bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chronic Kidney Disease: Implications for Progression Using Telehealth Monitoring
Authors: Mansur Abeera
Published: May 2018

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a complex and common medical condition requiring a multidisciplinary management approach, including control of multiple parameters to delay progression of the disease. Telehealth has been used for monitoring chronic conditions and can be used for managing chronic kidney disease.

Materials and Methods: Patients (N = 34) with CKD Stage II-V were studied for four months. Vital signs, weight, intake and output, blood glucose level, oxygen saturation, and edema were checked twice weekly by trained nurses, transmitted via WhatsApp, and incorporated into the electronic medical records of the patients. Monthly serum creatinine, hemoglobin, and electrolytes were obtained and reviewed by a nephrologist. Necessary intervention was conveyed to the patients.

Results: Patient satisfaction rate with telehealth management was high. Measured parameters were maintained in the recommended range in a higher percentage of the study group compared to the controls. Glomerular filtration rate was maintained in a significantly more patient in the study group (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Telehealth monitoring of patients with CKD (tele-nephrology) is a viable and effective option for management of this increasingly prevalent disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem with increasing severity in renal dysfunction extending to dialysis.
TMT Interview: Robert Abel, MaineHealth Care at Home
Authors: Abel Robert
Published: May 2018

No abstract available.

Editor’s note: On March 16th and 17th, 2017, Telehealth and Medicine Today convened a national conference of opinion leaders to discuss and debate “Technologies and Tactics Transforming Long-term Care.” What follows is an interview with Robert Abel, who is the Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Palliative Care for MaineHealth Care at Home, a member of the MaineHealth system.
Message from the Publisher on Non-Index Status
Authors: Cenaj Tory
Published: May 2018

No abstract available.
Telehealth Vendor Selection: Get Intentional, Not Overwhelmed
Authors: Leslie Monica
Published: May 2018

The term “vendor overwhelmed” in the telehealth market is alive and well. In a global market predicted to more than double in value over the next several years to an estimated $36.2B,1 the number of vendors that have flooded the market is not surprising. As a “vendor agnostic” telehealth consulting team, Schumacher Clinical Partners, Subsidium Healthcare, specializes in helping clients plan, design, select, and implement telehealth programs. What follows is information regarding solutions and key differentiators for successful vendor selection.
Maximizing Your Success with Telehealth
Authors: Jones Jeffrey
Published: May 2018

No abstract available.
Caregivers & Technology: What They Want and Need A Guide for Innovators — Research from A Nationally Representative Sample of America’s 40 Million Family Caregivers
Authors: Editorial Team TMT
Published: May 2018

No abstract available.

Editor’s note: What follows is an abridged, illustration-rich presentation of research conducted for Project Catalyst (charged with positioning the 50+ consumer the center of innovation) by HITLAB (a healthcare innovation lab dedicated to improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare worldwide). HITLAB helps stakeholders in the public and private sectors technology-based solutions from concept to development and evaluation to meet pressing healthcare challenges.
Grading Obamacare on the Fundamentals of Care Delivery
Authors: Gruber David , Urbanowicz Peter
Published: May 2018

No abstract available.

Editor’s note: Changes (some predict repeal) in the Affordable Care Act is an immanent prospect that will affect all stakeholders in healthcare, including patients, providers, and innovators in telemedicine. In this article and three others included in this issue of Telehealth and Medicine Today, David Gruber and Peter Urbanowicz inform our readers and, hopefully, help prepare them for changes that may be every bit as impactful in 2017 as were the initiating events that occurred seven years ago on March 23rd, 2010. The authors address issues of special relevance to stakeholders in telehealth in this article.
Development of an inventory for Alternative Conceptions among students in chemistry
Authors: Eggen Per-Odd , Persson Jonas , Jacobsen Elisabeth Egholm , Hafskjold Bjørn
Published: May 2018

A Chemistry concept inventory has been developed for assessing students learning and identifying the alternative conceptions that students may have in general chemistry. The conceptions in question are assumed to be mainly learned in school and to a less degree in student’s daily life. The inventory therefore aims at functioning as a tool for adjusting teaching practices in chemistry. The concept inventory presented here is mainly aimed at assessing students learning during general chemistry courses. The inventory has been administered and evaluated using statistical tests, focusing on both item analysis and on the entire test. The results indicate that the concept inventory is a reliable and discriminating tool in the present context.
The Impact of Teacher Characteristics on Educational Differentiation Practices in Lower Secondary Mathematics Instruction
Authors: Ekstam Ulrika , Linnanmäki Karin , Aunio Pirjo
Published: May 2018

This study aimed to investigate how teachers’ certification status, experience in instruction, and teachers’ efficacy beliefs for teaching lower secondary students in mathematics are related to differentiated instruction practices. A total of 42 mathematics teachers and 27 special education teachers answered an electronic questionnaire regarding mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs and their frequency of use of differentiation practices. The results indicated that teachers’ efficacy beliefs were related to differentiation in content, flexible examination models, homework support, and co-teaching. Neither certification status nor teacher experience in instruction was related to the frequency of use of differentiation practices. As teacher efficacy beliefs seem to have an effect on the use of differentiation practices, and especially on co-teaching, it should be important for teacher education to focus on developing pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs as well as implementing a strong collaboration between different teacher groups.
Kolmetoistavuotiaiden nuorten käsityksiä luonnontieteellisestä tutkimuksesta
Authors: Hakanen Arvi Tapani , Lavonen Jari
Published: May 2018

VASI (views about the scientific inquiry) questionnaire was applied to a sample of 149 7th grade students. When assessing each aspect of VASI, pupils' views were categorized into one of four categories: informed, mixed, naive, and unclear. According to the diagnostical test, 7th grade students did not possess informed conceptions of NOS in average, while certain questions were better understood. E. g., question #4 which measured the possession of the VASI aspect "Data does not equal evidence" was relatively well understood indicating that Finnish students had good reading ability and logical deduction skills without prior explicit teaching of VASI concepts. FULL ARTICLE IN FINNISH.
Análisis primera etapa de proyectos de vinculación con la sociedad en algunas parroquias de Ambato.
Authors: Espinosas Pire Lina Neri , Estenoz. Maggy
Published: May 2018

La realidad encontrada en los colegios de las Parroquias Huachi Chico, Huachi Grande, Picaihua, Patate, Pelileo, Sigualo, Santa Rosa, Salasaca, Huambaló, de la Provincia Tungurahua fue; alto nivel de conocimiento   sobre la existencia   de métodos anticonceptivos sin embargo el uso de los mismo es minino debido que no existe   conocimiento de un método adecuado para su edad y características morfo funcionales   del mismo. La población estudiada tiene ideas erróneas sobre las consecuencias que puede conllevar un embarazo adolescente, identificando como principal causa la falta de acceso a educación sexual y comunicación con la familia. Esta falta de comunicación conlleva a que no exista temor de presentar un embarazo precoz. En la intervención se trabajó sobre la prevención del embarazo adolescente, los factores de riesgo a los que están expuestos, el uso adecuado de los anticonceptivos, y las posibles consecuencias que conlleva un embarazo adolescente.  Se trabajó con un club adolescente vinculado a los Subcentros de Salud para despejar dudas acerca de los temas planteados.

Recibido: 05-01-2017 / Aceptado: 25-01-2017
Caracterización clínica de pacientes con Trastorno Neuropsiquiátrico Infantil Autoinmune asociado a estreptococo (PANDAS)
Authors: Vera Hector , Maragoto Carlos
Published: May 2018

El Trastorno Neuro-psiquiátrico infantil autoinmune asociado a estreptococo (PANDAS, siglas en inglés) no está contemplado en la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades, décima edición (CIE-10). La publicación de Swedo et al. en 1998 fue el primer intento de definir objetivamente, el cuadro de trastornos neuropsiquiátricos fluctuantes asociados a infecciones frecuentes. Objetivo: Caracterización clínica de pacientes diagnosticados de PANDAS. Método: Se realizó un estudio de tipo descriptivo longitudinal retrospectivo con 56 pacientes diagnosticados de PANDAS entre 2006 y 2016. Todos los datos fueron obtenidos de las historias clínicas de los pacientes. Resultados: La edad de inicio del cuadro promedio es de 6,7 años con ± 2,7 años de desviación estándar. El 64% de los pacientes presentaron infecciones a repetición. De los síntomas clínicos el 93% presentaron tics y trastornos de conducta, seguidos por el 73% con TDAH. Con respecto al sexo 17 resultaron del sexo femenino para un 30.4% el resto 39 son de sexo masculino para un 69.6%. Conclusiones: En la serie presentada el trastorno fue más frecuente en el sexo masculino que en el sexo femenino. La edad de inicio del cuadro y los principales síntomas son congruentes con lo reportado en la literatura.
Hipotiroidismo, enfoque actual.
Authors: Leiva Suero Lizette Elena , Morales Solís Jorge , Villacís Valencia Sandra , Quishpe Jara Graciela , Acosta Acosta Josué
Published: May 2018

El hipotiroidismo tiene una elevada prevalencia en nuestra población, la inespecificidad de sus manifestaciones clínicas ocasiona sub diagnóstico y su descontrol genera temibles complicaciones fácilmente corregibles con un tratamiento sustitutivo adecuado, lo cual cobra mayor significación cuando se trata de una mujer embarazada. Con el objetivo de resumir información actualizada y disponer de la mejor evidencia médica desarrollamos un artículo de revisión cualitativo descriptivo sobre el tema, abordando generalidades, etiología, manifestaciones clínicas, enfermedades asociadas, diagnóstico y tratamiento. Para lo cual se realizó una revisión sistemática a través de búsqueda en bases de datos electrónicas (MEDLINE, CUIDEN plus). Resultados 45 artículos fueron incluidos para esta revisión, de ellos tres metas análisis que trataban directamente de Hipotiroidismo. Empleamos dos modelos para combinar estadísticamente los resultados: el modelo de efectos fijos y el modelo de efectos aleatorios. Se obtuvo una concordancia del 82,5 % en cuanto a la etiología del síndrome, 94,5% para las manifestaciones clínicas, 98,6 % en el diagnóstico y 96,1 % en el tratamiento. Todo lo cual permitió resumir los elementos fundamentales del diagnóstico clínico y el tratamiento de manera sintética que permita a nuestros profesionales apropiarse de las competencias necesarias para diagnosticar y tratar esta enfermedad, evitar el subdiagnóstico, prevenir las complicaciones y motivar el desarrollo de estrategias de prevención y diagnóstico precoz de esta patología altamente prevalente.

Recibido: 10-08-2017 / Aceptado: 12-09-2017
Post-Anthesis Drought Management in Late-Shown Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Authors: Bhari Pramod , Sah Shrawan K
Published: May 2018

Post anthesis drought is common problem in late sown wheat, which reduces crop yield. A field experiment was conducted at Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Rampur in 2005/06 to find out the effect of irrigation, seed rate and mulch on soil moisture content and productivity of late sown wheat. Irrigation applied at crown root initiation CRI and heading stage significantly increased moisture content at 80 days after sowing, grain filling period (GFP) and crop duration period (CDP), thousand grain weight, grain yield and harvest index. Higher seed rate was non significant on yield attributes and yield. Soil moisture content at 30, 80 and 95 days after sowing, vegetative growth period (VGP) and crop duration period, and grain yield were significantly higher in mulched plot than non mulched plot. Irrigation at reproductive stage and mulch were effective in increasing yield of late sown wheat.
Agricultural perspectives of climate change induced disasters in Doti, Nepal
Authors: Paudyal Narayan , Khadka Ram B , Khadka Ranjana
Published: May 2018

Natural disasters are among the major risk factors in aggravating human and livestock lifes as well as agricultural production in most of the developing and poor countries. A community level survey was conducted in Doti district to assess the rural communities perception towards the disasters induced by climate change in agriculture and livestock production and productivity. Discussions with two focal groups, at village level and with district based stakeholders revealed that there is a conceptual difference between the perception of disasters at the government level and the farmers level. Most of the farmers have realized the major disasters of slow onset type (drought and famine) to be more common than the rapid onset type (landslides and floods). There has been a change in the cropping pattern with decreased winter rain and short monsoon rain. The local communities have suffered due to drought which has lead to fewer water holes for animals and less water for irrigation. Farmers have gradually decreased the number of larger ruminants like cattle and buffalo and are inclined towards smaller animals like sheep and goat. Animal diseases as well as insects-pests of crops are also on the rise.
“The History of all Hitherto Existing Society:” Class Struggle and the Current Wave of Resistance
Authors: Wolfson Todd , Funke Peter
Published: May 2018

Across the last decade we have witnessed a growing wave of resistance across the globe. In this article we argue that it is critical to utilise class analysis to understand contemporary social movements. We maintain that class analysis begins with understanding class as a series of relations and/or processes that condition both the objective and subjective dimensions of class. Following this, we illustrate how sectors of the contemporary working class are in struggle, yet struggle differently, based on their structural location as well as differing nature of their resistance. In taking this approach to class and social movements, we argue that scholars can begin to unmask the central role of capitalism and the attending regimes of accumulation in the current wave of resistance even when they appear disconnected.
The Prospects of Radical Change Today
Authors: Žižek Slavoj
Published: May 2018

In this contribution, Slavoj Žižek takes the occasion of Marx’s bicentenary for reflecting on the prospects of radical change today. First, it is shown that under Stalinism, Lenin’s works were quoted out of context in an arbitrary way in order to legitimise arbitrary political measures. Marxism thereby became an ideology that justified brutal subjective interventions. Second, this contribution poses the question of the revolutionary subject and democracy today. It stresses the role of both contingency and strategy in revolutions. In political assemblages taking place on public squares, the inert mass of ordinary people is transubstantiated into a politically engaged united force. The basic political problem today is how to best reconfigure democracy. Third, this contribution analyses the “interesting times” we live in. These are times that feature multiple crises, right-wing populism à la Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen, the lower classes’ opposition to immigration, and the refugee crisis. Questions about human rights and their violation and about radical change need to be asked in this context.
Embodying Alternatives to Capitalism in the 21st Century
Authors: Monticelli Lara
Published: May 2018

The goal of this article is twofold. First, to illustrate how in the last decade a growing number of critical and Marxist thinkers committed to discussing and developing theories of change have started to broaden their focus by including social movements and grassroots initiatives that are “interstitial”, i.e. initiatives that are developing within capitalism and are striving to prefigure a post-capitalist society in the here and now without engaging in contentious, violent and revolutionary actions and activities. To achieve this, I mainly focus on the work of four authors: Erik Olin Wright, John Holloway, Ana C. Dinerstein, and Luke Martell. The second goal of this article is to understand why these interstitial movements are getting so much attention from critical scholars and to argue that the time is ripe for establishing a theory of (and for) prefigurative social movements. The article closes with some brief reflections on the future of radical thinking that includes an invitation, directed mostly at the young generation of critical and Marxist scholars, to begin a dialogue with theories of change developed within other disciplines, to engage with activists, and to experiment with participatory methods and techniques.
Karl Marx and Liberation Theology: Dialectical Materialism and Christian Spirituality in, against, and beyond Contemporary Capitalism
Authors: McLaren Peter , Jandrić Petar
Published: May 2018

This paper explores convergences and discrepancies between liberation theology and the works of Karl Marx through the dialogue between one of the key contemporary proponents of liberation theology, Peter McLaren, and the agnostic scholar in critical pedagogy, Petar Jandrić. The paper briefly outlines liberation theology and its main convergences with the works of Karl Marx. Exposing striking similarities between the two traditions in denouncing the false God of money, it explores differences in their views towards individualism and collectivism. It rejects shallow rhetorical homologies between Marx and the Bible often found in liberation theology, and suggests a change of focus from seeking a formal or Cartesian logical consistency between Marxism and Christianity to exploring their dialectical consistency. Looking at Marxist and Christian approaches to morality, it outlines close links between historical materialism and questions of value. It concludes that the shared eschaton of Marxism and the Christianity gives meaning to human history and an opportunity to change it.
The Continuing Relevance of the Marxist Tradition for Transcending Capitalism
Authors: Wright Erik Olin
Published: May 2018

No idea is more closely associated with Marx than the claim that the intrinsic, contradictory dynamics of capitalism ultimately lead to its self-destruction while simultaneously creating conditions favourable for a revolutionary rupture needed to create an emancipatory alternative in which the control by the capitalist class of investments and production is displaced by radical economic democracy. Marx’s formulation of a theory of transcending capitalism is unsatisfactory for two main reasons: 1) the dynamics of capitalism may generate great harms, but they do not inherently make capitalism unsustainable nor do they generate the structural foundations of a collective actor with a capacity to overthrow capitalism; 2) the vision of a system-level rupture with capitalism is not a plausible strategy replacing capitalism by a democratic-egalitarian economic system. Nevertheless, there are four central propositions anchored in the Marxist tradition that remain essential for understanding the possibility of transcending capitalism: 1. Capitalism obstructs the realization of conditions for human flourishing. 2. Another world is possible. 3. Capitalism’s dynamics are intrinsically contradictory. 4. Emancipatory transformation requires popular mobilization and struggle. These four propositions can underwrite a strategic vision of eroding the dominance of capitalism by building democratic-egalitarian economic relations within the contradictory spaces of capitalism.
Marx, Materialism and the Brain: Determination in the Last Instance?
Authors: Hands Joss
Published: May 2018

It is well acknowledged that there is not one but many Marxes, and one area where this has been most evident is in the question of technological and economic determinism. This article traces some key moments in this debate and attempts to locate their most recent iteration in disagreements over the place of the human brain in both historical agency and value creation in so called ‘cognitive’ or ‘post-Fordist’ capitalism. Of significant interest in the current configuration – or rather composition – of capital is the place of the digitisation of the labour process and its relation to, and integration with, human cognition and volition. Arguments over the attention economy and the power of post-Fordist capitalism to distract and direct is a significant variation of the question of ideology and the latest variation of the base/superstructure debate. This article will unpack the aforesaid issues to offer an articulated perspective in order to make the argument that taking a balanced view of determination will allow us to acknowledge that – drawing on the argument of determination in the last instance – we can hold both of these ‘Marxes’ to be simultaneously valid. Here, a revisiting of Marx’s concept of General Intellect will be undertaken, wherein the productive capacity of living labour is employed in both active agency and the capture of value, in which the plasticity of the living brain becomes the pivot point for both exploitation by, and resistance to, capital.
Ideology, Alienation and Reification: Concepts for a Radical Theory of Communication in Contemporary Capitalism
Authors: Leal Leila Salim
Published: May 2018

Contemporary capitalism and its dynamics increase the material and ideological role played by the media, building a kind of sociality in which symbolic production becomes abundant. The critique of contemporary capitalism and the praxis to build alternatives to this form of society need to be put in the centre of debating cultural production. Cultural production interacts with the media and the market so that this symbolic field constitutes an increasingly predominant factor in the processes of the formation of consciousness. This instigates us to think about resistance as being necessarily linked to communication and culture. This article discusses the role of Marx’s concepts of ideology and alienation for the constitution of a contemporary critique of the processes of the formation of consciousness.
La police face aux outils numériques : pratiques et communication policière sur Twitter lors des manifestations à Montréal
Authors: Tuzza Simone , Tanner Samuel , Carpentier-Laberge Cassandre
Published: May 2018

The use of the media by protesters during demonstrations affects the police force and its response. The new media force the police to update its crowd control strategy. The police's scope of concern reaches an unprecedented level of exchange, because of the digital dimension adding to the physical one; it now has to take both into account in its crowd management practices. What is the attitude adopted by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) with regard to the social media? What use does it make of the Twitter microblogging platform during demonstrations? In order to understand how the law enforcement agency uses the potential of this media and how it impacts its communications and practices, a database of 3,909 Twitter messages, dated between September 2012 and June 2015, was created. An analysis of the database shows that the SPVM seeks to establish a direct and egalitarian dialogue with the public, tries to open a specific communication channel with protesters and uses this new medium as a strategic tool.
Douleur et thermorégulation Les effets ambivalents de la morphine
Authors: El Bitar N. , Le Bars D.
Published: May 2018

La queue et les pattes postérieures des rongeurs sont à la fois des organes cibles très utilisées pour effectuer des tests dans les modèles de douleur aiguë ou chronique et essentiels à leur thermorégulation. C’est ainsi que la queue et les pattes d’un rat placé dans des conditions de neutralité thermique sont l’objet de variations cycliques de vasomotricité. Administrée par voie intraveineuse, la morphine provoque, de façon dose-dépendante et naloxone-réversible, une vasoconstriction dont il résulte une hyperthermie. Les courbes dose-réponse sont abruptes dans la plage 0,5– 1 mg/kg. Le blocage fonctionnel de la région bulbaire rostroventrale par une micro-injection de muscimol bloque les vasoconstrictions, y compris celles évoquées par la morphine. Les neurones on et off enregistrés dans la région bulbaire rostroventrale sont activés et inhibés par des stimulus nociceptifs thermiques, respectivement. Ils sont aussi impliqués dans la régulation des variations de vasomotricité de la queue et des pattes. La morphine inhibe et active brutalement l’activité des neurones on et off, respectivement, tout en augmentant la latence du tail-flick (TFL), le test de nociception le plus communément utilisé en tant que modèle animal de douleur aiguë. En utilisant un modèle qui prend en compte la puissance de la source de chaleur radiante, la température de la peau initiale, la température corporelle et la distance de conduction du nerf périphérique, on peut conclure que l’augmentation du temps de réaction provoqué par la morphine est principalement liée à la vasoconstriction qu’elle déclenche. Cette conclusion a été vérifiée directement : lorsque la température de la queue est maintenue constante, on peut démontrer, avec un paradigme particulier qui permet d’analyser en termes psychophysiques le tailflick en réponse à des variations aléatoires de chaleur radiante nociceptive, que le seuil de la réaction et sa latence psychophysique sont faiblement augmentés (1,5 °C ; 40 ms) par 4 mg/kg de morphine. Lorsque la TFL est mesurée de façon conventionnelle, de tels effets sont marginaux par rapport aux effets indirects générés par la vasoconstriction. Bien que l’augmentation d’un temps de réaction à la chaleur (e.g. tail-flick, withdrawal ou hot-plate tests) soit généralement interprétée en termes d’analgésie, les données présentes mettent en doute la validité d’utiliser ces approches pour construire un index de douleur.
Association of copeptin, a surrogate marker of arginine vasopressin, with cerebral vasospasm and delayed ischemic neurologic deficit after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Fernandez Sandra J. , Barakat Ibraham , Ziogas James , Frugier Tony , Stylli Stanley S. , Laidlaw John D. , Kaye Andrew H. , Adamides Alexios A.
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

Delayed ischemic neurological deficit (DIND) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a hormone released by the posterior pituitary. It is known to cause cerebral vasoconstriction and has been implicated in hyponatremia secondary to the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. Direct measurement of AVP is limited by its short half-life. Copeptin, a cleavage product of the AVP precursor protein, was therefore used as a surrogate marker for AVP. This study aimed to investigate the temporal relationship between changes in copeptin concentrations and episodes of DIND and hyponatremia.

METHODS

Copeptin concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 19 patients: 10 patients with DIND, 6 patients without DIND (no-DIND), and 3 controls.

RESULTS

Copeptin concentrations were higher in DIND and no-DIND patients than in controls. In hyponatremic DIND patients, copeptin concentrations were higher compared with hyponatremic no-DIND patients. DIND was associated with a combination of decreasing sodium levels and increasing copeptin concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased AVP may be the unifying factor explaining the co-occurrence of hyponatremia and DIND. Future studies are indicated to investigate this relationship and the therapeutic utility of AVP antagonists in the clinical setting.
MGMT promoter methylation in patients with glioblastoma: is methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting superior to methylation-sensitive polymerase chain reaction assay?
Authors: Yamashita Shinji , Yokogami Kiyotaka , Matsumoto Fumitaka , Saito Kiyotaka , Mizuguchi Asako , Ohta Hajime , Takeshima Hideo
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

The methylation status of the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter is a prognostic factor in adults with glioblastoma (GBM); it also yields information that is useful for clinical decision-making in elderly GBM patients. While pyrosequencing is the gold standard for the evaluation of the methylation status of MGMT, methylation-sensitive polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) assay continues to be used widely. Although MS-PCR results exhibited a good correlation with the prognosis of patients with GBM treated under the Stupp protocol, interpretation of the bands is based on subjective judgment, and the assay cannot be used to analyze heterogeneously methylated samples. We assessed whether methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM) is an alternative to MS-PCR.

METHODS

The authors prepared 3 primer sets that covered CpG 72–89 for MS-HRM analysis to determine the methylation levels of 6 human glioma cell lines. The results were validated by bisulfite sequencing of cloned alleles. The authors also subjected surgical samples from 75 GBM patients treated with temozolomide (TMZ) to MS-HRM to assess the MGMT methylation status and compared the findings with MS-PCR results using receiver operating characteristic (ROC), univariate, and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

There was a strong correlation between the methylation levels of the 6 glioma cell lines evaluated by MS-HRM and by bisulfite sequencing; with primers 1 and 2, the correlation was significant (r = 0.959 and r = 0.960, respectively, p < 0.01). Based on log-rank analysis, MS-HRM was significantly better than MS-PCR for predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) based on the methylation status of the MGMT promoter (PFS predicted by MS-HRM and MS-PCR = 0.00023 and 0.0035, respectively; OS = 0.00019 and 0.00028, respectively). ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve was larger with MS-HRM than with MS-PCR (PFS: 0.723 vs 0.635; OS: 0.716 vs 0.695). Based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, MS-HRM was significantly better than MS-PCR for predicting the treatment outcome (MS-HRM vs MS-PCR: PFS, p = 0.001 vs 0.207; OS, p = 0.013 vs 0.135).

CONCLUSIONS

The authors’ findings show that MS-HRM is superior to MS-PCR for the detection of MGMT promoter methylation. They suggest MS-HRM as an alternative to MS-PCR for assessing the prognosis of patients with GBM.
Cervical corpectomy for resection of ventral intramedullary capillary hemangioma with circumferential involvement of the anterior spinal artery: case report
Authors: Forbes Jonathan A. , Teschan Nathan , Jones Samuel Hayden , Parry Phillip , Simonet Luke , Swamy Narayana K.
Published: May 2018

There is limited evidence to suggest that anterior approaches for the resection of ventral intramedullary lesions of the cervical spinal cord may result in superior neurological outcomes compared with those following more traditional posterior approaches. To the authors’ knowledge, no report of an anterior approach to resect a ventral intramedullary capillary hemangioma exists in the literature. In the following paper, the case of a 75-year-old male who presented with progressive neck and left shoulder pain, weakness of the left hand, myelopathy, and gait imbalance is reported. Postcontrast T1-weighted MRI demonstrated a homogeneously enhancing intramedullary lesion with associated severe impingement of the cervical spinal cord at C-4. Following a C-4 corpectomy, intradural exposure revealed a vascular lesion that circumferentially enveloped the anterior spinal artery. Gross-total resection of the lesion was performed, followed by reconstruction of the corpectomy defect, without neurological deterioration. Pathology was consistent with capillary hemangioma. In this instance, the anterior approach helped to avoid unnecessary neural manipulation and allowed for early identification of normal proximal and distal segments of the anterior spinal artery, which facilitated safe dissection and gross-total removal.
Reduction in surgical site infection with suprafascial intrawound application of vancomycin powder in instrumented posterior spinal fusion: a retrospective case-control study
Authors: Haimoto Shoichi , Schär Ralph T. , Nishimura Yusuke , Hara Masahito , Wakabayashi Toshihiko , Ginsberg Howard J.
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of subfascial intrawound application of vancomycin powder in spine surgery in reducing the rate of surgical site infections (SSIs). However, to date no study has evaluated the efficacy and safety of suprafascial application of vancomycin powder in spine surgery. The purpose of this study was to quantify the rate of SSIs after open instrumented posterior spinal fusion with and without application of suprafascial vancomycin powder and to evaluate the rate of vancomycin powder–related local adverse effects.

METHODS

The authors conducted a single-center retrospective case-control study of adult patients undergoing open instrumented posterior fusion of the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine performed by a single surgeon from January 2010 through December 2016. In March 2013, routine application of 1 g of suprafascial vancomycin powder was started for all cases in addition to standard systemic antibiotic prophylaxis. Baseline demographics and operative data as well as the SSI rates were compared between the study groups. The incidence of vancomycin powder–related adverse effects was analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 515 patients (268 in the untreated group and 247 in the treated group) were included in the study. The mean age was significantly higher in the treated group than in the untreated group (58.4 vs 54.4 years, p < 0.01). Operative variables were similar between the study groups. Patients receiving vancomycin powder had a significantly lower infection rate (5.6% in the untreated group vs 0% in the treated group, p < 0.001). No vancomycin powder–related adverse effects were identified in the treated group.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine application of suprafascial intrawound vancomycin powder in addition to systemic antibiotic prophylaxis is an easy-to-use, safe, and effective strategy for preventing SSIs after instrumented posterior spinal fusion. Suprafascial application of vancomycin powder could be a valuable alternative to previously reported subfascial distribution, minimizing the risk of local adverse drug reactions.
Vessel Traffic Risk Assessment Based on Uncertainty Analysis in the Risk Matrix
Authors: Sun Molin , Zheng Zhongyi
Published: May 2018

Uncertainty analysis is considered to be a necessary step in the process of vessel traffic risk assessment. The purpose of this study is to propose the uncertainty analysis algorithm which can be used to investigate the reliability of the risk assessment result. Probability and possibility distributions are used to quantify the two types of uncertainty identified in the risk assessment process. In addition, the algorithm for appropriate time window selection is chosen by considering the uncertainty of vessel traffic accident occurrence and the variation trend of the vessel traffic risk caused by maritime rules becoming operative. Vessel traffic accident data from the United Kingdom’s marine accident investigation branch are used for the case study. Based on a comparison with the common method of estimating the vessel traffic risk and the algorithm for uncertainty quantification without considering the time window selection, the availability of the proposed algorithms is verified, which can provide guidance for vessel traffic risk management.
The Effect of Supplemental Irrigation on Canopy Temperature Depression, Chlorophyll Content, and Water Use Efficiency in Three Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and T. durum Desf.) Varieties Grown in Dry Regions of Jordan
Authors: Al-Ghzawi Abdul Latief A. , Khalaf Yahya Bani , Al-Ajlouni Zakaria I. , AL-Quraan Nisreen A. , Musallam Iyad , Hani Nabeel Bani
Published: May 2018

One critical challenge facing the world is the need to satisfy the food requirements of the dramatically growing population. Drought stress is one of the main limiting factors in the wheat-producing regions; therefore, wheat yield stability is a major objective of wheat-breeding programs in Jordan, which experience fluctuating climatic conditions in the context of global climate change. In the current study, a two-year field experiment was conducted for exploring the effect of four different water regimes on the yield, yield components, and stability of three wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; T. durum Desf.) Jordanian cultivars as related to Canopy Temperature Depression (CTD), and Chlorophyll Content (measured by Soil-Plant Analysis Development, SPAD). A split plot design was used in this experiment with four replicates. Water treatment was applied as the main factor: with and without supplemental irrigation; 0%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of field capacity were applied. Two durum wheat cultivars and one bread wheat cultivar were split over irrigation treatments as a sub factor. In both growing seasons, supplemental irrigation showed a significant increase in grain yield compared to the rain-fed conditions. This increase in grain yield was due to the significantly positive effect of water availability on yield components. Values of CTD, SPAD, harvest index, and water use efficiency (WUE) were increased significantly with an increase in soil moisture and highly correlated with grain yield. Ammon variety produced the highest grain yield across the four water regimes used in this study. This variety was characterized by the least thermal time to maturity and the highest values of CTD and SPAD. It was concluded that Ammon had the highest stability among the cultivars tested. Furthermore, CTD and SPAD can be used as important selection parameters in breeding programs in Jordan to assist in developing high-yielding genotypes under drought and heat stress conditions.
Using Neural Networks in Modeling Customer Loyalty in Passenger Cars Maintenance and Repair Services
Authors: Lotko Aleksander , Korneta Paweł , Lotko Małgorzata , Longwic Rafał
Published: May 2018

Background: In the study, we researched if it is possible to identify the segments of customers of auto repair shops with the use of neural networks? The study attempts to contribute to literature by way of classifying customers of the auto repair shops, accordingly to their loyalty, with the use of advanced statistical methods. Methods: The paper covers classification trees, neural networks, and cluster analyses that were applied in order to classify customers according to their loyalty. Results: It has been proved that three groups of factors influence loyalty: (1) social and demographic factors concerning customer characteristics; (2) technical factors concerning the vehicle and the manner of its use; and (3) factors defining the evaluation of the service quality provided by the auto repair shops. Four segments of customers which vary in terms of formal characteristics and assessment of the quality of services were obtained. Conclusions: (1) identification of factors shaping customers’ loyalty; (2) possibility of checking which changes of the quality of services may influence the loyalty of the customers; and (3) identification of the segments of the customers in the case of which the marketing strategies applied to increase the loyalty, must be treated with the utmost priority.
The Activation of Methane on Ru, Rh, and Pd Decorated Carbon Nanotube and Boron Nitride Nanotube: A DFT Study
Authors: Boekfa Bundet , Treesukol Piti , Injongkol Yuwanda , Maihom Thana , Maitarad Phornphimon , Limtrakul Jumras
Published: May 2018

Methane decomposition catalyzed by an Ru, Rh, or Pd atom supported on a carbon or boron nitride nanotubes was analyzed by means of the density functional theory with the M06-L hybrid functional. The results suggested that the dissociative reaction of methane was a single-step mechanism. Based on the calculated activation energy, the Ru-decorated carbon nanotube showed superior catalytic activity with an activation barrier of 14.5 kcal mol−1, followed by the Rh-decorated carbon nanotube (18.1 kcal mol−1) and the Pd-decorated carbon nanotube (25.6 kcal mol−1). The catalytic performances of metals supported on a boron nitride nanotube were better than those on a carbon nanotube. The total activation barrier for the Ru, Rh, and Pd atoms on boron nitride nanotube was 10.2, 14.0, and 20.5 kcal mol−1, respectively. Dissociative adsorption complexes on the Ru–boron nitride nanotube were the most stable. The anionic state of the supported metal atom was responsible for decreasing the activation energy of methane decomposition. Our finding provides a crucial point for further investigation.
Nonlinear Robust Control for Low Voltage Direct-Current Residential Microgrids with Constant Power Loads
Authors: Rodríguez-Licea Martín-Antonio , Pérez-Pinal Francisco-Javier , Nuñez-Perez Jose-Cruz , Herrera-Ramirez Carlos-Alonso
Published: May 2018

A Direct Current (DC) microgrid is a concept derived from a smart grid integrating DC renewable sources. The DC microgrids have three particularities: (1) integration of different power sources and local loads through a DC link; (2) on-site power source generation; and (3) alternating loads (on-off state). This kind of arrangement achieves high efficiency, reliability and versatility characteristics. The key device in the development of the DC microgrid is the power electronic converter (PEC), since it allows an efficient energy conversion between power sources and loads. However, alternating loads with strictly-controlled PECs can provide negative impedance behavior to the microgrid, acting as constant power loads (CPLs), such that the overall closed-loop system becomes unstable. Traditional CPL compensation techniques rely on a damping increment by the adaptation of the source or load voltage level, adding external circuitry or by using some advanced control technique. However, none of them provide a simple and general solution for the CPL problem when abrupt changes in parameters and/or in alternating loads/sources occur. This paper proposes a mathematical modeling and a robust control for the basic PECs dealing with CPLs in continuous conduction mode. In particular, the case of the low voltage residential DC microgrid with CPLs is taken as a benchmark. The proposed controller can be easily tuned for the desired response even by the non-expert. Basic converters with voltage mode control are taken as a basis to show the feasibility of this analysis, and experimental tests on a 100-W testbed include abrupt parameter changes such as input voltage.
The Influences of Various Testing Conditions on the Evaluation of Household Biomass Pellet Fuel Combustion
Authors: Zhang Yixiang , Zhang Zongxi , Zhou Yuguang , Dong Renjie
Published: May 2018

Direct combustion of solid biomass fuel is one of the most common energy sources in developing countries. Evaluation of technology for household biomass pellet fuel combustion is critical, since promoting poorly designed devices may have risks due to exposure to high levels of emissions. This study evaluated the effects of various testing conditions on a top-lit forced-up-draft semi-gasifier cooking stove. An orthogonal test was designed with different fuel masses, chamber heights, air supply rates, and ending points. The investigation showed that using forced secondary air and more fuel tended to improve both thermal and gas emissions performance. The ending points did not have significant effects on thermal efficiency or the carbon dioxide emission factor, but did affect particulate matter emission. A relatively lower chamber height demonstrated better performance on thermal metrics. However, a taller flame had better performance on particulate matter emission factors. The results of the indicators reported by different bases, such as fuel mass-based or useful energy-based were also quite different. The study showed that different testing conditions had significant effects on combustion performances. Testing sequences and emission factors should be reviewed and defined clearly when forming testing methods and standards for biomass pellet fuel combustion.
Advances in Pore-Scale Simulation of Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Su Junwei , Wang Le , Gu Zhaolin , Zhang Yunwei , Chen Chungang
Published: May 2018

At the high water cut stage, the residual oil in a reservoir becomes complex and dispersed. Moreover, it is challenging to achieve good predictions of the movement of oil and water in a reservoir according to the macroscopic models based on the statistic parameters of this scenario. However, pore-scale simulation technology based on directly tracking the interaction among different phases can make an accurate prediction of the fluid distribution in the pore space, which is highly important in the improvement of the recovery rate. In this work, pore-scale simulation methods, including the pore network model, lattice Boltzmann method, Navier–Stokes equation-based interface tracking methods, and smoothed particle hydrodynamics, and relevant technologies are summarized. The principles, advantages, and disadvantages, as well as the degree of difficulty in the implementation are analyzed and compared. Problems in the current simulation technologies, micro sub-models, and applications in physicochemical percolation are also discussed. Finally, potential developments and prospects in this field are summarized.
Portuguese Plan for Promoting Efficiency of Electricity End-Use: Policy, Methodology and Consumer Participation
Authors: Sousa José L. , Martins António G.
Published: May 2018

The Portuguese Electricity Demand-Side Efficiency Promotion Plan (PPEC) is a voluntary financial mechanism, under which several entities, among them electric utilities, may submit proposals of measures aiming at the reduction of electricity consumption or load management. It is one of the alternative options followed by the Portuguese government to the Energy Efficiency Obligations (EEO) stated in Article 7 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. A brief review is presented of the state of the implementation of Article 7 in EU. PPEC is one of the schemes that provide financial support to the implementation of measures whose results contribute to the commitments made under the Portuguese National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP), the framework under which the alternatives to the EEO were designed. In the first edition of the PPEC, only three energy services were addressed, while, in the most recent PPEC edition, the sixth, measures addressed nine energy services. In addition, the co-funding by participating consumers and other agents has increased, raising the investment in energy efficiency from actors other than the program administrator. PPEC, although a voluntary mechanism, has proven to be a very competitive one, involving an increasing number of economic agents, measures and addressed energy services.