidence for the use of MCs between 14 and 28 days of therapy. This study can help guide our selection of intravenous catheters for the purpose of outpatient antimicrobial therapy.
Pure Discrete Punctate Nuclear Staining Pattern for MLH1 Protein Does Not Represent Intact Nuclear Expression
Authors: Zhang Qingzhao , Young Gloria Q. , Yang Zhaohai
Published: October 2019

Immunohistochemical staining for DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins is commonly used to screen for Lynch syndrome. Several laboratories have noticed a discrete punctate nuclear staining pattern for MLH1 that caused confusion in interpretation. This study was designed to investigate whether this particular staining pattern represents intact nuclear expression of MLH1. MMR proteins immunostaining and follow-up testing in 161 consecutive colorectal adenocarcinoma cases (86 biopsies, 75 resections) were retrospectively reviewed. Both discrete punctate nuclear staining and diffuse nuclear staining patterns for MLH1 were observed in internal control cells in 76 biopsies and 27 resections. Only diffuse nuclear staining was seen in the remaining 10 biopsies and 48 resections ( P < .0001). Pure discrete punctate nuclear staining pattern for MLH1 was observed in 11 tumors (9 biopsies, 2 resections), and completely negative staining was seen in 13 tumors (2 biopsies, 11 resections; P = .003). Those 24 tumors (21 patients) invariably showed loss of PMS2. Three patients whose biopsies showed pure punctate staining for MLH1 underwent repeat testing on resections: 1 retained the punctate staining and 2 showed complete loss of MLH1. Nine patients who showed loss of PMS2 and pure punctate MLH1 staining underwent molecular testing: 4 had BRAF V600E mutations and 1 had MLH1 gene mutation. Our data showed that discrete punctate nuclear staining for MLH1 is more commonly seen in biopsy specimens. Pure discrete punctate staining pattern is paired with loss of PMS2 expression and may be associated with BRAF or MLH1 gene mutation, thus it should not be interpreted as intact nuclear expression.
VASCULAR-1 and VASCULAR-2 as a New Potential Angiogenesis and Endothelial Dysfunction Markers in Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors: Wieczór Radosław , Rość Danuta , Wieczór Anna Maria , Kulwas Arleta
Published: October 2019

The quotient of concentrations concerning the key proangiogenic factor, that is, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) and the angiogenesis inhibitor, namely, its soluble receptors (sVEGFR-1 or sVEGFR-2), seems to reflect increased hypoxia and intensity of compensation angiogenesis. Therefore, it can be an ischemic and endothelial dysfunction marker reflected in intermittent claudication (IC) or critical limb ischemia (CLI) in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of VEGF-A/sVEGFR-1 and VEGF-A/sVEGFR-2—presented using a novelty acronym VASCULAR-1 and VASCULAR-2—in patients with IC and CLI, as well as displayed in 4 classes of severity of PAD. VASCULAR-1 and VASCULAR-2 were calculated using the plasma of venous blood sampled from 80 patients with IC (n = 65) and CLI (n = 15) and the control group (n = 30). Patients with CLI were reported to have a slightly higher index of VASCULAR-1 and double VASCULAR-2 levels as compared to patients with IC ( P = nonsignificant), and these markers were significantly higher than controls ( P < .01 and P < .01, respectively). VASCULAR-2 levels were observed to have an increasing tendency in the subsequent degrees of PAD severity according to the Fontaine classification ( P = .02). In view of the need to consider the role of the proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factor in the assessment of the so-called “angiogenic potential,” VASCULAR-1 ratio and VASCULAR-2 ratio may be a new useful biomarker of limb ischemia in patients with IC and CLI. However, this requires further studies and evidence on a very large group of patients with PAD.
Secret Shopper Data on Private Prices in the Nursing Home Industry From 2008 to 2010
Authors: Loomer Lacey , Gandhi Ashvin , Geng Fangli , Grabowski David C.
Published: October 2019

Nationwide nursing home private-pay prices at the facility-level have not been available for researchers interested in studying this unique health care market. This study presents a new data source, Caregiverlist, for private-pay prices for private and semiprivate rooms for 12,000 nursing homes nationwide collected between 2008 and 2010. We link these data to publicly available national nursing home-level data sets to examine the relationship between price and nursing home characteristics. We also compare private-pay prices with average private-pay revenues per day for California nursing homes obtained from facilities’ financial filings. On average, private-pay prices were $224 per day for private rooms compared with $197 per day for semiprivate rooms. We find that nursing homes that are nonprofit, urban, hospital-based, have a special care unit, chain-owned, and have higher quality ratings have higher prices. We find average revenues per day in California to be moderately correlated with prices reported by Caregiverlist.
Analysis of reproducibility, evaluation, and preference of the new iC100 rebound tonometer versus iCare PRO and Perkins portable applanation tonometry
Authors: Molero-Senosiaín Mercedes , Morales-Fernández Laura , Saenz-Francés Federico , García-Feijoo Julian , Martínez-de-la-Casa Jose María
Published: October 2019

Objectives:

To analyze the reproducibility of the new iC100 rebound tonometer, to compare its results with the applanation tonometry and iCare PRO and to evaluate the preference between them.

Materials and methods:

For the study of reproducibility, 15 eyes of 15 healthy Caucasian subjects were included. Three measurements were taken each day in three separate sessions. For the comparative study, 150 eyes of 150 Caucasian subjects were included (75 normal subjects and 75 patients with glaucoma). Three consecutive measurements were collected with each tonometer, randomizing the order of use. The discomfort caused by each tonometer was evaluated using the visual analogue scale.

Results:

No statistically significant differences were detected between sessions. In the comparison between tonometers, the measurements with iC100 were statistically lower than those of Perkins (−1.35 ± 0.417, p = 0.004) and that iCare PRO (−1.41 ± 0.417, p = 0.002). The difference between PRO and Perkins was not statistically significant ( p = 0.990). The mean time of measurement (in seconds) with iC100 was significantly lower than with Perkins (6.74 ± 1.46 vs 15.53 ± 2.01, p < 0.001) and that PRO (6.74 ± 1.46 vs 11.53 ± 1.85, p < 0.001). Visual analogue scale score with iC100 was lower than Perkins (1.33 ± 0.99 vs 1.73 ± 1.10, p < 0.05). In total, 61.7% preferred iC100 against Perkins.

Conclusion:

The reproducibility of this instrument has been proven good. iC100 underestimates intraocular pressure compared to applanation tonometry at normal values and tends to overestimate it in high intraocular pressure values. Most of the subjects preferred iC100 tonometer.
Electronic health records in a Blockchain: A systematic review
Authors: Mayer André Henrique , da Costa Cristiano André , Righi Rodrigo da Rosa
Published: October 2019

Blockchain could reinvent the way patient’s electronic health records are shared and stored by providing safer mechanisms for health information exchange of medical data in the healthcare industry, by securing it over a decentralized peer-to-peer network. Intending to support and ease the understanding of this distributed ledger technology, a solid Systematic Literature Review was conducted, aiming to explore the recent literature on Blockchain and healthcare domain and identify existing challenges and open questions, guided by the raise of research questions regarding EHR in a Blockchain. More than 300 scientific studies published in the last ten years were surveyed, resulting in an up-to-date taxonomy creation, challenges and open questions identified, and the most significant approaches, data types, standards and architectures regarding the use of Blockchain for EHR were assessed and discussed.
Detecting associations between dietary supplement intake and sentiments within mental disorder tweets
Authors: Wang Yefeng , Zhao Yunpeng , Zhang Jianqiu , Bian Jiang , Zhang Rui
Published: October 2019

Many patients with mental disorders take dietary supplement, but their use patterns remain unclear. In this study, we developed a method to detect signals of associations between dietary supplement intake and mental disorder in Twitter data. We developed an annotated dataset and trained a convolutional neural network classifier that can identify language use pattern of dietary supplement intake with an F1-score of 0.899, a precision of 0.900, and a recall of 0.900. Using the classifier, we discovered that melatonin and vitamin D were the most commonly used supplements among Twitter users who self-diagnosed mental disorders. Sentiment analysis using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count has shown that among Twitter users who posted mental disorder self-diagnosis, users who indicated supplement intake are more active and express more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions than those who have not mentioned supplement intake.
Adoption mechanism of telemedicine in underdeveloped country
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Zaman Badee uz
Published: October 2019

The purpose of this study is to reveal the influential mechanism on patients’ adoption intention of telemedicine in the underdeveloped areas. Based on 896 patients’ data collected in Pakistan, we found that patients’ adoption intention is a function of traveling cost, attitudes, and perceived usefulness. High traveling cost is found to have the most significant negative influence on adoption intention. Patients with shorter distance prefer more to use telemedicine. Traveling cost, traveling time, and traveling distance have indirect influences on adoption intention through their significant impacts on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Our findings indicate that geographic locations does matter during promotion of telemedicine. This study also helps identify the true barriers and facilitators to large-scale adoption of telemedicine in developing countries and reduce the gap of healthcare equity as concerned by both UN Millennium Development Goals and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
A systematic analysis of the optimization of computerized physician order entry and clinical decision support systems: A qualitative study in English hospitals
Authors: Wiegel Valeri , King Abby , Mozaffar Hajar , Cresswell Kathrin , Williams Robin , Sheik Aziz
Published: October 2019

This article analyzes the range of system optimization activities taking place over an extended period following the implementation of computerized physician order entry and clinical decision support systems. We undertook 207 qualitative semi-structured interviews, 24 rounds of non-participant observations of meetings and system use, and collected 17 organizational documents in five hospitals over three time periods between 2011 and 2016. We developed a systematic analysis of system optimization activities with eight sub-categories grouped into three main categories. This delineates the range of system optimization activities including resolving misalignments between technology and clinical practices, enhancing the adopted system, and improving user capabilities to utilize/further optimize systems. This study highlights the optimization efforts by user organizations adopting multi-user, organization-spanning information technologies. Hospitals must continue to attend to change management for an extended period (up to 5 years post-implementation) and develop a strategy for long-term system optimization including sustained user engagement, training, and broader capability development to ensure smoother and quicker realization of benefits.