bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Differences between Slovak and Dutch patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft surgery regarding clinical and psychosocial predictors of physical and mental health-related quality of life
Authors: El-Baz Noha , Ondusova Daniela , Studencan Martin , Rosenberger Jaroslav , Reijneveld Sijmen A , van Dijk Jitse P , Middel Berrie 
Published: December 2017

Background: Differences in health-related quality of life in coronary artery disease patients and associated factors between patients of central and western European descent are rarely investigated. We aim to test differences between Dutch and Slovak health-related quality of life, whether nationality predicted health-related quality of life and if standardised beta weights of health-related quality of life determinants differ across countries. Design: An observational multicentre study at university cardiac centres in the Netherlands and Slovakia. Methods: In 226 coronary artery disease patients, health-related quality of life was measured by the Short Form Health Survey 36, anxiety and depression were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and type D personality was assessed with the 14-item Type D Scale. Multivariate analysis was used to explore the effect of patient characteristics on the physical and mental component summaries. Estimates of each predictor’s beta value of the physical and mental component summaries in the Slovak and Dutch patient sample were separately calculated using the Cummings criterion for comparison of two independent betas. Results: Stronger predictors of physical health-related quality of life in Slovak patients were educational level, current smoking, poor functional status, history of diabetes and amount of social support. In Dutch patients, only more symptoms of depression was a stronger predictor ( P<0.05). Regarding Slovak mental health-related quality of life, stronger predictors were educational level, current smoking and amount of social support. Female gender, history of myocardial infarction and more symptoms of depression were stronger predictors in Dutch patients ( P<0.05). Conclusion: Descent and differences between both populations in determinants of health-related quality of life should be considered while planning care, follow-up, health education and rehabilitation.
An Audit of Preoperative Blood Tests
Authors: Putnis Soni , Nanuck Joe , Heath Dugal 
Published: December 2017

Purpose Audit of the use of preoperative blood tests in elective general surgery in a district general hospital. Comparison is made with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines and recommendations. Methodology Retrospective audit of preoperative blood tests performed for elective general surgical patients in a district general hospital over a one month period. Findings Patients attending preoperative assessment for general surgery have blood tests performed in excess of the NICE guidelines. The most frequently requested test that is performed against NICE guidelines is a coagulation screen. This was requested in excess of the national guidelines in 17.8% of cases. Practical implications This audit highlights the overuse of preoperative blood tests and provides suggestions for improving efficiency and economics in the preoperative setting. Originality/value of paper There have been no published audits assessing the current practice against the 2003 NICE guidelines for the use of routine preoperative tests for elective surgery.
The Early Days of Prostatectomy for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
Authors: Ellis Harold 
Published: December 2017

The syndrome of bladder neck obstruction, often leading to retention of urine, in ageing men has been recognised since earliest times. Catheterisation for the relief of urinary retention was used by the ancient Chinese and Egyptians and is described in the writings of the Indian surgeon Susrata, who flourished in Benares sometime after Christ. Although many of these cases were the result of urethral stricture from trauma or gonorrhoea, we can assume that, in older men, the cause was often benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).
Perioperative Care: The Foundations of Quality Practice for the Child and Young Person
Authors: Clarke Sonya 
Published: December 2017

More than a decade ago, Professor Sir Ian Kennedy (QC) the appointed investigator for the public enquiry into children's heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary stated, “It seems so obvious it hardly needs to be said: just as children differ from adults in terms of their physiological, psychological, intellectual and emotional development, so they differ in their healthcare needs. They experience and see the world differently. Children are in a constant state of growth and development which creates particular needs and demands which are of a different order from those affecting adult patients. Their relative physical and emotional immaturity, in comparison with adults, has implications both for the treatment which they receive and the physical environment in which they are cared for'”’ (Kennedy 2001).
Nature, genesis and industrial properties of the kaolin from Masirah Island, Oman
Authors: Pracejus Bernhard , Abbasi Iftikhar Ahmed , Al-Khirbash Salah , Al-Aamri Mohammad 
Published: December 2017

AbstractKaolin deposits >10 m thick overlie unconformably a Mesozoic ophiolite sequence at Jabal Humr, Masirah Island, Oman. The clay's mineralogical and chemical composition, plasticity and moisture content were measured to determine its genesis and suitability for commercial usage. The clay-rich raw material contains 76–94% kaolinite and varying amounts of quartz (micro sheets coating kaolinite) and calcite as well as secondary sulfates. The mode of occurrence, an associated shallow-marine iron oolite/pisolite unit, various secondary minerals which can only form in a gossan environment (oxidation zone of a much older sulfide deposit), and minerals such as gypsum that are highly unstable within a laterite, have led to the conclusion that the Jabal Humr kaolinite deposit cannot have the lateritic origin that has been suggested previously. Rather, it must have formed in a coastal marine environment with a subsequent strong geochemical overprint from the underlying gossan environment, after being enveloped by Tertiary carbonates. A high plasticity and its light colour after firing indicate that this material is suitable for industrial use, especially in pottery. Occasional high contents of up to ∼25% extremely fine-grained quartz (sheet-like, <50 nm thick) reduce the need for quartz addition during the processing for ceramic materials; such natural kaolinite-quartz mixtures already produce a suitable blend of materials. The possible occurrence of spalling during or after firing, caused by the sporadic presence of accessory calcite, can be avoided by by further addition of quartz which leads to the formation of calcium silicate.
The small vesicular culprits: the investigation of extracellular vesicles as new targets for cancer treatment
Authors: Urabe Fumihiko , Kosaka Nobuyoshi , Yoshioka Yusuke , Egawa Shin , Ochiya Takahiro 
Published: December 2017

AbstractExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous vesicles released from almost all type of cells including cancer cells. EVs transfer their components, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), messenger RNAs, lipids and proteins, from one cell to another, affecting the target cells. Emerging evidence suggests that reciprocal interactions between cancer cells and the cells in their microenvironment via EVs drive disease progression and therapy resistance. Therefore, understanding the roles of EVs in cancer biology will provide us with new opportunities to treat patients. EVs are also useful for monitoring disease processes. EVs have been found in many kinds of biological fluids such as blood, urine, saliva and semen. Because of their accessibility, EVs offer ease of collection with minimal discomfort to patients and are preferred for serial collection. In addition, they reflect and carry dynamic changes in disease, allowing us to access crucial molecular information about the disease status. Therefore, EVs hold great possibility as clinically useful biomarkers to provide multiple non‐invasive snapshots of primary and metastatic tumors. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of miRNAs in EVs in cancer biology and as biomarkers. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of miRNAs in EVs for clinical application.
Videolaryngoscopy for Physician-Based, Prehospital Emergency Intubation: A Prospective, Randomized, Multicenter Comparison of Different Blade Types Using A.P. Advance, C-MAC System, and KingVision
Authors: Cavus Erol , Janssen Sebastian , Reifferscheid Florian , Caliebe Amke , Callies Andreas , von der Heyden Martin , Knacke Peer G. , Doerges Volker 
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND:
Videolaryngoscopy is a valuable technique for endotracheal intubation. When used in the perioperative period, different videolaryngoscopes vary both in terms of technical use and intubation success rates. However, in the prehospital environment, the relative performance of different videolaryngoscopic systems is less well studied.

METHODS:
We conducted this prospective, randomized, multicenter study at 4 German prehospital emergency medicine centers. One hundred sixty-eight adult patients requiring prehospital emergency intubation were treated by an emergency physician and randomized to 1 of 3 portable videolaryngoscopes (A.P. Advance, C-MAC PM, and channeled blade KingVision) with different blade types. The primary outcome variable was overall intubation success and secondary outcomes included first-attempt intubation success, glottis visualization, and difficulty with handling the devices. P values for pairwise comparisons are corrected by the Bonferroni method for 3 tests (P[BF]). All presented P values are adjusted for center.

RESULTS:
Glottis visualization was comparable with all 3 devices. Overall intubation success for A.P. Advance, C-MAC, and KingVision was 96%, 97%, and 61%, respectively (overall: P < .001, A.P. Advance versus C-MAC: odds ratio [OR], 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13–7.42, P[BF] > 0.99; A.P. Advance versus KingVision: OR, 0.043, 95% CI, 0.0088–0.21, P[BF] < 0.001; C-MAC versus KingVision: OR, 0.043, 95% CI, 0.0088–0.21, P[BF] < 0.001). Intubation success on the first attempt with A.P. Advance, C-MAC, and KingVision was 86%, 85%, and 48%, respectively (overall: P < .001, A.P. Advance versus C-MAC: OR, 0.89, 95% CI, 0.31–2.53, P[BF] > 0.99; A.P. Advance versus KingVision: OR, 0.24, 95% CI, 0.055–0.38, P[BF] = 0.0054; C-MAC versus KingVision: OR, 0.21, 95% CI, 0.043–.34, P[BF] < 0.003). Direct laryngoscopy for successful intubation with the videolaryngoscopic device was necessary with the A.P. Advance in 5 patients, and with the C-MAC in 4 patients. In the KingVision group, 21 patients were intubated with an alternative device.

CONCLUSIONS:
During prehospital emergency endotracheal intubation performed by emergency physicians, success rates of 3 commercially available videolaryngoscopes A.P. Advance, C-MAC PM, and KingVision varied markedly. We also found that although any of the videolaryngoscopes provided an adequate view, actual intubation was more difficult with the channeled blade KingVision.
A new method to characterize function of theDrosophilaheart by means of optical flow
Authors: Mönck Hauke , Toppe David , Michael Eva , Sigrist Stephan , Richter Vincent , Hilpert Diana , Raccuglia Davide , Efetova Marina , Schwärzel Martin 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACTThe minuteness of Drosophila poses a challenge to quantify performance of its tubular heart and computer-aided analysis of its beating heart has evolved as a resilient compromise between instrumental costs and data robustness. Here, we introduce an optical flow algorithm (OFA) that continuously registers coherent movement within videos of the beating Drosophila heart and uses this information to subscribe the time course of observation with characteristic phases of cardiac contraction or relaxation. We report that the OFA combines high discriminatory power with robustness to characterize the performance of the Drosophila tubular heart using indicators from human cardiology. We provide proof of this concept using the test bed of established cardiac conditions that include the effects of ageing, knockdown of the slow repolarizing potassium channel subunit KCNQ and ras-mediated hypertrophy of the heart tube. Together, this establishes the analysis of coherent movement as a suitable indicator of qualitative changes of the heart's beating characteristics, which improves the usefulness of Drosophila as a model of cardiac diseases.
Effect of Ground Corn Fractionation on Flowability
Authors: Kalivoda Julie R , Jones Cassandra K , Stark Charles R 
Published: December 2017

Abstract. Particle size reduction is an important component of feed manufacturing that impacts pellet quality, feed flowability, and animal performance. However, reducing particle size too fine often results in reduced flowability of the ground corn and finished feed, which creates potential handling and storage concerns at the feed mill and farm. The objective of this experiment was to determine how fractionation affected flowability of ground corn. Whole corn was received from a single source and ground to achieve 3 target particle sizes, 400, 500, and 600 µm with actual results of 469, 560, and 614 µm. Each target particle size was fractionated into three segments: fine (&lt; 282 µm), medium (&gt; 282 µm and &lt; 630 µm), and coarse (&gt; 630 µm) particles using a vibratory separator (model LS18SP3, SWECO, Florence, Ky.). Within particle size treatment, the percentage of sample obtained for each fraction was: 400 µm: 4.9%, 34.2%, and 60.9% for fine, medium, and coarse, respectively; 500 µm: 1.9%, 31.3%, and 66.9% for fine, medium, and coarse, respectively; and 600 µm: 1.0%, 24.4%, and 74.7% for fine, medium, and coarse, respectively. When the fractions were separated, their particle sizes were: 400 µm: 94, 269, and 744 µm for fine, medium, and coarse, respectively; 500 µm: 96, 253, and 815 µm for fine, medium, and coarse, respectively; and 600 µm: 99, 220, and 898 µm for fine, medium, and coarse, respectively. Fractionated samples were analyzed for multiple flowability characteristics, including: angle of repose, critical orifice diameter, composite flow index (CFI), bulk density, and compressibility. Treatments were arranged in a nested model with three replicates per treatment. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. When fraction was nested within particle size for each treatment, the fine fraction (&lt; 282 µm) of the 400 µm corn had the poorest CFI (P &lt; 0.05). Whereas the coarse fraction (&gt; 630 µm) of the 600 µm corn had the best CFI. The nutrient content of the fractions was greatest in the medium fraction (&gt; 282 µm and &lt; 630 µm) for crude protein, fat, and acid detergent fiber (ADF). In conclusion, reducing particle size resulted in the ground corn having poorer flowability characteristics, caused predominantly by particles that passed through a 282 µm screen. Based on this data, producers may potentially grind corn to a lower particle size while maintaining flowability if fine particles (&lt; 282 µm) are removed. Keywords: Corn, Flowability, Particle size analysis
An Experimental Study on Transforming Montmorillonite to Glauconite: Implications for the Process of Glauconitization
Authors: Zhang Xiaoke , Cai Yuanfeng , Jiang Dongmei , Zhang Yang , Pan Yuguan , Bai Lijuan 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe objective of this study was to explore the geological origin of glauconite, which is believed to precipitate and mature very slowly (~1 Myr) in neritic environments (shallow water, oceanic coastal zones, at water depths of 100–200 m) with very low sedimentation rates. A series of simulation experiments was designed and carried out in sealed tubes placed in an oven and heated to a constant temperature of 50°C (±2°C) for 60 or 150 d. The parent materials used for these experiments were two low-Fe montmorillonites with different crystallinities. The montmorillonites were introduced to solutions with concentrations of 0.02–0.1 mol/L Fe3+ and 0.05–0.2 mol/L K+ with various values of pH and Eh. The products were analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The morphological changes from parent material to product were observed under SEM, which revealed the formation of a flaky mineral (e.g. a product formed in the interstitial spaces between montmorillonite crystals). The formation of a flaky mineral indicates that the product is a layer silicate. Qualitative analysis of XRD patterns revealed that the main product phase was a mica group mineral and the d060 value was consistent with the presence of glauconite (0.152 nm) and/or Fe-illite (0.150 nm). A glauconite and Fe-illite mineral assemblage formed in a weakly acidic solution, while Fe-illite, mixed-layer Fe-illite, and montmorillonite formed in neutral and alkaline solutions. Stretching vibrations of Fe(III)Fe(III)OH-AlFe(II)OH and/or MgFe(III)OH were observed in FTIR spectra (3550–3562 cm−1) of the products formed in acidic solutions, which along with the g = 1.978 ESR signal indicated that Fe(III) entered octahedral positions in the tetrahedral/octahedral/tetrahedral layer (TOT) platelets. The AlFe(II)OH-MgFe(III)OH (3550–3562 cm−1) and AlFe(III)OH (870 cm−1) vibrations were only observed in products formed in neutral and alkaline solutions. Analysis of the Mössbauer spectra showed that Fe(III) substituted for Al and Mg in the cis octahedral sites of montmorillonite. The simulation experiments demonstrated that the pH and redox conditions (Eh) of the environment controlled the nature of the product mineral species. Results of the present study revealed that glauconitization and illitization occurred under different conditions, where glauconitization preferentially occurred in an acidic environment and illitization preferentially occurred in a nearly neutral to alkaline environment.
‘The problem seems to be an American with no sense of timing or fashion’: Costume and national identity in Torchwood
Authors: Beattie Melissa 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
This article focuses upon the telefantasy series Torchwood, which has existed as both a sole BBC Wales production and twice as an international co-production with first the CBC (Series 1) and then the American cable broadcaster Starz (Series 4). The series, a spin-off of British telefantasy series par excellence, Doctor Who, includes highly stylized costume for some lead characters, especially the males, which both function as metonyms for the characters themselves (much like comic iconography) as well as complicating simple readings of national identity of both character and series. These complications include the fact that a programme that was paratextually positioned as being Welsh had an American-accented, pseudo-RAF-uniformed man from the future as its lead and metonym, as well as how the costuming (amongst other aesthetic elements) changed and the change in how they were interpreted when the series moved production to the United States. Drawn from my Ph.D. research and including empirical audience data, textual analysis and interviews with both costumers associated with the series, this article will both use the series as a case study for how national identity can be discursively constructed, reinforced and analysed via costume as well as looking at the specifics of how a globalized (and glocalized) genre series uses costume.
The network as niche
Authors: Prior David 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
As telematic music emerges as a medium distinct from that of live performance, broadcast or recorded music, we are in a privileged position to experience it in its naïve form. This article investigates where these distinctions reside and starts by considering the ways in which telematic music systems mediate the music made with them. It then turns to Anthony Chemero’s rendering of William Gibson’s theory of affordances, imagining Online Orchestra as an ‘environment’, or musical habitat. Rather than focusing on spurious notions of the fixed properties of the media that comprise this environment, attention is given to the relations between the various mediating forms within the system, whether they be performers, audiences or technical media.
Immersive dance and virtual realities
Authors: Birringer Johannes 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
This article offers a reflection on the mixed reality experience and a layered approach, devised for the theatrical environment of kimosphere no. 4/Horlà, viewed as an expanded, multi-sensorial sense of playful immersion. This research on new choreographic architectures was conducted with colleagues in the DAP-Lab, developing further our investigations of dance and wearable design. I question the role of the virtual and of wearable virtual reality (VR) headsets within the metakimosphere series and the physical theatre/dance/VR installations that I have created. I also briefly discuss the critical importance and historical context of the ritual-communal aspect of immersion and participatory art.
Avatar life-review: Virtual bodies in a dramatic paradox
Authors: Ryu Semi 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
This article will examine ongoing avatar life-review projects, in the light of drama therapy concepts and methods, exploring a hybrid model of avatar/drama therapy in a virtually mediated environment. The avatar life-review platform will incorporate techniques/methods of drama therapy and psychodrama such as role playing, role-reversal, doubling and mirroring as a hybrid therapeutic model between VR and theatre. It will address multiple states of self in dramatic paradox, especially for people with traumatic memories, disabilities, memory loss or mental health complications.
Translational Spaces: Virtual narratives of being and belonging
Authors: Tavera Santiago 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
The concept of translation implies a dynamic motion of subjects and objects to perceive, remember and experience physical and digital elements across geographical, linguistic, physical, psychological and virtual borders. Translational Spaces is a project that consists of a series of 2D and 3D animations combined with written fictions of virtual narratives of dislocation. This project investigates processes of self-identification, social interaction and physical perception through multimedia works that emerge from digital and textual components. Through interactive and immersive gallery installations, along with participatory workshops, this project questions the notion of a homogeneous self within multiple physical and virtual realms. Dislocation, familiar to those who have experienced cultural migration, has become more apparent as subjects now live as virtual immigrants within the realm of the digital. In cyberspace, subjects and objects exist as images that are constantly moving from one screen to the next, a virtual dislocation similar to the one of a migrant body. The sense of being present and belonging to a specific place is constantly affected by today’s digital culture. As augmented digital elements merge with the physical world, a mixed reality emerges in which subjects and objects become re-presentations of themselves. Digital technologies have become an extension of both the body and its consciousness. This allows for the body to experience itself, others and the places around it as multiple and infinite entities. Translational Spaces presents a suspended state of mixed realities in which digital environments are used to trigger a sense of the immediate and the already-lived. This allows the individuals who experience it to construct their own virtual narratives through a sense of (dis)embodiment and dislocation.