bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Single‐Foot Centered and Double‐Foot Centered X‐ray Projection on Hallux Valgus Measurement
Authors: Li Hai‐tao , Bao Bei‐xi , Zhang Jian‐zhong
Published: December 2019

Objective

To investigate whether use of single‐foot centered and double‐foot centered weight‐bearing X‐rays has an impact on the relevant indicators of hallux valgus.

Methods

A total of 55 female patients from the Department of Ankle Surgery of Beijing Tongren Hospital with hallux valgus (110 feet) were collected from September to December 2015. The age of these patients ranged from 18 to 43 years, with an average age of 47.9 ± 8.5 years. All selected patients fit the diagnostic criteria of hallux valgus and had weight‐bearing single foot centered and double foot centered radiographs taken. During the projection, all patients were instructed to stand on the X‐ray box, with the knee joint straightened and legs perpendicular to the floor. The projection center of the single foot was directed at the lateral part of the scaphoid bone of the foot, while the projection center was directed at the position between the scaphoid bones of both feet for the double‐foot shooting. The hallux valgus angle (HAV), the intermetatarsal angle between the first and second metatarsals (IMA), the intermetatarsal angle between the first and fifth metatarsals (IM1‐5), and the metatarsal adduction angle (MAA) were measured and examined. The difference between these two shooting conditions was compared and analyzed.

Results

The differences in X‐ray measurement results (IMA, HAV, IM1‐5, and MMA) between different measures for the same patient were not statistically significant. The values of HAV, IMA, IM1‐5, and MAA are common indexes for evaluating hallux valgus. The average IMA was 15.9° for single‐foot centered and 14.1° for double‐foot centered X‐rays. The average HAV was 30.2° for single‐foot centered and 29.7° for double‐foot centered X‐rays. The average IM1‐5 was 31.1° for single‐foot centered and 29.7° for double‐foot centered X‐rays. The average of metatarsal adduction angle was 13.8° for single‐foot centered and 14.1° for double‐foot centered X‐rays. The differences between single‐foot centered and double‐foot centered X‐rays were statistically significant in terms of the measurement index (P < 0.05). In addition, compared with double‐foot centered weight‐bearing X‐rays, the focus of single‐foot centered X‐rays was located on the lateral part of the scaphoid bone of the foot, and the ray was closer to the vertical foot in the single‐foot centered weight‐bearing X‐ray.

Conclusion

When the weight‐bearing position and projection distance are the same, the single‐foot centered weight‐bearing X‐ray is more effective in evaluating the severity of hallux valgus compared with the double‐foot centered weight‐bearing X‐ray.
Impact of Reference Prices on Product Positioning and Profits
Authors: Mehra Amit , Sajeesh Sajeesh , Voleti Sudhir
Published: December 2019

The existence of reference price effects in consumer decision making is well documented in prior research, but few studies focus on its implications for firms’ strategic behavior. Using a competitive model, we address this gap by examining how firms’ product positioning and pricing strategies in a non‐durable goods market (where consumers repeatedly purchase products from the category) are affected compared with a benchmark situation in which reference price effects are not pertinent. In a model with internal reference price effects, we find that as the salience of reference price effect increases, (a) product differentiation first decreases and then increases; and (b) firm profits first decrease and then increase. Using data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) dataset, we empirically validate our findings. We contribute to the product positioning literature by uncovering the role of internal reference price effects on product positioning and profits.
Dealing with Disruption: Congressional Republicans' Responses to Donald Trump's Behavior and Agenda
Authors: Jacobson Gary C. , Liu Huchen
Published: December 2019

Donald Trump's rhetoric, character, actions, and policy agenda have regularly posed strategic dilemmas for congressional Republicans. While Trump and much of his agenda are broadly unpopular, he has continued to enjoy strong support from the Republican voters who form their core electoral support. In this article, we analyze congressional Republicans’ responses to several of Trump’s most widely reported and controversial actions and comments as well as his legislative agenda. We find that congressional Republicans' personal and legislative positions on Trump reflected their electoral circumstances, their prior reactions to Trump during the campaign, and their ideological leanings. We also consider the positions adopted by congressional Democrats, who faced a more conventional problem of adapting to the president’s level of local support.
Asthma exacerbations during pregnancy: A need for precision medicine
Authors: Brightling Christopher E.
Published: December 2019

See related Article
A longitudinal examination of power in sibling and friend conflict
Authors: Abuhatoum Shireen , Della Porta Sandra , Howe Nina , DeHart Ganie
Published: December 2019

This study examined use of power resources and power effectiveness during the process and outcome of focal children's disputes with their sibling and friend across early and middle childhood. Participants included 35/46 families; focal children (15 males, 20 females) were observed at the age of four (T1) and 3 years later at the age of seven (T2) at home. Sibling and friend conflict sequences were coded for power resources (coercive physical, coercive verbal, simple information, elaborated information, legitimate), immediate power effectiveness (attempt, success), and conflict outcome. Relationship effects indicated focal children employed coercive physical and legitimate power more with siblings whereas they used simple information power more with friends during the conflict process. Focal children were more effective using legitimate power with siblings than friends in the conflict process whereas information power was used more when focal children won conflicts with friends. Regarding developmental effects, focal children employed more coercive physical power at T1 than T2 and elaborated information power at T2 than T1. In contrast, focal children were more effective using information power and coercion when winning conflicts with friends at T2 than T1. Results highlight variability in children's use of power based on relationship partner and development.
A Rubric Study for Assessing Paragraph Level Written Texts
Authors: Agan Şebnem İlhan , Deniz Sabahattin
Published: December 2019

In this study, an analytical rubric which has a five dimensional scoring key was developed. It was used to evaluate paragraph-level written texts which were written by the students attending process writing activities in B1 optional preparatory classes in Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University School of Foreign Languages. The development stages of rubric are as follows: establishing the dimensions of the rubric, establishing the performance levels, cells (the criteria of the rubric) and the performance level score ranges of the rubric, examining the usability of the rubric by forming sample texts, the trial of the rubric, the validity and the reliability of the rubric. In the development stages of the rubric; for the pilot study, 60 university students in the optional B1 English preparatory program at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman School of Foreign Languages and an English language lecturer were included. Also, the opinions of three English language lecturers’ and two experts’ who are in the field of education sciences and one instructor’s who is in the field of Turkish language and literature were taken, to estimate the inter-rater reliability two English language lecturers were included. When Kappa coefficients of the dimensions of the rubric were examined, it can be said that there was a moderate and strong agreement among the raters in terms of assessing all dimensions in the rubric.
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Smith Robert
Published: December 2019

Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JETS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 8, Number 1Achara Jivacate, RATCH Group Public Company Limited, ThailandDaniel Shorkend, University of the People Wizo School of Design, IsraelFathia Lahwal, Elmergib University, LibyaFatma Ozudogru, Usak University, TurkeyFroilan D. Mobo, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, PhilippineGianpiero Greco, University of Study of Bari, ItalyGuilherme Tucher, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), BrazilIntakhab Khan, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi ArabiaJane Liang, California Department of Education, USAJohn Cowan, Edinburgh Napier University, UKJon S. Turner, Missouri State University, USAJonathan Chitiyo, University of Pittsburgh Bradford, USALaura Bruno, The College of New Jersey, USALucy Lugo Mawang, Kenyatta University, KenyaMarlécio Maknamara, Federal University of Alagoas, BrazilMaurizio Sajeva, Pellervo Economic Research PTT, FinlandMehmet Galip Zorba, Akdeniz University, TurkeyMelike Özüdoğru, Manisa Celal Bayar University, TurkeyMu-hsuan Chou, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, TaiwanNiveen M. Zayed, MENA College of Management, JordanRichard H. Martin, Mercer University, USARichard Penny, University of Washington Bothell, USASamah El-Sakka, Suez University, EgyptSandro Sehic, Oneida BOCES, USASelloane Pitikoe, University of Eswatini, EswatiniSenem Seda Şahenk Erkan, Marmara University, TurkeyShu-wen Lin, Sojo University, JapanStamatis Papadakis, University of Crete, GreeceThada Jantakoon, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University, ThailandVeronica Rosa, University Rome, ItalyVjacheslav Ivanovich Babich, Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, UkraineYong Ki Yi, International Civil Aviation Organization, KoreaRobert SmithEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of Journal of Education and Training StudiesRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAURL: http://jets.redfame.com
Arquitectura virreinal en el Valle de Sondondo (Ayacucho, Perú)
Authors: Scaletti Cárdenasa Adriana N.
Published: December 2019

El valle del río Sondondo, en los Andes del sur del Perú, tiene una rica historia de ocupación cultural desde épocas preincaicas. Hoy alberga además una de las colecciones más inalteradas de iglesias del siglo XVI del país, características de la región y con particularidades que nos permiten pensar en configurar un panorama que ilumine un lugar y un período de la arquitectura virreinal peruana, hasta el momento prácticamente desconocido. Este trabajo, aún en curso, es parte de una investigación más amplia, que analiza los paisajes culturales del valle —que incluye andenes y otras manifestaciones de transformación territorial—, apuntando a la preservación de sus valores mediante una declaratoria patrimonial nacional.
La vulnerabilidad pírica del patrimonio cultural urbano, el incendio de Salamina
Authors: Ocampo Hurtadoa Juan Gabriel
Published: December 2019

El reto fundamental de la investigación que aquí se presenta, fue la construcción del término “Vulnerabilidad Pírica”, ya que, a pesar de la existencia del enorme bagaje en términos de normativa sobre incendios, la estimación de lavulnerabilidad frente a la pérdida del control del fuego aun es un escenario por descubrir. Esto se debe a que su estimación requiere el conocimiento del desempeño de lo afectado ante escenarios de desastre de este tipo. La metodologíaempleada se basa en la aplicación del método cartesiano en las fases, teórica y práctica de la investigación. Así, la construcción teórica encuentra aplicación, en este caso, en el patrimonio cultural urbano, donde las pérdidas pueden ser irreparables. El caso seleccionado, el incendio de Salamina-Caldas en 2017, demostró el alto nivel de vulnerabilidad en que se encuentra, y a partir del cual se concluye la importancia de proponer medidas especiales de protección para los Bienes de Interés Cultural de este tipo. Como futuras líneas de investigación se proponen los estudios sobre métodos de vulnerabilidad pírica, microzonificación pírica, resiliencia pírica y riesgo residual
Evaluación de la conducta térmica en el patrimonio construido del centro histórico de la ciudad de Riobamba
Authors: Paula Aguayo Geovanny Marcelo , Fuentes Seisdedos Liana , Maldonado León Ana Elizabet
Published: December 2019

La inclusión de sistemas de acondicionamiento ambiental natural y el diseño de energía pasiva se han convertido en una necesidad para la conservación del patrimonio construido del Centro Histórico de Riobamba. Por consiguiente, el propósito de esta investigación es describir y divulgar las causas de los procesos de transmisión de energía y los ajustes constructivos hechos por sus usuarios. La modernización ha implicado dentro del campo sociocultural la desaparición de una cultura ambientalista en la esfera formal-espacial, la pérdida del sentido de “sostenibilidad” y la identidad ambiental de la arquitectura colonial de cara al caos de la circulación, los parqueaderos, el ruido y la contaminación que la modernidad le trajo al centro histórico. La metodología usada es descriptiva, explicando un estudio de caso sobre la transmisión de energía y la arquitectura, mostrando los ajustes constructivos para el acondicionamiento ambiental de las casas por parte de los habitantes. Se usó un muestreo selectivo de las tipologías de vivienda y la ubicación mediante tres instrumentos de recolección de datos: observación directa, sondeo del confort y registro de parámetros ambientales. Todo ello reveló la distancia que hay entre las necesidades de los usuarios y los programas de arquitectura y también ratifica la relevancia del ser propietario para las acciones del acondicionamiento ambiental de las construcciones que son patrimonio.
Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Intravenous Sulbactam-Durlobactam with Imipenem-Cilastatin in Hospitalized Adults with Complicated Urinary Tract Infections, Including Acute Pyelonephritis
Authors: Sagan Olexiy , Yakubsevitch Ruslan , Yanev Krassimir , Fomkin Roman , Stone Emily , Hines Daniel , O’Donnell John , Miller Alita , Isaacs Robin , Srinivasan Subasree
Published: December 2019

Durlobactam (DUR; ETX2514) is a novel β-lactamase inhibitor with broad-spectrum activity against Ambler class A, C, and D β-lactamases. Durlobactam restores the
in vitro
activity of sulbactam (SUL) against members of the
Acinetobacter baumannii
-
A. calcoaceticus
complex (ABC). Sulbactam (SUL)-durlobactam (SUL-DUR) is under development for the treatment of ABC infections.
In Vivo
Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of the 2-Aminomethylphenol Antimalarial JPC-3210 in the
Aotus
Monkey-Human Malaria Model
Authors: McCallum Fiona J. , Birrell Geoffrey W. , Chavchich Marina , Harris Ivor , Obaldia Nicanor , Van Breda Karin , Heffernan Gavin D. , Jacobus David P. , Shanks Dennis , Edstein Michael D.
Published: December 2019

Nonimmune
Aotus
monkeys infected with
Plasmodium falciparum
and
Plasmodium vivax
were cured of their infections when treated with a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg of the 2-aminomethylphenol, JPC-3210, respectively. Corresponding mean blood elimination half-lives of JPC-3210 were lengthy at 19.1 days and 20.5 days, respectively. This
in vivo
potency and lengthy half-life supports the further development of JPC-3210 as a promising, long-acting blood schizontocidal antimalarial for malaria treatment and prevention.
Melanin Produced by the Fast-Growing Marine Bacterium Vibrio natriegens through Heterologous Biosynthesis: Characterization and Application
Authors: Wang Zheng , Tschirhart Tanya , Schultzhaus Zachary , Kelly Erin E. , Chen Amy , Oh Eunkeu , Nag Okhil , Glaser Evan R. , Kim Eunkyoung , Lloyd Pamela F. , Charles Paul T. , Li Weiyao , Leary Dagmar , Compton Jaimee , Phillips Daniel A. , Dhinojwala Ali , Payne Gregory F. , Vora Gary J.
Published: December 2019

Melanins are macromolecules that are ubiquitous in nature and impart a large variety of biological functions, including structure, coloration, radiation resistance, free radical scavenging, and thermoregulation. Currently, in the majority of investigations, melanins are either chemically synthesized or extracted from animals, which presents significant challenges for large-scale production. Bacteria have been used as biocatalysts to synthesize a variety of biomaterials due to their fast growth and amenability to genetic engineering using synthetic biology tools. In this study, we engineered the extremely fast-growing bacterium
V. natriegens
to synthesize melanin nanoparticles by expressing a heterologous tyrosinase gene with inducible promoters. Characterization of the melanin produced from
V. natriegens
-produced tyrosinase revealed that it exhibited physical and chemical properties similar to those of natural and chemically synthesized melanins, including nanoparticle structure, protection against UV damage, and adsorption of toxic compounds. We anticipate that producing and controlling melanin structures at the nanoscale in this bacterial system with synthetic biology tools will enable the design and rapid production of novel biomaterials for multiple applications.
Control of Bacillus subtilis Replication Initiation during Physiological Transitions and Perturbations
Authors: Sauls John T. , Cox Sarah E. , Do Quynh , Castillo Victoria , Ghulam-Jelani Zulfar , Jun Suckjoon
Published: December 2019

High-throughput, quantitative approaches have enabled the discovery of fundamental principles describing bacterial physiology. These principles provide a foundation for predicting the behavior of biological systems, a widely held aspiration. However, these approaches are often exclusively applied to the best-known model organism,
E. coli
. In this report, we investigate to what extent quantitative principles discovered in Gram-negative
E. coli
are applicable to Gram-positive
B. subtilis
. We found that these two extremely divergent bacterial species employ deeply similar strategies in order to coordinate growth, cell size, and the cell cycle. These similarities mean that the quantitative physiological principles described here can likely provide a beachhead for others who wish to understand additional, less-studied prokaryotes.
Mining the Methylome Reveals Extensive Diversity in Staphylococcus epidermidis Restriction Modification
Authors: Lee Jean Y. H. , Carter Glen P. , Pidot Sacha J. , Guérillot Romain , Seemann Torsten , Gonçalves da Silva Anders , Foster Timothy J. , Howden Benjamin P. , Stinear Timothy P. , Monk Ian R.
Published: December 2019

Staphylococcus epidermidis
is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections, especially those related to implanted medical devices. Understanding how
S. epidermidis
causes disease and devising ways to combat these infections have been hindered by an inability to genetically manipulate clinically significant hospital-adapted strains. Here, we provide the first comprehensive analyses of the barriers to the uptake of foreign DNA in
S. epidermidis
and demonstrate that these are distinct from those described for
S. aureus
. Using these insights, we demonstrate an efficient approach for the genetic manipulation of
S. epidermidis
to enable the study of clinical isolates for the first time.
The Unfolded Protein Response Regulates Pathogenic Development of Ustilago maydis by Rok1-Dependent Inhibition of Mating-Type Signaling
Authors: Schmitz Lara , Schwier Melina Ayaka , Heimel Kai
Published: December 2019

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is crucial for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis and disease development in fungal pathogens. In the plant-pathogenic fungus
Ustilago maydis
, the UPR supports fungal proliferation
in planta
and effector secretion for plant defense suppression. In this study, we uncovered that UPR activity, which is normally restricted to the biotrophic stage
in planta
, inhibits mating and the formation of infectious filaments by Rok1-dependent dephosphorylation of the pheromone responsive mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Kpp2. This observation is relevant for understanding how the fungal virulence program is regulated by cellular physiology. UPR-mediated control of mating-type signaling pathways predicts that effector gene expression and the virulence potential are controlled by ER stress levels.
Prevalence of myopic maculopathy in the German population: results from the Gutenberg health study
Authors: Hopf Susanne , Korb Christina , Nickels Stefan , Schulz Andreas , Münzel Thomas , Wild Philipp S , Michal Matthias , Schmidtmann Irene , Lackner Karl J , Pfeiffer Norbert , Schuster Alexander K
Published: December 2019

Aims

To determine the prevalence of myopic maculopathy in the general population in Germany and to analyse potential associations with ocular and systemic factors.

Design

The Gutenberg Health Study is a population-based study, including 15 010 participants aged 35–74 years.

Methods

Myopic maculopathy was graded in phakic eyes with spherical equivalent ≤−6 D by assessing fundus photographs according to a recent international photographic classification system (META-PM). 801 eyes of 519 participants (mean age 51.0±0.77 years) met the conditions and had gradable fundus photographs. Age-specific prevalence estimates were computed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess associated factors with myopic maculopathy.

Results

Myopic maculopathy was present in 10.3% (95% CI 7.9 to 13.3) study participants. The prevalence was 8.6% (95% CI 6.1% to 11.9%) in the 397 right eyes and 8.7% (95% CI 6.2% to 12.0%) in the 404 left eyes. The most common type of pathology was diffuse atrophy (8.1%), followed by patchy atrophy (1.3%) and macular atrophy (0.5%); plus lesions were present in 3% (right eyes). Age (OR 1.07 per year, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.11, p<0.001), higher myopic refractive error (p<0.001), and male gender (p=0.02) were associated with myopic maculopathy, while cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic factors were not.

Conclusions

The prevalence of myopic maculopathy in the German population was 0.5%, and 10% in high myopic participants, aged 35–74 years. These population-based data are the first in Europe. Myopic maculopathy was related to severity of myopic refractive error and age.
Proactive case detection of common childhood illnesses by community health workers: a systematic review
Authors: Whidden Caroline , Thwing Julie , Gutman Julie , Wohl Ethan , Leyrat Clémence , Kayentao Kassoum , Johnson Ari David , Greenwood Brian , Chandramohan Daniel
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Identifying design features and implementation strategies to optimise community health worker (CHW) programmes is important in the context of mixed results at scale. We systematically reviewed evidence of the effects of proactive case detection by CHWs in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) on mortality, morbidity and access to care for common childhood illnesses.

Methods

Published studies were identified via electronic databases from 1978 to 2017. We included randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, controlled before–after studies and interrupted time series studies, and assessed their quality for risk of bias. We reported measures of effect as study investigators reported them, and synthesised by outcomes of mortality, disease prevalence, hospitalisation and access to treatment. We calculated risk ratios (RRs) as a principal summary measure, with CIs adjusted for cluster design effect.

Results

We identified 14 studies of 11 interventions from nine LMICs that met inclusion criteria. They showed considerable diversity in intervention design and implementation, comparison, outcomes and study quality, which precluded meta-analysis. Proactive case detection may reduce infant mortality (RR: 0.52–0.94) and increase access to effective treatment (RR: 1.59–4.64) compared with conventional community-based healthcare delivery (low certainty evidence). It is uncertain whether proactive case detection reduces mortality among children under 5 years (RR: 0.04–0.80), prevalence of infectious diseases (RR: 0.06–1.02), hospitalisation (RR: 0.38–1.26) or increases access to prompt treatment (RR: 1.00–2.39) because the certainty of this evidence is very low.

Conclusion

Proactive case detection may provide promising benefits for child health, but evidence is insufficient to draw conclusions. More research is needed on proactive case detection with rigorous study designs that use standardised outcomes and measurement methods, and report more detail on complex intervention design and implementation.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42017074621.
Improving communication lines: quality improvement project moving a department away from outdated paging
Authors: Jones Neil John , Shah Sachi , Robati Shibby , Thilagarajah Michael
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Paging systems in Hospitals have been established for some time, but they are now outdated and unreliable. This opinion is shared by the UK government, which has given the NHS until 2021 to become free of these technologies. Given this new mandate, we wanted to implement a change in the way other Healthcare Professionals can contact Orthopaedic Senior House Officer Doctors (SHOs), at Darent Valley Hospital, a District General Hospital in Kent, England.

Methods

Using the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle model for quality improvement projects, the authors demonstrate two successful cycles improving the way in which HCPs can establish communication with Orthopaedic Junior Doctors. PDSA cycle 1 introduced a ward doctor to be stationed on the orthopaedic wards and to carry a mobile phone. The mobile phone worked well, but there were limitations to having to stay on the wards. PDSA cycle 2 introduced mobile phones for all Orthopaedic Doctor Teams. Impact of changes made was measured using staff questionnaires distributed to a range of Healthcare Professionals.

Results

After PDSA Cycle 1, 100% of the 36 asked agreed that having a ward doctor had saved time in their day. 72% said they page an Orthopaedic Doctor zero to two times with no reply, compared with 9% before the change was implemented. After PDSA cycle 2, 100% of the 31 asked agreed that using mobile phones was an effective way of communicating with the Orthopaedic Doctors, and 90% said that, on average, they would spend less than 2 min trying to contact an Orthopaedic Doctor, compared with 33% after PDSA cycle 1 intervention.

Conclusion

This cycle has clearly improved communication in our orthopaedic department. If used in the right way, mobile phone technology can surely improve our clinical environments.
Trauma Embolic Scoring System in military trauma: a sensitive predictor of venous thromboembolism
Authors: Walker Patrick F , Schobel Seth , Caruso Joseph D , Rodriguez Carlos J , Bradley Matthew J , Elster Eric A , Oh John S
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Clinical decision support tools capable of predicting which patients are at highest risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) can assist in guiding surveillance and prophylaxis decisions. The Trauma Embolic Scoring System (TESS) has been shown to model VTE risk in civilian trauma patients. No such support tools have yet been described in combat casualties, who have a high incidence of VTE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of TESS in predicting VTE in military trauma patients.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of 549 combat casualties from October 2010 to November 2012 admitted to a military treatment facility in the USA was performed. TESS scores were calculated through data obtained from the Department of Defense Trauma Registry and chart reviews. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to evaluate risk factors for VTE. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of TESS in military trauma patients was also performed.

Results

The incidence of VTE was 21.7% (119/549). The median TESS for patients without VTE was 8 (IQR 4–9), and the median TESS for those with VTE was 10 (IQR 9–11). On multivariate analysis, Injury Severity Score (ISS) (OR 1.03, p=0.007), ventilator days (OR 1.05, p=0.02), and administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) (OR 1.89, p=0.03) were found to be independent risk factors for development of VTE. On ROC analysis, an optimal high-risk cut-off value for TESS was ≥7 with a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.53 (area under the curve 0.76, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.80, p<0.0001).

Conclusions

When used to predict VTE in military trauma, TESS shows moderate discrimination and is well calibrated. An optimal high-risk cut-off value of ≥7 demonstrates high sensitivity in predicting VTE. In addition to ISS and ventilator days, TXA administration is an independent risk factor for VTE development.

Level of evidence

Level III.
Alumina nanoparticle flow within a channel with permeable walls
Authors: Manh Tran Dinh , Nam Nguyen Dang , Abdulrahman Gihad Keyany , Moradi R. , Babazadeh Houman
Published: December 2019

The application of the nanoparticles for the heat transfer augmentation has extensively increased in the scientific and industrial applications. In this research, semi-analytic method is used to disclose the heat transmission and flow feature of the fluid with nanoparticles among the two parallel sheets. In our model, one plate is warmed with specific heat flux while fluid is streamed from another plate which extends over times. Nanoparticles of Al2O3 are applied in the main fluid to obtain nanofluid flow. To obtained viscosity coefficient and heat conductivity of the base fluid with nanoparticles, Koo–Kleinstreuer–Li (KKL) formula is applied as reliable approach. Comprehensive investigations on different factors are done to disclose the impact of important aspects such as volume fraction of the nanoparticles, main stream velocity and expansion ratio on the main thermal and hydrodynamic characteristics of the nanofluid. It was found that the rate of the Nusselt number upsurges when the velocity of main stream, volume portion of the nanoparticles and power law index is increased. However, the increasing of the expansion ratio declines the heat transfer rate in our model. Our findings disclose that heat transfer rate is directly proportional with velocity of nanofluid as index of power law equals to zero.
Correlators in the β-deformed Gaussian Hermitian and complex matrix models
Authors: Chen Ying , Kang Bei , Li Min-Li , Wang Li-Fang , Zhang Chun-Hong
Published: December 2019

We investigate the [Formula: see text]-deformed Gaussian Hermitian and [Formula: see text] complex matrix models which are defined as the eigenvalue integral representations. Their [Formula: see text] constraints are constructed such that the constraint operators yield the same [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]-algebra. When particularized to the Virasoro constraints in the [Formula: see text] constraints, the corresponding constraint operators yield the Witt algebra and null 3-algebra. By solving our Virasoro constraints, we derive the formulas for correlators in these two [Formula: see text]-deformed matrix models, respectively.
Investigation of solitary wave solutions for the (3 + 1)-dimensional Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation
Authors: Yokus Asif , Kuzu Bülent , Demiroğlu Uğur
Published: December 2019

In this paper, the new traveling wave solutions containing the trigonometric functions, hyperbolic functions and rational functions of [Formula: see text]-dimensional Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation are obtained. The graphs of the solution functions are presented by giving specific values to the constants. Numerical solutions are obtained by using finite difference method with new initial condition. Von Neumann’s Stability, Consistency and Linear Stability analysis of the equation are performed and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] norm errors are also examined with the truncation error. The exact solution obtained is presented via numerical solutions and absolute error graphs, and the analysis of exact solution and the numerical solutions are performed. Complex operations and graphical drawings were made using the computer package program.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of cold metal transfer welded galvanized steel/magnesium alloy dissimilar joints
Authors: Zhang Chao , Wu Mingfang , Wang Yuxin , Pu Juan
Published: December 2019

The joining of magnesium alloy to galvanized steel was realized by cold metal transfer method with AZ31 magnesium alloy welding wire. Weld appearance, microstructure and tensile properties of Mg–steel joints under various welding parameters were investigated with different welding heat inputs. The results showed that magnesium alloy-steel brazed joints had good weld appearance. When the welding heat input was 141 J/mm, Zn elements were enriched in the Zn-rich zone (ZRZ), and the interface layer was composed of a large portion of Mg–Zn phases and minor Mg–Al phases. With the increase of welding heat input, Zn elements in the ZRZ gradually decreased, Fe/Al phase appeared in the interface layer, and the strength of welding joint increased. When the welding heat input was 159 J/mm, the tensile strength of welding joint reached the maximum value of 198 MPa. However, when the welding input was increased to 181 J/mm, Zn element in the ZRZ was burnt and volatilized seriously, resulting in poor wetting and spreading properties of liquid phase at the interface zone of the steel.
Thermodynamic properties and phase diagrams of spin-1 quantum Ising systems with three-spin interactions
Authors: Jiang Hui , Kong Xiang-Mu
Published: December 2019

The spin-1 quantum Ising systems with three-spin interactions on two-dimensional triangular lattices are studied by mean-field method. The thermal variations of order parameters and phase diagrams are investigated in detail. The stable, metastable and unstable branches of the order parameters are obtained. According to the stable conditions at critical point, we find that the systems exhibit tricritical points. With crystal field and biquadratic interactions, the system has rich phase diagrams with single reentrant or double reentrant phase transitions for appropriate ranges of the both parameters.
GLOBAL DYNAMICS OF A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF TUBERCULOSIS WITH AGE-DEPENDENT LATENCY AND ACTIVE INFECTION
Authors: XU RUI , BAI NING , TIAN XIAOHONG
Published: December 2019

In this paper, mathematical analysis is carried out for a mathematical model of Tuberculosis (TB) with age-dependent latency and active infection. The model divides latent TB infection into two stages: an early stage of high risk of developing active TB and a late stage of lower risk for developing active TB. Infected persons initially progress through the early latent TB stage and then can either progress to active TB infection or progress to late latent TB infection. The model is formulated by incorporating the duration that an individual has spent in the stages of the early latent TB, the late latent TB and the active TB infection as variables. By constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals and using LaSalle’s invariance principle, it is shown that the global dynamics of the disease is completely determined by the basic reproduction number: if the basic reproduction number is less than unity, the TB always dies out; if the basic reproduction number is greater than unity, a unique endemic steady state exists and is globally asymptotically stable in the interior of the feasible region and therefore the TB becomes endemic. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the theoretical results.
Distributing UAVs as Wireless Repeaters in Disaster Relief via Group Role Assignment
Authors: Liu Dongning , Jiang Qian , Zhu Haibin , Huang Baoying
Published: December 2019

When an earthquake occurs, disaster relief is an urgent, complex and critical mission. High on the list is communication network recovery within the disaster area. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are often used in this regard. Some of them are used as collective repeaters to provide the required network coverage. Their timely, efficient, and collaborative deployment to specific locations is a big challenge. To meet this challenge, this paper formalizes and solves the problem of UAV deployment for signal relays via group role assignment (GRA). The minimum spanning tree algorithm is used to model a rapidly deployed optimal relay network. It can help establish the minimum number of relay points necessary to ensure communication stability. In this scenario, UAVs (agents) adopt roles as communication relays. The task of distributing UAVs to relay points can be solved quickly via the assignment process of GRA, which can solve the x-ILP problem with the help of the PuLP package of Python. Results from thousands of experimental simulations indicate that our solutions are effective, robust and practical. The process can be used to establish an optimal, efficient, and collaborative relay network using UAVs. Their rapid deployment can be a significant contribution to earthquake disaster relief.
EXTRACTION OF COGNITIVE CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTIONS ACCORDING TO VARIOUS PARAMETER CHANGES OF VIBRATORY STIMULATION
Authors: CHOI MI-HYUN , CHUNG SOON-CHEOL
Published: December 2019

In this study, vibratory stimuli with various intensities (four levels) and frequencies (10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 225, 250 and 300[Formula: see text]Hz) were applied to the right index finger to extract cognitive characteristic functions for the intensity and frequency. For subjective assessment, an experiment was conducted with 30 healthy adults in their twenties who were right-handed and had normal cognitive function. One trial of the experiment was composed of a vibration phase (0.1 s) and a rest phase (10 s). After vibration simulation was applied once for each intensity and frequency, the participants filled out a subjective assessment form. After extracting the score of each word, the cognitive characteristic function was derived through discriminant analysis and regression analysis according to the frequency and intensity. Through the cognitive characteristic function, the level of cognitive characteristics of each word can be investigated according to the influence of the frequency and intensity. The results observed through the cognitive characteristics function of each word showed that the words affected by the frequency and intensity were “light,” “thick,” “heavy,” “blunt,” “vibrating,” “fast” and “weak.” “Itchy” and “slow” were cognitive characteristics affected only by the frequency, and “strong” and “push” were affected only by the intensity. Through the vibratory stimulation presentation parameters, i.e., frequency and intensity, the results capable of predicting the degrees of various cognitive characteristics were presented.
THE EFFECT OF PATIENT-SPECIFIC NON-NEWTONIAN BLOOD VISCOSITY ON ARTERIAL HEMODYNAMICS PREDICTIONS
Authors: LEE SANG HYUK , HAN KAP-SOO , HUR NAHMKEON , CHO YOUNG I. , JEONG SEUL-KI
Published: December 2019

Blood flow simulations can identify arterial regions that are vulnerable to atherosclerotic or thrombotic evolution. To accurately define vulnerable arterial regions, hemodynamic parameters such as arterial geometry, blood flow velocity and blood viscosity (BV) must be measured individually. However, previous numerical studies have largely employed either a single representative value or simply used a nonspecific curve of non-Newtonian characteristics of BV. This study aimed to evaluate whether various BV models could produce similar arterial wall shear stress (WSS) results. We performed a blood flow simulation in carotid arteries obtained from time-of-flight magnetic resonance (TOF MR) angiography using the hemodynamic characteristics of subjects via carotid duplex ultrasonography. The BV models were categorized into the following five types: patient-specific non-Newtonian BV (model 1), representative non-Newtonian BV based on the Carreau model (BV model 2), Newtonian BV measured at a specific shear rate of 300[Formula: see text][Formula: see text] (BV model 3), Newtonian BV obtained from a hematocrit-based equation (BV model 4) and a representative Newtonian BV of 4[Formula: see text]cP (BV model 5). In total, 20 carotid arteries from 20 healthy volunteers (mean age [Formula: see text] SD of [Formula: see text] years; 50% women) were examined. Compared with the mean values of carotid WSS in BV model 1 as the reference model, the other four models showed significant differences in both genders for all carotid segments. To obtain reliable physiological WSS results, patient-specific non-Newtonian BV should be carefully employed.
EVALUATION INDEX OF ADULT MALE BLOOD VESSEL AGE-BASED ON PULSE WAVE WAVEFORM CHARACTERISTIC PARAMETERS
Authors: WANG LEI , WANG LINLIN , LI QIAN , ZHANG WENLU , WANG YAN
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to find a non-invasive pulse wave waveform index that was highly correlated with cardiovascular disease and to establish an effective model for cardiovascular health assessment in middle-aged men to provide early warning of possible cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Considering the characteristics of pulse wave easy to detect and rich physiological information, the paper collected pulse waves of healthy males at six age groups, and collected 50 samples per age group. The pulse wave waveform parameters of each sample were extracted, including inflow time, outflow time, total beat time, fast inflow time, inflow time ratio and waveform coefficient [Formula: see text] value, the differences of which in different age groups were analyzed. Stepwise regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between age and pulse waveform parameters. The results show that the indicators of inflow time, inflow time ratio and fast inflow time have obvious differences with age, and with the increase of age, these three indicators show a steady upward trend. The indicators of outflow time, total beat time, and waveform coefficient are not sensitive to age changes. A predictive model of vessel age was established: [Formula: see text] time ([Formula: see text]). The pulse wave inflow time of hypertensive patients was substituted into the above-mentioned model, and the calculated blood vessel age was greater than the actual age. The age difference is greater than 5 years old. This study suggests that the pulse wave parameters of inflow time, fast inflow time and inflow time ratio has a significant and stable trend with age, indicating that they are closely related to vascular elasticity, compliance and stiffness, and can be used as predictors of cardiovascular disease.
MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR DELAY-TIME OF GAIT EVENT DUE TO A DUAL-TASK DURING WALKING
Authors: CHOI JIN SEUNG , SEO JEONG WOO , LEE JIN SOO , KIM JUNG GIL , CHO JUN HYEONG , TACK GYE RAE
Published: December 2019

During walking, attuning the heel contact to the external cueing is attentional and physical demanding. Based on this point of view, this is a preliminary study conducted for identifying the temporal accuracy of subjects for rhythmic auditory cueing, and to identify the balancing ability of the elderly based on this information. A measurement system was constructed to measure the motion delay time for the given rhythm and a pilot gait experiment was conducted for young adults while performing a cognitive dual task. The system consisted of a metronome and an accelerometer sensor measurement unit and is implemented as a program using LabVIEW. This pilot gait experiment measured individual delay times in 15 healthy adults in their 20s under two conditions: metronome walking (MET) and metronome walking with backward counting (MET+BC). Consequently, the delay time of MET and MET+BC conditions was [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]msec and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]msec, respectively ([Formula: see text]). Further experiments with the elderly will be needed to confirm whether such delay time can be used as an indicator for balancing ability.
An Extended VIKOR Method for Multiple Attribute Decision Making with Linguistic D Numbers Based on Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Liu Peide , Zhang Xiaohong , Wang Zhanyou
Published: December 2019

The linguistic [Formula: see text] numbers (LDNs) can express the fuzzy evaluation information more easily and precisely by combining the advantages of linguistic terms (LTs) and [Formula: see text] numbers (DNs). Existing researches on the fuzzy entropy of LDNs are rare, and most of the definitions of fuzzy entropy for LDNs are unreasonable. In view of this research gap, this paper improves the definition of fuzzy entropy of LDNs, which simultaneously considers the effects of confidence degrees and LTs on the value of fuzzy entropy in LDNs. Then, the weights of attributes can be calculated by the improved fuzzy entropy. Further, a new combination rule for LDNs is also presented in this paper. Based on these studies, we extend the traditional Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method to the LDNs and develop the LD-VIKOR method. The proposed LD-VIKOR method is convenient to handle MADM problems with unknown attributes weights under the environment of LDNs. Finally, we verify the validity and reliability of the proposed method by an illustrative example, and analyze the advantages of the proposed method by comparing it with other existing MADM methods.
A Co-Evolution Framework Towards Stable Designs from Radical Innovations for IT Organizations
Authors: Kompella Lakshminarayana
Published: December 2019

The external triggers cause transitions; to stay competitive, organizations create, respond to change, and shape the environment they interact with. The interactions manifest their traits as characteristics. Like biological species, organizations possess memes (or genotypes), memes mature as ideas or innovations, their interactions with the environment manifest as characteristics (phenotypes). IT organizations experience fast changes, for better response to change adopted agile software development (ASD). When phenotypes involve the development of affordances and display plasticity (agility), apart from cost-benefit criteria, it contributes to co-evolution among organizations and the environment. To examine the phenomena of co-evolution with diverse analytic and heuristic views, the author used multiple ASD case-studies from IT product[Formula: see text]services organizations. The author noted that organizations increase the height of their fitness landscape, i.e., competitive advantage, by either developing and[Formula: see text]or acquiring phenotypes. Acquisition meets cost-benefit criteria, but does not assist in sustaining the height, co-evolution, and[Formula: see text]or cumulate as stable designs, thereby, there are inappropriate responses to external triggers.
Geometric analysis of the properties of germanene using Lifson–Wershel potential function
Authors: Motamedi Mohsen , Sohail Ayesha
Published: December 2019

Numerous experiments on graphene, which is a 2D carbon material with excellent mechanical and electrical properties, have been carried out in recent years. By recognizing the properties of graphene, the researchers focused on other two-dimensional materials. Several studies have been done on graphene, but other two-dimensional structures have not yet been studied extensively. In this work, Germanene’s simulation of molecular dynamics was performed and Germanene’s stress–strain curve was obtained. The mechanical properties of Germanene have been investigated by practicing the proposed method of structural molecular mechanics. The two-step procedure was followed, where, in first step with the aid of the relations governing the force field and the Lifson–Wershel potential function and structural mechanics relations, the coefficients for the BEAM elements were found, and a structural mechanics model for Germanene was proposed. Then, a germanene sheet with [Formula: see text] Ȧ was modeled and Young’s modulus of Germanene was obtained by molecular dynamics and proposed molecular mechanics methods.