bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early evidence of disease activity during fingolimod predicts medium-term inefficacy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ferrè Laura , Mogavero Andrea , Clarelli Ferdinando , Moiola Lucia , Sangalli Francesca , Colombo Bruno , Martinelli Vittorio , Comi Giancarlo , Filippi Massimo , Esposito Federica
Published: September 2020

Background:

Fingolimod (FTY) is an effective second-line drug for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, with ~50% patients showing no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) after 2 years. Nonetheless, the early identification of non-responders is extremely important, to promptly address them to more aggressive drugs.

Objectives:

This cohort study evaluates FTY medium-term effectiveness, searching for early markers of treatment failure.

Patients and methods:

Three hundred eighty patients starting FTY were enrolled and classified according to NEDA and time to first relapse criteria at 4-year follow-up. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were applied to identify early predictors of non-response.

Results:

At 4 years, 65.6% of patients were free from relapses and 35.4% had NEDA. Female gender was associated with a higher risk of non-response. Moreover, evidence of clinical and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity during the first year of treatment was highly predictive of disease activity in the follow-up: the positive predictive value for non-response was 0.74 for the presence of ⩾1 relapse, 0.73 for the presence of ⩾1 active MRI lesion, and 0.83 for the presence of both clinical and MRI activity.

Conclusions:

FTY effectiveness persists at medium-term follow-up; a close monitoring during the first year of treatment is warranted to early identify non-responders requiring treatment optimization.
Inhibition in developmental disorders: A comparison of inhibition profiles between children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and comorbid symptom presentation
Authors: Cremone-Caira Amanda , Trier Katherine , Sanchez Victoria , Kohn Brooke , Gilbert Rachel , Faja Susan
Published: September 2020

Thirty to 80% of children with autism spectrum disorder also have symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Many children with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder experience difficulties carrying out goal-directed behaviors, particularly when it comes to inhibiting responses. The aim of this study was to better understand the relative strengths and weaknesses across different measures of inhibition in children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and children who are typically developing. Inhibition of distracting information, motor responses, response speed, and selections with the potential for greater loss was measured in 155 school-aged children across these four groups. Results indicate that, for children with autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, inhibition varied across the different outcomes assessed. Relative to typically developing children, children with autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder showed greater difficulty inhibiting behavioral responses. Conversely, inhibition of distracting information and strategic slowing of response speed differed between the children with autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and those with either autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Avoidance of potential losses did not significantly differ between the four groups. The unique pattern of inhibition abilities shown in the autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder group suggests the need for special consideration in the context of targeted intervention.

Lay Abstract

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also have symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with ASD and ADHD often experience difficulties with inhibition. This study had the goal of understanding inhibition in children with ASD, ADHD, ASD + ADHD, and children who are typically developing (TD) using tasks that measured several aspects of inhibition. Results indicate that children with ASD + ADHD had greater difficulty inhibiting behavioral responses than TD children. Children with ASD + ADHD also differed from children with ASD and with ADHD in their inhibition of distracting information and strategic slowing of response speed. The four groups did not differ in their avoidance of potential losses. Children with ASD + ADHD exhibit a unique profile of inhibition challenges suggesting they may benefit from targeted intervention matched to their abilities.
Study on transmission characteristics and factors influencing T-elbow aerodynamic noise in ventilation and air-conditioning pipelines
Authors: Liu Ya Lin , Wang Ke , Zhao Lei
Published: September 2020

Local ductwork components, such as shunt T-elbows, generate aerodynamic noise in ventilation and air-conditioning systems where turbulent air flow dissipates pulsation. The noise generated by airflow propagates along the ductwork to the end that terminates into a room. The incident acoustic energy may affect the working efficiency and health of the occupants. In this study, computational fluid dynamics and acoustic finite element methods were used to solve the Lighthill acoustic equation and simulate the flow field through T-elbows and the noise field generated by the airflow. The goal is to explore generation and transmission of aerodynamic noise through ductwork in a ventilation and air-conditioning system. The effects of inflow velocity, flow distribution ratio and T-elbow geometry on the noise intensity and acoustic energy propagation were investigated. The results show that low-frequency noises at the branch of the T-elbow are dominant and are caused by local unsteady vortex motion when the air flow diverges rapidly. In addition, the noise intensity and the propagated acoustic energy vary with the inflow velocity, branch flow rate ratio and branch geometry. Finally, the optimal structure for reducing noise in specific conditions can be determined by analysing and comparing various T-elbow geometries.
The transformative public of Jane Addams
Authors: Ripatti-Torniainen Leena
Published: September 2020

This article provides an alternative contribution to journalism studies on a foundational concept by analysing texts of Jane Addams, a public intellectual contemporary with the seminal scholars Walter Lippmann and John Dewey. The author uses methods of intellectual history to construct the concept of the public from Addams’s books: Democracy and Social Ethics and The Newer Ideals of Peace, showing that all three authors, Lippmann, Dewey and Addams, discuss the same topic of individuals’ changed engagement with public political life. Addams departs from Lippmann and Dewey in setting out from the standpoints of exclusion and cosmopolitanism. Her argument regarding the public, as constructed by the author, consists of two premises. First, public engagement is a method of democratic inclusion as well as social and political inquiry for Addams. She sees the extension of relationality across social divisions as a necessary method to understand society and materialise democracy. Second, Addams emphasises cooperative and reflexive involvement especially in the characteristic developments of a time. She considers industrialisation and cosmopolitanism as characteristic developments of her own era. Addams suggests an in-principle cosmopolitan concept of the public that includes marginalised persons and groups. Compared to Lippmann’s and Dewey’s accounts of the public, Jane Addams’s argument is more radical and far more sensitive to the social inequality and plurality of a drastically morphing society.
Exploring Factors Linked to Weight Status in Salvadoran Infants
Authors: Kiraly Carmen M. , Turk Melanie T. , Kalarchian Melissa A. , Shaffer Cheryl
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

Potential risk factors of infant overweight/obesity in Salvadoran mother–infant dyads ( N = 88) at routine 9- to 12-month wellbaby visits were examined in a correlational study at two pediatric offices on Long Island, New York.

Method:

Maternal factors and infant feeding practices in the first 5 months were self-reported; infant birth weight, current weight/recumbent length were obtained. Bivariate logistic regression measured the relationship of the variables with infant weight status >85th percentile weight-for-length (WFL) for sex.

Results:

The majority of mothers were born in El Salvador, with a mean age of 28.5 years ( SD = 5.9); 43% of infants had WFL >85th percentile. Infant birth weight was significantly associated with WFL >85th percentile, p = .0007. After controlling for maternal age, insurance type, education, and marital status, no significant associations with infant WFL >85th percentile were found. Feeding practices during infants’ first 5 months, mothers’ pre-pregnancy weight, pregnancy weight gain, and history of gestational diabetes mellitus, were not associated with infant weight status.

Conclusion:

This was the first study to examine infant weight status in Salvadorans. Future studies should objectively measure infant feeding practices and other potential factors among Salvadoran mother infant dyads, since nearly half of the infants had WFL >85th percentile.
Model-driven fault diagnosis of slant cracks in aero-hydraulic straight pipes
Authors: Jinxin Dou , Tongguang Yang , Xiaoguang Yu , Zhengkun Xue , Zhongxin Liu , Jie Sun
Published: September 2020

A model-driven fault diagnosis method for slant cracks in aero-hydraulic straight pipes is presented in this paper. First, fracture mechanics theory and the principle of strain energy release are used to derive an expression for the local flexibility coefficient of straight pipes with slant cracks. The inverse method of total flexibility is used to calculate the stiffness matrix of straight pipe elements with slant cracks. Second, the Euler-Bernoulli beam model theory is used in conjunction with the finite element method to construct a dynamic model of the cracked pipe. Finally, a contour map method is used to diagnose the slant crack fault and quantitatively determine the crack position and depth. Experimental results show that the proposed method can accurately and effectively identify a slant crack fault in aero-hydraulic pipelines.
Regulatory Scope and Its Mental and Social Supports
Authors: Trope Yaacov , Ledgerwood Alison , Liberman Nira , Fujita Kentaro
Published: September 2020

Adaptive functioning requires the ability to both immerse oneself in the here and now as well as to move beyond current experience. We leverage and expand construal-level theory to understand how individuals and groups regulate thoughts, feelings, and behavior to address both proximal and distal ends. To connect to distant versus proximal events in a way that meaningfully informs and guides responses in the immediate here and now, people must expand versus contract their regulatory scope. We propose that humans have evolved a number of mental and social tools that enable the modulation of regulatory scope and address the epistemic, emotive, and executive demands of regulation. Critically, across these tools, it is possible to distinguish a hierarchy that varies in abstractness. Whereas low-level tools enable contractive scope, high-level tools enable expansion. We review empirical results that support these assertions and highlight the novel insights that a regulatory-scope framework provides for understanding diverse phenomena.
Learning from informative losses boosts the sense of agency
Authors: Majchrowicz Bartosz , Kulakova Eugenia , Di Costa Steven , Haggard Patrick
Published: September 2020

Sense of agency, the feeling of having control over one’s actions, is modulated by whether one’s choices lead to desired or undesired outcomes. Learning similarly depends on outcome values from previous experience. In the current study, we evaluate a possible link between the sense of agency and learning, by investigating how intentional binding, an implicit measure of agency, changes during a probabilistic learning task. In two experiments, we show increased intentional binding in trials that follow losses, compared with trials that follow wins. Experiment 1 demonstrated that this post-error agency boost (PEAB) effect is rule-specific, as it did not occur if the trial following an error involved different action–outcome contingencies. Furthermore, PEAB was not modulated by the type of outcome presentation (monetary vs. affective). Experiment 2 showed that the PEAB effect can also occur when the current action involves a forced (as opposed to free) choice, but only when the previous, loss-provoking action was chosen freely. Thus, PEAB occurs when current actions are informed by outcomes of one’s own previous action choices. Electroencephalography (EEG) data linked these effects to two event-related potential components, namely, the Feedback Related Negativity and the P300. Taken together, these results support the notion that PEAB reflects an adaptive property of human sense of agency, facilitating effective learning about the action–outcome structure of a specific task, to optimise future performance. By clarifying the conditions for enhancing the sense of agency through learning, this work adds to our understanding of human learning and agency.
The role of the response–outcome association in the nature of inhibitory Pavlovian-instrumental transfer in rats
Authors: Kemp Lindsay J , Corbit Laura H
Published: September 2020

Inhibitory stimuli can reduce animals’ reward seeking in an outcome-specific manner or outcome-general manner. However, we do not understand the factors that determine which of these effects are produced. To address this, we carried out three experiments which examined whether instrumental training with one or multiple outcomes determined the nature of subsequently observed Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT). Rats underwent Pavlovian training to produce inhibitors and excitors for two outcomes using a feature-negative procedure. In Experiment 1, these stimuli were tested for their effects on a single response trained with one of those outcomes in a PIT procedure. Here, stimuli trained as inhibitors and excitors were found to produce outcome-general effects on reward seeking (in addition to an outcome-specific effect for excitors). In Experiment 2, we trained two responses, one for each of the Pavlovian outcomes, and tested the effect of the stimuli on each response individually. This design also produced outcome-general inhibitory and excitatory PIT effects. Experiment 3 followed the procedure of Experiment 2, except for implementation of a shorter Pavlovian training phase and an additional choice test, where both responses were concurrently available. This procedure produced putative inhibitory effects that were also outcome-general. However, outcome-specific excitatory effects were observed, indicating that the general inhibitory results may not be attributable to the duration of Pavlovian training. Overall, this study suggests that variations in the number of response–outcome contingencies experienced by animals do not readily determine the specificity of putative inhibitors.
Reliability optimization for non-repairable series-parallel systems with a choice of redundancy strategies and heterogeneous components: Erlang time-to-failure distribution
Authors: Sadeghi Meisam , Roghanian Emad , Shahriari Hamid , Sadeghi Hassan
Published: September 2020

The redundancy allocation problem (RAP) of non-repairable series-parallel systems considering cold standby components and imperfect switching mechanism has been traditionally formulated with the objective of maximizing a lower bound on system reliability instead of exact system reliability. This objective function has been considered due to the difficulty of determining a closed-form expression for the system reliability equation. But, the solution that maximizes the lower bound for system reliability does not necessarily maximize exact system reliability and thus, the obtained system reliability may be far from the optimal reliability. This article attempts to overcome the mentioned drawback. Under the assumption that component time-to-failure is distributed according to an Erlang distribution and switch time-to-failure is exponentially distributed, a closed-form expression for the subsystem cold standby reliability equation is derived by solving an integrodifference equation. A semi-analytical expression is also derived for the reliability equation of a subsystem with mixed redundancy strategy. The accuracy and the correctness of the derived equations are validated analytically. Using these equations, the RAP of non-repairable series-parallel systems with a choice of redundancy strategies is formulated. The proposed mathematical model maximizes exact system reliability at mission time given system design constraints. Unlike most of the previous formulations, the possibility of using heterogeneous components in each subsystem is provided so that the active components can be of one type and the standby ones of the other. The results of an illustrative example demonstrate the high performance of the proposed model in determining optimal design configuration and increasing system reliability.
High-flow nasal oxygen reduces endotracheal intubation: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Andino Ricardo , Vega Gema , Pacheco Sandra Karina , Arevalillo Nuria , Leal Ana , Fernández Laura , Rodriguez María Jesús
Published: September 2020

Background:

The benefits of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) as primary intervention in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) are still a matter in debate. Our objective was to compare HFNC therapy versus conventional oxygen therapy (COT) in the prevention of endotracheal intubation in this group of patients.

Methods:

An open-label, controlled and single-centre clinical trial was conducted in patients with severe AHRF, defined by a PaO2/FIO2 ratio ⩽200, to compare HFNC with a control group (CG) treated by COT delivered through a face mask, with the need to perform intubation as the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes included tolerance of the HFNC device and to look for the predictive factors for intubation in these patients.

Results:

A total of 46 patients were included (22 in the COT group and 24 in the HFNC group) 48% of whom needed intubation: 63% in the COT group and 33% in the HFNC group, with significant differences both in intention to treat [χ2 = 4.2; p = 0.04, relative risk (RR) = 0.5; confidence interval (CI) 95%: 0.3–1.0] and also in treatment analysis (χ2 = 4.7; p = 0.03; RR = 0.5; IC 95%: 0.3–0.9) We obtained a number needed to treat (NNT) = 3 patients treated to avoid an intubation. Intubation occurred significantly later in the HFNC group. Estimated PaO2/FIO2, respiratory rate and dyspnea were significantly better in the HFNC group. Patients treated with HFNC who required intubation presented significant worsening after the first 8 h, as compared with non-intubated HFNC group patients. Mortality was 22% with no differences. The HFNC group patients were hospitalized for almost half of the time in the intensive care unit (ICU) and in the ward, with significantly less hospital length of stay. A total of 14 patients in the HFNC group (58%) complained of excessive heat and 17% of noise; 3 patients did not tolerate HFNC.

Conclusion:

Patients with severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure who tolerate HFNC present a significantly lower need for endotracheal intubation compared with conventional oxygen therapy.

Clinical Trial Register

EUDRA CT number: 2012-001671-36 The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.
Clinical Evaluation of Buccal Fat Pad and Nasolabial Flap for Oral Submucous Fibrosis Intraoral Defects
Authors: Anehosur Venkatesh , Singh Pravesh K. , Dikhit Punit S. , Vadera Hitesh
Published: September 2020

Objective:

Surgical defects following fibrotomy in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) are difficult to manage due to relapse, and local flaps play a pivotal role in covering the defect. The purpose of this study is to compare the buccal fat pad (BFP) and nasolabial flap (NLF) for the reconstruction of intraoral defects after the release of fibrous bands in patients with OSMF.

Methods:

A prospective study was conducted on patients with OSMF with surgical treatment of fibrotomy excision and reconstruction of the defect with 2 options. Thirty patients with OSMF were divided into 2 groups, group I (BFP) and group II (NLF). Both groups were analyzed for preoperative and postoperative mouth opening and oral commissural width; the extraoral scar was assessed using the Stony Brook Scar Assessment Scale. The data were statistically analyzed using paired and unpaired t test.

Results:

Thirty patients comprising 27 (90%) male and 3 (10%) female with ages ranging between 19 and 51 years were involved. The mean preoperative and postoperative interincisal mouth opening was 12 mm and 27 mm in group I and 11 mm and 38 mm in group II, respectively, showing a significant increase in group II, and the mean preoperative and postoperative commissural width was 52 mm and 58 mm in group I and 51 mm and 60 mm in group II, respectively.

Conclusion:

The proposed surgical protocol for the management of OSMF found NLF superior to BFP for the reconstruction of intraoral defects after the release of fibers in patients with OSMF, with a minimal residual scar.
Check the effects: systematic assessment of antipsychotic side-effects in an inpatient cohort
Authors: Hynes Caroline , McWilliams Stephen , Clarke Mark , Fitzgerald Ita , Feeney Larkin , Taylor Mark , Boland Fiona , Keating Dolores
Published: September 2020

Background:

Antipsychotics are associated with a range of side-effects that can influence patients’ subjective well-being negatively resulting in poor adherence. In order to limit the negative consequences of side-effects, they should be regularly systematically assessed. The aim of this study was to systematically assess antipsychotic side-effects in an inpatient cohort using validated rating scales.

Methods:

Eligible individuals prescribed an antipsychotic for at least 2 weeks were invited to have their side-effects assessed systematically.

Results:

A total of 208 individuals were assessed systematically for antipsychotic side-effects; 71.5% ( n = 138) stated that they had not reported side-effects to their clinician prior to the assessment. The most commonly reported side-effects were daytime drowsiness (75%), dry mouth (58.2%) and weight gain (50.0%), while the most distressing side-effects reported were erectile dysfunction (35.0%), sexual dysfunction (26.3%) and amenorrhoea (26.3%). There was no evidence of an association between side-effect severity/number of side-effects reported/distress caused by those taking high dose/combination antipsychotics versus standard dose monotherapy.

Conclusion:

Side-effects must be regularly and systematically assessed using a validated rating scale. As distress caused by side-effects plays a major role in non-adherence, assessment should examine distress and data on distressing side-effects should be available to those choosing an antipsychotic. Given the lack of correlation between high dose/combination antipsychotics and side-effects, treatment should be tailored to the individual based on response/tolerance and dose reduction/avoidance of polypharmacy should not be recommended to minimise side-effects.
Gaming Gone Viral: An Analysis of the Emerging Esports Narrative Economy
Authors: Newman Joshua I. , Xue Hanhan , Watanabe Nicholas M. , Yan Grace , McLeod Christopher M.
Published: September 2020

In this article, we use narrative economics to analyze the social conditions promoting the growth in private investment in esports—specifically in North American esports teams and franchises. Investment in the esport industry has outpaced revenue growth and esport teams do not have a proven cash flow model. To understand this disjuncture, we draw upon the narrative economic approaches developed by Robert Shiller and colleagues who have demonstrated how the public narrative holds the potential to influence economic behavior—and whereby following a popular story might lead to irrational investment, labor, or consumption practices. We provide a quantitative analysis of published stories that shows the virality of esport narratives is consistent with epidemic models and that business investment narratives are spreading faster than general esport narratives. We then provide a mixed method analysis that demonstrates the central narrative of esport stories is one of growth, opportunity, and sport-esport synergies. We conclude with a discussion about the industrial and theoretical implications of studying viral stories as they relate to preconditioning economic behavior in the sports industry.
Adoption of Innovations in Digital Sports Journalism: The Use of Twitter by German Sports Journalists
Authors: Oelrichs Inga
Published: September 2020

Based on the fact that Twitter penetration in Germany is comparatively low this study analyzes the adoption of Twitter by German sports journalists. It questions how far influences on adoption that were proven to be important in the well-established diffusion of innovation theory can help to explain the Twitter usage among sports journalists. As influences for circumstances of adoption, the type of innovation decision and communication channels are identified. In addition, perceived attributes of Twitter concerning relative advantages, compatibility with norms and values and complexity are specified. A representative online survey with members of the German Association for Sports Journalists reveals that many sports journalists are reluctant concerning Twitter usage. Three Twitter user types were identified: Non-users, Occasional Information Seekers, and Regular Active Users. These user types differed clearly in terms of the circumstances of adoption: management decisions and the adoption by near peers favor the usage of Twitter. Further, compatibility and complexity are influential. For relative advantages, surprisingly, results are less distinct. Overall, this study shows that the diffusion of innovation theory is a helpful approach to explain Twitter usage in German sports journalism and advocates its application for the adoption of other digital innovations in sports journalism.
Treatment Outcomes in Spinal Metastatic Disease With Indeterminate Stability
Authors: Dial Brian L. , Catanzano Anthony A. , Esposito Valentine , Steele John , Fletcher Amanda , Ryan Sean P. , Kirkpatrick John P. , Goodwin C. Rory , Torok Jordon , Hopkins Thomas , Mendoza-Lattes Sergio
Published: September 2020

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes between different treatment modalities for metastatic disease with indeterminate instability (Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score [SINS] 7-12).

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed neurologically intact patients treated for spinal metastatic disease with a SINS of 7 to 12. The cohort was stratified by treatment approach: external beam radiation therapy alone (EBRT), surgery + EBRT (S+E), and cement augmentation + EBRT (K+E). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess differences in length of survival (LOS) and ability to ambulate at time of death. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess adjusted LOS and ability to ambulate at time of death.

Results:

The cohort included 211 patients, S+E (n = 57), EBRT (n = 128), and K+E (n = 27). In the S+E group, the median LOS was 430 days, which was statistically longer than the median LOS for the EBRT group (121 days) and the K+E group (169 days). In the S+E group, 52 patients (91.2%) and in the K+E group 24 patients (92.3%) retained the ability to ambulate at their time of death compared to 99 patients (77.3%) of the EBRT patients ( P = .01). The overall rate of revision treatment at the spinal level initially treated was 17.5%, S+E (15.8%), EBRT (20.3%), and K+E (7.7%).

Conclusions:

The length of survival, ability to maintain ambulatory ability, and revision treatment rates were all improved following surgical management and radiation therapy compared to radiation therapy alone. The authors’ conclusion from these results are that patients with indeterminate spinal instability should be discussed in a multidisciplinary setting for the need of spinal stabilization in addition to radiation therapy.
Comparison of Accuracy and Clinical Outcomes of Robot-Assisted Versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Pedicle Screw Placement in Posterior Cervical Surgery
Authors: Su Xin-Jin , Lv Zhen-Dong , Chen Zhi , Wang Kun , Zhu Chao , Chen Hao , Han Ying-Chao , Song Qing-Xin , Lao Li-Feng , Zhang Yu-Hui , Li Quan , Shen Hong-Xing
Published: September 2020

Study Design:

This was a prospective controlled study.

Objective:

To compare the accuracy and clinical outcomes of robot-assisted (RA) and fluoroscopy-guided (FG) pedicle screw placement in posterior cervical surgery.

Methods:

This study included 58 patients. The primary outcome measures were the 1-time success rate and the accuracy of pedicle screw placement according to the Gertzbein-Robbins scales. The secondary outcome measures, including the operative time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, cumulative radiation time, radiation dose, intraoperative advent events, and postoperative complications, were recorded and analyzed. The Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) scores and Neck Disability Index (NDI) were used to assess the neurological function of patients before and at 3 and 6 months after surgery.

Results:

The rate of grade A was significantly higher in the RA group than in the FG group (90.6% and 71.1%; P < .001). The clinically acceptable accuracy was 97.2% in the RA group and 90.7% in the FG group ( P = .009). Moreover, the 1-time success rate was significantly higher in the RA group than in the FG group. The RA group had less radiation time ( P < .001) and less radiation dose ( P = .002) but longer operative time ( P = .001). There were no significant differences in terms of intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, intraoperative adverse events, postoperative complications, JOA scores, and NDI scores at each follow-up time point between the 2 groups.

Conclusions:

The RA technique achieved higher accuracy and 1-time success rate of pedicle screw placement in posterior cervical surgery while achieving comparable clinical outcomes.
Machine Learning Outperforms Logistic Regression Analysis to Predict Next-Season NHL Player Injury: An Analysis of 2322 Players From 2007 to 2017
Authors: Luu Bryan C. , Wright Audrey L. , Haeberle Heather S. , Karnuta Jaret M. , Schickendantz Mark S. , Makhni Eric C. , Nwachukwu Benedict U. , Williams Riley J. , Ramkumar Prem N.
Published: September 2020

Background:

The opportunity to quantitatively predict next-season injury risk in the National Hockey League (NHL) has become a reality with the advent of advanced computational processors and machine learning (ML) architecture. Unlike static regression analyses that provide a momentary prediction, ML algorithms are dynamic in that they are readily capable of imbibing historical data to build a framework that improves with additive data.

Purpose:

To (1) characterize the epidemiology of publicly reported NHL injuries from 2007 to 2017, (2) determine the validity of a machine learning model in predicting next-season injury risk for both goalies and position players, and (3) compare the performance of modern ML algorithms versus logistic regression (LR) analyses.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

Professional NHL player data were compiled for the years 2007 to 2017 from 2 publicly reported databases in the absence of an official NHL-approved database. Attributes acquired from each NHL player from each professional year included age, 85 performance metrics, and injury history. A total of 5 ML algorithms were created for both position player and goalie data: random forest, K Nearest Neighbors, Naïve Bayes, XGBoost, and Top 3 Ensemble. LR was also performed for both position player and goalie data. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) primarily determined validation.

Results:

Player data were generated from 2109 position players and 213 goalies. For models predicting next-season injury risk for position players, XGBoost performed the best with an AUC of 0.948, compared with an AUC of 0.937 for LR ( P < .0001). For models predicting next-season injury risk for goalies, XGBoost had the highest AUC with 0.956, compared with an AUC of 0.947 for LR ( P < .0001).

Conclusion:

Advanced ML models such as XGBoost outperformed LR and demonstrated good to excellent capability of predicting whether a publicly reportable injury is likely to occur the next season.
The Follow-Up and Well-Being of Geriatric Outpatients During COVID-19 Pandemic in Cameroon: Insights From the Yaounde Central Hospital
Authors: Ntsama Essomba Marie Josiane , Nzana Victorine , Noubiap Jean Jacques , Zingui-Ottou Marylin , Ciaffi Laura , Sobngwi Eugène , Ashuntantang Gloria
Published: September 2020

Although total confinement has not been adopted by the government of Cameroon, the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping geriatric patients out of hospital, despite a decline in their health status. In addition, the pandemic might have a significant effect on their general well-being. This study aimed to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the follow-up and well-being of older outpatients seen at geriatric consultation in Cameroon. We carried out a telephone survey of patients who did not attend an appointment at our geriatrics outpatient clinic on April 2020. Overall, 30 participants were recruited of whom 70% were female ( n = 21) with a median age of 74 years (IQR 68.8–85). Most patients (73%, n = 22) did not attend their appointment because of fear of being infected by SARS-CoV-2 at hospital. Approximately 23% ( n = 7) of participants reported a decline of their functional status since the last geriatric visit. Loss of appetite and weight loss were both reported in 30% ( n = 9) of patients. Half of participants ( n = 15) self-rated their health status as bad and three of them died in private health facilities. Strategies to ensure a continuum of care for this vulnerable population during this pandemic are highly needed in our setting.
The “Baby Moses” Law: A Case for Improving Medicolegal Education for Pediatric Trainees
Authors: Valentine Gregory C , Althouse Melissa H , Fernandes Caraciolo J
Published: September 2020

Medicolegal education is not standardized for medical student or pediatric resident trainees throughout the United States. However, trainees will inevitably face patient encounters in which knowing state and federal laws are integral in properly treating and caring for the patient. Here, we present the case of treating an abandoned infant in Texas, the Baby Moses law, and how knowing state and federal laws enhance trainees’ understanding and ability to care for their patients. We then discuss the paucity of medical literature surrounding medicolegal education curricula and the need for the development of a national curriculum on medicolegal education that starts in medical school and extends throughout residency and subspecialty training.
Improving Student Feedback Quality: A Simple Model Using Peer Review and Feedback Rubrics
Authors: Camarata Troy , Slieman Tony A
Published: September 2020

Constructive feedback is an important aspect of medical education to help students improve performance in cognitive and clinical skills assessments. However, for students to appropriately act on feedback, they must recognize quality feedback and have the opportunity to practice giving, receiving, and acting on feedback. We incorporated feedback literacy into a case-based concept mapping small group-learning course. Student groups engaged in peer review of group-constructed concept maps and provided written peer feedback. Faculty also provided written feedback on group concept maps and used a simple rubric to assess the quality of peer feedback. Groups were provided feedback on a weekly basis providing an opportunity for timely improvement. Precourse and postcourse evaluations along with peer-review feedback assessment scores were used to show improvement in both group and individual student feedback quality. Feedback quality was compared to a control student cohort that engaged in the identical course without implementing peer review or feedback assessment. Student feedback quality was significantly improved with feedback training compared to the control cohort. Furthermore, our analysis shows that this skill transferred to the quality of student feedback on course evaluations. Feedback training using a simple rubric along with opportunities to act on feedback greatly enhanced student feedback quality.
Advocacy coalitions and flood insurance: Power and policies in the Australian Natural Disaster Insurance Review
Authors: Dolk Michaela , Penning-Rowsell Edmund C
Published: September 2020

Insurance against flooding creates households and places that are protected against financial harm in the form of catastrophic losses. Contested here are questions surrounding the availability and affordability of private insurance cover, significantly affecting the lives of people in at-risk geographies by imposing costs either as insurance premiums or episodic flood damages. Policy choices and decisions (‘political/economic’) about such controversial place-based environmental/risk issues (‘spatial’) are often made “behind closed doors”. A public inquiry opens those doors, albeit briefly, so we can see “what goes on”. The Natural Disaster Insurance Review (NDIR), a public inquiry after the 2010/2011 Australian floods, was a major forum of debate about Australian flood insurance policy. We explore the intricate politics of the key advocacy coalitions involved, to understand the NDIR’s role and outcomes. Our case study methodology uses content analysis of c. 100 NDIR submissions and reports, media coverage, and insurance industry and government statements, supported by in-depth interviews with people directly involved. We show that a well-resourced and powerful coalition of insurers was the dominant advocacy coalition in the NDIR and that consumers and their at-risk communities were represented by a relatively under-resourced coalition. The primary role of the inquiry as a problem-solving process was ultimately overridden during the post-inquiry implementation phase, during which the insurance coalition was dominant. Major NDIR recommendations were not implemented, and hence key spatial/political issues that the inquiry was established to address for the benefit of those at risk remained unresolved.
Issues and Concerns of Women’s Health in India: A Case Study of Cachar, Assam
Authors: Dey Joyashri , Ramanathan Chathapuram , Dutta Subhabrata
Published: September 2020

This article discusses women patients’ level of awareness of health services and health-seeking behaviour. Further, it analyses their perceptions and experiences of services received under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). By employing a survey method, data were collected through 200 women patients from eight Block Primary Health Centres located in Cachar district. The analysis showed mixed experiences of receiving health services. Women in rural areas experience difficulties in accessing health services and low literacy levels, low awareness of services and low economic status, which further contribute to reduced access. Through the NRHM, Accredited Social Health Activist and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives were able to connect well with the community and advance women’s health. Women’s experiences at health centres warrant systematic improvements in service delivery. Additionally, these findings have implications for improving health policies, programmes and services for women in similar rural areas beyond India.
Patterns of Abuse of Women Facing Domestic Violence in Mumbai, India: The Need for Greater Awareness and Action
Authors: Bhandari Shreya
Published: September 2020

By applying Landenburger’s stages of binding, enduring, disengaging and recovering, this article explores patterns of abuse described by women in Mumbai, India. The research draws from qualitative interviews from a convenience sample of 21 abused women and highlights the circumstances and reasons that led to various patterns of abuse in their lives. The analyses revealed the following themes: (a) time and frequency of abuse; (b) turning points; (c) reverting/reconciling; and (d) abandonment. Within the framework of Landenburger’s stages, and the limitations of a small convenience sample, the current study sheds light on practice and policy implications.
Pandemic Reflections
Authors: Cox David
Published: September 2020

This pandemic has led to an emphasis on containment and treatment, even at great expense to many economies, and to the development of a vaccine. All of these are reasonably feasible in the developed world, but they are problematic in many other contexts with significant consequences already emerging. Accounts of past pandemics have highlighted significant social consequences, often mentioned in the current context but not addressed. Will some of these social and more longer-term consequences come back to haunt the West in the future? Moreover, will the developed world ensure that the developing world is able to handle all aspects of this pandemic and minimise suffering?
Probabilistic seismic risk assessment of India
Authors: Rao Anirudh , Dutta Debashish , Kalita Pratim , Ackerley Nick , Silva Vitor , Raghunandan Meera , Ghosh Jayadipta , Ghosh Siddhartha , Brzev Svetlana , Dasgupta Kaustubh
Published: September 2020

This study presents a comprehensive open probabilistic seismic risk model for India. The proposed model comprises a nationwide residential and non-residential building exposure model, a selection of analytical seismic vulnerability functions tailored for Indian building classes, and the open implementation of an existing probabilistic seismic hazard model for India. The vulnerability of the building exposure is combined with the seismic hazard using the stochastic (Monte Carlo) event-based calculator of the OpenQuake engine to estimate probabilistic seismic risk metrics such as average annual economic losses and the exceedance probability curves at the national, state, district, and subdistrict levels. The risk model and the underlying datasets, along with the risk metrics calculated at different scales, are intended to be used as tools to quantitatively assess the earthquake risk across India and also compare with other countries to develop risk-informed building design guidelines, for more careful land-use planning, to optimize earthquake insurance pricing, and to enhance general earthquake risk awareness and preparedness.
Oxycalciomicrolite, (Ca,Na)2(Ta,Nb,Ti)2O6(O,F), a new member of the microlite group (pyrochlore supergroup) from the Paleoproterozoic São João del Rei Pegmatite Province, Minas Gerais state, Brazil
Authors: Menezes da Silva Victor H.R. , Ávila Ciro A. , Neumann Reiner , Faulstich Fabiano R.L. , Alves Felipe E.A. , de Almeida Filipe B. , Cidade Tais Proença , Sousa Sarah Siqueira da Cruz Guimarães
Published: September 2020

Oxycalciomicrolite (IMA2019-110), (Ca,Na)2(Ta,Nb,Ti)2O6(O,F), is a new member of microlite-group mineral found in the saprolite of the weathered Fumal pegmatite, located close to the city of Nazareno, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. It occurs as an accessory mineral associated with quartz, albite, microcline, muscovite, columbite-subgroup minerals, cassiterite, hematite, ilmenite, monazite-(Ce), xenotime-(Y), zircon, beryl, spinel, epidote and garnet-group minerals. Oxycalciomicrolite is found as octahedral crystals, occasionally modified to rhombododecahedra, ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 mm in size. The crystals are brownish-yellow to brownish-red and translucent, with white streak and vitreous to resinous lustre. The tenacity is brittle, with a Mohs hardness of 5–5½. Cleavage and parting are not observed; the fracture is conchoidal. Electron microprobe analysis, Raman and infrared spectroscopies and X-ray powder diffraction were applied to characterise this mineral. Oxycalciomicrolite is isotropic, ncalc. = 2.037, and the calculated density is 6.333 g/cm3. The composition is (Ca1.57□0.26Na0.06Sn0.03Sr0.03U0.02Mn0.02Fe0.01Ce0.01)∑2.00(Ta1.79Nb0.18Ti0.03)∑2.00O6.00[O0.64F0.19□0.17]∑1.00 analysed by electron microprobe using wavelength dispersive spectrometry. The unit-cell parameters obtained by Pawley fitting from powder X-ray diffraction data are a = 10.4325(4) Å and V = 1135.46(14) Å3 with Z = 8.
Age-dependent and radial sectional differences in the dynamic viscoelastic properties of bamboo culms and their possible relationship with the lignin structures
Authors: Okahisa Yoko , Kojiro Keisuke , Ashiya Hatsuki , Tomita Takeru , Furuta Yuzo , Yamamura Masaomi , Umezawa Toshiaki
Published: September 2020

Age is an important factor that dictates bamboo’s mechanical properties. In Japan, bamboo plants aged 3–5 years are selected for use as materials because of their robustness and decorative or craft-friendly characteristics. In this study, the age-dependent and radial sectional differences in bamboo’s dynamic viscoelastic properties in relation to lignin structural variation, were evaluated. We usedPhyllostachys pubescenssamples at the current year and at 1.5, 3.5, 6.5, 9.5, 12.5, and 15.5 years of age. There was a clear age dependence in the peak temperature of tanδand in the yield of thioacidolysis products derived fromβ-O-4 lignin structures. The highest peak temperature tanδvalue was detected in 3.5-year-old bamboo, which contained the highest amount of the thioacidolysis products. Moreover, tanδ’s peak temperature was always higher on the outer side, and the ratio of S/G thioacidolysis products was always higher on the inner side of bamboo plants of all ages. These results suggest that changes in bamboo’s thermal softening properties from aging are caused by the maturation and degradation of lignin in bamboo.