bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Поширеність клінічних форм хронічного періодонтиту в стоматологічних пацієнтів Залежно від віку
Authors: Khlyebas S. V. , Novoshitsky V. Ye.
Published: November 2019

Резюме. Серед стоматологічних захворювань інфекційно-запальні процеси в пульпі та в періапікальних тканинах, що виникають унаслідок ускладнення карієсу, займають третє місце серед населення України та є основною причиною ранньої втрати зубів.

Мета дослідження – вивчити поширеність клінічних форм хронічного періодонтиту в стоматологічних пацієнтів залежно від віку.

Матеріали і методи. У дослідження включили 542 стоматологічних пацієнтів, середній вік яких складав (35,30±8,31) року (М±SD). Серед обстежуваних осіб було 255 чоловіків та 287 жінок, яких поділили на дві групи залежно від віку. Діагноз клінічних форм хронічного періодонтиту встановлювали на основі клінічного та рентгенологічного обстежень.

Результати досліджень та їх обговорення. Результати проведеного обстеження показали, що 185 пацієнтів (34,13 %) зі 542 обстежених мають різні клінічні форми хронічного періодонтиту. Серед його клінічних форм гранулематозний періодонтит був найчастіше – в 63,64 % випадків, а найрідше – хронічний фіброзний періодонтит – у 16,97 % випадків. У пацієнтів молодого віку різні форми хронічного періодонтиту були у 34,54 %, при чому найчастіше простежувався гранулематозний періодонтит (23,25 %), найрідше – фіброзний періодонтит (4,97 %). Серед стоматологічних пацієнтів середнього віку в 32,32 % були різні форми хронічного періодонтиту, найчастіше гранулематозний періодонтит (22,22 %), а найрідше – гранулюючий періодонтит (4,04 %).

Висновки. Результати проведеного аналізу поширеності клінічних форм хронічного періодонтиту залежно від віку продемонстрували, що у пацієнтів молодого віку частота хронічного періодонтиту становила 34,54 % та була вищою, ніж у пацієнтів середнього віку (32,32 %), але не достовірно (p=0,726). Найчастіше серед клінічних форм хронічного періодонтиту був хронічний гранулематозний періодонтит як у пацієнтів молодого віку, так і в осіб середнього віку. Не було виявлено достовірної різниці (p>0,05) між усіма формами хронічного періодонтиту залежно від віку.
Luke’s Source Claims in the Context of Ancient Historiography
Authors: Peters John J.
Published: November 2019

Research on Luke-Acts and the Gospels has largely overlooked the major distinction within ancient historiography between accounts written about events contemporary with the author (e.g., by Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius) and accounts written about non-contemporary events (e.g., by Diodorus, Dionysius, Plutarch, Arrian). As ancient authors writing about contemporary events represented their sources primarily in terms of autopsy and eyewitness testimony, so Luke’s preface corresponds with this practice. I argue that a proper understanding of ancient historical method, epistemology, and the use of ἐπιχειρέω (Luke 1.1; Acts 9.29; 19.13) confirm that Luke represented as the sources for his account not the ‘many’ prior accounts but rather the ‘eyewitnesses’ and ‘servants of the word’.
Judicial Dialogue in the Human Rights Domain
Authors: Gronowska Bożena
Published: November 2019

Judicial dialogue in the field of the protection of human rights has its own history and faces new challenges. In this article the author firstly explains the mechanism as such, and then tries to find some constructive conclusions concerning the real impact of this kind of judicial activity. All the considerations are focused mainly on the experiences of the European Court of Human Rights and its influence on the other “partners” involved in the effective protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals. Some impressive examples of the practice in this regard are exposed. Nonetheless, in the author’s opinion the visible changes of contemporary sociological conditions, mainly in Europe, have their consequences in the approach of the European courts. Being the main “creators” of human rights standards, they can influence in a tangible way the position of domestic judicial organs. In such a situation an active judicial dialogue (both in its horizontal and vertical dimensions) seems to be even more necessary.
Between Informal Dialogue and Official Criticism
Authors: Podolska Anna
Published: November 2019

There are various forms of jurisdictional dialogue. In addition to drawing from the case law of another court or seeking direct assistance of such another court in passing the judgment, we can notice in practice situations when by issuing a verdict the courts are communicating with each other. The rulings of the Bundesverfassungsgericht, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Court of Human Rights regarding the free movement of judgments in the European Union and protection of fundamental rights are the example of such activities. Each of these bodies was interpreting separately the extent to which the mechanisms of recognising and executing the judgments may interfere with the level of protection of fundamental rights. A common conclusion concerns assigning the priority to protection of fundamental rights, while individual bodies were determining differently the standards of such protection. The analysed judgments can be construed as a communication between these bodies. Although no direct discussion takes place between these courts, this is still a form of interaction which affects the development of the case law and understanding of the boundaries of mutual recognition of judgments and protection of human rights within judicial proceedings.
Judicial Dialogue after the Genocide in Rwanda
Authors: Trzpis-Szysz Katarzyna
Published: November 2019

In this study, the author describes the dialogue between the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Gacaca courts after one of the bloodiest conflicts in the contemporary history of Africa – the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The purpose of this work is to show how international and internal cooperation can influence the solving of armed conflicts, especially in the process seeking justice for the civilian casualties. By recalling the historical context, the author emphasizes the importance of the juridical basics, which are established immediately after the armed conflicts. Furthermore, this study also shows how Gacaca courts were a new dimension of judicial proceedings in the Rwandan legal system. It analyzes how these courts were able to contribute to successfully prosecuting war criminals. This subject is not widely discussed in the literature and the size limitations necessarily imposed on an article of this nature do not allow for a detailed exploration of the subject here so it is vital that this subject is studied further.
Der “Capitano” der Commedia Dell’Arte uno Seine Rezeption uno Entwicklung im Deutschsprachigen Theater
Authors: De Michele Fausto
Published: November 2019

Diese Studie untersucht systematisch die Rezeption der Figur des Capitano der Commedia dell’Arte im deutschsprachigen Theater des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts. Um von anderen Studien hervorgerufene Missverständnisse zu vermeiden, wird für diesen Typus der neue Begriff ‘lächerlicher Krieger’ eingeführt. Das erste nennenswerte Beispiel kommt aus der Tradition der Fastnachtspiele und aus der Feder eines Schweizers: Pamphilus Gengenbach. Es folgt ein interessantes Beispiel aus den Werken des Herzogs Heinrich Julius von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. In der Zeit der escalation der Kriege in Zentraleuropa setzen die Autoren die Figur viel engagierter ein. Dies kann bei den Werken von Johan Rist und Andreas Gryphius beobachtet werden. Mit der Ende des Dreißigjährigen Krieges, verliert die Figur des lächerlichen Kriegers wieder an Vitalität, und wird nur noch als steriler Stereotyp eingesetzt, wie das Beispiel vom Prahlhans Don Alfanzo von Christian Weise zeigt, um schließlich ganz in Vergessenheit zu geraten.
شواهد قبور سمرقند المنقوشة على حصى البازلت خلال القرن الثالث حتى السابع الهجري/ التاسع حتى الثالث عشر الميلادي
Authors: هدى صلاح الدين عمر محمد
Published: November 2019

In Samarkand’s cemeteries, a distinctive type of gravestones spread, made of large-size river stones. It is a stone formed by nature, which gives it its irregular shapes. This type of gravestone was common in Samarkand in the period from third century AH/ninth century until the beginning of the seventh century AH/thirteenth century CE, and most of it was concentrated in the sixth century AH/twelfth century CE. Inscriptions of these gravestones represent the link between early gravestones in Central Asia and the gravestones from the Timurid period, in which we observe development of the gravestones in terms of the general form, raw material used in its manufacture, shapes of the lines inscribed, and their contents. This research is concerned with study of these tombstones by identifying the type of stone used in the manufacture of gravestones, how to implement the inscriptions, read the inscriptions, analyzed it to access its contents, types of lines engraved on them, and other information about the population of the city.
An Amperometric Biosensor Based on a Multi-Nanoporous SnO2/HRP/Chitosan for Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide in Human Urine Samples
Authors: Alim Samiul , Jose Rajan , Yusoff Mashitah M. , Kafi A. K. M.
Published: November 2019

A new amperometric biosensor fabricated from a multi-nanoporous SnO2 and HRP was trialled. The multiporous SnO2 nanofiber was fabricated in the research lab. Horseradish peroxidase was co-immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode with the multiporous SnO2
nanofiber and chitosan. The FESEM and EDX analysis were used to study the nanostructure and composition details of the nanofiber. Electrochemical results established that the immobilized HRP exhibited direct electrochemical behavior toward hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The
effects of pH, and applied potentials on the biosensor were also investigated. The limit of detection which was found to be 5 × 10–7 M with the linear range being between 5 × 10–6 M to 1.2 × 10–4 M of H2O2.
For real sample analysis, this biosensor showed that the H2O2 concentration in the human urine can be monitored conveniently, where the interference is noted to be negligible.
Role of sFlt-1 and PlGF in the screening of small-for-gestational age neonates during pregnancy: A systematic review
Authors: Hendrix MLE , Bons JAP , van Haren A , van Kuijk SMJ , van Doorn WPTM , Kimenai DM , Bekers O , Spaanderman MEA , Al-Nasiry S
Published: November 2019

Background

Fetal growth restriction, i.e. the restriction of genetically predetermined growth potential due to placental dysfunction, is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The consequences of inadequate fetal growth can be life-long, but the risks can be reduced substantially if the condition is identified prenatally. Currently, screening strategies are based on ultrasound detection of a small-for-gestational age fetus and do not take into account the underlying vascular pathology in the placenta. Measurement of maternal circulating angiogenic biomarkers placental growth factor, sFlt-1 (soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1) are increasingly used in studies on fetal growth restriction as they reflect the pathophysiological process in the placenta. However, interpretation of the role of angiogenic biomarkers in prediction of fetal growth restriction is hampered by the varying design, population, timing, assay technique and cut-off values used in these studies.

Methods

We conducted a systematic-review in PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE (Ovid) and Cochrane to explore the predictive performance of maternal concentrations of placental growth factor, sFlt-1 and their ratio for fetal growth restriction and small-for-gestational age, at different gestational ages, and describe the longitudinal changes in biomarker concentrations and optimal discriminatory cut-off values.

Results

We included 26 studies with 2514 cases with small-for-gestational age, 27 cases of fetal growth restriction, 582 cases mixed small-for-gestational age/fetal growth restriction and 29,374 reference. The largest mean differences for the two biomarkers and their ratio were found after 26 weeks of gestational age and not in the first trimester. The ROC-AUC varied between 0.60 and 0.89 with sensitivity and specificity matching the different cut-off values or a preset false-positive rate of 10%.

Conclusions

Most of the studies did not make a distinction between small-for-gestational age and fetal growth restriction, and therefore the small-for-gestational age group consists of fetuses with growth restriction and fetuses that are constitutionally normal. The biomarkers can be a valuable screening tool for small-for-gestational age pregnancies, but unfortunately, there is not yet a clear cut-off value to use for screening. More research is needed to see if these biomarkers are sufficiently able to differentiate growth restriction on their own and how these biomarkers in combination with other relevant clinical and ultrasound parameters can be used in clinical routine diagnostics.
The role of biomarkers in predicting pre-eclampsia in high-risk women
Authors: Eastwood Kelly-Ann , Hunter Alyson J , Patterson Christopher C , Mc Cance David R , Young Ian S , Holmes Valerie A
Published: November 2019

Background

There are limited data on performance of biomarkers to predict pre-eclampsia (PE) in high-risk women. This study investigated the ability of FABP4, PAPP-A, PlGF, sFlt-1 and sEng to predict PE in a high-risk group.

Methods

Non-fasting samples were analysed at 11 + 0–13 + 6 (V1) and 19 + 0–21 + 6 weeks (V2) ( n = 195). Logistic regression models were determined. Area under (AUC) the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. The added value of biomarkers to clinical characteristics for PE prediction was quantified using integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) indices.

Results

Prevalence of PE was 12%. Lower concentrations of sFlt-1:PlGF (V1) and PlGF and PlGF:sEng (V2) were seen in women who developed PE. Controlling for baseline characteristics (V1), a doubling of sFlt-1 (pg/mL) (median 896.0, IQR 725.5–1097.0) and sFlt-1:PlGF (median 21.2, IQR 14.7–32.3) was associated with reduction in odds of PE (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.06–0.65, P = 0.007 and OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.25–0.92, P = 0.04). Addition of sFlt-1 and sFlt-1:PlGF to baseline characteristics non-significantly improved AUC (0.74) (AUC 0.77, P = 0.40 and 0.76, P = 0.39). NRI and IDI analyses confirmed added clinical utility of sFlt-1 (NRI = 0.539, P = 0.01 and IDI = 0.052, P = 0.03). In V2, doubling of PlGF:sEng (median 71.9, IQR 47.0–102.8) was associated with reduction in the risk of PE (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.35–0.98, P = 0.04). The addition of PlGF:sEng to baseline characteristics non-significantly improved AUC from 0.78 to 0.82 ( P = 0.25) and improved reclassification of cases (NRI = 0.682, P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Screening tests incorporating first trimester sFlt-1 and second trimester PlGF:sEng have potential to aid PE prediction in high-risk pregnancies.
Facial Trustworthiness and Criminal Sentencing: A Comment on Wilson and Rule (2015)
Authors: Kramer Robin S. S. , Gardner Ellen M.
Published: November 2019

Our first impressions of others, whether accurate or unfounded, have real-world consequences in terms of how we judge and treat those people. Previous research has suggested that criminal sentencing is influenced by the perceived facial trustworthiness of defendants in murder trials. In real cases, those who appeared less trustworthy were more likely to receive death rather than life sentences. Here, we carried out several attempts to replicate this finding, utilizing the original set of stimuli (Study 1), multiple images of each identity (Study 2), and a larger sample of identities (Study 3). In all cases, we found little support for the association between facial trustworthiness and sentencing. Furthermore, there was clear evidence that the specific image chosen to depict each identity had a significant influence on subsequent judgments. Taken together, our findings suggest that perceptions of facial trustworthiness have no real-world influence on sentencing outcomes in serious criminal cases.
New indicators on fabric drape evaluation based on three-dimensional model
Authors: Yu Zhicai , Zhong Yueqi , Gong R. Hugh , Xie Haoyang
Published: November 2019

To evaluate the ability of woven fabrics to drape in a more accurate way, a three-dimensional point cloud of a draped woven fabric was captured via an in-house drape-scanner. A new indicator, total drape angle (TDA), was proposed based on the three-dimensional fabric drape to characterize the ability of a woven fabric to drape. The relationship between TDA and the drape coefficient (DC) was analyzed to validate the performance of TDA. The result indicated that TDA is more stable and representative than the traditional DC in characterizing the ability of a woven fabric to drape. In addition, the drape angle distribution function (DADF) of the triangular mesh was employed to describe fabric drape, as well as to bridge the gap between drape configuration and the warp bending rigidity of woven fabric. The results showed that the correlation coefficient between the real warp bending rigidity value and what was predicted warp based on DADF and fabric weight was 0.952.
A study on fiber motion in the drafting zone and hook removal
Authors: Shen Yuanying , Yu Chongwen , Yang Jianping
Published: November 2019

In this study, the hook removal of four types of hooks during the drafting process has been investigated, and the theory of fiber straightening was further improved by analyzing the relationship between fiber length, fiber straightness, draft ratio, and the fiber accelerated point. Simultaneously, a time domain model was used to simulate the dynamic drafting process based on the straightening analysis, which provided an approach to capture the dynamic motion of different types of fibers and hook removal in the drafting zone. The model is validated by a previous study and experimental work, with the result that the output fiber straightness is both in a good agreement with those calculated by classical theories and experimental data. The straightening effect of the drafting process on four types of hooks under the same drafting conditions is compared. It is shown that the drafting effect on different types of hooked fibers is varied, with the clumped fiber removed preferentially followed by both end hooks or the trailing hook, whereas the leading hook is the most difficult to remove.
Bayesian Approaches to Assessing the Parallel Lines Assumption in Cumulative Ordered Logit Models
Authors: Xu Jun , Bauldry Shawn G. , Fullerton Andrew S.
Published: November 2019

We first review existing literature on cumulative logit models along with various ways to test the parallel lines assumption. Building on the traditional frequentist framework, we introduce a method of Bayesian assessment of null values to provide an alternative way to examine the parallel lines assumption using highest density intervals and regions of practical equivalence. Second, we propose a new hyperparameter cumulative logit model that can improve upon existing ones in addressing several challenges where traditional modeling techniques fail. We use two empirical examples from health research to showcase the Bayesian approaches.
Teaching Adolescents With Autism to Text Message Requests Using Video Prompting
Authors: Carrero Kelly M. , Fuller Marcus C.
Published: November 2019

Mobile technology provides increasingly accessible and normative tools for communication that does not require intelligible oral expression. For adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and complex communication needs, mobile technology presents opportunities for inclusive social experiences and additional modalities for communicating with communicative partners (e.g., making a request to a partner who may or may not be within close proximity). This study examines using video prompting to teach four adolescent males with ASD, intellectual disability, and limited verbal expression of how to emit pictures to communication partners using text messaging technology. Results indicate acquisition was achieved and maintained when presented under the same conditions for three of the four participants. Attentional concerns were observed in the intervention sessions and warrant future investigation.
A potential link between early language developmental milestones and personality traits in adulthood
Authors: Flensborg-Madsen Trine , Wimmelmann Cathrine Lawaetz , Mortensen Erik Lykke
Published: November 2019

Background:

Although plausible links between language development and personality have been suggested, longitudinal studies of these associations into adulthood have not been conducted.

Aim:

To investigate whether children’s age at attaining language milestones is associated with later adult personality.

Methods:

Mothers’ of 8,400 children from the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort recorded six language milestones during the child’s first 3 years of life. Information on at least one language milestone was available for two subsamples with adult follow-up information on personality: The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was available for 691 individuals with a mean age of 27.5 years and The NEO Five-Factor Inventory was available for 902 individuals with a mean age of 50.0 years.

Results:

Faster attainment of language milestones was associated with lower neuroticism in young adulthood and with higher extraversion and openness to experience in midlife. A total of 1.9% of the variance in neuroticism, 2.5% of the variance in extraversion, and 1.6% of the variance in openness to experience was explained by language milestones.

Conclusion:

Only a modest part of variance in personality traits was explained by language milestones. However, the study adds to the literature on potential consequences of the timing of language development and suggests a link between language milestones and personality in adulthood.
Special Issue Editors’ Essay
Authors: Barnow Burt S. , Greenberg David H.
Published: November 2019

Background:

Impact evaluations draw their data from two sources, namely, surveys conducted for the evaluation or administrative data collected for other purposes. Both types of data have been used to estimate program impacts. This is an introductory essay to a Special Issue entitled “Do the Estimated Effects of Social Programs Depend on the Source of Data Used to Measure Them? Survey Data Versus Administrative Data.” In addition to this essay, the Special Issue contains six articles, which appear in Volume 42, Issue 5–6 (October–December 2018) and in this issue (Volume 43, Issue 5 (October 2019)) of Evaluation Review.

Objective:

To describe and summarize each of the six papers and draw lessons from them. The papers investigate the relative strengths and weaknesses of survey and administrative data for estimating the impacts of policy interventions.

Results:

This essay first describes a simple model of the mechanisms that can cause impacts estimated with survey data to differ from those estimated with administrative data. It then describes and summarizes each of the papers appearing in this Special Issue and uses the model described to interpret the findings when it is applicable. The final section draws general lessons from the papers.

Conclusions:

The decision on whether to use survey or administrative data to estimate program impacts can be highly consequential because the estimates can differ considerably. All the papers in this Special Issue point to the importance of using both survey data and administrative data whenever possible.
Annual indirect costs secondary to headache disability in Brazil
Authors: Oliveira Arão Belitardo , Queiroz Luiz Paulo , Sampaio Rocha-Filho Pedro , Sarmento Elder Machado , Peres Mario FP
Published: November 2019

Background

Disability imposed by headache disorders constitutes an expressive economic burden, mostly from indirect costs due to absenteeism and presenteeism.

Objective

To estimate indirect costs from absenteeism and presenteeism due to headache disorders in Brazil.

Methods

In a secondary, descriptive analysis of two nationwide databases, we estimated indirect costs based on headache-related disability and socioeconomic data.

Results

In the first database analyzed (n = 3838), 12.8% of the employed population with headache disorders missed at least 1 day of work in the last 3 months (mean, 95% CI = 4.2 days [3.7–4.6]). Based on the prevalence of headache disorders, days lost due to headaches and income data, R$ 40.4 billion (Int$ 20 billion) are lost due to headache-related absenteeism annually. For presenteeism, 26.2% of the employed population with headache disorders worked at least 1 day in the last 3 months with 50% reduced productivity (mean, 95% CI = 5.7 days [5.3–6.2]), amounting to R$ 27.3 billion (Int$ 13.5 billion) of financial loss annually. In the other database analysed (n = 205,546), 14,052 (6.8%) respondents missed work/school or household duties in the past 2 weeks due to some disease. Of these, 4.7% attributed their days lost to headaches disorders in the economically active population, which ranked 4th as main cause of days lost due to disease, among 23 common diseases.

Conclusions

The economic burden of headache disorders in Brazil, mostly due to migraine (55.4%), may cost up to R$ 67.6 billion (Int$ 33.5 billion) annually, and headache disorders represent a leading cause of absenteeism due to disease.
Oral exposure to low-dose bisphenol A induces hyperplasia of dorsolateral prostate and upregulates EGFR expression in adult Sprague-Dawley rats
Authors: Wu Shuangshuang , Huang Dongyan , Su Xin , Yan Han , Wu Jianhui , Sun Zuyue
Published: November 2019

Prostate is sensitive to endocrine hormone level, and the synergetic effect of estrogen and androgen is critical in prostate growth. The change of signal pathways caused by the imbalance of estrogen and androgen might function in the occurrence of prostate diseases. As a well-known endocrine disruptor compound, bisphenol A (BPA) can disturb the normal function of endocrine hormone and affect prostate development. This study aims to investigate effects of BPA on the dorsolateral prostate (DLP) and the related gene expression of the tissue in adult Sprague- Dawley (SD) rats and to explore the mechanism for the effect of low-dose BPA on DLP hyperplasia. Three-month-old male SD rats were treated with BPA (10.0, 30.0, or 90.0 µg (kg.day)−1, gavage) or vehicle (gavage) for 4 weeks. BPA significantly increased the DLP weight, the DLP organ coefficient, and the prostate epithelium height ( p < 0.01) of rats dose-dependently. Microarray analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that BPA significantly upregulated the transcriptional levels of some genes, including pituitary tumor transforming gene 1, epidermal growth factor, Sh3kbp1, and Pcna. Furthermore, the expression of PCNA ( p < 0.01), androgen receptor ( p < 0.01), and EGF receptor (EGFR) ( p < 0.001) in DLP was increased significantly by BPA treatment, and the expression of estrogen receptor alpha was also upregulated. The findings evidenced that low-dose BPA could induce DLP hyperplasia in adult rats, and the upregulated EGF/EGFR pathway that was responsive to estrogen and androgen might play an essential role in the DLP hyperplasia induced by low-dose BPA.
Safety and Feasibility of Phenylephrine Administration Through a Peripheral Intravenous Catheter in a Neurocritical Care Unit
Authors: Ballieu Paul , Besharatian Yasaman , Ansari Safdar
Published: November 2019

Background/Objective:

Blood pressure optimization and maintenance of cerebral and spinal perfusion pressure are mainstays in the treatment of a neurocritically ill patient. Traditionally, central venous access has been required for vasopressor administration, with risk of inherent complications. The authors have previously reported pilot data on the safety of peripheral administration of phenylephrine in a neurocritical care unit. In this follow-up, we report the safety, feasibility, and potential efficacy of peripheral administration of low-concentration phenylephrine in a more robust cohort.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was conducted on all consecutive patients who received peripheral phenylephrine in a tertiary care hospital neurocritical care unit.

Results:

A cohort of 125 patients were identified and included in the final analysis. The average age was 59.3 years, with an average intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay of 7.61 days. The most common indication for phenylephrine use was spinal perfusion (both with/without neurogenic shock) in 38.4% of cases, followed by postsurgical/anesthesia resuscitation in 16.8% of cases; 25.6% of patients in our cohort required escalation to central venous access (central venous catheter + peripherally inserted central catheter). A total of 2880 patient-hours were recorded with peripheral phenylephrine infusion, of which 73.9% were at goal blood pressure (either systolic or mean arterial pressure). Only one major complication of thrombophlebitis and 8 minor complications were recorded.

Conclusions:

Protocol-driven peripheral administration of lower concentration phenylephrine in an ICU setting is safe and feasible. This strategy is potentially effective at achieving hemodynamic targets in the majority of patients avoiding the need for central venous access.
Laminate analogy approach for the effective elastic properties of metal matrix nanocomposites filled with randomly dispersed graphene nanoplatelets
Authors: Pakseresht M , Ansari R , Hassanzadeh-Aghdam MK
Published: November 2019

In this study, the laminate analogy technique is utilized to calculate the elastic properties of metal matrix nanocomposites filled with graphene nanoplatelets. The graphene nanoscale fillers are the most commonly used form of graphene inclusions, which are mostly considered to be disk-shaped. With the help of the Eshelby tensor, the effects of three different shapes of graphene inclusions on the mechanical response are examined. Combining layers of metal matrix composite lamina reinforced by uniformly dispersed graphene inclusions, which are aligned differently in each layer, the metal matrix nanocomposite is simulated. In each lamina, the Mori–Tanaka micromechanical method is employed to calculate the effective elastic properties. Given the fact that the inclusions are aligned, the change in the principal axis of each laminate from the global axis does not affect the Mori–Tanaka results thus resulting in an equivalent laminate composite. Then, classical laminate theory is implemented to obtain the elastic modulus of the equivalent laminate composite. The results obtained from this analytical model are compared with experimental data and a good agreement can be found between them. Two factors are observed to play a critical role in the final results; (i) the number of layers and (ii) the geometrical features of the graphene inclusions. An equivalent laminate composite with few layers acts as a composite material with anisotropic properties, and the increase of the number of layers will cause the isotropic behavior in the equivalent laminate composite. By increasing the aspect ratio, the effective elastic modulus of the nanocomposite exhibits a near-linear growth.
Penile eczema: Not all genital ulcers are sexually transmitted infections
Authors: Veasey John Verrinder , Ruppert Rebeca
Published: November 2019

The presence of genital lesions leads some physicians and patients to instinctively think of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In parallel, the World Health Organization guides the use of syndromic management to provide early diagnosis and immediate treatment in cases of genital lesions with suspected STI. We present two cases of patients with genital lesions for months that were unsuccessfully treated with the STI syndromic approach. Well-conducted histories were fundamental for the discovery of the eczematous etiology of genital ulcers due to the use of topical products indicated by both physicians and patients themselves, and the established therapy led to complete remission of the condition within a few weeks.
Diagnosing lymphogranuloma venereum: two men taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis presenting with genital ulcer disease
Authors: Comninos NB , Rix SE , Varma R , McNulty AM
Published: November 2019

Early recognition of lymphogranuloma venereum can prevent significant morbidity. As the diagnosis of genital-inguinal disease can be challenging, clinicians should have a high index of suspicion in patients with relevant clinical features and risk factors. We present two recent cases seen at an Australian Sexual Health Clinic within a three-month period that highlight the variety of genital-inguinal manifestations.
Direct oral anticoagulants in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome: a cohort study
Authors: Malec K , Broniatowska E , Undas A
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Despite controversies, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly used in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). We investigated the safety and efficacy of DOACs versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in real-life consecutive APS patients.

Patients and methods

In a cohort study of 176 APS patients, which included 82 subjects who preferred DOACs or had unstable anticoagulation with VKAs, we recorded venous thromboembolism (VTE), cerebrovascular ischemic events or myocardial infarction, along with major bleeding or clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB).

Results

APS patients were followed for a median time of 51 (interquartile range 43–63) months. Patients on DOACs and those on VKAs were similar with regard to baseline characteristics. APS patients treated with DOACs had increased risk of recurrent thromboembolic events and recurrent VTE alone compared with those on VKAs (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.54–10.28, p = 0.004 and HR = 3.69, 95% CI: 1.27–10.68, p = 0.016, respectively) with no differences between rivaroxaban and apixaban or single- or double-positive and triple-positive APS. Thromboembolism on DOACs was associated with older age (median 52 versus 42 years, p = 0.008) and higher global APS score (median 13 versus 8.5, p = 0.013). Patients on DOACs had increased risk of major bleeding or CRNMB (HR = 3.63, 95% CI: 1.53–8.63, p = 0.003), but rates of gastrointestinal bleeds (HR = 3.36, 95% CI: 0.70–16.16, p = 0.13) and major bleeds or CRNMB other than heavy menstrual bleeding (HR = 2.45, 95% CI: 0.62–9.69, p = 0.2) were similar in both treatment groups.

Conclusion

During long-term follow-up of real-life APS patients, DOACs are less effective and less safe as VKAs in the prevention of thromboembolism.
Modes of engagement with the future in everyday life
Authors: Mandich Giuliana
Published: November 2019

This paper is aimed at understanding how we engage with the future in different ways in everyday life. Many empirical studies have emphasised that what we usually call ‘imagination’ of the future takes diverse forms and meanings. Varied narratives of the future that are possible coexist in daily life in a bumpy, semi-conscious and occasionally tense dialogue with one another. To understand this variation of narratives, a thorough exploration of the different modes of engaging with the future that various forms of agency bring into play is required, together with a sensitive empirical analysis. I use Thévenot’s theory of regimes of engagement as a starting point to at least partially explain this variety. Thévenot’s idea that different types of individual involvement in relation to different definitions of the relevant reality (e.g. familiarity, plans and the public domain of justification and exploration) contain interesting implications for the analysis of what I define as modes of engagement with the future. As involved as we are with social reality through specific formats, so are we with the future. As the ‘relevant reality’ is different according to the regime of engagement that we are involved in, the nature of anticipation also varies. The future is ‘made and measured’ within the logic of probability in the regime of plans; of possibility in the regime of justification; of practical anticipation in the regime of familiarity; and of discovery in the regime of exploration. This perspective helps to avoid a reification of the future as something that is ‘there’ and that we simply discover and avoids easy dichotomisation of forms of anticipation of the future as realistic or unrealistic.
V.I.P. care: Ethical dilemmas and recommendations for nurses
Authors: McIntosh Jennifer T
Published: November 2019

Background:

Not all patients are considered equal. For patients who are considered to be “very important persons,” care can be different from that of other patients with advantages of greater access to resources, special attention from staff, and options for luxurious hospital amenities. While very important person care is common and widely accepted by healthcare administration, it has negative implications for both very important person and non-very important person patients, supports care disparities and inequities, and can create serious ethical dilemmas for healthcare professionals. Very important person care can also result in negative care outcomes for its recipients.

Objective:

This article sought to explore the implications and ethical considerations of very important person care within the context of United States healthcare system, and integrate bioethical principles and American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses to influence recommendations for managing ethical dilemmas associated with very important person care.

Method:

A synthesis of the literature on very important person care was undertaken for this article.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical conduct was considered and respected when performing the literature review, referencing sources, and establishing authorship.

Findings:

According to the published literature, very important person care bares both positive and negative implications for patients, and negative implications for nurses. Nurses are the most affected by the demands from their administrators to provide special care and attention to patients in the “very important person” category and their families. Very important person care can be disruptive, disorienting, challenging, and stressful to nurses.

Conclusion:

While physicians and other healthcare professionals have commented on very important person care, limited work has been done in nursing. There have not been any empirical studies on very important person care. Therefore, in order to minimize the negative implications of very important person care, studies of this phenomenon are warranted. Exposing very important person care is important in the development of an ethical healthcare system. Moreover, understanding the ethical principles surrounding the concept of very important person care will empower nurses to effectively manage conflicts and ethical dilemmas that arise with very important person care.
The hidden curriculum: Undergraduate nursing students’ perspectives of socialization and professionalism
Authors: Kelly Susan Harrison
Published: November 2019

Background and aim

Nursing students form a professional identity from their core values, role models, and past experiences, and these factors contribute to the development of their professional identity. The hidden curriculum, a set of ethics and values learned within a clinical setting, may be part of developing a professional identity. Nursing students will develop a professional identity throughout school; however, their identity might be challenged as they attempt to balance their core values with behaviors learned through the hidden curriculum. The purpose of this project was to educate students on the hidden curriculum in the development of their professional identity.

Materials and methods

A sample of 112 senior nursing students was recruited from a northeastern university in the United States for this study. Pre–post survey design was used, and an educational session was administered prior to the post-survey. Descriptive statistics and a valid percentage were used to describe the data within the surveys.

Ethical consideration

Study was approved by the author’s University Institutional Review Board.

Findings

A significant finding was for advocacy as students would speak up if witnessing inappropriate behavior toward patients or families with a mean score increase from 2.50 (pre-survey) to 1.45 (post-survey). Also, over 95% ( n = 106) found the educational session beneficial as they learned they had the ability to advocate and speak up for their patients.

Conclusion

Students were able to use their core values and advocate for their patients and families which allows for safer patient care.
Police reform in Scotland: What can we learn from the experiences of front-line officers?
Authors: Hail Yvonne
Published: November 2019

Little is known about how front-line police officers navigate major structural reforms within their organization. The findings presented in this paper were collected as part of the first ever empirical study of the newly created Police Service of Scotland between October 2013 and June 2014. The findings discussed here are pertinent to the wider academic literature in that they fill the current gap in knowledge on how front-line police officers experience major structural reforms at a police operational level; by exploring the ways, if any, reform impacted on the routine delivery of local policing. This paper focuses on three main themes which emerged from the analysis of 68 interviews conducted with a stratified sample of serving police officers; front-line police officers, their supervisors and managers across two geographically distinct case study areas in Scotland. The paper highlights police officers’ concerns around a lack of front-line involvement in either the planning or implementation of reform, the pace at which the changes associated with reform were rolled out and the internal communication processes adopted throughout the reform journey, all of which they claim impacted negatively on their daily routines. This unique data was collected using a variety of qualitative and ethnographic research approaches including non-participant observations, walking interviews, documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews at the precise time major structural reform was being implemented across Scotland.
Territorialising brand experience and consumption: Negotiating a role for pop-up retailing
Authors: Shi Charlotte , Warnaby Gary , Quinn Lee
Published: November 2019

The evolving consumption landscape creates challenges for retailers in accommodating their modus operandi to negotiate changing consumer needs, arguably requiring a ‘new’ type of retailing to hopefully facilitate future success. We suggest that an important aspect of such negotiation will be the use of ‘pop-up’ activity, and we critically evaluate the potential of these ephemeral consumption spaces to constitute and shape consumers’ brand-oriented relations and experiences into the future. Informed by the work of Deleuze and Guattari, we take a territorological perspective. Drawing on data from eight UK-based pop-up cases, we (1) analyse how these temporary ‘territories’ of brand experience are developed and implemented; (2) analyse what differentiates them from other, traditionally conceived, territories of brand experience; and (3) critically evaluate pop-up’s neglected characterisation in terms of a more ‘fluid’ spatial-temporal retail territory, to better understand its role in contemporary consumer culture. We posit that the development of pop-up activities occurs through the coordination of actions of a variety of stakeholders, constituting a spatial-temporal confluence of both material and processual elements to create a ‘ refrain’, through the compression and compaction of interior, intermediary, exterior and annexed milieus. In doing so, we offer a new lens through which to view the creation of retail consumption spaces.
Bayesian analysis of differential effects in multi-group regression methods
Authors: Quintero Adrian , Verbeke Geert , Bruyneel Luk , Lesaffre Emmanuel
Published: November 2019

In regression analysis, the data sample is often composed of diverse sub-populations such as ethnicities and geographical regions. In multiple application areas, it is important to identify the groups where each covariate has a positive, negative or null impact on the response. If the number of sub-populations is small, a full interaction model may be fit with group-specific covariate effects. However, if the number of groups is very large, for example, hospitals or other clustering units, such a model is not identifiable. Therefore, we propose a prior distribution which combines the information across sub-populations with a similar covariate effect. This Bayesian analysis of differential effects (BADE) classifies the group-specific covariate effects as positive, negative or null. Besides allowing the analysis of differential effects for many sub-populations, the proposed approach improves substantially the identification of important interactions in cases with few groups. This is illustrated via simulations. The procedure is motivated on, and applied to, a large study related to patients’ satisfaction with hospitals, where we show that classifying group-specific covariate effects based on methods such as mixed-effects models may be strongly misleading.
Toward community food security through transdisciplinary action research
Authors: Lam Steven , Thompson Michelle , Johnson Kathleen , Fioret Cameron , Hargreaves Sarah K
Published: November 2019

To solve the world’s most complex problems, research is increasingly moving toward more transdisciplinary endeavors. While a lot of important work has explored the characteristics, challenges, opportunities, and operationalization of transdisciplinary research, much less is known about the circumstances that either facilitate or hinder the research process, particularly from the perspectives of graduate students who often participate in them. In this paper, we aim to address this gap by contributing our own experiences as a team of four graduate students and one community partner that collaborated on a food security project. To support our collaboration, we develop and apply an analytical framework that integrates transdisciplinarity and action research. Through principles of reflexivity, participation and partnership, methods and process, and integration, we find that the framework facilitated the development of shared purposes, mutual responsibility, and meaningful relationships, resulting in the co-creation of a guidebook for farmer-led research. Our main concern with the framework is not achieving the full integration of our disciplines and practices. Transdisciplinarity together with action research holds significant promise in a food security context, but only in the “right” circumstances, where considerable time is spent building relationships, opening communicative space, and reflecting on the work with collaborators.