bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mast Cell–Dependent CD8+ T-cell Recruitment Mediates Immune Surveillance of Intestinal Tumors in ApcMin/+ Mice
Authors: Bodduluri Sobha R. , Mathis Steven , Maturu Paramahamsa , Krishnan Elangovan , Satpathy Shuchismita R. , Chilton Paula M. , Mitchell Thomas C. , Lira Sergio , Locati Massimo , Mantovani Alberto , Jala Venkatakrishna R. , Haribabu Bodduluri
Published: January 2018

The presence of mast cells in some human colorectal cancers is a positive prognostic factor, but the basis for this association is incompletely understood. Here, we found that mice with a heterozygous mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli gene (ApcMin/+) displayed reduced intestinal tumor burdens and increased survival in a chemokine decoy receptor, ACKR2-null background, which led to discovery of a critical role for mast cells in tumor defense. ACKR2–/–ApcMin/+ tumors showed increased infiltration of mast cells, their survival advantage was lost in mast cell–deficient ACKR2–/–SA–/–ApcMin/+ mice as the tumors grew rapidly, and adoptive transfer of mast cells restored control of tumor growth. Mast cells from ACKR2–/– mice showed elevated CCR2 and CCR5 expression and were also efficient in antigen presentation and activation of CD8+ T cells. Mast cell–derived leukotriene B4 (LTB4) was found to be required for CD8+ T lymphocyte recruitment, as mice lacking the LTB4 receptor (ACKR2–/–BLT1–/–ApcMin/+) were highly susceptible to intestinal tumor-induced mortality. Taken together, these data demonstrate that chemokine-mediated recruitment of mast cells is essential for initiating LTB4/BLT1-regulated CD8+ T-cell homing and generation of effective antitumor immunity against intestinal tumors. We speculate that the pathway reported here underlies the positive prognostic significance of mast cells in selected human tumors. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(3); 332–47. ©2018 AACR.
New Hydrogels Enriched with Antioxidants from Saffron Crocus Can Find Applications in Wound Treatment and/or Beautification
Authors: Zeka Keti , Ruparelia Ketan C. , Sansone Claudia , Macchiarelli Guido , Continenza Maria Adelaide , Arroo Randolph R.J.
Published: January 2018

Saffron extracts have a long history of application as skin protectant, possibly due to their ability to scavenge free radicals. In this work, the performance of a hydrogel enriched with antioxidant compounds isolated from saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.) petals was tested. These hydrogels could be considered as new drug delivery system. Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer networks that absorb large quantities of water but retain the properties of a solid, thus making ideal dressings for sensitive skin. We tested antioxidant-enriched hydrogels on primary mouse fibroblasts. Hydrogels enriched with kaempferol and crocin extracted from saffron petals showed good biocompatibility with in vitro cultured fibroblasts. These new types of hydrogels may find applications in wound treatment and/or beautification.
Completeness and Legibility of Handwritten Prescriptions in Sana’a, Yemen
Authors: Mohammed Al-Worafi Yaser , Patel Rahul P. , Zaidi Syed Tabish Razi , Mohammed Alseragi Wafa , Saeed Almutairi Masaad , Saleh Alkhoshaiban Ali , Ming Long Chiau
Published: January 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the completeness and legibility of prescriptions dispensed in community pharmacies located in Sana’a, Yemen. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 23 randomly selected community pharmacies throughout the capital city of Sana’a, Yemen, from May 2015 to January 2016. A total of 2,178 prescriptions were analyzed for the essential elements of a complete prescription using a validated checklist. Results: Of the 2,178 prescriptions, 19 (0.87%) were considered to be of good quality. The remaining 2,159 (99.12%) were considered as being of very poor quality. Writing errors relating to patients and prescribed medications were the most common errors. Conclusion: In this study, the quality of prescription writing was found to be very poor. Hence, continuous professional development programs are recommended to improve the quality of prescription writing among physicians. Future studies in other cities and investigation of the impact of continuous educational programs on the quality of prescription writing are strongly recommended.
Hospital Variation in Adherence Rates to Secondary Prevention Medications and the Implications on Quality
Authors: Mathews Robin , Wang William , Kaltenbach Lisa A. , Thomas Laine , Shah Rashmee U. , Ali Murtuza , Peterson Eric D. , Wang Tracy Y.
Published: January 2018

Background:

Medication adherence is important to improve the long-term outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (MI). We hypothesized that there is significant variation among US hospitals in terms of medication adherence after MI, and that patients treated at hospitals with higher medication adherence after MI will have better long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods:

We identified 19 704 Medicare patients discharged after acute MI from 347 US hospitals participating in the ACTION Registry-GWTG (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry-Get With the Guidelines) from January 2, 2007, to October 1, 2010. Using linked Medicare Part D prescription filling data, medication adherence was defined as proportion of days covered >80% within 90 days after discharge. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to compare 2-year major adverse cardiovascular events among hospitals with high, moderate, and low 90-day medication adherence.

Results:

By 90 days after MI, overall rates of adherence to medications prescribed at discharge were 68% for β-blockers, 63% for statins, 64% for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and 72% for thienopyridines. Adherence to these medications up to 90 days varied significantly among hospitals: β-blockers (proportion of days covered >80%; 59% to 75%), statins (55% to 69%), thienopyridines (64% to 77%), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (57% to 69%). Compared with hospitals in the lowest quartile of 90-day composite medication adherence, hospitals with the highest adherence had lower unadjusted and adjusted 2-year major adverse cardiovascular event risk (27.5% versus 35.3%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.80–0.96). High-adherence hospitals also had lower adjusted rates of death or readmission (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.85–0.96), whereas there was no difference in mortality after adjustment.

Conclusions:

Use of secondary prevention medications after discharge varies significantly among US hospitals and is inversely associated with 2-year outcomes. Hospitals may improve medication adherence after discharge and patient outcomes through better coordination of care between inpatient and outpatient settings.
Panagrellus levitatus sp. n. (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae), a nematode suppressing Drosophila melanogaster in laboratory cultures
Authors: Ivanova Elena , Perfilieva Ksenia , Spiridonov Sergei
Published: January 2018

A new nematode species recovered from the laboratory culture ofDrosophila melanogasteris described and illustrated. The mass reproduction ofPanagrellus levitatussp. n. in the fly culture occurred several times and resulted in a significant reduction of the fly population. Nematode outbreaks happened after the introduction ofD. melanogasterto the culture from natural sources. The new species is morphologically similar toP. ulmi. Partial LSU rDNA and SSU rDNA sequences were obtained and subjected to phylogenetic analysis that demonstrated the affinity of the new species withPanagrellussp. ‘MC2014’ from a red palm weevil. For the first time, the dauer juveniles ofPanagrelluswere described.
The Short-Term Deterrent Effect of Executions: An Analysis of Daily Homicide Counts
Authors: Hong Moonki , Kleck Gary
Published: January 2018

Does capital punishment exert any deterrent effect on homicide, above and beyond the effects of noncapital punishment? We hypothesized that potential deterrent effects should be strongest within a few days of executions because that was when news coverage peaked. We examined data on newspaper and national television news coverage, and found that it was largely confined to the period within a few days of executions. We analyzed state homicide counts for individual days from 1979 through 1998 ( n = 372,555 state-days), following the methods of Grogger and controlling for size of the prison population. We found no significant homicide drops corresponding to temporal patterns of news coverage, with one exception: a small but significant drop on the days executions occurred.
Do Party Manifestos Matter in Policy-Making? Capacities, Incentives and Outcomes of Electoral Programmes in France
Authors: Brouard Sylvain , Grossman Emiliano , Guinaudeau Isabelle , Persico Simon , Froio Caterina
Published: January 2018

A key factor in modern democracies’ legitimisation is the extent to which policies submitted for public approval before an election translate into material outcomes once a political party has won power. Current research finds no clear empirical evidence for partisanship in policy-making nor has any unified theory been offered or tested systematically. This article addresses that gap by offering a conditional approach to policy-making undertaken by parties in government. It suggests that partisan influence on policy depends on both office-holders’ capacity for implementing policies evoked during their electoral campaigns and on governing parties’ incentives to implement electoral promises. Data from French Agendas Project datasets is used to compare the contents of governing parties’ pre-election manifestos with legislation passed in France between 1981 and 2012. Panel negative binomial regressions on electoral and legislative agendas support the expected outcome, namely that issues featuring in governing parties’ electoral manifesto have had an impact on their subsequent legislative agendas, with the effect depending on both partisan capacities and incentives. Party programmes do matter in policy-making, albeit only under certain conditions.
Does the law of one price hold for hedonic prices?
Authors: Waights Sevrin
Published: January 2018

Hedonic prices of locational attributes in urban land markets are determined by a process of spatial arbitrage that is similar to that which underpins the law of one price. If hedonic prices deviate from their spatial equilibrium values then individuals can benefit from changing locations. I examine whether the law holds for the hedonic price of rail access using a unique historical dataset for Berlin over the period 1890–1914, characterised by massive investment in the transport infrastructure. I estimate the hedonic price of rail access across multiple urban neighbourhoods and time periods to generate a panel dataset of hedonic price differences that I test for stationarity using a panel unit root test. Across multiple specifications I consistently fail to reject the null hypothesis of no unit root and accept the alternative hypothesis that the law holds. My estimates indicate a half-life for convergence to the law of one price that lies between 0.28 and 1.14 years. This result is consistent with spatial equilibrium.
Learning to produce complement predicates with shared semantic subjects
Authors: Ninio Anat
Published: January 2018

Many sentences of adult English are analytic constructions, namely clauses with a matrix verb complemented by a dependent predicate that does not have an expressed syntactic subject. Examples are subject and object control, raising to subject or object, periphrastic tense, aspect and modality, copular predication and do-support. In this article the authors test a suggestion derived from Dependency Grammar that despite differences in detail, all such constructions are governed by a common principle of structure sharing which young children master when they produce such sentences. Analytic sentences and telegraphic sentences were examined in the speech of 439 young children, mean age 2;3.11 ( SD = 0;4.02). The production of different analytic constructions was significantly associated, raising the probability of each other by 32% on average. Telegraphic sentences overtly expressing the input’s covert predicate–argument relations also positively predicted the production of analytic sentences. These results suggest that children learn a general principle of sharing arguments, common to constructions with dependent predicates, making transfer and facilitation possible.
Determinants of Stunting, Wasting, and Anemia in Guinean Preschool-Age Children: An Analysis of DHS Data From 1999, 2005, and 2012
Authors: Woodruff Bradley A. , Wirth James P. , Ngnie-Teta Ismael , Beaulière Jean Max , Mamady Daffe , Ayoya Mohamed Ag , Rohner Fabian
Published: January 2018

Wasting, stunting, and anemia are persistent and important forms of malnutrition in preschool-age children in the less developed world, in particular the Republic of Guinea, which was the site of a large outbreak of Ebola virus disease in 2014 to 2015. We analyzed data from 3 Demographic and Health Surveys done in Guinea in 1999, 2005, and 2012 to identify possible determinants of wasting, stunting, and anemia. All analyses, both bivariate and multivariate, were carried out separately for each of 3 age groups: less than 6 months, 6 to 23 months, and 24 to 59 months. Variables found statistically significantly associated with stunting, wasting, or anemia in bivariate analysis were placed in an age-specific logistic regression model for that outcome. Overall, anthropometric indices were available for 9228 children and hemoglobin concentrations were available for 5681 children. Logistic regression found relatively few variables associated with nutrition outcomes in children younger than 6 months. More variables were associated with nutrition outcomes in children aged 6 to 23 months. Such variables measured a wide variety of conditions, including estimated birth size, child health and nutritional status, child caring practices, mother’s nutritional and health status, and household water source and sanitation. A similarly broad range of variables was statistically significantly associated with one or more nutrition outcomes in children aged 24 to 59 months. Few of the standard infant and young child feeding indicators were associated with any nutrition outcome. Improvement in the nutritional status of young children in Guinea may require a broad range of nutrition and health interventions.
The Accuracy of Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting Data: A Response to “The Limitations of Government Databases for Analyzing Fatal Officer-Involved Shootings in the United States”
Authors: Beck Charlie , Uchida Craig D.
Published: January 2018

This essay responds to an article by Williams, Bowman, and Jung concerning fatal officer-involved shootings (OISs) and Federal and state databases that appeared in the Criminal Justice Policy Review. We write in response to the article because of our concern about the claim that data from individual police agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), were classified as “missing” or were not reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and in our case, the California Department of Justice. This essay provides a much-needed context for fatal OISs. The essay (a) defines use of force and explains the level of oversight for OISs, (b) provides a brief analysis of LAPD OISs from 2006 to 2015, (c) discusses the “missing or nonreported” LAPD cases, and (d) presents our conclusions about fatal OIS data.
Investigation into factors affecting the mechanical behaviours of a patient-specific vertebral body replacement
Authors: Wang Ling , Kang Jianfeng , Shi Lei , Fu Jun , Li Dichen , Guo Zheng , Liu Chaozong , Dong Shuangpeng , Jiang Xi
Published: January 2018

Most vertebral body implants that are currently designed and produced in batches have difficulty meeting the patient-specific demands. Moreover, several complications, including a low fusion rate, subsidence occurrence, and rod displacement, are associated with these implants. This study aims to investigate the effects of patient-specific geometric and clinical parameters on the biomechanics of a vertebral body replacement. A three-dimensional patient-specific vertebral body replacement model was established as the basic model for parametric studies, including the anatomic design of the endplates, tilting angle, thickness, and dislocation of the vertebral body implant. A finite element analysis was applied to determine the stress distribution of the vertebral body implant when under various loading conditions. The model with an anatomical interfacing design generates 75% less stress concentration compared to a flat design; the peak stress of the model with a tilted angle closely matching the replaced vertebra segment is decreased by 30%; and the thickness close to the cortical bone can offer better bone growth capability and long-term stability. Patient-specific geometrical parameters were found to significantly affect the biomechanics of a vertebral body replacement, and therefore, a design customized especially for the endplates is necessary for better stability and long-term longevity of the prostheses. Regardless of such progress, how to balance the stability of a vertebral body implant and the safety of the peripheral nervous system remains a clinical challenge.
Econometric and Existential Understanding of Food: Analysing Economic Growth and Nutritional Status in South India
Authors: Sujatha V.
Published: January 2018

There is much debate on the reasons for the poor nutritional status of the population amidst high economic growth in the country. A profusion of correlations and statistical averages characterizes mainstream nutritional discourses that are based on the notion of food as a thing that could be measured and understood in terms of numerical values. Much as the quantitative approach is necessary to guide public policy and to provide the basic food security to the population, it is a partial view, not adequate to understand the issues surrounding nutrition in all its dimensions. Drawing upon field data on food in rural South India, this article calls for a broader perspective on food that gives scope for people’s concerns about its quality and ecological source. It aims at providing a sociologically informed understanding of the statistical and the existential aspects of the nutrition problem.
An exact two-dimensional model for heterogeneous plates
Authors: Pruchnicki E
Published: January 2018

This work derives an exact two-dimensional plate theory for heterogeneous plates consistent with the principle of stationary three-dimensional potential energy under general loading. We do not take any hypotheses about the shape of the heterogeneity. We start from three-dimensional linear elasticity and by using the Fourier series expansion in the thickness direction of the displacement field with respect to a basis of scaled Legendre polynomials. We deduce an exact two-dimensional model expressed in power-series in the ratio between the thickness of the plate and a characteristic measurement of its mid-plane. Then we can derive an approximative theory by neglecting in the expression of potential energy all terms that contain a power of this ratio that is higher than a given truncation power for getting to an approximative two-dimensional problem. In the last section, we show that the solution of the approximation problem only differs from the exact solution by a difference of the same order of the neglected terms in the potential energy. A similar result when we truncate the displacement field can be also established. This model can be a starting point to formulate a two-dimensional homogenized boundary value problem for highly heterogeneous periodic plates.
Can intraparty democracy save party activism? Evidence from Korea
Authors: Koo Sejin
Published: January 2018

This article focuses on Korean parties to address the following gaps in the literature on party member activism: First, little attention has been paid to party members in non-Western democracies. Second, it is unclear how intraparty democracy is related to member activism. Unlike most industrialized democracies, South Korea has recently seen a notable growth in party membership. However, dues-paying remains the exception rather than the rule in the major parties, while the opposite is true for the minor, leftist parties. Using data from party member surveys, I examine the determinants of member activism across three Korean parties, focusing on the effect of members’ evaluations of the internal democracy of their party. I argue that dues-paying has risen as a new form of activism as democracy has been consolidated, and present evidence for a paradox of intra-party democracy that members positively evaluating internal democracy of their party remain less active.
Telehealth at the US Department of Veterans Affairs after Hurricane Sandy
Authors: Der-Martirosian Claudia , Griffin Anne R , Chu Karen , Dobalian Aram
Published: January 2018

Background

Like other integrated health systems, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has widely implemented telehealth during the past decade to improve access to care for its patient population. During major crises, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has the potential to transition healthcare delivery from traditional care to telecare. This paper identifies the types of Veterans Affairs telehealth services used during Hurricane Sandy (2012), and examines the patient characteristics of those users.

Methods

This study conducted both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Veterans Affairs administrative and clinical data files were used to illustrate the use of telehealth services 12 months pre- and 12 months post- Hurricane Sandy. In-person interviews with 31 key informants at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Medical Center three-months post- Hurricane Sandy were used to identify major themes related to telecare.

Results

During the seven-month period of hospital closure at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Medical Center after Hurricane Sandy, in-person patient visits decreased dramatically while telehealth visits increased substantially, suggesting that telecare was used in lieu of in-person care for some vulnerable patients. The most commonly used types of Veterans Affairs telehealth services included primary care, triage, mental health, home health, and ancillary services. Using qualitative analyses, three themes emerged from the interviews regarding the use of Veterans Affairs telecare post- Hurricane Sandy: patient safety, provision of telecare, and patient outreach.

Conclusion

Telehealth offers the potential to improve post-disaster access to and coordination of care. More information is needed to better understand how telehealth can change the processes and outcomes during disasters. Future studies should also evaluate key elements, such as adequate resources, regulatory and technology issues, workflow integration, provider resistance, diagnostic fidelity and confidentiality, all of which are critical to telehealth success during disasters and other crises.
Flagships and tumbleweed: A history of the politics of gender justice work in Oxfam GB 1986–2015
Authors: Crewe Emma
Published: January 2018

This article contributes to scholarship on the political nature of feminists’ work in international development NGOs. The case study of Oxfam GB (OGB) is contemporary history, based on compiling a brief history of gender justice work between 1986 and 2014 and 18 months of part-time participant-observation fieldwork during 2014–15. I describe funding pressures and imperatives, contestations of meaning and power struggles within OGB and argue that gender justice becomes entangled in both internal and the external politics of international development. This is part of a wider research programme about how ideas on gender equality norms travel between and around development organizations, so I finally draw conclusions about how norms are contested and embodied. The shapeshifting political nature of feminist work challenges prevailing theories about how norms and ideas travel and take hold within organizations.
Developing FAITHH: Methods to Develop a Faith-Based HIV Stigma-Reduction Intervention in the Rural South
Authors: Bradley Erin L. P. , Sutton Madeline Y. , Cooks Eric , Washington-Ball Brittney , Gaul Zaneta , Gaskins Susan , Payne-Foster Pamela
Published: January 2018

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disproportionately affects Blacks/African Americans, particularly those residing in the southern United States. HIV-related stigma adversely affects strategies to successfully engage people in HIV education, prevention, and care. Interventions targeting stigma reduction are vital as additional tools to move toward improved outcomes with HIV prevention and care, consistent with national goals. Faith institutions in the South have been understudied as partners in HIV stigma-reduction efforts, and some at-risk, Black/African American communities are involved with southern faith institutions. We describe the collaborative effort with rural, southern faith leaders from various denominations to develop and pilot test Project Faith-based Anti-stigma Initiative Towards Healing HIV/AIDS (FAITHH), an HIV stigma-reduction intervention that built on strategies previously used with other nonrural, Black/African American faith communities. The eight-module intervention included educational materials, myth-busting exercises to increase accurate HIV knowledge, role-playing, activities to confront stigma, and opportunities to develop and practice delivering a sermon about HIV that included scripture-based content and guidance. Engaging faith leaders facilitated the successful tailoring of the intervention, and congregation members were willing participants in the research process in support of increased HIV awareness, prevention, and care.
Event-Related Potentials in the Clinical High-Risk (CHR) State for Psychosis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lepock Jennifer R. , Mizrahi Romina , Korostil Michele , Bagby R. Michael , Pang Elizabeth W. , Kiang Michael
Published: January 2018

There is emerging evidence that identification and treatment of individuals in the prodromal or clinical high-risk (CHR) state for psychosis can reduce the probability that they will develop a psychotic disorder. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) are a noninvasive neurophysiological technique that holds promise for improving our understanding of neurocognitive processes underlying the CHR state. We aimed to systematically review the current literature on cognitive ERP studies of the CHR population, in order to summarize and synthesize the results, and their implications for our understanding of the CHR state. Across studies, amplitudes of the auditory P300 and duration mismatch negativity (MMN) ERPs appear reliably reduced in CHR individuals, suggesting that underlying impairments in detecting changes in auditory stimuli are a sensitive early marker of the psychotic disease process. There are more limited data indicating that an earlier-latency auditory ERP response, the N100, is also reduced in amplitude, and in the degree to which it is modulated by stimulus characteristics, in the CHR population. There is also evidence that a number of auditory ERP measures (including P300, MMN and N100 amplitudes, and N100 gating in response to repeated stimuli) can further refine our ability to detect which CHR individuals are most at risk for developing psychosis. Thus, further research is warranted to optimize the predictive power of algorithms incorporating these measures, which could help efforts to target psychosis prevention interventions toward those most in need.
Potential field method for persistent surveillance of multiple unmanned aerial vehicle sensors
Authors: Huang Changxin , Li Wei , Xiao Chao , Liang Binbin , Han Songchen
Published: January 2018

Persistent surveillance is one of the major tasks envisioned for unmanned aerial vehicles in that some regions of interest need to be continuously surveyed. This distinction from the one-time coverage/exploration does not allow a straightforward application of the most exploration techniques to address the persistent surveillance problem. This article introduces and demonstrates a method of alterable artificial potential field to control a group of unmanned aerial vehicles to stay over the region of interest. We present attractive potential field to drive the unmanned aerial vehicles to desirable areas, obstacle potential field to move away from obstacles, collision avoidance potential field to control unmanned aerial vehicles not to collide with others, and formation of potential field to make unmanned aerial vehicles gather in a group. The simulation results show that the proposed approach could generate collision-free path for unmanned aerial vehicles staying over the region of interest for a long endurance.
On the security of a provably secure, efficient, and flexible authentication scheme for ad hoc wireless sensor networks
Authors: He Jun , Yang Zheng , Zhang Jianxun , Liu Wanping , Liu Chao
Published: January 2018

In a recent paper, Chang and Le proposed an efficient smart card–based authenticated key exchange protocol (which is referred to as CL scheme) for heterogeneous ad hoc wireless sensor networks. However, we found that the CL scheme is subject to sensor capture attack which breaks the session key security of the CL scheme. An improved protocol is proposed to fix this problem.
Assistant Principal Dilemma: Walking the Line Between Compliance and Leadership
Authors: Baker A. Minor , Guerra Patricia L. , Baray Sarah
Published: January 2018

Inspired by real-life events, this case describes the start of a seemingly solid working relationship between two elementary campus administrators and its demise as the result of inadequate communication and distrust. Initially, these two leaders benefit from differing supervision styles, but these differences eventually lead to increased tension and conflict between them. The assistant principal (AP) attempts to maintain a unified administrative front despite disagreement with the principal’s leadership style and decisions. Once the principal suspects the AP is undermining her authority, their relationship quickly deteriorates and the AP faces losing his job.
Lifestyle Medicine Inpatient Consultation Services at Loma Linda University Health: A Novel Approach in a Tertiary Care Center
Authors: Cramer Tonya , Wilson April , Rea Brenda
Published: January 2018

As a nation facing primary care provider shortages, an expanding chronic disease burden, and rising health care costs, lifestyle medicine interventions have become critical for patient care and management. The current fee-for-service health care system in the United States is designed for delivering acute care but has made it challenging to deliver and be reimbursed sufficiently for lifestyle interventions that can help prevent and treat chronic disease. Loma Linda University Health began to address these concerns through the creation of an inpatient consultation service for the neurology rehabilitation stroke team. Initiation of the consultation service took 2 years of planning, testing, and resource development. Currently, the consultation service operates one half-day per week in the rehabilitation hospital utilizing 1 attending physician and 2 residents. Visiting residents and medical students are also permitted to rotate with the new service. In coordination with billing experts, a standard number of 21.2 to 25.4 RVUs (relative value units) has been established for the half-day service. As the service continues to expand, future considerations include adding consultation availability to other departments and increasing the consultation workforce.
Fenestration of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery connecting the neck of the paraclinoid aneurysm and the origin of the posterior communicating artery: A case report
Authors: Lee Ga Y , Shin Gi W , Jung Hyun S , Baek Jin W , Heo Young J , Lee Yoo J , Choo Hye J , Jeong Hae W
Published: January 2018

Fenestration of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery is extremely rare and frequently associated with aneurysms at the fenestrated segment or other vascular anomalies. We present a rare case of fenestration of the right supraclinoid internal carotid artery in which a small fenestrated segment arose from the neck portion of the paraclinoid aneurysm and fused with the origin of the posterior communicating artery.
Speed control for permanent magnet synchronous motor based on an improved extended state observer
Authors: Liu Bingyou
Published: January 2018

An improved extended state observer is designed to eliminate the influences of speed control for a permanent magnet synchronous motor. The improved extended state observer is designed based on a new nonlinear function. This function exhibits better continuity and derivability than previously available functions and can effectively reduce the high-frequency flutter phenomenon. The nonlinear dynamics, model uncertainty, and external disturbances of the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed control system are extended to a new state. The improved extended state observer is utilized to observe this state. The overtime variation of the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed control system can be predicted and compensated in real time by the improved extended state observer. Therefore, the improved extended state observer, which is designed based on the new nonlinear function, can eliminate the disturbances on the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed control system. Finally, simulation experiments are performed and results show that the permanent magnet synchronous motor speed control system with improved extended state observer exhibits better performances.
An assessment of quality of randomized controlled trials in shoulder instability surgery using a modification of the clear CLEAR-NPT score
Authors: Alkaduhimi Hassanin , Saarig Aimane , van der Linde Just A. , Willigenburg Nienke W. , van Deurzen Derek F. P. , van den Bekerom Michel P. J.
Published: January 2018

Background

The present study aimed to evaluate the methodological quality and determine the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assess surgical treatment for shoulder instability.

Methods

A Cochrane, Pubmed, EMBASE and Trip database search was performed, including the relevant literature, regarding RCTs that report on shoulder instability published between January 1994 and January 2017. Methodological quality was assessed with a modification of the Checklist to Evaluate A Report of a Nonpharmacologic Trial (CLEAR-NPT). Points were assigned based on 18 items regarding patient characteristics, randomization, care provider characteristics, surgical details and blinding, with a total score ranging from 0 points to 18 points. Missing items were verified with the corresponding authors of the studies. Quality of reporting corresponds to the total scores including the items that were additionally provided by the authors.

Results

We included 22 studies. Of these, nine corresponding authors provided additional information. The average methodological quality was 16.9 points (11 studies) and the average quality of reporting was 9.5 points (22 studies). Items scoring worst included information regarding the surgeon’s experience, the patients’ level of activity, comorbidities, analyzing according to ‘intention-to-treat’ principles, and blinding of care providers, participants and assessors.

Conclusions

RCTs reporting on shoulder instability surgery are well performed but poorly reported.
Bird Community Assemblage and Distribution in a Tropical, Urban Ecosystem of Puerto Rico
Authors: Wolff Patrick J. , DeGregorio Brett A. , Rodriguez-Cruz Victor , Mulero-Oliveras Eneilis , Sperry Jinelle H.
Published: January 2018

Urbanization has profound effects on the presence and distribution of wildlife species. Although numerous studies have been conducted to inform our understanding of the effects of urbanization on wildlife, studies of urban wildlife communities in the tropics are especially rare. Here, we investigated the bird community assemblage and distribution at an urban military installation, Fort Buchanan, located within the San Juan Metropolitan Area on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. Using fixed-radius point count surveys and opportunistic encounters, we documented over 1,700 individual birds of 60 avian species across three sampling periods in March, April, and October 2016 (84 surveys over 12 total sampling days). The species occurring at the highest densities in this urban environment were Bananaquit ( Coereba flaveola: 4.58 birds/ha), Antillean Grackle ( Quiscalus niger: 3.64 birds/ha), Zenaida Dove ( Zenaida aurita: 2.25 birds/ha), and White-winged Dove ( Zenaida asiatica: 2.12 birds/ha). The birds occurring in the lowest densities were one native, imperiled duck species ( Dendrocygna arborea), and several neotropical migrants. Most species were not randomly distributed throughout the site but were instead correlated with particular landscape features or habitat types. For instance, migratory warblers were mostly found in remnant forest patches, while Zenaida Doves were associated with open, grassy areas. As human populations continue to expand and urbanization spreads, it will become increasingly important to conserve critical, but often overlooked wildlife habitat—especially forest patches for migratory birds—within urban ecosystems.
Data anxieties: Finding trust in everyday digital mess
Authors: Pink Sarah , Lanzeni Debora , Horst Heather
Published: January 2018

Digital data is an increasing and continual presence across the sites, activities and relationships of everyday life. In this article we explore what data presence means for the ways that the everyday is organised, sensed, and anticipated. While digital data studies have demonstrated how data is deeply entangled with the way in which everyday life is lived out and valued, at the same time our relationships with data are riddled with anxieties or small niggles or tricky trade-offs and their use is often chaotic and muddled, part of the inevitable uncertainty about what will happen next. If the presence of data is part of the environments we inhabit, this raises the question of how and why data is valuable to us and what forms of hope and trust enable this value to further develop.
Finite Element Analysis of Long Posterior Transpedicular Instrumentation for Cervicothoracic Fractures Related to Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Robinson Yohan , Lison Almkvist Viktor , Olerud Claes , Halldin Peter , Fahlstedt Madelen
Published: January 2018

Study Design:

Biomechanical finite element model analysis.

Objectives:

Spinal fractures related to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are often treated by long posterior stabilization. The objective of this study is to develop a finite element model (FEM) for spinal fractures related to AS and to establish a biomechanical foundation for long posterior stabilization of cervicothoracic fractures related to AS.

Methods:

An existing FEM (consisting of 2 separately developed models) including the cervical and thoracic spine were adapted to the conditions of AS (all discs fused, C0-C1 and C1-C2 mobile). A fracture at the level C6-C7 was simulated. Besides a normal spine (no AS, no fracture) and the uninstrumented fractured spine 4 different posterior transpedicular instrumentations were tested. Three loads (1.5 g, 3.0 g, 4.5 g) were applied according to a specific load curve.

Results:

All posterior stabilization methods could normalize the axial stability at the fracture site as measured with gap distance. The maximum stress at the cranial instrumentation end (C3-C4) was slightly greater if every level was instrumented, than in the skipped level model. The skipped level instrumentation achieved similar rotatory stability as the long multilevel instrumentation.

Conclusions:

Skipping instrumentation levels without giving up instrumentation length reduced stresses in the ossified tissue within the range of the instrumentation and did not decrease the stability in a FEM of a cervicothoracic fracture related to AS. Considering the risks associated with every additional screw placed, the skipped level instrumentation has advantages regarding patient safety.
Treatment of implant-related methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis with vancomycin-loaded VK100 silicone cement: An experimental study in rats
Authors: Neyisci Cagri , Erdem Yusuf , Bilekli Ahmet Burak , Demiralp Bahtiyar , Kose Ozkan , Bek Dogan , Korkusuz Feza , Kankilic Berna
Published: January 2018

Introduction:

The purpose of this present study is to investigate the efficacy of vancomycin-loaded VK100 silicone cement drug delivery system in the treatment of implant-related methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) osteomyelitis in rats.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty-six adult (18–20 weeks old) female Sprague-Dawley rats were included in the study. All rats underwent experimental osteomyelitis surgery via injecting 100 µL bacterial suspension of MRSA into the medullary canal. After a 2-week duration for the formation of osteomyelitis model, rats were assigned randomly into four groups: control (C), systemic vancomycin (V), local vancomycin-loaded VK100 silicone cement (vVK100), and systemic vancomycin and local vancomycin-loaded VK100 silicone cement (V+vVK100). The following treatment protocols were administered to each group for 4 weeks. For group C, 0.9% saline solution equivalent to the volume of vancomycin dose (approximately 1 ml/kg) was administered intraperitoneally twice daily (12-h intervals). For group V, 15 mg/kg of vancomycin was administered intraperitoneally twice daily (12-h intervals). For group vVK100, vVK100 polymer was included so that the intramedullary canal of the rats are affected. For group V+vVK100, vVK100 polymer was included so that the intramedullary canal of the rats are affected and 15 mg/kg of vancomycin was administered intraperitoneally twice daily (12-h intervals). After 4 weeks of treatment, clinical, radiologic, microbiologic, and histopathologic evaluations were performed for all groups.

Results:

Results of this study revealed that all scores of the evaluation criteria for the treatment groups (groups V, vVK100, and V+vVK100) decreased due to the treatment protocols when compared to group C. These results show the effectiveness of all treatment protocols for the implant-related chronic MRSA osteomyelitis. However, there were no statistical difference between these three protocols.

Conclusions:

vVK100 polymer, as a local antibiotic delivery system, seems to be an effective method for the treatment of implant-related chronic MRSA osteomyelitis.
Midterm outcome of partial radial head replacement with a contoured iliac crest bone graft in complex elbow dislocation
Authors: Luenam Suriya , Kosiyatrakul Arkaphat , Jangsombatsiri Winai , Pimpabootr Nitikorn , Vathana Torpon
Published: January 2018

Purpose:

To report the midterm outcome of a novel reconstructive technique using a contoured iliac crest bone graft for partial radial head replacement in the treatment of complex elbow dislocation.

Material and methods:

Between January 2008 and December 2013, 10 patients (5 women, 5 men; mean age, 43.8 years; mean follow-up duration, 65.9 months) with complex elbow dislocation who underwent the partial radial head replacement with the contoured bone graft were included in the study. The irreparable radial head defects averaged 49% of the articular surface (range, 36–60%). The fracture involved the entire head in four patients and partial head in six patients.

Results:

At the final follow-up, the mean elbow extension was 8°, flexion 143°, supination 76.5°, and pronation 73°. The mean Mayo elbow performance index was 93.2 points and the Broberg–Morrey functional rating score was 94.1 points, with seven excellent cases, two good cases, and one fair case. Radiographic union was achieved in all but one, at an average time of 6.89 weeks (range, 6–10 weeks). The final radiographs demonstrated no evidence of degenerative change in eight patients, mild arthritis in one patient, and moderate arthritis in one patient.

Conclusion:

This technique is a viable option in the treatment of the large radial head defect in complex elbow dislocation when more than 40% of the original head is still available for incorporation.
Missed Massive Pulmonary Embolism and the Hidden Threat of a Distal Deep Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Wong Cynthia
Published: January 2018

A 47-year-old woman presented to her GP (general practitioner) surgery with a left leg pain of 4 days duration after a recent 4-hour flight. She was taking the oral combined contraceptive pill and had no past medical history. She had a low predictive Wells score for deep vein thrombosis, but her D-dimer was positive, so she had a proximal lower limb vein ultrasound scan as per the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines, which was negative. Two days later, she presented to the emergency department with a collapse and dyspnea. Her blood pressure was unrecordable in the ambulance, and she was severely peripherally cyanosed with a blood pressure of 64/40 mm Hg in the emergency department. She had a computed tomography pulmonary angiogram, which confirmed extensive bilateral pulmonary emboli with right ventricular strain. She had 2 cardiac arrests while in hospital and is now on long-term anticoagulation.
Orienting Access in Our Business and Professional Communication Classrooms
Authors: Meloncon Lisa
Published: January 2018

A hallmark of business and professional communication is an emphasis on pragmatic but theoretically grounded work. Thus, business and professional communication scholars are ideally suited to turn the theories found in disability studies into practice. In this article, I do just that by creating a theory—orienting access—that draws on concepts from disability studies. Orienting access calls for business and professional communication faculty to consider alternate pedagogies to ensure that our classrooms are truly accessible to all students. It also models the behaviors to teach how to design and create information that is accessible for all audiences.
Modelling the spatial accessibility of the elderly to healthcare services in Beijing, China
Authors: Tao Zhuolin , Cheng Yang
Published: January 2018

In the context of rapid population aging, Beijing is facing great challenges in providing healthcare services for the elderly. The objective of this study is to measure the spatial accessibility of the elderly to healthcare services in Beijing. A major challenge is that healthcare services are not exclusive for the elderly, so the elderly must compete with the non-elderly for access to healthcare services. In this study, we have developed a multi-mode and variable-demand two-step floating catchment area model for measuring spatial accessibility of the elderly to healthcare services, taking into account the competition between the elderly and non-elderly. This is modeled by differences in demand intensity and mobility. The elderly have a higher demand intensity and are disadvantaged in mobility due to their higher dependence on public transportation than the non-elderly. To improve the elderly’s healthcare accessibility, more healthcare resources should be allocated and the public transportation to hospitals should be improved, especially in peripheral areas. The proposed model can also be applied in other scenarios considering multiple population groups with different demand intensity for public services and mobility.