bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Outcome of Neurological patients with COVID-19: the impact of Healthcare organization improvement between waves
Authors: Cristillo Viviana , Pilotto Andrea , Benussi Alberto , Libri Ilenia , Giunta Marcello , Morotti Andrea , Gipponi Stefano , Locatelli Martina , Piccinelli Stefano Cotti , Mazzoleni Valentina , Schiano di Cola Francesca , Masciocchi Stefano , Pezzini Debora , Scalvini Andrea , Premi Enrico , Cottini Elisabetta , Gamba Massimo , Magoni Mauro , Fontanella Marco Maria , Padovani Alessandro
Published: November 2021

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences of clinical presentations and the impact of healthcare organization on outcomes of neurological COVID-19 patients admitted during the first and second pandemic waves.

Methods

In this single center cohort study, we included all patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to a Neuro-COVID Unit. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were compared between patients admitted during the first and second waves of COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

223 patients were included, of whom 112 and 111 hospitalized during the first and second pandemic waves, respectively. Patients admitted during the second wave were younger and exhibited pulmonary COVID-19 severity, resulting in less oxygen support (n=41, 36.9% vs n=79, 70.5%, p<0.001) and lower mortality rates (14.4% vs 31.3%, p=0.004). The different healthcare strategies and early steroid treatment emerged as significant predictors of mortality independently from age, premorbid conditions and COVID-19 severity in cox regression analyses.

Conclusions

Differences in healthcare strategies during the second phase of COVID-19 pandemic probably explain the differences in clinical outcomes independently of disease severity, underlying the importance of standardized early management of neurological patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Red backgrounds have different effects on electrophysiological responses to fearful faces in groups with low and high autistic tendency
Authors: Mu Eveline , Hugrass Laila , Crewther David
Published: November 2021

Visual processing differences in the magnocellular pathway have been reported across the autistic spectrum. On the basis that the firing of primate Type IV magnocellular cells is suppressed by diffuse red backgrounds, several groups have used red backgrounds as a means to investigate magnocellular contributions to visual processing in humans. Here, we measured emotional identification accuracy, and compared the P100 and N170 responses from groups with low (n=21; AQ<11) and high (n=22; AQ>22) Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores, in response to low (LSF) and high (HSF) spatially filtered fearful and neutral face stimuli presented on red and green backgrounds. For the LSF stimuli, the low AQ group correctly identified fearful expressions more often when presented on a red compared to a green background. The low AQ group also showed red backgrounds reduced the effect of LSF fearful expressions on P100 amplitudes. In contrast, the high AQ group showed that background colour did not significantly alter P100 responses to LSF stimuli. Interestingly, red background reduced the effects of HSF stimuli for the high AQ group. The effects of background color on LSF and HSF facial emotion responses were not evident for the N170 component. Our findings suggest that presenting face stimuli on a red background alters both magnocellular and parvocellular contributions to the P100 waveform, and that these effects differ for groups with low and high autistic tendencies. In addition, a theoretical model for explaining the temporal differences in facial emotion processing for low and high AQ groups is proposed.
Supply chain integration and economic performance: empirical evidence from a developing country
Authors: Nguyen Minh Hue , Phan Anh Chi , Matsui Yoshiki
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study seeks to investigate the impact of supply chain integration (SCI) practices on economic performance in Vietnamese enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on data collected from 144 Vietnamese enterprises, this study employs partial least squares path modeling to analyze the direct and indirect relationships among external integration, information integration, process integration and economic performance.

Findings

Analytical results indicate that of the three SCI practices, external integration has a significant and positive impact on economic performance. Process integration and information integration, on the one hand, reveal insignificant direct impact on economic performance, and on the other, show significant indirect effect on economic performance through external integration.

Originality/value

This study sheds new light on the contribution of SCI to economic performance in developing economies and offers suggestions for not only local management but also foreign investors on the efficient allocation of resources to achieve higher economic performance.
Prepaid debit cards and banking intention
Authors: Anong Sophia T. , Routh Aditi
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study examines the relationship between prepaid debit card use and the intention to open a bank account within twelve months. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Behavior Change helped to conceptualize one's stage in the process of changing from unbanked status if desired. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) provided a framework to examine factors that influence banking intention. Prepaid debit card use is considered a social norm as it is a popular alternative to banking, and these accounts have increasingly mimicked bank account features in recent years.

Design/methodology/approach

Three in-depth focus group interviews with low-income respondents were first conducted in 2012, which revealed a prolific use of prepaid debit cards. Most participants had previous banking history, and despite negative experiences, some requested information about banking terms and “free” banking. These themes and previous studies informed a TPB-based biprobit model, which was estimated using data of an unbanked sample from 2013, 2015 and 2017 waves of the US Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households.

Findings

Though there was banking interest in the focus groups, no significant empirical association was found between recent prepaid debit card use and banking intention. Going deeper with another sample, we found that current cardholders were equally likely to have become recently banked or to be long-term unbanked but less likely to be long-term banked. Also, factors such as a more recent relationship with banks, use of other alternative financial services for transactions and credit, smartphone ownership, and trust increase banking intention.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study is the cross-section quantitative data. Future research may track banking status over time, particularly as financial technology (fintech) evolves with alternatives that may influence banks and customers to adapt.

Practical implications

To compete with “leapfrog” fintech banking alternatives, bank managers should consider utilizing customer segmentation to target “at-risk” customers and former customers with products and terms tailored to meet their banking needs. Banks can also tailor digital products to capture markets in banking desserts through mobile phones.

Originality/value

This mixed-methods study is unique in that it builds on insights from earlier in-depth interviews with real unbanked groups to examine a trend in prepaid debit card use and the impact on banking interest.
Convex-concave effect of financial flexibility on hospitality performance: quantile regression approach
Authors: Chang Bao-Guang , Wu Kun-Shan
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of financial flexibility (FF) on enterprise performance (EP) within Taiwan’s hospitality industry during the COVID-19 shock and explore whether EP varies with hospitality industry characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data of 39 Taiwan Stock Exchange-listed hospitality firms were collected from the Taiwan Economic Journal databases. Quantile regression analysis was applied to examine the FF-EP relationship

Findings

The results evidence that there is a U-shaped (convex) FF-EP relationship for hospitality firms in the 10th, 25th and 50th Tobin’s Q quantiles and in asset-heavy firms. For asset-light firms, FF has an inverted U-shaped (concave) effect on EP in the 90th Tobin’s Q quantile

Practical implications

The empirical results highlight the need for Taiwan’s hospitality industry as a whole to take rolling adjustment and optimization of FF and concentrate on liquidity risk management after the COVID-19 pandemic and for long-term sustainability.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine the nonlinear FF-EP relationship in the hospitality industry of Taiwan, particularly amid the COVID-19 shock. Moreover, this study extends current literature by revealing the hospitality industry’s FF-EP relationship and highlights the importance of the pandemic crisis context.
Insights from sentiment analysis to leverage local tourism business in restaurants
Authors: Yu Ting , Rita Paulo , Moro Sérgio , Oliveira Cristina
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Social media has become the main venue for users to express their opinions and feelings, generating a vast number of available and valuable data to be scrutinized by researchers and marketers. This paper aims to extend previous studies analyzing social media reviews through text mining and sentiment analysis to provide useful recommendations for management in the restaurant industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The Lexalytics, a text mining artificial intelligence tool, is applied to analyze the text of the online reviews of the restaurants in a touristic Dutch village extracted from the most frequently used social media platforms focusing on the four restaurant quality factors, namely, food and beverage, service, atmosphere and value.

Findings

The findings of this research are presented by the identified key themes with comparisons of the customers’ review sentiment between a selected restaurant, Zwaantje, vis-à-vis its bench-mark restaurants set by a specific approach under the abovementioned quality dimensions, in which the food and beverage and service are the most commented by customers. Results demonstrate that text mining can generate insights from different aspects and that the proposed approach is valuable to restaurant management.

Originality/value

The paper provides a relatively big scale in numbers and resources of social media reviews to further explore the most important service dimensions in the restaurant industry in a specific tourist area. It also offers a useful framework to apply the text mining business intelligence tool by comparison of peers for local small business restaurant practitioners to improve their management skills beyond manually reading social media reviews.
Internal projects as strategic tools: an organisation-level perspective and a research agenda
Authors: Bjorvatn Torbjørn
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to describe and explain how organisations use internal projects to implement organisation-level strategy objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Theory development with an emphasis on explaining key constructs and their mutual relationships. The theoretical contribution is represented in a diagram along with a detailed verbal account.

Findings

The paper develops a dynamic, cross-level framework to illustrate the organisational processes and outcomes that determine project-based strategy implementation within a single organisation. The interplay between the base organisation and the project, and benefits realisation were singled out as key future research areas. The proposed framework engages with central discourses in the fields of project management, strategic management, innovation studies, knowledge management and organisation studies.

Research limitations/implications

Only the contours of an organisation-level theory of strategically motivated internal projects are outlined. Future research must elaborate on the complexities, the non-linear relationships and the boundary conditions that follow from the proposed framework.

Practical implications

Managers are alerted to the strategic role of internal projects, how these projects help connect strategy and performance and what the accompanying organisational processes and outcomes look like.

Originality/value

The paper constitutes an early conceptual treatment of strategy-driven internal projects as a distinct project category, thus addressing a major knowledge gap in project studies. Organisational project-management theory is extended with suggestions for future research.
Impact of workforce flexibility on quality of care: moderating effects of workload and severity of illness
Authors: Gnanlet Adelina , Sharma Luv , McDermott Christopher , Yayla-Kullu Muge
Published: November 2021

Purpose

As a way of alleviating nursing workforce shortages, health care managers are employing two types of workforce flexibility: supplemental staffing and floating among units. In this paper, the authors investigate the moderating effects of two critical situational variables – namely, job-level workload and severity of illness (SOI) in a given unit – on the relationship between workforce flexibility and quality of care as assessed by the nurses at the unit-level.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors empirically test the relationship between a unit's floating of nurses and the use of supplemental workforce on the quality of patient care and the moderating role of patient SOI and job-level workload on this relationship using 357 hospital-unit observations.

Findings

The authors find that situational variables play a critical role in flexible staffing strategies and they should be accounted for carefully to obtain the best quality of care outcomes. The authors find that the well-known negative effect of supplemental staffing on quality of care is not universal and appears to be moderated by the situational factors studied in this paper.

Practical implications

For best outcomes, staffing manager who oversee multiple units should use supplemental staff on units that have lower job-level workload and on units that have high severity of illness. The authors also find that managers of units with patients who are less-severely ill should encourage nurses to float out and return to their home unit. This strategy will improve quality of patient care in the home unit.

Originality/value

While some research analyzes the direct link between flexibility and quality performance, how this relationship is affected by varying situational factors within a unit has not been studied so far.
Risk assessment in Iranian oil and gas construction industry: a process approach
Authors: Sohrabi Hossein , Noorzai Esmatullah
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Successful risk management is influential in different phases of construction projects. It can play a critical role in reducing the possibility of claims as well as related disputes. The risk management knowledge area in large capital projects such as oil and gas is considered a questionable problem in the construction industry. The present study makes an effort to identify the importance of process groups in improving risk management performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is selected and ranked 36 factors leading to the claim in Iran's oil and gas industry through the Delphi method and a questionnaire. Factors categorized into a risk breakdown structure (RBS) include eight groups. Factors are linked to one of the process groups by a Delphi method. Finally, the relationship between RBS and the five process groups is analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

Findings showed that the planning process group had more confirmed factors than others. Most of the supported communications belonged to the contractor and the owner parties. Also, the cause of delay in the implementation phase due to the contractor performance had a higher relative importance index.

Originality/value

This article, from a project life-cycle perspective, considers the new structure between the risks leading to claims and the key parties to the project. It can be a good criterion for identifying risks and a timelier response to them before the risks turn into disagreements.
The dynamics of cryptocurrency market behavior: sentiment analysis using Markov chains
Authors: Kim Kwansoo , Lee Sang-Yong Tom , Assar Saïd
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The authors examine cryptocurrency market behavior using a hidden Markov model (HMM). Under the assumption that the cryptocurrency market has unobserved heterogeneity, an HMM allows us to study (1) the extent to which cryptocurrency markets shift due to interactions with social sentiment during a bull or bear market and (2) the heterogeneous pattern of cryptocurrency market behavior under these two market conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors advance the HMM model based on two six-month datasets (from November 2017 to April 2018 for a bull market and from December 2018 to May 2019 for a bear market) collected from Google, Twitter, the stock market and cryptocurrency trading platforms in South Korea. Social sentiment data were collected by crawling Bitcoin-related posts on Twitter.

Findings

The authors highlight the reaction of the cryptocurrency market to social sentiment under a bull and a bear market and in two hidden states (an upward and a downward trend). They find: (1) social sentiment is relatively relevant during a bull compared to a bear market. (2) The cryptocurrency market in a downward state, that is, with a local decreasing trend, tends to be more responsive to positive social sentiment. (3) The market in an upward state, that is, with a local increasing trend, tends to better interact with negative social sentiment.

Originality/value

The proposed HMM model contributes to a theoretically grounded understanding of how cryptocurrency markets respond to social sentiment in bull and bear markets through varied sequences adjusted for cryptocurrency market heterogeneity.
Role of brand equity and competitive strategies in the relation between horizontal alliances and its benefits
Authors: Kim Changju , Hu Bin
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Drawing on the resource-based view, this study aims to investigate the conditions under which small- and medium-sized retailers can improve competitive benefits through the lens of brand equity and strategies for competitive advantage in retail buying groups.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected 241 samples from small- and medium-sized supermarket retailers who joined retail buying groups in Japan.

Findings

This study offers two key findings. First, the results indicate that a buying group’s brand equity partially mediates the relationship between member retailers’ strategic integration and their buying group benefits. Second, member retailers with a stronger differentiation orientation strengthen the positive impact of strategic integration on the buying group’s brand equity and buying group benefits. The moderating effects of low-cost orientation were not found to be significant.

Practical implications

To highlight the sustainable growth of small- and medium-sized retailers in retail buying groups, which are often ignored in the extant literature, this study offers practical guidance on the importance of a buying group’s brand equity. In addition, based on the findings, this paper postulates that member retailers pursuing differentiation orientation, rather than low-cost orientation, are more beneficial to retail buying groups in terms of relational outcomes and performance consequences.

Originality/value

By conceptualizing brand equity in retail buying groups, this study suggests a novel approach for retail management that investigates how a buying group’s brand equity is linked to strategic integration, strategies for competitive advantage and buying group benefits from the viewpoint of member retailers.
Versioning boundary objects: the citation profile of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)
Authors: Li Kai , Jiao Chenyue , Sugimoto Cassidy R. , Larivière Vincent
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Research objects, such as datasets and classification standards, are difficult to be incorporated into a document-centric framework of citations, which relies on unique citable works. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder (DSM)—a dominant classification scheme used for mental disorder diagnosis—however provides a unique lens on examining citations to a research object, given that it straddles the boundaries as a single research object with changing manifestations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using over 180,000 citations received by the DSM, this paper analyzes how the citation history of DSM is represented by its various versions, and how it is cited in different knowledge domains as an important boundary object.

Findings

It shows that all recent DSM versions exhibit a similar citation cascading pattern, which is characterized by a strong replacement effect between two successive versions. Moreover, the shift of the disciplinary contexts of DSM citations can be largely explained by different DSM versions as distinct epistemic objects.

Practical implications

Based on these results, the authors argue that all DSM versions should be treated as a series of connected but distinct citable objects. The work closes with a discussion of the ways in which the existing scholarly infrastructure can be reconfigured to acknowledge and trace a broader array of research objects.

Originality/value

This paper connects quantitative methods and an important sociological concept, i.e. boundary object, to offer deeper insights into the scholarly communication system. Moreover, this work also evaluates how versioning, as a significant yet overlooked attribute of information resources, influenced the citation patterns of citable objects, which will contribute to more material-oriented scientific infrastructures.
Information-as-a-thing versus information-as-a-process: the legitimate differences between information resources management and information management
Authors: Oyedokun Tunde Toyese , Otonekwu Florence Onyenisi , Ambali Zainab Olanihun , Fajonyomi Oluwafemi Joseph
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Information resources management (IRM) and information management (IM) are two distinct terms often used interchangeably in the literature as synonyms, but perhaps, they mean different things. It is worthy of investigation to clarify whether these two related terms are in fact synonyms, and if not, what line of demarcation does them apart, discussion of some underpinning common generalities and issues that compass their misconceptions. This is a significant gap in the literature that needs to be bridged to develop a common ground of what differentiates IRM from IM.

Design/methodology/approach

It is a general review of the legitimate differences between IRM and IM.

Findings

Information resources in the ambit of IRM cannot achieve anything except people do something with it either by examining, categorizing or describing it, but in the end, they understood, rebut, alter or do all sorts of manipulation to the data set or information. Meanwhile, all this interpretation and manipulation constitute the hallmark of IM.

Originality/value

At this point, we need to take note of the fact that IRM is not the same as IM but rather IRM forms part of a holistic framework or components of IM. This is to say that successful IM cannot take place without proper IRM.
Healthy eating index-2015 and breast cancer: a case-control study
Authors: Safabakhsh Maryam , Shab-Bidar Sakineh , Imani Hossein
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Recently, evidences have suggested that healthy eating index (HEI), an index-based dietary pattern, may be a predictor for the risk of cancer. This paper aims to examine the association of HEI-2015 and its all components scores with the risk of breast cancer (BC), separately, among Iranian women.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present hospital-based, case-control study, 150 age-matched of cases (newly diagnosed female) and 150 controls were recruited. Data of dietary habits and anthropometric measures were obtained, and eventually, the HEI-2015 score was calculated. Multivariate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the relationship between the risk of BC across tertiles (Ts) of total HEI-2015 and its all component scores.

Findings

The results presented that in adjusted model, there was no significant difference between total HEI-2015 (p = 0.14) and its all component scores (p > 0.09) of healthy subjects and females with BC. Moreover, multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that HEI-2015 score was not associated with the risk of BC in either crude (p-trend = 0.94) or adjusted (p-trend = 0.73) analyses. In the analyses of HEI-2015 components scores, it was observed that the scores of grains (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30–0.94) and total protein foods (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.02–0.58) may have a relation with BC risk in crude model but after adjusting for BC risk factors, the mentioned associations changed to non-significant.

Originality/value

The findings of current study suggested that there was no significant association of total HEI-2015 and its components scores, independently, with BC incidence among Iranian women.
Financial performance of the textile industry in India: the case of Haryana
Authors: Darji Ishwar Singh , Dahiya Suman
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the financial performance of the textile industry in Haryana located in the northern part of India.

Design/methodology/approach

Input-oriented Cooper, Charnes and Rhodes (CCR) and Banker, Charnes and Cooper (BCC) techniques of data envelopment analysis, as well as the return to scale (RTS) technique, were used to conduct the analysis.

Findings

The findings show that textile units in Haryana have hugely underperformed financially with a consolidated technical efficiency score of only 0.35. Both private and public limited textile companies with respective scores of 0.46 and 0.24 are technically efficient. Public limited textile companies are more efficient than private limited companies. Private limited textile companies need to increase their input scale because they are operating at an increasing return to scale while public limited textile companies have to lower their input scale because most companies are operating at a decreasing return to scale to enhance their efficiency.

Originality/value

The study can assist in decision-making to all key stakeholders (Shareholders, management, government, tax authorities, debtors and creditors, among others) by identifying efficient and inefficient companies. Appropriate policies can be framed based on that knowledge.
A brief screening tool for depression in psoriasis patients: The Two Questions Test in clinical practice
Authors: Hölsken Stefanie , Krefting Frederik , Schneider Lea , Benson Sven , Schedlowski Manfred , Sondermann Wiebke
Published: November 2021

Patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis are prone to develop depressive symptoms. However, within the time constraints of dermatological clinics, depressive symptoms in psoriasis patients are often overlooked and thus underdiagnosed. The Two Questions Test may serve as a quick screening tool for an initial assessment of depressive burden in these patients. We evaluated its usefulness in the clinical context analyzing the records of patients starting systemic treatment for psoriasis with a selective interleukin (IL)23‐ or IL17A‐inhibitor. In a total sample of N = 139 patients, baseline Two Questions Test scores were analyzed together with measures of psoriatic and psychiatric symptoms. In addition, the development of the Two Questions Test scores over the course of the first 28 weeks of treatment was assessed. No association was found between the Two Questions Test scores and skin symptoms measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and the visibility of skin lesions. However, skin related quality of life analyzed with the Dermatology Life Quality Index was associated with the Two Questions Test scores. In addition, the longitudinal analysis revealed improvement in Two Questions Test outcomes over the course of patients’ treatment. These results indicate the Two Questions Test's usefulness both as an initial screening tool of depressive symptoms, as well as in its use as a sensitive tool for the repeated assessment of depressive symptoms in psoriasis patients.
Frontline provider perceptions of implementing home‐based palliative care covered by an insurer
Authors: Coulourides Kogan Alexis , Li Oscar , Fields Torrie , Mosqueda Laura , Lorenz Karl
Published: November 2021

Objective

To examine frontline providers' experiences implementing home‐based palliative care (HBPC) covered by a private health insurer in partnership with community‐based hospice, home health, and Accountable Care Organizations.

Study setting

Primary data collection at three community‐based hospice and home health organizations in Northern and Southern California at the outset of the new private payer‐contracted HBPC.

Study design

Qualitative focus groups with frontline HBPC providers.

Data collection

Focus groups were guided by a nine‐item, semi‐structured research protocol, audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by two independent coders using a grounded theory approach.

Principal findings

Participants (n = 24) were mostly White (79.2%) female (91.7%) aged 39 years or less (62.5%), and from diverse disciplines. Three major themes were identified: (1) patient referrals, (2) organizational factors, and (3) HBPC reimbursement. Findings highlight barriers and facilitators to implementing HBPC covered by an insurer including the organization's community reputation, the dynamic/“teaminess” of the HBPC team, having a site champion/”quarterback,” and issues from a siloed medical system. Participants also discussed challenges with patient referrals, specifically, lack of palliative care knowledge (both providers and patients/families) and poor communication with patients referred to HBPC.

Conclusions

This study found that despite a favorable perception of payer‐contracted HBPC by frontline providers, barriers and facilitators persist, with patient accrual/referral paramount.
The validation of 3D virtual comparison microscopy (VCM) in the comparison of expended cartridge cases
Authors: Knowles Laura , Hockey Daniel , Marshall John
Published: November 2021

In this study, the Cadre TopMatch‐3D scanner and associated virtual comparison software was evaluated to determine whether this technique is a valid and reliable method of conducting cartridge component comparisons. That is, if virtual comparison microscopy (VCM) produces results at least equivalent to those generated through traditional light comparison microscopy (LCM), the method would be deemed valid for use in an operational setting. Particular emphasis was placed on the capability to render same source conclusions. Of the 40 true identifications available to each examiner, corresponding to a total of 520 comparisons, positive identifications were made more frequently using VCM as compared to traditional LCM where inconclusive conclusions were provided at a higher rate. VCM produced a higher sensitivity (88.41%) and specificity (13.64%) rate than LCM, 80.08% and 12.50%, respectively. Based on the findings of the study, considered together with the benefits that VCM offers in the name of efficiency, it became apparent that Cadre’s 3D scanning microscope and its associated virtual comparison software tested in this study is an appropriate and valid technique for conducting comparisons of expended cartridge cases and can be implemented into routine casework for that purpose.
Robot‐assisted thoracic surgery versus video‐assisted thoracic surgery for treatment of patients with thymoma: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Shen Cheng , Li Jialong , Li Jue , Che Guowei
Published: November 2021

Background

Surgical resection of the thymus is indicated in the presence of primary thymic diseases such as thymoma. Video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robot‐assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) offer a minimally invasive approach to thymectomy. However, there is no clear conclusion whether RATS can achieve an equal or even better surgical effect when compared with VATS in treatment of thymoma. We performed this meta‐analysis to explore and compare the outcomes of RATS versus VATS for thymectomy in patients with thymoma.

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Medline, and Web of Science databases were searched for full‐text literature citations. The quality of the articles was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and the data analyzed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Fixed or random effect models were applied according to heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was conducted.

Results

A total of 11 studies with 1418 patients, of whom 688 patients were in the RATS group and 730 in the VATS group, were involved in the analysis. Compared with VATS, RATS was associated with less blood loss in operation, lower volume of drainage, fewer postoperative pleural drainage days, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and fewer postoperative complications. There was no significant difference in operative time and patients with or without myasthenia gravis between the two groups.

Conclusions

RATS has more advantages over VATS, indicating that RATS is better than VATS in terms of postoperative recovery. We look forward to more large‐sample, high‐quality randomized controlled studies published in the future.
Prehospital airway management in the pediatric patient: A systematic review
Authors: Weihing Veronica K. , Crowe Ellen H. , Wang Henry E. , Ugalde Irma T.
Published: November 2021

Background

Critically ill children may require airway management to optimize delivery of oxygen and ventilation during resuscitation. We performed a systematic review of studies comparing the use of bag‐valve‐mask ventilation (BVM), supraglottic airway devices (SGA), and endotracheal intubation (ETI) in pediatric patients requiring prehospital airway management.

Methods

We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for papers that compared SGA or ETI to BVM use in children, including studies that reported survival outcomes. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items in Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and assessed study quality using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. We compared key characteristics of the candidate papers, including inclusion criteria, definitions of airway interventions, and association with outcomes.

Results

Of 773 studies, eight met criteria for inclusion. Only one study was a randomized controlled trial; the other seven studies were observational. Four studies compared ETI to BVM, two studies compared SGA to BVM, one study compared ETI to SGA, and two studies compared advanced airway management (AAM) to BVM. Primary outcomes varied, ranging from overall mortality and 24‐h mortality to 1‐month survival, hospital survival, and neurologically favorable survival. Four of the studies found no difference in survival with the use of ETI, and four found increased mortality with the use of ETI. Associations with outcomes could not be assessed by meta‐analysis due to limited number of studies and the wide variation in the design, population, interventions, and outcome measures of the included studies.

Conclusions

In this systematic review, studies of prehospital pediatric airway management varied in scope, design, and conclusions. There was insufficient evidence to evaluate efficacy of pediatric prehospital airway management; however, the current research suggests that there are equal or worse outcomes with the use of ETI compared to other airway techniques. Additional clinical trials are needed to assess the merits of this practice.
Yak miR‐2285o‐3p attenuates hypoxia‐induced apoptosis by targeting caspase‐3
Authors: Zhang J. , Long K. , Wang J. , Zhang J. , Jin L. , Tang Q. , Li X. , Ma J. , Li M. , Jiang A.
Published: November 2021

miRNAs are a class of hairpin‐derived RNAs, 21–24 nucleotides in length, which are involved in a range of biological processes. The bta‐miR‐2285 family has over 40 members spanning the entire bovine genome. We previously found that bta‐miR‐2285o‐3p was highly expressed in yak heart and lung when compared with cattle, which prompted us to investigate its potential function in high‐altitude adaptation of yaks. In this study, we detected wide‐spread high expression of bta‐miR‐2285o‐3p in yak tissues. Further experiments revealed that the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type M (PTPRM) gene was the host gene of bta‐miR‐2285o‐3p and that two linked SNPs in bta‐mir‐2285o precursor affected the biogenesis of mature miRNA (bta‐miR‐2285o‐3p). Functional analysis in vitro indicated that bta‐miR‐2285o‐3p attenuated hypoxia‐induced apoptosis by targeting very low‐density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and caspase‐3. Expression level analysis in vivo revealed the high negative Pearson’s correlation between bta‐miR‐2285o‐3p and caspase3 in yak, highlighting the potential important roles of bta‐miR‐2285o‐3p in yak high‐altitude adaptation. Our study provides a typical model for deciphering the function of miRNAs in environmental adaptation.
Fixed or mixed? Farmer‐level heterogeneity in response to changes in salinity
Authors: Uz Dilek , Buck Steven , Sunding David
Published: November 2021

We study supply response to irrigation water salinity—an important and ubiquitous environmental problem facing agriculture around the world. The geographical setting is the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, a main water hub in California, where salinity is a significant part of recent policy debates over water management and infrastructure. We use highly granular farm‐level panel data on Delta farming activity to estimate two sets of response parameters using (i) standard (fixed coefficients) logit model, and (ii) a mixed (random coefficient) logit model. The mixed logit results provide evidence for heterogeneity in supply response across farmers. To put these findings in a meaningful economic context, we use the results from both models to simulate estimates for aggregate acreage responses under two alternative salinity scenarios. We implement a method to simulate individual specific responses together with their confidence intervals, which provides additional insight into the composition of farmer heterogeneity. Based on these post‐regression simulation results, we find the mixed logit model predicts an elasticity of aggregate acreage for salt‐sensitive (hence higher value) crops that is an order of magnitude larger compared to that of the standard fixed coefficients logit method. This result sheds light on category of costs likely to increase in response to rising salinity in the Delta region.
Utility of semi‐quantitative quick cortisol assay with low‐dose adrenocorticotropic hormone infusion adrenal vein sampling
Authors: Sawyer Matthew P. , Yong Eric X. Z. , Marginson Benjamin , Farrell Stephen G. , Derbyshire Maresa M. , MacIsaac Richard J. , Sachithanandan Nirupa
Published: November 2021

Background

Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is integral to identifying surgically remediable unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA). However, right adrenal vein (AV) cannulation can be challenging, limiting its success. Intra‐procedural cortisol assays can improve the reliability of AVS. The aim of this study was to validate the use of semi‐quantitative cortisol estimates obtained utilizing a quick cortisol assay (QCA) during AVS procedures at our institution.

Methods

Retrospective review of results of AVS procedures before and after the introduction of the QCA. Twenty‐three AVS procedures were performed with the provisional success determined by intra‐procedural QCA. Successful AV cannulation was defined by an AV to peripheral vein cortisol ratio ≥ 4.0 (the selectivity index) from laboratory measurements. The control cohort consisted of 23 consecutive procedures prior to introduction of the QCA.

Results

QCA correctly predicted all AV cannulation attempts. Successful bilateral AV cannulation increased from 52% to 91% of procedures when performed with the QCA (P = 0.01) and adequate cannulation of the right AV increased from 61% to 91% (P = 0.03). There was no increase in procedural time, number of AV cannulation or sampling attempts.

Conclusions

Point‐of‐care, semi‐quantitative cortisol estimates can be performed accurately during AVS with QCA, facilitating improvements in AVS success rates without increasing procedural time.
Pharmacokinetics, safety and bioequivalence of two formulations of progesterone soft capsule in healthy Chinese postmenopausal females: Impacts of a high‐fat meal
Authors: Qin Huiling , Zheng Liang , Fang Yuanyuan , Liu Yueyue , Liu Anding , Wu Jinlian , Zhu Fengjia , Chen Jing , Fan Yijun , Hu Wei
Published: November 2021

Progesterone is an important natural hormone regulating ovulation and menstruation. The present study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics and safety of two formulations of progesterone in Chinese postmenopausal females under fasting and fed conditions. The study adopted a single‐dose, open‐label, randomized, three‐period bioequivalence design. A total of 96 subjects were enrolled and randomly assigned to the fasting cohort or fed cohort. A high‐fat meal (890 kcal) was used in the fed study. The reference‐scaled average bioequivalence method was used for bioequivalence evaluation. A high‐fat meal led to a 22‐fold higher peak concentration (Cmax) and a 7‐fold higher area under the curve (AUC) while time to reach Cmax and half‐life was not significantly affected. The concentration–time curve displayed double peaks suggesting the existence of enterohepatic circulation. The test/reference geometric mean ratios for Cmax and AUC under fasting and fed conditions are all within the range of 80% to 125%. All adverse events (AEs) that occurred during the trial were mild and did not cause drop‐out, though these AEs occurred more frequently under fed state. In conclusion, the two formulations of progesterone are bioequivalent in Chinese subjects under fasting and fed conditions. Drug label modification regarding food effects needs further discussion.
Perceptions of ease and difficulty, but not growth mindset, relate to specific math attitudes
Authors: Mielicki Marta K. , Schiller Lauren K. , Fitzsimmons Charles J. , Scheibe Daniel , Thompson Clarissa A.
Published: November 2021

Background

People report negative attitudes towards fractions and percentages relative to whole numbers (WNs, Sidney, Thompson, Fitzsimmons, & Taber, 2021), and these attitudes may relate to an individual’s interpretation of what experiences with these number types signify. Because fractions are challenging, individual differences related to beliefs about challenge, such as endorsement of a growth versus fixed mindset (Dweck, 2006) and interpretations of easy or difficult experiences (Fisher & Oyserman, 2017), could relate to attitudes towards fractions relative to other number types.

Aims

Two studies tested whether gender, math skills, mindset beliefs, and perceptions of difficulty relate to negative math attitudes towards specific number types.

Samples

Two samples of college students (Study 1:N = 491; Study 2:N = 415), approximately 19 years of age (17% male, 51% first year students) participated.

Methods

Participants rated attitudes pertaining to WNs, fractions, and percentages, endorsement of a growth mindset, and perceptions of ease and difficulty.

Results

Replicating prior work (Sidney, Thompson, Fitzsimmons, & Taber, 2021), college students endorsed more negative attitudes about fractions than WNs and percentages. Self‐reported ACT scores related to all number‐type attitudes, endorsement of the belief that ‘difficult tasks/goals are important’ related to fraction attitudes, and endorsement of the belief that ‘easy tasks/goals are possible’ related to whole number attitudes. Endorsement of a growth mindset did not relate to specific math attitudes.

Conclusions

People struggle to integrate their whole number and rational number representations, and one reason people hold negative attitudes about fractions may be that they view them as difficult and even impossible.
I could have used a lot more help than I had: A qualitative systematic review and synthesis of families’ experiences of paediatric brain tumour and schooling
Authors: Young Kate , Bowers Alison , Prain Karen , Bradford Natalie
Published: November 2021

Background

Brain tumours are the most common and fatal of all solid tumours for children and adolescents. The effects of the tumour and treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery) results in significant disruptions to childhood development and large amounts of missed schooling. Among other challenges for families, this produces obstacles for children and adolescents to achieve and maintain academic performance and experience positive schooling encounters.

Aims

We thus aimed to systematically identify and synthesize qualitative evidence on how families experience paediatric brain tumour from diagnosis and beyond with regards to their schooling and education to identify gaps in service delivery, research, and policy.

Methods

A protocol for this review was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42020177165). Searches were conducted in Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Embase, and Web of Science, and yielded 22 eligible papers (representing 17 studies). Data were extracted into NVivo12 and analysed by qualitative description.

Results

We formed the following domain summaries: academic (perceived failure to keep up with peers and finding success where one could, the importance of encouragement for diagnosed children), social (the importance of friendships and the harm of bullying), and support (the defining factor in overall return‐to‐school experience, often not enough received from educational professionals and clinicians). Our review highlights the need for more comprehensive, individualized, and integrated support for diagnosed children to return to educational institutions, and for the need to address their social experiences, particularly with regards to bullying, potentially through a school‐wide social and emotional learning approach.

Conclusion

Funding support, evidence‐based guidelines, staff skill development, and clear communication structures across families, health care facilities, schools, and educational departments are essential to achieving this.