bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic reversal of Hartmann's procedure: A single‐center experience
Authors: Giuseppe Resta , Nicolò ID Fabbri , Serafino Marino , Sara Giaccari , Nicola Tamburini , Giorgio Cavallesco , Gabriele Anania 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIntroductionLaparoscopic reversal of Hartmann's procedure (LHR) is considered a technically complex major surgical procedure. We present a retrospective analysis of a single‐institution experience that assesses the treatment patterns and outcomes of patients who underwent LHR.Materials and Surgical TechniqueThe study involved patients who underwent LHR between January 2004 and December 2017. All patients had previously undergone a conventional Hartmann's procedure for acute complicated diverticulitis or cancer. Patients were placed in a supine position with their legs spread apart and their left arm out to the side. Access into the abdomen was obtained through open laparoscopy, with a 12‐mm trocar for a 30° laparascope inserted at the periumbilical site. We placed between three and five trocars depending on the level of operative difficulty encountered. The first surgical step was to dissect any existing adhesions, and then rectal mobilization was systematically performed to ensure the feasibility of the end‐to‐end anastomosis and to avoid bladder injury. The stoma was mobilized on the level of the abdominal wall and then freed from the fascia. We used a circular stapler to reestablish a tension‐free anastomosis. Over 13 years, 20 patients underwent LHR. No patient required a temporary colostomy or ileostomy.DiscussionReversal of Hartmann's procedure involves high operative morbidity and mortality, and usually only relatively young and healthy patients are eligible for reversal. Our results are consistent with previously published literature regarding the advantages of LHR compared to the conventional technique. However, high‐level evidence is still needed.
Combined immunosuppressants and less steroids in active graves' orbitopathy?
Authors: Salvi Mario , Covelli Danila 
Published: December 2018

AbstractSteroid therapy in GO is first‐line treatment but has limitations, as it is potentially harmful at high doses and often refused by patients. A steroid‐sparing therapy is a reasonable option as long as it is rapidly effective and devoid of long‐term adverse reactions. Combined immunosuppressive therapy must be studied in randomized clinical trials designed to test efficacy and the potentially increased risk of side effects.
Stronger responses to darks along the ventral pathway of the cat visual cortex
Authors: Oliveira Ferreira de Souza Bruno , Casanova Christian 
Published: December 2018

AbstractLight increments (brights) and decrements (darks) are differently processed throughout the early visual system. It is well known that a bias towards faster and stronger responses to darks is present in the retina, lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex. In humans, psychophysical and neurophysiological data indicate that darks are better detected than brights, suggesting that the dark bias found in early visual areas is transmitted across the cortical hierarchy. Here, we tested this assumption by investigating the spatiotemporal features of responses to brights and darks in area 21a, a gateway area of the cat ventral stream, using reverse correlation analysis of a sparse noise stimulus. The receptive field of most 21a neurons exhibited larger dark subfields. Additionally, the amplitude of the responses to darks was considerably greater than those evoked by brights. In the temporal domain, no differences were found between the response peak latency. Thus, the present study supports the notion that bright/dark asymmetries are transmitted throughout the cortical hierarchy and further, that the luminance processing varies as a function of the position in the cortical hierarchy, dark preference being strongly enhanced (in the spatial domain and response amplitude) along the ventral pathway.
Capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus agalactiae is an essential virulence factor for infection in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linn.)
Authors: Zhang Defeng , Ke Xiaoli , Liu Zhigang , Cao Jianmeng , Su Youlu , Lu Maixin , Gao Fengying , Wang Miao , Yi Mengmeng , Qin Fengling 
Published: December 2018

AbstractStreptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is associated with diverse diseases in aquatic animals. The capsule polysaccharide (CPS) encoded by the cps gene cluster is the major virulence factor of S. agalactiae; however, limited information is available regarding the pathogenic role of the CPS of serotype Ia piscine GBS strains in fish. Here, a non‐encapsulated mutant (Δcps) was constructed by insertional mutagenesis of the cps gene cluster. Mutant pathogenicity was evaluated in vitro based on the killing of whole blood from tilapia, in vivo infections, measuring mutant survival in tilapia spleen tissues and pathological analysis. Compared to wild‐type (WT) GBS strain, the Δcps mutant had lower resistance to fresh tilapia whole blood in vitro (p < 0.01), and more easily cleared in tilapia spleen tissue, and was highly attenuated in tilapia and zebrafish. Additionally, compared to the Δcps mutant, numerous GBS strains and severe tissue necrosis were observed in the tilapia spleen tissue infected with WT strains. These results indicated that the CPS is essential for GBS pathogenicity and may serve as a target for attenuation in vaccine development. Gaining a better understanding of the role, the GBS pathogenicity in fish will provide insight into related pathogenesis and host–pathogen interactions.
Application of hot air‐assisted radio frequency as second stage drying method for mango slices
Authors: Zhang Hangjin , Gong Chuting , Wang Xiaofan , Liao Meiji , Yue Jin , Jiao Shunshan 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThis study applied hot air‐assisted RF (HA‐RF) as second stage drying method for mango slices. Hot‐air drying was used as first stage drying to reduce moisture content to about 40% (w.b.), then HA‐RF drying was applied as second stage drying to further reduce moisture content to 18% within 45 min with 4.5 cm sample thickness (hot air temperature: 60 °C, electrode gap: 7.5 cm). The time for the two‐stage drying process was about 5 hr, which was clearly lower than that of hot‐air drying (8 hr) or vacuum drying (7 hr). HA‐RF as second stage drying maintained sample overall quality very well except for minor vitamin C degradation (retention rate: 91%); Overall quality of mango slices after the two‐stage drying was better than that dried by hot‐air drying, and close to that dried by vacuum drying. This study demonstrated HA‐RF could be used as second stage drying method for mango slices.Practical applicationsThis study applied HA‐RF heating as second stage drying method for mango slices, and research findings in this study indicated that HA‐RF drying could reduce drying time and improve sample quality. This study proposed a new two‐stage drying method for mango slices, and this technology can be easily scale‐up for commercial application. And the two‐stage drying efficiency and products quality could be further improved by other novel and efficient drying techniques as first stage drying.
Clinical educators’ skills and qualities in allied health: a systematic review
Authors: Gibson Simone Jane , Porter Judi , Anderson Amanda , Bryce Andrea , Dart Janeane , Kellow Nicole , Meiklejohn Sarah , Volders Evelyn , Young Anne , Palermo Claire 
Published: December 2018

BackgroundThe skills and qualities of effective clinical educators are linked to improved student learning and ultimately patient care; however, within allied health these have not yet been systematically summarised in the literature.AimsTo identify and synthesise the skills and qualities of clinical educators in allied health and their effect on student learning and patient care.MethodA systematic search of the literature was conducted across five electronic databases in November 2017. Study identification, data extraction and quality appraisal were performed in duplicate. Qualitative and quantitative data were extracted separately but analysed together using a thematic analysis approach whereby items used in quantitative surveys and themes from qualitative approaches were interpreted together.ResultsData revealed seven educator skills and qualities: (i) intrinsic and personal attributes of clinical educators; (ii) provision of skillful feedback; (iii) teaching skills; (iv) fostering collaborative learning; (v) understanding expectations; (vi) organisation and planning; and (vii) clinical educators in their professional role. Across all themes was the concept of taking time to perform the clinical educator role. No studies used objective measurements as to how these skills and qualities affect learning or patient care.Discussion and conclusionDespite much primary evidence of clinical educator skills and qualities, this review presents the first synthesis of this evidence in allied health. There is a need to examine clinical education from new perspectives to develop deeper understanding of how clinical educator qualities and skills influence student learning and patient care.
Preconception management of women with obesity: A systematic review
Authors: Price Sarah A. , Sumithran Priya , Nankervis Alison , Permezel Michael , Proietto Joseph 
Published: December 2018

SummaryThe prevalence of women of child‐bearing age with obesity continues to rise at an alarming rate. This has significant implications for both the short‐term and long‐term health of mother and offspring. Given the paucity of evidence‐based literature in this field, the preconception management of women with obesity is highly variable both between institutions and around the world. This systematic review aims to evaluate studies that inform us about the role of preconception weight loss in the fertility and pregnancy outcomes of women with obesity. Current therapeutic interventions are discussed, with a specific focus on the suitability of weight loss interventions for women with obesity planning pregnancy. There are significant knowledge gaps in the current literature; these are discussed and areas for future research are explored.
Prices and cross-border cigarette purchases in the EU: evidence from demand modelling
Authors: Stoklosa Michal 
Published: December 2018

BackgroundPrevious studies of cross-border cigarette purchases in the European Union (EU) relied on survey-reported data. Results of those studies might be affected by under-reporting of tax avoidance in those surveys. This study aims to shed light on the effects of cigarette price differences between EU Member States on cross-border cigarette purchases using a method that is free from potential reporting bias.Data and methods2004–2017 pooled time-series data and econometric modelling are used to examine cross-border shopping in the EU. Incentives for cross-border shopping are measured as a function of differences in cigarette prices between bordering countries, controlling for population density near borders. Separate incentive variables are calculated for EU internal versus EU external borders and for terrestrial versus maritime borders. Tax-paid cigarette sales are modelled as a function of cigarette price, per capita income, non-price measures and the incentive variables using fixed-effects models.ResultsThe estimated price elasticity of cigarette demand varies, depending on the model, from −0.47 to −0.35. The estimated income elasticity varies from 0.66 to 0.70. Between-country price differences are not significantly associated with purchases across maritime borders and across borders with non-EU neighbours. In an average EU Member State, reducing incentives from cross-border shopping down to zero would increase sales by 1.5% in an importing country and reduce sales by about 6% in an exporting country, ceteris paribus.ConclusionAn upward convergence of cigarette prices across EU Member States would reduce cross-border cigarette purchasing and improve public health by contributing to decreases in cigarette consumption.
Lives and Afterlives of the Lithophylacii Britannici ichnographia (1699), the First Illustrated Field Guide to English Fossils
Authors: Roos Anna Marie , Rose Edwin D. 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
The Lithophylacii Britannicii ichnographia [British figured stones] (1699) by Edward Lhwyd, the second keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, was the first illustrated field guide to English fossils. We analyse this book’s physical creation – the collection of specimens, their engravings and their use and reuse in eighteenth-century editions and collections that were in the transition to binomial taxonomy. With particular concentration on the Lithophylacii’s illustrations of fossils, this paper will first analyse how the specimens were collected. We will then examine the use of these specimens and subsequent editions of Lhwyd’s book, with a focus upon how the relationship between them was drawn on by collectors such as Sir Hans Sloane and Daniel Solander from 1680 to 1760. Finally, we will demonstrate how Ashmolean Keeper William Huddesford repurposed the illustrations for Lhwyd’s book for his eighteenth-century edition of the field guide, incorporating new classificatory schemes. Our analysis will give insight into how a late seventeenth-century book of natural philosophy was used and repurposed by natural historians and collectors before and during the development of Linnaean taxonomy.
A Treatise on Mirrors Attributed to Matteo Zaccolini
Authors: Bell Janis 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
A short discourse on concave mirrors, Apparenze diverse del Specchio Concavo, among the papers of Cassiano dal Pozzo at Montpellier, is here attributed to Matteo Zaccolini, a Theatine perspective painter in Rome with a reputation for his mastery of optics. A transcription and translation of the treatise are also included.
Lavoisier and Music
Authors: Antonelli Francesca 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
Notes sur la Musique are a set of notes devoted by the French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) to music theory and in particular to the rules for correct composition. Given its subject matter, Notes constitutes a unicum in Lavoisier’s corpus that has been little studied and never published. This essay will present the initial results of an in-depth analysis of this manuscript, followed by a transcription of the text. It will be argued that a large part of the Notes were derived from the writings of Alexandre Théophile Vandermonde (1735–1796), a mathematician who collaborated with Lavoisier on his scientific experiments, but who also developed his own system of harmony. After a brief examination of Vandermonde’s contributions to music theory, various passages from Lavoisier’s Notes will be evaluated in order to show the link between the two scientists’ perspectives on music. Some of Vandermonde’s unpublished papers will also be taken into consideration. On the basis of this analysis, hypotheses will be advanced regarding the circumstances that could have led Lavoisier to take an interest in music theory. Overall, this paper will shed light on a little-known side of Lavoisier’s cultural interests and activities and provide elements that could contribute to a better understanding of his Notes sur la Musique.
Shah Abuʾl-Maʿali , Mir Sayyid ʿAli, and the Sayyids of Tirmiz: Three Portraits Challenge Akbari Historiography
Authors: Parodi Laura E. 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
This essay closely examines three early Mughal portraits—the Portrait of Shah Abuʾl-Maʿali, Portrait of Mir Musavvir, and an alleged self-portrait of Mir Sayyid ʿAli—as well as a seal impression from an early sixteenth-century copy of Jamal al-Din Husayni Shirazi’s Rawżat al-Aḥbāb. The resulting scenario challenges certain scholarly assumptions that are based on a blind acceptance of the narrative contained in official Mughal sources. The analysis serves to substantiate and articulate evidence on the role of Central Asian elites (more specifically, religious elites) in the early Mughal period. It also contributes to the socio-historical contextualization of Mughal paintings on the basis of the inscriptions contained in them and stimulates further discussion on the origins of Mughal portraiture.
Two Rare Early Abbasid Paint-Decorated Ceramic Bowls from el-Khirba/Nes Ziyyona, Israel
Authors: Taxel Itamar , Lester Ayala , ʿAd Uzi 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
This article discusses two near-complete ceramic vessels—a deep, cup-shaped bowl and a shallow bowl/plate—found in recent excavations carried out at the rural site of el-Khirba/Nes Ziyyona in central Israel, in an early Abbasid context dated to the ninth century. The vessels bear unusual painted decorations on their exterior and interior. The decoration of the first bowl consists of alternating pairs of large black and white palm trees and large birds. The second bowl/plate is decorated with eight stylized trees emerging from a central circle, with small circles between them; these motifs were drawn in black over a white-painted surface. These bowls are associated with a local fine ware ceramic group, known as Fine Byzantine (or Fine Islamic) Ware, which originated in the Jerusalem region. However, their decorations reflect stylistic traditions familiar across the Early Islamic Near East and beyond, including from statuary works, illustrated manuscripts, and other ceramics. Altogether, it can be suggested that rural elites in Early Islamic Palestine used luxury ceramics decorated with pan-Islamic patterns as a way of identifying themselves with cosmopolitan, pan-Islamic society.
International Investment Protection in Deep Seabed Mining Beyond National Jurisdiction
Authors: Dingwall Joanna 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
The deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction comprises almost three-quarters of the entire surface area of our oceans. It boasts an array of mineral resources, including valuable metals and rare earth elements. Acting under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the International Seabed Authority is responsible for regulating this area and granting mining contracts to allow investors to explore for and exploit deep seabed minerals. As yet, deep seabed mining activities have been confined to the exploratory stage. However, recently, there has been a marked growth in deep seabed investment by private corporate actors. As technology advances and commercial appetite increases, extraction of deep seabed minerals may soon commence. In this context, this article seeks to address crucial legal issues facing pioneers of deep seabed mining. What is the extent of investment protection within the existing regime? And are there dispute resolution options to enforce such protection?
How Many *-s Suffixes in Old Chinese? (古漢語有多少個 -s 後綴?)
Authors: Jacques (向柏霖) Guillaume 
Published: December 2018

This paper presents potential cognates of the qusheng derivations in more conservative languages of the Trans-Himalayan family, in particular Rgyalrongic and Kiranti. It is suggested in particular that the valency-increasing uses of the qusheng could be related to the applicative -t suffix and that its valency-decreasing uses may be a trace of the reflexive -si suffix.
本文將去聲構擬為*-s或*-t，並提出去聲別義可能與漢藏語系存古語言中的不同後綴同源，去聲的使動和應動的用法可能對應基蘭梯語的應動-t後綴，而被動和反被動的功能則可能是反身後綴-si的痕跡。(This article is in English.)
Clinical interpretation of prostate-specific antigen values: Type of applied cut-off value exceeds methods bias as the major source of variation
Authors: Klinkenberg Lieke JJ , Lentjes Eef GWM , Boer Arjen-Kars 
Published: December 2018

Background Prostate-specific antigen is the biochemical gold standard for the (early) detection and monitoring of prostate cancer. Interpretation of prostate-specific antigen is both dependent on the method and cut-off. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of method-specific differences and cut-off values in a national external quality assessment scheme (EQAS). Methods The Dutch EQAS for prostate-specific antigen comprised an annual distribution of 12 control materials. The results of two distributions were combined with the corresponding cut-off value. Differences between methods were quantified by simple linear regression based on the all laboratory trimmed mean. To assess the clinical consequence of method-specific differences and cut-off values, a clinical data-set of 1040 patients with an initial prostate-specific antigen measurement and concomitant conclusive prostate biopsy was retrospectively collected. Sensitivity and specificity for prostate cancer were calculated for all EQAS participants individually. Results In the Netherlands, seven different prostate-specific antigen methods are used. Interestingly, 67% of these laboratories apply age-specific cut-off values. Methods showed a maximal relative difference of 26%, which were not reflected in the cut-off values. The largest differences were caused by the type of cut-off, for example in the Roche group the cut-off value differed maximal 217%. Clinically, a fixed prostate-specific antigen cut-off has a higher sensitivity than an age-specific cut-off (mean 89% range 86–93% versus 79% range 63–95%, respectively). Conclusions This study shows that the differences in cut-off values exceed the method-specific differences. These results emphasize the need for (inter)national harmonization/standardization programmes including cut-off values to allow for laboratory-independent clinical decision-making.
In vitro removal of anti-infective agents by a novel cytokine adsorbent system
Authors: König Christina , Röhr Anka C , Frey Otto R , Brinkmann Alexander , Roberts Jason A , Wichmann Dominic , Braune Stephan , Kluge Stefan , Nierhaus Axel 
Published: December 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study is to describe the in vitro adsorption of anti-infective drugs onto an extracorporeal cytokine adsorber. Methods: Various anti-infective drugs (β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, azole antimycotics) were prepared in normal saline 0.9% and human albumin 5%, and pumped through a cytokine cartridge (CytoSorb®; CytoSorbents Corporation, Monmouth Junction, NJ, USA) at a flow rate of 1.2 L/h for 1.5 h. In addition, meropenem and ciprofloxacin were dissolved in reconstituted blood and run through a CytoSorb cartridge, which was integrated into a continuous renal replacement therapy circuit with a flow rate of 2 L/h for 18 h. Samples from the solution, pre- and post-filter, were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and fluorescence polarisation immunoassay. Results: Observed mean clearance of the drugs in normal saline was 1.22 ± 0.07 L/h. In human albumin, clearance was 1.29 ± 0.08 L/h. In reconstituted blood, clearance of meropenem decreased from 5.4 to 1.4 L/h and for ciprofloxacin from 6.3 to 4.3 L/h within the first 1.5 h because of early drug adsorption. Continuous renal replacement therapy clearance measured without CytoSorb was stable at 2 and 1.7 L/h, respectively. Approximately 400 mg of meropenem and 300 mg of ciprofloxacin had been adsorbed by CytoSorb, suggesting that these amounts are the maximum adsorptive capacity for these drugs. Conclusion: In these settings, all tested drugs were adsorbed by the cartridge in relevant amounts. The identified maximum adsorptive capacity and the rapid decline in concentration during the first 1.5 h of CytoSorb use suggest that the administration of an additional dose within the first hours of CytoSorb treatment may be reasonable. In addition, early therapeutic drug monitoring should be considered.