bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for cervical myelopathy using stand-alone tricortical iliac crest autograft: Predictive factors for neurological and fusion outcomes
Authors: Yeung Kenneth Kam Leung , Cheung Prudence Wing Hang , Cheung Jason Pui Yin 
Published: August 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate the outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery with stand-alone tricortical iliac crest autograft and to determine predictive factors for poor neurological recovery, non-union, graft collapse and loss of C2–C7 sagittal alignment. Methods: This was a retrospective study involving patients with cervical myelopathy who underwent ACDF surgery with stand-alone tricortical iliac autograft between 2006 and 2016, with a minimum 2-year postoperative follow-up. Outcomes included the change in Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores clinically and timing of fusion, graft height and C2–7 angle measured on lateral radiographs. Any complication such as neurological deterioration, non-union, graft collapse or loss of angle was recorded. Delayed union was considered as radiological union identified only beyond postoperative 6 months. Risk factors including age, smoking, drinking, comorbidities and operative levels were analysed through a multivariate regression for their respective influences on the various outcomes. Results: Of the 69 patients studied, none of the patients had non-union, while 33 (47.1%) achieved fusion in 6 months. The most common complications were anterior protrusion of graft (5.8%) and hoarseness (2.9%). The 1-year mean change in JOA score was 3.9 ± 2.7. The C2–7 angle gradually became more kyphotic, despite an initial lordosis correction intraoperatively. The graft height also gradually collapsed during subsequent follow-ups. Multivariate regression model suggested that diabetics (cumulative odds ratio 7.4) and drinkers (cumulative odds ratio 8.6) were associated with delayed union. Conclusion: ACDF using tricortical iliac crest autograft has satisfactory outcomes with low occurrence of complications. Diabetics and drinkers were predictors of delayed union.
Baseball Pitching Biomechanics Shortly After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair
Authors: Fleisig Glenn S. , Diffendaffer Alek Z. , Drogosz Monika , Cain E. Lyle , Emblom Benton A. , Dugas Jeffrey R. 
Published: August 2019

Background: The probability of returning to competition for injured baseball pitchers is similar after ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair as after UCL reconstruction, but the time to return is significantly quicker after UCL repair. Previous research has found no differences in pitching biomechanics between pitchers with and without a history of UCL reconstruction, but pitching biomechanics after UCL repair has not been studied. Hypothesis: There will be significant differences in pitching biomechanics between pitchers returning to play after UCL repair and pitchers with no injury history. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 33 pitchers were tested shortly after UCL repair (9.8 ± 2.6 months) and compared with a matched group of 33 uninjured pitchers. Each group comprised 14 college pitchers and 19 high school pitchers. Shoulder and elbow passive ranges of motion were measured. The biomechanics of 10 fastballs was then collected using a 12-camera automated motion capture system. Ball velocity was measured using a separate 3-camera optical tracking system. Data were compared between the UCL repair group and the control group using the Student t test (significance set at P < .05). Results: There were no differences in passive range of motion or fastball velocity between the 2 groups. There were no differences in joint kinetics during pitching, but 3 kinematic variables showed significant differences. Specifically, the UCL repair group produced less elbow extension (flexion: 27° ± 6° vs 24° ± 4°, respectively; P = .03), less elbow extension velocity (2442 ± 367 vs 2631 ± 292 deg/s, respectively; P = .02), and less shoulder internal rotation velocity (6273 ± 1093 vs 6771 ± 914 deg/s, respectively; P = .049 ) compared with the control group. Conclusion: Elbow extension, elbow velocity, and shoulder velocity differed between pitchers with a recent history of UCL repair and a matched control group, but it is unclear whether this has clinical significance, as there were no differences in ball velocity and passive range of motion. Furthermore, it is unknown whether these few differences in pitching biomechanics resolve with time. Clinical Relevance: Elbow and shoulder kinematics during pitching might not be completely regained within the first year after UCL repair, although passive range of motion and pitch velocity show no difference in comparison to other healthy pitchers.
Identification of goals and barriers to treatment from 92 consecutive consultations with families considering peanut oral immunotherapy
Authors: Blackman Andrea C. , Anagnostou Aikaterini 
Published: August 2019

Background: Peanut allergy has become an important public health issue. It can be the cause of severe reactions and also the trigger of significant anxiety for the allergic individual, especially with regards to the risk of unintentional accidental exposures. Peanut oral immunotherapy (POIT) is a newly developed treatment approach that has been shown to be highly effective in multiple research studies and has been associated with an acceptable safety profile. This treatment modality is likely to become more mainstream in the next few years with new commercial entities pursuing United States Food and Drug Administration approval for relevant products and multiple providers offering various forms of immunotherapy in their practices. Methods: The aim of our study was to obtain an accurate assessment of goals of treatment as well as concerns and barriers from families considering POIT in either the research or clinical setting. A single clinician allergist met with all the families and conducted semi-structured interviews on POIT. Families were provided with standardized written information on POIT prior to the consultation, which was used as a formalized instrument to communicate treatment protocols. Conversations were not recorded, but collected information was scribed by a second clinician who did not actively participate in the consultation. Scribed information was coded by the investigators. Thematic analysis identified common topics emerging from the discussions. Results: We report on the results of 92 consecutive family consultations on POIT conducted over a period of 1 year. Approximately 50% of the families had already researched POIT online, with 25% of families reported being part of Facebook parent groups. Groups identified the following areas as the most important considerations: efficacy, practical information, safety, benefits and goals, eligibility criteria and support in making the right decision. For all families pursuing POIT for their child, the initial goal was achieving protection from accidental exposure and cross-contamination and for approximately one-quarter, consumption of high peanut doses was the ultimate goal. Conclusion: Our research adds to the limited available data in this area and provides information that may be used as an initial platform for clinical consultations and shared decision-making in POIT. Obtaining a better understanding of patients’ expectations and concerns will hopefully facilitate this process, enabling more fruitful and engaging interactions between families and healthcare providers in the field of food allergy.
Task-oriented Motor Learning in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Post Stroke
Authors: Alashram Anas R. , Annino Giuseppe , Mercuri Nicola Biagio 
Published: August 2019

Background: Upper extremity deficits are the most popular symptoms following stroke. Task-oriented training has the ability to increase motor area excitability in the brain, which can stimulate the recovery of motor control. Objective: This study was aimed to examine the efficiency of the task-oriented approach on paretic upper extremity following a stroke, and to identify efficient treatment dosage in those populations. Method: We searched through PubMed, Scopus, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), National Rehabilitation Information (REHABDATA), and Web of Science databases. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and pseudo-RCTs those investigating upper extremity in patients with stroke published in English language were selected. Different scales and measurement methods to assess range of motion, strength, spasticity, and upper extremity function were considered. The quality assessment of included articles was evaluated utilizing the PEDro scale. Effect sizes were calculated. Results: Six RCTs were included in the present study. The quality assessment for included studies ranged from 6 to 8 with 6.5 as a median. A total of 456 post-stroke patients, 41.66% of which were women, were included in all studies. The included studies demonstrated a meaningful influence of task-oriented training intervention on the hemiplegic upper limb motor functions but not spasticity post-stroke. Conclusion: Task-oriented training does not produce a superior effect than other conventional physical therapy interventions in treating upper extremity in patients with stroke. There is no evidence supporting the beneficial effect of task-oriented on spasticity. Task-oriented training with the following dosage 30 to 90 minutes/session, 2 to 3 sessions weekly for 6 to 10 weeks may improve motor function and strength of paretic upper extremity post-stroke.
Open Source Infrastructure for Health Care Data Integration and Machine Learning Analyses
Authors: Isoviita Veli-Matti , Salminen Liina , Azar Jimmy , Lehtonen Rainer , Roering Pia , Carpén Olli , Hietanen Sakari , Grénman Seija , Hynninen Johanna , Färkkilä Anniina , Hautaniemi Sampsa 
Published: August 2019

PURPOSEWe have created a cloud-based machine learning system (CLOBNET) that is an open-source, lean infrastructure for electronic health record (EHR) data integration and is capable of extract, transform, and load (ETL) processing. CLOBNET enables comprehensive analysis and visualization of structured EHR data. We demonstrate the utility of CLOBNET by predicting primary therapy outcomes of patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) on the basis of EHR data.MATERIALS AND METHODSCLOBNET is built using open-source software to make data preprocessing, analysis, and model training user friendly. The source code of CLOBNET is available in GitHub. The HGSOC data set was based on a prospective cohort of 208 patients with HGSOC who were treated at Turku University Hospital, Finland, from 2009 to 2019 for whom comprehensive clinical and EHR data were available.RESULTSWe trained machine learning (ML) models using clinical data, including a herein developed dissemination score that quantifies the disease burden at the time of diagnosis, to identify patients with progressive disease (PD) or a complete response (CR) on the basis of RECIST (version 1.1). The best performance was achieved with a logistic regression model, which resulted in an area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.86, with a specificity of 73% and a sensitivity of 89%, when it classified between patients who experienced PD and CR.CONCLUSIONWe have developed an open-source computational infrastructure, CLOBNET, that enables effective and rapid analysis of EHR and other clinical data. Our results demonstrate that CLOBNET allows predictions to be made on the basis of EHR data to address clinically relevant questions.
Anesthesia Capacity of District-Level Hospitals in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Gajewski Jakub , Pittalis Chiara , Lavy Chris , Borgstein Eric , Bijlmakers Leon , Mwapasa Gerald , Cheelo Mweene , Le Grace , Juma Adinan , Kachimba John , Marealle Paul , Mkandawire Nyengo , Chilonga Kondo , Brugha Ruairi 
Published: August 2019

BACKGROUND:
District-level hospitals (DLHs) are the main providers of surgical services for rural populations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Skilled teams are essential for surgical care, and gaps in anesthesia impact negatively on surgical capacity and outcomes. This study, from a baseline of a project scaling-up access to safe surgical and anesthesia care in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, illustrates the deficit of anesthesia care in DLHs.

METHODS:
We undertook an in-depth investigation of anesthesia capacity in 76 DLHs across the 3 countries, July to November 2017, using a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative component assessed district-level anesthesia capacity using a standardized scoring system based on an adapted and extended Personnel, Infrastructure, Procedures, Equipment and Supplies (PIPES) Index. The qualitative component involved semistructured interviews with providers from 33 DLHs, exploring how weaknesses in anesthesia impacted district surgical team practices and quality, volume, and scope of service provision.

RESULTS:
Anesthesia care at the district level in these countries is provided only by nonphysician anesthetists, some of whom have no formal training. Ketamine anesthesia is widely used in all hospitals, compensating for shortages of other forms of anesthesia. Pediatric size supplies/equipment were frequently missing. Anesthesia PIPES index scores in Malawi (M = 8.0), Zambia (M = 8.3), and Tanzania (M = 8.4) were similar (P = .59), but an analysis of individual PIPES components revealed important cross-country differences. Irregular availability of reliable equipment and supply is a particular priority in Malawi, where only 29% of facilities have uninterrupted access to electricity and 23% have constant access to water, among other challenges. Zambia is mostly affected by staffing shortages, with 30% of surveyed hospitals lacking an anesthesia provider. The challenge that stood out in Tanzania was nonavailability of functioning anesthesia machines among frequent shortages of staff and other equipment.

CONCLUSIONS:
Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia are falling far short of ensuring universal access to safe and affordable surgical and anesthesia care for district and rural populations. Mixed-methods situation analyses, undertaken in collaboration with anesthesia specialists—measuring and understanding deficits in district hospital anesthetic staff, equipment, and supplies—are needed to address the critical neglect of anesthesia that is essential to providing surgical responses to the needs of rural populations in SSA.
Dehumanizing Slave Personhood
Authors: DeLombard Jeannine Marie 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAfrohumanism is crucial to the forward-looking “project of thinking humanity from perspectives beyond the liberal humanist subject, Man” (Weheliye 2014: 8). It is another question, however, whether such a humanist approach provides the best historical analytic for understanding slavery and its carceral afterlives. This question becomes particularly pressing when we consider that today’s prison-industrial complex, like the American slaveholder of the past, extracts profits by strategically exploiting—rather than denying—the lucrative humanity of its captive black and brown subjects. To illustrate these claims, this article examines a seldom-discussed slave case, United States v. Amy (1859), which was tried before Supreme Court chief justice Roger B. Taney two years after his infamous decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857). Centering on the figure of the legal person rather than the human or the citizen, United States v. Amy alerts us to the lethal legacy of slave personhood as a debilitating mixture of civil death and criminal culpability. Nowhere, perhaps, is that legacy more evident than in viral videos of police misconduct. And nowhere do we see a more vivid assertion of black counter-civility than in the dash cam video of the late Sandra Bland’s principled, outraged response to her pretextual traffic stop by Trooper Brian Encinia. The essay closes by considering Bland’s arrest and subsequent death in custody in the context of her own and other African Americans’ efforts to achieve and maintain a civil presence in an American law and culture where black personhood remains legible primarily as criminality.
A Corporate Plantation Reading Public: Labor, Literacy, and Diaspora in the Global Black South
Authors: McInnis Jarvis C. 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
This essay reconstructs the history of the Cotton Farmer, a rare African American newspaper edited and published by black tenant farmers employed by the Delta and Pine Land Company, once the world’s largest corporate cotton plantation located in the Mississippi delta. The Cotton Farmer ran from 1919 to circa 1927 and was mainly confined to the company’s properties. However, in 1926, three copies of the paper circulated to Bocas del Toro, Panama, to a Garveyite and West Indian migrant laborer employed on the infamous United Fruit Company’s vast banana and fruit plantations. Tracing the Cotton Farmer’s hemispheric circulation from the Mississippi delta to Panama, this essay explores the intersections of labor, literacy, and diaspora in the global black south. What do we make of a reading public among black tenant farmers on a corporate cotton plantation in the Mississippi delta at the height of Jim Crow? How did the entanglements of labor and literacy at once challenge and correspond with conventional accounts of sharecropping in the Jim Crow South? Further, in light of the Cotton Farmer’s circulation from Mississippi’s cotton fields to Panama’s banana fields, this essay establishes the corporate plantation as a heuristic for exploring the imperial logics and practices tying the US South to the larger project of colonial domination in the Caribbean and Latin America, and ultimately reexamines black transnationalism and diaspora from the position of corporate plantation laborers as they negotiated ever-evolving modes of domination and social control on corporate plantations in the global black south. In so doing, it establishes black agricultural and corporate plantation laborers as architects of black geographic thought and diasporic practice alongside their urban, cosmopolitan contemporaries.
Race Leaders, Race Traitors, and the Necropolitics of Black Exceptionalism in Paul Beatty’s Fiction
Authors: Wolfson Roberta 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis essay examines two oppositional figures in Paul Beatty’s debut novel, The White Boy Shuffle (1996), and most recent novel, The Sellout (2015): the exalted race leader and the excoriated race traitor. Positioned at extreme ends of the spectrum of exceptionalism, these figures function to perpetuate a phenomenon that the essay’s author terms the necropolitics of black exceptionalism, the paradox of justifying the violent oppression of the majority of black people by celebrating or censuring a single black figure. In exploring the absurd dimensions of these extreme figures through the lens of satire, both novels denounce black exceptionalism as a necropolitical tool of oppression that entrenches the social death and civic exclusion of black people in a modern US society that purports to be color-blind and postracial. Emerging within the postmodern turn of the African American literary tradition, these novels take on a nihilistic tone to raise questions about how the black community might effectively (if at all) achieve civil progress in the contemporary age. Ultimately, these satirical novels reimagine historically necropolitical spaces, such as the basketball court, the plantation, and the segregated urban neighborhood, as potential, albeit vexed sites of black agency, empowerment, and community building.
A COOPERAÇÃO JUDICIÁRIA EM MATÉRIA PENAL NA UNIÃO EUROPEIA – A PROVA E A PROTEÇÃO DOS DIREITOS FUNDAMENTAIS
Authors: Piton André Paulino 
Published: August 2019

A União Europeia tem hoje um impressionante conjunto de mecanismosde cooperação judiciária responsáveis pela prevenção e pela repressão dacriminalidade no espaço de Liberdade, Segurança e Justiça. A criação destesinstrumentos, que permitem a descoberta da verdade material, também levanta alguns problemas sob a ótica da proteção dos direitos dos suspeitos acusados ou de pessoas envolvidas num processo penal com dimensão europeia. Deste modo, não podemos deixar de questionar-nos, de modo prospetivo, sobre qual o caminho a seguir na edificação e na consolidação deste projeto europeu. Para isto, faremos algumas considerações sobre a decisão europeia de investigação em matéria penal e as garantias dos direitos fundamentais como princípios processuais desse espaço que queremos de segurança, mas principalmente de liberdade e justiça.
A DELAÇÃO PREMIADA E O PROCESSO PENAL COMO MERCADO DE COMPRA E VENDA DE INFORMAÇÕES
Authors: Rosa Alexandre Morais da , Sant’Ana Raquel Mazzuco 
Published: August 2019

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a delação premiadae a sua evolução no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, em paralelo ao contextoda justiça negocial que permite a compreensão do mercado penal. Assim, pormeio da utilização da barganha, aponta-se a existência de um processo penalnegociado, cujas regras e parâmetros são diferentes do processo tradicional.Para tanto, tratar-se-á sobre a relação custo-benefício, bem como a ampliaçãodo uso impactante da delação premiada, com a proposta de modulação domapa-mental preexistente para compreender o instituto no mercado de compra e venda de informações. No entanto, é necessário apontar os limites democráticos ao modelo importado e vislumbrar a sua compatibilidade com o regime atual de construção da verdade.
RACIONALIDADE COLETIVA NO STF E PRECEDENTES VINCULANTES: O EXEMPLO DO CONCEITO DE VIDA NA ADPF N. 54
Authors: Püschel Flavia Portella 
Published: August 2019

Objetivo deste artigo é explicitar a relação entre o procedimento deagregação das posições individuais dos ministros para composição dos acórdãos do Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) e o modo como tais acórdãos devem ser considerados para a constituição de precedentes judiciais vinculantes. A hipótese que se investiga, com base na teoria dos agentes coletivos de Christian LIST e Philip PETTIT, é que o sistema de votação por maioria, como empregado pelo STF, é incapaz de garantir fundamentos racionais coletivos para as decisões da corte e que tal característica institucional é de fundamental importância para odesenvolvimento de uma teoria brasileira do precedente. Conclui-se que, por falta de fundamento racional coletivo, nem toda decisão do STF constitui precedente, ainda que o julgamento tenha sido unânime, e que o estabelecimento da própria regra de precedente, nos casos em que ela exista, é um desafio que não pode ser superado sem análise dos fundamentos de todos os votos. O modo como o STJ empregou a decisão da ADPF n. 54 é evidência de que tais preocupações não são sempre reconhecidas, o que cria um risco de seleção arbitrária de posiçõesindividuais em casos já julgados e de aumento da fragmentação jurisprudencial.