bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in China and the United States
Authors: Lu Yuan , Wang Pei , Zhou Tianna , Lu Jiapeng , Spatz Erica S. , Nasir Khurram , Jiang Lixin , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: January 2018

Background

The reasons for China's high stroke prevalence are not well understood. The cardiovascular risk factor profiles of China and the United States have not been directly compared in nationally representative population samples.

Methods and Results

Using data from the CHARLS (China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study) and the NHANES (
US
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), we compared cardiovascular risk factors from 2011 to 2012 among people aged 45 to 75 years between the 2 countries (China, 12 654 people; United States, 2607 people): blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein. Compared with the United States, China had a lower prevalence of hypertension but a higher mean blood pressure and a higher proportion of patients with severe hypertension (≥160/100 mm Hg) (10.5% versus 4.5%). China had substantially lower rates of hypertension treatment (46.8% versus 77.9%) and control (20.3% versus 54.7%). Dyslipidemia was less common in China, but lipid levels were not significantly different because dyslipidemia awareness and control rates in China were 3‐ and 7‐fold lower than
US
rates, respectively. High‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, body mass index, and waist circumference were significantly lower in China than in the United States. Clustering of hypertension with other cardiovascular risk factors was more common in China.

Conclusions

Hypertension is more common in the United States, but blood pressure levels are higher in China, which may be responsible for China's high stroke prevalence. The low rates of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension provide an exceptional opportunity for China to reduce risk in its population.
Use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Canadian Primary Care Practice 2010–2015: A Cohort Study From the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network
Authors: McAlister Finlay A. , Garrison Scott , Kosowan Leanne , Ezekowitz Justin A. , Singer Alexander
Published: January 2018

Background

As questions have been raised about the appropriateness of direct oral anticoagulant (
DOAC
) dosing among outpatients with atrial fibrillation, we examined this issue in patients being managed by primary care providers.

Methods and Results

This was a retrospective cohort new‐user study using electronic medical records from 744 Canadian primary care clinicians. Potentially inappropriate
DOAC
prescribing was defined as prescribing lower or higher doses than those recommended by guidelines for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Of the 6658 patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who were prescribed a
DOAC
(mean age: 74.8; 55% male), 626 (9.4%) had a
CHADS
2
score of 0, and 168 (2.5%) had a
CHADS
‐
VAS
c score of 0. Of the
DOAC
prescriptions, 527 (7.7%) were deemed potentially inappropriate: 496 (7.2%) were potentially underdosed, and 31 (0.5%) were prescribed a dose that was higher than recommended. Patients were more likely to be prescribed lower‐than‐recommended doses if they were female (adjusted odds ratio [
aOR
]: 1.3 [95% confidence interval (
CI
), 1.0–1.5]), had multiple comorbidities (
aOR:
1.4 [95% CI, 1.1–1.8])—particularly heart failure (
aOR
: 1.6 [95% CI, 1.2–2.0]) or dementia (
aOR
: 1.4 [95% CI, 1.1–1.8])—or if they were also taking aspirin (
aOR
: 1.7 [95% CI, 1.3–2.1]) or nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (
aOR
: 1.2 [95% CI, 1.02–1.5]). Potentially inappropriate
DOAC
dosing was more common in rural practices (
aOR
: 2.1 [95% CI, 1.7–2.6]) or smaller practices (
aOR
: 1.9 [95% CI, 1.6–2.4] for practices smaller than median).

Conclusions

The vast majority of
DOAC
prescriptions in our cohort of primary care–managed patients appeared to be for appropriate doses, particularly since prescribing a reduced dose of
DOAC
may be appropriate in frail patients or those taking other medications that predispose to bleeding.
Inhibitory Effect of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor on the Slowly Activating Delayed Rectifier Potassium Current in Guinea Pig Ventricular Myocytes
Authors: Lin Zhenhao , Xing Wenlu , Gao Chuanyu , Wang Xianpei , Qi Datun , Dai Guoyou , Zhao Wen , Yan Ganxin
Published: January 2018

Background

Vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF
) exerts a number of beneficial effects on ischemic myocardium via its angiogenic properties. However, little is known about whether
VEGF
has a direct effect on the electrical properties of cardiomyocytes. In the present study, we investigated the effects of different concentrations of
VEGF
on delayed rectifier potassium currents (

I
K

) in guinea pig ventricular myocytes and their effects on action potential (
AP
) parameters.

Methods and Results

I
K

and
AP
were recorded by the whole‐cell patch clamp method in ventricular myocytes. Cells were superfused with control solution or solution containing
VEGF
at different concentrations for 10 minutes before recording. Some ventricular myocytes were pretreated with a phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase inhibitor for 1 hour before the addition of
VEGF
. We found that
VEGF
inhibited the slowly activating delayed rectifier potassium current (

I
K

s
) in a concentration‐dependent manner (18.13±1.04 versus 12.73±0.34, n=5,
P
=0.001; 12.73±0.34 versus 9.05±1.20, n=5,
P
=0.036) and prolonged
AP
duration (894.5±36.92 versus 746.3±33.71, n=5,
P
=0.021). Wortmannin, a phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase inhibitor, eliminated these
VEGF
‐induced effects.
VEGF
had no significant effect on the rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium current (

I
K

r
), resting membrane potential,
AP
amplitude, or maximal velocity of depolarization.

Conclusions

VEGF
inhibited

I
K

s
in a concentration‐dependent manner through a phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase–mediated signaling pathway, leading to
AP
prolongation. The results indicate a promising therapeutic potential of
VEGF
in prevention of ventricular tachyarrhythmias under conditions of high sympathetic activity and ischemia.
Estimation of Mortality Rates, Life Expectancy, and Life Potential of Illegal Drug Users
Authors: Mielecka-Kubień Zofia J.
Published: January 2018

The study presents proposed methods of estimation for mortality rates of illegal drug users and nonusers and their application in estimation of the life expectancy and the life potential loss of the users in Poland. Mortality rates for male users were in Poland in 2013, as an average, 4 times higher for male illegal drug users than for nonusers, and 7 times as high for females. For male illegal drug users, the loss of more than 12 years of life can be expected, whereas for females the figure stands at about 8 years. Similar losses of life potential of the users can be expected. The applied methods can be particularly useful in estimation of the social costs of illegal drug use. The results strongly underline the negative effect of the drug use which may have a preventive effect.
More Mortgages, More Homes? The Effect of Housing Financialization on Homeownership in Historical Perspective
Authors: Kohl Sebastian
Published: January 2018

Recent research has emphasized the negative effects of finance on macroeconomic performance and even cautioned of a “finance curse.” As one of the main drivers of financial sector growth, mortgages have traditionally been hailed as increasing the number of homeowners in a country. This article uses long-run panel data for seventeen countries between 1920 (1950) and 2013 to show that the effect of the “great mortgaging” on homeownership rates is not universally positive. Increasing mortgage debt appears to be neither necessary nor sufficient for higher homeownership levels. There were periods of rising homeownership levels without much increase in mortgages before 1980, thanks to government programs, purchasing power increases, and less inflated house prices. There have also been mortgage increases without homeownership growth, but with house price bubbles thereafter. The liberalization of financial markets might after all be a poor substitute for more traditional housing policies.
Adolescents’ Involvement in Romantic Relationships and Problem Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Peer Norms
Authors: van Zantvliet Pascale I. , Ivanova Katya , Verbakel Ellen
Published: January 2018

This study examined how peer norms condition the effect of romantic involvement on adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors. We hypothesized that, as a result of social control and social learning, adolescents who start a romantic relationship report more problem behavior when romantic involvement was not normative behavior in the peer group. We tested this hypothesis for two different peer groups: the friendship network and the class. Using large-scale panel data of Dutch adolescents ( N = 2,302; Mage = 14.5) collected in 222 school classes that included sociometric measures, we found that adolescents who started dating reported more problem behavior if dating was not in line with the class’ norm compared with when dating was in line with the class’ norm. Friends’ norms did not moderate the association between romantic involvement and problem behavior.
The Roots of a Crisis: Marx, Sen, and the Capability Deprivation of the Left Behind
Authors: Arponen V. P. J.
Published: January 2018

The emergence of the two great late modern crises—economic and environmental—has prompted calls for a return to Marx. This article describes a Marxian account of the 2008 economic crisis relating it to the phenomena of job polarization, de-industrialization, the decline of the middle class, and political populism in Europe and elsewhere. These are argued to spring from political mobilization due to certain kinds of capability deprivations as understood in Amartya Sen’s capability approach. The article demonstrates the continued relevance of Marx for philosophy of the social sciences as well as for a better understanding of the future challenge of maintaining societal stability in the West.
A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children
Authors: Kennedy Sarah M. , Bilek Emily L. , Ehrenreich-May Jill
Published: January 2018

The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) is an intervention for children aged 7 to 13 targeting high negative emotion, emotional reactivity, and emotion regulation deficits common across emotional disorders. Our objective was to collect pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) data on the efficacy of the UP-C, comparing UP-C with an active, anxiety-focused intervention. Participants were 47 children with at least one primary anxiety disorder; approximately one half had elevated depression symptoms. Participants received either UP-C or the anxiety-focused control treatment. No condition-related differences were found with respect to diagnostic remission and anxiety symptoms. However, differences in favor of UP-C were observed with respect to treatment response at follow-up, depression symptoms, sadness dysregulation, and cognitive reappraisal. Results provide preliminary evidence that the UP-C may be at least as efficacious in treating anxiety as well-supported anxiety-specific treatment protocols and may produce greater gains in certain emotion reactivity and regulation variables.
Understanding Diabetes-Related Distress Characteristics and Psychosocial Support Preferences of Urban African American Adults Living With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Hood Sula , Irby-Shasanmi Amy , de Groot Mary , Martin Elissabeth , LaJoie Andrew S.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand diabetes-related distress (DRD) characteristics and identify psychosocial support preferences of urban African American adults living with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods

A 2-phase, mixed-methods sequential explanatory study design was used to gather data. In phase 1, a purposive sample of participants (N = 155) was recruited and asked to complete a written survey. The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) was used to assess DRD, including subscales—emotional burden (EB), regimen distress (RD), interpersonal distress (ID), and physician distress (PD). In phase 2, a subset of phase 1 participants (N = 23) volunteered to attend 1 of 4 gender-stratified follow-up focus groups to contextualize the quantitative survey results.

Results

Survey findings indicate that on average, participants had moderate levels of DRD (aggregate), RD, and EB but had low ID and PD. During follow-up focus groups, participants described RD and EB as their primary distress types and emphasized that clinicians should prioritize the mental health aspects of T2DM similarly to its physical aspects. Participants expressed a desire for culturally appropriate peer support groups as a psychosocial support resource for distress coping and specifically requested the development of gender-stratified groups and groups for young adults.

Conclusions

Results support the need to screen for and address diabetes-related distress among African American patients with T2DM. Findings also inform the development of culturally appropriate psychosocial support resources to facilitate diabetes-related distress coping.
Note on the Hittite Problem
Authors: King L. W.
Published: January 2018

[An article written by the late Professor J. H. Moulton, and printed in the Expository Times for last December, has directed some attention to the recent work of Prof. Hrozný in deciphering Hittite texts and to his claim to have determined the character of that language. In view of the important bearing of the Hittite texts upon the history of ancient Egypt, Dr King was asked to summarize the facts and to estimate the probability of Prof. Hrozný's claim; in response to our request, he has written the note which is here printed.—Ed.]
Comparative analysis of waste-to-energy alternatives for a low-capacity power plant in Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Elzimar Tadeu de F , Balestieri José Antonio P
Published: January 2018

The Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy has been implemented with some difficulty, especially in convincing the different actors of society about the importance of conscious awareness among every citizen and businesses concerning adequate solid waste disposal and recycling. Technologies for recovering energy from municipal solid waste were considered in National Solid Waste Policy (NSWP), given that their technical and environmental viability is ensured, being the landfill biogas burning in internal combustion engines and solid waste incineration suggested options. In the present work, an analysis of current technologies and a collection of basic data on electricity generation using biogas from waste/liquid effluents is presented, as well as an assessment of the installation of a facility that harnesses biogas from waste or liquid effluents for producing electricity. Two combined cycle concepts were evaluated with capacity in the range 4–11 MW, gas turbine burning landfill biogas and an incinerator that burns solid waste hybrid cycle, and a solid waste gasification system to burn syngas in gas turbines. A comparative analysis of them demonstrated that the cycle with gasification from solid waste has proved to be technically more appealing than the hybrid cycle integrated with incineration because of its greater efficiency and considering the initially defined guidelines for electricity generation. The economic analysis does not reveal significant attractive values; however, this is not a significant penalty to the project given the fact that this is a pilot low-capacity facility, which is intended to be constructed to demonstrate appropriate technologies of energy recovery from solid waste.
Simple geometry tribological study of osteochondral graft implantation in the knee
Authors: Bowland Philippa , Ingham Eileen , Fisher John , Jennings Louise M
Published: January 2018

Robust preclinical test methods involving tribological simulations are required to investigate and understand the tribological function of osteochondral repair interventions in natural knee tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of osteochondral allograft implantation on the local tribology (friction, surface damage, wear and deformation) of the tissues in the natural knee joint using a simple geometry, reciprocating pin-on-plate friction simulator. In addition, the study aimed to assess the ability of osteochondral grafts to restore a low surface damage, deformation and wear articulation when compared to the native state. A method was developed to characterise and quantify surface damage wear and deformation of the opposing cartilage-bone pin surface using a non-contacting optical profiler (Alicona Infinite Focus). Porcine 12 mm diameter cartilage-bone pins were reciprocated against bovine cartilage-bone plates that had 6 mm diameter osteochondral allografts, cartilage defects or stainless steel pins (positive controls) inserted centrally. Increased levels of surface damage with changes in geometry were not associated with significant increases in the coefficient of dynamic friction. Significant damage to the opposing cartilage surface was observed in the positive control groups. Cartilage damage, deformation and wear (as measured by change in geometry) in the xenograft (2.4 mm3) and cartilage defect (0.99 mm3) groups were low and not significantly different (p > 0.05) compared to the negative control in either group. The study demonstrated the potential of osteochondral grafts to restore the congruent articular surface and biphasic tribology of the natural joint. An optical method has been developed to characterise cartilage wear, damage and deformation that can be applied to the tribological assessment of osteochondral grafts in a whole natural knee joint simulation model.
Identifying What Is Known About Improving Operating Room to Intensive Care Handovers: A Scoping Review
Authors: Zjadewicz Karolina , Deemer Kirsten S. , Coulthard Jennifer , Doig Christopher J. , Boiteau Paul J.
Published: January 2018

The purpose is to provide a descriptive overview of relevant material exploring improvement of handovers from the operating room (OR) to intensive care unit (ICU). An online search (MEDLINE, Cochrane, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Joanna Briggs), including gray literature and relevant reference lists, was completed. In all, 4574 unique citations were screened and 155 full-text reviews performed; 65 articles were included in the final analysis. The majority of articles discuss an ideal structure for handover (n = 63; 97%); 43 (66%) articles mentioned strategies for implementing such an approach. Only 21 (32%) explicitly described formal quality improvement (QI) methods. Few explored project sustainability and impact of a structured handover on patient safety outcomes (n = 15, 23%). Published literature suggests that there is a significant gap in evidence of measured patient outcomes from standardization of OR to ICU handover processes. Identifying formal QI strategies used to sustain standardized handover processes will allow accurate measurement of patient outcomes.
Gender Policy Feedback: Perceptions of Sex Equity, Title IX, and Political Mobilization among College Athletes
Authors: Druckman James N. , Rothschild Jacob E. , Sharrow Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2018

Public policies invariably confer or deny benefits to particular citizens. How citizens respond to relevant policies has fundamental implications for democratic responsiveness. We study the beliefs of a core constituency of one of the most celebrated sex non-discrimination policies in U.S. history: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Using a novel survey of college student-athletes, we find strong support for the spirit of the policy, with the vast majority of respondents reporting the opinion that there “should” be equity. Concurrently, student-athletes also perceive mal-distribution among status quo resources and opportunities and believe that redistribution is needed. Furthermore, they are willing to take political action to improve equality. Consistent with our expectations, these beliefs are particularly salient for women and those who perceive persistent sex discrimination in society. Our results reveal “positive policy feedback” among policy beneficiaries of Title IX who mobilize to seek equity in athletics. The dissatisfaction among policy beneficiaries raises questions about democratic responsiveness (e.g., to whom are policymakers and leaders in college athletics responding?) and highlights the political nature of college athletics.
Association Between Second Metatarsal Length and Forefoot Loading Under the Second Metatarsophalangeal Joint
Authors: Fleischer Adam E. , Hshieh Shenche , Crews Ryan T. , Waverly Brett J. , Jones Jacob M. , Klein Erin E. , Weil Lowell , Weil Lowell Scott
Published: January 2018

Background:

Metatarsal length is believed to play a role in plantar plate dysfunction, although the mechanism through which progressive injury occurs is still uncertain. We aimed to clarify whether length of the second metatarsal was associated with increased plantar pressure measurements in the forefoot while walking.

Methods:

Weightbearing radiographs and corresponding pedobarographic data from 100 patients in our practice walking without a limp were retrospectively reviewed. Radiographs were assessed for several anatomic relationships, including metatarsal length, by a single rater. Pearson correlation analyses and multiple linear regression models were used to determine whether metatarsal length was associated with forefoot loading parameters.

Results:

The relative length of the second to first metatarsal was positively associated with the ratio of peak pressure beneath the respective metatarsophalangeal joints ( r = 0.243, P = .015). The relative length of the second to third metatarsal was positively associated with the ratios of peak pressure ( r = 0.292, P = .003), pressure-time integral ( r = 0.249, P = .013), and force-time integral ( r = 0.221, P = .028) beneath the respective metatarsophalangeal joints. Although the variability in loading predicted by the various regression analyses was not large (4%-14%), the relative length of the second metatarsal (to the first and to the third) was maintained in each of the multiple regression models and remained the strongest predictor (highest standardized β-coefficient) in each of the models.

Conclusions:

Patients with longer second metatarsals exhibited relatively higher loads beneath the second metatarsophalangeal joint during barefoot walking. These findings provide a mechanism through which elongated second metatarsals may contribute to plantar plate injuries.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, comparative study.
Safety Outcomes With Home Assessment Trial: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Medication Safety in the Home Care Setting
Authors: Flanagan Priti S. , Briseño-Garzón Adriana , Zed Peter J. , Strain Robert M.
Published: January 2018

Adverse drug events (ADEs), a subset of AEs (adverse events), occur among home care recipients, yet the topic of medication safety in this setting is understudied and under reported. The Safety Outcomes With Home Assessment Trial (SO WHAT) was a mixed-methods, pilot study that sought to evaluate the feasibility of prospective evaluation and inform future research in the home care setting to better understand medication use and safety. Over 21 months, 19 patients were recruited. Feasibility of the study was improved by focused recruitment efforts and connection with primary care. All participants had medication issues identified by the pharmacist’s medication review and almost half had a suspected ADE. Patient experience themes identified related to knowledge about medications, communication, and home care human resources.
A Unique Case of Cutaneous Larva Migrans Acquired Within the Province of Quebec and Successfully Treated With Topical Ivermectin
Authors: Smilga Anne-Sophie , Bujold Janie
Published: January 2018

Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) is a zoonotic helminthiasis frequently imported to Canada by travellers to beach destinations in the tropics. The preferred treatment is oral ivermectin. We present a case of CLM acquired within the province of Quebec, a first in our provincial health records. Our case also puts forward the use of topical ivermectin as a possibly effective CLM treatment approach as our patient was successfully treated with 1 month of an ivermectin 1% cream applied locally twice daily.
Efficacy and Safety of Apremilast Monotherapy for Moderate to Severe Psoriasis: Retrospective Study
Authors: Ighani Arvin , Georgakopoulos Jorge R. , Zhou Linda L. , Walsh Scott , Shear Neil , Yeung Jensen
Published: January 2018

Background:

Apremilast is a new oral drug for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that reduces inflammation by inhibiting phosphodiesterase 4. Its efficacy and safety data are limited; hence, real-world outcomes are important for elucidating the full spectrum of its adverse events (AEs) and expanding generalizability of clinical trial findings.

Objective:

Assess the efficacy and safety of apremilast monotherapy in real-world practice.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was conducted in 2 academic dermatology practices. Efficacy was measured as the proportion of patients achieving a ≥75% reduction from baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI-75) or a Psoriasis Global Assessment (PGA) score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) at 16 weeks. Safety was measured as the proportion of patients reporting ≥1 AE at 16 weeks.

Results:

Thirty-four patients were included. Efficacy: 19 patients (55.9%) achieved PASI-75 or PGA 0/1. Safety: 23 patients (67.6%) experienced ≥1 AEs. Five patients (14.7%) withdrew treatment prior to week 16 due to AEs. One patient withdrew treatment due to mood lability and depression. Common AEs included headache (32.4%), nausea (20.6%), diarrhoea (14.7%), weight loss (8.8%), and loose stool (8.8%).

Conclusion:

Apremilast monotherapy had higher efficacy with similar safety outcomes in the real world compared to clinical trials. There were higher proportions of reported headaches compared to clinical trials. This study supports the apremilast monotherapy clinical trial findings, suggesting that it has an acceptable safety profile and significantly reduces the severity of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Limitations include the retrospective nature of the study.
Disseminated Eczema Following Radiotherapy: A Case Report
Authors: Bosworth Alia , Hull Peter R.
Published: January 2018

Background:

Radiotherapy-induced acute skin reactions are common and an expected effect of radiotherapy. Eczematous eruptions, however, are rarely reported, with disseminated eczema in particular being infrequently seen and likely underrecognized.

Objective:

We present a unique case of disseminated vesicular eczema following radiotherapy for ductal carcinoma in situ.

Conclusions:

The development of a localized vesicular eruption with subsequent dissemination can occur following radiotherapy. The mechanism of autosensitization is poorly understood but likely involves a cell-mediated immune response. Recognition is important to prevent excessive and inappropriate investigation and treatment.
An authentication and key agreement mechanism for OPC Unified Architecture in industrial Internet of Things
Authors: Wei Min , Zhang Shuaidong , Wang Ping , Kim Keecheon
Published: January 2018

As an industrial communication data interaction specification, OPC Unified Architecture effectively solves the industrial Internet of Things system integration problem. This article designs an authentication and key agreement scheme based on implicit certificate using the security model provided by OPC Unified Architecture. It establishes the secure channel and provides a guarantee for secure session for the OPC Unified Architecture server and client. Then, the test verification platform is implemented to verify the feasibility of the scheme. The result shows that the mechanism is feasible, and the system security and availability are effectively improved.
Efficient and reliable packet transfer protocol for wireless multihop bidirectional communications
Authors: Takaki Yumi , Ando Makoto , Maesako Keisuke , Fujita Keisuke , Kamada Tomio , Ohta Chikara , Tamaki Hisashi
Published: January 2018

In wireless multihop bidirectional communication environment, there is a possibility that packet collision and retransmission owing to the hidden node problem decrease efficiency of throughput. The aim of this article is to achieve efficient and reliable packet transmissions in such environments. To do so, we propose a packet transmission scheme named inter-flow network coding with passive acknowledgment. In inter-flow network coding with passive acknowledgment, it is necessary to optimize the encoding latency and to avoid passive acknowledgment packet collision, so we address these issues in this article. Finally, we also confirm that the inter-flow network coding with passive acknowledgment scheme is effective in terms of the collection ratio and delay through simulations.
Intradiscal Expandable Balloon Distraction During Transforaminal Decompression for Lumbar Foraminal and Lateral Recess Stenosis
Authors: Lewandrowski Kai-Uwe , Ostergren Mathias , de Carvalho Paulo Sergio Teixera
Published: January 2018

Advanced videoendoscopic equipment (such as motorized drills, chisels, and rongeurs) facilitates the use of modern decompression tools through the inner working channel of the spinal endoscope using the transforaminal approach. Postoperative dysesthetic leg pain, however, is common because of irritation of the dorsal root ganglion. This article presents a novel surgical technique employing an expandable balloon placed into the hollow intervertebral space in patients without any functional disc tissue to distract the stenotic motion segment. This approach improves visualization, facilitates removal of bone during the decompression, and minimizes intraoperative manipulation of the exiting and traversing nerve roots. In a study of 52 targeted patients with symptomatic spinal stenosis at 60 levels (L2/3-1, L3/4-9, L4/5-28, and L5/S1-22) due to advanced degenerative changes of the intervertebral disc and facet joint complex contributing to both foraminal and lateral recess stenosis, only 2 of the 52 patients complained of postoperative dysesthetic leg pain (3.85%) after undergoing this novel procedure. At the final 2-year follow-up, 80.9% of patients showed Excellent and Good outcomes according to modified Macnab criteria.
Impact of stochastically generated heterogeneity in hazard rates on individually randomized vaccine efficacy trials
Authors: Kahn Rebecca , Hitchings Matt , Bellan Steven , Lipsitch Marc
Published: January 2018

Background/aims

Network structure and individuals’ level of exposure to a pathogen can impact results from efficacy evaluation studies of interventions against infectious diseases. Heterogeneity in infection risk can cause randomized groups to increasingly differ as a trial progresses and as more high-risk individuals become infected (described in prior work as the “frailty” phenomenon). Here, we show the impact this phenomenon can have on an individually randomized trial of a leaky vaccine in which all participants are exchangeable a priori.

Methods

We model a vaccine trial by generating a network of individuals grouped into communities, which are connected to a larger main population. We then simulate an epidemic, deterministically and with time-varying transmission rates in the main population and stochastically in the communities. The disease natural history follows a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model. Simulation results are used to estimate vaccine efficacy [Formula: see text] with a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

We find downward bias in [Formula: see text] associated with low connectivity between communities in the study population and high force of infection, even when all participants in the trial are exchangeable at the time of randomization. This phenomenon arises because the stochastic dynamics in such a setting randomly lead to community-level variation in the force of infection. Stratifying a Cox model by community alleviates this bias with no loss of power.

Conclusion

Understanding and accounting for the impact of heterogeneous hazard rates can allow for more accurate estimates of [Formula: see text] in epidemic settings.
The Effects of Timing of Ankle Blocks in Forefoot, Midfoot, or Hindfoot Reconstruction With the Use of an Ankle Tourniquet
Authors: Gwosdz James , Bilbrew Lattisha , Jupiter Daniel , Panchbhavi Vinod
Published: January 2018

Background. Ankle blocks are used in the ambulatory surgery setting to control postoperative pain, which is often worst in the first 24 hours after surgery. We conducted a trial to determine whether the timing of ankle block administration in relation to ankle tourniquet inflation has an effect on perceived pain and narcotic consumption. Methods. A prospective randomized study was conducted between August 2015 and January 2016. Patients were assigned to three groups. In group A, an ankle block was performed before ankle tourniquet inflation; in group B, immediately after ankle tourniquet inflation; and in group C, immediately after ankle tourniquet inflation with additional local anesthetic placed around the incision at the end of the procedure. Pain was assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS) score, which was recorded at discharge, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 2 weeks after surgery. Narcotic consumption was recorded at 24 and 48 hours after surgery. Results. The only statistically significant difference in mean VAS scores occurred at 24 hours, when patients who received an ankle block after tourniquet inflation with local incisional anesthetic at closure (group C) had a mean VAS score 2.8 points lower (3.5 vs 6.3; P = .025) than those who received only an ankle block after tourniquet inflation (group B). There was no difference in narcotic consumption between groups at 24 and 48 hours. Conclusions. The timing of ankle block in relation to tourniquet inflation did not have an effect on pain control in forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot reconstruction. The synergistic effect of an ankle block with additional incisional anesthetic at closure, is more effective than ankle block alone and is the ideal combination for postoperative pain control in foot surgery.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level II: Prospective, comparative trial
Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis with Bone Marrow–Derived Mononuclear Cell Injection: 12-Month Follow-up
Authors: Goncars Valdis , Kalnberzs Konstantins , Jakobsons Eriks , Enģele Ilze , Briede Ieva , Blums Kristaps , Erglis Kristaps , Erglis Martins , Patetko Liene , Muiznieks Indrikis , Erglis Andrejs
Published: January 2018

Objectives

To evaluate the main symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and tissue structure changes after a single dose bone marrow–derived mononuclear cell (BM MNC) intra articular injection. Case series study. Patients with knee OA Kellgren Lawrence (K-L) grade II and III received 1 injection of BM MNC. The clinical results were analyzed with the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and Knee Society Score (KSS) before, 3, 6, and 12 months after injection. Radiological evaluation was performed with a calibrated x-ray and the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and 6 to 7 months postinjection.

Results

A total of 34 knees were treated with BM MNC injections. Mean (±SD) age of patient group was 53.96 ± 14.15 years; there were 16 males, 16 females, KL grade II, 16; KL grade III, 18. The average injected count of BM MNCs was 45.56 ± 34.94 × 106 cells. At the endpoint of 12 months 65% of patients still had minimal perceptible clinical improvement of the KOOS total score. The mean improvement of KOOS total score was +15.3 and of the KSS knee score was +21.45 and the function subscale +27.08 ( P < 0.05) points. The Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) improved from 44.31 to 42.93 points ( P < 0.05). No adverse effects after the BM-MNC injection were observed.

Conclusions

The single dose BM MNC partially reduces clinical signs of the knee osteoarthritis stage II/III and in some cases, decreases degenerative changes in the joint building tissue over 12-month period.
Issues in Malaysian Higher Education: A Quantitative Representation of the Top Five Priorities, Values, Challenges, and Solutions From the Viewpoints of Academic Leaders
Authors: Ghasemy Majid , Hussin Sufean , Megat Daud Megat Ahmad Kamaluddin , Md Nor Mariani , Ghavifekr Simin , Kenayathulla Husaina Banu
Published: January 2018

This qualitative inquiry aims at identifying the main issues in Malaysian higher education (HE) system and its sectors from the perspectives of Malaysian academic leaders. For this purpose, four open-ended questions were distributed among 2,786 academic leaders in 25 universities. More than 235 completed questionnaires were collected, containing nearly 4,500 records of priorities, values, challenges, and solutions. Through a quantitative content analysis approach, the records were categorized using the software package ATLAS.ti 7. This resulted to the emergence of 112 categories. Using SPSS 23, the top five categories with maximum frequencies of records were focused for further evaluation. The comparison of the issues in Malaysian HE and its sectors revealed that some of issues were common in all the sectors. In addition, the examination of these categories of data did result to the classification of them into five major categories namely Academic Core Activities, Change and Leadership, Management, Relationships, and Work Values.
Over-expression of oncigenic pesudogene DUXAP10 promotes cell proliferation and invasion by regulating LATS1 and β-catenin in gastric cancer
Authors: Xu Yongcan , Yu Xiang , Wei Chenchen , Nie Fengqi , Huang Mingde , Sun Ming
Published: January 2018

Background

Recently, the pesudogenes have emerged as critical regulators in human cancers tumorigenesis and progression, and been identified as a key revelation in post-genomic biology. However, the expression pattern, biological function and mechanisms responsible for these molecules in human gastric cancer (GC) are not fully understood.

Methods

In this study, we globally assessed the transcriptomic differences of pesudogenes in gastric cancer using publicly available microarray data. DUXAP10 expression levels in GC tissues and cells was detected using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). DUXAP10 siRNAs and over-expression vector were transfected into GC cells to down-regulate or up-regulate DUXAP10 expression. Loss- and gain-of function assays were performed to investigate the role of DUXAP10 in GC cells cell proliferation, and invasion. RIP, RNA pulldown, and ChIP assays were used to determine the mechanism of DUXAP10’s regulation of underlying targets.

Results

The pesudogene DUXAP10 is the only pseudogene that significantly over-expressed in all four GEO datasets, and frequently over-expressed in many other cancers including Liver Hepatocellular carcinoma, Bladder cancer, and Esophageal Cancer. High DUXAP10 expression is associated with GC patients poor prognosis, and knockdown of DUXAP10 significantly inhibits cells proliferation, migration and invasion in GC. Mechanistic investigation shows that DUXAP10 can interact with PRC2 and LSD1 to repress LATS1 expression at transcriptional level, and bind with HuR to maintain the stability of β-catenin mRNA and increase its protein levels at post-transcriptional level.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings illuminate how increased DUXAP10 confers an oncogenic function in GC development and progression that may serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker and target for clinical management of GC.
The effects of inclusions and heterogeneous stress field on hydraulic fracture
Authors: Yao Yao , Wang Kaimin , Zeng Tao , Keer Leon M.
Published: January 2018

Hydraulic fracture technology has been widely applied to improve unconventional oil and gas production. The prevailing numerical analysis for hydraulic fracture technology is mainly based on the assumption of a homogeneous reservoir. However, unconventional reservoirs usually have complicated geologic conditions and the hypothesis of the homogeneous reservoir can strongly affect the accuracy of fracture simulation. To better understand the influence of heterogeneity to hydraulic fracture development, the effects of inclusions and heterogeneous stress fields are investigated by using the extended finite-element method. The heterogeneous stress field with fracture processing is developed, and the corresponding interaction between fracture and inclusion is investigated. The effects of different inclusions positions, opening and rotation angles, fractures lengths, and injected fluid viscosities to the hydraulic fracture development are studied based on the developed numerical model. Compared with the homogeneous stress field, numerical analysis indicates that the heterogeneous stress field could affect fracture behaviors and change the fracture energy distribution. In addition, the effects of inclusion can be restricted to some extent with higher injected fluid viscosity. The “stress shadow” effect with multiple fractures can weaken the influence of inclusions with properly designed perforation locations, which may be applied to optimize the hydraulic fracture development.
Time-lapse velocity analysis — Application to onshore continuous reservoir monitoring
Authors: Cotton Julien , Chauris Hervé , Forgues Eric , Hardouin Paul
Published: January 2018

In 4D seismic, the velocity model used for imaging and reservoir characterization can change as production from the reservoir progresses. This is particularly true for heavy oil reservoirs stimulated by steam injection. In the context of sparse and low-fold seismic acquisitions, conventional migration velocity analyses can be inadequate because of a poorly and irregularly sampled offset dimension. We update the velocity model in the context of daily acquisitions with buried sources and receivers. The main objective is to demonstrate that subtle time-lapse effects can be detected over the calendar time on onshore sparse acquisitions. We develop a modified version of the conventional prestack time migration to detect velocity changes obtained after crosscorrelation of the base and monitor surveys. This technique is applied on a heavy oil real data set from the Netherlands and reveals how the steam diffuses over time within the reservoir.
On the effect of the metal casing in surface-borehole electromagnetic methods
Authors: Cuevas Nestor H. , Pezzoli Mauro
Published: January 2018

We analyze the electromagnetic fields arising in the vicinity of a vertical steel casing due to the excitation of a vertical electric field antenna placed in the borehole below the casing shoe. Numerical simulations of the fields were used to investigate the distorting effect of the casing on surface observations and in turn to define a distributed dipolar source to independently model the secondary fields arising due to the casing. The analysis indicates that the casing effect is mainly galvanic in nature, dominated by the conductivity of the metallic medium, with changes of the magnetic properties causing only small variations to the fields observed on the surface. Variations of the casing thickness also result in small perturbations to the fields; however, as the thickness decreases, the amplitude of the fields is first observed to increase and then to decrease. These observations are further investigated using approximate closed-form expressions derived for the surface impedance of the casing. The current induced on the casing was analyzed as a function of the resistivity distribution of the surrounding formation. The secondary field arising due to the presence of the casing was shown to be reproduced approximately by an array of dipole sources describing the continuous distribution of the current along the pipe. A method was tested in which the current was evaluated in a simplified configuration of the surrounding formation to reduce the computational burden. The approximate equivalent dipole array is then used to compute the open-hole response representative of the secondary casing response, which is in turn superimposed to that of the primary source located below the casing shoe. The resulting fields were found to describe the true response of the system very well, including the metallic casing.
Coherence based on spectral variance analysis
Authors: Duan Yanting , Wu Chaodong , Zheng Xiaodong , Huang Yucheng , Ma Jian
Published: January 2018

The eigenstructure-based coherence attribute is a type of efficient and mature tool for mapping geologic edges such as faults and/or channels in the 3D seismic interpretation. However, the eigenstructure-based coherence algorithm is sensitive to low signal-to-noise ratio seismic data, and the coherence results are affected by the dipping structures. Due to the large energy gap between the low- and high-frequency components, the low-frequency components play the principal role in coherence estimation. In contrast, the spectral variance balances the difference between the low- and high-frequency components at a fixed depth. The coherence estimation based on amplitude spectra avoids the effect of the time delays resulting from the dipping structures. Combining the spectral variance with the amplitude spectra avoids the effect of dipping structures and enhances the antinoise performance of the high-frequency components. First, we apply the short-time Fourier transform to obtain the time-frequency spectra of seismic data. Next, we compute the variance values of amplitude spectra. Then, we apply the fast Fourier transform to obtain the amplitude spectra of spectral variance. Finally, we calculate the eigenstructure coherence by using the amplitude spectra of spectral variance as the input. We apply the method to the theoretical models and practical seismic data. In the Marmousi velocity model, the coherence estimation using the amplitude spectra of the spectral variance as input shows more subtle discontinuities, especially in deeper layers. The results from field-data examples demonstrate that the proposed method is helpful for mapping faults and for improving the narrow channel edges’ resolution of interest. Therefore, the coherence algorithm based on the spectral variance analysis may be conducive to the seismic interpretation.