bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying the Urban: Resident Perceptions of Community Character and Local Institutions in Eight Metropolitan Areas
Authors: Billingham Chase M. , Kimelberg Shelley McDonough
Published: September 2018

What does the term “urban” signify as a descriptor of contemporary communities in the United States? We investigate this question using data from the Soul of the Community survey, examining how people within eight metropolitan areas characterize their communities. A substantial disjunction exists between where within their regions respondents live and how they describe those areas. Many central–city residents label their communities “suburban” or “rural,” while many outlying residents label their communities “urban.” We contend that people's experiences with important local institutions—specifically, local schools and the local public safety apparatus—shape their understanding of their communities. Logistic regression models support this contention. Controlling for where within their regions respondents live, they are more likely to label their communities “urban” if they perceive local schools to be low in quality and their neighborhoods to be unsafe. Notably, these effects are not consistent across racial and ethnic groups.
Political Fit as a Component of Neighborhood Preference and Satisfaction
Authors: Gimpel James G. , Hui Iris
Published: September 2018

We examine the role party identification plays in moderating people's perception of place. Do people rely on heuristics to gauge neighborhood partisan composition? If so, those estimates may influence their perception of fit and neighborhood satisfaction. We find that in the absence of concrete, detailed information, people make quick judgments. Republicans, compared to Democrats and non–partisans, are more likely to develop impressions based on the specific location characteristics presented here. When perceived to be a political minority in an area, people are less likely to feel that they belong. In addition to conventional economic and life–cycle factors, political perceptions also affect judgments about the suitability of prospective neighborhoods.
Regulating Landlords: Unintended Consequences for Poor Tenants
Authors: Greif Meredith
Published: September 2018

This paper explores “hidden” ways by which cities may inadvertently undermine access to decent, stable, affordable housing—especially for vulnerable renter households—through regulations that sanction landlords for tenant activities on their property. In–depth semistructured interviews and ethnographic observations with 57 small– and medium–sized landlords in Cleveland, followed over 28 months, show that perceptions of risk, flowing specifically from “nuisance” and water regulations that rendered landlords accountable for tenant activities over which they perceived little control, were common. To manage perceived precarity, landlords reported measures that undermined tenants’ housing security—including excessive screening, hassling, elevated rent amounts, proclivity to evict, and divestment from the lower end of the housing market whose stock continues to dwindle across many cities. City regulations—meant to bolster housing security, community vitality, and infrastructure—appear to be understudied factors that paradoxically reinforce problems of housing insecurity and community decline many vulnerable tenants, and cities, continue to face.
Gendering Residential Space: From Squatter and Slum Housing to the Apartment Estates in Turkish Renewal Projects
Authors: Erman Tahire , Hatiboğlu Burcu
Published: September 2018

This article argues for the need to understand gendered dimensions of space in a contextualized way. It investigates residential space in three different types of housing settings of the poor, namely, a peripheral squatter neighborhood coded by rurality, a central slum neighborhood coded by criminality, and the housing estates in squatter/slum renewal projects coded by middle–class urbanity. Based on two field studies conducted in Ankara, Turkey's capital, it challenges the feminine–private versus masculine–public dichotomy: With women's presence inside the neighborhood, the squatter area was a “feminine space,” whereas, with the violent control of neighborhood spaces by local men, the slum area was a “masculine space.” Through its association with urban modernity, the public/private divide was enforced in the housing estates. While in the first housing estate, women's informal practices in its public spaces “feminized” and “ruralized” the estate, in the second housing estate, it made women feel safe inside apartments.
Tracking a half century of media reporting on gray wolves
Authors: Killion Alexander K. , Melvin Tracy , Lindquist Eric , Carter Neil H.
Published: September 2018

Natural resource and wildlife managers must balance the disparate priorities of a diversity of stakeholders. To manage these priorities, a firm understanding of topics salient to the public is needed. The media often report on issues of importance to the public; therefore, these reports may be a useful measure of public interest. However, efficient methods for distinguishing diverse topics related to a wildlife management issue reported in the media and changes in the salience of those topics have been lacking. We used latent Dirichlet allocation, a Bayesian mixture model, to quantitatively assess the salience of topics surrounding the gray wolf (Canis lupus), which was reintroduced to Idaho (U.S.A.) in 1995. We analyzed articles published from 1960 to 2015 in an Idaho newspaper. We identified 6 distinct topics associated with gray wolves: policy, hunting, biological status, implementation of management, recovery, and human‐wolf conflict. The salience of topics pre‐ and postreintroduction of wolves (1995) and pre‐ and postdelisting of wolves from the U.S. Endangered Species Act (2009) differed significantly, underscoring that these events were turning points in how issues were being publicly discussed and framed. Articles written by the local reporters were more likely to report on topics regarding conflict between humans and wolves, whereas articles sourced from a national outlet reported more on topics pertaining to wolf policy and biological status. In the context of managing a contentious, far‐ranging, and long‐lived wildlife species, our methods can help guide the location and timing of a suite of management strategies (e.g., media relation plans and stakeholder engagement) that promote human‐wildlife coexistence across different landscapes.
The influence of light environment on host colour preference in a parasitoid wasp
Authors: Cochard Précillia , Galstian Tigran , Cloutier Conrad
Published: September 2018

1. Visual chromatic cues and contrast effects are widely used by insects in behaviours involving host/prey/mate‐finding and recognition. However, naturally changing light conditions may challenge the visual perception of cues for these organisms.

2. We used the host/parasitoid system Acyrthosiphon pisum/Aphidius ervi to determine if apparent visual preference of the wasp for green over pink host aphids was a visually based choice or a post‐attack mechanism based on host susceptibility depending on anti‐parasitoid symbiotic bacteria.

3. The study tested the ability of the wasp to recognise and attack pea aphid clones expressing variation based on colour and/or symbionts under a broad range of LED‐controlled light environments mimicking natural variations.

4. Results showed that the amount of reflected light of pink morphs was about half that of the green morphs in the cyan‐green components. Both host colours were recognised and attacked under all tested light conditions, even red light (660 nm). The previously reported preference of A. ervi for green pea aphids, was clear only for naive females given a choice between two aphid colours under all light environments, but quickly disappeared.

5. Wasps showed no tendency of avoiding oviposition in clones with defensive symbionts.

6. These findings suggest that variable rates of pea aphid parasitism by A. ervi in fields do not depend on host colour discrimination, but rather on susceptibility variation among aphid clones in allowing larval development after egg‐laying. Further studies should consider deeper investigation of the impact of red lights used in modified light environments in greenhouses and the proportion of host colour morph available.
Visual field and empty space
Authors: Laasik Kristjan
Published: September 2018

In a paper titled “Seeing Empty Space,” Louise Richardson argues for the thesis that seeing empty space involves a certain “structural feature,” namely, “it [s] seeming to one as if some region of space is one in which if some visible object were there, one would see it” (SF; Richardson, 2010, p. 237). I will argue that there is a reason to question whether a structural feature such as SF is needed in order to visually experience empty space. I will also propose that the visual experience of empty space does involve a quite different structural feature, underscoring the mediating role of empty space in visual experience.
Positioning Universities as Honest Knowledge Brokers: Best Practices for Communicating Research to Policymakers
Authors: Bogenschneider Karen
Published: September 2018

Universities are one of few institutions positioned to address a critical challenge facing the United States—the drift toward hyperpartisan and interest‐driven politics. To build better public policymaking, many policymakers have called for the rigorous research and dispassionate analysis that universities are well positioned to supply. To improve communication between knowledge producers and policy consumers, a framework is applied that specifies the types of conceptual and logistical knowledge that honest knowledge brokers need: know‐why (action is required), know‐about (barriers to research utilization in policymaking), know‐what (policy issue is timely and research is relevant), know‐who (to target), and know‐how (to effectively communicate research to policymakers). The experiences learned from the long‐standing Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars are used to describe the potential payoff when universities communicate high‐quality, nonpartisan research to policymakers. The article elaborates on best practices to leverage the deliberately dispassionate and disproportionately powerful contributions that universities can make to policymaking.
An Updated Literature Review of Distance Correlation and Its Applications to Time Series
Authors: Edelmann Dominic , Fokianos Konstantinos , Pitsillou Maria
Published: September 2018

The concept of distance covariance/correlation was introduced recently to characterise dependence among vectors of random variables. We review some statistical aspects of distance covariance/correlation function, and we demonstrate its applicability to time series analysis. We will see that the auto‐distance covariance/correlation function is able to identify non‐linear relationships and can be employed for testing the i.i.d. hypothesis. Comparisons with other measures of dependence are included.
Egg incubation temperature affects the timing of the Atlantic salmon Salmo salar homing migration
Authors: Jonsson Bror , Jonsson Nina
Published: September 2018

Here, we show that adult Atlantic salmon Salmo salar returned about 2 weeks later from the feeding areas in the North Atlantic Ocean to the Norwegian coast, through a phenotypically plastic mechanism, when they developed as embryos in c. 3°C warmer water than the regular incubation temperature. This finding has relevance to changes in migration timing caused by climate change and for cultivation and release of S. salar.
Inpatient mortality and its predictors after pericardiocentesis: An analysis from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2009–2013
Authors: Sethi Ankur , Singbal Yash , Kodumuri Vamsi , Prasad Vinoy
Published: September 2018

Background

National registries have provided data on in‐hospital outcomes for several cardiac procedures. The available data on in‐hospital outcomes and its predictors after pericardiocentesis are mostly derived from single center studies. Furthermore, the outcomes after pericardiocentesis for iatrogenic pericardial effusion and the impact of procedural volume on in‐hospital outcomes in the United States are largely unknown.

Methods

We used national inpatient database files for the years 2009–2013 to estimate the inpatient outcomes after pericardiocentesis in all‐comers and in the subgroups with iatrogenic effusion. We also studied the impact of hospital procedural volume, among other predictors, on inpatient mortality.

Results

About 64,070 (95%CI 61 008‐67 051) pericardiocentesis were performed in the United States during 2009‐2013. Of these, 57.15% (56.02‐58.26%) of the pericardiocentesis were in hemodynamically unstable patients. Percutaneous cardiac procedures were performed in 17.7% of patients (percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) 4.02%, electrophysiologic procedures 13.58%, and structural heart intervention (SHI) 0.76%). Overall inpatient mortality was 12.30% (95%CI 11.66‐12.96%). Inpatient mortality after PCI, electrophysiologic procedures, SHI and cardiac surgery were 27.67% (95%CI 24‐31.67%), 7.8% (95%CI 6.67‐9.31%), 22.36% (95%CI 15.06‐31.85%) and 18.97% (95%CI 15.84‐22.57%), respectively. There was an inverse association between hospital procedural volume and inpatient mortality, with a mortality of 14.01% (12.84‐15.26%) at the lowest and 10.82% (9.44‐12.37%) at highest quartile hospitals by procedure volume (ptrend = 0.001).

Conclusion

The inpatient mortality after pericardiocentesis is high, particularly when associated with PCI and SHI.
The Role of Awareness and Cognitive Aptitudes in L2 Predictive Language Processing
Authors: Curcic Maja , Andringa Sible , Kuiken Folkert
Published: September 2018

This study investigated whether second language (L2) learners can develop predictive processing of determiners after a brief exposure to a novel language, and whether this depends on learners’ awareness for the target structure and their cognitive aptitudes. One hundred L2 learners received auditory exposure to a miniature language based on Fijian that included a determiner–noun agreement pattern. Learners’ processing of determiners was measured using a picture‐matching task with eye tracking. We found that learners learned to anticipate the coming noun based on the determiner; they also gained a speed advantage. Learners’ awareness played a crucial role in such anticipatory processing; only learners who were aware that determiners helped them during the test (i.e., prediction‐aware learners) showed signs of anticipatory processing. The aptitude variables did not modulate learners’ processing abilities, but there were links between aptitude and learners’ abilities to develop different levels of awareness.
SNP rs688 within the low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDL‐R) gene associates with HCV susceptibility
Authors: Steba Gaby S. , Koekkoek Sylvie M. , Tanck Michael W. T. , Vanhommerig Joost W. , van der Meer Jan T. M. , Kwa David , Brinkman Kees , Prins Maria , Berkhout Ben , Pollakis Georgios , Molenkamp Richard , Schinkel Janke , Paxton William A. ,   the MOSAIC (MSM observational Study of Acute infection with Hepatitis C) Study Group and the ACS (Amsterdam Cohort Studies)
Published: September 2018

Background & Aims

Despite high‐risk behaviour, 10%‐20% of HCV multiple exposed individuals remain uninfected (MEU), whilst the remainder become infected (MEI). We hypothesize that host factors play a role in HCV susceptibility. We aimed to identify polymorphisms in host genes that encode for proteins involved in viral entry: CD81, Scavenger receptor 1 (SR‐1), Low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDL‐R), Claudin‐1 (CLDN1), Occludin (OCLN) and Niemann‐Pick C1–like 1 (NPC1L1).

Methods

Multiple exposed infected and MEU from two observational cohorts were selected. From the MSM study of acute infection with HCV (MOSAIC), HIV‐1 infected MEU cases (n = 30) and HIV‐1 infected MEI controls (n = 32) were selected based on reported high‐risk behaviour. From the Amsterdam Cohorts Studies (ACS) injecting drug users (IDU) cohort, MEU cases (n = 40) and MEI controls (n = 22) were selected who injected drugs for ≥2 years, in the nineties, when HCV incidence was high. Selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were determined by sequencing or SNP assays.

Results

No associations were found for SNPs within genes coding for CD81, SR‐1, Claudin‐1 or Occludin between the MEU and MEI individuals from either cohort. We did observe a significant association for rs688 within the LDL‐R gene with HCV infection (OR: 0.41 P = 0.001), however, LDL cholesterol levels did not vary between individuals carrying the differential SNPs. Additionally, a marginal significant effect was found for rs217434 and rs2072183 (OR: 2.07 P = 0.032 and OR: 1.76 P = 0.039, respectively) within NPC1L1.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that the rs688 SNP within the LDL‐R gene associates with HCV susceptibility through mucosal as well as intravenous exposure.
Debt in just societies: A general framework for regulating credit
Authors: Linarelli John
Published: September 2018

Debt presents a dilemma to societies: successful societies benefit from a substantial infrastructure of consumer, commercial, corporate, and sovereign debt but debt can cause substantial private and social harm. Pre‐crisis and post‐crisis solutions have seesawed between subsidizing and restricting debt, between leveraging and deleveraging. A consensus exists among governments and international financial institutions that financial stability is the fundamental normative principle underlying financial regulation. Financial stability, however, is insensitive to equality concerns and can produce morally impermissible aggregations in which the least advantaged in a society are made worse off. Solutions based only on financial stability can restrict debt without accounting for the risk of harm to persons least able to bear the risk, worsen preexisting inequalities, destroy or impair the net worth of households, and impose unfavorable distributive consequences. This article offers a new approach to assist policymakers in developing and evaluating regulation to take criteria in addition to financial stability into account, but which do not undermine the aim of financial stability. It calls for a luck egalitarian approach, offering policymakers options to take the debtor's choices into account while still accounting for cognitive mistakes people often make in debt decisionmaking. It offers a general framework for the underlying principles for the regulation of debt: its focus is not on any particular forms of debt or its regulation but in structuring debt regulation more generally. It offers a set of recommendations on how regulators can take concerns about luck and equality into account in regulatory design.
Is it better to be mixed in group lending?
Authors: Reito Francesco
Published: September 2018

This paper shows that, in a group‐lending scheme with joint liability, a microfinance institution can achieve a Pareto improvement by promoting negative assortative matching among borrowers. The main results are: (i) borrowers may be better off in heterogeneous groups; and (ii) a heterogeneous group equilibrium is possible when individual or homogeneous group equilibria do not exist.
Automated selection of post‐strata using a model‐assisted regression tree estimator
Authors: McConville Kelly S. , Toth Daniell
Published: September 2018

Despite having desirable properties, model‐assisted estimators are rarely used in anything but their simplest form to produce official statistics. This is due to the fact that the more complicated models are often ill suited to the available auxiliary data. Under a model‐assisted framework, we propose a regression tree estimator for a finite‐population total. Regression tree models are adept at handling the type of auxiliary data usually available in the sampling frame and provide a model that is easy to explain and justify. The estimator can be viewed as a post‐stratification estimator where the post‐strata are automatically selected by the recursive partitioning algorithm of the regression tree. We establish consistency of the regression tree estimator and a variance estimator, along with asymptotic normality of the regression tree estimator. We compare the performance of our estimator to other survey estimators using the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics Survey data.
Physical inactivity caused economic burden depends on regional cultural differences
Authors: Mattli Renato , Wieser Simon , Probst‐Hensch Nicole , Schmidt‐Trucksäss Arno , Schwenkglenks Matthias
Published: September 2018

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for numerous non‐communicable diseases which dominate the overall burden of disease in Switzerland. We aimed to estimate the burden attributable to adult physical inactivity in Switzerland and its three culturally different language regions from a societal perspective in terms of disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), medical costs, and productivity losses. The burden of physical inactivity was estimated with a population attributable fractions (PAFs) approach. PAFs were calculated based on the prevalence of physical inactivity in the Swiss Health Survey and literature‐based adjusted risk ratios of disease incidence. These PAFs were then applied to the total burden of the diseases related to physical inactivity. Physical inactivity was responsible for 2.0% (95%CI 1.7%‐2.2%) of total DALYs lost and 1.2% (95%CI 1.0%‐1.3%) of total medical costs in 2013. This is equivalent to 116 (95%CI 99‐135) Swiss francs per capita per year. Productivity losses were valued at 117 (95%CI 94‐142) Swiss francs per capita per year. The two diseases which caused the highest economic burden were low back pain and depression. The analysis of regional differences revealed that the per capita burden of physical inactivity is about twice as high in the French‐ and Italian‐speaking regions compared to the German‐speaking region. Reasons include a higher prevalence of physical inactivity, higher per capita health care spending, and higher disease prevalence. Cost‐effectiveness analysis of related interventions should consider regional differences for optimal resource allocation in physical activity promotion policies.
A methodological review of the quality of reporting of surveys in transfusion medicine
Authors: Pagano Monica B. , Dunbar Nancy M. , Tinmouth Alan , Apelseth Torunn Oveland , Lozano Miguel , Cohn Claudia S. , Stanworth Simon J. ,   on behalf of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Surveys are a common tool used to gather information about practices across many medical specialties. The quality of survey reporting impacts the strength of any conclusions. Thorough and accurate reporting of survey‐based research is critical for evaluation of the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the results. The objective of this study was to appraise the quality of recently reported surveys in transfusion medicine (TM).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify studies evaluating clinical practices in TM that used a questionnaire as the research tool and were published between January 2001 and November 2017. Manuscripts that met eligible criteria were appraised using a modified Survey Reporting Guideline questionnaire.

RESULTS

The search identified 1632 references, from which 54 abstracts met eligibility criteria for analysis. Only seven (13%) manuscripts reported reliability and validity of the survey tool, 26 (48%) provided a description of the survey population and sample frame, and 11 (20%) indicated the representativeness of the underlying population. Additional reporting limitations included 31 (57%) manuscripts reporting the response rate calculation, two (4%) the analysis of nonresponse error, nine (17%) the method description for handling of missing data, 11 (20%) the analysis of responder and nonresponder characteristics, and 23 (43%) explicitly discussed the generalizability of the results.

CONCLUSION

Our findings document quality deficiencies in the reporting of research conducted using surveys in TM. Validated guidelines for the reporting of survey‐based clinical research should be developed and applied to improve the quality of survey reporting in TM.
ACOUSTICAL STANDARDS NEWS
Authors: Struck Christopher J.
Published: September 2018

American National Standards (ANSI Standards) developed by Accredited Standards Committees S1, S2, S3, S3/SC 1, and S12 in the areas of acoustics, mechanical vibration and shock, bioacoustics, animal bioacoustics, and noise, respectively, are published by the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). In addition to these standards, ASA publishes a catalog of Acoustical American National Standards. To receive a copy of the latest Standards catalog, please contact asastds@acousticalsociety.org.

Comments are welcomed on all material in Acoustical Standards News.

This Acoustical Standards News section in JASA and other information on the Standards Program of the Acoustical Society of America are available via the ASA home page: http://acousticalsociety.org.
Dominant effect of relative tropical Atlantic warming on major hurricane occurrence
Authors: Murakami H. , Levin E. , Delworth T. L. , Gudgel R. , Hsu P.-C.
Published: September 2018

Warm water and big winds

The 2017 North Atlantic hurricane season was highly active, with six major storms—nearly two standard deviations above the normal number. Three of those storms made landfall over the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean, causing terrible damage and loss. Why was the season so fierce? Murakami
et al.
used a suite of high-resolution model experiments to show that the main cause was pronounced warm sea surface conditions in the tropical North Atlantic. This effect was distinct from La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean that were involved in other years. It remains unclear how important anthropogenic forcing may be in causing such increased hurricane activity.

Science
, this issue p.
794
Hierarchically porous polymer coatings for highly efficient passive daytime radiative cooling
Authors: Mandal Jyotirmoy , Fu Yanke , Overvig Adam C. , Jia Mingxin , Sun Kerui , Shi Norman N. , Zhou Hua , Xiao Xianghui , Yu Nanfang , Yang Yuan
Published: September 2018

Painting on the cool

Passive radiative cooling materials emit heat. They can reduce the need for air conditioning by providing daytime cooling but are often challenging to apply to rooftops and other building surfaces. Mandal
et al.
fabricated porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) to create an excellent radiative cooling material. Better yet, the polymer is easy to paint or spray onto a wide range of surfaces, has good durability, and can even be dyed. This makes it a promising candidate for widespread use as a high-performance passive radiative cooling material.

Science
, this issue p.
315
Limitations and Confusing Aspects of Diagnostic Testing for Neurologic Lyme Disease in the United States
Authors: Theel Elitza S. , Aguero-Rosenfeld Maria E. , Pritt Bobbi , Adem Patricia V. , Wormser Gary P.
Published: September 2018

In the United States, laboratories frequently offer multiple different assays for testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples to provide laboratory support for the diagnosis of central nervous system Lyme disease (CNSLD). Often included among these diagnostic tests are the same enzyme immunoassays and immunoblots that are routinely used to detect the presence of antibodies to
Borrelia burgdorferi
in serum.
Epidemiology and aetiology of paediatric traumatic cardiac arrest in England and Wales
Authors: Vassallo James , Webster Melanie , Barnard Edward B G , Lyttle Mark D , Smith Jason E
Published: September 2018

Objective

To describe the epidemiology and aetiology of paediatric traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) in England and Wales.

Design

Population-based analysis of the UK Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) database.

Patients and setting

All paediatric and adolescent patients with TCA recorded on the TARN database for a 10-year period (2006–2015).

Measures

Patient demographics, Injury Severity Score (ISS), location of TCA (‘prehospital only’, ‘in-hospital only’ or ‘both’), interventions performed and outcome.

Results

21 710 paediatric patients were included in the database; 129 (0.6%) sustained TCA meeting study inclusion criteria. The majority, 103 (79.8%), had a prehospital TCA. 62.8% were male, with a median age of 11.7 (3.4–16.6) years, and a median ISS of 34 (25–45). 110 (85.3%) had blunt injuries, with road-traffic collision the most common mechanism (n=73, 56.6%). 123 (95.3%) had severe haemorrhage and/or traumatic brain injury. Overall 30-day survival was 5.4% ((95% CI 2.6 to 10.8), n=7). ‘Pre-hospital only’ TCA was associated with significantly higher survival (n=6) than those with TCA in both ‘pre-hospital and in-hospital’ (n=1)—13.0% (95% CI 6.1% to 25.7%) and 1.2% (95% CI 0.1% to 6.4%), respectively, p<0.05. The greatest survival (n=6, 10.3% (95% CI 4.8% to 20.8%)) was observed in those transported to a paediatric major trauma centre (MTC) (defined as either a paediatric-only MTC or combined adult-paediatric MTC).

Conclusions

Survival is possible from the resuscitation of children in TCA, with overall survival comparable to that reported in adults. The highest survival was observed in those with a pre-hospital only TCA, and those who were transported to an MTC. Early identification and aggressive management of paediatric TCA is advocated.
Massive gastric dilatation leading to acute respiratory distress 1 year after a Nissen fundoplication
Authors: Sohrabi Fareeda , DiMaggio Francesco , Alasadi Ala , Mukherjee Dipankar
Published: September 2018

Acute massive gastric dilatation (AMGD) is a recognised complication after Nissen fundoplication.1A 63-year-old man recently presented to our emergency department in acute respiratory distress, acute abdominal pain and distension, having had an elective umbilical port incisional hernia repair a day prior. In the year preceding his presentation, the patient had undergone a laparoscopic paraoesophageal hiatus hernia repair and excision of sac, posterior cruropexy, dual mesh reinforcement of repair and 360° fundoplication, as a day case. In between these two events, the patient was asymptomatic, and had a free diet with no further medical or surgical intervention. We hereby present successful management and discuss implications of this exceptional yet potentially life-threatening complication.
Acromioclavicular joint cyst formation in a patient with rotator cuff-tear arthropathy: a rare cause of shoulder discomfort
Authors: Maziak Nina , Plachel Fabian , Scheibel Markus , Moroder Philipp
Published: September 2018

We report a case of a 77-year-old man who presented to our shoulder department with a soft tissue mass on his right acromioclavicular (AC) joint. Previously attempted puncture aspiration had revealed serous fluid retention which recurred after each of several drainage attempts. Conventional radiography and MRI of the affected shoulder joint demonstrated a progressed cuff-tear arthropathy with an irreparable tear of the supraspinatus tendon, static superior migration of the humeral head, opening of the AC joint capsule and a superior joint-fluid ‘eruption’ and accumulation called ‘Geyser sign’. Given that the patient’s cuff-tear arthropathy was very well compensated, arthroscopic rotator cuff debridement and open cyst excision were performed. Closure of the superior aspect of the AC joint capsule was performed by the aid of a collagen matrix with additional closure of the deltotrapezial fascia. One year postoperatively, no cyst recurrence was noted.
Pneumonia and bacteraemia caused by Gemella morbillorum in a previously healthy infant: first reported case in literature
Authors: Hussain Sara , Hussain Sahar , Ashraf Mohamed
Published: September 2018

A 5-month-old baby presented with a low-grade fever and tachypnoea and was found to have right upper lobe consolidation on chest radiograph. He was admitted with the diagnosis of bronchopneumonia and the treatment protocol for pneumonia was initiated. Blood culture samples were collected, and he was started on a course of intravenous amoxicillin–clavulanate. Blood culture results displayed pansensitive Gemella morbillorum bacteraemia and he was continued on intravenous antibiotic to which he responded in a short period and was discharged in good condition on the fourth day.
Gastric emphysema secondary to severe vomiting: a comparative review of 14 cases
Authors: Inayat Faisal , Zafar Fahad , Zaman Muhammad Adnan , Hussain Qulsoom
Published: September 2018

Gastric emphysema is characterised by the presence of air within the wall of the stomach. The radiographic finding of gastric emphysema with hepatic portal venous gas is classically an ominous sign, associated with a high mortality rate. We report one case from our clinical experience and undertake a review of the previously reported cases of vomiting-induced gastric emphysema retrieved from the PubMed. A total of 14 cases were found to date. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 45.6 years (range, 9 months to 81 years). Computed tomography abdomen was the frequently used diagnostic modality. Interestingly, conservative treatment led to a clinical cure and resolution of gastric emphysema as well as the associated hepatic portal venous gas in most of the patients. This review illustrates that vomiting-related gastric emphysema entails a more benign course and surgical intervention can be avoided with a prompt aetiology establishment in these patients.
International study of video review of concussion in professional sports
Authors: Davis Gavin A , Makdissi Michael , Bloomfield Paul , Clifton Patrick , Echemendia Ruben J , Falvey Éanna Cian , Fuller Gordon Ward , Green Gary , Harcourt Peter Rex , Hill Thomas , McGuirk Nathan , Meeuwisse Willem , Orchard John W , Raftery Martin , Sills Allen K , Solomon Gary S , Valadka Alex , McCrory Paul
Published: September 2018

Background

Video review has become an important tool in professional sporting codes to help sideline identification and management of players with a potential concussion.

Aim

To assess current practices related to video review of concussion in professional sports internationally, and compare protocols and diagnostic criteria used to identify and manage potential concussions.

Methods

Current concussion management guidelines from professional national and international sporting codes were reviewed. Specific criteria and definitions of video signs associated with concussion were compared between codes. Rules and regulations adopted across the codes for processes around video review were also assessed.

Results

Six sports with specific diagnostic criteria and definitions for signs of concussion identified on video review participated in this study (Australian football, American football, world rugby, cricket, rugby league and ice hockey). Video signs common to all sports include
lying motionless/loss of responsiveness
and
motor incoordination
. The video signs considered by the majority of sports as most predictive of a diagnosis of concussion include
motor incoordination, impact seizure, tonic posturing
and
lying motionless.
Regulatory requirements, sideline availability of video, medical expertise of video reviewers and use of spotters differ across sports and geographical boundaries. By and large, these differences reflect a pragmatic approach from each sport, with limited underlying research and development of the video review process in some instances.

Conclusions

The use of video analysis in assisting medical staff with the diagnosis or identification of potential concussion is well established across different sports internationally. The diagnostic criteria used and the expertise of the video review personnel are not clearly established, and research efforts would benefit from a collaborative harmonisation across sporting codes.
Cardiac consequences of spinal cord injury: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Williams Alexandra Mackenzie , Gee Cameron Marshall , Voss Christine , West Christopher Roy
Published: September 2018

Objective

Conduct a meta-analysis to determine the impact of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) on echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular (LV) structure and function.

Methods

MEDLINE and Embase were used for primary searches of studies reporting LV echocardiographic data in individuals with SCI. Of 378 unique citations, 36 relevant full-text articles were retrieved, and data from 27 studies were extracted for meta-analyses. Literature searches, article screening and data extraction were completed by two independent reviewers and compared for agreement. Primary analyses compared echocardiographic indices between individuals with SCI and able-bodied individuals, using a random effects model.

Results

Data are reported as pooled effect estimates (95% CI). Data from 22 articles (474 participants) were included in the primary meta-analysis. Compared with able-bodied individuals, individuals with SCI had reductions to LV stroke volume of 11.8 mL (95% CI −17.8 to −5.9, p<0.001), end-diastolic volume of 19.6 mL (95% CI −27.2 to −11.9, p<0.001) and LV massindex of −7.7 g/m2 (95% CI −11.6 to −3.8, p<0.001), but ejection fraction was not different between the groups (95% CI −2.6% to 0.6%, p=0.236). Individuals with SCI also had altered indices of diastolic function, specifically a lowered ratio of early-to-late filling velocities (p=0.039), and augmented ratio of early diastolic flow-to-tissue velocities (p=0.021).

Conclusions

Individuals with SCI have smaller LV volumes and mass, and altered systolic and diastolic function. While this meta-analysis demonstrates important alterations to echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function at rest, future work should consider the impacts of SCI on the heart’s capacity or ‘reserve’ to respond to physiological challenges.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42017072333.
Happy birthday? An observational study
Authors: Kelly Gabrielle E , Kelleher Cecily C
Published: September 2018

Background

Previous studies show contradictory findings on the relationship between birthday and deathday, in particular whether people postpone death until after their birthday. We examine the phenomenon in eight groups of famous people.

Methods

Birthday and deathday for the following groups were recorded: British prime ministers, US presidents, Academy Award best actor, best female actor, best director, Nobel Prize winners, Wimbledon men’s and ladies' singles winners, all from when records began. For each group, the difference in days between the deathday and birthday was calculated. Under the hypothesis of no association, one can expect the difference to have a uniform distribution. This is assessed using goodness-of-fit tests on a circle.

Results

All groups showed some departure from the uniform and it occurred around the birthday in all groups. British prime ministers, US presidents, Academy Award actors and directors, Nobel Prize winners and Wimbledon men show a ’dip' in deaths around the birthday. The length of the ’dip' varied between the groups and so they gave different p-values on different test statistics. For Academy Award female actors and Wimbledon ladies, there was rise in deaths before and after birthday. When Nobel Prize winners were subdivided into their categories, Science and Literature had a ’dip' around the birthday, but not other categories.

Conclusions

We conclude ’something' happens to deathday around the birthday. Some groups of famous people show a ’dip' in death rate around the birthday while for others, particularly women, the association is in the opposite direction.
Temporal trends in cardiovascular risk factors and performance of the Framingham Risk Score and the Pooled Cohort Equations
Authors: Rospleszcz Susanne , Thorand Barbara , de las Heras Gala Tonia , Meisinger Christa , Holle Rolf , Koenig Wolfgang , Mansmann Ulrich , Peters Annette
Published: September 2018

Background

The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) are established tools for the prediction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. In the Western world, decreases in incidence rates of CVD were observed over the last 30 years. Thus, we hypothesise that there are also temporal trends in the risk prediction performance of the FRS and PCE from 1990 to 2000.

Methods

We used data from n=7789 men and women aged 40–74 years from three prospective population-based cohort studies enrolled in Southern Germany in 1989/1990, 1994/1995 and 1999/2000. 10-year CVD risk was calculated by recalibrated equations of the FRS or PCE. Calibration was evaluated by percentage of overestimation and Hosmer-Lemeshow tests. Discrimination performance was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and corresponding area under the curve (AUC).

Results

Across the three studies, we found significant temporal trends in risk factor distributions and predicted risks by both risk scores (men: 18.0%, 15.4%, 14.9%; women: 8.7%, 11.2%, 10.8%). Furthermore, also the discrimination performance evolved differently for men (AUC PCE: 76.4, 76.1, 72.8) and women (AUC PCE: 75.9, 79.5, 80.5). Both risk scores overestimated actual CVD risk.

Conclusion

There are temporal trends in the performance of the FRS and PCE. Although the overall performance remains adequate, sex-specific trends have to be taken into account for further refinement of risk prediction models.
Genetic profile and onset features of 1005 patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in Japan
Authors: Yoshimura Akiko , Yuan Jun-Hui , Hashiguchi Akihiro , Ando Masahiro , Higuchi Yujiro , Nakamura Tomonori , Okamoto Yuji , Nakagawa Masanori , Takashima Hiroshi
Published: September 2018

Objective 

To identify the genetic characteristics in a large-scale of patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT).

Methods

From May 2012 to August 2016, we collected 1005 cases with suspected CMT throughout Japan, whereas PMP22 duplication/deletion were excluded in advance for demyelinating CMT cases. We performed next-generation sequencing targeting CMT-related gene panels using Illumina MiSeq or Ion Proton, then analysed the gene-specific onset age of the identified cases and geographical differences in terms of their genetic spectrum.

Results 

From 40 genes, we identified pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in 301 cases (30.0%). The most common causative genes were GJB1 (n=66, 21.9%), MFN2 (n=66, 21.9%) and MPZ (n=51, 16.9%). In demyelinating CMT, variants were detected in 45.7% cases, and the most common reasons were GJB1 (40.3%), MPZ (27.1%), PMP22 point mutations (6.2%) and NEFL (4.7%). Axonal CMT yielded a relatively lower detection rate (22.9%), and the leading causes, occupying 72.4%, were MFN2 (37.2%), MPZ (9.0%), HSPB1 (8.3%), GJB1 (7.7%), GDAP1 (5.1%) and MME (5.1%). First decade of life was found as the most common disease onset period, and early-onset CMT cases were most likely to receive a molecular diagnosis. Geographical distribution analysis indicated distinctive genetic spectrums in different regions of Japan.

Conclusions 

Our results updated the genetic profile within a large-scale of Japanese CMT cases. Subsequent analyses regarding onset age and geographical distribution advanced our understanding of CMT, which would be beneficial for clinicians.
Hypoadrenocorticism in two cats successfully treated with desoxycorticosterone pivalate
Authors: Reimann Franziska , Siol Stefanie , Schlüter Charlotte , Neiger Reto
Published: September 2018

Two cats were presented with lethargy and anorexia. Clinically, the cats showed hypothermia and dehydration. Blood examination in both cats showed hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia and additionally azotaemia in case 1 and hypercalcaemia in case 2. In both cats, an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test showed an insufficient stimulation of the adrenal glands. In case 1, markedly elevated endogenous ACTH was additionally measured. Both cats were successfully treated with a combination of desoxycorticosterone pivalate (DOCP) and prednisolone (0.15 mg/kg daily). Case 1 received a final concentration of 2.6 mg/kg DOCP every 30 days, while case 2 was successfully managed with 2.2 mg/kg every 28 days. These rare cases of feline hypoadrenocorticism demonstrate that DOCP can be used similarly as in dogs.
The role of management instruments in the diversion of organic municipal solid waste and phosphorus recycling
Authors: Treadwell Jillian L. , Bennett Elena M. , Clark O. Grant
Published: September 2018

Organic waste, which contains essential plant nutrients such as phosphorus, constitutes 30%–50% of municipal solid waste in developed countries. Unfortunately, much of this resource is buried in landfills or incinerated. Many jurisdictions have, therefore, adopted the diversion of organic waste and the recycling of nutrients as policy goals. We used data sets from Europe and Ontario, Canada, to explore the impact of socio-economic and management factors on the rates of organic waste diversion and examined the effect of this diversion on phosphorus recycling. Organic diversion rates were highly correlated with income in Europe and with infrastructure, such as source-separated organic waste collection, in Ontario. Significant correlations were also observed between diversion rates and the use of policy instruments such as economic incentives, legislative organic waste bans, and curbside bag limits. We estimated that 39%–63% of the phosphorus in diverted organics is returned to arable land. Ultimately, we found that although socio-economic factors influence the success of organic waste diversion, policies, accessible infrastructure, economic incentives, and legislative requirements can be leveraged to improve the recycling rate of organic waste and the nutrients they contain.
The study of a half-spin relativistic particle in the rotating cosmic string space–time
Authors: Wang Bing-Qian , Long Zheng-Wen , Long Chao-Yun , Wu Shu-Rui
Published: September 2018

In this paper, a charged half-spin particle depicted by the Dirac equation in the presence of a uniform magnetic field and a mixed potential are analyzed in the rotating cosmic string space–time. In order to facilitate this study, we assume that the symmetrical center of the potential is on the string and the magnetic field is parallel to the string. Based on the functional analysis method, we obtain the energy eigenvalues for different physical situations. It shows that the energy levels of the system depend explicitly on the angular deficit [Formula: see text] and the rotational parameter [Formula: see text] which characterize the global structure of the metric in the space–time of the rotating cosmic string.
Time-dependent barrier passage of one-dimensional fractional damping reactive system
Authors: Wang Chun-Yang , Sun Zhao-Peng , Qing Ming , Xu Yu-Qing
Published: September 2018

The time-dependent barrier passage of a Brownian particle diffusing in the fractional damping environment is studied by using the reactive flux method. Characteristic quantities such as the rate constant and stationary transmission coefficient are computed for a thimbleful of insight into the barrier escaping dynamics. Results show that the barrier recrossing of the fractional damping reactive system is obviously weakened. And the nonmonotonic varying of the stationary transmission coefficient reveals a close dependence of the escaping process on the fractional damping properties. The time-dependent barrier passage of one-dimensional fractional damping reactive process is found very similar to the two-dimensional non-Ohmic case.