bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography-Driven Treat-and-Extend and Pro Re Nata Regimen in Patients with Macular Oedema due to Retinal Vein Occlusion: 24-Month Evaluation and Outcome Predictors
Authors: Guichard Maria-Magdalena , Xavier Anton R. , Türksever Cengiz , Pruente Christian , Hatz Katja
Published: March 2018

Purpose: To analyse the efficacy and outcome predictors of ranibizumab using a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT)-driven treat-and-extend regimen (TER) versus SD-OCT-driven pro re nata regimen (PRN) in patients with cystoid macular oedema (CME) due to branch or central retinal vein occlusion (BRVO, CRVO). Methods: Retrospective, consecutive case series. Evaluation included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), morphological parameters on SD-OCT, and treatment frequency. Results: From baseline to months 12, 18, and 24, BCVA improved by 16.6 ± 13.1, 15.5 ± 14.4, and 16.6 ± 15.8 letters, respectively, in TER (n = 45), compared to 11.3 ± 17.0, 11.0 ± 15.0, and 10 ± 20.5 letters in PRN (n = 31) (p = 0.152, p = 0.237, p = 0.172). The mean reduction in central retinal thickness was –261 ± 189, –272 ± 188, and –264 ± 158 μm, respectively, in TER, compared to –130 ± 196, –140 ± 210, and –166 ± 207 μm in PRN (p = 0.006, p = 0.017, p = 0.064). 59% (53%) of TER and 22% (17%) of PRN patients showed no intra- or subretinal fluid on SD-OCT at 12 (24) months. Using TER, the maximum recurrence-free treatment interval increased from 8.9 ± 2.3 weeks at 12 months to 9.8 ± 2.3 and 10.5 ± 2.7 weeks at 18 and 24 months, respectively. The number of injections was significantly higher in the TER than in the PRN group. Conclusions: In CME, due to BRVO/CRVO, TER provides better morphological outcome using more injections than PRN.
Intraoperative Adjunctive Mitomycin C and Cryotherapy for Recurrent Conjunctival Papillary Sebaceous Carcinoma
Authors: Monai Natsuki , Tanabu Reiko , Gonome Takayuki , Yokoi Katsunori , Urushidate Satoshi , Morohashi Satoko , Hirai Hideaki , Kurose Akira , Nakazawa Mitsuru
Published: March 2018

Purpose: To report a case of recurrent conjunctival papillary sebaceous carcinoma that was successfully treated by a combination of surgical resection, intraoperative topical mitomycin C application, and cryotherapy. Observations: A woman in her 80s developed a yellowish papillary tumor pedunculated from the surface of the upper palpebral tarsal conjunctiva in her left eye. She was histopathologically diagnosed as having sebaceous carcinoma by an excisional biopsy. We performed en bloc resection of the lateral one-third of the posterior lamella including the cutaneous margin of the upper eyelid as well as reconstruction of the defected portion by a switch-flap from the ipsilateral lower eyelid. Histopathologically, because the tumor was restricted to the epithelial region with minimal invasion into the tarsus, we diagnosed the patient to have conjunctival papillary sebaceous carcinoma. Nine months after the surgery, the tumor recurred and was resected and treated by intraoperative mitomycin C. Four months later, the tumor regrew at the resected margins and was treated by resection combined with mitomycin C and cryotherapy. After these combination treatments, the tumor did not recur for at least 1 year postoperatively. Conclusion and Importance: Although sebaceous carcinoma usually originates from the meibomian gland cells or less frequently from the Zeis or Moll gland cells, it rarely occurs from bulbar or palpebral conjunctival cells. Because sebaceous carcinoma sometimes shows a pagetoid growth pattern, it can recur even after en bloc resection with a negative study for tumor cells at the surgical margins. The recurrent sebaceous carcinoma cells showed an intraepithelial growth pattern. Considering this superficial growth property, it may be effective to apply intraoperative mitomycin C and cryotherapy treatment combined with surgical resection to reduce the possibility of recurrence of presumed conjunctival papillary sebaceous carcinoma, although mitomycin C alone seems to be insufficient as an adjunctive treatment.
Parkinson’s Disease, Melanoma, and Keratinocyte Carcinoma: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Lerman Sharon , Amichai Boaz , Weinstein Gabriel , Shalev Varda , Chodick Gabriel
Published: March 2018

Background: The association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and melanoma is well recognized, but its relationship with non-melanoma skin cancers has not been studied in depth. Objective: To assess the relationship between PD, and risk of melanoma and keratinocyte carcinoma: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Methods: This historical cohort study used the data of 1.2 million adult members of a large health organization between 2000 and 2015. Individuals who were diagnosed with PD anytime between 2000 and 2010 were retrospectively followed until 8/2016 for incidence of SCC, BCC, or melanoma identified from physician diagnoses and pathology reports. Results: The PD cohort included 7,727 patients (mean [SD] age = 69.9 [14.8 years]) among the 1,251,695 study population. During follow-up, a total of 4,553, 32,069, and 4,015 cases of BCC, SCC, and melanoma were identified in the study population respectively. Multivariable models revealed that older age, male sex, never smoking, and residence in southern Israel and actinic keratosis were associated with an increased risk of both BCC and SCC. PD patients in the age range 45–64 and 65–84 years at baseline had an OR of 2.11 (95% CI 1.40–3.18) and 1.52 (95% CI 1.21–1.91) for BCC respectively. Weak or no associations were calculated for melanoma or SCC. Conclusions: We report a positive relationship between PD and risk of BCC. These results should stimulate greater awareness on the part of healthcare providers to the increased risk of BCC in PD patients.
Кісткова репарація щелеп під впливом суміші біоактивного скла і аутологічного кісткового мозку
Authors: Pyuryk Ya. V. , Pohoretska Hr. V. , Patskan L. O.
Published: March 2018

Summary. Operation on removing odontogenic jaw cysts is one of the most common surgical interventions. Patients with radicular cysts of the maxillary bones make up about 6 % in the overall structure of dental morbidity. After the removal of cysts the bone cavities are formed, the healing of which is accompanied by frequent suppuration and is long-lasting. To speed up the healing of bone cavity using various grafts made of native or synthetic bone.The aim of the study – to improve the efficacy of treatment for odontogenic cysts, we decided to combine autologous bone marrow with an artificial bone substitute, creating a mixture that, by replacing bone defects with it, would optimize reparative processes and thus restore the anatomical and functional properties of the dento-facial system.Materials and Methods. 60 patients aged 18–65 years who were operated on the basis of radicular jaw cysts were examined. The patients were on inpatient treatment at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital. The diagnosis of the disease was verified on the basis of the data of the X-ray examination. The radiographic dimensions of the cysts were within 1.5–3.5 cm. Depending on the type of material used to substitute postoperative bone cavities, patients were divided into III groups: I – in 20 patients restoration was made a blood clot; II – in 20 patients postoperative bone defects were replaced with bioactive glass, and ІІІ – in 20 patients postoperative bone defects were replaced with a mixture of autologous bone marrow and bioactive glass.Conclusions. The developed composite material of bioactive glass with the addition of an autologous bone marrow is an inductor and a source of osteogenesis, which allows to recommend it as a method of choice in the treatment of patients with bone defects of the jaws that are formed after the removal of odontogenic cysts. Thus, the prospectivity and importance of the use of bioplastic material in the clinical practice of marrow bioactive mixture in clinical practice will significantly expand the possibilities of modern reconstructive and restorative maxillofacial surgery.
Показники жирової маси тіла при хронічному генералізованому пародонтиті на фоні метаболічного синдрому
Authors: Denga O. V. , Pyndus T. A. , Shnajder S. A.
Published: March 2018

Summary. Pathological changes in the periodontium are directly dependent on the violation of fat metabolism, which is one of the main components of the metabolic syndrome.The aim of the study – to determine the main indicators of fatty body mass of patients with chronic generalized periodontitis and metabolic syndrome.Materials and Methods. The study involved patients with diagnoses of chronic generalized periodontitis and metabolic syndrome. Patients of the main group received a treatment and prophylactic complex 2 times a year, normalizing fat metabolism, protein assimilation, reducing cholesterol and normalizing metabolism. The main indicators of fat metabolism were evaluated in patients with bioimpedance analyzers of the body composition components ABC-01 Medass (Russia) and OMRON BF511 (Japan).Results and Discussion. The results of the research of the main indicators of fat metabolism in the patient's body are presented as averaged percentage deviation from the norm, which was calculated for each particular patient according to the average statistical indicators, taking into account age, weight, height and specific basic metabolismConclusions. In patients with chronic generalized periodontitis on a background of metabolic syndrome, there was a significant excess of the norm of the main indicators of fat metabolism in the body. Use of the developed therapeutic and prophylactic complex led to a certain normalization of the fat mass that correlated with improvement of dental status.
Фітопрепарат «Ресверазин» у комплексному лікуванні генералізованого пародонтиту
Authors: Hevkaliuk N. O.
Published: March 2018

Summary. High prevalence, unfavorable effects of periodontal infection centers on the oral cavity condition determine the relevance of the problem of the use of phytopreparations in the treatment of generalized periodontitis.The aim of the study – to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the drug Resverazin in the complex treatment of generalized periodontitis.Materials and Methods. The study was attended by 43 patients, patients with chronic generalized periodontitis of primary and stage I. The main group was 25 people, the comparison group was 18. To assess the hygienic state of the cavity, the indices Green-Wermillion, ONI-S, Silness-Loe, Stallard were used. The assessment of the periodontal condition was conducted according to clinical signs; the severity of gingivitis was determined by the PMA index, the state is clear – according to the index of bleeding Muhlleman, the stages of destructive changes in the periodontium – according to the periodontal index (PI). For the treatment of periodontitis in both groups, traditional therapy was used. The patients in the main group were prescribed Resverazin for 1 capsule 2 times a day after eating. The course of treatment was 2 months.Results and Discussion. In an objective survey conducted before treatment, the average value of the index of hygiene in the main group was (1.64±0.31), in the comparison group – (1.59±0.23) points. The PMA index in the main group was (63.12±1.17), in the comparison group – (62.39±1.13) points. The ONI-S, Silness-Loe and Stallard indexes in the patients in the main group were (2.36±0.13), (1.54±0.08), (1.200±0.062) points, in the comparison group – (2.30±0.12), (1.51±0.06) and (0.890±0.032) points, respectively. The values of PI and the Muhlleman index in the groups were (1.22±0.09) and (2.21±0.13) and (1.24±0.13) and (2.18±0.11) points, respectively. During the treatment, a positive dynamics of the studied parameters was observed. The values of the PMA index (%) and PI were (10.23±1.11) and (0.63±0.11) in the main group and (11.22±1.19) and (0.84±0.12) in the comparison group.Conclusions. The obtained results confirm the high clinical efficiency of the natural complex Resverazin, the inclusion of which in the scheme of basic therapy of generalized periodontitis contributes to positive dynamics and stable changes in the tissues of periodontal disease.
Pattern Storage, Bifurcations, and Groupwise Correlation Structure of an Exactly Solvable Asymmetric Neural Network Model
Authors: Fasoli Diego , Cattani Anna , Panzeri Stefano
Published: March 2018

Despite their biological plausibility, neural network models with asymmetric weights are rarely solved analytically, and closed-form solutions are available only in some limiting cases or in some mean-field approximations. We found exact analytical solutions of an asymmetric spin model of neural networks with arbitrary size without resorting to any approximation, and we comprehensively studied its dynamical and statistical properties. The network had discrete time evolution equations and binary firing rates, and it could be driven by noise with any distribution. We found analytical expressions of the conditional and stationary joint probability distributions of the membrane potentials and the firing rates. By manipulating the conditional probability distribution of the firing rates, we extend to stochastic networks the associating learning rule previously introduced by Personnaz and coworkers. The new learning rule allowed the safe storage, under the presence of noise, of point and cyclic attractors, with useful implications for content-addressable memories. Furthermore, we studied the bifurcation structure of the network dynamics in the zero-noise limit. We analytically derived examples of the codimension 1 and codimension 2 bifurcation diagrams of the network, which describe how the neuronal dynamics changes with the external stimuli. This showed that the network may undergo transitions among multistable regimes, oscillatory behavior elicited by asymmetric synaptic connections, and various forms of spontaneous symmetry breaking. We also calculated analytically groupwise correlations of neural activity in the network in the stationary regime. This revealed neuronal regimes where, statistically, the membrane potentials and the firing rates are either synchronous or asynchronous. Our results are valid for networks with any number of neurons, although our equations can be realistically solved only for small networks. For completeness, we also derived the network equations in the thermodynamic limit of infinite network size and we analytically studied their local bifurcations. All the analytical results were extensively validated by numerical simulations.
Typification of the name Iris sanguinea (Iridaceae)
Authors: BOLTENKOV EUGENY V.
Published: March 2018

The genus Iris Linnaeus (1753: 38), when considered in a wide sense (Mathew 1989, Goldblatt et al. 2008), was established with a total of eighteen species. Presently, it comprises approximately 225 species (Goldblatt et al. 1998), distributed mostly in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Fauna of tintinnids (Tintinnida, Ciliata) during an Arctic-Antarctic cruise, with the S/V “Croatian Tern”
Authors: KRŠINIĆ FRANO
Published: March 2018

An investigation of large tintinnids was carried out during the Arctic-Antarctic cruise aboard the S/V “Croatian Tern” in the period from 1994 to 1997. Samples were collected at 33 stations by vertical tows with a Nansen net with a 53 µm mesh size in the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic, Labrador Sea, Baffin Bay, the Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering Seas, East North Pacific, South Pacific, South East Pacific, Scotia Sea, and South West Atlantic. A total of 47 species of tintinnids were found, with the greatest diversity in the Tropical areas of the Pacific, Arctic and Subarctic. A very high total abundance was registered in the Bering Sea of 247,393 ind.m-3 and in the South-eastern Pacific of 66,211 ind.m-3. The dominant species in the northern areas was Ptychocylis obtusa and in the southern areas Eutintinnus rugosus.
Seasonality of Tides in Southeast Asian Waters
Authors: Devlin Adam T. , Zaron Edward D. , Jay David A. , Talke Stefan A. , Pan Jiayi
Published: March 2018

An analysis of water level time series from 20 tide gauges in Southeast Asia finds that diurnal and semidiurnal astronomical tides exhibit strong seasonal variability of both amplitude and phase, which is not caused by known modulations of the astronomical tide-generating forces. Instead, it is found that the tidal properties are coherent with the western North Pacific monsoon index (WNPMI), indicating that monsoonal mechanisms are the likely cause. The study domain includes the Malacca Strait, Gulf of Thailand, the southern South China Sea, and Java Sea. The character of the geography and the tidal variability is different in each of these subregions. A new barotropic regional tide model is developed that incorporates the coupling between geostrophic currents, wind-driven (Ekman) currents, and tidal currents in the bottom boundary layer in order to examine the influence of these factors on tides. The dynamics thus preserve the frictional nonlinearities while neglecting advective nonlinearities and baroclinic tides, approximations that should be valid on the wide and shallow continental shelves in the study region. The model perturbation approach uses the climatological seasonal variability of wind stress and geostrophic currents, which are prescribed singly and in combination in the model, to explain the observed tidal variability. Results are most successful in the southern Gulf of Thailand and near Singapore, where it is found that the combined effect of geostrophic and Ekman currents shows increased skill in reproducing the tidal variability than individual models. Ambiguous results at other locations suggest more localized processes such as river runoff.
The Effects of Governance Type and Economic Crises on Foreign Direct Investment Inflows in Ghana
Authors: Tuffour Joseph Kwadwo , Mensah Thelma
Published: March 2018

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows have increased rapidly over the last few decades. However, Ghana has not attracted much of this FDI. Investors are driven mostly by profit maximization and hence decisions to invest in an unfamiliar territory are often based on the economic and political conditions of this new territory. The current study investigates the effect of the state of governance and economic crises on FDI inflows to Ghana. Using time series data from 1960 to 2015, Vector Error Correction Mechanism results show that democratic governance has the tendency to positively influence FDI inflows while periods of economic crises are likely to reduce FDI inflows to Ghana in the long run. Depreciation of the Ghana Cedi reduces FDI inflows but market size has a positive influence on FDI inflows. Increase in labour skills and the level of openness have positive effects on FDI inflows. In the short run, economic crises in the last three years have negative effects on present FDI inflows while democratic governance in the past year positively influences FDI inflows. It is recommended that democratic governance should be maintained to enhance FDI inflows. Also, efforts to avoid economic crises especially institutional shocks absorbers are key to maintain FDI inflows to Ghana.

JEL: P33, P45, E02, O55
The Information Technology Agreement and the ‘Make-in-India’ Initiative
Authors: Khanderia Saloni
Published: March 2018

The World Trade Organization’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA), which was concluded at the Singapore Ministerial Conference in 1996, is considered to be one of the biggest tariff-cutting deals by virtue of eliminating all customs-related duties on the exportation of certain categories of information technology products to a country, which is a member to the Agreement. Over time, new innovations in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector mandated the consideration of expanding the list of products covered by this Agreement, which took place in the form of ITA-II negotiations. India, which was an original member of the ITA-I, however, decided to opt-out of the negotiations to expand the list of products covered by the Agreement, and reasoned its absence by stating that the zero-tariff regime created by the ITA-I debilitated its electronics-manufacturing sectors and on the contrary resulted in an over-reliance on imported electronic inputs. Accordingly, providing duty-free treatment to a further list of IT products could potentially be detrimental for the country’s economic growth. Consequently, it preferred to give priority to its national policy initiative, namely the ‘Make-in-India’ programme, which embarks upon fostering domestic production of, inter alia, the ICT sector. This article accordingly weighs the better alternative for India and analyses the prospects of initiatives like the current one to resuscitate the ailing domestic electronics-manufacturing sector, before it can benefit from the zero-tariff regime over the expanding list of products covered by the ITA-II.

JEL: K33, M15
Electrical and piezoresistive properties of cement composites with carbon nanomaterials
Authors: Yoo Doo-Yeol , You Ilhwan , Youn Hyunchul , Lee Seung-Jung
Published: March 2018

This study investigates the effect of nanomaterials on the piezoresistive sensing capacity of cement-based composites. Three different nanomaterials—multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphite nanofibers, and graphene oxide—were considered along with a plain mortar, and a cyclic compressive test was performed. Based on a preliminary test, the optimum flowability was determined to be 150 mm in terms of fiber dispersion. The electrical resistivity of the composites substantially decreased by incorporating 1 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes, but only slightly decreased by including 1 wt% graphite nanofibers and graphene oxide. This indicates that the use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes is most effective in improving the conductivity of the composites compared to the use of graphite nanofibers and graphene oxide. The fractional change in resistivity of the composites with nanomaterials exhibited similar behavior to that of the cyclic compressive load, but partial reversibility in fractional change in resistivity was obtained beyond 60% of the peak load. A linear relationship between the fractional change in resistivity and cyclic compression strain (up to 1500 με) was observed in the composites with multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and the gauge factor was found to be 166.6. It is concluded that cement-based composites with 1 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes can be used as piezoresistive sensors for monitoring the stress/strain generated in concrete structures.
Emerging Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Bone Remodeling
Authors: Liu M. , Sun Y. , Zhang Q.
Published: March 2018

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), as nanometer-scale particles, include exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. EVs are released by most cell types, such as bone marrow stem cells, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and immune cells. In bone-remodeling microenvironments, EVs deliver specific proteins (e.g., tenascin C and Sema4D), microRNAs (e.g., miR-214-3p, miR-183-5p, and miR-196a), and other growth factors (e.g., bone morphogenetic protein 1 to 7 and transforming growth factor β1) to osteoblasts and regulate bone formation. In addition, EVs can deliver cytokines, such as RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB) and RANKL (RANK ligand), and microRNAs, such as miR-218 and miR-148a, to modulate osteoclast differentiation during bone resorption. EVs also transfer bioactive molecules and have targeted therapies in bone-related diseases. Moreover, bioactive molecules in EVs are biomarkers in bone-related diseases. We highlight the emerging role of EVs in bone remodeling during physiologic and pathologic conditions and summarize the role of EVs in tooth development and regeneration. At the end of this review, we discuss the challenges of EV application in the treatment of bone diseases.
Terror versus soul: The struggle for creativity in primary Initial Teacher Education
Authors: Raymond Peter
Published: March 2018

Creativity is a commonly used word in education circles, yet it is also seen as something that is being undermined by contemporary agendas of standards, testing and an increasingly strong focus on core subjects that are used as indicators of school performance, which are impacting the work of teachers. This paper starts from Ball’s 2006 paper ‘The Teacher’s Soul and the Terrors of Performativity’ and argues the importance of developing strong senses of identity and agency in student teachers as part of the teacher’s ‘soul’, as a positive response to the pressures, or ‘terrors’ of a performative, standards based agenda. Having discussed the background of creativity and performativity, the relationship between identity, agency and creativity is explored through the lenses of three theoretical perspectives; Bourdieu and his idea of habitus; Foucault and his ideas about power, discipline and subjectivity; Lacan and Ruti and perspectives from psycho-analysis, foregrounding the notion of ‘lack’. In the discussion of this sequence of perspectives, the argument is for a trajectory in which the view of the human subject becomes less deterministic and more agentic. The paper is framed within a virtues ethic and in applying Noddings’ (2003) argument, creativity can be seen not so much as a virtue in itself, but the confident and agentic working out of creativity in practice allows educators to work virtuously within a performative culture and with an ‘ethical commitment’ to creativity.
Northeast Indian Enigmas
Authors: Kolås Åshild
Published: March 2018

The standard frame of security studies is to view Northeast India as a site of multiple “ethnic conflicts.” In trying to unravel these conflicts, the focus has remained on the fault lines between the state and its alleged contenders, the region’s multiple nonstate actors. This special issue tries to look at the conflict scenario of Northeast India through a different set of lenses, in an effort to draw the focus away from the usual conflict histories, to direct attention toward the ideas that underpin the construction of Northeast India as a frontier zone and its people as “others,” both internally divided and divided from the Indian mainstream. The “tribal” movements of Northeast India, and the patterns of conflict associated with them, are well researched. What this issue explores is how and why tribal political projects are created and pursued, and how to understand these projects, whether as strategies of resistance and survival, identity politics, or rival projects of extraction and exploitation. What do we find when we look into the enigmatic frontier as a “zone of anomie,” a “sensitive space,” or a parapolitical scene that defies the taken-for-granted dichotomies between the state and nonstate?
Writing and Reading Diaries in Mid-Twentieth-Century Britain
Authors: Stewart Victoria
Published: March 2018

Using the diaries of Jean Lucey Pratt as a case study, the article assesses the impact of the availability of published diaries in mid-twentieth-century Britain on conventions in diary-writing practice. Consideration is also given to the effect of Pratt’s involvement in Mass-Observation on her perception of her diary, and to the wider influence of Mass-Observation on twentieth-century diary-writing, given that this project troubles the idea of the diary as an individualistic, private form of writing.
Role of computed tomography angiography for HeartMate II left ventricular assist device thrombosis
Authors: Yu Sarah N , Han Jiho , Takeda Koji , Ginns Jonathan N , Kurlansky Paul A , Garan Arthur R , Yuzefpolskaya Melana , Topkara Veli K , Colombo Paolo C , Naka Yoshifumi , Takayama Hiroo
Published: March 2018

Introduction:

Device thrombosis is one of the most devastating complications of HeartMate II left ventricular assist devices. The purpose of this study is to assess the anatomical properties that the inflow and outflow computed tomography angiography provides in assessing for left ventricular assist device thrombosis, as well as their impact on clinical management and postoperative outcomes.

Methods:

Between April 2010 and December 2016, 22 patients who received a HeartMate II left ventricular assist device implantation were readmitted for suspected device thrombosis and underwent a computed tomography angiography for workup. Left ventricular assist device–associated anatomy was assessed, including outflow abnormality on computed tomography angiography (contrast filling defect), inflow abnormalities on computed tomography angiography (space at inflow, M–I angle), and inflow abnormalities on chest X-ray (inflow angulation, pump pocket depth).

Results:

Computed tomography angiography revealed an outflow filling defect in three patients (14%) resulting in change in surgical approach from subcostal pump exchange to resternotomy pump and outflow graft exchange. Inflow graft malpositioning was identified in four patients, with the inflow abutting the left ventricular wall and obstructing the cannula opening. On computed tomography angiography assessment, mean space at inflow was 5.3 ± 1.6 mL and M–I angle was 35.6° ± 6.6°. Chest X-ray evaluation revealed mean inflow angle and pump pocket depth of 75.7° ± 13.4° and 110.2 ± 26.6 mm, respectively.

Conclusion:

Computed tomography angiography provides a noninvasive assessment of the outflow graft and inflow cannulas in left ventricular assist device patients. Findings on computed tomography angiography reveal possible mechanical etiologies of thrombosis and may be useful for determining the surgical management of device thrombosis patients.
Association of lean body mass with nutritional parameters and mortality in hemodialysis patients: A long-term follow-up clinical study
Authors: Zhou Dong Chi , Yang Xiu Hong , Zhan Xiao Li , Gu Yan Hong , Guo Li Li , Jin Hui Min
Published: March 2018

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between lean body mass (LBM) and nutritional status in hemodialysis (HD) patients to better predict their long-term prognosis.

Methods:

Anthropometric body measurements and biochemical parameters were recorded from 222 patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) at the Shanghai Pudong Hospital Hemodialysis Center. LBM was calculated using the serum creatinine index (LBM-SCR), mid-arm muscle circumference (LBM-MAMC), and dominant-arm hand-grip strength (LBM-HGS). Patient mortality and hospitalization were observed after 24 months.

Results:

LBMs measured from LBM-SCR and LBM-MAMC were associated with sex, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, and serum creatinine (SCR) ( p < 0.05). Through three methods of LBM evaluation, low LBM was shown to be associated with a higher mortality in patients undergoing HD ( p < 0.05). In addition, the rate of hospitalization among these patients was significantly increased ( p < 0.05). Performing multivariate regression analysis using mortality and hospitalization as the dependent variable, we found LBM-SCR and LBM-HGS are strongly associated with hospitalization and mortality in HD patients, indicating LBM is an important factor in prediction of outcomes in those patients.

Conclusion:

LBM is associated with nutritional parameters in HD patients, and LBM-SCR, HGS, and MAMC are simple approaches for accurately predicting the patient’s risk of hospitalization and/or death.
Black Logics, Black Methods: Indigenous Timelines, Race, and Ethnography
Authors: Hunter Marcus Anthony
Published: March 2018

The article recovers two pathways emergent from an assets-based approach to the study of black life using qualitative methods generally and ethnography, specifically, (1) racial recalibration and (2) black time. Arguing that our conventional timelines for black histories and contemporary realities tend to calibrate against white notions of time and history, this article reveals a persistent, specious practice in the study of black lifeworlds. Extending from assertions of the theoretical and analytic power of everyday black wisdom, and Stuart Hall’s emphasis on storytelling and the popular imagination, this article demonstrates how black perspectives, measured and apprehended using race conscious and assets-based frames, generate and innovate questions providing new ways to revisit long-debated issues in the field.
Trapezoidal traction–separation laws in mode II fracture in nano-composite and nano-adhesive joints
Authors: Ghabezi P , Farahani M
Published: March 2018

The main focus of this paper is on the experimental investigation and comparison between different bridging laws. For mode II fracture in the presence of nano-particles, these laws are calculated from three data reduction schemes for describing the bridging zone and trapezoidal traction–separation law parameters. For the calculation of the energy release rate in mode II fracture, three corresponding data reduction schemes, compliance calibration method, corrected beam theory and compliance-based beam method, have been utilized for different percentages of nano-particles in the adhesives and the adherents.
Tarification dynamique en ligne et éthicalité perçue par le consommateur : synthèse et voies de recherche
Authors: Ayadi Nawel , Paraschiv Corina , Rousset Xavier
Published: March 2018

A l’ère du Big data, les stratégies de tarification des sites marchands évoluent vers une tarification dynamique en ligne qui consiste à modifier régulièrement le prix des biens et des services commercialisés afin de maximiser les ventes et les profits. Cette stratégie soulève des questionnements éthiques du fait que les consommateurs payent des prix différents pour le même produit. L’objectif de notre article est d’examiner, du point de vue du consommateur, les enjeux éthiques de la tarification dynamique en ligne. Nous proposons un cadre conceptuel et un agenda de recherche future autour de l’éthicalité perçue par le consommateur relative à cette stratégie.
L’exploitation de la saillance de mortalité dans les communications sur le changement climatique
Authors: Akil Hussein , Robert-Demontrond Philippe , Bouillé Julien
Published: March 2018

Cette recherche s’intéresse à l’efficacité de la communication anxiogène dans une perspective de mobilisation des consommateurs contre le changement climatique. Prenant appui sur la théorie du management de la terreur (TMT), nous montrons que ce registre peut s’avérer contre-productif en générant des choix de consommation à rebours des logiques pro-environnementales. Nous rapportons notamment les résultats d’une expérimentation ( N = 132) testant l’influence du type de communication (anxiogène vs. informative) sur les choix de consommation (pro-matérialistes vs. pro-environnementaux). Les résultats révèlent que les choix de consommation des individus dépendent de leurs visions culturelles du monde (i.e. matérialistes vs. environnementalistes) et du type de communication employé. L’efficacité des stratégies de communication sur le changement climatique est au final discutée au regard de la vision culturelle du monde des individus.
Social Structure, Social Learning, and the Severity of Physical Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Nigeria
Authors: Dim Emeka Eugene , Elabor-Idemudia Patience
Published: March 2018

Using the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 2013, this study applies the social structure (feminist) and social learning perspective in understanding the severity of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nigeria. About 26,403 married women were analyzed from the 2013 NDHS data. Multinomial regression was used to analyze variables that capture the social structural and social learning perspectives in relation to women’s experience of minor and severe physical IPV. The study revealed that primary and secondary educational attainment, and being employed predicted severe physical IPV victimization. Alcohol consumption by the respondents’ spouses, being a victim of childhood abuse, and witnessing IPV between parents predicted severe physical IPV. The finding of this study implies that experiences of IPV take place within a sociocultural context that shapes the social realities of the average Nigerian woman.
Job Insecurity and the Willingness to Undertake Training: The Moderating Role of Perceived Employability
Authors: Van Hootegem Anahí , De Witte Hans , De Cuyper Nele , Elst Tinne Vander
Published: March 2018

This study investigates the relationship between job insecurity and the willingness to undertake training, accounting for perceived employability. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we hypothesize that job insecurity negatively relates to the willingness to participate in training to strengthen the internal and external labor market position and that perceived employability has a buffering effect on this relationship. The hypotheses were tested among 560 Belgian employees using structural equation modeling. The results did not provide support for the relationship between job insecurity and the willingness to undertake training to strengthen the position inside the organization. We did, contrary to expectations, find a significant positive relationship with the willingness to undertake training to strengthen the position outside the organization. Furthermore, the relationship between job insecurity and the willingness to undertake training to strengthen the external labor market position was weaker with increasing levels of perceived employability.
Comparison of impact behaviour of glass, carbon and Dyneema composites
Authors: Heimbs Sebastian , Wagner Tim , Viana Lozoya Juan Tomas , Hoenisch Benedikt , Franke Florian
Published: March 2018

Lightweight fibre-reinforced polymer composites are currently being applied extensively in the design of transport structures to replace conventional metallic solutions, and also in structures that are exposed to the risk of foreign object impact. Therefore, an experimental study was undertaken to assess and compare the low- and high-velocity impact behaviour of S-2 glass®, HTA carbon and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (Dyneema®) composites. Three different impact test methods were applied: Charpy pendulum impact tests, drop-weight impact tests and ballistic impact tests with a gas gun. The results with the focus on penetration energy are compared in terms of correlation between the three test methods and in terms of weight-specific material performance. While the S-2 glass® fibre showed the best performance of the epoxy-based composites, the PUR-based Dyneema® HB26 panels proved the best penetration resistance in this study.
Mapping of the Human Placenta
Authors: Centurione Lucia , Passaretta Francesca , Centurione Maria Antonietta , De Munari Silvia , Vertua Elsa , Silini Antonietta , Liberati Marco , Parolini Ornella , Di Pietro Roberta
Published: March 2018

The human placenta is an important source of stem cells that can be easily collected without ethical concerns since it is usually discarded after childbirth. In this study, we analyzed the amniotic membrane (AM) from the human placenta with the aim of mapping different regions with respect to their morpho-functional features and regenerative potential. AMs were obtained from 24 healthy women, undergoing a caesarean section, and mapped into 4 different regions according to their position in relation to the umbilical cord: the central, intermediate, peripheral, and reflected areas. We carried out a multiparametric analysis focusing our attention on amniotic epithelial cells (AECs). Our results revealed that AECs, isolated from the different areas, are a heterogeneous cell population with different pluripotency and proliferation marker expression (octamer-binding transcription factor 4 [OCT-4], tyrosine-protein kinase KIT [c-KIT], sex determining region Y-box 2 [SOX-2], α-fetoprotein, cyclic AMP response element binding [CREB] protein, and phosphorylated active form of CREB [p-CREB]), proliferative ability, and osteogenic potential. Our investigation discloses interesting findings that could be useful for increasing the efficiency of AM isolation and application for therapeutic purposes.
Cellular and Site-Specific Mitochondrial Characterization of Vital Human Amniotic Membrane
Authors: Banerjee Asmita , Lindenmair Andrea , Hennerbichler Simone , Steindorf Philipp , Steinborn Ralf , Kozlov Andrey V. , Redl Heinz , Wolbank Susanne , Weidinger Adelheid
Published: March 2018

Over a century ago, clinicians started to use the human amniotic membrane for coverage of wounds and burn injuries. To date, literally thousands of different clinical applications exist for this biomaterial almost exclusively in a decellularized or denuded form. Recent reconsiderations for the use of vital human amniotic membrane for clinical applications would take advantage of the versatile cells of embryonic origin including the entirety of their cell organelles. Recently, more and more evidence was found, showing mitochondria to be involved in most fundamental cellular processes, such as differentiation and cell death. In this study, we focused on specific properties of mitochondria of vital human amniotic membrane and characterized bioenergetical parameters of 2 subregions of the human amniotic membrane, the placental and reflected amnion. We found significantly different levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and extracellular reactive oxygen species, concentrations of succinate dehydrogenase, and lactate upon inhibition of ATP synthase in placental and reflected amnion. We also found significantly different rates of mitochondrial respiration in isolated human amniotic epithelial cells and human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells, according to the subregions. Differences in metabolic activities were inversely related to mitochondrial DNA copy numbers in isolated cells of placental and reflected amnion. Based on significant differences of several key parameters of energy metabolism in 2 subregions of vital amnion, we propose that these metabolic differences of vital placental and reflected amnion could have critical impact on therapeutic applications. Inclusion of region-specific metabolic properties could optimize and fine-tune the clinical application of the human amniotic membrane and improve the outcome significantly.
‘I Want to Live, I Want to Draw’: The Poetics of Drawing and Graphic Medicine
Authors: Venkatesan Sathyaraj , Peter Anu Mary
Published: March 2018

Accredited as the provenance of creative art and appreciated for its verisimilar mimetic virtues, drawing is a cathartic form of visual art. Specifically, the curative utility of drawing is anchored on its multifaceted health-enhancing qualities. Drawing is often practised either as a technique of narration, as in visual communication, or as a therapeutic exercise, as in clinical contexts. Interestingly, in the field of graphic medicine, which is a productive intersection of comics and medicine, drawing is practised both as a narrative technique as well as a mode of therapy. Analysing scenes of drawing in selected graphic medicine memoirs such as David Small’s Stitches: A Memoir (2009, New York: W.W. Norton & Co) and Katie Green’s Lighter than My Shadow (2013, London: Random House), this article investigates how these graphic medical narratives offer an insight into the healing potentials of drawing. This article uses the term ‘drawing’ in two distinct yet interrelated senses: one is the process of drawing which denotes the depiction of the artist himself/herself involved in the act of drawing, and the other is the end product of drawing such as the picture/image or painting. By elaborating the psychological benefits of drawing, the article also brings into relief how the act of drawing facilitates self-reclamation by assisting patients or traumatized individuals in resolving their chaos through creative expression.
“Forging accounting principles” in France, Germany, Japan, and China: A comparative review
Authors: Camfferman Kees , Detzen Dominic
Published: March 2018

This article surveys the English-language literature on the history of financial reporting regulation in four non-English-speaking countries: France, Germany, Japan, and China. The choice of these countries was based on the availability of a sizable accounting history literature in the area surveyed. We first offer a summary of regulatory events in the four countries and suggest that the literature provides ample evidence of the countries’ intricate histories of financial reporting regulation. In addition, we point to important research gaps, where we believe that the literature has significant underexploited potential, in particular by moving beyond high-level overviews of changing regulatory mechanisms to in-depth studies of regulatory change that are embedded in the local legal, political, and societal contexts. Hence, plenty of opportunities exist for further research into these countries’ regulatory histories, either in terms of single-country studies or as comparative histories.
Finding One’s Anchor: A Conversation With Reece Peterson
Authors: Zabel Robert H. , Kaff Marilyn , Teagarden James
Published: March 2018

Reece Peterson has published widely on educational policy and the impact on children with significant behavioral challenges. He has served in many roles but always with an emphasis on providing support for children. He is recognized as a national expert on the topics of physical restraints and seclusion procedures. He shares his reflections and advice with those who work with challenging youth.
Let’s Perform and Paint! The Role of Creative Mediums in Enhancing Management Research Representation
Authors: Nair Lakshmi Balachandran , Fatien Diochon Pauline , Lassu Reka Anna , Tilleman Suzanne G.
Published: March 2018

The limited reach of management research results in missed opportunities to support the decision-making processes of business professionals and policy makers. To strengthen the impact of management research and overcome barriers posed by text-heavy representation, we advocate for the use of creative mediums (e.g., collage, film, poetry) to showcase the product of an inquiry, either alone or as a supplement to traditional reporting. We provide a rationale for how these mediums trigger interest, foster a multisensory experience, convey complex meaning, and spark contemporary, inclusive dialogues. Each of the four rationales is discussed by showing an example of previous use, and explaining how the respective barrier to research representation is overcome. We finally offer recommendations for how management researchers can employ creative mediums to enhance the fertility of their work.
Measuring the External Ear for Hearing Protection Device Design
Authors: Mououdi Mohammad Amin , Akbari Jafar , Mohammadi Khoshoei Maryam
Published: March 2018

In this study we aimed to obtain anthropometric measurements of external ear dimensions for designing hearing protection devices (HPDs). We measured 3 dimensions of left and right ears of 153 operational workers and compared the measured data with earplugs (Eps) and earmuffs (Ems). The mean (± SD) earhole length, pinna length, and pinna width for the subjects were 14.6 (± 2.5), 62.8 (± 5.0), and 34.8 (± 4.2) mm, respectively. The mean longitudinal and transverse diameters of the Ems for the ear were close to the 95th and 97.5th percentile, respectively. The Ems met the optimal threshold of ergonomic design; however, the Eps required a better design.