bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The medication violations in racehorses at Louisiana racetracks from 2016 to 2020
Authors: Waller Pamela , Lomnicka Izabela , Lucas Cam , Johnson Sara , Dirikolu Levent
Published: January 2022

Introduction/Background

The number of publications for most common drug violations in racehorses is limited. This study reports the most common medication violations in racehorses at four major racetracks in Louisiana between 2016 and 2020.

Methods

During this 5‐year period, 27,237 blood samples and 25,672 urine samples collected during the course of normal race meeting activities were analysed by initial screening procedure utilizing Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Following initial screening, suspect samples were subject to quantitative or semi‐ quantitative confirmation analysis by LC‐MS/MS.

Results

The total number of violations reported was 534 (1.01% of the total number of specimens analysed). The total number of violations reported in Thoroughbred horses was 210 while the total number of violations reported in Quarter Horses was 324. The percentage of total violations was %0.59 for all the specimens analysed in Thoroughbred horses while this percentage was %1.9 for all the specimens analysed in Quarter Horses during this 5‐year period. The most frequent violations included the overages (concentrations of permitted medications equal to or exceeding the set threshold) of clenbuterol (165 violations), non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as phenylbutazone (73 violations), combination of phenylbutazone with flunixin (45 violations) and muscle relaxant methocarbamol (40 violations).

Discussion/Conclusions

The total number of violations were relatively low during 5‐year period, but wide varieties of medications with different pharmacological actions were confirmed in performance horses in Louisiana. The most frequently reported violations in Louisiana were for permitted therapeutic medications (clenbuterol, phenylbutazone, flunixin methocarbamol) with established threshold and/or withdrawal guidelines in racehorses.
Heterogeneity of the Relative Benefits of TICI 2c/3 over TICI 2b50/2b67
Authors: Kurmann Christoph C. , Mujanovic Adnan , Piechowiak Eike I. , Dobrocky Tomas , Zibold Felix , Beyeler Morin , Vynckier Jan , Seiffge David , Meinel Thomas R. , Mordasini Pasquale , Arnold Marcel , Fischer Urs , Gralla Jan , Kaesmacher Johannes
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Incomplete reperfusion after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is associated with a poor outcome. Rescue therapy would potentially benefit some patients with an expanded treatment in cerebral ischemia score (eTICI) 2b50/2b67 reperfusion but also harbors increased risks. The relative benefits of eTICI 2c/3 over eTICI 2b50/67 in clinically important subpopulations were analyzed.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of our institutional database for all patients with occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) or the M1/M2 segment undergoing MT and final reperfusion of ≥eTICI 2b50 (903 patients). The heterogeneity in subgroups of different time metrics, age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), number of retrieval attempts, Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score (ASPECTS) and site of occlusion using interaction terms (pi) was analyzed.

Results

The presence of eTICI 2c/3 was associated with better outcomes in most subgroups. Time metrics showed no interaction of eTICI 2c/3 over eTICI 2b50/2b67 and clinical outcomes (onset to reperfusion pi = 0.77, puncture to reperfusion pi = 0.65, onset to puncture pi = 0.63). An eTICI 2c/3 had less consistent association with mRS ≤2 in older patients (>82 years, pi = 0.038) and patients with either lower NIHSS (≤9) or very high NIHSS (>19, pi = 0.01). Regarding occlusion sites, the beneficial effect of eTICI 2c/3 was absent for occlusions in the M2 segments (aOR 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33–1.59, pi = 0.018).

Conclusion

Beneficial effect of eTICI 2c/3 over eTICI 2b50/2b67 only decreased in older patients, M2-occlusions and patients with either low or very high NIHSS. Improving eTICI 2b50/2b67 to eTICI 2c/3 in those subgroups may be more often futile.
Increased Rate of Serum Prealbumin Level after Preoperative Enteral Nutrition as an Indicator of Morbidity in Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer with Outlet Obstruction
Authors: Izumi Daisuke , Ida Satoshi , Hayami Masaru , Makuuchi Rie , Kumagai Koshi , Ohashi Manabu , Watanabe Masayuki , Sano Takeshi , Nunobe Souya
Published: January 2022

Background

Preoperative malnutrition is believed to contribute to increased postoperative complications. Preoperative serum prealbumin level was reported to be a predictor of nutritional status and postoperative complications after gastrointestinal surgery, including gastrectomy. Gastric outlet obstruction caused by gastric cancer leads to insufficient nutritional status. However, the impact of preoperative enteral nutrition using naso‐jejunal feeding tubes for patients with gastric outlet obstruction is not fully understood.

Methods

From July 2010 to June 2020, 50 patients with gastric cancer‐induced outlet obstruction who underwent gastrectomy following preoperative enteral nutrition via feeding tube were included. We investigated the relationship between changes in nutritional status after preoperative enteral nutrition and postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were defined as grade ≥II based on the Clavien–Dindo classification.

Results

The median period of preoperative enteral nutrition was 10 days. The median increase rate of the serum prealbumin level was 10.5% (interquartile range, 0.63–38.2%), and patients with an increase rate ≥ 10% were defined as the elevated group. Postoperative morbidity was significantly higher in the non‐elevated group (P = 0.0031). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that an increased rate of the serum prealbumin level was an independent risk factor of postoperative complications for patients with gastric outlet obstruction caused by gastric cancer (P = 0.0025 and P = 0.009, respectively).

Conclusions

Preoperative enteral nutrition improved the serum prealbumin level of patients with gastric cancer‐induced outlet obstruction, and an increased rate of prealbumin can be an indicator of sufficient preoperative enteral nutrition and decreased postoperative morbidity.
A machine-learning-based method for automatizing lattice-Boltzmann simulations of respiratory flows
Authors: Rüttgers Mario , Waldmann Moritz , Schröder Wolfgang , Lintermann Andreas
Published: January 2022

Many simulation workflows require to prepare the data for the simulation manually. This is time consuming and leads to a massive bottleneck when a large number of numerical simulations is requested. This bottleneck can be overcome by an automated data processing pipeline. Such a novel pipeline is developed for a medical use case from rhinology, where computer tomography recordings are used as input and flow simulation data define the results. Convolutional neural networks are applied to segment the upper airways and to detect and prepare the in- and outflow regions for accurate boundary condition prescription in the simulation. The automated process is tested on three cases which have not been used to train the networks. The accuracy of the pipeline is evaluated by comparing the network-generated output surfaces to those obtained from a semi-automated procedure performed by a medical professional. Except for minor deviations at interfaces between ethmoidal sinuses, the network-generated surface is sufficiently accurate. To further analyze the accuracy of the automated pipeline, flow simulations are conducted with a thermal lattice-Boltzmann method for both cases on a high-performace computing system. The comparison of the results of the respiratory flow simulations yield averaged errors of less than 1% for the pressure loss between the in- and outlets, and for the outlet temperature. Thus, the pipeline is shown to work accurately and the geometrical deviations at the ethmoidal sinuses to be negligible.
Neurodevelopmental Differences, Pedohebephilia, and Sexual Offending: Findings from Two Online Surveys
Authors: Jahnke Sara , Schmidt Alexander F. , Klöckner Andrea , Hoyer Jürgen
Published: January 2022

The neurodevelopmental theory of pedohebephilia states that sexual interests in children arise from early neurodevelopmental perturbations, as, for example, evidenced by increased non-right-handedness, more childhood head injuries, and reduced intelligence and height. As corroborating evidence largely rests on samples of convicted men, we conducted online surveys among German-speaking (Study 1, N = 199) and English-speaking men (Study 2, N = 632), specifically targeting community members with pedohebephilic or teleiophilic interests. Although we detected theoretically meaningful sexual interest patterns in an embedded viewing time task, we could not detect expected neurodevelopmental differences between teleiophilic and pedohebephilic men in either of the two studies. Strikingly, pedohebephilic men who reported convictions for sexual offenses emerged as shorter and less intelligent than pedohebephilic men without convictions in Study 2. While elucidating possible third variable confounds, results have to be interpreted cautiously because of the methodological problems inherent to non-matched case control designs.
Computational study of the dissolution of cellulose into single chains: the role of the solvent and agitation
Authors: Bering Eivind , Torstensen Jonathan Ø. , Lervik Anders , de Wijn Astrid S.
Published: January 2022

We investigate the dissolution mechanism of cellulose using molecular dynamics simulations in both water and a mixture solvent consisting of water with Na$$^+$$

+

, OH$$^-$$

-

and urea. As a first computational study of its kind, we apply periodic external forces that mimic agitation of the suspension. Without the agitation, the bundles do not dissolve, neither in water nor solvent. In the solvent mixture the bundle swells with significant amounts of urea entering the bundle, as well as more water than in the bundles subjected to pure water. We also find that the mixture solution stabilizes cellulose sheets, while in water these immediately collapse into bundles. Under agitation the bundles dissolve more easily in the solvent mixture than in water, where sheets of cellulose remain that are bound together through hydrophobic interactions. Our findings highlight the importance of urea in the solvent, as well as the hydrophobic interactions, and are consistent with experimental results.

Graphical abstract
On a primal-dual Newton proximal method for convex quadratic programs
Authors: De Marchi Alberto
Published: January 2022

This paper introduces QPDO, a primal-dual method for convex quadratic programs which builds upon and weaves together the proximal point algorithm and a damped semismooth Newton method. The outer proximal regularization yields a numerically stable method, and we interpret the proximal operator as the unconstrained minimization of the primal-dual proximal augmented Lagrangian function. This allows the inner Newton scheme to exploit sparse symmetric linear solvers and multi-rank factorization updates. Moreover, the linear systems are always solvable independently from the problem data and exact linesearch can be performed. The proposed method can handle degenerate problems, provides a mechanism for infeasibility detection, and can exploit warm starting, while requiring only convexity. We present details of our open-source C implementation and report on numerical results against state-of-the-art solvers. QPDO proves to be a simple, robust, and efficient numerical method for convex quadratic programming.
Beyond categories: dynamic qualitative analysis of visuospatial representation in arithmetic
Authors: Finesilver Carla
Published: January 2022

Visuospatial representations of numbers and their relationships are widely used in mathematics education. These include drawn images, models constructed with concrete manipulatives, enactive/embodied forms, computer graphics, and more. This paper addresses the analytical limitations and ethical implications of methodologies that use broad categorizations of representations and argues the benefits of dynamic qualitative analysis of arithmetical-representational strategy across multiple semi-independent aspects of display, calculation, and interaction. It proposes an alternative methodological approach combining the structured organization of classification with the detailed nuance of description and describes a systematic but flexible framework for analysing nonstandard visuospatial representations of early arithmetic. This approach is intended for use by researchers or practitioners, for interpretation of multimodal and nonstandard visuospatial representations, and for identification of small differences in learners’ developing arithmetical-representational strategies, including changes over time. Application is illustrated using selected data from a microanalytic study of struggling students’ multiplication and division in scenario tasks.
Two sides of the same coin: increasing material extraction rates and social environmental conflicts in Mexico
Authors: Tetreault Darcy
Published: January 2022

This article seeks to explain the multiplication of social environmental conflicts in Mexico as a consequence of expanding and intensifying extractive activities. It examines how the Mexican state has provided private and foreign capital greater access to the country’s natural resources in the transition from state-led import-substituting industrialization to export-oriented market-led development. This, it argues, has led to accelerating material extraction rates in the context of rising global demand for primary commodities; while the negative environmental and social impacts have in turn led to a growing number of conflicts involving the inhabitants of directly affected rural communities, who organize to resist. Based on standardized procedures for material flow analysis, it presents the results of an investigation into the domestic extraction rates of minerals, metal ores, biomass, and fossil fuels from Mexico, between 1990 and 2018. It finds that domestic extraction rates increased significantly during this period, with the exception of fossil fuels, which peaked in 2006, declining thereafter due to the exhaustion of the country’s most important oil reserves. The evolution of domestic extraction rates is juxtaposed with the emergence of related social environmental conflicts by drawing on multiple databases of conflicts around extractive activities in Mexico.
Isolated Objects and Their Evolution: A Derivation of the Propagator’s Path Integral for Spinless Elementary Particles
Authors: Napoletani Domenico , Struppa Daniele C.
Published: January 2022

We formalize the notion of isolated objects (units), and we build a consistent theory to describe their evolution and interaction. We further introduce a notion of indistinguishability of distinct spacetime paths of a unit, for which the evolution of the state variables of the unit is the same, and a generalization of the equivalence principle based on indistinguishability. Under a time reversal condition on the whole set of indistinguishable paths of a unit, we show that the quantization of motion of spinless elementary particles in a general potential field can be derived in this framework, in the limiting case of weak fields and low velocities. Extrapolating this approach to include weak relativistic effects, we explore possible experimental consequences. We conclude by suggesting a primitive ontology for the theory of isolated objects.
A Multi-Criteria Approach to Decision Making in Broadband Technology Selection
Authors: Araújo Marco , Ekenberg Love , Danielson Mats , Confraria João
Published: January 2022

A new European Union regulatory framework for the telecom sector has been under a process of transposition to national laws by its member states that should have been completed by the end of 2020, notwithstanding some delays. A core purpose of the regulatory framework is to guarantee that most citizens will have access to very fast Internet connections, capable of 100 Mbps download link speed, regardless of where they live. According to this new framework, in areas where the market does not deliver, governments are to launch public tenders for the deployment, maintenance, and operations of network infrastructure as well as services, and public funds should be used to support the deployment of these broadband networks in less densely populated areas. Needless to say, public tenders of this nature are subject to different criteria when it comes to candidate evaluation. In this paper, we present a decision model for the selection of operators to deploy and maintain broadband networks in scarcely populated areas, taking into consideration infrastructure costs, the technical quality offered by the solutions, and the credibility of the candidates. We suggest an integrated multi-stakeholder multi-criteria approach and demonstrate how it can be used in this complex area and find that in the example provided, taking a relevant set of criteria into the analysis, optical fibre networks hold much higher chances to be used in these public tenders compared to networks based on the broadly favoured 5G technology.
Impact of design thinking in higher education: a multi-actor perspective on problem solving and creativity
Authors: Guaman-Quintanilla Sharon , Everaert Patricia , Chiluiza Katherine , Valcke Martin
Published: January 2022

This study investigates the effects of using design thinking on students’ problem solving and creativity skills, applying a constructivist learning theory. A course where students use design thinking for analyzing real problems and proposing a solution, was evaluated. The study involved 910 novice university students from different disciplines who worked in teams throughout the semester. Data were collected at three times during the semester, i.e. at the beginning (t0), in the middle (t1) and at the end (t2), after solving a short case study. Each time the problem solving and creativity skill of each student was rated by three different actors, i.e. the students themselves (self-evaluation), one peer and one teacher (facilitator). The objective of this study is to investigate whether the problem solving skills and creativity skills improved along the course, as rated by the three actors. A repeated measures ANOVA was used for the data analysis of this within-subjects design. Results show a significant improvement on students’ problem solving and creativity skills, according to the three raters. Effect sizes were also calculated; in all cases the effect sizes from t0 to t1 were larger than t1 to t2. The multi-actor perspective of this study, the adoption of reliable and valid measures and the large sample size provide robust evidence that supports the implementation of design thinking in higher education curriculum for promoting key skills such as problem solving and creativity, demanded by labor markets. Finally, a discussion that puts forward an agenda for future research is presented.
Identifying Patterns of Similarities and Differences between Gesture Production and Comprehension in Autism and Typical Development
Authors: Dimitrova Nevena , Özçalışkan Şeyda
Published: January 2022

Production and comprehension of gesture emerge early and are key to subsequent language development in typical development. Compared to typically developing (TD) children, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit difficulties and/or differences in gesture production. However, we do not yet know if gesture production either shows similar patterns to gesture comprehension across different ages and learners, or alternatively, lags behind gesture comprehension, thus mimicking a pattern akin to speech comprehension and production. In this study, we focus on the gestures produced and comprehended by a group of young TD children and children with ASD—comparable in language ability—with the goal to identify whether gesture production and comprehension follow similar patterns between ages and between learners. We elicited production of gesture in a semi-structured parent–child play and comprehension of gesture in a structured experimenter-child play across two studies. We tested whether young TD children (ages 2–4) follow a similar trajectory in their production and comprehension of gesture (Study 1) across ages, and if so, whether this alignment remains similar for verbal children with ASD (Mage = 5 years), comparable to TD children in language ability (Study 2). Our results provided evidence for similarities between gesture production and comprehension across ages and across learners, suggesting that comprehension and production of gesture form a largely integrated system of communication.
Could road constructions be more hazardous than an earthquake in terms of mass movement?
Authors: Tanyaş Hakan , Görüm Tolga , Kirschbaum Dalia , Lombardo Luigi
Published: January 2022

Roads can have a significant impact on the frequency of mass wasting events in mountainous areas. However, characterizing the extent and pervasiveness of mass movements over time has rarely been documented due to limitations in available data sources to consistently map such events. We monitored the evolution of a road network and assessed its effect on mass movements for a 11-year window in Arhavi, Turkey. The main road construction projects run in the area are associated with a hydroelectric power plant as well as other road extension works and are clearly associated with the vast majority (90.1%) of mass movements in the area. We also notice that the overall number and size of the mass movements are much larger than in the naturally occurring comparison area. This means that the sediment load originating from the anthropogenically induced mass movements is larger than its counterpart associated with naturally occurring landslides. Notably, this extra sediment load could cause river channel aggregation, reduce accommodation space and as a consequence, it could lead to an increase in the probability and severity of flooding along the river channel. This marks a strong and negative effect of human activities on the natural course of earth surface processes. We also compare frequency-area distributions of human-induced mass movements mapped in this study and co-seismic landslide inventories from the literature. By doing so, we aim to better understand the consequences of human effects on mass movements in a comparative manner. Our findings show that the damage generated by the road construction in terms of sediment loads to river channels is compatible with the possible effect of a theoretical earthquake with a magnitude greater than Mw = 6.0.
COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Arguments in Polish Civil Litigation
Authors: Piszcz Anna
Published: January 2022

The aim of this paper is to analyse the legal record on civil litigation from mid-March 2020 to mid-July 2021 and examine COVID-19 pandemic-related arguments in a sample of litigated cases heard in Polish courts, more precisely 41 cases. In an attempt to establish the number and types of court cases in which such arguments have been raised, the population of individual case records was accessed electronically from the Ordinary Courts Judgments Portal (Pol. Portal Orzeczeń Sądów Powszechnych). The analysed research material consists of texts of written justifications published along with rulings of courts of the first instance in the Portal, except for texts regarding criminal cases and widely understood labour cases. This paper refers to certain theoretical aspects of argument and argumentation. Then, it sheds light on the use of COVID-19 pandemic-related arguments by the parties involved in litigation—as reported by the courts in written justifications—considering, amongst others, whether those arguments were found convincing by the courts. Based on a survey of relevant cases, an attempt was made to identify categories of COVID-19 pandemic-related arguments of the parties involved in litigation, raised in their legal submissions. Also a look into the tendencies in this regard was taken to see whether any patterns emerge and it is possible (or not) to discern different trends in the analysed phenomena.
The point of the analysis in this article is both descriptive and normative.
Transition from Oxycodone to Buprenorphine/Naloxone in a Hospitalized Patient with Sickle Cell Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Leyde Sarah , Suen Leslie , Pratt Lisa , DeFries Triveni
Published: January 2022

Buprenorphine is increasingly used to treat pain in patients with sickle cell disease but optimal timing and approach for transitioning patients from full agonist opioids to buprenorphine is unknown. We present the case of a 22-year-old woman with sickle cell disease and acute on chronic pain who transitioned from high-dose oxycodone to buprenorphine/naloxone during a hospital stay for vaso-occlusive episode. Utilizing a microdosing approach to minimize pain and withdrawal, buprenorphine/naloxone was gradually uptitrated while she received full agonist opioids. During the transition, she experienced some withdrawal in the setting of swallowed buprenorphine/naloxone tablets, which were intended to be dosed sublingually. Nevertheless, the transition was tolerable to the patient and her pain and function significantly improved with buprenorphine treatment. This case also highlights the challenges and unique considerations that arise when providing care for the hospitalized patient who is also incarcerated.
Familiäres Mittelmeerfieber – Rolle der Interleukin-1-Blockade in der Therapie
Authors: Henes Jörg , Saur Sebastian
Published: January 2022

Das familiäre Mittelmeerfieber (FMF) ist die häufigste autoinflammatorische Erkrankung und gehört zu den monogenetischen Fiebersyndromen. Die Erkrankung beruht auf einer Mutation desMEFV-Gens; dieses ist auf dem kurzen Arm von Chromosom 16 lokalisiert und kodiert für das Protein Pyrin. Pyrin aktiviert über mehrere Schritte eine erhöhte Ausschüttung der proinflammatorischen Zytokine Interleukin (IL)‑1β und IL‑18. Die wichtigsten Symptome sind neben dem Fieber wiederkehrende abdominelle und pleuritische Schmerzen, Gelenkschmerzen und Myalgien, Orchitiden oder auch ein erysipelartiges Exanthem. Die Standardtherapie ist bis heute Colchizin. Ca. 10–15 % der Patienten sprechen jedoch nicht ausreichend auf diese Therapie an oder vertragen die notwendige Dosierung nicht. Bei diesen Patienten und auch bei Patienten mit anhaltend hohen SAA-Werten trotz klinischer Kontrolle stehen uns heute mit den IL‑1 Inhibitoren Anakinra und Canakinumab hocheffektive Alternativen zur Verfügung.
Band-gap structure of the spectrum of the water-wave problem in a shallow canal with a periodic family of deep pools
Authors: Nazarov Sergei A. , Taskinen Jari
Published: January 2022

We consider the linear water-wave problem in a periodic channel $$\Pi ^h \subset {{\mathbb {R}}}^3$$

Π
h

⊂

R

3

, which is shallow except for a periodic array of deep potholes in it. Motivated by applications to surface wave propagation phenomena, we study the band-gap structure of the essential spectrum in the linear water-wave system, which includes the spectral Steklov boundary condition posed on the free water surface. We apply methods of asymptotic analysis, where the most involved step is the construction and analysis of an appropriate boundary layer in a neighborhood of the joint of the potholes with the thin part of the channel. Consequently, the existence of a spectral gap for small enough h is proven.
New Contraception Update — Annovera, Phexxi, Slynd, and Twirla
Authors: Baker Courtney C. , Chen Melissa J.
Published: January 2022

Purpose of Review

In this review, we discuss the efficacy, safety, and benefits of four new contraceptive products available in the USA, specifically Annovera, Phexxi, Slynd, and Twirla.

Recent Findings

Annovera is a vaginal ring releasing ethinyl estradiol and segesterone acetate that can be used for up to one year (13 cycles), offering patients an effective, user-controlled option that may improve contraceptive access for those in low-resource settings or those with barriers to retrieving monthly prescriptions; however, given limited efficacy and safety data in people with body mass index (BMI) > 29 kg/m2, clinicians may consider whether Annovera is an appropriate contraceptive method for obese patients if there are other acceptable alternatives. Phexxi prescription-only vaginal gel is a user-controlled, non-hormonal, on-demand contraceptive method that represents a novel addition to the market with its additional uses as a personal lubricant and as a potential microbicide for urogenital infection prevention. Slynd, a drospirenone-only pill, provides more flexibility for delayed or missed pills while maintaining efficacy and a more favorable bleeding profile compared with previously available progestin-only pills. Lastly, Twirla is a transdermal patch releasing ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel that offers users an additional option for a user-controlled, combined hormonal contraceptive method without daily dosing; however, prescription is limited to patients with BMI < 30 kg/m2 due to decreased efficacy and VTE events in people with obesity.

Summary

The addition of these products expands the available options for pregnancy prevention to address unmet contraceptive needs.
Disrupting Aotearoa New Zealand’s Curricular Consensus: From ‘World-Leading’ Curriculum to Curriculum Refresh 2007–2021
Authors: Hughson Taylor Alexander
Published: January 2022

This article seeks to explain how Aotearoa New Zealand moved from a consensus that the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) should grant a high degree of autonomy to teachers, to an emerging view that it ought to be more prescriptive about content. To do this, it takes an assemblage approach to policy analysis, understanding policies as constantly evolving ‘bundles’ of divergent components temporarily woven together. The article first explores the complex intermingling of Third Way priorities, knowledge economy discourses, educational progressivism and narratives of ‘harmonious’ biculturalism which constitute the 2007 NZC. It then explores the sustained critique of the NZC from the 2015 parliamentary petition calling for compulsory teaching of the New Zealand Wars, up to the government’s 2021 ‘curriculum refresh’ announcement. It is argued that this ‘refresh’ moves to reassemble the NZC so that it accommodates a series of demands made of it in recent years, including demands the curriculum take a more active role in redressing the impact of colonisation, and demands from both business-aligned groups and academics that the curriculum become more ‘knowledge-led’.
Identification of patterns for space-time event networks
Authors: Sanabria Alan Miguel Forero , Castañeda Martha Patricia Bohorquez , Ramos Rafael Ricardo Rentería , Mateu Jorge
Published: January 2022

This paper provides new tools for analyzing spatio-temporal event networks. We build time series of directed event networks for a set of spatial distances, and based on scan-statistics, the spatial distance that generates the strongest change of event network connections is chosen. In addition, we propose an empirical random network event generator to detect significant motifs throughout time. This generator preserves the spatial configuration but randomizes the order of the occurrence of events. To prevent the large number of links from masking the count of motifs, we propose using standardized counts of motifs at each time slot. Our methodology is able to detect interaction radius in space, build time series of networks, and describe changes in its topology over time, by means of identification of different types of motifs that allows for the understanding of the spatio-temporal dynamics of the phenomena. We illustrate our methodology by analyzing thefts occurred in Medellín (Colombia) between the years 2003 and 2015.
Effect of Exogenous Treatment with Nitric Oxide (NO) on Redox Homeostasis in Barley Seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L.) Under Copper Stress
Authors: Ben Massoud Marouane , Kharbech Oussama , Mahjoubi Yathreb , Chaoui Abdelilah , Wingler Astrid
Published: January 2022

The protective mechanism of nitric oxide (NO) in regulating tolerance to Cu-induced toxicity in shoots of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was studied. The experiment consisted of four treatments based on additions to basal nutrient solutions (BNS): control (CTR), Cu (200 µM), SNP (500 µM), and Cu (200 µM) + SNP (500 µM) over a period of 10 days. Treatment with Cu significantly reduced seedling growth and photosynthetic efficiency concomitant with an increase in reactive oxygen species contents, lipid peroxidation markers, and antioxidant enzyme activities, indicating that Cu induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, growth inhibition of Cu-treated plants was associated with a reduction in photosynthetic pigments and maximum photosystem II efficiency as well as a strong decrease in levels of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (AsA). Addition of a nitric oxide (NO) donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), to the growth medium alleviated Cu toxicity by decreasing Cu uptake and enhancing antioxidant capacity, as indicated by increased contents of GSH and AsA. The application of SNP decreased oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation by suppressing lipoxygenase activity and enhancing some antioxidant enzyme activities. The results obtained indicate the potential of exogenously applied SNP in the management of metal toxicity. Hence, NO generating compounds have potential agronomical applications when cultivating in contaminated areas. Our findings indicate that NO can alleviate Cu toxicity by affecting the antioxidant defense system and maintaining the glutathione-ascorbate cycle status, suggesting that SNP treatment protects proteins against oxidation by regulating the cellular redox homeostasis.
Visual recognition for urban traffic data retrieval and analysis in major events using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Pi Yalong , Duffield Nick , Behzadan Amir H. , Lomax Tim
Published: January 2022

Accurate and prompt traffic data are necessary for the successful management of major events. Computer vision techniques, such as convolutional neural network (CNN) applied on video monitoring data, can provide a cost-efficient and timely alternative to traditional data collection and analysis methods. This paper presents a framework designed to take videos as input and output traffic volume counts and intersection turning patterns. This framework comprises a CNN model and an object tracking algorithm to detect and track vehicles in the camera’s pixel view first. Homographic projection then maps vehicle spatial-temporal information (including unique ID, location, and timestamp) onto an orthogonal real-scale map, from which the traffic counts and turns are computed. Several video data are manually labeled and compared with the framework output. The following results show a robust traffic volume count accuracy up to 96.91%. Moreover, this work investigates the performance influencing factors including lighting condition (over a 24-h-period), pixel size, and camera angle. Based on the analysis, it is suggested to place cameras such that detection pixel size is above 2343 and the view angle is below 22°, for more accurate counts. Next, previous and current traffic reports after Texas A&M home football games are compared with the framework output. Results suggest that the proposed framework is able to reproduce traffic volume change trends for different traffic directions. Lastly, this work also contributes a new intersection turning pattern, i.e., counts for each ingress-egress edge pair, with its optimization technique which result in an accuracy between 43% and 72%.
Recipe for Survival
Authors: Hunnes Dana Ellis
Published: January 2022

What can you do to improve your health and at the same time improve the health of our home planet? Do you want to be a healthier and more sustainable consumer? In this straightforward, easy-to-understand and entertaining book, dietitian and environmentalist Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes outlines the actions we can all take. Many people feel overwhelmed by the scope of climate change and believe that only large, sweeping changes will make any difference. Yet the choices we make every day can have effects on climate change, the oceans, the land, and other species. This book outlines the problems we are facing, and then presents ideas or 'recipes' to empower us, to help us all make a difference. Recipe For Survival provides the guidance that you can use right now to improve your health, your family's health, and the health of the environment simultaneously.
Black Legend
Authors: Alberto Paulina L.
Published: January 2022

Celebrities live their lives in constant dialogue with stories about them. But when these stories are shaped by durable racist myths, they wield undue power to ruin lives and obliterate communities. Black Legend is the haunting story of an Afro-Argentine, Raúl Grigera ('el negro Raúl'), who in the early 1900s audaciously fashioned himself into an alluring Black icon of Buenos Aires' bohemian nightlife, only to have defamatory storytellers unmake him. In this gripping history, Paulina Alberto exposes the destructive power of racial storytelling and narrates a new history of Black Argentina and Argentine Blackness across two centuries. With the extraordinary Raúl Grigera at its center, Black Legend opens new windows into lived experiences of Blackness in a 'white' nation, and illuminates how Raúl's experience of celebrity was not far removed from more ordinary experiences of racial stories in the flesh.
GP.6 Improving Triaging of EEG Referrals for Rule out Infantile Spasms
(ITERIS)
Authors: Djordjevic D , Tracey J , Alqahtani M , Boyd J , Go C
Published: January 2022

Background: Infantile spasms (IS) is a
devastating pediatric seizure disorder for which EEG referrals are
prioritized at the Hospital for Sick Children, representing a resource
challenge. The goal of this study was to improve the triaging system for
these referrals. Methods: Part 1: descriptive
analysis was performed retrospectively on EEG referrals. Part 2: prospective
questionnaires were used to determine relative risk of various predictive
factors. Part 3: electronic referral form was amended to include 5 positive
predictive factors. A triage point system was tested by assigning EEGs as
high risk (3 days), standard risk (1 week), or low risk (2 weeks). A machine
learning model was developed. Results: Most EEG
referrals were from community pediatricians with a low yield of IS
diagnoses. Using the 5 predictive factors, the proposed triage system
accurately diagnosed all IS within 3 days. No abnormal EEGs were missed in
the low-risk category. The machine learning model had over 90% predictive
accuracy and will be prospectively tested.
Conclusions: Improving EEG triaging for IS may be
possible to prioritize higher risk patients. Machine Learning techniques can
potentially be applied to help with predictions. We hope that our findings
will ultimately improve resource utilization and patient care.
A.1 CSF Findings in Early Active Autoimmune Encephalitis
Authors: Hébert J , Gros P , Lapointe S , Amtashar FS , Steriade C , Wennberg RA , Day GS , Tang-Wai DF
Published: January 2022

Background: Treatment decisions for patients with
autoimmune encephalitis (AE) frequently need to be made before results from
autoantibody testing are available, as early treatment is associated with
better outcomes. Cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) white blood cell (WBC) count and
protein concentration measured early on in the disease process is often
used, in combination with other clinical factors, to evaluate the likelihood
that a patient has AE. Methods: CSF characteristics
(WBC count, protein concentration, and oligoclonal banding) measured in a
first AE presentation, prior to results of autoantibodies being available,
were retrospectively analyzed at two tertiary care centers.
Results: Ninety-five patients were included in
the study. CSF WBC counts and protein levels were within normal limits for
27% (CI95%: 19–37) of patients with AE. When results of oligoclonal banding
were added, 14% (CI95%: 6–16) of patients had “normal” CSF. The median CSF
white blood cell count was 8 cells/mm3 (range: 0–544) and the median CSF
protein concentration was 0.42 g/L (range: 0.15–3.92).
Conclusions: A substantial proportion of patients
with early active AE had a CSF WBC count or protein concentration within the
normal. Inclusion of CSF oligoclonal banding may help identify a higher
proportion of patients with an inflammatory CSF profile early in the disease
process.
B.1 What Transition Skills Should be Targeted in Epilepsy Transition
Clinics?
Authors: Healy S , Fantaneanu T , Whiting S
Published: January 2022

Background: Transition from pediatric to adult
care can be a difficult time for adolescents with epilepsy. This period is
often a period of extreme vulnerability and stress. As a result, research
has recommended transition clinics to help these adolescents develop needed
transition skills. However, the skills that need to be focused on remain
unclear. Methods: Baseline transition skills in 113
adolescents with epilepsy, aged 14 to 18 (M= 16.46, male= 56) were analyzed.
Results: Analyses showed that older adolescents
showed significantly more transition skills than younger adolescents
(F(4,108)=5.522, p=000). Although positive, older adolescents only scored,
on average, 16.3/28 on the transition questionnaire; suggesting that many
skills are still lacking, even at the time of transition. Specifically,
although the majority of these older adolescents demonstrated being able to
manage their condition independently (e.g., summarizing medical history,
taking/knowing medications), these adolescents were less likely to
demonstrate skills needed to be advocates for themselves and their health
(e.g., asking questions, discussing concerns, speaking to the doctor instead
of letting their parents). Conclusions: Results
suggest it may be beneficial to restructure adolescent clinic visits;
encouraging these patients to attend the initial portion of visits
independently to help them feel more comfortable and confident championing
for themselves.
B.6 High dose diazepam treatment for Electrical Status Epilepticus in
Sleep (ESES): Is it effective?
Authors: Gorodetsky C , Go T , Weiss S
Published: January 2022

Background: Epileptic encephalopathy with
electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) is a pediatric epilepsy
syndrome with sleep induced epileptic discharges and acquired impairment in
cognition, language and/or behavior. Despite the widespread use of high dose
diazepam, there is limited research on its efficacy.
Methods: Single-center, retrospective case-series
of children presenting with cognitive/ language regression and ESES from
2014-2019. All children underwent baseline overnight EEG followed by
diazepam (1mg/kg) administered per rectum, and continuation of 0.5 mg/kg of
oral diazepam for 3 months. Follow up EEGs were performed following the
first dose and after 6-9 weeks of treatment. Results:
23 children were included [male 14 (60%); mean age 7 years (4 -12)]. 10
children (45%) had symptomatic epilepsy (defined by abnormal MRI and/or
genetic evaluation). Decrease in more than 25% of the spike activity was
seen in 18 (78%). This effect was sustained in 11 children (47%) after 6
weeks. Only 6 (60%) children from the symptomatic group had EEG response,
while 11 (91%) responded from the idiopathic group. 5 children (21%) had
clinically significant cognitive/ language improvement.
Conclusions: Treatment with diazepam reduces
epileptiform activity in ESES in majority of children. Despite this
reduction only minority of patients experience clinically significant
cognitive improvement.
C.1 Time Metrics and Clinical Outcomes of Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke
Patients Before and After Implementation of COVID-19 Infection Protocols in
Nine Canadian Stroke Centres
Authors: Zhu S , Tsehmaister-Abitbul V , Stotts G , Fahed R , Pettem H , Aviv R , Agid R , Pikula A , Shankar J , Milot G , Peeling L , Tampieri D , Pandey S , Leite L , Catanese L , Van Adel B , Yip S , Settecase F , dos Santos M
Published: January 2022

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic has led an implementation of institutional infection
control protocols. This study will determine the effects of these protocols
on outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with
endovascular therapy (EVT). Methods: Uninterrupted
time series analysis of the impact of COVID-19 safety protocols on AIS
patients undergoing EVT. We analyze data from prospectively collected
quality improvement databases at 9 centers from March 11, 2019 to March 10,
2021. The primary outcome is 90-day modified Rankin Score (mRS). The
secondary outcomes are angiographic time metrics.
Results: Preliminary analysis of one stroke
center included 214 EVT patients (n=144 pre-pandemic). Baseline
characteristics were comparable between the two periods. Time metrics “last
seen normal to puncture” (305.7 vs 407.2 min; p=0.05) and “hospital arrival
to puncture” (80.4 vs 121.2 min; p=0.04) were significantly longer during
pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. We found no significant difference in
90-day mRS (2.0 vs 2.2; p=0.506) or successful EVT rate (89.6% vs 90%;
p=0.93). Conclusions: Our results indicate an
increase in key time metrics of EVT in AIS during the pandemic, likely
related to infection control measures. Despite the delays, we found no
difference in clinical outcomes between the two periods.
P.003 Autoimmune Encephalitis and related disorders are not rare in
British Columbia
Authors: Uy C , Chedrawe M , Chivukula P , Wade J , Wong S , Nimmo M , Bardi M , Carruthers MN , Fritzler M , Carruthers RL
Published: January 2022

Background: Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a
recently described entity that presents with seizures, neuropsychiatric
manifestations, and movement disorders. This observational chart review of
AE aims to assess the burden of AE and related disorders at two Vancouver
academic medical centers. Methods: All patients with
Mitogen Laboratory AE antibody testing in 2018 were identified. Electronic
hospital records were used to determine patient characteristics.
Results: 1266 unique tests were ordered on 315
inpatients and outpatients. Of 37/315 (11.7%) seropositive patients, 26/37
(70.2%) patients had clinical data. Seropositive results included
autoantibodies to NMDA (n=3), LG1 (n=2), CASPR2 (n=1) and paraneoplastic
autoantibodies included GAD65 (n=2), PNMA2 (n=5), recoverin (n=3). There
were four AE cases in 14 seronegative patients based on discharge diagnosis.
15/30 of patients had seizures and three developed status epilepticus. 15
had neuropsychiatric manifestations. 14 had a movement disorder. For
inpatients, average length of stay was 24.3 days and there were 5 intensive
care unit (ICU) admissions. Immunotherapies used included corticosteroids,
PLEX, rituximab, IVIg, and cyclophosphamide.
Conclusions: In two hospitals serving
approximately two million people in 2018, there were 30 cases of AE in 2018.
AE presents with a broad range of neurologic symptoms and seronegative
testing does not preclude AE.