bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Intercuneiform 1-2 Joint Mobility Between Hallux Valgus and Normal Feet Using Weightbearing Computed Tomography and 3-Dimensional Analysis
Authors: Kimura Tadashi , Kubota Makoto , Suzuki Naoki , Hattori Asaki , Marumo Keishi
Published: December 2017

Background:

An association has been reported between hallux valgus and hypermobility of the first ray, but subluxation of the intercuneiform 1-2 joint was also suspected in some cases. However, dynamics of the intercuneiform 1-2 joint has seldom been investigated. This study used weightbearing computed tomography (CT) and a 3-dimensional (3D) analysis system to evaluate displacement of the intercuneiform 1-2 joint, intercuneiform 2-3 joint, and second cuneonavicular joint due to weightbearing in hallux valgus and normal feet.

Methods:

Patients were 11 women with hallux valgus (mean age, 56 years; mean hallux valgus angle, 43 degrees; mean first-second intermetatarsal angle, 22 degrees) and 11 women with normal feet (mean age, 57 years; mean hallux valgus angle, 14 degrees; mean first-second intermetatarsal angle, 9 degrees). Each patient was placed supine with the lower limbs extended, and CT was performed under nonweightbearing and weightbearing conditions (load equivalent to body weight). 3D models reconstructed from CT images were used to compare displacement of the intermediate cuneiform relative to the medial cuneiform under nonweightbearing and weightbearing conditions.

Results:

Relative to the medial cuneiform, the middle cuneiform was displaced by 0.1 and 0.8 degrees due to dorsiflexion, 0.2 and 1.0 degrees due to inversion, and 0.7 and 0.7 degrees due to abduction in normal feet and feet with hallux valgus, respectively, with the latter having significantly greater dorsiflexion ( P = .0067) and inversion ( P = .0019). There was no significant intergroup difference at the intercuneiform 2-3 joint and second cuneonavicular joint.

Conclusion:

This study clarified the detailed load-induced displacement of the cuneiform 3-dimensionally. Compared with normal feet, hallux valgus feet had significantly greater mobility of the intercuneiform 1-2 joint, suggesting hypermobility of this joint.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, case-control study.
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): What Nurses Need to Know
Authors: Essenmacher Carol , Naegle Madeline , Baird Carolyn , Vest Bridgette , Spielmann Rene , Smith-East Marie , Powers Leigh
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND: Efforts to decrease adverse effects of tobacco use are affected by emergence of new nicotine delivery products. Advertising, product promotion, and social media promote use of these products, yet a lack of evidence regarding safety leaves nurses unprepared to counsel patients. OBJECTIVES: To critically evaluate current research, reviews of literature, expert opinion, and stakeholder policy proposals on use and safety of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). DESIGN: A targeted examination of literature generated by key stakeholders and subject matter experts was conducted using key words, modified by risk factors, and limited to the past 8 years. RESULTS: Current knowledge gaps in research literature and practice implications of the literature are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The safety of ENDS is questionable and unclear. There are clear health risks of nicotine exposure to developing brains. Potential health risks of ENDS secondhand emissions exposure exist. Using ENDS to facilitate total tobacco cessation is not proven.
Calcium Dynamics and Cardiac Arrhythmia
Authors: Deo Makarand , Weinberg Seth H , Boyle Patrick M
Published: December 2017

This Special Collection will gather all studies highlighting recent advances in theoretical and experimental studies of arrhythmia, with a specific focus on research seeking to elucidate links between calcium homeostasis in cardiac cells and organ-scale disruption of heart rhythm.
Perspectives on the Pharmacological Treatment of Heroin Addiction
Authors: Bond Alyson J , Witton John
Published: December 2017

Opioids are very addictive drugs because of their powerful effects on reward and pain pathways in the brain. Opioid addiction is currently a worldwide problem and injecting heroin presents serious health risks including death from overdose. The increase in the nonmedical use of prescription opioids and the increase in overdose deaths are worrying trends in North America. There is therefore an increasing need for access to effective treatments. The 2 major drug treatments, methadone and buprenorphine, have proven efficacy but are not necessarily administered in the most effective doses or under optimum conditions. Alternative approaches such as slow-release oral morphine, tincture of opium, and the use of the opioid antagonist naltrexone to maintain abstinence are used seemingly effectively in some countries but have yet to be fully evaluated in randomized controlled trials. Heroin-assisted treatment has proven to be a valuable and effective treatment when administered in specialized clinics but is only appropriate for those who have failed to improve on optimal methadone or buprenorphine maintenance. Recent innovations and substitution treatment as an alternative to incarceration are described. Drug treatment of opioid addiction is most effective when administered as part of a therapeutic program as demonstrated in the initial methadone evaluations and the more recent trials with heroin-assisted treatment.
Performing market categories through visual inscriptions: The case of ethical fashion
Authors: Blanchet Vivien
Published: December 2017

Whereas categories are important cogs of market dynamics, their construction process has been largely overlooked to date. Drawing on the Actor–Network Theory, the article tackles this issue by redefining categorisation as a translation process transforming multiplicity into unity through inscriptions. This process sheds light on the very practices of categorising, the devices involved and their agency. Combining multiple data sources, it describes how organisers and exhibitors at a trade fair use visual inscriptions like pictures and movies, logos and maps, catalogues and fashion parades to define ethical fashion, make compromises between ethics and aesthetics, and project a fashionable image of the nascent category. This offers new insights into the construction of markets by breaking down the performative process of categorisation and revealing the visual mediations involved.
Predicting erosion in wet gas pipelines/elbows by mathematical formulations and computational fluid dynamics modeling
Authors: Cuamatzi-Meléndez Ruben , Hernandez Rojo MA , Vázquez-Hernández AO , Silva-González Francisco L
Published: December 2017

Sand erosion has been identified as a potential damage and failure mechanism in pipelines/elbows employed to transport gas from wells to terminals. Erosion can cause localized material loss decreasing the structural integrity of pipelines/elbows leading to failure. As a result, sand erosion has been the object of much research work in the oil and gas industry. The prediction of erosion caused by sand transported by hydrocarbons flow is a difficult task due to the large number of variables involved. At present, a great number of empirical models have been developed to predict sand erosion in smaller diameter pipelines under laboratory conditions. Therefore, such formulations generally present uncertainties for their application in larger diameter pipelines employed to transport oil and gas because there is no fundamental basis showing how the empirical formulations can be extrapolated to large diameters pipelines as most of the models have been developed on the basis of elementary laboratory experiments, which may not represent the real sand erosion conditions. Furthermore, most of the analytical/empirical models were developed for specific pipeline/elbows diameters and cannot be employed to predict erosion in different engineering structures. Hence, in the present work a computational fluid dynamic modeling strategy is proposed, which incorporated fundamental physically erosion parameters to predict erosion in larger diameter pipelines/elbows. The methodology was applied to different elbows/pipelines diameters in order to investigate how pipeline's diameter, sand production rate, and sand particles sizes affect the erosion mechanism and the erosion rate. The results showed the importance of including fluid and flow conditions, sand particles trajectory, and self-particles movement. The computational fluid dynaimcs results were compared with those obtained with the most employed empirical models to predict sand erosion in the oil and gas industry models published in the literature, and it was shown that the proposed modeling strategy can be used to predict erosion in larger diameters pipelines/elbows with good results.
Has life satisfaction in Norway increased over a 20-year period? Exploring age and gender differences in a prospective longitudinal study, HUNT
Authors: Lysberg Frode , Gjerstad PåL , Småstuen Milada Cvancarova , Innstrand Siw Tone , Høie Magnhild Mjåvatn , Arild Espnes Geir
Published: December 2017

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the change in overall life satisfaction for different age groups and between genders over a 20-year period. Methods: Data from 1984 to 2008 were extracted from a large prospective longitudinal health study of Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT), Norway. The study included more than 176,000 participants ranging from 20 to 70+ years of age. Data were analysed using logistic regression and adjusted for gender. Results: The analyses revealed an increase in life satisfaction for all age groups from 1984–1986 (HUNT 1) to 1995–1997 (HUNT 2), with the highest levels being reached at 2006–2008 (HUNT 3). For all age groups, the data showed an increase of about 20% for the period from 1984–1986 (HUNT 1) to 1995–1997 (HUNT 2). From 1995–1997 (HUNT 2) to 2006–2008 (HUNT 3), the increase in overall life satisfaction was 16% for the younger age groups, and about 32% for the older age groups (40–69 and 70+ years). Women’s scores for overall life satisfaction were higher for nearly all age groups when compared to men using HUNT 3 as a reference. Conclusions: These findings suggest an increase in life satisfaction for all age groups from 1984 to 2008, especially for the older age group (40–69 and 70+ years). The data indicate that women score higher on life satisfaction for most age groups as compared to men.
Rethinking the relationship between socioeconomic status and health: Challenging how socioeconomic status is currently used in health inequality research
Authors: Gagné Thierry , Ghenadenik Adrian E.
Published: December 2017

Aims: The Scandinavian Journal of Public Health recently reiterated the importance of addressing social justice and health inequalities in its new editorial policy announcement. One of the related challenges highlighted in that issue was the limited use of sociological theories able to inform the complexity linking the resources and mechanisms captured by the concept of socioeconomic status. This debate article argues that part of the problem lies in the often unchallenged reliance on a generic conceptualization and operationalization of socioeconomic status. These practices hinder researchers’ capacity to examine in finer detail how resources and circumstances promote the unequal distribution of health through distinct yet intertwined pathways. As a potential way forward, this commentary explores how research practices can be challenged through concrete publication policies and guidelines. To this end, we propose a set of recommendations as a tool to strengthen the study of socioeconomic status and, ultimately, the quality of health inequality research. Conclusions: Authors, reviewers, and editors can become champions of change toward the implementation of sociological theory by holding higher standards regarding the conceptualization, operationalization, analysis, and interpretation of results in health inequality research.
Independent medical evaluation for sick-listed workers in Norway: A focus group study of the experience of IME doctors
Authors: Aamland Aase , Øyeflaten Irene , Maeland Silje
Published: December 2017

Background: Norwegian politicians have proposed the use of an independent medical evaluation (IME) as a possible solution for reducing long-term sick leave. The use of an IME implies that a new doctor interferes in the relationship between sick-listed workers and their general practitioner (GP). The aim of the current study was to explore experiences of IME doctors from an ongoing randomized controlled trial (the NIME trial evaluating the effect of IME in Norway). Methods: Two focus group interviews were conducted with eight of the nine IME doctors employed in the NIME trial. The discussions were audio-taped and transcribed. Systematic text condensation was used for analysis. Results: The participants reported that the IME provides important second opinions, which they felt empowered the sick-listed workers and provided new insights into their condition. Beneficial IME working conditions and enhanced insight into different sick leave measures were crucial to this perceived usefulness. Some of the participants expressed disappointment with GPs acting as passive conductors and struggled to provide feedback politely. Some adjustments were proposed as necessary for the IME to be implemented nationwide. Conclusions: The participants seemed to have gained a different stakeholder identity by sometimes seeing GPs, their peers, as obstacles to return to work and welcomed the use of IME on a regular basis.
Attention and amplification in the hybrid media system: The composition and activity of Donald Trump’s Twitter following during the 2016 presidential election
Authors: Zhang Yini , Wells Chris , Wang Song , Rohe Karl
Published: December 2017

Building on studies of the hybrid media system and attention economy, we develop the concept of amplification to explore how the activities of social media–based publics may enlarge the attention paid to a given person or message. We apply the concept to the 2016 US election, asking who constituted Donald Trump’s enormous Twitter following and how that following contributed to his success at attracting attention, including from the mainstream press. Using spectral clustering based on social network similarity, we identify key publics that constituted Trump’s Twitter following and demonstrate how particular publics amplified his social media presence in different ways. Our discussion raises questions about how algorithms “read” metrics to guide content on social media platforms, how journalists draw on social media metrics in their determinations of news value and worthiness, and how the process of amplification relates to possibilities of citizen action through digital communication.
‘Everything is negative’: Schoolteachers’ perceptions of news coverage of education
Authors: Shine Kathryn
Published: December 2017

Although education is a staple of news coverage, the reporting of school-based education rarely receives attention within journalism and media studies. Scholars in other areas, however, have argued that news coverage of education is highly influential and should be examined. The research consensus has been that education coverage is mostly negative and, further, that teachers are frequently portrayed as the ones to blame for perceived shortcomings in school systems. Such coverage is said to concern and affect schoolteachers. However, to date, very few studies have canvassed teachers’ attitudes towards the reporting of education. This article contributes to this under-researched area by providing the results of a series of interviews with 25 Australian schoolteachers and principals about their perceptions of news coverage of education. The vast majority of the teachers interviewed considered news about schooling and teachers to be predominantly, and unfairly, critical. They described news reporting of education as frequently inaccurate and generally superficial. Many expressed a distrust of journalists and were wary about being interviewed. The implications of these findings are discussed, and recommendations for journalism practice and journalism education are outlined.
The impact of service recovery output/process on customer satisfaction and loyalty: The case of the airline industry
Authors: Etemad-Sajadi Reza , Bohrer Laura
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of airline passengers’ perception of service recovery output/process on their satisfaction and loyalty. We want to identify the direct and indirect effects of service recovery on airline passenger loyalty by distinguishing the output and the process of the service recovery. A questionnaire was distributed to airline passengers who had a problem during their last airline flight. As we had several latent variables, we used partial least squares, a variance-based structural equation modeling method. As findings, we observed that in general, clients were not satisfied with the way that the service has been recovered. The most frequent reason for complaining was a problem due to flight delay, followed by a problem with the baggage, overbooking, and flight cancellation. Nevertheless, the findings reveal the positive impact of service recovery’s output/process qualities on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The output quality of service recovery is the most relevant.
Re-imagining the nature of (student-focused) learning through digital technology
Authors: Hood Nina
Published: December 2017

Digital technology is frequently positioned as being central to the establishment of a ‘future focused’ education system that provides high quality student-focused learning opportunities and re-envisioned educational outcomes. While recognising the potential of technology, this paper explores some of the questions about its role in education and learning – in particular, how technology addresses issues of equity and social justice; what it means to design educational and learning experiences that are truly student-focused; and the potential for technology to dehumanise the learning process. The paper concludes with some considerations of how to integrate digital technology effectively into an education system.
Student Experiences With Academic Services of Community Colleges in India
Authors: Amlani Salma A. , Paulson Eric J.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this multisite case study was to understand students’ experiences of academic services and policies at community colleges (CCs) in India and how they perceived these experiences as impacting their success in college. Participants included 19 students from four CCs across diverse geographical locations in India who agreed to respond to a questionnaire and in-person interviews. Within-case and cross-case analyses of the four CCs were conducted using open coding and themes from Tinto’s attrition model. Four strategies emerged as being used by the CCs for retention and student success purposes: life skills coursework, financial resource support, faculty mentorship, and extracurricular activities. The findings demonstrated that participants perceive the colleges as designing and modifying elements of the college experience to support them in their academic goals.
A Traveling Ethnography of Voice in Qualitative Research
Authors: Magnat Virginie
Published: December 2017

This interdisciplinary exploration of voice seeks to open a space for the nondiscursive performative power of vocality in qualitative research. In the first part, I focus on anthropology and ethnographic practice to identify the ways in which “voice” gets muted when transformed by scriptocentrism (see Dwight Conquergood) into a conceptual abstraction or a metaphor. Given anthropology’s colonial legacy and the implication of ethnographers in what Anthony Kwame Harrison defines as the project of literatizing non-literate societies, I argue that the potentially scriptocentric dimension of ethnographic practice must be taken seriously in light of the travels of ethnography across disciplines and its increasingly widespread usage within qualitative inquiry. In the second part, I foreground philosopher Adriana Cavarero’s critique of the devocalization of logos in Western philosophy and its analysis by interdisciplinary voice studies scholar Konstantinos Thomaidis, who investigates the systematic exclusion, marginalization and silencing of voice through Eurocentric constructions of logos as reason and as language. By means of an imaginary visit to ancient Greece, I scrutinize Plato’s anxiety vis-à-vis performance through an ethnographic encounter with the Ion, a dialogue between Socrates and a well-known champion of rhapsodic contests. On the basis of this performative ethnographic fieldwork, I suggest that conducting qualitative research on the significance and relevance of vocality today requires listening to, engaging with, and learning from the voices of ancient and contemporary oral cultural practitioners.
Outcomes of Triceps Rupture in the US Military: Minimum 2-Year Follow-up
Authors: Dunn John C. , Kusnezov Nicholas , Fares Austin , Kilcoyne Kelly , Garcia E’stephan , Orr Justin D. , Waterman Brian R.
Published: December 2017

Background: The objective of this study was to examine the subjective and objective midterm functional clinical outcomes of surgically repaired triceps injuries in a moderate- to high-demand population. Methods: The US Military Health System was queried to identify all surgically treated triceps tendon ruptures between 2008 and 2013. Primary endpoints included rates of rerupture, perioperative complications, or significant persistent elbow dysfunction; Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, Mayo Elbow score, and ability to do push-ups were also extracted. Results: Thirty-seven patients underwent triceps tendon repair with a mean follow-up of 49.8 ± 17.3 months (range: 26.8-80.2). The most common mechanisms of injury were military duties (27%), sporting activity (24%), or fall-related (21.6%), with most injuries occurring during an eccentric movement (54%). While 45% experienced occasional elbow pain postoperatively, only 1 patient (2.7%) had a rerupture. Despite this, at 2 years, 31 patients (84%) were able to return to full military duty. While 6 patients were discharged from military service, only 1 underwent medical separation while 5 retired for reasons unrelated to their triceps tendon rupture. Patient-reported outcomes were available for 14 patients at final follow-up. The average DASH and Mayo Elbow scores were 4.7 (SD ± 4.7, range: 0-15.9) and 85.4 (SD ± 11.7, range: 60-100), respectively. The cohort could perform mean 54.2 (range: 9-90) push-ups. In additional, 12 of 14 (85.7%) were satisfied with their elbow function. Conclusions: The active duty cohort experienced excellent postoperative results with a high rate of return to military duty, despite nearly half of the patients recognizing some degree of activity-related, elbow pain.
Evaluating biomarkers for prognostic enrichment of clinical trials
Authors: Kerr Kathleen F , Roth Jeremy , Zhu Kehao , Thiessen-Philbrook Heather , Meisner Allison , Wilson Francis Perry , Coca Steven , Parikh Chirag R
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims:

A potential use of biomarkers is to assist in prognostic enrichment of clinical trials, where only patients at relatively higher risk for an outcome of interest are eligible for the trial. We investigated methods for evaluating biomarkers for prognostic enrichment.

Methods:

We identified five key considerations when considering a biomarker and a screening threshold for prognostic enrichment: (1) clinical trial sample size, (2) calendar time to enroll the trial, (3) total patient screening costs and the total per-patient trial costs, (4) generalizability of trial results, and (5) ethical evaluation of trial eligibility criteria. Items (1)–(3) are amenable to quantitative analysis. We developed the Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool for evaluating biomarkers for prognostic enrichment at varying levels of screening stringency.

Results:

We demonstrate that both modestly prognostic and strongly prognostic biomarkers can improve trial metrics using Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool. Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool is available as a webtool at http://prognosticenrichment.com and as a package for the R statistical computing platform.

Conclusion:

In some clinical settings, even biomarkers with modest prognostic performance can be useful for prognostic enrichment. In addition to the quantitative analysis provided by Biomarker Prognostic Enrichment Tool, investigators must consider the generalizability of trial results and evaluate the ethics of trial eligibility criteria.
Power estimation in biomarker studies where events are already observed
Authors: Polley Mei-Yin C
Published: December 2017

Background

The clinical utility of a new biomarker should ideally be established in a prospective randomized clinical trial. However, such trials are not always practical. As such, it is common for investigators to identify promising biomarkers using archived specimens and clinical data collected from previously completed therapeutic trials. Simon et al. defined such biomarker studies as prospective–retrospective studies and proposed specific conditions to satisfy for such evaluations to be more than hypothesis generating. One condition they proposed is that archived tissues must be available on a sufficiently large number of patients from the pivotal trials to ensure adequately powered analyses.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide a new perspective on how to estimate power for assessing the prognostic and predictive values of a single binary biomarker in prospective–retrospective biomarker studies. Computer programs are provided to facilitate the use of these methods in practice.

Methods

The proposed methods utilize additional information that becomes available during the course of the treatment trial including sample size, accrual time, additional follow-up time, and the observed number of events at time of biomarker analysis. These methods involve solving for the exponential hazard rates that give rise to the event numbers that are consistent with those observed while satisfying other design parameter constraints.

Conclusion

Simon et al. proposed a new paradigm for biomarker design, conduct, analysis, and evaluation in prospective–retrospective studies that offers a more efficient alternative than fully prospective biomarker studies. As a general rule, they suggest that samples from at least two-thirds of the patients be available for analysis. In this article, I expand on this issue and provide a methodological tool useful for estimating study power in prospective–retrospective biomarker studies. It is my hope that these incremental efforts to improve the quality and statistical rigor in biomarker studies will hasten the introduction of useful tumor biomarkers into clinical practice.
The optimal design of stepped wedge trials with equal allocation to sequences and a comparison to other trial designs
Authors: Thompson Jennifer A , Fielding Katherine , Hargreaves James , Copas Andrew
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims

We sought to optimise the design of stepped wedge trials with an equal allocation of clusters to sequences and explored sample size comparisons with alternative trial designs.

Methods

We developed a new expression for the design effect for a stepped wedge trial, assuming that observations are equally correlated within clusters and an equal number of observations in each period between sequences switching to the intervention. We minimised the design effect with respect to (1) the fraction of observations before the first and after the final sequence switches (the periods with all clusters in the control or intervention condition, respectively) and (2) the number of sequences. We compared the design effect of this optimised stepped wedge trial to the design effects of a parallel cluster-randomised trial, a cluster-randomised trial with baseline observations, and a hybrid trial design (a mixture of cluster-randomised trial and stepped wedge trial) with the same total cluster size for all designs.

Results

We found that a stepped wedge trial with an equal allocation to sequences is optimised by obtaining all observations after the first sequence switches and before the final sequence switches to the intervention; this means that the first sequence remains in the control condition and the last sequence remains in the intervention condition for the duration of the trial. With this design, the optimal number of sequences is [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the cluster-mean correlation, [Formula: see text] is the intracluster correlation coefficient, and m is the total cluster size. The optimal number of sequences is small when the intracluster correlation coefficient and cluster size are small and large when the intracluster correlation coefficient or cluster size is large. A cluster-randomised trial remains more efficient than the optimised stepped wedge trial when the intracluster correlation coefficient or cluster size is small. A cluster-randomised trial with baseline observations always requires a larger sample size than the optimised stepped wedge trial. The hybrid design can always give an equally or more efficient design, but will be at most 5% more efficient. We provide a strategy for selecting a design if the optimal number of sequences is unfeasible. For a non-optimal number of sequences, the sample size may be reduced by allowing a proportion of observations before the first or after the final sequence has switched.

Conclusion

The standard stepped wedge trial is inefficient. To reduce sample sizes when a hybrid design is unfeasible, stepped wedge trial designs should have no observations before the first sequence switches or after the final sequence switches.
Wrist inflammation: a retrospective comparison between septic and non-septic arthritis
Authors: Kang Gavrielle , Leow Mabel Q. H. , Tay Shian-Chao
Published: December 2017

This study aims to identify differences in demographics, clinical and laboratory data between wrist septic arthritis and non-septic arthritis in patients admitted for wrist inflammation. A retrospective review of inpatients from May 2012 to April 2015 was conducted. Seventy-seven patients were included. Non-septic arthritis patients were more likely to have chronic kidney disease, pre-existing gout, or both. All septic arthritis patients had normal serum uric acid levels, and two or more raised inflammatory markers (white cell count, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate). In patients with isolated wrist inflammation, the mean C-reactive protein in the septic arthritis group was significantly higher compared with the non-septic arthritis group (mean difference 132 mg/L, 95% CI 30.9–234). In this study, polyarticular involvement did not exclude a septic cause; nor did it imply a non-septic aetiology. Diabetic or immunosuppressed patients were not more likely to develop septic arthritis. The presence of chondrocalcinosis on wrist radiographs was virtually diagnostic of non-septic arthritis.

Level of evidence: IV
Radiological evaluation of scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty for chronic scapholunate dissociation in cadavers
Authors: Athlani Lionel , Pauchard Nicolas , Dautel Gilles
Published: December 2017

We performed a cadaveric study to evaluate radiological performance of a technique for scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty designed for treating reducible scapholunate dissociation. We created scapholunate instability in 12 fresh adult cadaveric forearms by sectioning the dorsal scapholunate interosseous ligament and the dorsal intercarpal ligament. All wrists showed scapholunate diastasis, dorsal intercalated segmental instability and posterior scaphoid subluxation. We performed scapholunate intercarpal ligamentoplasty in six wrists and Garcia-Elias three-ligament tenodesis in another six. Wrists were examined radiographically both after ligament sectioning and after ligamentoplasty to compare static and dynamic scapholunate gaps and scapholunate and capitolunate angles. Improvement was statistically significant in all measurements, reflecting a return to normal values. Posterior scaphoid subluxation was also corrected. There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. Our findings suggest that ligamentoplasty can restore scapholunate joint stability and normal carpal anatomy.
A Statistical Study of Metatarsal Anatomy: Toward the Design of Wide-Range Prosthetic Solutions
Authors: Couqueberg Yohann , Augoyard Romain , Augoyard Marc , Berry-Kromer Valérie , Bouby Céline , Girod Loïc
Published: December 2017

The aim of the study is to provide some characteristic parameters of the anatomy of metatarsals from computed tomography (CT) scans. These data are important for more anatomical metatarsal head resurfacing prosthesis conception. Measures were performed on 20 CT scans from 17 patients with a mean age of 44.35 ± 15.75 years old. The panel was composed of 40% male and 50% left feet. Measurements were divided in 2 distinct categories: linear measurements with length of metatarsal, head radius and head, and diaphysis and base thicknesses, and cross-sectional area measurements, including cortical and cancellous bone area at 10%, 25%, 50%, 60%, 75%, and 90% of the metatarsal’s length. The results included the mean and SD found for each measured value. This study is the first step toward a better understanding of the metatarsal’s anatomy, so as to design a more anatomical range of metatarsal head resurfacing implants.

Levels of Evidence: Level IV
Seasonal Changes in Color Preferences Are Linked to Variations in Environmental Colors: A Longitudinal Study of Fall
Authors: Schloss Karen B. , Heck Isobel A.
Published: December 2017

People form associations between colors and entities, which influence their evaluations of the world. These evaluations are dynamic, as specific associations become more or less active in people’s minds over time. We investigated how evaluations of colors (color preferences) changed over the course of fall, as color-associated fall entities became more prevalent in the environment. Participants judged their preferences for the same set of colors during nine testing sessions over 11 weeks during fall. We categorized the colors as Leaf and Non-Leaf Colors by matching them to leaves collected during the same period. Changes in preferences for Leaf Colors followed a quadratic pattern, peaking around when the leaves were most colorful and declining as winter approached. Preferences for Non-Leaf Colors did not significantly change. Individual differences in these changes could be explained by preferences for seasonal entities, as predicted by the differential activation hypothesis within the Ecological Valence Theory. The more a given individual liked fall-associated entities, the more their preference for Leaf Colors increased during fall. No analogous relations existed with winter-associated entities or Non-Leaf Colors. These results demonstrate the importance of studying temporal and individual differences for understanding preferences.
Impact of four times daily dosing of oral treprostinil on tolerability and daily dose achieved in pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Coons James C. , Bunner Cheryl , Ishizawar David C. , Risbano Michael G. , Rivera‐Lebron Belinda , Mathier Michael A. , Chan Stephen Y. , Simon Marc A.
Published: December 2017

Oral treprostinil (TRE) is a prostacylin that is approved for the treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Dosing is approved for two or three times daily (t.i.d.); however, adverse effects, including gastrointestinal‐related symptoms, may limit the ability to reach optimal doses. We report our experience with a four times daily (q.i.d.) regimen of oral TRE for goal‐directed therapy of PAH. We describe three patients that were transitioned from infusion or inhaled TRE to oral TRE with initial t.i.d. dosing over a four‐day hospital stay. All patients were subsequently further dose‐adjusted in the outpatient setting; however, adverse effects limited additional up‐titration despite persistent dyspnea. In a carefully monitored outpatient setting, patients were switched from t.i.d. to q.i.d. dosing of oral TRE. All three patients were successfully dosed q.i.d., having achieved a higher total daily dose compared with a t.i.d. dose regimen. Furthermore, patients were able to maintain functional class II symptoms with mitigation of adverse effects using the q.i.d. dose regimen.
A cross-sectional survey of cardiovascular health and lifestyle habits of hospital staff in the UK: Do we look after ourselves?
Authors: Mittal Tarun K , Cleghorn Christine L , Cade Janet E , Barr Suzanne , Grove Tim , Bassett Paul , Wood David A , Kotseva Kornelia
Published: December 2017

Background

A high prevalence of stress-related disorders is well known among healthcare professionals. We set out to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and compliance with national dietary and physical activity recommendations in NHS staff in the UK with comparison between clinical and non-clinical staff, and national surveys.

Design

A multi-centre cross-sectional study.

Methods

A web-based questionnaire was developed to include anonymised data on demographics, job role, cardiovascular risk factors and diseases, dietary habits, physical activity and barriers towards healthy lifestyle. This was distributed to staff in four NHS hospitals via emails.

Results

A total of 1158 staff completed the survey (response rate 13%) with equal distribution between the clinical and non-clinical groups. Most staff were aged 26–60 years and 79% were women. Half of the staff were either overweight or obese (51%) with no difference between the groups ( P = 0.176), but there was a lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors compared to the general population. The survey revealed a low compliance (17%) with the recommended intake of five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables, and that of moderate or vigorous physical activity (56%), with no difference between the clinical and non-clinical staff ( P = 0.6). However, more clinical staff were exceeding the alcohol recommendations ( P = 0.02). Lack of fitness facilities and managerial support, coupled with long working hours, were the main reported barriers to a healthy lifestyle.

Conclusions

In this survey of UK NHS staff, half were found to be overweight or obese with a lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors compared to the general population. There was a low compliance with the five-a-day fruit and vegetables recommendation and physical activity guidelines, with no difference between the clinical and non-clinical staff.
Asthma mimic: Case report and literature review of vocal cord nodule associated with wheezing
Authors: Kashif Muhammad , Singh Tushi , Aslam Ahsan , Khaja Misbahuddin
Published: December 2017

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, usually characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Various clinical conditions can mimic asthma, such as foreign body aspiration, subglottic stenosis, congestive heart failure, diffuse panbronchiolitis, aortic arch anomalies, reactive airway dysfunction syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, retrosternal goiter, vocal cord tumors, other airway tumors, and vocal cord dysfunction. Upper airway obstruction can be a life-threatening emergency. Here, we present the case of a 58-year-old female with recurrent hospital visits for wheezing and exacerbations of asthma, who was later found to have a vocal cord nodule confirmed to be squamous cell carcinoma, which was mimicking like asthma.
Kyphoplasty for the treatment of an atypical osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture of the lumbar spine: A case report
Authors: Kumar Sanjeev , Anijar Leon , Agarwal Rishi
Published: December 2017

Vertebral augmentation is a minimally invasive but sometimes technically challenging intervention typically reserved for the treatment of older patients with painful vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis or neoplasms. We report the successful treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures of the first lumbar vertebral body (L1) using kyphoplasty in a paraplegic young patient with multiple comorbidities. Despite the unusual and complicated clinical scenario, kyphoplasty was nonetheless performed with immediate and lasting pain relief.
Accessory anterolateral talar facet impingement with tibialis spastic varus foot
Authors: Kurashige Toshinori
Published: December 2017

In recent years, some authors have reported accessory anterolateral talar facet impingement with flatfoot including peroneal spastic flatfoot. Conversely, to our knowledge, no case report has been published about accessory anterolateral talar facet impingement with tibialis spastic varus foot. We report the first case in a 22-year-old man with intellectual disability, bilateral cleft hands and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Since spraining his left ankle over a year earlier, he experienced left sinus tarsi pain while standing and walking. Physical examination revealed that his left foot was in the varus position with spasm of the anterior tibial muscle, tenderness in the sinus tarsi and lateral hindfoot pain upon attempted passive hindfoot eversion. He could not stand on his left toes. His pain decreased after lying down and receiving a massage on his anterolateral lower leg at night. Radiographs and computed tomography scans revealed the absence of tarsal coalition and the presence of accessory anterolateral talar facet in both feet. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated abutting bone marrow edema between the talus and calcaneus around the accessory anterolateral talar facet. We diagnosed the patient with accessory anterolateral talar facet impingement and tibialis spastic varus foot. After conservative treatment failed, resection of accessory anterolateral talar facet achieved good results with short-term follow-up.
Cultural shift in mental illness: a comparison of stress responses in World War I and the Vietnam War
Authors: Skinner Rasjid , Kaplick Paul M
Published: December 2017

Objectives

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an established diagnostic category. In particular, over the past 20 years, there has been an interest in culture as a fundamental factor in post-traumatic stress disorder symptom manifestation. However, only a very limited portion of this literature studies the historical variability of post-traumatic stress within a particular culture.

Design

Therefore, this study examines whether stress responses to violence associated with armed conflicts have been a culturally stable reaction in Western troops.

Setting

We have compared historical records from World War I to those of the Vietnam War. Reference is also made to observations of combat trauma reactions in pre-World War I conflicts, World War II, the Korean War, the Falklands War, and the First Gulf War.

Participants

The data set consisted of literature that was published during and after these armed conflicts.

Main outcome measures

Accounts of World War I Shell Shock that describe symptom presentation, incidence (both acute and delayed), and prognosis were compared to the observations made of Vietnam War post-traumatic stress disorder victims.

Results

Results suggest that the conditions observed in Vietnam veterans were not the same as those which were observed in World War I trauma victims.

Conclusions

The paper argues that the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder cannot be stretched to cover the typical battle trauma reactions of World War I. It is suggested that relatively subtle changes in culture, over little more than a generation, have had a profound effect on how mental illness forms, manifests itself, and is effectively treated. We add new evidence to the argument that post-traumatic stress disorder in its current conceptualisation does not adequately account, not only for ethnocultural variation but also for historical variation in stress responses within the same culture.
Kinematic measures provide useful information after intracranial aneurysm treatment
Authors: Raw Rachael K , Wilkie Richard M , Mon-Williams Mark , Ross Stuart A , Deniz Kenan , Goddard Tony , Patankar Tufail
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Current methods of assessing the outcomes of intracranial aneurysm treatment for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage are relatively insensitive, and thus unlikely to detect subtle deficits. Failures to identify cognitive and motor outcomes of intracranial aneurysm treatment might prevent delivery of optimal post-operative care. There are also concerns over risks associated with using intracranial aneurysm treatment as a preventative measure.

Methods

We explored whether our kinematic tool would yield useful information regarding motor/cognitive function in patients who underwent intracranial aneurysm treatment for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage or unruptured aneurysm. Computerised kinematic motor and learning tasks were administered alongside standardised clinical outcome measures of cognition and functional ability, in 10 patients, as a pilot trial. Tests at post-intracranial aneurysm treatment discharge and six-week follow-up were compared to see which measures detected changes.

Results

Kinematic tests captured significant improvements from discharge to six-week follow-up, indexed by reduced motor errors and improved learning. Increased Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised scores reflected some recovery of memory function for most individuals, but other standardised cognitive measures, functional outcome scores and a psychological questionnaire showed no changes.

Conclusions

Kinematic measures can identify variation in performance in individuals with only slightly improved abilities post-intracranial aneurysm treatment. These measures may provide a sensitive way to explore post-operative outcomes following intracranial aneurysm treatment, or other similar surgical procedures.
Ingestion of an Oral Hyaluronan Solution Improves Skin Hydration, Wrinkle Reduction, Elasticity, and Skin Roughness: Results of a Clinical Study
Authors: Göllner Imke , Voss Werner , von Hehn Ulrike , Kammerer Susanne
Published: December 2017

Intake of oral supplements with the aim of a cutaneous antiaging effect are increasingly common. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a promising candidate, as it is the key factor for preserving tissue hydration. In our practice study, we evaluated the effect of an oral HA preparation diluted in a cascade-fermented organic whole food concentrate supplemented with biotin, vitamin C, copper, and zinc (Regulatpro Hyaluron) on skin moisture content, elasticity, skin roughness, and wrinkle depths. Twenty female subjects with healthy skin in the age group of 45 to 60 years took the product once daily for 40 days. Different skin parameters were objectively assessed before the first intake, after 20 and after 40 days. Intake of the HA solution led to a significant increase in skin elasticity, skin hydration, and to a significant decrease in skin roughness and wrinkle depths. The supplement was well tolerated; no side effects were noted throughout the study.