bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arsenic Exposure and Melanoma Among US Adults Aged 20 or Older, 2003-2016
Authors: Bedaiwi Ahmed , Wysong Ashley , Rogan Eleanor G. , Clarey Dillon , Arcari Christine M.
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Chronic exposure to arsenic has been reported as a risk factor for nonmelanoma skin cancer, notably squamous cell carcinoma. However, current knowledge is limited about the association between arsenic exposure and melanoma. Our objectives were to (1) measure the association between total urinary arsenic levels and melanoma compared with nonmelanoma skin cancer and no cancer and (2) analyze the association between water source and melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Methods

We collected cross-sectional data from the 2003-2016 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We conducted univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. To evaluate the possible association of skin cancer with source of tap water, we calculated odds ratios for participants with melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer, compared with participants with no cancer.

Results

White race, higher education, higher socioeconomic status, and smoking history were associated with melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer in the full study population. After adjusting for age and race/ethnicity, the adjusted odds ratio of participants with >50 μg/L of total urinary arsenic for melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancer was 1.87 (95% CI, 0.58-6.05) and 2.23 (95% CI, 1.12-4.45) times higher compared with no cancer, respectively. Participants with nonmelanoma skin cancer had 2.06 increased odds of reporting a nonmunicipal water source compared with participants without cancer.

Conclusions

We did not find a relationship between the incidence of melanoma and exposure to arsenic among US adults. Nonmunicipal water sources were associated with nonmelanoma skin cancer and should be further investigated.
Understanding the “Grievance Studies Affair” Papers and Why They Should Be Reinstated: A Response to Geoff Cole
Authors: Pluckrose Helen , Lindsay James , Boghossian Peter
Published: May 2021

In April, 2020, Dr. Geoff Cole published, “Why the ‘Hoax’ Paper of Baldwin (2018) Should Be Reinstated.” We are the authors of the “Baldwin” paper published in Fat Studies. The paper satirized theoretical ideas within Fat Studies as part of a larger project to demonstrate the lack of rigor in certain theoretical approaches to cultural studies. In this response, we agree with Cole that our project should not be understood as hoaxes and that the retracted article should be reinstated, but defend our methods.
Subacute Thyroiditis in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Seyed Resuli Ali , Bezgal Muzaffer
Published: May 2021

Objective:

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred in the last year, it has been revealed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) does not only cause viral respiratory tract infection but can also affect many organs in the short or long term. In our study, we aimed to reveal that COVID-19 infection affects the endocrine system and triggers subacute thyroiditis (SAT) in the acute period.

Material and Method:

In our retrospective study, the ear-nose-throat examination, internal diseases consultation (investigation of COVID-19 symptoms and polymerase chain reaction [PCR] test), routine blood tests, T3, T4, thyroid-stimulating hormone, antithyroglobulin (anti-TG), antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), thyroid scintigraphy, and thyroid ultrasonography results of 5 patients who applied to the otorhinolaryngology clinic due to complaints of neck pain and odynophagia between April 2020 and February 2021 were examined.

Findings:

All 5 patients were female patients (30.4 years) with odynophagia and pain in the front lower region of the neck. These patients had no previous history of thyroiditis. COVID-19 PCR tests of the patients diagnosed with SAT were positive, and there were no typical COVID-19 signs and symptoms except odynophagia and neck pain.

Result:

It comes in view that SARS-COV-2 affects thyroid functions and causes SAT and the main symptoms in patients are pain in the neck and odynophagia.
Implementing Project-Based Alliances: Three Paradoxes of Brokerage
Authors: Bizzi Lorenzo , Miller Danny
Published: May 2021

We theorize that organizations with higher brokerage positions (which we call brokers) benefit from access to capital and distribution that, paradoxically, causes them to implement poorer projects but to survive longer. Whereas prior research proposes that such organizations implement alliance projects because of their superior quality, we argue that they can do so despite project quality, because they have better access to capital and distribution. This access subjects their ventures to fewer implementation hurdles. As a result, there emerge three paradoxes and associated hypotheses: (a) brokers are able to implement more alliance projects, but their projects will perform on average more poorly; (b) brokers will tend to ally with other brokers but will do better when they ally with those having lower brokerage positions; and (c) despite the poorer performance of alliance projects, brokers will experience fewer risks and be less likely to exit the business. Paradoxically, brokerage makes organizations perform worse in each alliance but benefit from longer-term sustainability. In a study of 2,694 movie production companies in the Hollywood film industry from 1994 to 2009, we find considerable support for our hypotheses and develop a novel perspective on brokerage.
Binary background model with geometric mean for author-independent authorship verification
Authors: Canbay Pelin , Sezer Ebru A , Sever Hayri
Published: May 2021

Authorship verification (AV) is one of the main problems of authorship analysis and digital text forensics. The classical AV problem is to decide whether or not a particular author wrote the document in question. However, if there is one and relatively short document as the author’s known document, the verification problem becomes more difficult than the classical AV and needs a generalised solution. Regarding to decide AV of the given two unlabeled documents (2D-AV), we proposed a system that provides an author-independent solution with the help of a Binary Background Model (BBM). The BBM is a supervised model that provides an informative background to distinguish document pairs written by the same or different authors. To evaluate the document pairs in one representation, we also proposed a new, simple and efficient document combination method based on the geometric mean of the stylometric features. We tested the performance of the proposed system for both author-dependent and author-independent AV cases. In addition, we introduced a new, well-defined, manually labelled Turkish blog corpus to be used in subsequent studies about authorship analysis. Using a publicly available English blog corpus for generating the BBM, the proposed system demonstrated an accuracy of over 90% from both trained and unseen authors’ test sets. Furthermore, the proposed combination method and the system using the BBM with the English blog corpus were also evaluated with other genres, which were used in the international PAN AV competitions, and achieved promising results.
‘Cin ciun cian’ (ching chong): Yellowness and neo-orientalism in Italy at the time of COVID-19
Authors: Miyake Toshio
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has put in the foreground the dramatic actuality of global and local inequalities, undermining neo-liberal, communitarian, democratic or cosmopolitan projects of collective identity. In the light of intersecting inequalities such as class, race/ethnicity and gender, an explosion of Sinophobia, social stigma and physical attacks targeting people of East Asian and Southeast Asian appearance or heritage has been widely reported in Euro-American media. This article will focus on the case of Italy during the initial stage of the pandemic in early 2020. Italy has not only been the first European country to be exposed to the pandemic and to undergo national lockdown but also a country where the wave of racist assaults started in late January 2020, even before the first clusters have been detected. The critical investigation of Italian media discourses will highlight how deep-rooted, colonialist and ambivalent assumptions about the ‘Oriental’, ‘Asian’, ‘Chinese’ and ‘yellow’ other may have been crucial to the reproduction of racism against specific people, cultures and civilizations, regardless of nationality, class and gender. It will refer in particular to the concept of ‘yellowness’, resulting from a process of bio-cultural racialization within the hegemonic frame of ‘Western’, ‘White’ or ‘Italian’ identity. Furthermore, it will indicate how this process of racialized othering has emerged, but has also been contested, within the specific context of citizenship, Asian immigrants and governmental actions in contemporary Italy. The overall aim is not so much to denounce higher levels of racism in Italy compared to other Euro-American countries; rather, this article refers to the Italian case to stress how both global and local trajectories do mutually overlap to shape, and eventually to transform, a national context, offering further insights on the glo-calization of the civilizational ‘West’/’East’ divide in the 21st century.
When politics trumps strategy: UK–EU security collaboration after Brexit
Authors: Martill Benjamin , Sus Monika
Published: May 2021

Both the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) have significant incentives for close collaboration in foreign, security and defence policies, given their shared strategic interests, the clear potential for efficiency savings in working together, and the intensity of prior working relations. That the recently negotiated EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement contains no provisions in this area is thus puzzling for followers of European security, who predicted prompt agreement, and for theories of international cooperation, which emphasise the importance of shared threats, absolute gains and prior interaction. We argue the failure to reach such an agreement stemmed from the politics of the withdrawal process itself, which resulted in acute problems of institutional selectivity, negotiating dynamics that polarised the relationship, institutional change that made an agreement less likely, and distributional scrabbling to supplant the UK. Our findings show that the dynamics of moving away from existing forms of cooperation are highly distinct from those motivating cooperation in normal times.
Urine Leukotriene E4: Implications as a Biomarker in Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Choby Garret , Low Christopher M. , Levy Joshua M. , Stokken Janalee K. , Pinheiro‐Neto Carlos , Bartemes Kathy , Marino Michael , Han Joseph K. , Divekar Rohit , O’Brien Erin K. , Lal Devyani
Published: May 2021

Objective

To provide a comprehensive state‐of‐the‐art review of the emerging role of urine leukotriene E4 (uLTE4) as a biomarker in the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), aspirin‐exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), and asthma.

Data Sources

Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid EMBASE, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus.

Review Methods

A state‐of‐the‐art review was performed investigating the role of uLTE4 as a diagnostic biomarker, predictor of disease severity, and potential marker of selected therapeutic efficacy.

Conclusions

uLTE4 has been shown to be a reliable and clinically relevant biomarker for CRS, AERD, and asthma. uLTE4 is helpful in ongoing efforts to better endotype patients with CRS and to predict disease severity.

Implications for Practice

Aside from being a diagnostic biomarker, uLTE4 is also able to differentiate aspirin‐tolerant patients from patients with AERD and has been associated with objective disease severity in patients with CRS with nasal polyposis. uLTE4 levels have also been shown to predict response to medical therapy, particularly leukotriene‐modifying agents.
Behavioral economics in information systems research: Critical analysis and research strategies
Authors: Arnott David , Gao Shijia
Published: May 2021

Theories of decision-making have long been important foundations for information systems research and much of the information system is concerned with information processing for decision-making. The discipline of behavioral economics provides the dominant contemporary approach for understanding human decision-making. Therefore, it is logical that information systems research that involves decision-making should consider behavioral economics as a foundation or reference theory. Surprisingly, and despite calls for greater use of behavioral economics in information systems research, it seems that information systems has been slow to adopt contemporary behavioral economics as reference theory. This article reports a critical analysis of behavioral economics in all fields of information systems based on an intensive investigation of quality information systems research using bibliometric content analysis. The analysis shows that information systems researchers have a general understanding of behavioral economics, but their use of the theories has an ad hoc feel where only a narrow range of behavioral economic concepts and theories tend to form the foundation of information systems research. The factors constraining the adoption of behavioral economic theories in information systems are discussed and strategies for the use of this influential foundation theory are proposed. Guidance is provided on how behavioral economics could be used in various aspects of information systems. The article concludes with the view that behavioral economic reference theory has the potential to transform significant areas of information systems research.
School library media specialists: An evolving profession in a pandemic
Authors: Kapanka Heather
Published: May 2021

In March 2020, Michigan’s school library media specialists, along with the entire educational community, found themselves facing unprecedented challenges brought by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. As learning shifted online, the roles of school library media specialists shifted as well. Three southeast Michigan school library media specialists were interviewed to obtain their perspectives regarding the adaptation to distance learning, as well as how they predicted educational practices will evolve going forward. The educational practices of learning commons, guided inquiry, co-teaching, and information literacy were found to be particularly valuable during the shift to distance learning. The increased dependence on these practices during the pandemic will likely result in increased implementation of these practices when face-to-face learning resumes.
Preventing food waste in subsidy-based university dining systems: An artificial neural network-aided model under uncertainty
Authors: Faezirad Mohammadali , Pooya Alireza , Naji-Azimi Zahra , Amir Haeri Maryam
Published: May 2021

Food waste planning at universities is often a complex matter due to the large volume of food and variety of services. A major portion of university food waste arises from dining systems including meal booking and distribution. Although dining systems have a significant role in generating food wastes, few studies have designed prediction models that could control such wastes based on reservation data and behavior of students at meal delivery times. To fill this gap, analyzing meal booking systems at universities, the present study proposed a new model based on machine learning to reduce the food waste generated at major universities that provide food subsidies. Students’ reservation and their presence or absence at the dining hall (show/no-show rate) at mealtime were incorporated in data analysis. Given the complexity of the relationship between the attributes and the uncertainty observed in user behavior, a model was designed to analyze definite and random components of demand. An artificial neural network-based model designed for demand prediction provided a two-step prediction approach to dealing with uncertainty in actual demand. In order to estimate the lowest total cost based on the cost of waste and the shortage penalty cost, an uncertainty-based analysis was conducted at the final step of the research. This study formed a framework that could reduce the food waste volume by up to 79% and control the penalty and waste cost in the case study. The model was investigated with cost analysis and the results proved its efficiency in reducing total cost.
Government human rights focal points: Lessons learned from focal points under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Authors: Caughey Colin
Published: May 2021

The exploration for tools and approaches that will make the UN human rights treaty system more impactful has been ongoing for over thirty years. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities continues to represent the most innovative approach to effecting human rights implementation at the domestic level, through placing obligations on States to designate a Disability Focal Point within government and an Independent Monitoring Mechanism outside of government. This article examines the role of Disability Focal Points and considers in particular how the current drive for the establishment of National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-Up may have unintended consequences for their development. The article utilises the United Kingdom as a case-study to assess the potential benefits of allocating responsibility for international reporting and follow-up to a Disability Focal Point.

The article finds that the role performed by Disability Focal Points at the domestic level makes them best placed to coordinate reporting and follow-up relating to the CRPD. Furthermore, the fact that Disability Focal Points are fully integrated into domestic national policy mechanisms means that they ought to be well positioned to harness the transformative potential of the treaty body examination process.
Development of a model predictive controller for an active torsional vibration damper to suppress torsional vibrations in vehicle powertrains
Authors: Yüceşan Alişan , Mugan Ata
Published: May 2021

The pressure of exhaust emission regulations on automotive manufacturers to reduce environmental pollution and fuel consumption of internal combustion engines (ICEs) have stimulated the works on the downsizing, downspeeding, and turbo supercharging concepts which result in boosted engine torsional vibrations. Despite significant momentum in the implementation of those concepts in modern ICEs in recent decades, similar progress has not taken place in parallel at torsional vibration isolation systems. To this end, this article centers on the development and implementation of a model predictive controller (MPC) on a novel active torsional vibration damper (ATVD) in which inertia, stiffness rate, and damping rate parameters can be varied to minimize torsional vibration transmission to the vehicle powertrain. Dynamic response of the ATVD is examined using an MPC inside a closed-loop control architecture with predicted variables. The MPC structure, state-space plant model, and physical constraint definitions are composed to be utilized in prediction models at various engine operating points. The MPC performance is evaluated in a co-simulation environment using Simcenter Amesim, NX Motion, and Matlab Simulink software, and are compared with that of the fuzzy logic controller (FLC). The simulation results clearly indicate that the MPC applied to the ATVD system has certain advantages over the FLC and is able to provide satisfactory isolation of the powertrain from engine-borne torsional vibrations while satisfying the physical constraints.
A novel adaptable isometric strength analysis and exercise development system design
Authors: Fidan Murat , Bayrak Alper , Karli Umid
Published: May 2021

In this study, a low-cost and adaptable isometric strength measurement and exercise development system are described. The implemented system consists of mechanical structure, force measurement sensor, electronic circuit, and computer software. Isometric-isotonic (via spring resistance) strength analysis and various exercise programs can be applied with the system. The developed system has a lower cost compared to its counterparts in the literature and has a structure that can be adapted to different machines and measuring methods. The operability and reliability of the isometric strength measurement and exercise development system have been proven by calibration tests.
Assessment and visualization of hemodynamic loading in aneurysm sac and neck: Effect of foam insertion
Authors: Pandey Pawan Kumar , Paul Chandan , Das Malay K , Muralidhar Krishnamurthy
Published: May 2021

Shape memory polymer (SMP) foam is often proposed as the future alternative of coils in aneurysm treatment devices. Present work numerically investigates the unsteady, three-dimensional simulation of blood flow in a cerebral aneurysm filled with SMP foam. Simulations are conducted on patient-specific geometries with realistic blood velocity waveform imposed at the inlet while SMP foam is treated as a porous medium. The present study introduces a “loading risk map” that helps to visualize the hemodynamic effect of foam insertion on the aneurysm sac and neck. The loading risk maps suggest that while the SMP foam subdues the flow and wall shear pulsations in the aneurysm sac, the pressure distribution is minimally affected. The maps suggest that while the downstream lip is the most risk-prone site for both geometries, downstream vascular anatomy significantly influences foam efficiency in reducing pressure and wall shear stress loading.
Processing method, properties and application of functionally graded polymer materials based on the mixtures of poorly compatible epoxy resins
Authors: Amirova LM , Andrianova KA , Amirova LR
Published: May 2021

In this study, the method of manufacturing of functionally graded polymer materials based on the mixtures of poorly compatible epoxy resins is suggested. A novel processing method allowing to control the filler distribution across the section of graded materials depending on the operating conditions was developed. The essence of the method is self-settling of the blend consisting of two liquid epoxy resins with different viscosities and densities. Depending on mixing and injecting order the functional additive having antifriction, anti-adhesive or heat-protective properties can be distributed either homogenously or nonuniformly. In the latter case after curing the functionally graded material can be produced. Based on the formulations of poorly compatible phenol novolac epoxy resin NPPN-638 and active diluent triglycidyl phosphate (TGP), new functionally graded polymer materials with continuous change of composition and properties were developed. The functional additive (graphite, glass microspheres, polytetrafluoroethylene powder) concentrates in the top layer of the self-settled epoxy mixture while the bottom layer is enriched by TGP which possess advantaged adhesion to various substrates. As a result, antifriction, anti-adhesive, heat-protective and intumescent flame retardant coatings with improved performance were obtained.
Exploring Indigenous Ways of Coping After a Wildfire Disaster in Northern Alberta, Canada
Authors: Montesanti Stephanie , Fitzpatrick Kayla , Azimi Tara , McGee Tara , Fayant Bryan , Albert Lorraine
Published: May 2021

In May 2016, a wildfire devastated a northern region of Alberta, Canada, resulting in negative consequences on physical and mental stress, social relationships, and overall resilience among Indigenous residents. Research on coping and managing stress following a disaster has failed to incorporate unique characteristics from Indigenous perspectives. Sharing circles were held in urban and rural community settings to capture: (a) Indigenous perspectives of coping, (b) individual and collective strengths that helped Indigenous residents and communities to cope during and after the wildfire, and (c) intergenerational experiences of coping from stress among Indigenous residents. Indigenous residents’ experience with coping from the wildfire was shaped by: (a) heightened physical and emotional stress, (b) existing structural inequities, and (c) strong community cohesion and connection to culture. An unexpected outcome of this research was the therapeutic value of the sharing circles for participants to share their experience.
How Far Dare an Evaluator Go Toward Saving the World?: Redux, Update, and a Reflective Practice Facilitation Tool
Authors: Patton Michael Quinn
Published: May 2021

In 2004, Robert Stake published a provocative article that asked: “How Far Dare an Evaluator Go Toward Saving the World?” This question raises the issue of what role evaluators’ values play in the conduct of evaluations. Following review of Stake’s premises, I present value statements from a diverse group of 40 evaluators working with philanthropic foundations. The results update and revise Stake’s list of “six advocacies common in evaluation.” The findings capture changes in evaluation language and substantive concerns over the last 15 years regarding evaluators’ values and engagement. The conclusion affirms Stake’s original overarching principle. In closing, I offer an additional concern toward saving the world not on Stake’s list or that of the evaluators sampled: global sustainability and environmental justice in the face of the global pandemic and climate emergency. This process of inquiry generated a facilitation tool for use by evaluators, presented here, to support reflective practice about evaluators’ values.
Paying for appeasement: On the moderating role of public subsidies in East Central European party politics
Authors: Bértoa Fernando Casal , Rama José
Published: May 2021

Focusing on the relationship between the access of political parties to direct public funding and electoral support for anti-political-establishment (e.g. populist, extremist) parties (APEp), this article tries to fill an important gap in the literature. Whereas previous contributions, mostly focused on the United States or established democracies in Western Europe, have presented contradictory findings, our study of 19 new democracies in East Central Europe clearly shows that the absence of state subsidies for political parties boosts support for those with an anti-political-establishment character. More importantly, and taking into account the minimum legal payout threshold that grants parties access to public subsidies, our results show that the more restrictive the regulations and the greater the difficulties faced by parties in obtaining state help, the higher the support for APEp. Our findings have obvious implications for the development of post-Communist party systems and the future of legislative (party funding) reform in the region.
Static bearing capacity investigation of grouted square hollow section sleeve connection
Authors: He Zhiyun , Zhang Tong , Li Tao
Published: May 2021

As a pilot research for an aimed beam-column joint of steel prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) buildings, this study investigates the axial static bearing capacity of grouted square hollow section (SHS) sleeve connections via carrying out experimental tests. Ten specimens with different dimensions were tested to failure under monotonic axial compressive loading and their loading-displacement curves were measured and recorded. The effect of the grouted length, the shear-key spacing, and the grout strength to the bearing capacity of the grouted SHS sleeve connections are investigated in this study. It is found that the axial static bearing capacity of the specimens tested increases approximately in a linear manner with the grouted length increases and can reach the bearing capacity of the outer tube’s cross-section when the grouted length is sufficient. Besides, the benefits brought by the increment of the grout strength to the axial bearing capacity of the grouted SHS sleeve connection may depend on other parameters such as the shear-key size and spacing, the gap between two tubes, and the thickness of the outer tube. Therefore, more experimental tests are required to understand the effect of the grout strength comprehensively.
Clarifying and expanding the theory typology: A reply to readers’ comments
Authors: Sandberg Jörgen , Alvesson Mats
Published: May 2021

We all want to develop impactful and valuable theories, but what do we mean by ‘theory’? In this piece, we reply to the four readers’ comments on a recent paper in which we propose a theory typology that, in comparison to existing literature, offers a considerably broader, more pluralistic and, at the same time, more precise definition of the meaning(s) of ‘theory’ within academia. In their comments, the readers raise several insightful points that encourage us to further clarify the theory typology, as well as to expand on how it can be useful for researchers in marketing and social science more broadly.
Use and Accuracy of Inpatient CGM During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observational Study of General Medicine and ICU Patients
Authors: Longo Rebecca Rick , Elias Heather , Khan Mehvish , Seley Jane Jefferie
Published: May 2021

Background:

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is widely used in the outpatient setting for people with diabetes and has been limited to investigational use only for the inpatient population. In April 2020, the US FDA exercised enforcement discretion for the temporary use of inpatient CGM during the pandemic, thus hospitals were presented the opportunity to implement this technology.

Methods:

We sought to investigate the accuracy of CGM in hospitalized patients on general care floors and the intensive care unit (ICU) in attempts to decrease healthcare professional exposure to COVID-19 and ultimately improve glycemic management of patients affected by COVID-19. Point of care (POC) and laboratory (Lab) glucose values were matched with simultaneous CGM glucose values and measures of accuracy were performed to evaluate the safety and usability of CGM in this population. Our data are presented drawing a distinction between POC and Lab as reference glucose sources.

Results:

In 808 paired samples obtained from 28 patients (10 ICU, 18 general floor), overall mean absolute relative difference (MARD) for all patients using either POC or Lab as reference was 13.2%. When using POC as the reference glucose MARD was 13.9% and using Lab glucose as reference 10.9%. Using both POC and Lab reference glucose pairs the overall MARD for critical care patients was 12.1% and for general floor patients 14%.

Conclusion:

We determined, with proper protocols and safeguards in place, use of CGM in the hospitalized patient is a reasonable alternative to standard of care to achieve the goal of reducing healthcare professional exposure. Further study is necessary to validate safety, accuracy, and efficacy of this technology. Investigation and analysis are necessary for the development of protocols to utilize CGM trend arrows, alerts, and alarms.
Anxiety symptoms in working patients with major depressive disorder treated with vortioxetine: associations with clinical and treatment outcomes in the AtWoRC study
Authors: Chokka Pratap , Ge Holly , Bougie Joanna , Ettrup Anders , Clerzius Guerline
Published: May 2021

Background:

Anxiety symptoms are common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and usually confer worse treatment outcomes. The long-term, open-label AtWoRC study in working patients with MDD treated with vortioxetine demonstrated a significant correlation between severity of anxiety symptoms and impaired work productivity. This analysis was undertaken to further explore clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with different levels of severity of anxiety symptoms at baseline.

Methods:

Post hoc analysis in 199 working patients with MDD treated with vortioxetine (10–20 mg/day), stratified by Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) score at baseline [mild/moderate anxiety (GAD-7 ⩽14), n = 83; severe anxiety (GAD-7 ⩾15), n = 116]. Associations were examined between GAD-7 and other outcome assessment scores at baseline. Observed mean changes from baseline to week 52 were compared between groups.

Results:

Patients with severe anxiety had significantly worse depressive and cognitive symptoms, functioning, and work productivity at baseline than those with mild/moderate anxiety, but similar cognitive performance. Statistically significant improvements from baseline were seen for all outcomes after 52 weeks of vortioxetine treatment, with no significant differences observed between the two groups after adjustment for baseline anxiety scores.

Conclusion:

Treatment with vortioxetine was associated with long-term improvement in clinical symptoms and measures of work productivity in patients with MDD in a real-world setting, irrespective of severity of anxiety symptoms at the start of treatment.
Epidemiology of Clavicle Fractures Sustained at a Colorado Ski Resort
Authors: Oberle Lauren , Pierpoint Lauren , Spittler Jack , Khodaee Morteza
Published: May 2021

Background:

Although clavicle fractures are a common sports injury, there are limited studies on the incidence and causes of clavicle fractures among winter sports athletes.

Purpose:

To evaluate the characteristics and injury mechanisms associated with clavicle fractures among patients evaluated at a Colorado ski resort.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

This was a retrospective descriptive analysis of patients with clavicle fractures at the Denver Health Winter Park Medical Center during the 2012-2013 to 2016-2017 ski seasons. Chart review was performed on the patient cohort to confirm clavicle fracture diagnosis and to evaluate factors associated with clavicle fracture.

Results:

A total of 393 clavicle fractures (6.2% of total clinic visits) occurred during the study period, corresponding to an overall clavicle fracture incidence of 8.4 per 100,000 participant-visits. The mean patient age was 26.4 years (range, 5-73 years). The majority were middle-third fractures (85.5%), occurring mainly in men (87.3%). More than half of the fractures were comminuted (54.5%) and occurred in snowboarders (55.0%). The most common mechanism of injury was a fall onto snow while skiing or snowboarding (92.4%). Women sustained more clavicle fractures while skiing compared with snowboarding (82.0% vs 18.0%; P < .001), while men sustained more fractures while snowboarding compared with skiing (60.3% vs 39.7%; P < .001).

Conclusion:

Clavicle fractures are relatively common, but there are scant incidence data for clavicle fractures in mountain sports. Consistent with prior studies, clavicle fractures were more common in younger patients and men. The most common anatomic fracture location was the midclavicle. A greater proportion of clavicle fractures among men were sustained during snowboarding and among women during skiing.
Understanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic through the lens of innovation
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Shanthi , Kovoor-Misra Sarah
Published: May 2021

In this article, we explore the Covid-19 crisis through the lens of innovation. We focus on the threat and opportunity drivers of innovation, and some of their product/service and process outcomes. We contribute to crisis innovation theory and practice by suggesting that there are two categories of innovation during multi-level crises, such as a pandemic: (1) reactive, threat-driven innovations that are created to contain and respond to organizational problems and disruptions that arise from the crisis; and (2) proactive, opportunity-driven innovations that are created to capitalize on environmental needs and opportunities. We highlight the role of human, physical interdependence in organizations’ core technologies that create threats for some organizations and opportunities for others during the pandemic.

JEL CLASSIFICATION: O32; O34; H12
European Stroke Organisation guideline on endarterectomy and stenting for carotid artery stenosis
Authors: Bonati Leo H , Kakkos Stavros , Berkefeld Joachim , de Borst Gert J , Bulbulia Richard , Halliday Alison , van Herzeele Isabelle , Koncar Igor , McCabe Dominick JH , Lal Avtar , Ricco Jean-Baptiste , Ringleb Peter , Taylor-Rowan Martin , Eckstein Hans-Henning
Published: May 2021

Atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery is an important cause of stroke. The aim of this guideline is to analyse the evidence pertaining to medical, surgical and endovascular treatment of patients with carotid stenosis. These guidelines were developed based on the ESO standard operating procedure and followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The working group identified relevant questions, performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the literature, assessed the quality of the available evidence, and wrote recommendations. Based on moderate quality evidence, we recommend carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with ≥60–99% asymptomatic carotid stenosis considered to be at increased risk of stroke on best medical treatment (BMT) alone. We also recommend CEA for patients with ≥70–99% symptomatic stenosis, and we suggest CEA for patients with 50–69% symptomatic stenosis. Based on high quality evidence, we recommend CEA should be performed early, ideally within two weeks of the last retinal or cerebral ischaemic event in patients with ≥50–99% symptomatic stenosis. Based on low quality evidence, carotid artery stenting (CAS) may be considered in patients < 70 years old with symptomatic ≥50–99% carotid stenosis. Several randomised trials supporting these recommendations were started decades ago, and BMT, CEA and CAS have evolved since. The results of another large trial comparing outcomes after CAS versus CEA in patients with asymptomatic stenosis are anticipated in the near future. Further trials are needed to reassess the benefits of carotid revascularisation in combination with modern BMT in subgroups of patients with carotid stenosis.
European Stroke Organisation (ESO) guidelines on the management of space-occupying brain infarction
Authors: van der Worp H Bart , Hofmeijer Jeannette , Jüttler Eric , Lal Avtar , Michel Patrik , Santalucia Paola , Schönenberger Silvia , Steiner Thorsten , Thomalla Götz
Published: May 2021

Space-occupying brain oedema is a potentially life-threatening complication in the first days after large hemispheric or cerebellar infarction. Several treatment strategies for this complication are available, but the size and quality of the scientific evidence on which these strategies are based vary considerably. The aim of this Guideline document is to assist physicians in their management decisions when treating patients with space-occupying hemispheric or cerebellar infarction. These Guidelines were developed based on the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) standard operating procedure and followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. A working group identified 13 relevant questions, performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the literature, assessed the quality of the available evidence, and wrote evidence-based recommendations. An expert consensus statement was provided if not enough evidence was available to provide recommendations based on the GRADE approach. We found high-quality evidence to recommend surgical decompression to reduce the risk of death and to increase the chance of a favourable outcome in adult patients aged up to and including 60 years with space-occupying hemispheric infarction who can be treated within 48 hours of stroke onset, and low-quality evidence to support this treatment in older patients. There is continued uncertainty about the benefit and risks of surgical decompression in patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarction if this is done after the first 48 hours. There is also continued uncertainty about the selection of patients with space-occupying cerebellar infarction for surgical decompression or drainage of cerebrospinal fluid. These Guidelines further provide details on the management of specific subgroups of patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarction, on the value of monitoring of intracranial pressure, and on the benefits and risks of medical treatment options. We encourage new high-quality studies assessing the risks and benefits of different treatment strategies for patients with space-occupying brain infarction.
Fashioned Mucoperichondrium Flap Technique in Caudal Septal Deviation
Authors: Nofal Ahmed Abdelfattah Bayomy
Published: May 2021

Caudal septal dislocation is a common finding, and it could lead to functional as well as aesthetic morbidity. There are different techniques to support the anterior end of the nasal septum and stabilize it in midline position. There are technical and practical difficulties in those techniques. This study describes a newly fashioned mucoperichondrium flap technique in caudal septal dislocation. This study was done in 40 patients (29 male and 11 female) with a mean (SD) age of 25 (3.2) years who had symptomatic septal deviation with minor and moderate caudal septal dislocation. The mucoperichondium flap on the side of the columellar dislocation was fashioned to be straight and stretched by excision of the extra length. It acted as a supporting scaffold for the straightened septum to be secured and fixed in the midline without need of any stabilizing sutures. All the patients had satisfactory functional and cosmetic results with correction of the columellar dislocation.
Inconceivable! Possibilistic thinking and the sociocognitive underpinnings of entrepreneurial responses to grand challenges
Authors: Grimes Matthew G. , Vogus Timothy J.
Published: May 2021

Due to the radical uncertainty associated with grand challenges, prior studies have emphasized the need for robust action, which preserves future options while taking existing means and institutional constraints seriously. In this conversation on entrepreneurial futures and possibilities, we suggest that for such approaches to avoid merely reproducing or incrementally improving upon existing ideas and institutions, they must be underpinned by a set of cognitive practices that encourage the systematic interrogation of existing assumptions, the surfacing of bold systemic interventions, and efforts to discourage early dismissals of such interventions based on historically grounded feasibility judgments. To encapsulate these cognitive practices, we introduce the concept of possibilistic thinking, noting how such thinking significantly reorients entrepreneurs’ attention and reasoning processes. We conclude by discussing the tensions associated with possibilistic thinking as well as opportunities for further research.
Preoperative MRI and Intraoperative Arthroscopic Evaluation of Chondral Pathology at the Hip Chondrolabral Junction
Authors: Turner Elizabeth H.G. , Hund Samuel J. , Dooley Matthew S. , Spiker Andrea M.
Published: May 2021

Background:

Previous literature has found that hip magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has lower accuracy and reliability in preoperative diagnosis of cartilage and labral pathology compared with knee and shoulder MRI. This is a notable limitation, as MRI findings play a significant role in the determination for surgical intervention in femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and aid in surgical planning, intraoperative cartilage management, and in postoperative rehabilitation expectations.

Indications:

Hip arthroscopy is most commonly utilized for the treatment of FAIS and associated labral tears and chondral pathology of varying grades, particularly at the chondrolabral junction. Given the difficulty in assessing chondrolabral pathology on preoperative MRI, we present our preferred method of correlating MRI to intraoperative findings at the chondrolabral junction.

Technique Description:

Using preoperative MRI and the Outerbridge classification system, we describe our method to assess cartilage injuries and chondrolabral junction pathology in patients who undergo hip arthroscopy for FAIS. We correlate chondral injuries with preoperative MRI to aid surgeons in interpreting the degree of chondral injury from MRI and corresponding surgical findings.

Results:

Given that MRI of the hip is neither as accurate nor as reliable as MRI of the knee or shoulder, an understanding of how to correlate preoperative MRI with intraoperative appearance can better prepare the surgeon for findings at the chondrolabral junction of the hip. The absence of findings on MRI does not rule out the possibility of cartilage or labral pathology.

Discussion/Conclusion:

Intraoperatively, hip cartilage is assessed using either the Outerbridge or Beck classification systems. These classification systems require direct visualization of the hip joint, and full assessment of the chondrolabral junction and associated pathology may not be possible until intra-articular work is complete. While MRI evaluation of the hip is difficult due to the depth of the hip joint, location of the hip relative to the MR magnet, and thinness of the acetabular cartilage, it is a useful tool for preoperative hip joint cartilage assessment, though not as accurate as knee and shoulder MRIs. Understanding the correlation between preoperative hip MRI and intraoperative chondrolabral pathology can aid the surgeon in preparation for hip arthroscopy in the treatment of FAIS.
Disentangling the aging gene expression network of termite queens
Authors: Monroy Kuhn José Manuel , Meusemann Karen , Korb Judith
Published: May 2021

Background

Most insects are relatively short-lived, with a maximum lifespan of a few weeks, like the aging model organism, the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster. By contrast, the queens of many social insects (termites, ants and some bees) can live from a few years to decades. This makes social insects promising models in aging research providing insights into how a long reproductive life can be achieved. Yet, aging studies on social insect reproductives are hampered by a lack of quantitative data on age-dependent survival and time series analyses that cover the whole lifespan of such long-lived individuals. We studied aging in queens of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus by determining survival probabilities over a period of 15 years and performed transcriptome analyses for queens of known age that covered their whole lifespan.

Results

The maximum lifespan of C. secundus queens was 13 years, with a median maximum longevity of 11.0 years. Time course and co-expression network analyses of gene expression patterns over time indicated a non-gradual aging pattern. It was characterized by networks of genes that became differentially expressed only late in life, namely after ten years, which associates well with the median maximum lifespan for queens. These old-age gene networks reflect processes of physiological upheaval. We detected strong signs of stress, decline, defense and repair at the transcriptional level of epigenetic control as well as at the post-transcriptional level with changes in transposable element activity and the proteostasis network. The latter depicts an upregulation of protein degradation, together with protein synthesis and protein folding, processes which are often down-regulated in old animals. The simultaneous upregulation of protein synthesis and autophagy is indicative of a stress-response mediated by the transcription factor cnc, a homolog of human nrf genes.

Conclusions

Our results show non-linear senescence with a rather sudden physiological upheaval at old-age. Most importantly, they point to a re-wiring in the proteostasis network and stress as part of the aging process of social insect queens, shortly before queens die.