bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing for domestic violence in sexual health environments: a qualitative study
Authors: Horwood Jeremy , Morden Andrew , Bailey Jayne E , Pathak Neha , Feder Gene
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is a major clinical challenge and public health issue. Sexual health services are an important potential site of DVA intervention. The Assessing for Domestic Violence in Sexual Health Environments (ADViSE) intervention aimed to improve identification and management of DVA in sexual healthcare settings and is a modified version of the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) general practice programme. Our qualitative evaluation aimed to explore the experiences of staff participating in an IRIS ADViSE pilot.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with 17 sexual health clinic staff and DVA advocate workers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, anonymised and analysed thematically.

Results

Staff prioritised enquiring about DVA and tailored their style of enquiry to the perceived characteristics of patients, current workload and individual clinical judgements. Responding to disclosures of abuse was divided between perceived low-risk cases (with quick onwards referral) and high-risk cases (requiring deployment of institution safeguarding procedures), which were viewed as time consuming and could create tensions with patients. Ongoing training and feedback, commissioner recognition, adequate service-level agreements and reimbursements are required to ensure sustainability and wider implementation of IRIS ADViSE.

Conclusions

Challenges of delivering and sustaining IRIS ADViSE included the varied styles of enquiry, as well as tensions and additional time pressure arising from disclosure of abuse. These can be overcome by modifying initial training, providing regular updates and stronger recognition (and resources) at policy and commissioning levels.
Comorbidities, mortality and causes of death among patients with tuberculosis in Denmark 1998–2010: a nationwide, register-based case–control study
Authors: Fløe Andreas , Hilberg Ole , Wejse Christian , Ibsen Rikke , Løkke Anders
Published: August 2017

Objective

To evaluate the impact of comorbidities, age and clinical presentation of TB on mortality among Danish patients with TB.

Methods

Danish patients with an ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision) diagnosis of TB in 1998–2010 were identified in the National Patient Registry and matched with controls (1:4) on age, gender, civil status and geography. Comorbid diagnoses up to 3 years before and after TB diagnosis or enrolment as control as well as survival data were obtained from national databases

Results

We included 8433 cases and 33 707 controls. Respiratory diseases were the most common comorbidities among cases (12.4% of cases, 3.8% of controls (p<0.001)). Overall HR of death was 2.45 (2.31; 2.59). Relative mortality was especially increased among younger adults (HR 8.70 (95% CI 5.53 to 13.69) among the 30 to 39-year-olds). While overall mortality increased with Deyo-Charlson comorbidity (DCC) score, relative mortality among cases was highest in the low-DCC group. Additionally, male gender, low income and central nervous system TB were risk factors for death among TB cases. The most common cause of death in both groups was non-lung cancers, among TB cases followed by COPD, TB and lung cancer, all being significantly more common among TB cases.

Conclusion

In Denmark, TB carries substantial mortality. Among those who die, 12% are reported to die from TB. A high relative mortality among younger adults underscores the importance of continually targeting high-risk TB groups in low-incidence countries.
Respiratory viruses in healthy infants and infants with cystic fibrosis: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Korten Insa , Kieninger Elisabeth , Klenja Shkipe , Mack Ines , Schläpfer Njima , Barbani Maria Teresa , Regamey Nicolas , Kuehni Claudia E , Hilty Markus , Frey Urs , Gorgievski Meri , Casaulta Carmen , Latzin Philipp
Published: August 2017

Rationale

Acute viral respiratory tract infections in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are known causes of disease exacerbation. The role of viral infections during infancy is, however, less known, although early infancy is thought to be a crucial period for CF disease development.

We prospectively assessed symptomatic and asymptomatic viral detection in the first year of life in infants with CF and healthy controls.

Methods

In a prospective cohort study, we included 31 infants with CF from the Swiss Cystic Fibrosis Infant Lung Development Cohort and 32 unselected, healthy infants from the Basel Bern Infant Lung Development Cohort and followed them throughout the first year of life. Respiratory symptoms were assessed by weekly telephone interviews. Biweekly nasal swabs were analysed for 10 different viruses and two atypical bacteria with real-time seven duplex PCR (CF=561, controls=712).

Measurements and results

Infants with CF and healthy controls showed similar numbers of swabs positive for virus (mean 42% vs 44%; OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.26, p=0.6). Virus-positive swabs were less often accompanied by respiratory symptoms in infants with CF (17% vs 23%; OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.95, p=0.026). This finding was pronounced for symptomatic human rhinovirus detection (7% vs 11%; OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.9, p=0.02).

Conclusions

Viral detection is not more frequent in infants with CF and respiratory symptoms during viral detection occur even less often than in healthy controls. It is likely an interplay of different factors such as local epithelial properties and immunological mechanisms that contribute to our findings.
Tobacco industry response to a ban on lights descriptors on cigarette packaging and population outcomes
Authors: Alpert Hillel R , Carpenter Daniel , Connolly Gregory N
Published: August 2017

Objective

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its Guidelines recommend nations ban the use of misleading terms, such as ’light' and ’mild' on tobacco product advertising, packaging and labelling. Many nations, including the USA, have implemented such bans and some have introduced or passed legislation requiring plain packaging on tobacco products. We previously reported that manufacturers in the USA responded by replacing lights terms with colour terms and related colour-coding of packages. This study examines population outcomes and public health impact of the US ban.

Methods

We examined available data regarding a) per cent filter ventilation strata used to designate lights subbrand categories; b) market share per tar yield; c) initiation and use of cigarettes by lights categories and d) overall cigarette consumption to identify changes from before to after the ban. We used interrupted time series multivariable logistic regression and joinpoint regression models to test for changes in rates and temporal trends associated with the ban.

Results

The per cent filter ventilation strata used to designate lights subbrand categories were maintained in the colour named subbrands. No change was observed following the ban in lights market share, relative prevalence of lights versus non-lights smoking or relative smoking initiation on lights versus non-lights among all ages or among youth in particular. The rate of decline in per capita cigarette consumption slowed by 37% from the period 2007-2010 to 2010-2014.

Conclusions

This study strongly suggests that manufacturers' circumvention prevented the lights descriptor ban from succeeding as intended, most likely perpetuating the misleading consumer perceptions about relative risks, while failing to increase smoking cessation and reduce initiation. Laws requiring generic (plain) and elimination of subbrand descriptors should prevent evasion of legislation banning the use of specific terms through marketing, regulatory and legal challenges.
Pterosaur material from the uppermost Jurassic of the uppermost Morrison Formation, Breakfast Bench Facies, Como Bluff, Wyoming, including a pterosaur with pneumatized femora
Authors: McLain M. A. , Bakker R. T.
Published: August 2017

Pterosaur fossils are rare in the Morrison Formation, and most are poorly preserved. The Breakfast Bench Facies (BBF) at Como Bluff produces incomplete but uncrushed limbs. One proximal and two distal femora match a complete femur (BYU 17214) referred to
Mesadactylus
. Unexpectedly, both of the BBF distal femora possess a large intercondylar pneumatopore. BYU 17214 also possesses an intercondylar pneumatopore, but it is smaller than in the BBF femora. Distal femoral pnuematicity is previously recognized only in Cretaceous azhdarchoids and pteranodontids. A peculiar BBF jaw fragment shows strongly labiolingually compressed, incurved crowns with their upper half bent backwards; associated are anterior fangs. We suspect this specimen is a previously undiagnosed pterosaur. Additional BBF material documents a diverse pterosaur fauna including a humerus with a greatly expanded ectepicondyle possibly from a non-pterodactyloid monofenestratan.
Correlates of Arrhythmia Recurrence After Hybrid Epi- and Endocardial Radiofrequency Ablation for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Bulava Alan , Mokracek Ales , Hanis Jiri , Eisenberger Martin , Kurfirst Vojtech , Dusek Ladislav
Published: August 2017

Background—

Long-term efficacy of catheter-based treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation is unsatisfactory. Minimally invasive surgical ablation techniques have been developed recently, but their efficacy has never been systematically tested.

Methods and Results—

Seventy patients (median age, 63.5 years) with persistent atrial fibrillation underwent epicardial thoracoscopic radiofrequency pulmonary vein isolation, linear ablation, Marshal ligament disruption, and exclusion of the left atrial appendage. The procedure was followed by electroanatomic mapping and ablation (EAM) 2 to 3 months later. Only 76% of patients were in normal sinus rhythm at the beginning of EAM. All 4 pulmonary veins and the left atrium posterior wall were found isolated in 69% and 23% of patients, respectively. Arrhythmia-free survival off antiarrhythmic drugs 12 months after EAM was 77%. Using previously ineffective antiarrhythmic drugs and reablation procedures, arrhythmia free-survival increased to 97% during follow-up (mean, 936±432 days; range, 346–1509 days). The majority of arrhythmia recurrences occurred during the first 12 months after EAM. In a multivariable-adjusted estimates, left atrium volume >165 mL, absent normal sinus rhythm at admission for EAM, and inducibility of any sustained tachyarrhythmia at the end of EAM procedure were identified as independent correlates of atrial fibrillation recurrence.

Conclusions—

Our report demonstrated that the majority of patients after epicardial ablation, using bipolar radiofrequency instruments, required endocardial catheter ablation to complete the linear ablation lesions and a significant proportion of patients required spot-ablations to complete electric pulmonary vein isolation. Noninducibility of any arrhythmia after a staged hybrid procedure seemed to be the strongest correlate of long-term arrhythmia-free survival.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
www.ablace.cz
. Unique identifier: cz-060520121617.
Influence of Sex on the Association Between Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Left Atrial Transport Function in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Multislice Computed Tomography Study
Authors: Kim Jin‐Seok , Shin Seung Yong , Kang Jun Hyuk , Yong Hwan Seok , Na Jin Oh , Choi Cheol Ung , Kim Seong Hwan , Kim Eung Ju , Rha Seung‐Woon , Park Chang Gyu , Seo Hong Seog , Oh Dong Joo , Hwang Chun , Kim Young‐Hoon , Lim Hong Euy
Published: August 2017

Background

Epicardial adipose tissue (
EAT
) is known to play an important role in atrial fibrillation substrate remodeling; however, the influence of sex on the association between
EAT
and left atrial (
LA
) transport function has not been elucidated.

Methods and Results

Of the 514 patients who underwent an index atrial fibrillation ablation procedure, 123 postmenopausal women with no history of hormone replacement therapy and 123 men who were matched for age, body mass index, type of atrial fibrillation, and
CHADS
2
score were enrolled. Before the procedure,
LA
volume,
LA
emptying fraction, and
EAT
volume were assessed using multislice computed tomography. Blood samples were obtained from a coronary sinus for analysis of serum adiponectin level before the ablation procedure. There were no differences in baseline demographics and laboratory findings between sexes. Compared with men, women had significantly less total
EAT
(
P
<0.001) and higher serum adiponectin levels (
P
=0.022) but higher proportions of periatrial
EAT
to total
EAT
volume (P/T
EAT
ratio,
P
<0.001), lower
LA
emptying fraction (
P
=0.042), and lower
LA
voltage (
P
=0.034). The ratio of periatrial to total
EAT
volume correlated significantly with
LA
emptying fraction and
LA
voltage in both sexes, whereas total
EAT
volume and serum adiponectin level did not. On multivariate analysis, increased
LA
volume and higher periatrial:total
EAT
volume ratio were independent predictors of decreased
LA
emptying fraction in both sexes.

Conclusions

Compared with matched men, postmenopausal women with atrial fibrillation had higher periatrial adiposity, which was independently correlated with decreased
LA
voltage and
LA
transport function.
Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta‐Analyses of Observational Studies
Authors: Chatterjee Arka , Bajaj Navkaranbir S. , McMahon William S. , Cribbs Marc G. , White Jeremy S. , Mukherjee Amrita , Law Mark A.
Published: August 2017

Background

Transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation is approved for the treatment of dysfunctional right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduits. However, the literature is limited because of a small patient population, and it does not reflect changing procedural practice patterns over the last decade.

Methods and Results

A comprehensive search of Medline and Scopus databases from inception through August 31, 2016 was conducted using predefined criteria. We included studies reporting transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation in at least 5 patients with a follow‐up duration of 6 months or more. In 19 eligible studies, 1044 patients underwent transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation with a pooled follow‐up of 2271 person‐years. Procedural success rate was 96.2% (95% confidence intervals [CI], 94.6–97.4) with a conduit rupture rate of 4.1% (95%
CI
, 2.5–6.8) and coronary complication rate of 1.3% (95%
CI
, 0.7–2.3). Incidence of reintervention was 4.4 per 100 person‐years overall (95%
CI
, 3.0–5.9) with a marked reduction in studies reporting ≥75% prestenting (2.9 per 100 person‐years [95%
CI
, 1.5–4.3] versus 6.5/100 person‐years [95%
CI
, 4.6–8.5];
P
<0.01). Pooled endocarditis rate was 1.4 per 100 person‐years (95%
CI
, 0.9–2.0).

Conclusions

Our study provides favorable updated estimates of procedural and follow‐up outcomes after transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation. Widespread adoption of prestenting has improved longer‐term outcomes in these patients.
Profit-Seeking Motives and Racist Policy in Tennessee’s Criminal Justice System: A Triangulative Analysis
Authors: Fosten Gerald K.
Published: August 2017

Using triangulative research methodology, this article examines the impact of the criminal justice system and the prison industrial complex on disenfranchised African Americans and social inequality in Tennessee. The investigation critically examines the ethically questionable public-private business relationships and other arrangements that contribute to socially constructed economic policy instruments used to fulfill conservatives’ and White supremacists’ objectives for continual White domination in Tennessee. The substantive findings reveal how the criminal justice system impacts political, economic, and social inequality in the African American community. Due to their considerably diminished capabilities to achieve political and economic equality, one of the recommendations of the study is that streamlining the voting restoration process is necessary for rectifying felony disenfranchised, thereby restoring a fundamental ethos of citizenship to those who have lost their right to vote.
Perceived Discrimination and Well-Being Among the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel: The Mediating Role of Group Identity
Authors: Bergman Yoav S. , Horenczyk Gabriel , Abramovsky-Zitter Rachel
Published: August 2017

We examined whether perceived discrimination can, in certain minority populations, promote subjective well-being, and whether this connection is mediated by minority group identity. Three hundred thirty-two members of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel, a distinctive religious culture within the Israeli majority culture, participated in the study. Results showed that perceived group discrimination was positively correlated with subjective well-being. Moreover, this connection was mediated by the individual’s identity as Ultra-Orthodox. We address these findings in light of the unique characteristics of the Ultra-Orthodox community, and consider the role of in-group values among certain minority groups as a possible source for the positive connection between discrimination and well-being.
Strengthening Evaluation Research: A Case Study of an Evaluability Assessment Conducted in a Carceral Setting
Authors: Henson Abigail
Published: August 2017

Over the last decade, criminal justice scholars have increasingly endorsed “evidence-based practices”; however, some criminologists have voiced concerns over the varied methodological rigor used by evaluation researchers, differing definitions of evidence, and lack of critical exploration as to why programs may be (in)effective. This article argues that evaluability assessments (EAs) can answer these concerns. Through a case study of an EA used on a prison-based fatherhood program, this article demonstrates how EA’s approach leads to a more precise understanding of outcome operationalization, and allows for the democratization of research, which is particularly important in a carceral setting.
Does board independence substitute for external audit quality? Evidence from an exogenous regulatory shock
Authors: Jiraporn Pornsit , Chintrakarn Pandej , Tong Shenghui , Treepongkaruna Sirimon
Published: August 2017

Exploiting the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) as an exogenous regulatory shock, we investigate whether board independence substitutes for external audit quality. Based on over 14,000 observations across 18 years, our difference-in-difference estimates show that firms forced to raise board independence are far less likely to employ a Big 4 auditor. In particular, board independence lowers the propensity to use a Big 4 auditor by approximately 38%. Firms with stronger board independence enjoy more effective governance and therefore do not need as much external audit quality as those with less effective governance do. Based on a natural experiment, our empirical strategy is far less vulnerable to endogeneity and is thus considerably more likely to show a causal effect, rather than merely an association.
Young children’s social class identities in everyday life at primary school: The importance of naming and challenging complex inequalities
Authors: Kustatscher Marlies
Published: August 2017

This article explores young children’s social class identities in the context of a Scottish primary school, highlighting the ambivalent institutional discourses around ‘diversity’ and social class in the school context. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with 5- to 7-year-olds, it shows the emotional and embodied aspects through which social class differences are performed in the children’s intra- and intergenerational interactions, and the implications for the children’s relationships and experiences in school. The study shows that practitioners need to name and address social class differences, in intersection with gender, race and ethnicity, and involve young children themselves in discussions about identities and inequalities.
Understanding the public, the visitors, and the participants in science communication activities
Authors: Kato-Nitta Naoko , Maeda Tadahiko , Iwahashi Kensuke , Tachikawa Masashi
Published: August 2017

Despite the promotion of public engagement in science, there has been little empirical research on the sociocultural and attitudinal characteristics of participants in science communication activities and the extent to which such individuals are representative of the general population. We statistically investigated the distinctiveness of visitors to a scientific research institution by contrasting samples from visitor surveys and nationally representative surveys. The visitors had more cultural capital (science and technology/art and literature) and believed more in the value of science than the general public, but there was no difference regarding assessment of the levels of national science or of the national economy. A deeper examination of the variations in the visitors’ exhibit-viewing behaviors revealed that individuals with more scientific and technical cultural capital viewed more exhibits and stayed longer at the events. This trend in exhibit-viewing behaviors remained consistent among the different questionnaire items and smart-card records.
Modelling and numerical assessment of a maintenance strategy with stock through piecewise deterministic Markov processes and quasi Monte Carlo methods
Authors: Demgne Jeanne , Mercier Sophie , Lair William , Lonchampt Jérôme
Published: August 2017

To ensure a power generation level, the French national electricity supply (EDF) has to manage its producing assets by putting in place adapted preventive maintenance strategies. In this article, a fleet of identical components is considered, which are spread out all around France (one per power plant site). The components are assumed to have stochastically independent lifetimes, but they are made functionally dependent through the sharing of a common stock of spare parts. When available, these spare parts are used for both corrective and preventive replacements, with priority to corrective replacements. When the stock is empty, replacements are delayed until the arrival of new spare parts. These spare parts are expensive, and their manufacturing time is long, which makes it necessary to rigorously define their ordering process. The point of the article is to provide the decision maker with the tools to take the right decision (make or not the overhaul). To do that, two indicators are proposed, which are based on an economic variable called the net present value. The net present value stands for the difference between the cumulated discounted cash-flows of the purely corrective policy and the preventive one which including the overhaul. Piecewise deterministic Markov processes are first considered for the joint modelling of the stochastic evolution of the components, stock and ordering process with and without overhaul. The indicators are next expressed with respect to these piecewise deterministic Markov processes, which have to be numerically assessed. Instead of using the most classical Monte Carlo simulations, we here suggest alternate methods based on quasi Monte Carlo simulations, which replace the random uniform numbers of the Monte Carlo method by deterministic sequences called low-discrepancy sequences. The obtained results show a real gain of the quasi Monte Carlo methods in comparison with the Monte Carlo method. The developed tools can hence help the decision maker to take the right decision.
Born Poor? Racial Diversity, Inequality, and the American Pipeline
Authors: Thiede Brian C. , Sanders Scott R. , Lichter Daniel T.
Published: August 2017

The authors examine racial disparities in infants’ exposure to economic disadvantage at the family and local area levels. Using data from the 2008–2014 files of the American Community Survey, the authors provide an up-to-date empirical benchmark of newborns’ exposure to poverty. Large shares of Hispanic (36.5 percent) and black (43.2 percent) infants are born poor, though white infants are also overrepresented among the poor (17.7 percent). The authors then estimate regression models to identify risk factors and perform decompositions to identify compositional factors underlying between-race differences. Although more than half of the black-white poverty gap is explained by differences in family structure and employment, these factors account for less than one quarter of white-Hispanic differences. The results also highlight the unmet need for social protection among babies born to poor families lacking access to assistance programs and the safety net. Hispanic infants are particularly likely to be doubly disadvantaged in this manner. Moreover, large and disproportionate shares of today’s black (48.3 percent) and Hispanic (40.5 percent) babies are born into poor families and places with poverty rates above 20 percent. These results raise important questions about persistent and possibly growing racial inequality as America makes its way to a majority-minority society as early as 2043.
Sleep Medicine Coding and Coverage Guidelines
Authors: El-Feky Waleed Hamed , Evans David A.
Published: August 2017

Successful sleep billing and reimbursement is dependent on correct reporting of proper diagnostic codes for sleep disorders and associated testing. Recent changes in disease classification systems have affected the coding for sleep disorders. Guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and followed by third-party payers provide direction for the required techniques and indications for sleep procedures.
Brain Circuitry Controlling Sleep and Wakefulness
Authors: Horner Richard L. , Peever John H.
Published: August 2017

Purpose of Review: This article outlines the fundamental brain mechanisms that control sleep-wake patterns and reviews how pathologic changes in these control mechanisms contribute to common sleep disorders.

Recent Findings: Discrete but interconnected clusters of cells located within the brainstem and hypothalamus comprise the circuits that generate wakefulness, non–rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep, and REM sleep. These clusters of cells use specific neurotransmitters, or collections of neurotransmitters, to inhibit or excite their respective sleep- and wake-promoting target sites. These excitatory and inhibitory connections modulate not only the presence of wakefulness or sleep, but also the levels of arousal within those states, including the depth of sleep, degree of vigilance, and motor activity. Dysfunction or degeneration of wake- and sleep-promoting circuits is associated with narcolepsy, REM sleep behavior disorder, and age-related sleep disturbances.

Summary: Research has made significant headway in identifying the brain circuits that control wakefulness, non-REM, and REM sleep and has led to a deeper understanding of common sleep disorders and disturbances.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders
Authors: Pavlova Milena
Published: August 2017

Purpose of Review: The endogenous circadian rhythms are one of the cardinal processes that control sleep. They are self-sustaining biological rhythms with a periodicity of approximately 24 hours that may be entrained by external zeitgebers (German for time givers), such as light, exercise, and meal times. This article discusses the physiology of the circadian rhythms, their relationship to neurologic disease, and the presentation and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders.

Recent Findings: Classic examples of circadian rhythms include cortisol and melatonin secretion, body temperature, and urine volume. More recently, the impact of circadian rhythm on several neurologic disorders has been investigated, such as the timing of occurrence of epileptic seizures as well as neurobehavioral functioning in dementia. Further updates include a more in-depth understanding of the symptoms, consequences, and treatment of circadian sleep-wake disorders, which may occur because of extrinsic misalignment with clock time or because of intrinsic dysfunction of the brain. An example of extrinsic misalignment occurs with jet lag during transmeridian travel or with intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders such as advanced or delayed sleep-wake phase disorders. In advanced sleep-wake phase disorder, which is most common in elderly individuals, sleep onset and morning arousal are undesirably early, leading to impaired evening function with excessive sleepiness and sleep-maintenance insomnia with early morning awakening. By contrast, delayed sleep-wake phase disorder is characterized by an inability to initiate sleep before the early morning hours, with subsequent delayed rise time, leading to clinical symptoms of severe sleep-onset insomnia coupled with excessive daytime sleepiness in the morning hours, as patients are unable to “sleep in” to attain sufficient sleep quantity. Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder is misentrainment with patches of brief sleep and wakefulness spread throughout the day, leading to unstable sleep and waking behavioral patterns and an entirely idiosyncratic sleep-wake schedule.

Summary: Familiarity with these major circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder phenotypes and their overlap with other neurologic disorders is essential for the neurologist so that clinicians may intervene and improve patient functioning and quality of life.
Microparticle Release During Normal Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Hofer Jennifer E. , Scavone Barbara M.
Published: August 2017

Coagulation increases during pregnancy and peaks during parturition. We hypothesized that an increase in microparticle (MP) levels in plasma occurs around the time of placental separation and subsides over several hours. We performed a prospective observational pilot study to investigate plasma MP levels in healthy parturients immediately before and after cesarean delivery. The primary outcome was MP levels at postdelivery time points compared to baseline levels. Samples underwent flow cytometry and staining to determine MP levels. Placental-derived MPs were further characterized for the presence of procoagulant proteins. Placental-derived MPs increased immediately after delivery before returning to baseline in healthy parturients.
Optimization of Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure by Monitoring CO2 Levels in the Subglottic Space in Mechanically Ventilated Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Efrati Shai , Bolotin Gil , Levi Leon , Zaaroor Menashe , Guralnik Ludmila , Weksler Natan , Levinger Uriel , Soroksky Arie , Denman William T. , Gurman Gabriel M.
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND:

Many of the complications of mechanical ventilation are related to inappropriate endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of automatic cuff pressure closed-loop control in patients under prolonged intubation, where presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the subglottic space is used as an indicator for leaks. The primary outcome of the study is leakage around the cuff quantified using the area under the curve (AUC) of CO2 leakage over time.

METHODS:

This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled, noninferiority trial including intensive care unit patients. All patients were intubated with the AnapnoGuard ETT, which has an extra lumen used to monitor CO2 levels in the subglottic space.

The study group was connected to the AnapnoGuard system operating with cuff control adjusted automatically based on subglottic CO2 (automatic group). The control group was connected to the AnapnoGuard system, while cuff pressure was managed manually using a manometer 3 times/d (manual group). The system recorded around cuff CO2 leakage in both groups.

RESULTS:

Seventy-two patients were recruited and 64 included in the final analysis. The mean hourly around cuff CO2 leak (mm Hg AUC/h) was 0.22 ± 0.32 in the manual group and 0.09 ± 0.04 in the automatic group (P = .01) where the lower bound of the 1-sided 95% confidence interval was 0.05, demonstrating noninferiority (>−0.033). Additionally, the 2-sided 95% confidence interval was 0.010 to 0.196, showing superiority (>0.0) as well. Significant CO2 leakage (CO2 >2 mm Hg) was 0.027 ± 0.057 (mm Hg AUC/h) in the automatic group versus 0.296 ± 0.784 (mm Hg AUC/h) in the manual group (P = .025). In addition, cuff pressures were in the predefined safety range 97.6% of the time in the automatic group compared to 48.2% in the automatic group (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

This study shows that the automatic cuff pressure group is not only noninferior but also superior compared to the manual cuff pressure group. Thus, the use of automatic cuff pressure control based on subglottic measurements of CO2 levels is an effective method for ETT cuff pressure optimization. The method is safe and can be easily utilized with any intubated patient.
Repeated Administration of Duloxetine Suppresses Neuropathic Pain by Accumulating Effects of Noradrenaline in the Spinal Cord
Authors: Ito Sachiko , Suto Takashi , Saito Shigeru , Obata Hideaki
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND:

Antidepressants are used to treat neuropathic pain and although the detailed mechanisms of their effects are unclear, the descending noradrenergic inhibitory system might play an important role. We tested our hypothesis that repeated administration of duloxetine suppresses neuropathic pain by restoring the descending noradrenergic inhibitory system in rats 6 weeks after spinal nerve ligation (SNL).

METHODS:

We subcutaneously injected SNL rats with duloxetine (10 mg kg−1 day−1) daily for 3 consecutive days and assessed behavioral hypersensitivity and noxious stimulus–induced analgesia (NSIA) activated by subcutaneous injection of capsaicin. We also performed microdialysis studies of the spinal cord, noradrenaline measurements of homogenized lumbar spinal tissue, and immunohistochemistry of the locus coeruleus.

RESULTS:

Three daily injections of duloxetine attenuated the mechanical hyperalgesia induced by SNL (SNL treated with vehicle: 88 ± 9.4 g versus SNL treated with duloxetine: 148 ± 13 g, P < .001; estimated treatment effect of duloxetine [95% confidence interval {CI}], 65 [50.6–79.4]; n = 6/group, on day 4) and recovered the decreased NSIA (vehicle: 154 ± 10 g versus duloxetine: 213 ± 33 g, P < .001; 71.3 [57.4–85.2]; n = 6/group, 30 minutes after injection). The noradrenaline content in the dorsal spinal cord increased bilaterally (SNL treated with vehicle: 946.7 ± 203.6 pg/g versus SNL treated with duloxetine: 1593.5 ± 181.4 pg/g, P < .001; 646.79 pg/g [481.61–811.97] on the ipsilateral side; SNL treated with vehicle: 845.0 ± 164.7 pg/g versus SNL treated with vehicle: 1557.2 ± 237.4 pg/g, P < .001; 712.17 pg/g [449.31–975.02] on the contralateral side). Intrathecal injection (IT) of the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan reversed both the antihyperalgesic effect (before IT: 133 ± 5.7 g versus 30 minutes after IT: 85.8 ± 6.5 g, P < .001, −47 [−39.1 to −54.8], n = 6/group, and NSIA; vehicle-IT: 219 ± 7.4 g versus idazoxan-IT: 153 ± 10 g, P < .001; −65.8 g [−25.2 to −77.4] n = 6/group, 30 minutes after forepaw injection of capsaicin). Duloxetine treatment did not alter the noradrenaline release in the spinal cord after capsaicin injection (P = .415), or the fraction of nuclei positive for phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein in the locus coeruleus (P = 1.00 duloxetine versus vehicle 120 minutes after forepaw injection of vehicle and P = 1.00 duloxetine versus vehicle 120 minutes after forepaw injection of capsaicin).

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings suggest that 3 daily injections of duloxetine suppressed hyperalgesia and recovered impaired NSIA in rats 6 weeks after nerve injury. Both effects of duloxetine were reversed by IT of an α2-adrenoceptor antagonist. These findings suggest the inhibitory effects of duloxetine against neuropathic pain depend on recovery of the noradrenergic descending inhibitory system, especially in the spinal cord.
Feeding begets drinking: insights from intermittent feeding in snakes
Authors: Lillywhite Harvey B.
Published: August 2017

An important question related to survival of dehydrating animals is whether feeding provides a net gain of water — contributing postprandial free water and metabolic water — or, alternatively, whether digestion and assimilation of ingested food incur a net loss of water because of requirements for digestion and the excretion of resulting metabolic wastes. Here I address the question whether voluntary drinking increases or decreases following the ingestion of food. Increased postprandial drinking implies that food consumption increases rather than decreases the requirement for free water, whereas decreased postprandial drinking suggests there is a net profit of water from food. Snakes are ideally suited for such inquiry because they feed intermittently, and the temporal separation of meals allows relatively clear examination of the associated patterns of pre- and postprandial drinking. Voluntary drinking associated with meal consumption was quantified during consecutive feeding trials in four species representing two families of snakes. Postprandial relative to preprandial drinking increased in all four species, indicating that eating increases the physiological requirement for water. These data add to a growing literature pointing to some generality that eating can have negative rather than positive consequences for fluid homeostasis in some dehydrating animals.
Building the “Plant Glossary”—A controlled botanical vocabulary using terms extracted from the Floras of North America and China
Authors: Endara Lorena , Cole Heather A. , Burleigh J. Gordon , Nagalingum Nathalie S. , Macklin James A. , Liu Jing , Ranade Sonali , Cui Hong
Published: August 2017

Taxonomic descriptions contain valuable phenotypic data that is often not directly accessible for modern evolutionary, ecological, or biodiversity analyses. We describe a process for building a consensus‐based controlled vocabulary from taxonomic descriptions for plants, which also can be applied for building controlled vocabularies for other taxon groups. Controlled vocabularies are useful as lexicons for text mining algorithms, as source of candidate terms for ontologies, and as guides to help future authors use domain vocabulary more appropriately and consistently. We extracted phenotype‐ describing phrases terms from descriptions of 30 volumes of theFlora of North AmericaandFlora of Chinaand merged these with terms from the Categorical Glossary of theFlora of North America.Seven contributors placed the terms into a set of categories until there was an agreement among two or more categorizations per term. Term categorization makes the meaning of a term more explicit for the subsequent users of the glossary. The resulting “Plant Glossary” (terms and categorization of terms) contains 9228 terms grouped in 53 categories. Differences in term categorization represented 49% of the categorization effort, and the many differences among individual classifications can be attributed to individual interpretation of terms and to the fluid nature of descriptive language used in Floras. The difficulties experienced while classifying the terms allowed us to explore cases where the use of language can hinder the accurate and detailed annotation of taxonomic descriptions. The Plant Glossary represents a significant step towards creating and enriching formal ontologies for plant phenotypes as the semantic phenomena found through this exercise is useful background information for building ontologies. The glossary has been used by new software to parse and annotate plant taxonomic descriptions, and over 6000 new terms are available for creating ontologies.
Predicting Students’ Academic Achievement: Contributions of Perceptions of Classroom Assessment Tasks and Motivated Learning Strategies
Authors: Alkharusi Hussain
Published: August 2017

Introduction. Students are daily exposed to a variety of assessment tasks in the classroom. It has long been recognized that students’ perceptions of the assessment tasks may influence student academic achievement. The present study aimed at predicting academic achievement in mathematics from perceptions of the assessment tasks after controlling for gender and motivated learning strategies.Method. The participants were 232 students enrolled in grade 11 mathematics classes selected from public schools in Oman. Data were collected using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and Perceptions of Assessment Tasks Inventory. Students’ final grades earned in the subject were obtained from the school administration at the end of the semester.Results. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that consultation and transparency were significantly related to mathematics achievement after controlling for gender and motivated learning strategies.Discussion. The findings contributed to the existing assessment literature by demonstrating the intersection between classroom assessment and self-regulation of learning and their effects on student achievement. Implications and recommendations for research and practice were discussed.
Arzneimittelentwicklung zu vernachlässigten Krankheiten
Authors: Gerlinger Katrin
Published: August 2017

Krankheiten, die fast ausschließlich in armen Ländern auftreten, werden seit Jahrzehnten in der medizinischen Forschung und Entwicklung vernachlässigt. Eine Ursache wird in der zahlungsschwachen Nachfrage gesehen. Sie kann die aufwendige kommerzialisierte Produktentwicklung nicht in ausreichendem Maße anreizen. Seit etlichen Jahren werden Wege gesucht, das systemische Problem des patentbasierten Innovationsprozesses zumindest bei armutsassoziierten Krankheiten abzumildern. Einige Akteure testen, inwiefern sich eine Grundidee der Open-Source-Softwareentwicklung – die Zusammenarbeit Freiwilliger bringt Produkte hervor, die keiner Firma allein gehören – auf die Arzneimittelentwicklung übertragen lässt. Dafür öffnen sie unterschiedliche Elemente des pharmakologischen Innovationsprozesses für eine gemeinsame Nutzung und Weiterentwicklung. Sie bezeichnen dies teilweise als Open Innovation. Der Artikel stellt relevante Initiativen vor.
Öffnung für alle
Authors: Dickel Sascha
Published: August 2017

Der Buchdruck ermöglichte die Ausdifferenzierung eines modernen Wissenschaftssystems, das in kognitiver Hinsicht auf Offenheit orientiert ist. Die Mertonschen Normen können als Selbstreflexion dieser Orientierung an Offenheit interpretiert werden. An ihnen wird sichtbar, dass sich die zeitliche und sachliche Offenheit der Wissenschaft paradoxerweise durch ihre soziale Schließung als Profession vollzieht. Diese Professionsgrenze wissenschaftlicher Praxis wird durch Open Science in Frage gestellt.
Nonlocal perturbations of the fractional Choquard equation
Authors: Singh Gurpreet
Published: August 2017

We study the equation

(-\Delta)^{s}u+V(x)u=(I_{\alpha}*\lvert u\rvert^{p})\lvert u\rvert^{p-2}u+% \lambda(I_{\beta}*\lvert u\rvert^{q})\lvert u\rvert^{q-2}u\quad\text{in }{% \mathbb{R}}^{N},

where{I_{\gamma}(x)=\lvert x\rvert^{-\gamma}}for any{\gamma\in(0,N)},{p,q>0},{\alpha,\beta\in(0,N)},{N\geq 3}, and{\lambda\in{\mathbb{R}}}. First, the existence of groundstate solutions by using a minimization method on the associated Nehari manifold is obtained. Next, the existence of least energy sign-changing solutions is investigated by considering the Nehari nodal set.
On generalized Sasakian-space-forms with M-projective curvature tensor
Authors: De Uday Chand , Haseeb Abdul
Published: August 2017

The object of the present paper is to study generalized Sasakian-space-forms satisfying the curvature condition{P(\xi,Y)\cdot W=0}. Moreover, ϕ-M-projectively semisymmetric and ϕ-pseudo-projectively semisymmetric generalized Sasakian-space-forms are also studied.
UWB Bandpass Filter with Ultra-wide Stopband based on Ring Resonator
Authors: Kazemi Maryam , Lotfi Saeedeh , Siahkamari Hesam , Mohammadpanah Mahmood
Published: August 2017

An ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter with ultra-wide stopband based on a rectangular ring resonator is presented. The filter is designed for the operational frequency band from 4.10 GHz to 10.80 GHz with an ultra-wide stopband from 11.23 GHz to 40 GHz. The even and odd equivalent circuits are used to achieve a suitable analysis of the proposed filter performance. To verify the design and analysis, the proposed bandpass filter is simulated using full-wave EM simulator Advanced Design System and fabricated on a 20mil thick Rogers_RO4003 substrate with relative permittivity of 3.38 and a loss tangent of 0.0021. The proposed filter behavior is investigated and simulation results are in good agreement with measurement results.
Molecular characterization of Ichtyobronema hamulatum (Moulton, 1931) (Nematoda: Quimperiidae), a common parasite of burbot Lota lota (Linnaeus) (Actinopterygii: Lotidae)
Authors: Sokolov S. G. , Malysheva S. V.
Published: August 2017

The phylogenetic analysis of partial SSU, LSU (rDNA) and COI (mtDNA) sequences was performed for the quimperiid nematode Ichtyobronema hamulatum, a common parasite of the burbot Lota lota. The study of SSU (for 2007 bp long alignment) has shown that in all kinds of analyses I. hamulatum cluster with Paraquimperia africana (Quimperiidae), while another quimperiid, Paraseuratum sp., unites in a separate clade with Spectatus spectatus (Kathlaniidae). Both groups do not form direct phylogenetic links with the rest of seuratoid nematodes (i.e. Cucullanidae and Seuratidae). Obtained data (for 1080 bp long alignment) exhibit the phylogenetic affinity of I. hamulatum and P. africana with kathlaniids of the genus Falcaustra. The analysis of LSU sequences has revealed that I. hamulatum occupies the basal position in relation to all other members of Spirurina and Rhabditina.
In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activity of extracts from Artemisia parviflora and A. sieversiana
Authors: Irum S. , Ahmed H. , Mirza B. , Donskow-Łysoniewska K. , Muhammad A. , Qayyum M. , Simsek S.
Published: August 2017

In the northern areas of Pakistan, the use of Artemisia based therapeutics is a common practice. Plants of genus Artemisia are known to possess anthelmintic and therapeutic effect. Infections caused by gastrointestinal nematodes are major threat to livestock industry across the world resulting in loss of production and indirect economic losses due to high cost of anthelmintic drugs. Present study was carried out to evaluate in vitro and in vivo effect of Artemisia sieversiana and Artemisia parviflora on Haemonchus contortus, a parasitic nematode of small ruminants. Methanolic plant extract was tested against three different developmental stages using an egg hatch assay, infective larvae and adult worm motility assay. Different concentrations were used for the bioassays and post exposure mortality was recorded after 8 hr for adult worms and infective larvae, while egg inhibition percentage was observed after 27 hr. A highly significant ability to inhibit the egg hatching (100 %) was recorded for both plant extracts while, the highest activity for adult worm assay and larvicidal assay was 90 % for A. sieversiana. The highest activity for adult motility and larvicidal assay for A. parviflora was 89 % and 86.6 % respectively. For in vivo trials maximum parentage reduction was 77.0 % for A. sieversiana and 73.6 % for A. parviflora. It is concluded that selected plant extracts were effective in reducing worm burden in animals.