bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strategy for obtaining solid fusion at L5–S1 in adult spinal deformity: risk factor analysis for nonunion at L5–S1
Authors: Lee Ki Young , Lee Jung-Hee , Kang Kyung-Chung , Shin Sung Joon , Shin Won Ju , Im Sang-Kyu , Park Joon Hong 
Published: April 2020

OBJECTIVEMaintaining lumbosacral (LS) arthrodesis and global sagittal balance after long fusion to the sacrum remains an important issue in the surgical treatment for adult spinal deformity (ASD). The importance and usefulness of LS fixation have been documented, but the optimal surgical long fusion to the sacrum remains a matter for debate. Therefore, the authors performed a retrospective study to evaluate fusion on CT scans and the risk factors for LS pseudarthrosis (nonunion) after long fusion to the sacrum in ASD.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective study of 59 patients with lumbar degenerative kyphosis (mean age 69.6 years) who underwent surgical correction, including an interbody fusion of the L5–S1, with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Achievement of LS fusion was evaluated by analyzing 3D-CT scans at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. Patients were classified into a union group (n = 36) and nonunion group (n = 23). Risk factors for nonunion were analyzed, including patient and surgical factors.RESULTSThe overall fusion rate was 61% (36/59). Regarding radiological factors, optimal sagittal balance at the final follow-up significantly differed between two groups. There were no significant differences in terms of patient factors, and no significant differences with respect to the use of pedicle subtraction osteotomy, the number of fused segments, the proportion of anterior versus posterior interbody fusion, S2 alar iliac fixation versus conventional iliac fixation, or loosening of sacral or iliac screws. However, the proportion of metal cages to polyetheretherketone cages and the proportion of sacropelvic fixation were significantly higher in the union group (p = 0.022 and p < 0.05, respectively).CONCLUSIONSLS junction fusion is crucial for global sagittal balance, and the use of iliac screws in addition to LS interbody fusion using a metal cage improves the outcomes of long fusion surgery for ASD patients.
Minimally invasive foramen magnum durectomy and obexostomy for treatment of craniocervical junction–related syringomyelia in adults: case series and midterm follow-up
Authors: Mandel Mauricio , Ferreira da Silva Igor Araújo , Paiva Wellingson , Li Yiping , Steinberg Gary K. , Teixeira Manoel Jacobsen 
Published: April 2020

OBJECTIVECraniocervical junction–related syringomyelia (CCJS) is the most common form of syringomyelia. Approximately 30% of patients treated with foramen magnum decompression (FMD) will show persistence, recurrence, or progression of the syrinx. The authors present a pilot study with a new minimally invasive surgery technique targeting the pathophysiology of CCJS in adult patients.METHODSThe authors retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological features of a consecutive series of patients treated for CCJS. An FMD and FM durectomy were performed through a 1.5- to 2-cm skin incision. Then arachnoid adhesions were cleared, creating a permanent communication from the fourth ventricle to the new paraspinal extradural cavity (obexostomy) and with the spinal subarachnoid space. The hypothesis was that the new CSF pouch acts like a pressure leak, interrupting the CCJS pathogenesis.RESULTSTwenty-four patients (13 female, 21–61 years old) were treated between 2014 and 2018. The etiology of CCJS was Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) in 20 patients (83.3%), Chiari malformation type 0 (CM-0) in 2 patients (8.3%), and CCJ arachnoiditis in 2 patients (8.3%). Two patients underwent reoperations after failed FMD for CM-I at other institutions. No major surgical complication occurred. One patient had postoperative meningitis with no CSF fistula. On postoperative MRI, shrinkage of the syrinx was seen in all patients. No patients experienced recurrence of the CCJS. No patient required a subsequent operation. The mean duration of surgery was 72 ± 11 minutes (mean ± SD), and blood loss was 35–80 ml (mean 51 ml). Follow-up ranged from 12 to 58 months. The average overall improvement in modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores was 10% (p < 0.001). The Odom scale showed that 19 patients (79.1%) were satisfied, 4 (16.7%) remained the same, and 1 (4.2%) reported a poor outcome. All patients experienced postoperative improvement in perception of quality of life (p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSMinimally invasive FM durectomy and obexostomy is a safe and effective treatment for CCJS and for patients who have not responded to other treatment.
Support Vector Regression for Modeling Effect of Education Rate on Life Expectancy Rate in Indonesia
Authors: Ghazali Muhammad , Fitriati Ita , Purnamasari Ramdani 
Published: April 2020

Life Expectancy Rate is the average number of years of life that is lived by someone who has reached a certain age. Life Expectancy is a tool to evaluate the government performance in improving the prosperity of the people. Studies on the factors that influence Life Expectancy Rate are needed to reach more accurate mathematics model to provide a better consideration for the government to determine the direction of future development policies. The data used in this study were derived from SUSENAS data with the objects of observations are all districts/cities in Indonesia in 2012. In this research, Support Vector Regression (SVR) method is used to estimate the effect of education factor which is represented by length of education by years (X) on Life Expectancy Rate (Y). Support Vector Regression (SVR) model in this research used several different kernels such as polynomial kernel, RBF and Exponential RBF (ERBF) to find the best model. The best model criterion is the model that produces the largest R2 value. The best model resulted in this research is a model that uses Exponential RBF kernel.
Predicting fire resistance ratings of timber structures using artificial neural networks
Authors: Tung Pham Thanh , Hung Pham Thanh 
Published: April 2020

This paper describes a method to predict the fire resistance ratings of the wooden floor assemblies using Artificial Neural Networks. Experimental data collected from the previously published reports were used to train, validate, and test the proposed ANN model. A series of model configurations were examined using different popular training algorithms to obtain the optimal structure for the model. It is shown that the proposed ANN model can successfully predict the fire resistance ratings of the wooden floor assemblies from the input variables with an average absolute error of four percent. Besides, the sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore the effects of the separate input parameter on the output. Results from analysis revealed that the fire resistance ratings are sensitive to the change of Applied Load (ALD) and the number of the Ceiling Finish Layer (CFL) input variables. On the other hand, the outputs are less sensitive to a variation of the Joist Type (JTY) parameter.
Keywords:
artificial neural networks; fire resistance; wooden floor assembly; sensitivity analysis.
Effect of hydraulic retention time on nitrogen removal in domestic wastewater by partial nitritation and Anammox processes
Authors: Hanh Nguyen Thi My , Hoa Tran Thi Hien 
Published: April 2020

The nitrogen treatment technology using the Anammox process is known to have advantages over conventional technology of nitrification - denitrification. For the purpose of evaluating the effect of hydraulic retention time to nitrogen removal in domestic wastewater by Anammox process, the authors conducted the study on partial nitritation and Anammox reactors, separately. Partial nitritation (PN) reactor used Felibendy plate material with Nitrosomonas bacteria while Anammox (AX) reactor used Felibendy cubes carrier material with strain Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans. This study was implemented during 210 days. The nitrogen treatment efficiency of the system was evaluated with different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The short HRT of 4.5 hours in the AX reactor affected to the total nitrogen treatment efficiency is low of 52.76 ± 1.29%. With the hydraulic retention times in PN + AX reactors of 9 and 6 hours, the effluent quality met the requirements of B-column according to QCVN 14:2008/BTNMT or QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT.
Keywords:
Nitrosomonas; Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans; partial nitritation process; Anammox process; nitrogen treatment.
Effect of Wii Fit© Exercise on Balance of Older Adults with Neurocognitive Disorders: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Sultana Munira , Bryant Dianne , Orange J.B. , Beedie Taylor , Montero-Odasso Manuel 
Published: April 2020

Background: Exercise is beneficial to maintain balance. Wii Fit©, a video game-based exercise, offers an enjoyable way to exercise and is feasible for older adults with neurocognitive disorders (NCD). Objective: To evaluate the effects of Wii Fit© exercise training on the balance of older adults with NCD. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials using Cochrane collaboration tools. The participants were older adults (60 years and over) with NCD. Balance was measured with Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG). Two reviewers independently searched, selected, extracted data, assessed risk of biases, and determined the quality of evidence. Outcomes were evaluated using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). A meta-analysis was performed. Results: The literature search identified 522 source documents of which titles and abstracts were reviewed for 428 after removing 94 duplicates. The reviewers selected five studies out of 50 after a full text review. The overall effect of Wii Fit© exercise training on BBS was moderate, significant, and clinically meaningful (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.5 standard deviation [SD] [95% confidence interval CI] 0.08, 0.84]). No effect was observed with TUG scores (SMD = 0.00 SD [95% CI –0.44, 0.44]). The GRADE quality of evidence was very low. Conclusion: Wii Fit© exercise training has a positive effect on balance in older adults with NCD. However, further research with sufficient power is needed to evaluate its effectiveness.
Cerebrospinal Fluid and MRI Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Retrospective Memory Clinic-Based Study
Authors: Kaipainen Aku , Jääskeläinen Olli , Liu Yawu , Haapalinna Fanni , Nykänen Niko , Vanninen Ritva , Koivisto Anne M. , Julkunen Valtteri , Remes Anne M. , Herukka Sanna-Kaisa 
Published: April 2020

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases are relatively sensitive and specific in highly curated research cohorts, but proper validation for clinical use is mostly missing. Objective: We studied these biomarkers in a novel memory clinic cohort with a variety of different neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: This study consisted of 191 patients with subjective or objective cognitive impairment who underwent neurological, CSF biomarker (Aβ42, p-tau, and tau) and T1-weighted MRI examinations at Kuopio University Hospital. We assessed CSF and imaging biomarkers, including structural MRI focused on volumetric and cortical thickness analyses, across groups stratified based on different clinical diagnoses, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and subjects with no evidence of neurodegenerative disease underlying the cognitive symptoms. Imaging biomarkers were also studied by profiling subjects according to the novel amyloid, tau, and, neurodegeneration (AT(N)) classification. Results: Numerous imaging variables differed by clinical diagnosis, including hippocampal, amygdalar and inferior lateral ventricular volumes and entorhinal, lingual, inferior parietal and isthmus cingulate cortical thicknesses, at a false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected threshold for significance (analysis of covariance; p < 0.005). In volumetric comparisons by AT(N) profile, hippocampal volume significantly differed ( p < 0.001) between patients with normal AD biomarkers and patients with amyloid pathology. Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that CSF and MRI biomarkers function well also in clinical practice across multiple clinical diagnostic groups in addition to AD, MCI, and cognitively normal groups.
Mesenchymal stem cell surgery, rescue and regeneration in retinitis pigmentosa: clinical and rehabilitative prognostic aspects
Authors: Limoli Paolo Giuseppe , Limoli Celeste Silvana Serena , Morales Marco Ulises , Vingolo Enzo Maria 
Published: April 2020

Purpose: To assess whether treatment with the Limoli Retinal Restoration Technique (LRRT) can be performed in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), grafting the autologous cells in a deep scleral pocket above the choroid of each eye to exert their beneficial effect on the residual retinal cells. Methods: The patients were subjected to a complete ophthalmological examination, including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), close-up visus measurements, spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), microperimetry (MY), and electroretinography (ERG). Furthermore, the complete ophthalmological examination was carried out at baseline (T0) and at 6 months (T180) after surgery. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to assess the normality of distribution of the investigated parameters. A mixed linear regression model was used to analyse the difference in all the studied parameters at T0 and T180, and to compare the mean change between the two groups. All statistical analyses were performed with STATA 14.0 (Collage Station, Texas, USA). Results: LRRT treatment was performed in 34 eyes of 25 RP patients recruited for the study. The eyes were classified in two groups on the basis of foveal thickness (FT) assessed by SD-OCT: 14 eyes in Group A (FT≤190 μm) and the remaining 20 ones in Group B (FT > 190 μm). Although it had not reached the statistical significance, Group B showed a better improvement in BCVA, residual close-up visus and sensitivity than Group A. Conclusions: Previous studies have described the role of LRRT in slowing down retinal degenerative diseases. Consequently, this surgical procedure could improve the clinical and rehabilitative prognostic parameters in RP patients. On the other hand, further clinical research and studies with longer follow-up will be needed to evaluate its efficacy.
"Democracia laica y religión pública" y "España laica: Ciudadanía plural y convivencia nacional"
Authors: Margenat Peralta, S.I. José María 
Published: April 2020

Recensión de la obra: Díaz-Salazar [Martín], Rafael (2007) Democracia laica y religión pública. Madrid, Taurus, 206 pp. / Díaz-Salazar [Martín], Rafael (2008) España laica: Ciudadanía plural y convivencia nacional. Madrid, Espasa, 319 pp.
"Jesuitas y Papas, La guerra y la paz. La evolución del pensamiento de la Santa Sede sobre la guerra y la paz leída por los jesuitas de La Civiltá Cattolica"
Authors: Salvany de Palou Camilo 
Published: April 2020

Reseña de la obra: OCCHETTA, Francesco (2007) Jesuitas y Papas, La guerra y la paz. La evolución del pensamiento de la Santa Sede sobre la guerra y la paz leída por los jesuitas de “La Civiltá Cattolica”. Madrid, Endymion, 314 pp.
El hambre, ¿tsunami silencioso?
Authors: Redacción Consejo de 
Published: April 2020

Cuando este número se envía a la im‑ prenta, el fragor de la crisis financiera mundial ha hecho casi desaparecer de los titulares de la prensa el problema de la subida de los precios mundiales de muchos alimentos. Pero el problema es estructural, sigue presente. Nuestro Consejo de Redacción aborda su análisis con el deseo de contestar a unas pocas preguntas básicas. ¿Qué está pasando?: el viejo problema del hambre se ha visto agravado a finales de 2007 y durante 2008 con subidas considerables de los precios de los ali‑ mentos con graves consecuencias para las poblaciones vulnerables; aunque la situación parece moderarse en la segunda mitad del año, se trata de un problema estructural. ¿Cuáles son las causas de estas subidas de precios?: se trata de un fenómeno complejo que intentamos desbrozar distinguiendo las causas que actúan por el lado de la demanda y de la oferta, así como los intereses políticos presentes en los mercados. ¿Desde qué presupuestos éticos debemos abordar la cuestión?: esencialmente, desde la consideración de la seguridad alimentaria como un derecho humano básico. ¿Qué medidas a corto plazo se sugieren y cuáles son las acciones a emprender a medio y largo plazo?: no es nada fácil responder a esta pregunta; partiendo del com‑ promiso de la sociedad internacional por la consecución de los Objetivos del Milenio, sugerimos algunas me‑ didas de urgencia, definimos tareas pendientes, con especial referencia a la necesidad de establecer políticas agrícolas adecuadas.
Marcos metodológicos para políticas y trabajos de seguridad vial
Authors: Monclús González Jesús 
Published: April 2020

Ante la pandemia, tal y como la re‑ conoce la OMS, de los accidentes de tráfico, los gobiernos –tanto aquellos de los países industrializados como los de los países en vías de desarrollo– es‑ tán obligados a reaccionar y diseñar políticas efectivas de prevención de víctimas de la inseguridad en las calles y carreteras. Para ayudarles en dicha labor, el Consejo Europeo de Seguridad en el Transporte ha elaborado un marco metodológico para el diseño de políticas de seguridad vial. Este artículo resume dicho marco, presentado en forma de lista de comprobación de elementos que se considera pueden maximizar las probabilidades de éxito de las políticas de seguridad vial. El marco consta de un total de veintidós elementos que abarcan desde el liderazgo al máximo nivel institucional hasta la investigación en profundidad de accidentes de circu‑ lación, pasando por la formación de profesionales y técnicos. Los elementos propuestos en el marco metodológico cubren tanto la estrategia general de seguridad vial como el plan de acción y las herramientas clave de apoyo. El artículo finaliza con una breve reflexión sobre la naturaleza de la acción en seguridad vial como un proceso diná‑ mico que debe ser permanentemente reconsiderado y rediseñado.
"Pobreza, exclusión y desigualdad" y "Territorios en mutación: repensando el desarrollo desde lo local"
Authors: Romero Rodríguez, S.I. José Juan 
Published: April 2020

Reseña de las obras de: GRANDA AGUILAR, Jorge (Compilador) (2008) Pobreza, exclusión y desigualdad. Quito, FLACSO y Ministerio de Cultura de Ecuador, 352 pp. y MARTÍNEZ VALLE, Luciano (Compilador) (2008) Territorios en mutación: repensando el desarrollo desde lo local. Quito, FLACSO y Ministerio de Cultura de Ecuador, 390 pp.
Association of patent ductus arteriosus size with clinical features and short-term outcomes in preterm infants less than 34 weeks
Authors: Shekharappa Chandrakala Bada , Elizabeth Edison Albert Balakrishnan , Balachander Bharathi 
Published: April 2020

Background: Preterm patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a challenging situation faced by the neonatologists every day. The devastating consequences of a hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) compared to the harms of medical therapy, make treatment decisions challenging. The diagnosis of an hsPDA is not uniform and multiple classifications are available to assess its severity. Aim: The present study was aimed to analyze whether the size of PDA, based on echocardiography, had any association with clinical features and neonatal outcomes. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was done in a Level 3 newborn intensive care unit (NICU) from January 2016 to December 2017. Preterm (?34 weeks) infants with hsPDA formed the study group. Data were collected from the NICU database. hsPDA was classified based on the size into small, moderate, and large and analysis was done. Data for each infant until discharge were collected in pre-designed pro forma from medical records. Results: A total of 1064 preterm infants were admitted during the study period and 94 had hsPDA. The mean gestational ages were 31.8±4.2, 29.6±3.3, and 31.9±4.2 weeks for mild, moderate, and severe PDA, respectively. Among the clinical parameters, it was found that shock, metabolic acidosis (p<0.01), and thrombocytopenia were significantly associated with larger PDA size (p=0.02). Infants with a larger PDA size had a higher risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and ventilation days (p=0.03). Logistic regression was done to analyze independent factors associated with shock, BPD, and PDA severity. Conclusion: Large PDA is associated with an increased risk of higher ventilation days and BPD.
To study the knowledge, attitude and practice of breastfeeding among postnatal mothers in a tertiary care center of South India
Authors: Rudrappa Sudha , Raju Hunasagahally Nagaraju Yashwanth , Kavya Mukkanara Yathiraju 
Published: April 2020

Background: Breastfeeding is physiological and ideal way of feeding the infants. It offers complete nutrition, early protection against illness, and promotes growth and development of the infant. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to study the knowledge, attitude, and practice of breastfeeding among postnatal mothers and to study the demographic and socio-economic factors associated with breastfeeding practices. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted at postnatal wards of a tertiary hospital of South India between October and November 2018. A total of 200 mothers in the postnatal wards were included in the study. Knowledge and attitude of the mothers was assessed using a scoring system. Socio-demographic data, antenatal care of mother, birth history, and breastfeeding details were used as domains of study. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0. Results: Majority (60%) of the mothers belonged to 15–25 years age group. A total of 20% of the mothers in the present study were illiterate, 51.5% of mothers were homemakers, 68% belonged to nuclear family, and 74% belonged to urban population. Among 200 postnatal mothers, 90% who delivered vaginally had knowledge regarding time of initiation of breastfeeding, 70% had knowledge regarding colostrums feeds, and 35% had knowledge regarding duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: Mothers had an average knowledge regarding breastfeeding at our center. There is a need to strengthen public health education system to promote breastfeeding. Age, education, occupation, economic status, religion, and type of family were found to be significant associates of their knowledge and attitude.
Eficiencia de las Finanzas Públicas de los Estados Costeros del Pacífico Mexicano
Authors: Zamora-Torres América , García-López Fernando 
Published: April 2020

La administración pública configura el presupuesto del Estado, y sus componentes principales que son el gasto público y los impuestos, permiten asegurar y mantener la estabilidad económica, amortiguando las oscilaciones de los ciclos económicos y contribuyendo a mantener una economía creciente. El objetivo de la presente investigación es determinar el grado de eficiencia financiera de la administración pública de las entidades federativas que conforman la región occidente de México. Entre los principales resultados se observan que las entidades federativas analizadas continúan manteniendo una gran dependencia de los recursos federales, siendo los estados más eficientes: Baja California Sur, Colima y Baja California.