bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Permanent Pacemaker Implantation for Carotid Sinus Hypersensitivity in a District General Hospital with a Falls Fits Faints and Funny Turns Clinic
Authors: Karunaratne P. M. , Broadhurst P. A. , Norris C. A.
Published: December 2017

Permanent pacemaker implantation is considered for carotid sinus hypersensitivity with asystolic pause of >3 seconds during carotid sinus massage, with or without associated systolic blood pressure drop of >50 mmHg. Aims: To assess the outcome of treatment with dual chamber permanent pacemaker implantation for carotid sinus hypersensitivity in a district general hospital and to compare our practice with available national data. Methods: Patients presenting with syncope, dizziness or unexplained falls were initially assessed as outpatient and investigations, commonly cardiovascular were performed including tilt table test with carotid sinus massage to look for carotid sinus hypersensitivity, vasovagal syncope and postural hypotension. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who had pacemaker implantations for carotid sinus hypersensitivity. Results: Fifty pacemaker implantations were performed, 14 (28%) were for carotid sinus hypersensitivity. Mean follow-up period was 10 months. Age range was 56–88 (mean = 71.9) years. In the eighteen months prior to pacemaker implantation, 71.4% of patients had syncope, 64%> dizziness and 50% had unexplained falls. Following pacemaker implantations, only 2 (14.3 %) had symptoms. Scottish national figures show 13.6% of all new pacemaker implants were for carotid sinus hypersensitivity, and in district general hospitals this was 16%. Conclusions: Health benefits for patients presenting with syncope dizziness and falls can be achieved by cardiovascular investigations including tilt table testing. We have shown carotid sinus hypersensitivity is successfully treated with pacemaker implantation in a district general hospital setting and this type of clinic has an impact on the rate and type of new pacemaker implantation.
As Time Goes by
Authors: Wong C. M. , Stenson B. J. , Laing I. A.
Published: December 2017

The timing of birth-related events may influence neonatal outcome and is often pivotal in medicolegal cases. This prospective observational study determined the variation in displayed time on timepieces in a regional maternity unit which could result in inaccuracies of time documentation. The mean (95%CI) difference between time displayed and true time was +5sec (±2min 4sec)for delivery room clocks and +lm 8s (±7m 12s) for resuscitation room clocks. The maximum discrepancy between delivery room and resuscitation room clocks was 7m 52s. The abilities of staff to estimate the duration of time passed was also assessed. The mean (9 5%CI) five-minute estimate was 4m 52s (±3m 12s). These disparities could have considerable medicolegal significance, and should be taken into consideration in risk management studies. Maternity units should move towards synchronising all timepieces. Meanwhile, statements about the precise timing of events should be regarded with suspicion.
Surviving at the Street Level: How Counselors’ Implementation of School Choice Policy Shapes Students’ High School Destinations
Authors: Sattin-Bajaj Carolyn , Jennings Jennifer L. , Corcoran Sean P. , Baker-Smith Elizabeth Christine , Hailey Chantal
Published: December 2017

Given the dominance of residentially based school assignment, prior researchers have conceptualized K–12 enrollment decisions as beyond the purview of school actors. This paper questions the continued relevance of this assumption by studying the behavior of guidance counselors charged with implementing New York City’s universal high school choice policy. Drawing on structured interviews with 88 middle school counselors and administrative data on choice outcomes at these middle schools, we find that counselors generally believe lower-income students are on their own in making high school choices and need additional adult support. However, they largely refrain from giving action-guiding advice to students about which schools to attend. We elaborate street-level bureaucracy theory by showing how the majority of counselors reduce cognitive dissonance between their understanding of students’ needs and their inability to meet these needs adequately given existing resources. They do so by drawing selectively on competing policy logics of school choice, narrowly delineating their conception of their role, and relegating decisions to parents. Importantly, we also find departures from the predictions of this theory as approximately one in four counselors sought to meet the needs of individual students by enlarging their role despite the resource constraints they faced. Finally, we quantify the impact of variation in counselors’ approaches, finding that the absence of action-guiding advice is associated with students being admitted to lower-quality schools, on average.
Overkill: Black Lives and the Spectacle of the Atlanta Cheating Scandal
Authors: Royal Camika , Dodo Seriki Vanessa
Published: December 2017

This article examines the 2015 Atlanta cheating scandal trials and sentencing. Using critical race theory, the authors argue that cheating is a natural outgrowth of market-based school reform and that racial realism will always lead to scrutiny of Black performance. The sentences of these Black educators is overkill, rooted in anti-Blackness, and can be best understood as a means of preserving Whiteness as property.
Conventionally trapped natural gas accumulations in the Jurassic tight sandstone reservoirs: A case study from the Center of the Western Sichuan Basin, SW China
Authors: Guo Yingchun , Song Licai , Fang Xinxin , Zhang Kaixun
Published: December 2017

Tight gas accumulations, commonly characterized by low permeability, low porosity, and complicated pore structure, are widely distributed in the Sichuan Basin. Recent exploration in the Chengdu Sag, Western Sichuan Basin has proven that Jurassic tight-sandstone reservoirs attach significant gas potential. However, long distance migration between source and reservoir intervals entangles understanding of the tight-gas accumulation mechanism. It is unclear whether producible gas in Jurassic intervals is either from “simple sweet-spots in a continuous accumulation” or “conventionally trapped accumulations in low-permeability reservoir rocks”. To identify the regionally active gas system and characterize the charging pattern, a geochemical study was performed by interpreting the gas molecular and carbon isotope compositions in Jurassic and conducting gas–source correlations as well as gas migration distance calculation with the relationship among δ13C1 vs. Ro vs. H (burial depth). Research results indicate that the Jurassic tight gases in Majing-Shifang areas are coal-derived dry gases generated by the primary cracking of kerogen. Gas/source correlation and gas migration distance calculation reveal that gases are mainly sourced from the Upper Triassic humic source rocks (T3 x5, the fifth member of the Xujiahe Formation). Gas accumulations in the Jurassic Penglaizhen Formation were formed with an original vertical migration of about 2–3 km and then a long-distance lateral migration within tight sand layers, which is verified by the decreasing δ13C1 and the general increasing iC4/ nC4 in the Penglaizhen Formation. The Jurassic tight-sandstone reservoirs in Majing-Shifang areas occur in low-porosity and low-permeability reservoir rocks in conventional lithological traps, which are not continuous-type gas accumulations or basin-centered gas systems. The faults in Majing area serve as dominant vertical conducting pathway and the relatively permeable intervals within Jurassic and microfractures play an important role in the development of the conventionally trapped natural gas accumulations.
Optimization of Fast-steam-assisted gravity drainage for the energy-efficient operations at a heterogeneous oil-sands reservoir
Authors: Choi Jiyeon , Park Changhyup , Jeong Soonhyeong
Published: December 2017

This paper discusses the energy-efficient operation of Fast-steam-assisted gravity drainage wellpad system in the presence of reservoir heterogeneity, different well constraints, and lateral flux communication between adjacent steam chambers. Fast-steam-assisted gravity drainage incorporates cyclic steam stimulation in an unrecovered area between steam-assisted gravity drainage wellpairs, and the well constraints of the wellpad system (including the injection pressure and steam injection rate at the injectors, bottom hole pressure, surface liquid rate, and steam rate at the producers) are simultaneously optimized to accomplish the minimum cumulative steam-to-oil ratio for a given bitumen recovery constraint. The higher injection pressures of the cyclic steam stimulation can result in greater efficiency by pushing the diluted fluid mixture to the steam-assisted gravity drainage producers through the cross-over zone between the steam chambers. At an early stage, a greater amount of steam should be injected through the cyclic steam stimulation work, and at the late stage, a lower injection pressure is needed to use the latent heat. The positive effects of the cyclic steam stimulation at the edges of the steam-assisted gravity drainage steam chambers are concentrated at localized flow paths where the lateral flux transport occurs due to spatial heterogeneity. A sensitivity analysis shows that the injection pressure and the steam rate produced for the steam-assisted gravity drainage wellpairs influence the energy efficiency of the entire thermal operation when compared to other configurations.
Workplace Gains beyond the Wagner Act: The New York Taxi Workers Alliance and Participation in Administrative Rulemaking
Authors: Johnston Hannah
Published: December 2017

Workers in traditional employment relationships have long relied on unionization and collective bargaining to counter unequal power relationships in the workplace and improve the terms and conditions of their work. Within the North American context, however, workers in select industries or with select employment status are legally excluded from this paradigm and unable to access basic labor law protections. This article examines historic gains made by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance to improve the work experience of yellow cab drivers through collective participation in the City of New York’s Administrative Rulemaking process. Exploring examples, including the 2003/2004 meter increase, Driver’s Bill of Rights, and the Drivers’ Benefit Fund, I argue that in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement, administrative rulemaking can provide both a site for negotiation about the content and structure of work, and can be employed to uphold the rights and gains made through workers’ collective action.
Behind Smoke and Mirrors: A Political Approach to Decoupling
Authors: Kern Anja , Laguecir Aziza , Leca Bernard
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we examine neglected dimensions of decoupling - i.e., its power and political aspects. We draw on an empirical study of the reaction of two hospital subunits and an external agency (the Regional Health Agency) to a policy implementation, to contribute to the recent renewed interest in decoupling. We first reconsider the distinction between internal and external actors by investigating how they interact in their responses to the new policy implementation. While observing different forms of decoupling, we show how power and politics allow us to understand how these forms are articulated and related. Furthermore, we highlight that contexts characterized by institutional complexity are particularly propitious for decoupling. Finally, we outline that how actors use logics to justify their claims might differ significantly from how they enact those logics. More broadly, this paper contributes by bringing back power and politics into the analysis of institutional processes.
Hypoxia as an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in pulmonary embolism
Authors: Subramanian Muthiah , Ramadurai Srinivasan , Arthur Preetam , Gopalan Sowmya
Published: December 2017

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the computed tomography pulmonary artery obstruction index and parameters of functional lung impairment in acute pulmonary embolism, and establish the value of these parameters in prognosticating right ventricular dysfunction and 30-day mortality.

Methods

This study included 322 consecutive patients (mean age 45.6 ± 13.2 years, 46.9% male) with acute pulmonary embolism, free of other cardiopulmonary disease, who underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography. Correlations of arterial CO2, O2, and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient with the computed tomography pulmonary artery obstruction index, measured using the Qanadli score, were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of right ventricular dysfunction and 30-day mortality.

Results

Of the 322 patients, 196 (60.9%) had right ventricular dysfunction, and 58 (18.0%) died within 30 days. The pulmonary artery obstruction index had a significant correlation with partial pressures of arterial O2 ( r = −0.887, p < 0.001) and CO2 ( r = −0.618, p = 0.019) and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient ( r = +0.874, p < 0.001). Arterial O2 pressure had a good predictive accuracy and discriminative power for both right ventricular dysfunction (sensitivity 80.6%, specificity 85.1%, area under the curve 0.91) and 30-day mortality (sensitivity 77.8%, specificity 82.0%, area under the curve 0.89).

Conclusions

In patients with acute pulmonary embolism, free of other cardiopulmonary disease, parameters of functional impairment have a strong correlation with computed tomography pulmonary artery obstruction index. Hypoxia is an independent predictor of both right ventricular dysfunction and 30-day mortality in these patients.
State policies and institutional procedures and practices addressing prostitution and sex trafficking of children in Hungary
Authors: Vidra Zsuzsanna , Katona Noémi , Sebhelyi Viktória
Published: December 2017

The article, based on policy analysis, institutional interviews and community fieldwork, looks at why children in prostitution and victims of trafficking remain practically without state support and institutional assistance. It also explores to what extent the decriminalisation of the system assisting child victims of prostitution and trafficking, or the shift from the ‘punishment’ to the ‘welfare model’, has taken place. The ethnic aspect of the problem is addressed as well given that the majority of victims are of Roma origin. While Hungary has ratified all important international conventions that oblige the country to protect child victims, neither its policies and legislation nor its institutions including child protection, law enforcement and the judiciary, seem to have adequate structural frameworks and institutional practices to attend to these children and prosecute offenders. Policy gaps, institutional procedures and practices are identified and it is concluded that the country is still much closer to the ‘punishment model’.
Using residualized change versus difference scores for longitudinal research
Authors: Castro-Schilo Laura , Grimm Kevin J.
Published: December 2017

Researchers interested in studying change over time are often faced with an analytical conundrum: Whether a residualized change model versus a difference score model should be used to assess the effect of a key predictor on change that took place between two occasions. In this article, the authors pose a motivating example in which a researcher wants to investigate the effect of cohabitation on pre- to post-marriage change in relationship satisfaction. Key features of this example include the likely self-selection of dyads with lower relationship satisfaction to cohabit and the impossibility of using experimentation procedures to attain equivalent groups (i.e., cohabitants vs. not cohabitants). The authors use this example of a nonrandomized study to compare the residualized change and difference score models analytically and empirically. The authors describe the assumptions of the models to explain Lord’s paradox; that is, the fact that these models can lead to different inferences about the effect under investigation. They also provide recommendations for modeling data from nonrandomized studies using a latent change score framework.
Advancing the validity argument for standardized writing tests using quantitative rhetorical analysis
Authors: Beigman Klebanov Beata , Ramineni Chaitanya , Kaufer David , Yeoh Paul , Ishizaki Suguru
Published: December 2017

Essay writing is a common type of constructed-response task used frequently in standardized writing assessments. However, the impromptu timed nature of the essay writing tests has drawn increasing criticism for the lack of authenticity for real-world writing in classroom and workplace settings. The goal of this paper is to contribute evidence to a validity argument for standardized writing tests. Using measurements of distances between rhetorical profiles in the corpora of interest, we examined connections between argumentative writing on standardized assessments and in external writing situations; namely, opinionated writing in academic and real-life settings. The results show that test corpora, focusing on argumentation in two standardized tests, are rhetorically similar to academic argumentative writing in a graduate-school setting, and about as similar as a corpus of civic writing in the same genre. The proximity between the test corpora and corpora representing external criteria of interest support the assessment use argument. The argumentative writing skills employed on the test are similar to the skills employed in academic and civic settings, despite the differences in the nature of the settings under which the writing samples for these different corpora are produced.
Social media engagement in developing countries
Authors: Magoi Joshua Sani , Aspura MK Yanti Idaya , Abrizah A
Published: December 2017

The progressiveness of social media in academic libraries is the gear to achieve the libraries’ objectives, particularly in term of facilities and services. In addition, academic librarians have been using social media as a key medium for marketing, communication, and collaboration. However, social media use in academic libraries, especially in developing countries, is not without controversy. Studies indicate that social networking by academic librarians is ineffective use of librarians’ time and effort. The usefulness of and the hindrances in social media engagement for academic libraries in developing countries have yet to be established. For this reason, this review aims to identify the boons and the banes of social media engagement for academic libraries in developing countries in two continents, Asia and Africa. A structured literature review was conducted using methods promulgated by the Center for Reviews and Disseminations but adapted to the particular needs of this review. Various online databases were used for the review. The keywords/phrases used for the search were: social media, web 2.0, social media engagement, academic libraries, and developing countries; and after a profound scrutiny, 50 articles were found useful for the review. The result shows that there is a continued increase of published literature on social media in academic libraries in the developing countries. A substantial amount of literature emphasises the benefits of social media usefulness in academic libraries under five major themes – marketing and promotion of library services; professional/self-development;, social interaction; media sharing; and communication. A few articles express the distress in implementing social media in academic library services. The usefulness of and the hindrances in social media engagement reported in the literature should inform practicing librarians contemplating implementation of social media and guide formal social media application in library services. More so, this study will shape Library and Information Science (LIS) researchers to scope out areas of needs for future research.
Using population-based routinely collected data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme to investigate factors associated with discharge to care home after rehabilitation
Authors: Dutta Dipankar , Thornton Daniel , Bowen Emily
Published: December 2017

Objectives:

We investigated factors associated with Care Home (CH) discharge following stroke using routinely collected data in unselected patients and assessed the relevance of previous research findings to such patients seen in routine clinical practice.

Design:

Retrospective analysis of data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme using univariate analysis and logistic regression.

Setting:

A large acute and rehabilitation UK stroke unit with access to early supported discharge.

Subjects:

All patients with stroke treated from 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2017.

Main measures:

National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS).

Results:

Of 2584 patients (median age 78 years, interquartile range (IQR) 69–86; 50.6% male; 86.7% infarcts; median admission NIHSS 4, IQR 2–9), 401 (15.5%) died in hospital and 203 patients (7.9%) were permanently discharged to CH for the first time. Most had pre-discharge mRS scores of 4/5. Factors (odds ratios; 95% confidence intervals) associated with CH discharge included age (1.07; 1.05–1.10), incontinence (11.5; 7.13–19.25), dysphagia (2.13; 1.39–3.29), severe weakness (1.93; 1.28–2.92), pneumonia (1.68; 1.13–2.50), urinary tract infection (UTI) (1.70; 1.04–2.75) and depression (1.65; 1.00–2.72). In a subgroup of all patients with a pre-discharge mRS of 4/5, age (1.04; 1.02–1.06), incontinence (4.87; 2.39–11.02), UTI (2.0; 1.09–3.71) and pneumonia (1.59; 1.02–2.50) were the only factors associated with CH discharge.

Conclusion:

Potentially modifiable variables like incontinence, UTI and pneumonia were associated with CH discharge, particularly in the severely disabled.
Evaluation of exercise-induced modulation of glial activation and dopaminergic damage in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease using [11C]PBR28 and [18F]FDOPA PET
Authors: Real Caroline C , Doorduin Janine , Kopschina Feltes Paula , Vállez García David , de Paula Faria Daniele , Britto Luiz R , de Vries Erik FJ
Published: December 2017

Evidence suggests that exercise can modulate neuroinflammation and neuronal damage. We evaluated if such effects of exercise can be detected with positron emission tomography (PET) in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Rats were unilaterally injected in the striatum with 6-hydroxydopamine (PD rats) or saline (controls) and either remained sedentary (SED) or were forced to exercise three times per week for 40 min (EX). Motor and cognitive functions were evaluated by the open field, novel object recognition, and cylinder tests. At baseline, day 10 and 30, glial activation and dopamine synthesis were assessed by [11C]PBR28 and [18F]FDOPA PET, respectively. PET data were confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis of microglial (Iba-1) / astrocyte (GFAP) activation and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). [11C]PBR28 PET showed increased glial activation in striatum and hippocampus of PD rats at day 10, which had resolved at day 30. Exercise completely suppressed glial activation. Imaging results correlated well with post-mortem Iba-1 staining, but not with GFAP staining. [18F]FDOPA PET, TH staining and behavioral tests indicate that 6-OHDA caused damage to dopaminergic neurons, which was partially prevented by exercise. These results show that exercise can modulate toxin-induced glial activation and neuronal damage, which can be monitored noninvasively by PET.
Training Teachers to Teach Epidemiology in Middle and High Schools
Authors: St. George Diane Marie M. , Chukhina Margarita , Kaelin Mark A.
Published: December 2017

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a workshop which was designed to prepare teachers to teach epidemiology to middle and high school students.

Methods

The workshop introduced the fundamental enduring understandings of epidemiology as well as a pedagogical framework for teaching it. Using an online questionnaire and telephone interviews, we assessed post-workshop outcomes.

Results

The majority (80%) of workshop alumni had taught epidemiology with the most common approach (52%) being the inclusion of epidemiologic concepts into other courses. Teachers felt that learning epidemiology was a valuable experience for their students and reported that students found it engaging and relevant to their lives.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that there may be benefit to teaching epidemiology in middle and high schools. Further research should directly evaluate public health-related outcomes among students, such as improvements in health literacy and health behavior.
A Survey of English Sixth Formers' Knowledge of Early Brain Development
Authors: Nolan Mary
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To ascertain the knowledge of young people aged 16 to 19 of early brain development and their attitudes towards the care of babies and preschool children.

Design

Cross-sectional, school- and college-based survey including all sixth form students present on the days of data collection. The survey instrument comprised forced-choice questions in four sections: Demographics, Perceptions and Understanding of Early Childhood Development, Parental Behaviors to Support Early Brain development, and Resource Needs and Usage.

Setting

Two sixth form schools and one sixth form college in three towns of varying affluence in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom.

Method

The survey was mounted online and completed by 905 students who returned it directly to the researcher.

Results

Most students knew that tobacco, alcohol, and drugs are hazardous in pregnancy, and many recognized the impact of maternal stress on fetal brain development. Many believed that babies can be “spoiled” and did not appreciate the importance of reading to babies and of the relationship between play and early brain development. A significant minority thought that physical activity and a healthy diet have little impact on young children's development. Respondents said they would turn firstly to their parents for advice on baby care rather than professionals.

Conclusion

Young people need educating about parenting activities that support the all-round healthy development of infants. The importance of a healthy diet, physical activity, reading, and play should be included in sixth form curricula and antenatal classes. Consideration should be given to educating grandparents because of their influence on new parents.
Making a Case for Formal School-Based Oral Health Promotion: Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Pupils in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Lawal Folake B. , Taiwo Juliana O.
Published: December 2017

Background

Providing evidence for institution of school-based oral health promotion programs is paramount in developing countries, due to increasing unmet dental needs impacting on quality of life of children.

Aim

To evaluate oral health knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of pupils in a country lacking formal school oral health promotion.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,297 pupils in randomly selected primary schools in one city. Information on oral health KAP were obtained using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Responses to questions were graded, standardized, and data analyzed using SPSS.

Results

The mean age was 10.6 (±1.7) years. Mean KAP percentage scores were 18.1 (±5.0)%, 18.3 (±4.9)%, and 17.3 (±12.8)%, respectively. Older age, male gender, and previous dental consultations were significantly associated with higher KAP scores. Those who had been educated informally about oral health had higher mean KAP scores ( p = .013, p < .001, and p < .001, respectively). Previous oral health education and consultation with dentists were significant predictors of higher oral health practice scores.

Conclusion

Poor oral health KAP exists among the pupils. Those who had consulted the dentist or had oral health education had better KAP. These findings reinforce the need for formal school-based oral health promotion.
Increased diffusion and decreased perfusion in epiphyses of femoral heads detected via intravoxel incoherent motion after closed reduction in children with developmental dysplasia of the hip
Authors: Meng Xiang Hong , Zhang Xue Ning , Wang Zhi , Yang Jian Ping , Zhang Zhong Li , Xia Shuang
Published: December 2017

Background

Patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) may have decreased blood supply to the femoral heads. Finding a non-invasive method to evaluate whether the femoral heads in patients with DDH are ischemic is paramount for orthopedic surgeons.

Purpose

To identify whether parameters reflecting perfusion and diffusion in intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) sequences can be used to assess ischemia in femoral heads in patients with DDH after closed reduction.

Material and Methods

Twenty-eight patients with DDH who had undergone closed reduction were enrolled. IVIM data were acquired using a 3-T magnetic resonance scanner, regions of interest were placed on the epiphyses; ADCslow, ADCfast, f, and ADCfast×f were measured. A Mann–Whitney U test was performed to compare ADCslow, ADCfast, f, and ADCfast×f between the lesion and control sides. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated with respective cut-off values. The lesion sides were classified based on the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) classification. ADCslow, ADCfast, f, and ADCfast×f were compared among the groups.

Results

ADCslow was higher and ADCfast, f, and ADCfast×f were lower on the lesion sides ( P = 0.000–0.002). The optimal cut-off value for ADCfast×f, ADCfast, ADCslow, and f were 0.030, 0.626, 0.000251, and 0.636, respectively. Higher IHDI classification scores on the lesion side were associated with lower ADCfast, f, and ADCfast×f, and higher ADCslow values.

Conclusion

IVIM is a promising method to investigate the perfusion and diffusion of epiphyses of femoral heads.
Pathology of the Emerging Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Pathogen, Mycobacterium mungi, in the Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo)
Authors: Alexander Kathleen A. , Laver Peter N. , Williams Mark C. , Sanderson Claire E. , Kanipe Carly , Palmer Mitchell V.
Published: December 2017

Wild banded mongooses ( Mungos mungo) in northeastern Botswana and northwest Zimbabwe are infected with a novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) pathogen, Mycobacterium mungi. We evaluated gross and histologic lesions in 62 infected mongooses (1999–2017). Many tissues contained multifocal irregular, lymphohistiocytic to granulomatous infiltrates and/or multifocal or coalescing noncaseating to caseating granulomas with variable numbers of intralesional acid-fast bacilli. Over one-third of nasal turbinates examined had submucosal lymphohistiocytic to granulomatous infiltrates, erosion and ulceration of the nasal mucosa, bony remodeling, and nasal distortion. Similar inflammatory cell infiltrates expanded the dermis of the nasal planum with frequent ulceration. However, even in cases with intact epidermis, acid-fast bacilli were present in variable numbers among dermal infiltrates and on the epidermal surface among desquamated cells and debris, most commonly in small crevices or folds. In general, tissue involvement varied among cases but was highest in lymph nodes (50/54, 93%), liver (39/53, 74%), spleen (37/51, 73%), and anal glands/sacs (6/8, 75%). Pulmonary lesions were present in 67% of sampled mongooses (35/52) but only in advanced disseminated disease. The pathological presentation of M. mungi in the banded mongoose is consistent with pathogen shedding occurring through scent-marking behaviors (urine and anal gland secretions) with new infections arising from contact with these contaminated olfactory secretions and percutaneous movement of the pathogen through breaks in the skin, nasal planum, and/or skin of the snout. Given the character and distribution of lesions and the presence of intracellular acid-fast bacilli, we hypothesize that pathogen spread occurs within the body through a hematogenous and/or lymphatic route. Features of prototypical granulomas such as multinucleated giant cells and peripheral fibrosis were rarely present in affected mongooses. Acid-fast bacilli were consistently found intracellularly, even in regions of necrosis. The mongoose genome has a unique deletion (RD1mon) that includes part of the encoding region for PPE68 (Rv3873), a gene co-operonic with PE35. These proteins can influence the host’s cellular immune response to mycobacterial infections, and it remains uncertain how this deletion might contribute to observed patterns of pathology. M. mungi infection in banded mongooses is characterized by both a unique transmission and exposure route, as well as accompanying pathological features, providing an opportunity to increase our understanding of MTC pathogenesis across host-pathogen systems.
Immunohistochemical Characterization of Canine Oral Papillary Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Thaiwong Tuddow , Sledge Dodd G. , Collins-Webb Alexandra , Kiupel Matti
Published: December 2017

Recently, histologic subtypes of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) corresponding to the human classification scheme have been proposed for dogs. A papillary squamous cell carcinoma subtype is characterized by dominant exophytic architectural growth with limited invasion, a lower metastatic rate, and better overall survival compared with conventional SCC. Whereas most canine oral conventional SCCs are easily diagnosed by histologic examination, the diagnosis of canine oral papillary squamous cell carcinoma (COPSCC) can be challenging since the exophytic portion lacks histologic features of malignancy and appears similar to oral nonviral papillomas. In contrast, the invasive portion of COPSCC has morphologic similarities to conventional SCC and canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma. The goals of this study were to immunophenotype these 3 entities and to potentially identify discriminating markers. A panel of 17 immunohistochemical markers was investigated in tissue microarrays that included 25 COPSCCs, 10 conventional SCCs, and 10 canine acanthomatous ameloblastomas. Additionally, COPSCCs were screened for papillomavirus as a potential cause using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. COPSCC had immunophenotypical similarities with conventional SCC and acanthomatous ameloblastoma, but the combined differences in immunolabeling for AE1/AE3, 34βE12, p63, and calretinin discriminated between the entities. Papillomavirus was not detected in any COPSCC, making a viral pathogenesis unlikely. A better understanding of the immunophenotype of COPSCC will aid in a more accurate diagnosis and potentially improve therapeutic approaches.
A new questionnaire for assessment of a mechanical engineering senior design class
Authors: Liu Yucheng , Baker Francie
Published: December 2017

An improved course assessment questionnaire was designed and used as an assessment tool for evaluation of a design-based and team-oriented mechanical engineering senior design course. The student feedback to the evaluation questionnaire was collected and analyzed to gain a better understanding of how well this course met the learning needs of students and addressed the goal of developing their career skills, as well as its impact on Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology educational objectives, upon which a plan to improve this senior design course would be formulated. The designed assessment questionnaire is a good supplement tool to the regular student evaluation form as a means to gather more insightful and valuable information from students for this specially designed course, through which the additive value of the unique industry-tied and team-oriented education mode implemented in that course can be correctly evaluated.
Hip Arthroscopic Surgery With Labral Preservation and Capsular Plication in Patients With Borderline Hip Dysplasia: Minimum 5-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes
Authors: Domb Benjamin G. , Chaharbakhshi Edwin O. , Perets Itay , Yuen Leslie C. , Walsh John P. , Ashberg Lyall
Published: December 2017

Background:

The arthroscopic management of hip dysplasia has been controversial and has historically demonstrated mixed results. Studies on patients with borderline dysplasia, emphasizing the importance of the labrum and capsule as secondary stabilizers, have shown improvement in patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose was to assess whether the results of hip arthroscopic surgery with labral preservation and concurrent capsular plication in patients with borderline hip dysplasia have lasting, positive outcomes at a minimum 5-year follow-up. It was hypothesized that with careful patient selection, outcomes would be favorable.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed for patients aged <40 years who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for intra-articular abnormalities. Inclusion criteria included lateral center-edge angle (LCEA) between 18° and 25°, concurrent capsular plication and labral preservation, and minimum 5-year follow-up. Exclusion criteria were severe dysplasia (LCEA ≤18°), Tönnis grade ≥2, pre-existing childhood hip conditions, or prior hip surgery. PRO scores including the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and Hip Outcome Score Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS) and the visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain were collected preoperatively, at 3 months, and annually thereafter. Complications and revisions were recorded.

Results:

Twenty-five hips (24 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one hips (19 patients, 84%) were available for follow-up. The mean age at surgery was 22.9 years. The mean preoperative LCEA and Tönnis angle were 21.7° (range, 18° to 24°) and 6.9° (range, –1° to 16°), respectively. The mean follow-up was 68.8 months. The mean mHHS increased from 70.3 to 85.9 ( P < .0001), the mean NAHS from 68.3 to 87.3 ( P < .0001), and the mean HOS-SSS from 52.1 to 70.8 ( P = .0002). The mean VAS score improved from 5.6 to 1.8 ( P < .0001). Four hips (19%) required secondary arthroscopic procedures, all of which resulted in improved PRO scores at latest follow-up. No patient required conversion to total hip arthroplasty.

Conclusion:

While periacetabular osteotomy remains the standard for treating true acetabular dysplasia, hip arthroscopy may provide a safe and durable means of managing intra-articular abnormalities in the setting of borderline acetabular dysplasia at midterm follow-up. These procedures should be performed by surgeons with expertise in advanced arthroscopic techniques, using strict patient selection criteria, with emphasis on labral preservation and capsular plication.
An Analysis of Mathematics Requirements and Recommendations for Admission to PhD Programs in Economics
Authors: Milkman Martin , Marjadi Riza
Published: December 2017

This article presents an analysis of the mathematics course requirements and recommendations for prospective students seeking entry into economics PhD programs in the United States. We find that applicants must complete seven mathematics courses to safely assume that they have enough math credits for admission to most programs. Using National Research Council (NRC) rankings of economics departments according to the level of research activity, we find no strong evidence that the mathematics courses required and recommended are dependent upon the level of academic research conducted by the faculty in the respective PhD programs.

JEL Classifications: A22, A23
A review on tribological behaviour of natural reinforced composites
Authors: Sumithra H , Sidda Reddy B
Published: December 2017

In the past, asbestos and copper were preferred as friction materials because they have good ability to dissipate heat, but have proven to be harmful to environment. Recently, more researches are focused on non-asbestos friction composite materials due to its non-toxicity and biodegradability. Despite synthetic fibre composites having eco-friendly nature, because of its cost and pollution most of the researchers show interest on natural fibre composites. Hence, there is a need to explore the analysis on the tribologicaal behaviour of composite materials. The aim of this review is to provide overview of literature survey on the tribological characteristics such as friction, wear and lubrication of both particulate reinforced composites and fibre reinforced composites. In addition, operating and material parameters that influence tribological behaviour are also explored. Results reveal that operating parameters like normal load, sliding velocity, sliding distance, temperature and material parameters like particle size, volume fraction, fibre orientation, fibre length, surface treatment and aspect ratio have a significant effect on tribo characteristics.
Response to Intervention: Lore v. Law
Authors: Zirkel Perry A.
Published: December 2017

The legal dimension of response to intervention (RTI) has been the subject of considerable professional confusion. This brief article addresses the issue in three parts. The first part provides an update of a previous iteration that compared 12 common conceptions, referred to here as the “lore,” with an objective synthesis of the applicable primary sources of law. Due to the relative paucity of case law to date, this synthesis includes various policy interpretations of the United States. The second part consists of a summary of the results of the polling of professionals who attended a recent series of regional RTI conferences. The third part provides a discussion of these results, including the limitations of the items and the polls, the implications for practitioners, and recommendations for further research.
Shaken or stirred? Terrorism and third-party state resolve in civil war interventions
Authors: Linebarger Christopher , Enterline Andrew J. , Liebel Steven R.
Published: December 2017

Does terrorism against third-party state interveners affect their willingness to continue an intervention into a civil war? Drawing on research examining the impact of terrorism on partisanship, public opinion, and political survival, as well as the targeting of states by terrorists, we link terrorist attacks originating from a civil war state with an intervening state’s resolve to continue an ongoing military intervention into a civil war in support of the government. Terrorism can either undermine a third party’s resolve, because the political costs resulting from terror attacks are perceived to be larger than the national security benefits advertised in support of an intervention or it can fortify a third party’s resolve to continue an intervention because it produces a domestic rally effect that raises the political costs of early departure. Event history analysis of 127 interventions with military personnel into civil conflicts on the side of the government during the 1975–2005 period indicates that terrorist campaigns shake the resolve of third-party states and reduce time to their departure.
Experienced poverty and local conflict violence
Authors: Tollefsen Andreas Forø
Published: December 2017

That poorer countries face higher risk of civil war is among the most robust findings in the literature on internal conflicts. However, we lack knowledge about whether a similar correlation exists on a more local level. Research into the local poverty–conflict nexus has largely relied on objective proxies of poverty that are only loosely related to the rationale for conflict. The results have been mixed, thus highlighting the need for more effective juxtaposition of theory and data. Using a subjective measure of poverty that determines whether individuals’ basic needs are being met, this article presents new empirical evidence for existing propositions linking local poverty and conflict-based violence. The study analyzes georeferenced survey data from the pan-African Afrobarometer survey for 4008 subnational districts across 35 African states, producing results that show how areas with high levels of poverty are indeed more likely to experience conflict. However, the correlation is likely to be indirect. Interaction models demonstrate that poverty is more likely to exacerbate violence if an area’s local institutions are weak or when impoverishment overlaps with group grievances against the government. Robustness tests, using coarsened exact matching and region-level fixed effects, provide considerable empirical support for a strong relationship between poverty and conflict at the local level.
Provincial development of a patient-reported outcome initiative to guide patient care, quality improvement, and research
Authors: Olson Robert A. , Howard Fuchsia , Lapointe Vincent , Schellenberg Devin , Nichol Alan , Bowering Gale , Curtis Susan , Walter Allison , Brown Steven , Thompson Corinne , Bergin Jackie , Lomas Sheri , French John , Halperin Ross , Tyldesley Scott , Beckham Wayne
Published: December 2017

The BC Cancer Agency Radiotherapy (RT) program started the Prospective Outcomes and Support Initiative (POSI) at all six centres to utilize patient-reported outcomes for immediate clinical care, quality improvement, and research. Patient-reported outcomes were collected at time of computed tomography simulation via tablet and 2 to 4 weeks post-RT via either tablet or over the phone by a registered nurse. From 2013 to 2016, patients were approached on 20,150 attempts by POSI for patients treated with RT for bone metastases (52%), brain metastases (11%), lung cancer (17%), gynecological cancer (16%), head and neck cancer (2%), and other pilots (2%). The accrual rate for all encounters was 85% (n = 17,101), with the accrual rate varying between the lowest and the highest accruing centre from 78% to 89% ( P < .001) and varying by tumour site ( P < .001). Using the POSI database, we have performed research and quality improvement initiatives that have changed practice.
Low molecular weight polyethylenimine-grafted soybean protein gene carriers with low cytotoxicity and greatly improved transfection in vitro
Authors: Yao Weijing , Cheng Xu , Fu Shengxiang , Yan Guoqing , Wang Xin , Tang Rupei
Published: December 2017

A series of gene carriers (SP-PEI) have been synthesized by acylation reaction between soybean protein and branched polyethylenimine with low molecular weight of 600, 1200 and 1800 Da, and designed as SP-PEI600, SP-PEI1200 and SP-PEI1800, respectively. SP-PEI could effectively condense plasmid DNA into nanoscale polyplexes with size range of 100–200 nm, and exhibited much lower cytotoxicity against 293T and SH-SY5Y cells than that of branched polyethylenimine (25 kDa). In vitro gene transfection demonstrated that SP-PEI/DNA complex displayed increased transfection against 293T and SH-SY5Y cells with the increase of the weight ratio of SP-PEI/DNA complex with or without 10% serum. At weight ratio of 24, SP-PEI1800/DNA polyplexes showed the highest transfection on SH-SY5Y cells, which was almost three folds higher than PEI (25 kDa). Furthermore, these SP-PEIs/DNA polyplexes could effectively transfect 293T and SH-SY5Y cells with or without 10% serum, suggesting their excellent serum tolerance.