Postoperative Fever Evaluation Following Lumbar Fusion Procedures

Benjamin C. Mayo,Brittany E. Haws,Daniel D. Bohl,Philip K. Louie,Fady Y. Hijji,Ankur S. Narain,Dustin H. Massel,Benjamin Khechen,Kern Singh 대한척추신경외과학회 2018 Neurospine Vol.15 No.2

Objective: This study aimed to determine the incidence of postoperative fever, the workup conducted for postoperative fever, the rate of subsequent fever-related diagnoses or complications, and the risk factors associated with fever following lumbar fusion. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing lumbar fusion was performed. For patients in whom fever (≥38.6°C) was documented, charts were reviewed for any fever workup or diagnosis. Multivariate regression was used to identify independent risk factors for the development of postoperative fever. Results: A total of 868 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 105 exhibited at least 1 episode of fever during hospitalization. The first documentation of fever occurred during the first 24 hours in 43.8% of cases, during postoperative hours 24–48 in 53.3%, and later than 48 hours postoperatively in 2.9%. At least 1 component of a fever workup was conducted in 47 of the 105 patients who had fever, resulting in fever-associated diagnoses in 4 patients prior to discharge. Three patients who had fever during the inpatient stay developed complications after discharge. On multivariate analysis, operations longer than 150 minutes (relative risk [RR], 1.66; p=0.015) and narcotic consumption greater than 85 oral morphine equivalents on postoperative day 0 (RR, 1.53; p=0.038) were independently associated with an increased risk of developing postoperative fever. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that inpatient fever occurred in roughly 1 in 8 patients following lumbar fusion surgery. In most cases where a fever workup was performed, no cause of fever was detected. Longer operative time and increased early postoperative narcotic use may increase the risk of developing postoperative fever.

Review on the comparison of effectiveness between denosumab and bisphosphonates in post-menopausal osteoporosis

Biju Benjamin,Mridula Ambwani Benjamin,Myint Swe,Sandheep Sugathan 대한골다공증학회 2016 Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Vol.2 No.2

Objective: Osteoporosis is a rapidly rising cause of concern for elderly patients. Various classes of drugs are available in the market. Bisphosphonates are considered as a first-line therapy for the prevention and treatment. Denosumab is an antiresorptive agent which is a RANK ligand inhibitor. There is a scarcity of comparison between these two classes of drugs. The aim of this study is to compare efficacy of Bisphosphonates and Denosumab in various parameters. Materials and methods: Literature search was done for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing bisphosphonates with denosumab. RCTs with a treatment period of at least one year with a baseline bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTM) and follow up values at one year were included in the study. All included studies were also analysed for complications. The study has also been registered in PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews. Results: A total of five RCTs were identified providing data on 3751 participants. In all five studies, the BMD changes at both hip and spine were statistically significant in favour of denosumab. Result was similar in three studies that studied BMD changes at the wrist. Denosumab also produced significant reduction in BTM as early as one month, but at one year there was no difference compared to the bisphosphonates. There was no statistically significant differences in the complication rates. Conclusion: Though both bisphosphonates and denosumab were effective with similar side effects, the latter was statistically superior in increasing the BMD and reducing the BTM. © 2016 The Korean Society of Osteoporosis. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

North by Southeast

Benjamin Engel 재단법인 동아시아연구원 2016 EAI 미중관계 시리즈 Vol.- No.-

The World"s Firemen?

Benjamin Engel 재단법인 동아시아연구원 2016 EAI 미중관계 시리즈 Vol.- No.-

Acrophialophora ellipsoidea, an Undescribed Species Isolated from Soil in Korea

( Benjamin Yaw Ayim ),( Young-tae Kim ),( Kallol Das ),( In-kyu Kang ),( Seung-yeol Lee ),( Hee-young Jung ) 한국균학회 2019 韓國菌學會誌 Vol.47 No.3

A designated fungal isolate, KNU-US-1802E was isolated from the soil in Uiseong, Korea. To identify characteristics of the isolate, it was cultured on PDA media for 6 days at 35°C. Colonies on PDA are flat, light gray, dense, with entire margins; reverse dark gray to black, with white margins. Aerial mycelia were smooth-walled, hyaline and 40~42 mm diameter after 6 days at 35°C. Conidia were hyaline, one-celled, ellipsoidal to fusiform, forming long chains with average length x width of 5.0±0.3 × 2.9±0.2 μm. Molecular analysis indicates that the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial beta-tubulin (tub2) gene sequence showed 100% and 99% similarities, respectively with Acrophialophora ellipsoidea CGMCC 3.15255 collected from China. Phylogenetic analysis by the neighbor-joining (NJ) method shows that the KNU-US-1802E was clustered with A. ellipsoidea CGMCC 3.15255 in a phylogenetic tree constructed using the concatenated sequences of ITS region and tub2 gene sequences with a high bootstrap value. Based on these findings, the isolate KNU-US-1802E was identified as Acrophialophora ellipsoidea, and this is the first report of this isolate in Korea.

Simple equations for temperature simulations on mid-latitude volcanic islands: a case study from Jeju (Republic of Korea)

Benjamin Hagedorn,Alan Mair,Suzanne Tillery,Aly I. El-Kadi,하규철,고기원 한국지질과학협의회 2014 Geosciences Journal Vol.18 No.4

Volcanic islands can be characterized by remarkablesurface air temperature variability. The distribution of weather stationsin these settings, however, is typically too sparse to reliably describetemperature patterns which can complicate regional-scale hydrologicanalyses. Here, a simple method is presented to estimate near surfaceair temperatures for such a setting (Jeju Island, Republic of Korea). The method utilizes temperature lapse rates (TLR; the change intemperature with elevation) which are computed for Tmin, Tave, andTmax for two distinct hemispheres: the more arid northern flanksand the more humid southern flanks of the central orographicdivide. Computed TLRs vary greatly with season and location relativeto the orographic divide and, unlike in continental mountainoussettings, are generally highest for Tmin in winter. Cross-validationresults indicate a good match between modeled and measuredvalues particularly for high altitude stations that are characterizedby highest precipitation rates. Because temporally changing TLRsperform better than the often applied theoretical constant environmentallapse rate of 6.5 °C/km, monthly mean TLRs compiled fromtemperature data from Jeju Island are presented here as proxiesfor surface air temperature simulation efforts in similar settingsfor which only limited climatic data are available.

Interkulturalität und Fremdwahrnehmung in Ulrich Brinkhoffs “Träume in der Morgenstille”*

Benjamin Neuss 한독사회과학회 2019 한독사회과학논총 Vol.29 No.4

세계는 모순에 빠져있다. 세계화가 계속 진행되는 가운데 민족주의가 새롭게 기승을 부리고 있다. 문화간 화합이 절대 쉽지 않은 만큼 간문화 역량에 대한 요구와 관심이 점점 더 커지고 있다. 이러한 맥락에서 상호문화 문학은 다른 문화에 대한 이해와 더불어 자기 문화에 대한 인식을 발전시키는데 이바지한다. 기행문학은 상호문학 연구에 중요한 부분을 차지할 수 있는 분야다. 낯선 곳에 머물고 여행한다는 것은 낯선 사람과 낯선 문화와의 만남으로 이어질 수 있고 이는 갈등과 충돌의 여지를 주기도 하지만 새로운 해법을 제시할 수도 있다. 본 논문에서는 1964-1965 한국의 모습을 묘사하는 울리히 브링크호프의 여행기 “고요한 아침에 꾼 꿈”을 다뤘다. 작가가 자신의 여행기에서 낯선 것과 자신의 것을 돌아보며 문화 간 중간지대 (interkulturelle Zwischenräume)를 어느 정도 발생시킬 수 있었는지 살펴보았다. 고정 관념과 클리셰에 머무르기 쉽기에 낯선 것의 전반적인 표현에 대한 문제를 논의하는 것도 중요하다. The world currently finds itself in contradiction. While on the one hand, we can see globalization continously progressing, on the other hand, we can also discern a growing phenomenon of the “overemphasis” of many national states worldwide. Harmonization between cultures appears difficult, which is more and more calling for the need of intercultural competence. In this respect, literature and intercultural studies show ways how to create understanding for other cultures and at the same time develop awareness of one's own culture. The travel literature, in particular, offers a lot of room for studies. After all, it is traveling and/or long-term stays in a foreign country that creates opportunities for new encounters but also possibilities for conflicts. However, it also provides solutions. This work focuses on the travelogue "Träume in der Morgenstille" written by Ulrich Brinkhoff who describes his visit to South Korea during the years 1964-65. It specifically discusses the question as to what extent the author succeeds in his report in creating intercultural gaps that show the reflection of the “foreign part” and that of one´s own. It also discusses how the foreign part is represented in an overall manner as such could easily wind up in stereotypes and clichés.

Appropriate Medical Technology

Benjamin Jeongwon RYU 한국생물공학회 2016 한국생물공학회 학술대회 Vol.2016 No.10

Becoming Sino-Peruvian

Benjamin N. Narvaez 한국라틴아메리카학회 2016 라틴아메리카연구 Vol.29 No.3

Between 1849 and 1874, nearly 100,000 Chinese indentured laborers (coolies) arrived in Peru. Although coolies were treated much like slaves, thousands gained their freedom and made lives for themselves during the coolie era. This article focuses on the difficulties facing ex-coolies and how they coped with them. I argue that free Chinese responded to the challenges of making a living, discrimination, harassment, and the threat of a return to forced labor, by uniting and forging a Chinese sub-community while simultaneously integrating into Peruvian society. On the one hand, free Chinese cooperated with each other to find housing and jobs, establish businesses, maintain their culture, and deal with legal troubles. On the other hand, they integrated with Peruvian society and challenged their status as outsiders by establishing business ties with Peruvians, adopting aspects of Hispanic culture, forming interracial families and friendships, and demonstrating publicly their Peruvian patriotism. Well before the end of the coolie era, ex-coolies became immigrants and proceeded to construct Sino-Peruvian identities. In making this argument, this study also suggests the importance of analyzing Chinese indentured labor beyond the paradigm of slavery. Although scholars have tended to separate the experience of coolies in Spanish America from other overseas Chinese communities during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, careful analysis of the post-indenture experience during the coolie era reveals considerable overlap.

CO-CREATING STAKEHOLDER AND BRAND IDENTITIES: A CROSS-CULTURAL CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE

Benjamin Voyer,Minas Kastanakis,Ann Kristin Rhode 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2016 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2016 No.7

The literature on co-creation of stakeholder and brand identities draws from (and reflects) a focus on cultures with dominant independent selves. However, this type of co-creation in a global context requires understanding of how cultural differences can simultaneously shape identity development and co-construction, from both a brand and a multiple stakeholder point of view. Processes involved in such a reciprocal co-creation of identity, as well as outcomes, are likely to differ across cultures, especially in the way brands, consumers, and, by extension, other stakeholders use one another in their respective identity construction processes. This study offers a first-of-its-kind conceptual framework, together with a set of propositions, that unpacks how cultural differences might affect such reciprocal co-creation processes. Drawing from this framework, the study advances both the cross-cultural and the co-creation literature by (1) offering several overlooked theoretical, managerial, and methodological implications and (2) highlighting important but currently under-developed avenues that future research could apply to more complex, multiple brand–stakeholder relationships.