bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anterior-Alone Surgical Treatment for Subaxial Cervical Spine Facet Dislocation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lee Wendy , Wong Chung Chek
Published: February 2020

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Objective:

Anterior-alone surgery has gained wider reception for subaxial cervical spine facets dislocation. Questions remain on its efficacy and safety as a stand-alone entity within the contexts of concurrent facet fractures, unilateral versus bilateral dislocations, anterior open reduction, and old dislocation.

Methods:

A systematic review was performed with search strategy using translatable MESH terms across MEDLINE, EMBASE, VHL Regional Portal, and CENTRAL databases on patients with subaxial cervical dislocation intervened via anterior-alone approach. Two reviewers independently screened for eligible studies. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) flow chart was adhered to. Nine retrospective studies were included. Narrative synthesis was performed to determine primary outcomes on spinal fusion and revisions and secondary outcomes on new occurrence or deterioration of neurology and infection rate.

Results:

Nonunion was not encountered across all contexts. A total of 0.86% of unilateral facet dislocation (1 out of 116) with inadequate reduction due to facet fragments between the facet joints removed its malpositioned plate following fusion. No new neurological deficit was observed. Cases that underwent anterior open reduction did not encounter failure that require subsequent posterior reduction surgery. One study (N = 52) on old dislocation incorporated partial corpectomy in their approach and limited anterior-alone approach to cases with persistent instability.

Conclusions:

This systematic review supports the efficacy and success of anterior reduction, fusion, and instrumentation for cervical facet fracture dislocation. It is safe from a neurological standpoint. Revision rate due to concurrent facet fracture is low. Certain patients may require posteriorly based surgery or in specific cases combined anterior and posterior procedures.
Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Achilles Tendinopathy: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Fan Yifei , Feng Ziyan , Cao Jun , Fu Weili
Published: February 2020

Background:

Achilles tendinopathy is a frequent sports injury, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been proposed as a treatment.

Purpose:

To compare outcomes between ESWT and other nonsurgical intervention (including sham shock wave therapy) in Achilles tendinopathy patients.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

We included 5 randomized controlled trials and 3 case-control studies published between 2005 and 2018. We analyzed pain scores and other outcomes that were reported in more than 3 of the 8 studies.

Results:

ESWT was associated with significantly better scores than comparison therapy on the visual analog scale for pain ( P < .01), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society scale ( P = .01), Likert scale for satisfaction ( P = .03), Roles and Maudsley scale ( P < .01), Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment–Achilles questionnaire ( P < .01), and numerical rating scale ( P = .02). The 2 patient groups did not differ significantly in tenderness ( P = .34) or pain threshold ( P = .24). Subgroup analysis showed that ESWT led to better VAS pain scores than comparison treatments at both low-energy level (0.06-0.11 mJ/mm2) and medium-energy level (0.12-0.25 mJ/mm2) and at both shorter (<6 months) and longer (≥6 months) follow-up.

Conclusion:

ESWT improves pain and functional outcomes in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Further research is needed to determine the optimal energy level.
Endoscopic treatment of Achilles tendon enthesopathies: An anatomical and clinical feasibility study
Authors: Boniface Olivier , Vervoort Thomas
Published: February 2020

Background:

One possible treatment for Achilles tendon enthesopathy is open reconstruction of the Achilles tendon insertion by resection of calcified enthesis and the calcaneal tuberosity followed by reinsertion of the tendon with anchors. Subcutaneous dissection of the tendon in open procedure is at risk of wound complications. We hypothesized that this procedure could be performed under endoscopy.

Methods:

An innovative operating technique was described. It consisted in removal and reinsertion of the Achilles tendon under endoscopy using five portals with resection of the calcaneal tuberosity and calcified enthesis. A feasibility study was first conducted on five cadaveric feet followed by an in vivo study on five patients.

Results:

In all cases, the Achilles tendon could be reinserted with the same technique than in open surgery. None of the ten surgical procedures technically failed. It was possible to correctly resect calcifications and the calcaneal tuberosity. Resection was performed under endoscopic and fluoroscopic control for the ten cases. Proper reinsertion was verified under endoscopy, by placement of the ankle in physiological equinus for clinical series and by dissection for cadaveric cases. There were no complications in the clinical series 3 months postoperatively.

Conclusion:

Achilles enthesopathies can be treated by detachment/reinsertion of the Achilles tendon under endoscopy with resection of calcified enthesis and the calcaneal tuberosity. This endoscopic technique should now be validated by analyzing longer-term clinical and anatomical results and comparing them with the results of open surgery.
Strategies of Flexible Accumulation and Perceived Employment Insecurity: Is There a Connection?
Authors: Lowe Travis Scott
Published: February 2020

Existing research on perceived employment insecurity tends to focus on perceptions of job insecurity (a worker’s perception of how vulnerable their position is with their current employer). This study examines perceived labor market insecurity (a worker’s assessment of their job prospects in the broader labor market) alongside perceived job insecurity. The author uses individual-level General Social Survey and publicly available state-level data from 1977 to 2012 to determine and identify strategies of flexible accumulation (e.g., deindustrialization, deunionization, and financialization) that may be associated with these outcomes. The findings indicate that these strategies are associated with greater levels of perceived job insecurity but are not significant for perceived labor market insecurity, which is only positively associated with unemployment at the state level. The author also finds that individual-level factors such as income and part-time status have differing effects for each outcome. In a time characterized by higher levels of employer-employee detachment, these findings have important implications for the study of employment insecurity.
On New Travels in Space-Time: Theoretical Rediscoveries after the Crisis in (Comparative) Capitalism(s)
Authors: ŠItera Daniel
Published: February 2020

This review essay on the books New Directions in Comparative Capitalisms Research and The Future of Capitalism After the Financial Crisis uses the prism of ‘travelling theory’ to appraise whether both edited volumes meet their proclaimed aim to challenge the alleged reductionisms inherent in the Comparative Capitalisms (CC) research and reinvigorate the CC agenda's radical potential to analyse contemporary capitalism in critical and global perspectives. The verdict is affirmative as both volumes (i) introduce new as well as forgotten approaches to combined inter-spatial and inter-temporal comparisons into the CC literature, which then (ii) allows for the rediscovery of a multitude of roads to (knowledge about) really existing capitalisms. However, the essay urges some of the authors to avoid tracing capitalism only at its worst, which leads to an exaggerated intellectual pessimism and fatalism. Finally, putting both volumes into the context of post-socialist Central and Eastern European (CEE) capitalism, the review documents the continuing relevance of empirical discoveries in CEE for developing an expanded critical-global CC scholarship.
Helsinki Syndrome: The Parachronistic Renaissance of Finlandization in International Politics
Authors: Juntunen Tapio
Published: February 2020

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has produced a number of commentaries that have tried to grasp the crisis through the comforting lens of historical analogies. One of the most perplexing of these has been the revival of Finlandization, or the idea of the “Finnish model” as a possible solution to the Ukraine crisis. In this article I interrogate these arguments, firstly, by historicising the original process of Finlandization during the Cold War. Secondly, I argue that the renaissance of Finlandization is based on parachronistic reasoning. In other words, the Finlandization analogy has been applied to modern-day Ukraine in such a way that the alien elements of the past context are, to paraphrase Quentin Skinner, “dissolved into an apparent but misleading familiarity” in the present re-appropriation of the idea and its contextual prerequisites. Indeed, the reappearance of Finlandization in the context of the Ukraine crisis reinforces the idea that the real drivers of international affairs can be reduced to the axioms derived from the transhistorical logic of international anarchy and the iron laws of great power politics. Thus, this article makes a novel contribution to the theoretical discussion on the role of analogies and myths in International Relations.
Against the Current: Deconstructing the Upstream/Downstream Binary in Hydropolitical Security Complexes
Authors: Marton Péter , Szálkai Kinga
Published: February 2020

Hydropolitics, established as the “study of conflict and cooperation between states over (predominantly riverine) water resources that transcend international borders” (Elhance, 1999: 3), is a discourse that often serves to empower states – as the owners of waters – above other actors. Departing from this point, and taking a critical perspective on the subject, combined with an interest in the spatial aspects and spatial dynamics of security issues, we shed light on a ‘virtual vertical’ aspect of riverine hydropolitics. Hydropolitics is often framed, through a binary and distorted representation of empirical reality, as upstream-downstream state relations. In this article we challenge the presumed straightforward validity of this upstream-downstream framework in universal terms as well as in a case study of Hungary, to draw attention to the arbitrary tendency to construct downstream identities as a feature of hydropolitical security complexes (HSCs). We find that whether or not this is the motive behind the desire to project a downstream identity, per implication of its discursive enactment, governments as well as societies may be insufficiently sensitive to their ‘upstream’ responsibilities arising from the relativity of what is, respectively, upstream and downstream along a river.
Writing Kafka's Soul: Disciplinary Power, Resistance & the Authorship of the Subject
Authors: Dungey Nicholas
Published: February 2020

Who is the real Kafka? What do his writings really mean? These are the questions that have dominated Kafka scholarship, which has predominantly focused on issues of the author's identity and the meaning of his writings. As the heirs of a modern metaphysics that posits the existence of an objectively rational and free subject, we – including many Kafka scholars – have generally assumed that there is a true self, that reason enables access to universally verifiable knowledge, and that this subject presupposes and authorizes the works of knowledge, art, and cultural productions that bears the subject's name. It is time to ask, however, whether the metaphysical approach to Kafka and his writings obscured more than it has illuminated? What if, instead, we abandon the metaphysical search for the true Kafka? There is now an emerging postmodern account of Kafka's subjectivity and the dynamic, discursive relationship between the construction of his subjectivity and the production of his writings. Utilizing Foucault's interrogation of metaphysical subjectivity, I investigate Kafka's voluminous letters and diaries as the effects of disciplinary power and the vehicles through which resistance to this power is pressed into the service of aesthetic self-creation.
Instrumental Opportunities: Music for All
Authors: Thornton Linda , Culp Mara E.
Published: February 2020

Although resources exist to help instrumental music teachers assist learners in inclusive settings, students’ voices may be absent from those resources. As such, music teachers may struggle to honor the needs and experiences of students with physical differences. Students with physical differences may be steered away from instrumental music or toward an instrument that may not be the student’s preference. The purpose of this study was to understand the stories of students with physical differences and their teacher to examine how participation in instrumental music was enabled in this setting. Data were generated through examining artifacts and completing interviews with the instrumental music teacher, students, and students’ parents. Interview data were analyzed using process/action coding. Main themes that emerged were (a) previous experiences and prior knowledge, (b) recognizing strengths and challenges, (c) perseverance toward desires in the face of uncertainty, (d) help and support from others, and (e) materials. Implications for future research and possible applications to music teaching and music teacher education are discussed.
Rote Instruction in Secondary Instrumental Music Classrooms: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Grey Alyssa N.
Published: February 2020

Rote versus note beginning instrumental pedagogy has been an active topic for music educators. Traditional method books have often comprised a significant portion of beginning instrumental curricula, though content has varied and may have been based on convention. Advocates of a rote-before-note approach have recommended that singing, movement, developing aural skills, teaching expressiveness, and creativity may provide students with enhanced contextual knowledge and experiences to better learn to read notation. However, there may be gaps in research of music reading and teaching method. This literature review includes a discussion of the history of rote and note education in the United States, an overview of five major pedagogical approaches, and an examination of music reading and performance research. The article is intended to initiate a discussion of teaching methods, practices, and curriculum selection for developing literacy and performance skills in secondary instrumental music classrooms.
Earlier palliative home care is associated with patient-centred medical resource utilisation and lower costs in the last 30 days before death in COPD: a population-level decedent cohort study
Authors: Scheerens Charlotte , Faes Kristof , Pype Peter , Beernaert Kim , Joos Guy , Derom Eric , Cohen Joachim , Deliens Luc , Chambaere Kenneth
Published: February 2020

COPD patients often use many medical resources, such as hospital admissions and medical imaging, inappropriately close to death. Palliative home care (PHC) could beneficially affect this. The aim was to study the effect of use and timing of PHC on medical resource use and costs in the last 30 days before death (DBD) for COPD.

We performed a retrospective study of all Belgian decedents in 2010–2015 with COPD and a primary cause of death being COPD or cardiovascular diseases. Odds ratios for medical resources were calculated between using and four PHC timing categories (>360, 360–181, 180–91 and 90–31 DBD)versusnot using. Confounders were socio-demographic, care intensity and disease severity variables.

Of the 58 527 decedents with COPD, 644 (1.1%) patients received PHC earlier than 30 DBD. Using PHC (versusnot using) decreased the odds ratio for hospitalisation (0.35), intensive care unit admission (0.16), specialist contacts (0.58), invasive ventilation (0.13), medical imaging including chest radiograph (0.34), sedatives (0.48) and hospital death (0.14). It increased the odds ratio for home care (3.27), general practitioner contact (4.65), palliative care unit admission (2.61), noninvasive ventilation (2.65), gastric tube (2.15), oxygen (2.22) and opioids (4.04) (p<0.001). Mean total healthcare costs were €1569 lower for using PHC. All PHC timing categories showed a benefit in medical resource use and costs. However, we observed the largest benefit in the category PHC 90–31 DBD.

Health policy and services should focus on increasing PHC access, while research should further explore early PHC initiation for COPD.
Discerning Weld Seam Profiles from Strong Arc Background for the Robotic Automated Welding Process via Visual Attention Features
Authors: He Yinshui , Yu Zhuohua , Li Jian , Yu Lesheng , Ma Guohong
Published: February 2020

In the robotic welding process with thick steel plates, laser vision sensors are widely used to profile the weld seam to implement automatic seam tracking. The weld seam profile extraction (WSPE) result is a crucial step for identifying the feature points of the extracted profile to guide the welding torch in real time. The visual information processing system may collapse when interference data points in the image survive during the phase of feature point identification, which results in low tracking accuracy and poor welding quality. This paper presents a visual attention feature-based method to extract the weld seam profile (WSP) from the strong arc background using clustering results. First, a binary image is obtained through the preprocessing stage. Second, all data points with a gray value 255 are clustered with the nearest neighborhood clustering algorithm. Third, a strategy is developed to discern one cluster belonging to the WSP from the appointed candidate clusters in each loop, and a scheme is proposed to extract the entire WSP using visual continuity. Compared with the previous methods the proposed method in this paper can extract more useful details of the WSP and has better stability in terms of removing the interference data. Considerable WSPE tests with butt joints and T-joints show the anti-interference ability of the proposed method, which contributes to smoothing the welding process and shows its practical value in robotic automated welding with thick steel plates.
Risk assessment of genetically engineered plants that can persist and propagate in the environment
Authors: Bauer-Panskus Andreas , Miyazaki Juliana , Kawall Katharina , Then Christoph
Published: February 2020

New challenges arise in risk assessment when genetically engineered (GE) plants can persist and propagate in the environment as well as produce viable offspring. Next generation effects can be influenced by heterogeneous genetic backgrounds and unexpected effects can be triggered in interaction with environmental conditions. Consequently, the biological characteristics of the original events cannot be regarded as sufficient to conclude on hazards that may emerge in following generations. Potential hazards identified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) include exacerbating weed problems, displacement and even extinction of native plant species. However, there are reasons for concern that might escape the environmental risk assessment (ERA) because EFSA only takes into account the characteristics of the original events, leaving aside unintended or unexpected next generation effects emerging from spontaneous propagation and gene flow. From our review of the publications available and the analysis of risk assessment as performed, we conclude that the risk assessment of GE organisms able to persist and spontaneously propagate in the environment actually suffers from a high degree of spatio-temporal complexity causing many uncertainties. To deal with this problem, we recommend establishing ‘cut-off criteria’ in risk assessment that include factual limits of knowledge. It is proposed that these criteria are applied in a specific step within risk assessment, i.e. ‘spatio-temporal controllability’ that uses well-defined biological characteristics to delineate some of the boundaries between known and unknowns. This additional step in risk assessment will foster robustness in the process and can substantially benefit the reliability and overall conclusiveness of risk assessment and decision-making on potential releases.
Complete genome of Enterobacter sichuanensis strain SGAir0282 isolated from air in Singapore
Authors: Uchida Akira , Kim Hie Lim , Purbojati Rikky W. , Vettath Vineeth Kodengil , Gupta Anjali B. , Houghton James N. I. , Chénard Caroline , Wong Anthony , Clare Megan E. , Kushwaha Kavita K. , Panicker Deepa , Putra Alexander , Heinle Cassie E. , Premkrishnan Balakrishnan N. V. , Junqueira Ana Carolina M. , Drautz-Moses Daniela I. , Schuster Stephan C.
Published: February 2020

Background

Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) bacteria, such as E. cloacae, E. sichuanensis, E. kobei, and E. roggenkampii, have been emerging as nosocomial pathogens. Many strains isolated from medical clinics were found to be resistant to antibiotics, and in the worst cases, acquired multidrug resistance. We present the whole genome sequence of SGAir0282, isolated from the outdoor air in Singapore, and its relevance to other ECC bacteria by in silico genomic analysis.

Results

Complete genome assembly of E. sichuanensis strain SGAir0282 was generated using PacBio RSII and Illumina MiSeq platforms, and the datasets were used for de novo assembly using Hierarchical Genome Assembly Process (HGAP) and error corrected with Pilon. The genome assembly consisted of a single contig of 4.71 Mb and with a G+C content of 55.5%. No plasmid was detected in the assembly. The genome contained 4371 coding genes, 83 tRNA and 25 rRNA genes, as predicted by NCBI’s Prokaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline (PGAP). Among the genes, the antibiotic resistance related genes were included: Streptothricin acetdyltransferase (SatA), fosfomycin resistance protein (FosA) and metal-dependent hydrolases of the beta-lactamase superfamily I (BLI).

Conclusion

Based on whole genome alignment and phylogenetic analysis, the strain SGAir0282 was identified to be Enterobacter sichuanensis. The strain possesses gene clusters for virulence, disease and defence, that can also be found in other multidrug resistant ECC type strains.
Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation of sorghum leaves for accelerating functional genomics and genome editing studies
Authors: Sharma Rita , Liang Yan , Lee Mi Yeon , Pidatala Venkataramana R. , Mortimer Jenny C. , Scheller Henrik V.
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Sorghum is one of the most recalcitrant species for transformation. Considering the time and effort required for stable transformation in sorghum, establishing a transient system to screen the efficiency and full functionality of vector constructs is highly desirable.

Results

Here, we report an Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation assay with intact sorghum leaves using green fluorescent protein as marker. It also provides a good monocot alternative to tobacco and protoplast assays with a direct, native and more reliable system for testing single guide RNA (sgRNA) expression construct efficiency. Given the simplicity and ease of transformation, high reproducibility, and ability to test large constructs, this method can be widely adopted to speed up functional genomic and genome editing studies.
The effect of digestate and mineral fertilisation of cocksfoot grass on greenhouse gas emissions in a cocksfoot-based biogas production system
Authors: Tilvikiene Vita , Venslauskas Kestutis , Povilaitis Virmantas , Navickas Kestutis , Zuperka Vidmantas , Kadziuliene Zydre
Published: February 2020

Background

Climate mitigation is a major consideration when choosing bioenergy systems. Anaerobic digestion of biomass is a bioenergy system, which is normally used for the treatment of manure or other residues, but cultivated energy crops may also provide a potential feedstock. One of the main crops for biogas production is still maize, but it may be desirable to replace it by perennial grasses, which also have high yields, but do not require as much management. The aim of this study was to analyse greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a biogas production system based on a perennial grass, cocksfoot, grown under different fertiliser application systems.

Methods

Field and laboratory experiments were carried out over a 7-year period to evaluate the influence of mineral nitrogen and digestate fertiliser application on cocksfoot biomass and biogas productivity. The obtained data were used to calculate GHG emissions and emission savings for the whole biogas production cycle, by use of the SimaPro v.8 software with the IMPACT 2002+ model, based on the climate change environmental impact category.

Results

Productivity of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) was influenced by the annual rate of nitrogen applied as fertiliser, the fertiliser type and year, as influenced by the weather conditions. The biomass yield of cocksfoot fertilised with 180 kg nitrogen ha−1 year−1 was similar regardless if the nitrogen was applied as digestate or mineral fertiliser. At higher rates of nitrogen application (360–450 kg ha−1 year−1), higher yields and lower net GHG emissions could be obtained from the biogas production cycle when the nitrogen was applied as digestate compared to mineral fertiliser, especially in dry years. Energy input over the whole cycle was mainly influenced by the type of fertiliser and the biomass yield. Mineral fertiliser generally caused higher levels of GHG emissions than organic digestate fertiliser, when the same amount of energy is produced.

Conclusions

The cocksfoot grass-based biogas production system showed that a significant GHG emission saving potential exists, if nitrogen is added as digestate instead of mineral fertiliser, for similar yields of biomass and energy from biogas. Cocksfoot grass fertilised with digestate is thus a promising feedstock for biogas production.
CAPE for measuring callous-unemotional traits in disadvantaged families: a cross-sectional validation study
Authors: Centifanti Luna C.M. , Shaw Hannah , Atherton Katherine J. , Thomson Nicholas D. , MacLellan Susanne , Frick Paul J.
Published: February 2020

Background: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are important for designating a distinct subgroup of children and adolescents with behaviour problems.  As a result, CU traits are now used to form the specifier “with Limited Prosocial Emotions” that is part of the diagnostic criteria for the Conduct Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) and International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11).  Given this inclusion in major classification systems, it is important to develop and test methods for assessing these traits that can be used in clinical settings.  The present study aimed to validate a clinician rating of CU traits, the Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions, Version 1.1 (CAPE 1.1), in a sample of hard-to-reach families referred to a government program designed to prevent the development of behaviour problems in high risk families.

Methods: Clinical ratings of children were obtained from 34 families of children ages 5 to 18 (M=13.5; SD=3.2). The ratings on the CAPE 1.1 were based on interviews with both parent and child.

Results: Of the sample, 21% (100% male) met the diagnostic cut-off for the specifier according to the CAPE 1.1, and CAPE 1.1 scores were associated with parent ratings of CU traits, psychopathic traits, and externalising behaviours. CAPE 1.1 ratings were also associated with risk for violence obtained from case files. 

Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence for the validity of the CAPE 1.1 as clinician rated measure of CU traits.
Linking health facility data from young adults aged 18-24 years to longitudinal demographic data: Experience from The Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System
Authors: Nyundo Christopher , Doyle Aoife M. , Walumbe David , Otiende Mark , Kinuthia Michael , Amadi David , Jibendi Boniface , Mochamah George , Kihuha Norbert , Williams Thomas N. , Ross David A. , Bauni Evasius
Published: February 2020

Background: In 2014, a pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility of linking clinic attendance data for young adults at two health facilities to the population register of the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KHDSS). This was part of a cross-sectional survey of health problems of young people, and we tested the feasibility of using the KHDSS platform for the monitoring of future interventions.

Methods: Two facilities were used for this study. Clinical data from consenting participants aged 18-24 years were matched to KHDSS records. Data matching was achieved using national identity card numbers or otherwise using a matching algorithm based on names, sex, date of birth, location of residence and the names of other homestead members. A study form was administered to all matched patients to capture reasons for their visits and time taken to access the services. Distance to health facility from a participants’ homestead was also computed.

Results: 628 participated in the study: 386 (61%) at Matsangoni Health Centre, and 242 (39%) at Pingilikani Dispensary. 610 (97%) records were matched to the KHDSS register. Most records (605; 96%) were matched within these health facilities, while 5 (1%) were matched during homestead follow-up visits.  463 (75.9%) of those matched were women. Antenatal care (25%), family planning (13%), respiratory infections (9%) and malaria (9%) were the main reasons for seeking care. Antenatal clinic visits (n=175) and malaria (n=27) were the commonest reasons among women and men, respectively. Participants took 1-1.5 hours to access the services; 490 (81.0%) participants lived within 5 kilometres of a facility.

Conclusions: With a full-time research clerk at each health facility, linking health-facility attendance data to a longitudinal HDSS platform was feasible and could be used to monitor and evaluate the impact of health interventions on health care outcomes among young people.
Conical ring array detector for large depth of field photoacoustic macroscopy
Authors: Torke Paul R. , Nuster Robert , Paltauf Guenther
Published: February 2020

Photoacoustic microscopy and macroscopy (PAM) using focused detector scanning are emerging imaging methods for biological tissue, providing high resolution and high sensitivity for structures with optical absorption contrast. However, achieving a constant lateral resolution over a large depth of field for deeply penetrating photoacoustic macroscopy is still a challenge. In this work, a detector design for scanning photoacoustic macroscopy is presented. Based on simulation results, a sensor array geometry is developed and fabricated that consists of concentric ring elements made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film in a geometry that combines a centered planar ring with several inclined outer ring elements. The reconstruction algorithm, which uses dynamic focusing and coherence weighting, is explained and its capability to reduce artefacts occurring for single element conical sensors is demonstrated. Several phantoms are manufactured to evaluate the performance of the array in experimental measurements. The sensor array provides a constant axial and lateral resolution of 95 µm and 285 µm, respectively, over a depth of field of 20 mm. The depth of field corresponds approximately to the maximum imaging depth in biological tissue, estimated from the sensitivity of the array. With its ability to achieve the maximum resolution even with a very small scanning range, the array is believed to have applications in the imaging of limited regions of interest buried in biological tissue.
Hyperspectral evaluation of peritoneal fibrosis in mouse models
Authors: Stergar Jošt , Dolenec Rok , Kojc Nika , Lakota Katja , Perše Martina , Tomšič Matija , Milanic Matija
Published: February 2020

Analysis of morphological changes of the peritoneal membrane is an essential part of animal studies when investigating molecular mechanisms involved in the development of peritoneal fibrosis or testing the effects of potential therapeutic agents. Current methods, such as histology and immunohistochemistry, require time consuming sample processing and analysis and result in limited spatial information. In this paper we present a new method to evaluate structural and chemical changes in an animal model of peritoneal fibrosis that is based on hyperspectral imaging and a model of light transport. The method is able to distinguish between healthy and diseased subjects based on morphological as well as physiological parameters such as blood and scattering parameters. Furthermore, it enables evaluation of changes, such as degree of inflammation and fibrosis, that are closely related to histological findings.
Una traza de la iglesia gótica de Santa María de San Sebastián (Gipuzkoa) de 1539
Authors: Tarifa Castilla María Josefa
Published: February 2020

El artículo da a conocer una traza de la iglesia de Santa María de San Sebastián conservada en el Archivo Histórico Provincial de Zaragoza, con la planta del templo gótico existente en 1539 y la capilla que Alonso de Idiáquez, secretario del emperador Carlos V y su esposa solicitaron construir próxima al presbiterio. El estudio también proporciona datos inéditos de la ampliación del edificio por la cabecera a fines del Quinientos, fruto de la consulta del Archivo Diocesano de Pamplona.
Genomic Dissection of Anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineolum) Resistance Response in Sorghum Differential Line SC112-14
Authors: Cruet-Burgos Clara M , Cuevas Hugo E , Prom Louis K , Knoll Joseph E , Stutts Lauren R , Vermerris Wilfred
Published: February 2020

Sorghum production is expanding to warmer and more humid regions where its production is being limited by multiple fungal pathogens. Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum sublineolum, is one of the major diseases in these regions, where it can cause yield losses of both grain and biomass. In this study, 114 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from resistant sorghum line SC112-14 were evaluated at four distinct geographic locations in the United States for response to anthracnose. A genome scan using a high-density linkage map of 3,838 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected two loci at 5.25 and 1.18 Mb on chromosomes 5 and 6, respectively, that explain up to 59% and 44% of the observed phenotypic variation. A bin-mapping approach using a subset of 31 highly informative RILs was employed to determine the disease response to inoculation with ten anthracnose pathotypes in the greenhouse. A genome scan showed that the 5.25 Mb region on chromosome 5 is associated with a resistance response to nine pathotypes. Five SNP markers were developed and used to fine map the locus on chromosome 5 by evaluating 1,500 segregating F2:3 progenies. Based on the genotypic and phenotypic analyses of 11 recombinants, the locus was narrowed down to a 470-kb genomic region. Following a genome-wide association study based on 574 accessions previously phenotyped and genotyped, the resistance locus was delimited to a 34-kb genomic interval with five candidate genes. All five candidate genes encode proteins associated with plant immune systems, suggesting they may act in synergy in the resistance response.
Valuation Practices for Assessment of Oil and Gas Properties in California
Authors: Hodges F.C.
Published: February 2020

Fall Meeting of the Los Angeles Basin Section, 16–17 October, Los Angeles, California

A broad outline and general description is presented of the various valuation methods used by local and state authorities in assessment of oil and gas properties. As helpful background, certain basic procedures are briefly discussed.

The systems used are basically capitalization methods and engineering appraisal methods. Capitalization methods used are characterized as having little merit unless, like in Kern County, engineering appraisals are made to establish what capitalization factors should be used. Included is a description of the engineering appraisal procedure followed by the Valuation Division of the State Board of Equalization in valuating oil and gas properties for local taxation. The state engineers are depicted as giving consideration to all known elements affecting fair market value, while some of these elements are not given recognition by county assessors in computing values for oil and gas properties.

The lack of intra county equalization is pointed out; the unequitable treatment of mining rights as compared with other real property is described; and the need for legislative help to realize equalization is emphasized.

Introduction

Since the end of World War II, we have seen the expense of producing oil and gas rise at a rapid rate. Taxes applicable to oil and gas production have risen even more rapidly and constitute a large portion of the direct cost of operating an oil property.

Taxes imposed on production in the oil producing states of this country are many and varied in form. In California, besides a property or ad valorem tax levied on all property, a severance tax is also levied on production. This severance tax, known as the Petroleum and Gas Fund Assessment, is assessed and collected by the State Department of Natural Resources for the support of the Division of Oil and Gas.

The purpose of this article is, however, to present a description of the methods and factors used by the assessing authorities in California in computing the value of productive oil and gas properties for the purpose of levying an ad valorem property tax on them, this tax being the fiscal basis for local government in California. To accomplish this objective, a brief explanation of the California local tax structure may be helpful.
The Properties of Well Fluids as Related to Hydraulic Pumping
Authors: Brown F. Barton , Coberly C.J.
Published: February 2020

Regional Fall Meeting of the Los Angeles Basin Section of SPE, 22–23 October, Pasadena, California

Introduction

Successful hydraulic pumping of oil well installations depends on an accurate knowledge of the fluid properties. Such information enables us to select the proper tubing string sizes and to predict, and later check, the bottom-hole pump performance. In this paper, we will consider the effects of temperature and pressure on viscosity and specific gravity, and will present a convenient method for calculating these effects.

An extensive study was made on crude oil data gathered from all over the world, and, on the basis of this work, empirical equations are developed. Based on these equations, four nomographs are included which facilitate the following calculations: the viscosity of any crude at any temperature and pressure; the specific gravity at any point in the well and the average pressure gradient; the viscosity at any point in the well; and the viscosity gradient of a well which may be used directly in the tubing friction formulae.

Viscosity

The viscosity of oils is the property subject to the greatest variation and must be considered the most important factor in hydraulic pumping or any other production method. The range varies from 1.0 centistokes or less, to as much as 1,000,000 centistokes under well conditions. Viscosity varies unpredictably when wax, water and gas are present, but this paper will not cover these problems.

In any given well, the viscosity varies with depth, and this variation is dependent on the temperature and pressure gradient. Fig. 1 shows this variation for a typical crude—36.2° API gravity. The following equations and nomographs enable one to determine the viscosity gradient in the different tubing strings.

Gravity Factor

It has been shown by Beal that at normal temperature [usually 100°F for viscosity determinations], the viscosity of oils increases with gravity quite consistently, even though the compositions of the oils may differ. Paraffinic oils generally have somewhat higher viscosities than asphaltic crudes. Fig. 2is a plot of the viscosity at 100°F of a large number of oils — paraffinic, asphaltic and mixed base — from widely scattered fields, which shows a good correlation with specific gravity at 60°F and with the data of Beal. This chart has, as the ordinate, the log e-log e scale for kinematic viscosity, [same ordinate used for ASTM viscosity charts] and has, as the abscissa, the specific gravity, delta, scale.
Natural Gas Supply and Requirement Pacific Coast
Authors: Tulin R.S.
Published: February 2020

Regional Fall Meeting of the Los Angeles Basin Section of SPE, 22–23 October, Pasadena, California

Introduction

This being the oil industry's Centennial Year, much space has been provided for its publicity, but I find very little about its predecessor the "gas industry". Therefore, I think it fitting and proper for you to invite a" gas man" to participate in your deliberation. I appreciate your confidence and an opportunity to better acquaint you with the gas industry:Its BackgroundWhere We Are TodayWhat the Future Holds

Being semi-retired and a so-called Senior Member (39 years), I shall endeavor to bring the natural gas industry on the Pacific Coast into its proper perspective by briefly reviewing sane of the important historical dates.

Background

The forerunner of natural gas was, as in all other districts throughout the United States, manufactured gas. Here in California the industry dates back to 1854, when on Feb. 11, the streets of San Francisco were lighted for the first time with gas. The manufacturing plant was located at the water front as the burning of coal was anticipated. This was followed in 1859 by the Portland Gas and Coke Co. at Portland, Ore.

In 1867, the Los Angeles Gas Co. completed its "gas works" in Los Angeles. By the turn of the century, all populated centers had their local "gas works".

The transition from manufactured gas to natural gas came slowly. Its earliest utilization in California was at Stockton in 1864. The wells were shallow, production became intermittent and, therefore, finally abandoned. However, it was not until 1907 — when the Santa Maria Gas Co. became the first utility to serve oil-well gas to its customers — that natural gas obtained from oil fields assumed any economic importance. In 1910 a natural gas line was laid from Buena Vista Hills to Bakersfield, and by 1913 a line had been completed from this same source to Glendale.

During the period 1914 to 1921 market facilities were expanded in the Los Angeles Basin, but it was the discovery of oil and gas on Signal Hill early in 1921 that gave the real impetus to the rapid expansion of marketing facilities throughout Southern California.

Natural gas reached San Francisco in Aug., 1929, from the San Joaquin Valley, extending its distribution throughout the more heavily populated areas in California.
A Coiled-Tubing-Deployed Intelligent ESP Dumpflood System
Authors: Kuoh Hii Lu , Kang Michael , Staal Timo W.
Published: February 2020

In the last 8 years, coiled-tubing–deployed ESP (CTDESP) systems have developed into a proven technology marrying the cost-effectiveness of coiled-tubing conveyance with the benefits of electrical submersible pumping (ESP) systems.

Simultaneously, great strides have been made in the form of real-time measurement of reservoir and production data such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate, by means of permanent gauges placed in the completion string and the use of fiber-optic distributed temperature systems.

CTDESP technology with real-time monitoring and control results in an alternative deployed intelligent completion that is able to optimize pump performance and run life, control injection rates, and maximize ultimate recovery.

Such a system was developed specifically for a Shell Sabah Berhad (SSB) medium oilfield, offshore Sabah- Borneo, East Malaysia. This particular reservoir is a mature depleting field, requiring pressure maintenance to extract more of the reserves. After 2 years of production, the oil rate of the primary reservoir had declined by about half. Studies showed that pressure maintenance by water injection (WI) was feasible and beneficial. However, high capital cost and long lead times prevented the implementation of a conventional WI scheme because the existing, unmanned platform was too small to accommodate a WI facility. The lithology of the area is conducive to pressure maintenance with a large natural aquifer dumping from an upper zone into the lower producing zones (i.e., dumpflood). Two horizontal wells were drilled and completed, allowing natural dumpflooding of an estimated 3,000 bbl/d/well. It was clear that augmenting the natural dumping ability of the upper zone aquifer with an inverted ESP would boost production (up to 10,000 bbl/day per well), accelerate the reservoir pressure maintenance, and increase the sweep in the main producing reservoir.

With anticipated tubing-deployed ESP run lives of 1 to 3 years, the ESP dumpflood strategy would not be a cost-effective solution because of the cost of rig mobilizations required for ESP workovers. Therefore, a CTDESP system was selected to allow installation and subsequent change-out without rig assistance. Such a system was evaluated to be USD 25 million more cost-effective than a conventional surface injection system over the life of the project. In the past 3 years, the assisted intelligent dumpflood strategy has shown its value. By boosting the reservoir pressure, the ultimate recovery factor is believed to have increased from 24 to 48%, adding approximately 10 million bbl of additional reserves. Additionally, one of the nearby production wells has shown a net increase of 600 bbl/d of oil since the start of assisted dumpflooding operations.
Four-body Faddeev-type calculation of the $\bar{K}NNN$ system: Preliminary results
Authors: Shevchenko Nina
Published: February 2020

The paper is devoted to the \bar{K}NNNK‾NNN
system, consisting of an antikaon and three nucleons. Four-body
Faddeev-type AGS equations are being solved in order to find possible
quasi-bound state in the system.
Risks and the influence of negative interest rates on economic activity: a case study of Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland
Authors: Černohorská Liběna , Kubicová Darina
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of negative interest rates on economic activity in a selected group of countries, in particular Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland, for the period 2009–2018. The central banks of these countries were among the first to implement negative interest rates to revive the economic growth. Therefore, this study analyzed long- and short-term relationships between interest rates announced by central banks and gross domestic product and blue chip stock indices. Time series analysis was conducted using Engle-Granger cointegration analysis and Granger causality testing to identify long- and short-term relationship. The first step, using the Akaike criteria, was to determine the optimal delay of the entire time interval for the analyzed periods. Time series that seem to be stationary were excluded based on the results of the Dickey-Fuller test. Further testing continued with the Engle-Granger test if the conditions were met. It was designed to identify co-integration relationships that would show correlation between the selected variables. These tests showed that at a significance level of 0.05, there is no co-integration between any time series in the countries analyzed. On the basis of these analyses, it was determined that there were no long-term relationships between interest rates and GDP or stock indices for these countries during the monitored time period. Using Granger causality, the study only confirmed short-term relationship between interest rates and GDP for all examined countries, though not between interest rates and the stock indices. Acknowledgment The paper has been created with the financial support of The Czech Science Foundation GACR 18-05244S – Innovative Approaches to Credit Risk Management.