bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Deformity and Clinical Outcomes Following Operative Correction of Charcot Foot: A New Classification With Implications for Treatment
Authors: Pinzur Michael S. , Schiff Adam P. 
Published: November 2017

Background: The historic treatment of Charcot foot arthropathy has been immobilization during the active phase of the disease process, followed by accommodative bracing of the acquired deformity. Evidence derived from modern patient-reported outcomes investigations has convinced many surgeons to attempt operative correction of the acquired deformity with a goal of improving quality of life. Methods: Over a 12-year period, 214 patients (9 bilateral) underwent reconstruction of the acquired deformity associated with midtarsal Charcot foot arthropathy. Over time, 3 patterns of deformity were observed based on weight-bearing pattern, relationship of the forefoot to the hindfoot, and integrity of the talocalcaneal joint. A valgus deformity pattern was present in 138, varus in 48, and dislocation of the talocalcaneal joint in 37. A consistent operative strategy was employed. Surgery included percutaneous tendon-Achilles lengthening, resection of infection when present, attempted correction of the structural deformity by wedge resection at the apex of the deformity, and immobilization with a 3-level static circular external fixator. Additional deformity pattern-specific procedures were added over time. Clinical outcomes were based on the historic metrics of limb salvage and resolution of infection and the functional metric of the ability to walk with commercially available therapeutic footwear. Results: Seven patients died within a year of surgery, and 15 underwent partial- or whole-foot amputation. Overall, 173 of 223 feet (77.6%) achieved a favorable clinical outcome. Patients with a valgus deformity pattern were most likely to achieve a favorable clinical outcome (120 of 138, 87.0%). Patients with a dislocation pattern were less likely to achieve a favorable clinical outcome (26 of 37, 70.3%), and those with a varus deformity pattern were least likely to achieve a favorable clinical outcome (27 of 48, 56.3%). Conclusions: Operative correction of the acquired deformity of Charcot foot arthropathy was performed with a goal of improving quality of life. Stratification of patients by deformity pattern allowed alterations of the basic surgery to afford improved outcomes. In addition to achieving historic goals of resolution of infection and limb salvage, almost 80% of the patients were able to achieve the functional goal of independent ambulation with commercially available therapeutic footwear. The clinical outcomes achieved in this retrospective case series appear to support the modern paradigm of operative correction of deformity in this complex patient population. This realistic appreciation of outcome expectations should both be helpful in counseling patients on the risk-benefit ratio associated with surgery and provide a benchmark to measure newer strategies of treatment. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.
Amiloride does not protect retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in optic neuritis in a phase 2 randomised controlled trial
Authors: McKee Justin B , Cottriall Charles L , Elston John , Epps Simon , Evangelou Nikos , Gerry Stephen , Kennard Christopher , Kong Yazhuo , Koelewyn Abigail , Kueker Wilhelm , Leite Maria Isabel , Palace Jacqueline , Craner Matthew 
Published: November 2017

Background: Recent basic and clinical evidence suggests amiloride may be neuroprotective in multiple sclerosis (MS) through the blockade of the acid sensing ion channel (ASIC). Objective: To examine the neuroprotective efficacy of amiloride in acute optic neuritis (ON). Methods: A total of 48 patients were recruited to a phase 2, double blind, single site, randomised controlled trial. Scanning laser polarimetry (GDx) at 6 months was the primary outcome measure and optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual and electrophysiological measures were secondary outcome measures. Participants aged 18–55 years, ≤28 days of onset of first episode unilateral ON, were randomised to amiloride (10 mg daily for 5 months) or placebo ( clinicaltrials.gov , NCT 01802489). Results: Intention-to-treat (ITT) cohort consisted of 43 patients; 23 placebo and 20 amiloride. No significant drug-related adverse events occurred. No significant differences were found in GDx ( p = 0.840). Visual evoked potentials (VEP) were significantly prolonged in the amiloride group compared to placebo ( p = 0.004). All other secondary outcome measures showed no significant difference. Baseline analysis of OCT data demonstrated a significant pre-randomisation thinning of ganglion cell layer. Conclusion: Amiloride has not demonstrated any neuroprotective benefit within this trial paradigm, but future neuroprotective trials in ON should target the window of opportunity to maximise potential neuroprotective benefit.
Telehealth for the management of blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease: A systematic review
Authors: Luo Li , Ye Meiqin , Tan Jiaowang , Huang Qiong , Qin Xindong , Peng Suyuan , Wang Yikun , Zou Tao , Jie Xina , Liu Xusheng , Wu Yifan 
Published: November 2017

Background Most patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) fail to achieve blood pressure (BP) management as recommended. Meanwhile, the effects of promising intervention and telehealth on BP control in CKD patients remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of telehealth for BP in CKD non-dialysis patients. Methods Databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and CBM were systematically searched for randomised controlled trials or quasi-randomised controlled trials on telehealth for BP control of CKD3-5 non-dialysis patients. We analysed systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with a fixed-effects model. Results Three studies, with total 680 subjects, were included in our systematic review and two were included for meta-analysis. Pooled estimates showed decreased SBP (pooled mean difference (MD), −5.10; 95% confidence interval (CI), −11.34, 1.14; p > 0.05, p = 0.11), increased DBP (pooled MD, 0.45; 95% CI, −4.24, 5.13; p > 0.05, p = 0.85), decreased serum creatinine (pooled MD, −0.38; 95% CI, −0.83, 0.07; p > 0.05, p = 0.10) and maintained eGFR (pooled MD, 4.72; 95% CI, −1.85, 11.29; p > 0.05, p = 0.16) in the telehealth group. There was no significant difference from the control group. MAP (MD, 0.6; 95% CI, −6.61, 7.81; p > 0.05, p = 0.87) and BP control rate ( p > 0.05, p = 0.8), respectively, shown in two studies also demonstrated no statistical significance in the telehealth group. Conclusions There was no statistically significant evidence to support the superiority of telehealth for BP management in CKD patients. This suggests further studies with improved study design and optimised intervention are needed in the future.
An Empirical Clarification on the Assessment of Engagement at Work
Authors: Gupta Manish , Shukla Keerti 
Published: November 2017

The Problem The attachment of a person’s “self” to “role” has been studied from a variety of perspectives by numerous social scientists since 1990. However, scholars are divided on the issues of definition and measurement of engagement. Also, the incremental validity of one engagement measure over the other in predicting performance has not been examined. Therefore, this study attempts to review, test, and examine the incremental validity of different operational definitions of engagement in light of the self and role theory. The Solution ANOVA conducted using 317 knowledge workers from different companies in India indicates that personal engagement, work engagement, and job engagement differ significantly from each other. Next, the results of step-wise regression indicate incremental validity of work engagement over other types of engagements in predicting task performance. However, personal engagement remains the strongest predictor of task performance. The Stakeholders The results of this study are expected to help human resource development (HRD) scholars make more informed decision while choosing a particular engagement measure. The results also encourage practitioners to use work engagement scale to explain their employees’ performance, at least in the Indian context.
Studies on Foam Decay Trend and Influence of Temperature Jump on Foam Stability in Sclerotherapy
Authors: Bai Taoping , Chen Yu , Jiang Wentao , Yan Fei , Fan Yubo 
Published: November 2017

Objectives: This study investigated the influence of temperature jump and liquid–gas ratio on foam stability to derive the foam-decay law. Methods: The experimental group conditions were as follows: mutation temperatures (10°C, 16°C, 20°C, 23°C, 25°C, and 27°C to >37°C) and liquid–gas ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4). The control group conditions were as follows: temperatures (10°C, 16°C, 20°C, 23°C, 25°C and 27°C) and liquid–gas ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4). A homemade device manufactured using the Tessari DSS method was used to prepare the foam. The decay process was videotape recorded. In the drainage rate curve, the temperature rose, and the liquid–gas ratio varied from 1:1 to 1:4, causing faster decay. Results: In the entire process, the foam volume decreased with increasing drainage rate. The relationships were almost linear. Comparison of the experimental and control groups shows that the temperature jump results in a drainage time range of 1 to 15 seconds. The half-life ranges from 10 to 30 seconds. The maximum rate is 18.85%. Changes in the preparation temperature yields a drainage time range of 3 to 30 seconds. The half-life varies from 20 to 60 seconds. Conclusion: Decreasing the temperature jump range and liquid–gas ratio gradually enhances the foam stability. The foam decay time and drainage rate exhibit an exponential function distribution.
Duration of the acute hepatic encephalopathy episode determines survival in cirrhotic patients
Authors: Ventura-Cots Meritxell , Carmona Isabel , Moreno Carolina , Ampuero Javier , Simón-Talero Macarena , Sanpedro Francesc , Les Iñigo , Romero-Gómez Manuel , Genescà Joan 
Published: November 2017

Background: Episodes of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) have been related to low survival rate. However, the relation between its clinical evolution and mortality has not been assessed. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 245 cirrhotic patients admitted for an acute episode of HE (⩾grade 2) or who developed an HE episode after an upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) event was performed to assess the relation between time in HE and transplant-free survival. Results: Median (IQR25–75) time in HE was 48 h (24–96 h) in the whole cohort. Patients who presented a longer time in HE (>48 h; n = 89) exhibited a lower transplant-free survival at 28 days (67.2% versus 88.9%, p < 0.001), 90 days (48.7% versus 73.8%, p < 0.001) and 365 days (30.3% versus 53.2%, p < 0.001), as compared to those with less time in HE (⩽48 h; n = 156). Survival rates remained significantly different, with lower percentages in the group with time in HE >48 h, when comparing patients according to baseline HE grade (2 versus ⩾3) or model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) function (⩽15 versus >15). Time in HE was also an independent risk factor for mortality at each time point, hazard ratio (HR) (95 CI%) 28 days 2.59 (1.39–4.84); 90 days 1.98 (1.28–3.1) and 365 days 1.5 (1.08–2.19). Conclusions: The duration of the acute HE episode determines survival in cirrhotic patients independently of liver function and baseline HE grade.
Fueling for Performance
Authors: Bytomski Jeffrey R. 
Published: November 2017

Context: Proper nutrition is crucial for an athlete to optimize his or her performance for training and competition. Athletes should be able to meet their dietary needs through eating a wide variety of whole food sources. Evidence Acquisition: PubMed was searched for relevant articles published from 1980 to 2016. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Results: An athlete should have both daily and activity-specific goals for obtaining the fuel necessary for successful training. Depending on the timing of their season, athletes may be either trying to gain lean muscle mass, lose fat, or maintain their current weight. Conclusion: An athlete will have different macronutrient goals depending on sport, timing of exercise, and season status. There are no specific athletic micronutrient guidelines, but testing should be considered for athletes with deficiency or injury. Also, some athletes who eliminate certain whole food groups (eg, vegetarian) may need to supplement their diet to avoid deficiencies.
Use of En Face Optical Coherence Tomography in a Case of Hydroxychloroquine Retinal Toxicity
Authors: Garcia Maria D. , Ventura Camila V. , Ryder Steven J. , de Oliveira Dias João R. , Berrocal Audina M. 
Published: November 2017

Purpose: To describe the case of 49-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) therapy, who presented with findings of HCQ retinopathy on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Evaluation included clinical examination with multimodal imaging findings on spectral domain (SD)-OCT, en face OCT, and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Results: The patient had nonspecific visual symptoms and an unremarkable funduscopic examination. Humphrey visual fields, fundus autofluorescence, mfERG, SD-OCT, and en face structural OCT, however, suggested HCQ retinal toxicity. Conclusions: This case demonstrates that the findings of HCQ retinopathy on en face structural OCT are analogous to those identified by current imaging modalities used for the screening and diagnosis of HCQ toxicity. En face structural OCT may be useful in the detection of HCQ-induced retinal toxicity.
Inhibition of heme oxygenase ameliorates anemia and reduces iron overload in a β-thalassemia mouse model
Authors: Garcia-Santos Daniel , Hamdi Amel , Saxova Zuzana , Fillebeen Carine , Pantopoulos Kostas , Horvathova Monika , Ponka Prem 
Published: November 2017

Key PointsIron released from heme by HO 1 contributes to the pathophysiology of thalassemia. Inhibition of HO 1 is of therapeutic value for the treatment of thalassemia.
Respiratory adverse effects of opioids for breathlessness: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Verberkt Cindy A. , van den Beuken-van Everdingen Marieke H.J. , Schols Jos M.G.A. , Datla Sushma , Dirksen Carmen D. , Johnson Miriam J. , van Kuijk Sander M.J. , Wouters Emiel F.M. , Janssen Daisy J.A. 
Published: November 2017

Previous studies have shown that opioids can reduce chronic breathlessness in advanced disease. However, physicians remain reluctant to prescribe opioids for these patients, commonly due to fear of respiratory adverse effects. The aim of this study was to systematically review reported respiratory adverse effects of opioids in patients with advanced disease and chronic breathlessness.PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL,ClinicalTrials.govand the reference lists of relevant systematic reviews were searched. Two independent researchers screened against predefined inclusion criteria and extracted data. Meta-analysis was conducted where possible.We included 63 out of 1990 articles, describing 67 studies. Meta-analysis showed an increase in carbon dioxide tension (0.27 kPa, 95% CI 0.08–0.45 kPa,) and no significant change in oxygen tension and oxygen saturation (both p>0.05). Nonserious respiratory depression (definition variable/not stated) was described in four out of 1064 patients. One cancer patient pretreated with morphine for pain needed temporary respiratory support following nebulised morphine for breathlessness (single case study).We found no evidence of significant or clinically relevant respiratory adverse effects of opioids for chronic breathlessness. Heterogeneity of design and study population, and low study quality are limitations. Larger studies designed to detect respiratory adverse effects are needed.
Thermal Quenching Mechanism of CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ Red Phosphor
Authors: Ueda Jumpei , Tanabe Setsuhisa , Takahashi Kohsei , Takeda Takashi , Hirosaki Naoto 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ is a widely applied phosphor in white LEDs (w-LEDs) because of strong blue absorption and efficient red luminescence with high thermal quenching temperature. The good stability against thermal quenching has been well established, but the mechanism for the luminescence quenching at high temperatures has not been elucidated yet. In this report, we investigate the possibility of thermal ionization quenching by thermoluminescence (TL) and persistent luminescence techniques. In the TL glow curve by UV charging at 100 K, two broad TL glow bands were observed around 160 and 390 K. The higher TL glow band was not observed by 550 nm charging at 300 K, but it was observed by 550 nm charging at above 400 K which corresponds to the onset temperature of luminescence quenching. Because the 550 nm light excites the lowest 5d level of Eu2+, we conclude that the luminescence quenching of CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ at high temperatures is caused by the thermal ionization.
Adaptive Partition-Based Level Decomposition Methods for Solving Two-Stage Stochastic Programs with Fixed Recourse
Authors: van Ackooij Wim , de Oliveira Welington , Song Yongjia 
Published: November 2017

We present a computational study of several strategies to solve two-stage stochastic linear programs by integrating the adaptive partition-based approach with level decomposition. A partition-based formulation is a relaxation of the original stochastic program, obtained by aggregating variables and constraints according to a scenario partition. Partition refinements are guided by the optimal second-stage dual vectors computed at certain first-stage solutions. The proposed approaches rely on the level decomposition with on-demand accuracy to dynamically adjust partitions until an optimal solution is found. Numerical experiments on a large set of test problems including instances with up to one hundred thousand scenarios show the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2017.0765 .
Retos y situaciones de una economía cambiante frente a fenómenos económicos.
Authors: Ortiz Ramírez José Fernando 
Published: November 2017

La revista Finanzas y Política Económica ha tenido el privilegio de trabajar con autores de diferentes lugares del mundo, quienes han venido desarrollando investigaciones y cuyas colaboraciones a la disciplina económica han dejado un aprendizaje sustancial para los lectores y estudiosos de las temáticas publicadas en los diferentes números.En las últimas décadas, los ciclos económicos y políticos han estado fuera de sincronización y han puesto de manifiesto problemas de recesión. La generalización de las consultas populares mineras en Colombia —que podrían generar un impacto fiscal y afectar las finanzas de la nación—, la proliferación de mercados emergentes en América, Europa y Asia y el colapso del precio del petróleo —aunque sigue siendo vital para economías de países que dependen de estos recursos— son situaciones, entre muchas otras, que evidencian una economía cambiante. Por un lado, políticos populistas ganan credibilidad y prometen economías más prósperas y, por otro, la Reserva Federal de Estados Unidos continúa con la tendencia de subir las tasas de interés. ¿Cuáles serán los efectos de estos fenómenos? Son retos y situaciones que no terminan ahí; por ello, dada la trayectoria y las cambiantes tendencias de la ciencia económica con sus diversas temáticas en los ámbitos nacional e internacional, en este número se presentan temas que contribuyen a la comprensión de estos movimientos económicos y políticos en el escenario mundial.
The Determination of Kinetic Parameters of Transformer Oil and its Blends by Thermal Analysis
Authors: Dukhi Veresha , Bissessur Ajay , Ngila Catherine Jane , Ijumba Nelson Mutatina 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
The insulation of transformer oil comprise of two practices: paper and dielectric fluid (such as mineral transformer oil). Ageing of these oils occur mainly by thermal, electrical and oxidative stresses. This paper describes the determination of kinetic parameters of a naphthenic based transformer oil and its blends based on the Ozawa, Flynn and Wall (OFW) and Kissinger models using data obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), plots. Virgin oil and its blends were analysed from an initial temperature range of 20-25 ºC to 300 ºC at temperature ramps of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 ºC min-1. The OFW method in conjunction with TGA data was used to calculate the apparent decomposition activation energies at each of the selected weight loss (% conversion or α) values. The activation energies at 10% weight loss were found to be 57.0, 63.7 and 69.3 kJ mol-1 for BHT-B (virgin oil-2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol blends), DBP-B (virgin oil-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol blends) and VO (virgin transformer oil), respectively. However using this method the activation energy (Ea) of the oils showed no significant difference between virgin oil and its blends. DSC curves revealed that the decomposition reaction was exothermic in nature. From DSC data the activation energy was determined using two separate models: OFW and Kissinger models. Decomposition activation energy obtained from DSC data showed no significant difference when applied to these two models. Dissipation factor tests showed superior results for the blends when compared to those of virgin transformer oil. However, the blends showed substantial reductions in their dielectric breakdown voltage. The implication of the reduced breakdown voltage is that the blends show poorer dielectric strength in comparison to virgin transformer oil.
Degradation studies of organic acids in commercially packed fruit juices: A reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic approach
Authors: Raghav Ruchika , Yadav Nisha , Tyagi Gunjan , Jangir Deepak K. , Mehrotra Ranjana , Ganesan R. , Rajagopal E.S. 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Organic acids are important constituents of fruit juices. They render tartness, flavour and specific taste to fruit juices. Shelf life and stability of fruit juices are important factors, which determine their nutritional quality and freshness. In this view, the effect of storage on the concentration of organic acids in commercially packed fruit juices is studied by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Ten packed fruit juices from two different brands are stored at 30°C for 24, 48 and 72 hours. A reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic method is used to determine the concentration of oxalic, tartaric, malic, ascorbic and citric acid in the fruit juices during storage. The chromatographic analysis of organic acids is carried out using mobile phase 0.5% (w/v) ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate buffer (pH 2.8) on C18 column with UV-Vis detector. The results show that the concentration of organic acids generally decreases in juices under study with the increase in storage time. All the fruit juices belonging to tropicana brand underwent less organic acid degradation in comparison to juices of real brand. Orange fruit juice is found to be least stable among the juices under study, after the span of 72 hours. Amongst all the organic acids under investigation minimum stability is shown by ascorbic acid followed by malic and citric acid.
An elliptic system with logarithmic nonlinearity
Authors: Alves Claudianor , Moussaoui Abdelkrim , Tavares Leandro 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
In the present paper, we study the existence of solutions for some classes of
singular systems involving the

Δ

p
⁢

(
x
)

{\Delta_{p(x)}}

and

Δ

q
⁢

(
x
)

{\Delta_{q(x)}}

Laplacian operators. The approach is based on bifurcation theory and the sub-supersolution method for systems of quasilinear equations involving
singular terms.