bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grid Mapping Catheter for Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation
Authors: Okubo Kenji , Frontera Antonio , Bisceglia Caterina , Paglino Gabriele , Radinovic Andrea , Foppoli Luca , Calore Federico , Della Bella Paolo
Published: September 2019

Background:

A new grid mapping catheter (GMC)—allowing for bipolar recordings of the electrograms in each orthogonal direction—became available. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the utility of the GMC in creating substrate and ventricular tachycardia (VT) activation maps during VT ablation procedures.

Methods:

From December 2017 to July 2018, 41 consecutive patients undergoing a VT ablation procedure using a GMC were studied. During the substrate mapping, 3 different maps were created using the 3 GMC bipolar configurations (along the spline, across the spline, HD wave solution); the low voltage area and late potential areas were compared. In case of inducible VTs, the GMC was used to create the VT activation maps focusing on the diastolic interval. The relation between diastolic activities during VT and substrate abnormality during sinus rhythm was also investigated.

Results:

The median low-voltage area drawn by the HD wave configuration was 28.9 cm
2
, 13% and 15% smaller than the low-voltage areas identified by the along and across configuration, respectively (33.1 and 33.9 cm
2
;
P
<0.0001). The late potential areas obtained with the 3 GMC configuration did not differ (
P
>0.05). VT activation mappings using the GMC were performed in 40 VTs, visualizing the full diastolic pathway in 22 (55%) of them. While the latest late potential areas were included in VT diastolic pathway in 17 VTs, the other 6 VTs showed mismatching of them. Identifying the full diastolic pathway led to a higher ongoing VT termination rate during the ablation than in case of partial recordings (88% versus 45%;
P
=0.03); furthermore, in the former situation, the noninducibility of the targeted VTs was achieved in all cases.

Conclusions:

The GMC is a useful tool for performing substrate and VT activation mappings during the VT ablation procedure, precisely identifying the low-voltage areas and quickly visualizing the diastolic pathways.
Duration of Heart Failure and Effect of Defibrillator Implantation in Patients With Nonischemic Systolic Heart Failure
Authors: Elming Marie Bayer , Thøgersen Anna M. , Videbæk Lars , Bruun Niels E. , Eiskjær Hans , Haarbo Jens , Egstrup Kenneth , Gustafsson Finn , Hastrup Svendsen Jesper , Høfsten Dan E. , Pehrson Steen , Nielsen Jens C. , Køber Lars , Jakob Thune Jens
Published: September 2019

Background:

Patients with nonischemic systolic heart failure (HF) have increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and death from progressive pump failure. Whether the risk of SCD changes over time is unknown. We seek here to investigate the relation between duration of HF, mode of death, and effect of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation.

Methods and Results:

We examined the risk of all-cause death and SCD according to the duration of HF among patients with nonischemic systolic HF enrolled in the DANISH (Danish Study to Assess the Efficacy of ICDs in Patients with Non-ischemic Systolic Heart Failure on Mortality). In all, 1116 patients were included. Patients were divided according to quartiles of HF duration (≤8, 9≤18, 19≤65, and ≥66 months). Patients with the longest duration of HF were older, more often men, had more comorbidity, and more often received a cardiac resynchronization therapy device. Doubling of HF duration was an independent predictor of both all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.27; 95% CI, 1.17–1.38;
P
<0.0001), and SCD (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.11–1.50;
P
=0.0007). The proportion of deaths caused by SCD was not different between HF quartiles (
P
=0.91), and the effect of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation on all-cause mortality was not modified by the duration of HF (
P
=0.59).

Conclusions:

Duration of HF predicted both all-cause mortality and risk of SCD independently of other risk indicators. However, the proportion of death caused by SCD did not change with longer duration of HF, and the effect of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was not modified by the duration of HF.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00542945.
Global Value Chains and Employment Growth in Asia
Authors: Foster-McGregor Neil
Published: September 2019

This paper considers the sources of employment demand in Asian economies. Using data from the World–Input Output Database, I examine the relative importance of domestic and foreign demand in generating employment. Despite some degree of heterogeneity across the sample, domestic demand is found to be the major driver of employment in all cases. Further, the relative importance of final and intermediate exports in generating employment varies by economy, with some economies relying on intermediate exports to generate employment to a greater extent than others, reflecting their importance as suppliers of intermediate inputs in global value chains, while others rely to a greater extent on final exports, reflecting their role as assemblers within global value chains. Considering developments over time, I find that employment is driven by two offsetting factors: (i) final demand (either domestic or foreign) and (ii) labor productivity, with changes in interindustry structure also being important in the case of intermediate exports.
The View from the Monasteries: Taxes, Muslims and Converts in the “Pseudepigrapha” from Middle Egypt
Authors: Palombo Cecilia
Published: September 2019

This paper analyzes a group of homilies composed in Middle Egypt around the early ninth century CE by monastic leaders who had to cope with unsettling changes in local politics and society. The corpus deals with issues of taxation, economic distress and conversion to Islam in subtle and indirect ways, showing the inside perspective of Christian leaders on developments on which we are informed primarily from documentary papyri and historical works. It highlights the view of a certain segment of Egyptian Christianity on Islam and ongoing processes of Islamization, adding to the better-known literary sources from the area of Alexandria, and revealing the existence of internal tensions within the monastic world.
Abraham Ibn Ezra as the Translator of Astrological and Astronomical Texts from Arabic into Hebrew: Sources and Methods
Authors: Sela Shlomo
Published: September 2019

Abraham Ibn Ezra (ca. 1089–ca. 1161) was born in Muslim Spain, but his extensive scientific corpus, dealing mainly with astrology and astronomy, was composed in Latin Europe and written almost exclusively in Hebrew. Recent work on Reshit Ḥokhmah (Beginning of Wisdom), an introduction to astrology that is considered to be the zenith of Ibn Ezra’s astrological work, revealed that at least one-fourth of this text consists of translations or close paraphrases from identifiable and available Arabic astrological and astronomical texts. Relying on these findings, this paper identifies the Arabic texts Ibn Ezra drew on, shows where their Hebrew translations were incorporated into Reshit Ḥokhmah, and then scrutinizes his translation methods.
El discurso anti-islámico castellano: de disputa teológica a cimiento del proyecto universalista carolino (1460–1530)
Authors: Cavallero Constanza
Published: September 2019

From a comparative perspective, I will study two anti-Islamic Castilian writings produced during the period of the transition between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era: Alonso de Espina’s Fortalitium fidei (1460) and Gonzalo de Arredondo’s Castillo inexpugnable defensorio de la fe (1528). This study compares the terms in which each of these works addresses (a) the confrontation with Islam, (b) dissensions within Christianity, and (c) the king’s role in the midst of those conflicts. The contrastive approach to these analogous works, which were written almost seven decades apart, will allow an analysis of two different articulations of anti-Saracen Christian discourse in Spain, both before and after some key milestones in European history. These different perceptions of Islam had an impact on the conception of Christianity and Europe itself at the very beginning of the early modern period.
EU Citizens, Residence Rights and Solidarity in the Post-Dano/Alimanovic Era in Germany
Authors: Devetzi Stamatia
Published: September 2019

The Dano and Alimanovic decisions of the ECJ have triggered various developments in German social security law and (social) court jurisprudence. While the German courts’ rulings regarding the rights of non-active EU migrants still vary, the legislator has moved towards excluding more EU citizens from receiving non-contributory benefits. In the aftermath of Dano and, more specifically, Alimanovic, the provisions of Book II of the German Social Code were revised at the end of 2016. The new rules not only ‘confirm’ the ECJ-decisions, but also go beyond, as far as to exclude EU migrants who have residence rights according to Reg. (EU) No. 492/2011.

This article discusses these recent developments. It focuses on the ECJ-case law regarding Art. 10 of Reg. (EU) No. 492/2011 (former Art. 12 of Reg. 1612/68), in particular the Ibrahim and Teixeira rulings. Which residence rights do prevail—those according to Dir. 2004/38/EC or those based on Reg. (EU) No. 492/2011? It is argued that a new discussion on the interrelation between Dir. 2004/38/EC and Reg. (EU) No. 492/2011—an aspect ignored by the German legislator—is emerging: What started as a restriction of access to national welfare for economically non-active persons has obviously reached the ‘economically active’ (= workers) as well. The German example shows that Member States may be testing which other residence rights—in addition to those for short stays and job searches—might be valid before the ECJ ‘as residence rights without social rights’.
EU Citizens, Foreign Family Members and European Union Law
Authors: Guild Elspeth
Published: September 2019

While international human rights law enshrines family life as a cornerstone of society, when it intersects with migration, issues and problems arise in countries where migration is high on the political agenda. This is true in a number of EU states. Both EU law and European human rights commitments, however, require states to provide for family reunification subject to a margin of discretion to the state. While family reunification for refugees and beneficiaries of international protection has been at the top of some political agendas in Europe, this article looks at family reunification (generally known as family reunion) for another group—nationals of the Member States. In particular it poses two questions: do EU Member States accept their own nationals to come back to their home state with third country national family members they have acquired while abroad? Secondly, to what extent do EU Member States discriminate against their own nationals in comparison with the generous EU rules of family reunion for nationals of other Member States who have exercised a free movement right in their country. This article is based on reports by experts from all EU Member States in light of the 2014 judgment in O & B (C-456/12) by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The Role of Travaux in Interpreting BIT Provisions: Are Tribunals Over-Prepared to Resort to Preparatory Works?
Authors: Panjwani Pratyush
Published: September 2019

While multilateral investment treaties have formed the centrepiece of much academic discourse, an uncharacteristic literary silence has eclipsed the issue of interpretation of bilateral investment treaties under the scheme of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT). This article travels this untraversed territory by revisiting the basics of the principles encapsulated in the hierarchical set-up of Articles 31 and 32 VCLT, and juxtaposing this foundational set-up against its frequent oversights by investment tribunals. These oversights are exemplified by the divergent interpretative analyses afforded to umbrella and most-favoured-nation clauses, and emanate from a premature resort to the travaux préparatoires of investment treaties under Article 32 VCLT. Ultimately, the article argues that a proper application of the VCLT would go a long way in eliminating the contradictions tainting the understanding of the aforesaid clauses.
Distribution and ecology of myxomycetes on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

Authors: STEPHENSON STEVEN L. , STEPHENSON BARBARA C.
Published: September 2019

A survey for myxomycetes was carried out on Christmas Island in May 2017. Specimens included those that had fruited in the field under natural conditions and those appearing in moist chamber cultures prepared with samples of dead plant material collected on the island. Fifty-nine species in 18 genera were recorded. Hemitrichia serpula was the most common species represented among field collections, whereas Arcyria cinerea, Diderma effusum, Lamproderma scintillans, Didymium squamulosum, Diderma hemisphericum and Diachea leucopodia were recorded the most often in moist chamber cultures. These new records bring the total number of species of myxomycetes known from Christmas Island to 68 species in 22 genera. The distribution and ecology of these species in relation to the various substrates available to them are discussed.
Two new species of the genus Reticuluma Cheng & Li (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Penthimiini) from China
Authors: WANG DONGMING , ZHANG YALIN
Published: September 2019

Two new species of the leafhopper genus Reticuluma: R. lageniformia and R. hamata spp. nov., are described and illustrated from China. A checklist and a key to the known species of Reticuluma are provided.
Redescription of Astyanax gymnogenys Eigenmann, 1911 (Characiformes: Characidae), a senior synonym of Astyanax longirhinus Garavello & Sampaio, 2010
Authors: OLIVEIRA CARLOS ALEXANDRE MIRANDA , BERTACO VINÍCIUS ARAÚJO , DA GRAÇA WEFERSON JÚNIO , PAVANELLI CARLA SIMONE
Published: September 2019

Astyanax gymnogenys Eigenmann was described from the middle rio Iguaçu basin, based on two specimens and A. longirhinus Garavello & Sampaio was described from the upper, middle and lower rio Iguaçu, based on several specimens. Due to their morphological similarity, including overlapping diagnostic characters between the two nominal species, allied to their occurrence in the same basin, doubts of their validity as independent taxa emerged. The validity of both taxa was analysed through the examination of type-material of both nominal species and additional material from the rio Iguaçu basin. The present study failed to support the recognition of A. longirhinus as a valid species and consequently, the latter species is herein considered a junior synonym of A. gymnogenys. The type-series of A. longirhinus was found to be composed of several Astyanax species. Astyanax gymnogenys can be differentiated from its congeners occurring at the rio Iguaçu basin by a combination of characters, including presence of vertically-elongated dark humeral blotch, margin of the third infraorbital distant from the margin of preopercle, leaving a broad naked area between these bones more than 25% of the depth of third infraorbital, body deepest at dorsal-fin origin or slightly ahead, and seven to 10 gill rakers on lower arch. We also examined all paratypes of A. scabripinnis paranae from the rio Iguaçu and conclude that they are not conspecific with the holotype, and consequently, that the species does not occur in the rio Iguaçu basin.
First record of Hylophasma Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae) from Palaearctic region
Authors: WANG XI-NAN , LI TAO , SHENG MAO-LING
Published: September 2019

A new species of Cryptinae, Hylophasma luica Sheng, Li & Wang, sp.n., collected from Shandong Province, in the southern border of the Eastern Palaearctic Region of China, is described and illustrated. The new species is placed within the existing key to species.
Intraseasonal Variability of the Diurnal Cycle of Precipitation in the Philippines
Authors: Natoli Michael B. , Maloney Eric D.
Published: September 2019

Precipitation in the region surrounding the South China Sea over land and coastal waters exhibits a strong diurnal cycle associated with a land–sea temperature contrast that drives a sea-breeze circulation. The boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) is an important modulator of diurnal precipitation patterns, an understanding of which is a primary goal of the field campaign Propagation of Intraseasonal Tropical Oscillations (PISTON). Using 21 years of CMORPH precipitation for Luzon Island in the northern Philippines, it is shown that the diurnal cycle amplitude is generally maximized over land roughly 1 week before the arrival of the broader oceanic convective envelope associated with the BSISO. A strong diurnal cycle in coastal waters is observed in the transition from the inactive to active phase, associated with offshore propagation of the diurnal cycle. The diurnal cycle amplitude is in phase with daily mean precipitation over Mindanao but is nearly out of phase over Luzon. The BSISO influence on the diurnal cycle on the eastern side of topography is nearly opposite to that on the western side. Using wind, moisture, and radiation products from the ERA5 reanalysis, it is proposed that the enhanced diurnal cycle west of the mountains during BSISO suppressed phases is related to increased insolation and weaker prevailing onshore winds that promote a stronger sea-breeze circulation when compared with the May–October mean state. Offshore propagation is suppressed until ambient midlevel moisture increases over the surrounding oceans during the transition to the active BSISO phase. In BSISO enhanced phases, strong low-level winds and increased cloudiness suppress the sea-breeze circulation.
Evapotranspiration Reconstruction Based on Land Surface Models and Observed Water Budget Components While Considering Irrigation
Authors: Lv Meixia , Ma Zhuguo , Chen Liang , Peng Shaoming
Published: September 2019

The accurate estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) is essential for understanding the land surface–atmosphere interaction; however, current ET products have large uncertainties, and irrigation effects on ET are not well represented. In this study, the monthly ET was reconstructed (ETrecon) from GLDAS land surface models (LSMs) over the Yellow River basin of China, which was achieved by using observation-based precipitation, naturalized streamflow, and downscaled consumed irrigation water from the census annual data via an irrigation scheme. The results showed that the monthly ETrecon series were generally improved relative to the original LSM-based ET, with improvements in the correlation coefficient, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, mean absolute error, and root-mean-square error by 0.6%–1.8%, 1.2%–14.6%, 1.3%–21.0%, and 2.1%–20.4%, respectively. The ETrecon results were also superior to the collected ET synthesis products in terms of statistics, with generally higher peak values occurring in ETrecon. Regarding the annual time scale, the ETrecon values were close to the water balance ET values, which have been widely used as benchmark data. The interannual variability in ETrecon was good overall and was associated with the LSM precipitation variability and partitioning of precipitation into ET and runoff. The reconstruction method can provide an alternative ET estimate for other river basins. This study will also be valuable for studies and applications in climate change evaluation, drought assessment, and water resources management.
A Sea Trial of Air-Lift Concept Artificial Upwelling in the East China Sea
Authors: Pan Yiwen , Li Yifan , Fan Wei , Zhang Dahai , Qiang Yongfa , Jiang Zong-Pei , Chen Ying
Published: September 2019

Artificial upwelling (AU), as one of the geoengineering tools, has received worldwide attention because of its potential ability to actualize ocean fertilization in a sustainable way. The severe challenges of AU are the design and fabrication of a technologically robust device with structural longevity that can maintain the function in the variable and complex hydrodynamics of the upper ocean. In this work, a sea trial of an air-lift concept AU system driven by self-powered energy was carried out in the East China Sea (ECS; 30°8′14″N, 122°44′59″E) to assess the logistics of at-sea deployment and the durability of the equipment under extremely complex hydrodynamic conditions from 3 to 7 September 2014. Seawater below the thermocline layer was measured to be uplifted from approximately 30 m to the euphotic layer with a volumetric upwelling rate of 155.43 m3 h−1 and total inputs of 2.8 mol h−1 NO3−, 0.15 mol h−1 PO43−, and 4.41 mol h−1 SiO43−. A plume formed by cold, saline deep ocean water (DOW) was tracked by a drifting buoy system with a mixing ratio of 37%–51% DOW at the depth of 18–22 m, which conforms to the simulation results. During the AU’s application, disturbance in the vertical hydrological structure could be observed. However, diatom (Skeletonema costatum) blooming from somewhere in the outer ECS floated to the sea trial region on the second day after the AU’s application, which makes it hard to strip off the biochemical effects of AU from the effects of S. costatum bloom.
Rebuilding Labor Power in the Postindustrial United States
Authors: Schrank Andrew
Published: September 2019

Workers in the United States have lost their voice (or influence) in Washington and the workplace. Industrial unions are ill-suited to the postindustrial economy, and alternative organs of representation and influence (i.e., “alt-labor”) are trapped in a vicious circle of vulnerability and volatility that limits their likely growth. As a result of this, power is increasingly skewed toward employers and their political allies, who add to labor’s difficulties by eliminating and evading remaining labor protections. The federal government could help to restore a balance of power between workers and employers by establishing and enforcing a robust wage floor: (1) a $15 an hour minimum wage, (2) a nationwide hotline for workers who believe that their rights had been violated (“911 for workers”), and (3) a database that would allow regulatory agencies and worker organizations to rationalize and coordinate labor and employment law efforts. Doing so would produce a positive feedback loop so workers regain their voice on the job and in politics.
Policy Feedback in an Age of Polarization
Authors: Hacker Jacob S. , Pierson Paul
Published: September 2019

A large body of research has explored how policies, once enacted, reshape public opinion, governing institutions, and political organizations—a process known as “policy feedback.” Yet this productive research agenda has yet to be translated into practical recommendations of the sort regularly provided by other social science research. This volume of The ANNALS presents the findings of a major collective effort to do just this. The Policy Feedback Project (PFP) is an effort to develop research-backed arguments about how policy feedback might be harnessed to address collective problems in today’s age of partisan polarization and economic inequality. This article orients readers to our collective approach and summarizes some of the contributing authors’ findings. In particular, we show how the feedback effects of policies could be used to (1) tackle long-standing public problems that have resisted effective responses, (2) increase the long-term durability of policy initiatives designed to address these problems, and (3) build political momentum and power to facilitate the adaptation and expansion of these initiatives over time.
Analytic solution of angle-ply laminated plates under extension, bending, and torsion
Authors: Ju Shen-Haw , Liang Wen-Yu , Hsu Hsin-Hsiang , Tarn Jiann-Quo
Published: September 2019

This paper develops a Hamiltonian state space approach for analytic determination of deformation and stress fields in multilayered monoclinic angle-ply laminates under the combined action of extension, bending, and torsion. The present solution satisfies the equations of anisotropic elasticity, the end conditions, the traction-free boundary conditions on the four edge surfaces of the rectangular section, and the interfacial continuity conditions in multilayered laminates. The proposed method only requires the solutions of matrix and eigen equations, regardless of the number or lamination of the layers. The finite element analyses are used to validate the accuracy of the analysis. The analytical solution and the numerical solutions are in excellent agreement.
Rhinosinusitis in Pediatric Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: Impact of Disease
Authors: Bhatt Jay M. , Muhonen Ethan G. , Meier Maxene , Sagel Scott D. , Chan Kenny H.
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetic disorder characterized by abnormal respiratory cilia ultrastructure and/or function causing defective mucociliary clearance. We investigated the extent and severity of rhinosinusitis in a large cohort of children with PCD and explored associations among risk factors, including genotype and sinus disease.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Setting

Tertiary academic children’s hospital.

Subjects and Methods

A review was conducted with a patient registry at the PCD Foundation Center at our institution. Demographic, imaging, clinical, and operative data were reviewed through the institutional electronic health record system.

Results

Fifty‐four subjects were identified with mean and median age at diagnosis of 5.2 and 4.0 years. The male:female ratio was 35%:65%. Sinus symptoms were present in 46 (85%) subjects, 22 of whom had chronic rhinosinusitis. Nineteen (35%) subjects underwent operative intervention, consisting of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS; 16 patients) and maxillary lavage (3 patients). Nineteen subjects underwent adenoidectomy for PCD‐related indications. Five sinus‐related admissions in 3 subjects were noted during the study period, and no complication of rhinosinusitis occurred in the cohort. Genetic test results were available in 27 subjects, in whom 23 (85%) had biallelic mutations in a PCD gene. Demographic factors, Lund‐Mackay score, and PCD genotype were not found to be predictors for ESS or hospitalization in our cohort.

Conclusion

While rhinosinusitis was common in our PCD cohort, most patients did not require ESS. Since complications of rhinosinusitis were uncommon, we recommend judicious surgical management tailored to the patient’s symptoms.
Book review: Upinder Singh, Political Violence in Ancient India
Authors: Roy Kumkum
Published: September 2019

Upinder Singh, Political Violence in Ancient India, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2017, xviii + 598 pp., ₹999.
Hypocaloric, plant-based oatmeal interventions in the treatment of poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes: A review
Authors: Storz Maximilian Andreas , Küster Onno
Published: September 2019

Background:

Lifestyle interventions, including dietary modifications, play a key role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. By the second half of the last century, dietary oatmeal interventions had frequently been used in patients with diabetes; however, with the widespread introduction of insulin, this practice gradually fell into disuse. Within the last decades, the original oatmeal intervention, first described in 1903, has been modified towards a hypocaloric, low-fat, and plant-based intervention.

Aim:

The aim of this review was to investigate the current role of these adapted short-term dietary oatmeal interventions in the treatment of patients suffering from poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes. A special focus was put on opportunities for and barriers to its clinical implementation and its potential mechanisms of action.

Methods:

The electronic databases of PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using the keywords “oat,” “oats,” “oatmeal,” and “diabetes.”

Results:

While there are a limited number of clinical studies including hypocaloric short-term dietary oatmeal interventions, there is evidence that these interventions may lead to a significant decrease in mean blood glucose levels and a significant reduction of insulin dosage in patients suffering from poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion:

Modified short-term dietary oatmeal interventions are an effective and economical tool in the treatment of patients suffering from poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes.
Addressing the “Bias Gap”: A Research-Driven Argument for Critical Support of Plurilingual Scientists’ Research Writing
Authors: Corcoran James
Published: September 2019

This article outlines findings from a case study investigating attitudes toward English as the dominant language of scientific research writing. Survey and interview data were collected from 55 Latin American health and life scientists and 7 North American scientific journal editors connected to an intensive scholarly writing for publication course. Study findings point to competing perceptions (scientists vs. editors) of fairness in the adjudication of Latin American scientists’ research at international scientific journals. Adopting a critical, plurilingual lens, I argue that these findings demand a space for more equity-driven pedagogies, policies, and reflective practices aimed at supporting the robust participation of plurilingual scientists who use English as an additional language (EAL). In particular, if equity is indeed a shared goal, there is a clear need for commitment to ongoing critical self-reflection on the part of scientific journal gatekeepers and research writing support specialists.
Disparities in Pediatric Epilepsy Remission Are Associated With Race and Ethnicity
Authors: Gregerson Celestine H. Yeung , Bakian Amanda V. , Wilkes Jacob , Knighton Andrew J. , Nkoy Flory , Sweney Matthew , Filloux Francis M. , Bonkowsky Joshua L.
Published: September 2019

Objective:

The purpose of our study was to assess whether race/ethnicity was associated with seizure remission in pediatric epilepsy.

Methods:

This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of children who were evaluated for new-onset epilepsy in the clinic, emergency department, and/or hospital by a pediatric neurologist in an integrated health care delivery system. Children were between ages 6 months and 15 years at their initial presentation of epilepsy. The cohort, identified through an electronic database, was assembled over 6 years, with no less than 5 years of follow-up. All children were evaluated for race, ethnicity, insurance type, and socioeconomic background. Patient outcome was determined at the conclusion of the study period and categorized according to their epilepsy control as either drug resistant (pharmacoresistant and intractable) or drug responsive (controlled, probable remission, and terminal remission).

Results:

In the final cohort of 776 patients, 63% were drug responsive (control or seizure remission). After controlling for confounding socioeconomic and demographic factors, children of Hispanic ethnicity experienced reduced likelihood (hazard) of drug-responsive epilepsy (hazard ratio 0.6, P < .001), and had longer median time to remission (8 years; 95% CI 5.9-9.6 years) compared to white non-Hispanic patients (5.6 years; 95% CI 4.9-6.1 years). Among Hispanic patients, higher health care costs were associated with reduced likelihood of drug responsiveness.

Significance:

We found that Hispanic ethnicity is associated with a reduced likelihood of achieving seizure control and remission. This study suggests that factors associated with the race/ethnicity of patients contributes to their likelihood of achieving seizure freedom.
Acute Neuromuscular Disorders in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Harrar Dana B. , Darras Basil T. , Ghosh Partha S.
Published: September 2019

Background:

The neuromuscular disorders encountered in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) encompass a broad spectrum of pathologies. These include acute disorders (eg, Guillain-Barre syndrome), acute-on-chronic disorders (eg, myasthenia gravis), progressive disorders (eg, muscular dystrophy), and disorders that develop in the PICU (eg, critical illness myopathy/polyneuropathy). Familiarity with the presenting features of these disorders is of paramount importance in facilitating timely diagnosis.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of patients admitted to the PICU or Intermediate Care Program (ICP) at a single tertiary children’s hospital from 2006 to 2017 with an acute or acute-on-chronic neuromuscular disorder. We did not include patients with a known progressive neuromuscular disorder or critical illness myopathy/polyneuropathy.

Results:

Twenty-four patients were admitted to the PICU/ICP with acute or acute-on-chronic neuromuscular disorders. Diagnosis and indication for ICU/ICP admission were Guillain-Barre syndrome (n = 6; respiratory failure: 3, respiratory monitoring: 2, autonomic instability: 1), myasthenia gravis (n = 5; airway clearance: 3, respiratory failure: 2), acute flaccid myelitis (n = 3; respiratory failure: 2, respiratory monitoring: 1), periodic paralysis (n = 3; intravenous potassium replacement), rhabdomyolysis (n = 3; monitoring for electrolyte derangements), infant botulism (n = 2; respiratory failure), chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy (n = 1; respiratory failure), and congenital myasthenic syndrome (n = 1; apnea). No patients were admitted to the PICU/ICP with a diagnosis of tick paralysis, acute intermittent porphyria, or inflammatory myopathy.

Conclusions:

Although acute and acute-on-chronic neuromuscular disorders are encountered relatively rarely in the PICU, familiarity with the presenting features of these disorders is important in facilitating timely diagnosis. This, in turn, enables the institution of effective management strategies, thereby avoiding complications associated with diagnostic delays.
Childbirth Distress: A Call for Professional Engagement
Authors: MacDougall Christiana
Published: September 2019

Among women who give birth, roughly half describe their birth experiences as traumatic. Childbirth trauma is a topic of growing global interest for health and mental health professions. However, social work remains peripheral in this emerging area of scholarship and practice. This article presents a portion of findings from recent feminist narrative social work research exploring women’s narratives of their experiences of emotional distress in childbirth to illustrate the need for increased professional engagement with this important social issue. Analysis of participants’ narratives illustrates how Foucault’s discourse and power/knowledge can be useful in understanding the subtle social forces that shape birth experiences which may result in emotional distress. In this article, I argue the topic of childbirth distress falls within the reproductive rights framework and should be of importance to social workers. The findings presented below are discussed in the context of the International Federation of Social Workers’ ethical principles and its policy statement on women to support this position.
Prognostic value of Osteopontin (SPP1) in colorectal carcinoma requires a personalized molecular approach
Authors: Assidi Mourad , Gomaa Wafaey , Jafri Mohammad , Hanbazazh Mehenaz , Al-Ahwal Mahmoud , Pushparaj Peter , Al-Harbi Asia , Al-Qahtani Mohammed , Buhmeida Abdelbaset , Al-Maghrabi Jaudah
Published: September 2019

Stratification of colorectal cancer for better management and tangible clinical outcomes is lacking in clinical practice. To reach this goal, the identification of reliable biomarker(s) is a prerequisite to deliver personalized colorectal cancer theranostics. Osteopontin (SPP1) is a key extracellular matrix protein involved in several pathophysiological processes including cancer progression and metastasis. However, the exact molecular mechanisms regulating its expression, localization, and molecular functions in cancer are still poorly understood. This study was designed to investigate the SPP1 expression profiles in Saudi colorectal cancer patients, and to assess its prognostic value. Hundred thirty-four (134) archival paraffin blocks of colorectal cancer were collected from King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia. Tissue microarrays were constructed, and automated immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate SPP1 protein expression patterns in colorectal cancer. About 20% and 23% of our colorectal cancer samples showed high SPP1 cytoplasmic and nuclear expression patterns, respectively. Cytoplasmic SPP1 did not correlate with age, gender, tumor size, and location. However, significant correlations were observed with tumor grade ( p = 0.008), tumor invasion ( p = 0.01), and distant metastasis ( p = 0.04). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed a significantly lower recurrence rate in patients with higher SPP1 cytoplasmic expression ( p = 0.05). At multivariate analysis, high SPP1 cytoplasmic expression was an independent favorable prognostic marker ( p = 0.02). However, nuclear SPP1 expression did not show any prognostic value ( p = 0.712). Our results showed a particular SPP1 prognostic relevance that is not in line with most colorectal cancer previous studies that may be attributed to the molecular pathophysiology of our colorectal cancer cohort. Saudi Arabia has both specific genomic makeup and particular environment that could lead to distinctive molecular roots of cancer. SPP1 has several isoforms, tissue localizations and molecular functions, signaling pathways, and downstream molecular functions. Therefore, a more individualized approach for CRC studies and particularly SPP1 prognosis outcomes’ assessment is highly recommended toward precision oncology.
Evaluation of cardiomyopathy in acute myeloid leukemia patients treated with anthracyclines
Authors: Mort Meredith K , Sen Jeremy M , Morris Amy L , DeGregory Kathlene A , McLoughlin Erin M , Mort Joseph F , Dunn Steven P , Abuannadi Mohammad , Keng Michael K
Published: September 2019

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia patients receive anthracycline-containing induction chemotherapy. Anthracyclines cause cardiotoxicity; however, there is a paucity of data reflecting the risk of cardiotoxicity in the acute myeloid leukemia population, and risk factors for development of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction are not well established in this population.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of adult acute myeloid leukemia patients receiving anthracycline-containing induction chemotherapy between March 2011 and August 2017 was performed. Baseline and all additional cardiac monitoring within one year of induction were collected. Home medications and new medication initiation were determined via the electronic health record and new outpatient prescriptions.

Results

Of 97 evaluable patients, 25 (25.8%) developed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and 18 (18.6%) experienced clinical heart failure within one year of induction. The median difference from baseline to lowest left ventricular ejection fraction was −5.0 percentage points, with a range of +10.0 to −52.5. The median time to onset of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction was 27 days, at a median cumulative anthracycline dose of 270 mg/m2. No patient-specific or medication-specific factors were significantly associated with the risk of developing reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Of 14 patients started on medical management for reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, 10 (71%) responded to therapy.

Conclusions

In this retrospective analysis, we observed that acute myeloid leukemia patients experienced reduced left ventricular ejection fraction more quickly and at lower doses than previously reported in the solid tumor population. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction was at least partially reversible in most patients started on medical management. Although no factors were significantly associated with decreased cardiomyopathy risk, future assessment of cardioprotective medications may be warranted.
Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for the Diagnosis of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in a Living Patient
Authors: Reddy Vikas D , Hamed Almutasem , Settipalle Neesha , Jande Suraj , Rahman Sabih , Szabella Marie E , Boghossian Jack
Published: September 2019

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is the most common prion disease in humans with an incidence of one case per million inhabitants worldwide. The sporadic form of CJD (sCJD) is spontaneous and accounts for 85% of cases. Its symptoms include rapidly progressive dementia, ataxic gait, personality changes, myoclonus, coma, and eventually death. The challenging diagnosis is currently made by a combination of clinical criteria and supporting tests such as electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies. These modalities can be falsely positive or negative in some cases. Therefore, true confirmation usually requires a postmortem brain biopsy. We present a case of a 58-year-old woman who was diagnosed with sporadic form CJD by the novel Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. It is based on an ultrasensitive detection of the pathogenic prion protein in the CSF that directly detects a prion protein rather than a surrogate marker of neurodegeneration such as 14-3-3 or tau protein. The RT-QuIC assay has emerged as the most sensitive and specific CSF study to accurately diagnose sCJD in a living patient, without the need for invasive brain biopsy. The emergence of the nasal brushing RT-QuIC assay may further revolutionize the future of combating prion diseases.
Treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae-Induced Rash and Mucositis With Cyclosporine
Authors: Li Heidi Oi-Yee , Colantonio Sophia , Ramien Michele L.
Published: September 2019

Background

Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM) is a relatively newly recognized clinical entity that typically presents with predominant mucositis accompanied by variable cutaneous involvement 7-9 days after the onset of prodromal symptoms. There are no evidence-based guidelines for treatment, and current standards of care may include supportive therapy, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and intravenous immunoglobulin .

Objective

This case series aims to describe the potential efficacy of cyclosporine A (CsA) in the treatment of MIRM.

Methods

The present case series details our use of CsA early in the course of MIRM in 3 pediatric patients.

Results

Rapid clinical resolution was observed following CsA therapy.

Conclusions

We suggest that early initiation of CsA may be an effective therapeutic option for MIRM.
Edible communities: How Singapore creates a nation of consumers for consumption
Authors: Duffy Andrew , Hui Xian Ginnette Ng
Published: September 2019

Scholars have noted the power of state-led discourse to create a national identity as an imagined community and have explicitly linked food to state-orchestrated narratives of nationhood. Others have described how a nation is constructed and maintained through everyday ‘banal nationalism’. This article combines the two to observe how state-led and everyday nationalisms are combined into a national promotional food narrative in order to attract travellers and the economic benefits they bring. Through thematic content analysis of all the food-related texts on the Singapore Tourism Board’s website this article uncovers dominant ideologies shaping tourism strategies aimed at driving consumption. Contrasting themes of heritage and innovation, unity and diversity, and local and international in food culture are presented to visitors, at the same time as defining the local people as consumers to further stimulate consumption. These findings drive analysis of how consumption may be depicted in a way that amounts to state-sponsored ingestion of a country and its people.
Warmth portrayals to recruit students into science majors
Authors: Zahry Nagwan R , Besley John C
Published: September 2019

Negative perception of scientists is disquieting for the future of science and US economic and scientific competitiveness. Drawing on studies suggesting that warmth guides people’s judgments of social groups and professions, this study aims to communicate the interpersonal warmth of scientists using two non-verbal behaviors, namely, smiling and collaboration. Building on the visual communication literature, posters were used in a 2 x 2 x 3 within-subject, online experiment in the context of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, as a test case for Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) colleges. Analyses showed main and interaction effects of smile and collaboration on warmth judgments. Students who smile were perceived as warmer than those who don’t smile. Further, students who collaborate were perceived as warmer than an individual student who works alone. Finally, students who collaborate and smile were perceived as higher in interpersonal warmth than those who work alone without smiling. Implications for the use of visuals to communicate warmth and change scientists’ negative stereotypes are discussed.
Teachers’ autonomy deconstructed: Irish and Finnish teachers’ perceptions of decision-making and control
Authors: Salokangas Maija , Wermke Wieland , Harvey Gerry
Published: September 2019

Teacher autonomy has been a popular topic of investigation over the past decades. This article contributes to the debate by casting light on Irish and Finnish teachers’ perceptions of their professional autonomy, drawing from teacher interviews conducted in both countries. The intersection of newly introduced curriculum reforms, differing education governance models and differing control regimes make Ireland and Finland fertile points of comparison. Teacher autonomy is understood in this article as a multidimensional and context-dependent phenomenon, and the conceptualisation is presented in an analytical matrix applicable to comparative research. Findings indicate that teachers in both countries consider themselves very autonomous in their classroom practice and in their educational decisions overall. However, where much of the school-level decision-making in Finnish schools concerning educational, social and developmental issues tends to be in the hands of teachers (either collegially or as individuals), in Irish schools the senior management, and especially the principal, is reportedly more involved. Possibly the greatest difference is the ways in which teachers’ work is controlled, and in how teachers perceive it; Finnish teachers report intensified external control from the civil society, whereas on top of parental pressures Irish teachers report also increasing pressures from the state agencies.