bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous management of coronary bifurcation lesions: current perspective
Authors: Wassef Anthony W.A. , Liu Shuangbo , Yanagawa Bobby , Verma Subodh , Cheema Asim N.
Published: July 2020

Purpose of review

Coronary artery disease affecting bifurcations poses a challenge for percutaneous intervention. Several techniques and strategies for percutaneous management of bifurcation lesions have been described in the literature with variable data available for outcomes. In this review, we provide an overview of the strategies and techniques used for percutaneous intervention of bifurcation lesions with an update of recent technical developments and clinical evidence.

Recent findings

The coronary bifurcation lesions of both left main and other coronary segments are best treated with a provisional stenting strategy where main branch is treated with a stent placement and side branch intervention reserved for angiographically or physiologically determined hemodynamically significant residual stenosis despite application of a proximal stent optimization technique. When a provisional stent strategy is not likely to be successful due to anatomic or morphologic lesion characteristics and a large side branch or distal left main bifurcation is involved, an upfront bifurcation stenting strategy with double kissing crush technique may provide the optimum results. Coronary imaging and fractional flow determination may guide lesion specific management, facilitate device selection and improve clinical outcomes for percutaneous therapy for bifurcation lesions.

Despite advances in technology and procedural techniques, percutaneous intervention of coronary bifurcation lesions remains challenging and associated with higher adverse outcomes compared to non bifurcation lesions. Among the several bifurcation strategies, a provisional stenting approach is preferred for technical simplicity and better long term outcomes. Double kissing crush technique provides superior clinical results and should be preferred when a two stent strategy is indicated. Use of coronary imaging and physiology assessment should be incorporated in the algorithm of bifurcation interventions for greater technical and clinical success.
Chronic kidney disease as a cardiovascular risk factor
Authors: Carmena Rafael , Ascaso Juan F. , Redon Josep
Published: July 2020

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health threat with impact in cardiovascular risk. All forms of cardiovascular disease and mortality are more common in CKD. Treatment of cardiovascular risk factors, hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes is essential for cardiovascular and kidney protection. CKD is a marker of high or very high cardiovascular risk and its presence require early treatment and specific goals. Lifestyle is a pivotal factor, stopping smoking, reducing weight in the overweight or obese, starting regular physical exercise and healthy dietary pattern are recommended. Office BP should be lowered towards 130/80 mmHg or even lower if tolerated with sodium restriction and single pill combination, including angiotensin system blocker. Out-of-office BP monitoring, mainly 24-h assessment, is recommended. Diabetes requires treatment from the moment of diagnosis, but prediabetes benefits with lifestyle changes and metformin in patients stage 2 and 3a. iSGLT2 and GLP-1RA are initially recommended in T2D patients with high or very high cardiovascular risk. Concerning dyslipidemia, for patients in stage 4, LDL-C 55 mg/dl or less (1.4 mmol/l) and an LDL-C reduction of 50% or less from baseline is recommended. In stage 3, LDL-C goal is 70 mg/dl or less (1.8 mmol/l) and an LDL-C. reduction of at least 50% from baseline. Statins are the lipid-lowering therapy of choice with or without ezetimibe. Higher doses of statins are required as GFR declines. Available evidence suggests that combined PCSK9 inhibitors with maximally tolerated dose of statins may have an emerging role in treatment of dyslipidemia in CKD patients.
Visual outcomes of combined cataract surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery
Authors: Sarkisian Steven R. , Radcliffe Nathan , Harasymowycz Paul , Vold Steven , Patrianakos Thomas , Zhang Amy , Herndon Leon , Brubaker Jacob , Moster Marlene , Francis Brian ,   for the ASCRS Glaucoma Clinical Committee
Published: July 2020

Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) has become a reliable standard of care for the treatment of glaucoma when combined with cataract surgery. This review describes the MIGS procedures currently combined with and without cataract surgery with a focus on visual outcomes based on the literature and the experience of the ASCRS Glaucoma Clinical Committee.
Effect of microinterventional endocapsular nucleus disassembly using centripetal loop fragmentation on refractive outcomes after cataract surgery
Authors: Roper Gerald J. , Hoffer Kenneth J. , Pamnani Ravinder D.
Published: July 2020

Purpose:

To evaluate the refractive impact of centripetal fragmentation using the miLOOP system for nucleus disassembly, which minimizes lens zonulocapsular instability associated with endocapsular lens manipulation.

Setting:

Private practice, Batesville, Indiana, USA.

Design:

Retrospective comparative consecutive series.

Methods:

Refractive outcomes were compared for consecutive patients who underwent cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation before and after the introduction of a microinterventional endocapsular nucleus disassembly technique using the miLOOP system. Eyes with a history of previous surgery or ocular comorbidities were excluded. The primary outcome was the median absolute error (MedAE) from the preoperative predicted refraction. Secondary outcomes included corrected (CDVA) and uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and the proportion of eyes within predicted diopter (D) ranges.

Results:

A total of 118 eyes of 79 patients were analyzed, with 69 eyes undergoing conventional nuclear disassembly and 49 eyes receiving the microinterventional technique. The MedAE for eyes using conventional nucleus disassembly vs the microinterventional technique was 0.191 D vs 0.107 D, respectively (P = .002). For CDVA and UDVA, the microinterventional approach resulted in a trend toward a higher proportion of eyes achieving acuities better than 20/30, 20/25, and 20/20 compared with conventional techniques. The microinterventional approach showed a trend toward more eyes achieving less than ±0.25 D and ±0.50 D of prediction error from the predicted diopter range.

Conclusions:

Microinterventional nuclear disassembly might improve refractive outcomes by reducing refractive prediction error.
Cardiac manifestations in patients with classical or cardiac subtype of Fabry disease
Authors: Wang Wei-Ting , Sung Shih-Hsien , Liao Jo-Nan , Hsu Ting-Rong , Niu Dau-Ming , Yu Wen-Chung
Published: July 2020

Background:

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder engendered by a deficiency of the enzyme α-galactosidase A, leading to systemic accumulation of glycolipids. Studies have reported that the cardiac subtype of FD has a later onset and minimal extracardiac involvement. However, whether the severity of cardiac involvement differs between the classic and cardiac subtypes of FD remains unclear.

Methods:

We enrolled consecutive patients with classic FD (n = 22; median age [25th–75th percentile], 47.0 [32.75–56.25] years; men, 72.7%) as well as age- and sex-matched patients with a later-onset cardiac subtype of FD who were selected from our cohort of patients with IVS4 919G>A mutation. FD was diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms/signs and pedigree screening of index case, plasma α-galactosidase activity, and molecular analysis. Data on clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and echocardiogram findings were collected before enzyme replacement treatment. Disease severity was evaluated using the Mainz Severity Score Index score.

Results:

All female patients demonstrated heterozygous mutations, with five, one, and four of them showing normal α-galactosidase activity, classic FD, and cardiac subtype of FD, respectively. The distributions of left ventricular performance indices and comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia, were similar between the two groups. Moreover, MSSI cardiovascular scores did not differ significantly between the groups (classic vs cardiac subtype, 10.0 [2.0–12.5] vs 10.5 [9.0–15.25]; p = 0.277).

Conclusion:

Cardiac manifestations are similar between patients with classic and cardiac subtype of FD.
Effects of Patient Activation Intervention on Chronic Diseases: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: LIN Mei-Yu , WENG Wei-Shih , APRILIYASARI Renny Wulan , VAN TRUONG Pham , TSAI Pei-Shan
Published: July 2020

Background

Patient activation has been described as a potential strategy to improve chronic disease self-management. However, the effects of patient activation interventions on psychological and behavioral outcomes have not been systematically evaluated.

Purpose

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of patient activation interventions on physiological, psychological, behavioral, and health-related quality of life outcomes in patients with chronic diseases.

Methods

We systematically searched four databases (PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Embase) from inception to September 1, 2017. We identified English- and Chinese-language published reports of randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of patient activation interventions for adults with chronic diseases. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were performed by two reviewers independently. We summarized the intervention effects with Hedges's g values and 95% confidence intervals using a random-effects model. We used the Cochrane Handbook to assess the methodological quality of the randomized controlled trials.

Results

Twenty-six randomized controlled trials were included in the qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis. In terms of overall study quality, most of the included studies were affected by performance and detection bias. Patient activation interventions produced significant effects on outcomes related to physiological, psychological, behavioral, and health-related quality of life in the context of chronic diseases. The following effect sizes were obtained: (a) physiological, namely, glycated hemoglobin = −0.31 (p < .01), systolic blood pressure = −0.20 (p < .01), diastolic blood pressure = −0.80 (p = .02), body weight = −0.12 (p = .03), and low-density lipoprotein = −0.21 (p = .01); (b) psychological, namely, depression = −0.16 (p < .01) and anxiety = −0.25 (p = .01); (c) behavioral, namely, patient activation = 0.33 (p < .01) and self-efficacy = 0.57 (p < .01); and (d) health-related quality of life = 0.25 (p = .01).

Conclusions

Patient activation interventions significantly improve patients' physiological, psychosocial, and behavioral health statuses. Healthcare providers should implement patient activation interventions that tailor support to the individual patients' level of patient activation and strengthen the patients' role in managing their healthcare to improve chronic-disease-related health outcomes.
Web-based Conferencing: Tips, Tricks, and Scenario-based Best Practices for Clinicians During a Pandemic Crisis
Authors: Catanzano Tara M. , Nandwana Sadhna B. , Folio Les R.
Published: July 2020

This article will familiarize the reader with useful tools and trouble-shooting tips for web-based conferencing. Radiology-based scenarios for web conferencing are also provided.
Sinus Pericranii in Posterior Cranial Vault Distraction
Authors: Tyrell Richard , Limoges Natalie , Kestle John , Gociman Barbu , Siddiqi Faizi
Published: July 2020

Anomalous venous connections between the extracranial and intracranial systems are relatively rare. These connections are also known as sinus pericranii (SP) have been reported previously in the setting of various cranial malformations including craniosynostosis. Angiography may be useful in the diagnosis of SP also allowing for differentiation of the dominance of the venous systems. Several methods have been described in the treatment of SP. In isolated cases both endovascular and open approaches have been successful in the treatment of SP. In cases wherein there is synostosis present, both single- and multiple-staged operations have been described. In this article, we describe 2 cases of posterior cranial distraction in the setting of sinus peri cranii.
Diagnosing Pathologic Complete Response in the Breast After Neoadjuvant Systemic Treatment of Breast Cancer Patients by Minimal Invasive Biopsy
Authors: Heil Joerg , Pfob André , Sinn Hans-Peter , Rauch Geraldine , Bach Paul , Thomas Bettina , Schaefgen Benedikt , Kuemmel Sherko , Reimer Toralf , Hahn Markus , Thill Marc , Blohmer Jens-Uwe , Hackmann John , Malter Wolfram , Bekes Inga , Friedrichs Kay , Wojcinski Sebastian , Joos Sylvie , Paepke Stefan , Ditsch Nina , Rody Achim , Große Regina , van Mackelenbergh Marion , Reinisch Mattea , Karsten Maria , Golatta Michael ,   for the RESPONDER Investigators
Published: July 2020

Objective:

We evaluated the ability of minimally invasive, image-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) to reliably diagnose a pathologic complete response in the breast (pCR-B).

Summary Background Data:

Neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) elicits a pathologic complete response in up to 80% of women with breast cancer. In such cases, breast surgery, the gold standard for confirming pCR-B, may be considered overtreatment.

Methods:

This multicenter, prospective trial enrolled 452 women presenting with initial stage 1-3 breast cancer of all biological subtypes. Fifty-four women dropped out; 398 were included in the full analysis. All participants had an imaging-confirmed partial or complete response to NST and underwent study-specific image-guided VAB before guideline-adherent breast surgery. The primary endpoint was the false-negative rate (FNR) of VAB-confirmed pCR-B.

Results:

Image-guided VAB alone did not detect surgically confirmed residual tumor in 37 of 208 women [FNR, 17.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 12.8–23.7%]. Of these 37 women, 12 (32.4%) had residual DCIS only, 20 (54.1%) had minimal residual tumor (<5 mm), and 19 of 25 (76.0%) exhibited invasive cancer cellularity of ≤10%. In 19 of the 37 cases (51.4%), the false-negative result was potentially avoidable. Exploratory analysis showed that performing VAB with the largest needle by volume (7-gauge) resulted in no false-negative results and that combining imaging and image-guided VAB into a single diagnostic test lowered the FNR to 6.2% (95% CI, 3.4%–10.5%).

Conclusions:

Image-guided VAB missed residual disease more often than expected. Refinements in procedure and patient selection seem possible and necessary before omitting breast surgery.
Dynamic coupling between the COVID epidemic timeline and the behavioral response to PAUSE in New York State counties
Authors: Rǎdulescu Anca , Ballard Shelah , Linton Johnathan , Gonzalez Kaitlyn
Published: July 2020

By many expert opinions, the COVID 19 epidemic is still much in its developing stages. While awaiting for effective clinical answers for the outbreak, the best approach remains that of social distancing. This raises a few crucial questions related to the extent to which social distancing measures were (1) well timed, (2) necessary and (3) efficient. By investigating correlations between epidemic measures such as daily infection rate, and social mobility measures (as reported by Apple and Google), our study aims to establish whether data identifies social distancing measures as a primary player in controlling the outbreak in New York State.
Cigarette Smoke Activates NOTCH3 to Promote Goblet Cell Differentiation in Human Airway Epithelial Cells
Authors: Bodas Manish , Moore Andrew R. , Subramaniyan Bharathiraja , Georgescu Constantin , Wren Jonathan D. , Freeman Willard M. , Brown Brent R. , Metcalf Jordan P. , Walters Matthew S.
Published: July 2020

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States and is primarily caused by cigarette smoking. Increased numbers of mucus-producing secretory (“goblet”) cells defined as goblet cell metaplasia or hyperplasia (GCMH), contributes significantly to COPD pathophysiology. The objective of this study was to determine whether NOTCH signaling regulates goblet cell differentiation in response to cigarette smoke. Primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) from nonsmokers and COPD smokers were differentiatedin vitroon air-liquid interface and exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) for 7 days. NOTCH signaling activity was modulated using (1) the NOTCH/γ-secretase inhibitor Dibenzazepine (DBZ), (2) lentiviral over-expression of the NOTCH3-intracellular domain (NICD3) or (3) NOTCH3-specific siRNA. Cell differentiation and response to CSE were evaluated by qPCR, Western blotting, immunostaining and RNA-Seq. We found that CSE exposure of nonsmoker airway epithelium induced goblet cell differentiation characteristic of GCMH. Treatment with DBZ suppressed CSE-dependent induction of goblet cell differentiation. Furthermore, CSE induced NOTCH3 activation, as revealed by increased NOTCH3 nuclear localization and elevated NICD3 protein levels. Over-expression of NICD3 increased the expression of goblet cell associated genes SPDEF and MUC5AC, whereas NOTCH3 knockdown suppressed CSE-mediated induction of SPDEF and MUC5AC. Finally, CSE exposure of COPD airway epithelium induced goblet cell differentiation in a NOTCH3-dependent manner. These results identify NOTCH3 activation as one of the important mechanisms by which cigarette smoke induces goblet cell differentiation, thus providing a novel potential strategy to control GCMH-related pathologies in smokers and patients with COPD.
A transient contact position prediction method for worn tooth profile under dry running conditions
Authors: Zhang Shengnan , Sun Z.l. , Yu Zhenliang , Guo Fanyi
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish a transient contact position prediction method of gears at the meshing point based on the equivalent contact model.

Design/methodology/approach

In this method, the contacting surface proﬁles are constantly updated by changing the pressure angle and the chord tooth thickness, which has a direct connection with the equivalent base circle radius. According to the equivalent base circle radius, the equivalent pressure angle at the pitch circle and equivalent pitch point can be calculated. The equivalent contacting surface proﬁle is determined by the equivalent pressure angle at the pitch circle; for each meshing point, there is one equivalent pressure angle at the pitch circle. Therefore, each meshing point can be regarded as a point on the equivalent contacting surface proﬁle.

Findings

The model is applicable to find out the contact position after a series of meshing cycles through the law of pressure angle change and intentionally kept as simple as possible with the aim to be used in further study of gear flanks at the point of the actual contact.

Practical implications

The results of the experiment are applied to the equivalent contact model to describe the transient contact position and assess the model accuracy.

Originality/value

The determination of the contact position of the worn tooth profile provides the action points of the force for the study of the contact fatigue.
Social cohesion vs COVID-19
Authors: Dayrit Manuel M. , Mendoza Ronald Umali
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The control of particularly virulent communicable diseases such as COVID-19 can be considered a global public good. Unabated contagion, both within and across borders, can result in a global public bad. More effective control – such as by flattening the epidemiological curve – could prevent severe social and economic disruption by allowing domestic health and social protection systems to more adequately respond to the health crisis. This article elaborates on some of the main elements of counter COVID-19 responses, drawing on emerging international good practices. While a full evaluation of policy effectiveness is still forthcoming, it is critical to review and synthesize the emerging lessons and evidence even this early.

Design/methodology/approach

This article reviews the international good practices in counter COVID-19 responses across countries.

Findings

Concerted efforts across borders, such as by sharing data and collaborating in research and by coordinating international support for countercyclical economic and health responses at the national level, are some of the options for countering COVID-19 at the international level. Within countries, more inclusive social protection and health systems, combined with countercyclical economic policies, and concerted behavioral changes tend to produce more effective collective action against the spread of the disease.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on a review of emerging responses to the health crisis.

Practical implications

The policies and practices reviewed in this paper could feed into better-informed crisis responses to COVID-19 and other types of health shocks.

Originality/value

This study is among the first general reviews of policy responses to the COVID-19 health crisis.
The implications of the Brexit from EU and bitcoin
Authors: Al-Tawil Tareq Na'el , Younies Hassan
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to tackle the most pressing issues confronting global anti-money laundering (AML) efforts, particularly, the implications of the Brexit from EU and the increasing association of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies with crimes.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper will evaluate the implications of Brexit to AML efforts and the threat that cryptocurrencies like bitcoin pose to the financial system.

Findings

Instead of banning trade and other transactions using BTC and other cryptocurrencies, financial experts, with the able assistance of IT and mining experts, from all over the world need to convene and tailor an effective regulatory framework. Solid cooperation among the international community, supported by unitary standards and procedures, will help boost the worlds AML/combatting the financing of terrorism (CFT) efforts. As an added bonus, effective regulation, monitoring and control can facilitate more efficient tax collection.

Originality/value

Recommendations were advanced about the future of AML/CFT efforts and the need for internationally holistic approaches in combatting these twin scourges on all economies.
Chronicles of one woman’s journey towards well-being: identity part 2
Authors: Mullen Jo
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share the experiences and reflections of one woman’s journey towards well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative approach has been taken to structure reflections based on lived experience.

Findings

Reflections are offered based on a personal journey towards well-being.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the accounts of the lived experience of the journey towards well-being, and as such, contributes to the understanding of the process of rebuilding a life.
Seizure‐like events leading to hospital referrals in infants: A retrospective population‐based study
Authors: Heggstad Norvald , Hafström Maria
Published: July 2020

Aim

To identify the aetiology and outcome of seizure‐like events leading to hospital referrals in infants and to identify early predictors of epilepsy and delayed neurodevelopment.

Methods

This Norwegian population‐based study focused on all children born in Sør‐Trøndelag county, who were up to one year of age in 2014‐2015. They were identified by diagnostic codes for seizure‐like events and electroencephalography (EEG) examinations. Hospital records were examined up to 1.5 years of age.

Results

The one‐year prevalence of seizure‐like events was 1.5% (114/7430). Epilepsy was diagnosed in 17%, 57% had non‐epileptic paroxysmal events (NEPE), 16% had febrile seizures, and 10% had other acute symptomatic epileptic seizures. Neurodevelopmental delay occurred in 21%. The cumulative incidence was 0.22% for epilepsy and 0.79% for NEPE. Abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging, abnormal first EEGs and neonatal care increased the likelihood of epilepsy and delayed development. Identifying situation‐related factors decreased the epilepsy risk. Occurrence at a younger age increased the risk of delayed development. Absence of unambiguous motor symptoms was less common in epilepsy than in NEPE.

Conclusion

Seizure‐like events were common in infants and most were not caused by epilepsy. Specific anamnestic clues, and detailed descriptions of the entire event, helped to predict adverse outcomes.
Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism in Egyptian vitiligo patients
Authors: Saudi Wael M. , Swelam Mervat M. , El‐Barbary Rasha A. H. , Zakaria Lola , Gaber Dalia A.
Published: July 2020

Background

Vitiligo is an autoimmune dermatological disorder, precipitated by genetic and nongenetic factors leading to destruction of epidermal melanocytes. In Egypt, it has a prevalence rate of 1.2%. Vitamin D has stimulatory and protective effects on melanocytes and acts through its nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) on target cells. The consequences of polymorphisms in VDR have been previously studied for mapping their link with various disorders of autoimmune etiology.

Aim of this work

To study Apa‐I and Taq‐I VDR single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk to develop vitiligo.

Methods

Extracted genomic DNA from the venous blood of 60 patients and controls was amplified and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) for analysis of VDR gene polymorphisms. Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 (25‐OH‐D3) level was measured using ELISA technique.

Results

The most common VDR genotypes were AA and TT among both groups with no significant difference. Analysis of the frequency of combinations of genotypes revealed AATT as the most common among patients (36.7%) while in the control group, AATt is the most common (33.3%) but no significant difference was noted on comparison of both groups. The genotype allele tt appeared to be more expressed in patients with marginal significance value (P 0.053). Serum 25‐OH‐D3 showed a relatively decreased level among patients and controls with no statistically significant difference.

Conclusion

Although VDR SNPs are not correlated with vitiligo, the elevated frequency of tt genotype among vitiligo patients may suggest the risk to develop the disease.
Spray Flame Characteristics of Bio-Derived Fuels in a Simulated Gas Turbine Burner
Authors: Panchasara Heena , Kolhe Pankaj S. , Agrawal Ajay K.
Published: July 2020

Fuel injection plays an important role in liquid-fueled gas turbine combustion. The strong interdependence of liquid breakup and atomization, turbulent dispersion of these droplets, droplet evaporation, and fuel–air mixing make the spray modeling an extremely challenging task. The physical processes are even more difficult to predict for alternative fuels with different thermophysical properties. In this study, spray flames of unheated and preheated vegetable oil (VO) produced by an air-blast (AB) atomizer in a swirl stabilized combustor are investigated experimentally. Phase Doppler particle analyzer (PDPA) is used to measure the instantaneous diameter and axial velocity of droplets at different axial and radial locations in both flames. Experiments are conducted at an equivalence ratio of 0.79 and atomizing air to liquid ratio by a mass of 2.5 to obtain stable VO flames. Radial profiles of mean axial velocity and Sauter mean diameter (SMD) are presented to show the effect of fuel preheating. Joint probability density functions (joint PDF) are presented to show the correlation between droplet diameter and axial velocity. Results are analyzed to show that both sprays exhibit self-similar droplet diameter distributions at different axial and radial locations when normalized properly. Thus, the vast amount of PDPA data in the spray can be reduced to simple distribution functions. A method to reconstruct the joint PDF from experimentally determined distribution functions is presented. We envision that the joint PDF approach outlined in this study could be implemented in high-fidelity computational fluid dynamic models to improve spray predictions in future studies.
Estimating Exceedance Probabilities of Railway Bridge Vibrations in the Presence of Random Rail Irregularities
Authors: Salcher Patrick , Adam Christoph
Published: July 2020

This contribution addresses the estimation of exceedance probabilities of the dynamic random response of railway bridges subjected to high-speed trains in the presence of random rail irregularities. The random nature of the irregular rail track is described by a spatial ergodic stochastic process, and consequently the dynamic bridge response becomes a stochastic process in time with generally unknown distributions. Using numerical simulation methods, the response thresholds for bridge deflection and acceleration are estimated to obtain small exceedance probabilities. Combining these limits with the response at perfect rail geometry provides an estimate of the dynamic response amplification due to random rail irregularities. This is in line with the semi-probabilistic safety concept of modern civil engineering, where critical response thresholds for structures are associated with small exceedance probabilities. It is shown that modeling the maximum bridge deflection as a normally distributed random variable with parameters fitted to the results of a Monte Carlo simulation with small sample size is a computationally efficient approach for estimating the amplified deflection. In contrast, the random maximum bridge acceleration is better captured by a lognormal distribution. As an efficient alternative, the subset simulation method provides accurate predictions for very small exceedance probabilities. If the amplitudes of the rail irregularities at discrete spatial coordinates along the rail axis are considered as random variables, the stability of subset simulation increases.
Can a Transport Model Predict Inverse Signatures in Lithium Metal Batteries Without Modifying Kinetics?
Authors: Uppaluri Maitri , Subramaniam Akshay , Mishra Lubhani , Viswanathan Vilayanur , Subramanian Venkat R.
Published: July 2020

In this study, a one-dimensional transport model is developed and analyzed, which predicts the inverse signatures obtained in lithium metal batteries. This simple approach’s ability to predict inverse signatures stems from the competing interplay between moving boundary rates and mass transfer limitations to yield inverse signatures without modifying the kinetics that describes the deposition and dissolution of lithium on the electrode surface. The numerical scheme used for the present model simulations is presented in detail which has been further used to study the effect of design parameters on the prevalence and strength of inverse signatures. It was found that the proposed model and the analysis is more pertinent to symmetric cells, commonly used for in-depth fundamental studies.
Profiling Anthocyanins in Thai Purple Yams (Dioscorea alata L.)
Authors: Srivichai Subin , Hongsprabhas Parichat
Published: July 2020

Two accessions of Thai purple yam (Dioscorea alata) were investigated for their chemical constituents during tuber development when the vines were 3 to 8 months old. Yam tubers contained total phenolic compounds ranging between 100 and 385 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE), flavonoids 60–160 mg catechin equivalent (CE), monomeric anthocyanin of 10–90 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent (CGE), 70 g starch, and 25–30 g amylose in 100 g yam tuber on a dried weight basis, depending on the accession and age of yam vine. LCMS-IT-TOF mass spectrometry revealed that anthocyanins in both accessions from 8-month-old vines had cyanidin or peonidin nucleus. Their glycosides were nonacylated, monoacylated, or diacylated with sinapic or ferulic acid. The major yam anthocyanins found in both accessions were alatanin C (cyanidin 3-(6-sinapoyl gentiobioside). This study revealed the insights on chemical components during tuber development and characteristics of alatanins for future selection and cultivation of purple yam tubers.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Interfacility Transport: An International Report Using the Ground Air Medical Quality in Transport (GAMUT) Database
Authors: Bhalala Utpal S. , Srivastava Neeraj , Gothard M. David , Bigham Michael T.
Published: July 2020

Background. With the regionalization of specialty care, there is an increasing need for interfacility transport from local to regional hospitals. There are very limited data on rates of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during medical transport and relationship between transport-specific factors, such as transport program type and need of CPR during transport of critically ill patients. We present the first, multicenter, international report of CPR during medical transport using the large Ground and Air Medical qUality Transport (GAMUT) database. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the GAMUT database from January 2014 to March 2017 for CPR during transport. We determined the overall CPR rate and CPR rates for adult, pediatric, and neonatal transport programs. The rate of CPR per total transports was expressed as percentage, and then, Spearman’s rho nonparametric associations were determined between CPR and other quality metrics tracked in the GAMUT database. Examples include advanced airway presence, waveform capnography usage, average mobilization time from the start of referral until en route, 1st attempt intubation success rate, and DASH1A intubation success (definitive airway sans hypoxia/hypotension on 1st attempt). Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, and in the presence of overall significance, post hoc Bonferroni adjusted z tests were performed. Results. There were 72 programs that had at least one CPR event during the study period. The overall CPR rate was 0.42% (777 CPR episodes/184,272 patient contacts) from 115 programs reporting transport volume and CPR events from the GAMUT database during the study period. Adult, pediatric, and neonatal transport programs (n = 57, 40 and 16, respectively) had significantly different CPR rates (P<0.001) i.e., 0.68% (555/82,094), 0.18% (138/76,430), and 0.33% (73/21,823), respectively. Presence of an advanced airway and mobilization time was significantly associated with CPR episodes (P<0.001) (Rs = +0.41 and Rs  = −0.60, respectively). Other transport quality metrics such as waveform capnography, first attempt intubation, and DASH1A success rate were not significantly associated with CPR episodes. Conclusion. The overall CPR rate during medical transport is 0.42%. Adult, pediatric, and neonatal program types have significantly different overall rates of CPR. Presence of advanced airway and mobilization time had an association with the rate of CPR during transport.
Wheelchair and robotic arm controls using gyro sensor
Authors: Sholahuddin Asep , Novita Dessy , Setiana Deni
Published: July 2020

Someone who could only move his/her head and could not move his/her limbs needs a wheelchair and robotic arms which could be controlled by the head. Gyro sensor is a sensor that could be controlled according to the tilt in the x,y coordinates which then implemented to measure the tilt of the user’s head. This paper would explain the head detector application to control wheelchairs and robotic arms. They could be controlled using Arduino microcontroller which uses C programming language. Gyro sensor that is put on the head could control wheelchair to move left, right, forward and backward according to the tilt of the head. It is the same with controlling robotic arms. It could rotate left, right, and move up and down. The x and y coordinates are used to determine the tilt of the head for controlling the wheelchair as well as robotic arms’ movements. It is discovered that wheelchairs and robotic arms could be controlled by the head by the use of gyro sensor.
ДЕЯКІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЯКОСТІ ЖИТТЯ ПРИ ПЕРВИННОМУ ЕПІЗОДІ БІПОЛЯРНОГО АФЕКТИВНОГО РОЗЛАДУ
Authors: Mysula Yu. I.
Published: July 2020

Мета: вивчити особливості якості життя у хворих із первинним епізодом біполярного афективного розладу (БАР) з урахуванням статі та клінічного варіанта дебюту захворювання.

Матеріали і методи. Обстежено 153 хворих (65 чоловіків та 88 жінок) із первинним епізодом біполярного афективного розладу протягом 2011–2016 рр. з використанням шкали якості життя Mezzich в адаптації Н. О. Марути.

Результати. Встановлено низькі показники якості життя при депресивному варіанті первинного епізоду БАР за всіма сферами: суб᾽єктивного благополуччя/задоволеності – (7,04±2,52) бала у всіх хворих, (7,86±2,80) бала у чоловіків і (6,56±2,21) бала у жінок (р<0,05), виконання соціальних ролей – (13,68±4,89) бала, (15,18±4,29) бала і (12,80±5,03) бала (р<0,05), зовнішніх життєвих умов – (16,11±5,73) бала, (17,34±5,47) бала і (15,39±5,78) бала (р>0,05), а також сумарного показника якості життя – (36,83±12,52) бала, (40,39±12,03) бала і (34,75±12,41) бала (р<0,05). У хворих із маніакальним варіантом показники за всіма сферами є високими: відповідно (26,91±3,64) бала, (28,07±2,96) бала і (24,75±3,99) бала (р<0,05); (36,78±3,91) бала, (38,20±3,10) бала і (34,13±4,05) бала (р<0,05); (26,70±3,10) бала, (27,80±2,91) бала і (24,63±2,39) бала (р<0,05) та (90,39±10,35) бала, (94,07±8,79) бала і (83,50±9,96) бала (р<0,05), а при змішаному варіанті – помірними: відповідно (6,91±4,30) бала, (8,50±4,76) бала і (5,00±3,08) бала (р>0,05); (13,09±6,55) бала, (15,67±7,37) бала і (10,00±4,18) бала (р>0,05); (13,91±4,46) бала, (16,00±3,85) бала і (11,40±4,10) бала (р>0,05) та (33,91±14,96) бала, (40,17±15,78) бала і (26,40±10,92) бала (р>0,05).

Висновки. При депресивному варіанті первинного епізоду БАР виявлено низьку, а при маніакальному – високу самооцінку якості життя за всіма сферами, що зумовлено впливом актуального стану афективної сфери. При змішаному варіанті первинного епізоду виявлено помірні показники якості життя, що пов’язано з поліморфністю клінічних проявів та нестійкістю психоемоційного стану. У жінок показники якості життя за основними сферами нижчі, ніж у чоловіків, що пов’язано з більшою вираженістю депресивних проявів.
Gender Equality at the Test of Sharia Councils in the UK
Authors: Perreau Louisa
Published: July 2020

As the saying goes ‘good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere!’, whose origin is uncertain, sometimes attributed to American actress and screenwriter Mae West, sometimes to editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurvey Brown, it was taken up as a slogan by feminists who denounce the sexual norm imposed on women by religions. At a time when the influence of religious fundamentalism on State policies seems to be gaining ground (retreat on abortion laws in the United States, in Poland; Sharia courts in Great Britain, etc.), the object of this research note will be to question the articulations between British Muslim women, State multiculturalism and legislation.

In Britain, since the 1980s, a network of sharia councils has developed to resolve disputes between Muslims, including resolving family problems. Sharia councils thus reveal the place of Muslim women in the United Kingdom on the issue of divorce. Extremely patriarchal, rarely feminist, often undemocratic, the sharia councils appear as places of power. The latter are often compared to Islamic courts, so-called ‘counseling’ religious services or ‘Islamic family services’ to which Muslims wishing to respect divine law and their religious precepts go – especially women. What does this mean for British Muslim women who use these services? How is the British government responding?
An Eighth Century Chinese Table of Tangents
Authors: Cullen Christopher
Published: July 2020

It has been generally held that the first appearance of the tangent function was in the form of the shadow tables used by Moslem astronomers of the ninth century A.D. Suggestions of the use of trigonometrical techniques in eighth-century China have now been verified by the discovery of a table of functions equivalent to a tangent table making use of third-order finite differences. This table, composed by the Buddhist monk I-hsing ドド行 about A.D. 725, was apparently an independent development based on Indian information about the use of sines. It played an important role in I-hsing’s work on mathematical astronomy, and may be connected with certain accusations of plagiarism made shortly after his death.
Complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with type 2 diabetes living in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Radwan Hadia , Hasan Hayder , Hamadeh Rena , Hashim Mona , AbdulWahid Zeenat , Hassanzadeh Gerashi Mahboobeh , Al Hilali Marwa , Naja Farah
Published: July 2020

Background

The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients is increasing to manage the complexities of their condition, enhance their health, and ease complications. The burden of T2DM in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coupled with the high prevalence of CAM use and its associated risks among patients with T2DM necessitated the investigation of the use of CAM by this patients’ population. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence, types, and correlates of CAM use among T2DM patients in the UAE.

Methods

Patients with T2DM attending the outpatient clinics in the two governmental hospitals in Dubai and Sharjah, UAE were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants to complete a multi-component questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of three main sections: demographic data, diabetes-related information, and CAM use details. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression to assess the prevalence and correlates of CAM use.

Results

Two hundred forty-four T2DM patients completed the questionnaire (response rate: 80%). A total of 39.3% of participants were CAM users since diagnosis. After adjustment; the logistic regression results showed that CAM use was significantly associated with age, sex, education, employment, and having health insurance. The most commonly used type of CAM by participants were folk foods and herbs followed by spiritual and natural healing and vitamins and minerals supplements. The majority of CAM users were referred or encouraged to use CAM by family (42.7%), friends (25%) or social media (17.7%). Only 13.5% of participants used CAM because it was suggested by health care practitioners. Only 1 in four of CAM users disclosed CAM use to their treating physician.

Conclusion

CAM use among T2DM patients in the UAE is considerably high. Health policy and decision-makers are encouraged to dedicate particular attention to facilitating proper regulation and integration of CAM within conventional medicine to protect the health and wellbeing of patients. A concerted effort by medical schools and public health authorities should be committed to educating health care providers and patients on the safe and effective use of CAM therapies.
Seismic image registration using multiscale convolutional neural networks
Authors: Dhara Arnab , Bagaini Claudio
Published: July 2020

Aligning seismic images is important in many areas of seismic processing such as time-lapse studies, tomography, and registration of compressional and shear-wave images. This problem is especially difficult when the misalignment is large and varies rapidly and when the images are not shifted versions of each other because they are either contaminated by noise or have different phase or frequency content. In addition, the images may be related by multidimensional vector-valued shift functions. We have developed a fast, scalable, and end-to-end trainable convolutional neural network (CNN) for seismic image registration. The concept of optical flow is widely applied to the problem of image registration using variational methods. Recent developments in the field of computer vision have shown that optical flow estimation can be formulated as a supervised machine learning task and can be successfully solved using CNNs. We train our CNN, SeisFlowNet, on images warped with known shifts and corrupted with noise, frequency, and phase perturbations. We evaluate the promising performance of the trained SeisFlowNet with synthetic data sets where the shift function is known and the images are contaminated with noise and other perturbations. The accuracy of the results obtained with SeisFlowNet is favorably compared with two other popular methods for seismic registration: windowed crosscorrelation and dynamic image warping. Further, we highlight the principles adopted to create training data sets and the advantages and disadvantages of the method.
3D seismic imaging of the submarine slide blocks on the North Slope, Alaska
Authors: Bhattacharya Shuvajit , Verma Sumit , Rotzien Jonathan R.
Published: July 2020

Submarine landslides are mass movements that transport sediment across the continental shelf to the deep ocean. This phenomenon happens when the shear stress exceeds the frictional resistance of the slope. We analyze a variety of seismic attributes to interpret large submarine slide blocks on the North Slope, Alaska. Results show that the slide blocks appear as mounds with scarps associated with them on the seismic section. The slide blocks vary in size, depending on their distance away from the shelf. The pattern of the slide blocks affects the overlying sedimentation.

Geological feature: Submarine slide blocks Seismic appearance: Mound-like steep ramp and scarp characteristics on seismic sections; blocky and irregular features with sharp boundaries on the horizon slices and seismic attributes Features with similar appearance: Mass-transport deposits; Remnant blocks; Reef deposits; Submarine channels; Gullies Formation: Torok Formation Age: Cretaceous Location: North Slope, Alaska Seismic data: Obtained from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas, through the tax-credit program ( State of Alaska, 2017 , http://dggs.alaska.gov/gmc/seismic-well-data.php ) Analysis tools: Seismic attributes (such as coherent energy, Sobel-filter similarity, dip magnitude, and dip azimuth) and geobody extraction
Quarentena da COVID-19 no Brasil: necessidade ou política do excesso contra o desconhecido? Uma crítica ao plano brasileiro de contingência, frente às orientações do relatório do Imperial College Team
Authors: Mamede Walner
Published: July 2020

O ensaio apresenta uma reflexão acerca de variáveis, aparentemente, não valoradas, na luta contra o coronavírus, sem pretender uma resposta definitiva diante da ausência de dados científicos. A discussão foi realizada a partir de informações fornecidas na Internet por especialistas, às quais adicionaram-se os poucos dados científicos existentes sobre a crise atual, discutindo a relação entre o plano nacional brasileiro contra o COVID 19, as informações da OMS e o Relatório do Imperial College. Assim, inferiu-se a necessidade de melhorar informações sobre o contexto brasileiro para melhorar também a política de combate ao COVID-19 em território nacional, sem negligenciar nosso compromisso como nação-membro da comunidade internacional, mas indicando a importância de se contextualizar a política de acordo com as nossas próprias necessidades, em nome da eficiência e da economicidade.
Celebrating Florence Nightingale and her contribution to nursing
Authors: Glasper Alan
Published: July 2020

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses the contribution of Florence Nightingale both nationally and internationally to the development of nursing as a profession