bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Job Satisfaction for People With Visual Impairments
Authors: Steverson Anne , Crudden Adele
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Job satisfaction research has focused on the general population or specific careers. Little attention has focused on the job satisfaction of persons with visual impairments, particularly using standardized measures of job satisfaction. This study examined how relationships with colleagues and supervisors, opportunities for advancement, and employee demographics predict job satisfaction for employees with visual impairments. Methods: Researchers analyzed data from 195 employed participants from a larger study on job retention and career advancement. The Brief Job Satisfaction Measure II measured job satisfaction, and predictor variables focused on relationships with colleagues and supervisors, promotion opportunities, and demographics. Researchers used multiple linear regression to identify predictors of job satisfaction. Results: Individuals with visual impairments had high job satisfaction if they believed colleagues treated them the same as sighted colleagues and had supervisor support. Underemployed individuals with visual impairments experienced lower job satisfaction. Employees who identified their race as other, those who experienced vision loss after their first job, and participants with an additional disability had higher job satisfaction. Discussion: Social interactions with colleagues and supervisors contributed to the job satisfaction of employees with visual impairments. These interactions may make employees with visual impairments feel comfortable asking for workplace accommodations and more integrated into the workspace. While income was not a predictor of job satisfaction, underemployment was, indicating that individuals with visual impairments may not have achieved their maximum vocational potential. Implications for Practitioners: Individuals with visual impairments and service providers should look for opportunities to promote social interactions at work. Training co-workers and supervisors about working with persons with visual impairments and accommodations could be beneficial. Vocational rehabilitation counselors should also ensure program participants have employment opportunities that are both economically sustainable and commensurate with their interests and abilities.
Estimating the Reliability and Stability of Cognitive Processes Contributing to Responses on the Implicit Association Test
Authors: Elder Jacob , Wilson Liz , Calanchini Jimmy
Published: May 2023

Implicit measures were initially assumed to assess stable individual differences, but other perspectives posit that they reflect context-dependent processes. This pre-registered research investigates whether the processes contributing to responses on the race Implicit Association Test are temporally stable and reliably measured using multinomial processing tree modeling. We applied two models—the Quad model and the Process Dissociation Procedure—to six datasets ( N = 2,036), each collected over two occasions, examined the within-measurement reliability and between-measurement stability of model parameters, and meta-analyzed the results. Parameters reflecting accuracy-oriented processes demonstrate adequate stability and reliability, which suggests these processes are relatively stable within individuals. Parameters reflecting evaluative associations demonstrate poor stability but modest reliability, which suggests that associations are either context-dependent or stable but noisily measured. These findings suggest that processes contributing to racial bias on implicit measures differ in temporal stability, which has practical implications for predicting behavior using the Implicit Association Test.
Occupational participation and engagement of woman experiencing premenstrual syndrome: A qualitative study
Authors: Park Yebin , Murphy Angela , Cezar da Cruz Daniel
Published: May 2023

Introduction:

Premenstrual syndrome is commonly experienced by women of reproductive age and encompasses somatic, psychological and behavioural symptoms that recur during the luteal stage of menstrual cycle and resolves during or after menstruation. Although premenstrual syndrome has gained growing interest in recent years, the experience of women living with premenstrual syndrome has not yet been explored from an occupational perspective.

Method:

This qualitative study an used exploratory and descriptive design to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of women with premenstrual syndrome through an occupational lens. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with four women living with premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.

Findings:

Three themes were identified: (1) occupational disturbance, (2) social impairment and occupational disengagement, and (3) the importance of self-awareness to engage in occupations. Women with premenstrual syndrome symptoms experienced difficulties that impacted their ability to engage in occupations including self-care, productivity and leisure, interfering with their occupational routine and interpersonal relationships. A level of awareness was considered important to manage premenstrual syndrome symptoms.

Conclusion:

The findings of this study are relevant to understanding the impact of premenstrual symptoms on daily living and for tailoring future interventions to address the occupational needs in women with premenstrual syndrome.
Capturing the missing voices: A ‘fair go’ for sexual and gender minority employees in Australian workplaces
Authors: Dahanayake Pradeepa , Selvarajah Christopher , Rajendran Diana
Published: May 2023

This article explores employee voice within organizations, in the context of the often-complex inclusion of sexual and gender minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI)) employees. This study utilized a qualitative case study approach to gather insights from diversity experts and organizational documents of three large Australian organizations representing private, not-for-profit and public sectors. This research focused on organizational interventions that capture the voices of LGBTI employees, because their voice remains a challenge. While extant literature has largely focused on employee networks as a primary voice for this group, this study identifies several other integral and novel mechanisms. This study contributes to existing knowledge by developing an empirically based theory on voice mechanisms to overcome the spirals of silence. The findings of this study offer practical value to organizations seeking to promote LGBTI voice and inclusion in the workplace.

JEL Classification: J15, J16, J71, J81, M12, M14, O15
Functional brainstem representations of the human trigeminal cervical complex
Authors: Mehnert Jan , Basedau Hauke , Sturm Lisa-Marie , Nielsen Trine , Jensen Rigmor Højland , May Arne
Published: May 2023

Background

The human in-vivo functional somatotopy of the three branches of the trigeminal (V1, V2, V3) and greater occipital nerve in brainstem and also in thalamus and insula is still not well understood.

Methods

After preregistration (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03999060), we mapped the functional representations of this trigemino-cervical complex non-invasively in 87 humans using high-resolution protocols for functional magnetic resonance imaging during painful electrical stimulation in two separate experiments. The imaging protocol and analysis was optimized for the lower brainstem and upper spinal cord, to identify activation of the spinal trigeminal nuclei. The stimulation protocol involved four electrodes which were positioned on the left side according to the three branches of the trigeminal nerve and the greater occipital nerve. The stimulation site was randomized and each site was repeated 10 times per session. The participants partook in three sessions resulting in 30 trials per stimulation site.

Results

We show a large overlap of peripheral dermatomes on brainstem representations and a somatotopic arrangement of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve along the perioral-periauricular axis and for the greater occipital nerve in brainstem below pons, as well as in thalamus, insula and cerebellum. The co-localization of greater occipital nerve with V1 along the lower part of brainstem is of particular interest since some headache patients profit from an anesthetic block of the greater occipital nerve.

Conclusion

Our data provide anatomical evidence for a functional inter-inhibitory network between the trigeminal branches and greater occipital nerve in healthy humans as postulated in animal work. We further show that functional trigeminal representations intermingle perioral and periauricular facial dermatomes with individual branches of the trigeminal nerve in an onion shaped manner and overlap in a typical within-body-part somatotopic arrangement. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03999060
Bibliotherapy by medical librarians for the blind females
Authors: Shekofteh Maryam , Ahmadi Elaheh , Kazerani Maryam , Salabifar Sedighe
Published: May 2023

This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the effect of group bibliotherapy on the self-esteem of blind females. Thirty blind females agreed to participate in the study. They were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Data were collected through the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. A medical librarian performed an eight-session bibliotherapy intervention in collaboration with a psychological counsellor for the experimental group. After the intervention, the experimental group’s self-esteem scores were higher than the control group’s ( p < 0.05). The mean self-esteem scores in the experimental group after the intervention increased significantly ( p < 0.05). The highest percentage increase is related to the family and educational/professional self-esteem subscales. Using bibliotherapy by a team of medical librarians and psychologists to improve the psychological problems of the blind and other people with disabilities is recommended.
A Linearizing Transformation-Based Evaluation Approach of the Fundamental Diagram
Authors: Liu Jing , Zheng Fangfang , Wei Mian , Bai Linhan , Jabari Saif
Published: May 2023

The fundamental diagram (FD) describes the functional relationship among macro parameters of traffic flow (e.g., volume, density, and space mean speed). A well-established FD is crucial for traffic operations and management (e.g., traffic estimation and control). However, there is still lacking an efficient method to select a FD and evaluate the fitting performance with empirical data. In this paper, we propose a novel evaluation approach to the FD using a linear transformation method, which can evaluate the fitting performance in the whole density region. It can also provide directions for further optimization of the FD model by performing the same transformation on the empirical dataset and the selected FD. Furthermore, we propose a quantitative indicator, called the weighted coefficient of determination, which can better evaluate the fitting performance of different FDs. The proposed method is tested with freeway field data from loop detectors. The results show that the proposed evaluation method can help select the FD that fits the empirical dataset best. The evaluation results can also be used to analyze the systematic deviation ignored by those FDs that cannot fit the data well to further improve FD models.
Laboratory Investigation into the Partial Replacement of Aggregates with Recycled High-Density Polyethylene in a Dense Graded Asphalt Mix
Authors: Banfield Shelby , Sanchez Xiomara
Published: May 2023

Plastic waste is a growing concern today, as landfills fill up and pollution leads to global climatic problems. Some research has been conducted on using plastics in asphalt, but the effect that high-density polyethylene (HDPE) can have in the performance of the asphalt is not understood. This research examines the impact on the moisture damage, rutting, and cracking resistance of recycled HDPE plastics as a portion of aggregates in a dense graded asphalt mix. Two types of recycled HDPE were used—flakes and pellets. Mixes with 5% by volume of recycled HDPE were designed and compared with a control mix. The results indicate that the use of recycled HDPE allowed for a reduction of 0.5% binder requirement. Tensile strength ratio testing showed that, with no anti-stripping agent, the HDPE-modified mixes had acceptable moisture resistance. Both types of HDPE-modified mixes showcased superior rutting resistance based on the flow number parameter. However, the use of HDPE decreased the cracking resistance of the mixes measured with the Illinois Flexibility Index Test at intermediate temperatures. The dynamic modulus test indicated a decrease in the stiffness of the mixes at low temperatures and confirmed the increase of the stiffness at high operating temperatures. Overall, the results indicate that the use of HDPE as partial replacement of aggregates is feasible and future research could explore balancing the performance of the HDPE-modified mix.
Dr David Malan DM, FRCPsych (1922–2020): A breath of fresh air for psychoanalysis and mental health
Authors: Ezquerro Arturo , Allen Daniel
Published: May 2023

This hybrid piece of work aims to pay tribute to David Malan (21 March 1922–14 October 2020) who has been one of the great influences on open-minded psychoanalysis and psychodynamic mental health. Inspired by the work and ideas of John Bowlby, Michael Bálint and Habib Davanloo, over five decades, Dr Malan committed himself to finding effective treatments that would help the largest number of patients in the shortest possible time, and pioneered research into brief dynamic psychotherapy as well as into group psychotherapy.

He came to the conclusion that the type of therapy matters far less than the relationship the patient has with the therapist or therapy group, since patients can explore more confidently and make progress more significantly when they perceived the therapist or therapy group as a secure base, a key tenet of attachment theory. More specifically, he pursued a new tradition of short-term psychotherapy that built a bridge between psychoanalytic and more active cognitive-behavioural approaches, and managed to live up to the high ambition for integration of science and meaning in psychiatry, psychotherapy (including group psychotherapy) and psychoanalysis.
The idea of the university as a heterotopia: The ethics and politics of thinking in the age of informational capitalism
Authors: Dalgliesh Bregham
Published: May 2023

Drawing on struggles within academe between faculty that promote critical education and advocates of New Public Management (NPM) who endorse instrumental learning, I reimagine the university as a counter-space that positions it as a counter-power to informational capitalism. Initially, I outline its twin threats: ethical, as self-entrepreneurial academics are valorised by NPM; and political, with informationalisation conflating spaces of thinking. I then detail Scott Lash’s specific account of how the info-comm society negates critique. However, his monistic understanding of informationalisation means Lash’s alternative of Informationskritik risks subsumption by it. I therefore defer to Jacques Derrida’s idea of the university. To ensure the autonomy of the principle of reason in a world of info-comm flows, the university is a supplementary body to society, yet intimately linked to it by its critical reflexivity, which is on behalf of society. Because Derrida does not elaborate the requisite institutional architecture, I conclude with Michel Foucault’s notion of heterotopia as a quasi-illicit site that is different and other. Such an institutional design enables the university as a counter-space that is a bank of reason and an archive of its manifestation in social practices. It also upholds a space for thinking, which in the form of nominalist critical history proffers a counter-power to society as an informational homotopia.
Perceived Barriers and Social Cultural Factors Associated With Advance Care Planning Conversations Among Chinese American Older Adults
Authors: Zhang Peiyuan , Sun Fei , Hirsch Jen
Published: May 2023

Despite the well-documented benefits of advance care planning (ACP), persistent racial and ethnic disparities continue to exist in ACP engagement. Guided by a social ecological model, this study examined perceived barriers and sociocultural factors associated with informal ACP conversations among Chinese American older adults. A purposive sample of 281 community-dwelling older Chinese Americans aged 55 years or older in Arizona and Maryland completed a survey in 2018. Hierarchical logistic regression models were conducted. There were 26.5% of participants who engaged in advance care planning. Lower perceived barriers and sociocultural factors (i.e., length of stay in the U.S. and English language proficiency) were positively associated with ACP conversations. Social support had a significant moderation effect. Findings highlighted the importance of language services and social support in facilitating ACP discussions among older Chinese immigrants. Effective strategies are needed to reduce the barriers to ACP at various levels for older Chinese American populations.
The effect of subacute co-exposure to carbon tetrachloride and diclofenac on the liver of male wistar rats
Authors: Hassanpour Zahra , Shirazi Farshad H , Shokrpoor Sara , Yarahmadi Rasoul , Moghadasi Narges , Vosoogh Mehran , Ashtarinezhad Azadeh
Published: May 2023

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a potent liver toxin. Diclofenac (Dic), leading adverse effects on the liver, is used among the employees of the industries that use CCl4. The increased use of CCl4 and Dic in industrial workers has prompted us to investigate their synergistic effect on the liver using male Wistar rats as a model. Male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups ( n = 6), and the exposure was by intraperitoneal injection for 14 days as follows. Group 1: Control, 2: Olive oil, 3: CCl4 (0.8 mL/kg/day (3 times per week)), 4: Normal saline, 5: Dic (1.5 mg/kg/day per day), 6: Olive oil with normal saline, 7: CCl4 (0.8 mL/kg/day (3 times per week)) and Dic (1.5 mg/kg/day daily). At the end of day 14, the heart blood was collected to measure the liver enzymes, alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), blood alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin (ALB), direct bilirubin, and total bilirubin. A pathologist examined the liver tissue. Prism software was used to analyze data using ANOVA and Tukey statistical tests. ALT, AST, ALP, and Total Bilirubin enzymes were increased significantly in the co-administered CCl4 and Dic group, while the ALB levels decreased ( p < 0.05). The histological findings reported liver necrosis, focal hemorrhage, adipose tissue change, and lymphocytic portal hepatitis. In conclusion, using Dic while exposed to CCl4 may exacerbate hepatotoxicity in rats. Therefore, it is suggested that more severe restrictions and safety regulations be placed on using CCl4 in the industry, and caution is advised to these industry workers to use Diclofenac.
Family Functioning and the Pandemic: How Do Parental Perceived Social Support and Mental Health Contribute to Family Health?
Authors: Gervais Christine , Côté Isabel , Pierce Tamarha , Vallée-Ouimet Sandrine , de Montigny Francine
Published: May 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantine measures implemented have profoundly impacted parents and families. The stress and uncertainty generated by the COVID-19 virus, as well as the disruption of routines and social relationships, have weakened both individual and family health and functioning.

Objective

The present research is part of a larger study that aims to understand, with a family systems theory, the longitudinal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on school-aged children, adolescents, and their parents. More specifically, this paper aims to investigate parents’ experience of the first months of the pandemic as a predictor of perceived social support, parental ill-being (aggregate score of well-established poor psychological functioning indicators), parental satisfaction, and family functioning.

Method

During the first lockdown (April-May 2020), 203 parents of school-aged children living in Quebec completed an online questionnaire.

Results

Path analysis indicates that the impact of COVID-19 and health preoccupation due to COVID-19 are both positively associated with individual parental ill-being, which in turn detracts from family functioning and parental satisfaction. Furthermore, perceptions about positive effects of the pandemic are negatively associated with parental ill-being, and positively with perceived social support, which in turn significantly contributes to family functioning and parental satisfaction.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the importance of adopting a systemic perspective to best understand the effects of the pandemic and the social and health measures on individuals, families, and systems, as well as to better support parents and family health through periods of uncertainty.
Paroxysmal Nonepileptic Events in Children With Epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Cooper Monica S. , Fahey Michael C. , Dagia Charuta , Reddihough Dinah , Reid Susan M. , Mackay Mark T.
Published: May 2023

Objective: To determine the frequency of paroxysmal nonepileptic events in children with cerebral palsy due to brain injury who have epilepsy and to describe the factors associated with paroxysmal nonepileptic events. Methods: Retrospective, population-based study of children from the Victorian CP Register born 1999–2006. Neuroimaging, medical records, electroencephalograms (EEG), and EEG requests were analyzed. Results: Of the included 256 children, 87 had epilepsy. EEGs (with video correlation) were available for 82 of 87. Eighteen (18/82, 22%) had epileptic events captured on EEG. Twenty-one (21/82, 26%) had paroxysmal nonepileptic events captured on EEG. The majority (13/18, 77%) of children with epileptic events also had paroxysmal nonepileptic events captured. Ten parents and carers continued to report events as epileptic despite there being no ictal EEG correlate for specific events on multiple EEGs. There were no clear associations to identify which children would have ongoing paroxysmal nonepileptic events reported. Conclusions: Paroxysmal nonepileptic events were captured on EEG in one-fourth of children from this cerebral palsy cohort with epilepsy and available EEG. Half the parents and carers reported previously identified paroxysmal nonepileptic events as epileptic on subsequent EEGs, highlighting the need for clearer counseling so that parents better understand seizure semiology in children with EEG-proven paroxysmal nonepileptic events.
The Gomez-Lopez-Hernandez Syndrome: The Contribution of 2 Hispanic Giants of Pediatric Neurology
Authors: Liang Bao Xin , Carrazana Enrique , Viereck Jason , Liow Kore K.
Published: May 2023

The specialty of Pediatric Neurology emerged during the 20th century, a period in which many neurologists played significant roles in revolutionizing this field. Two acclaimed pediatric neurologists of Hispanic origin, Drs Manual Gomez and Arturo Lopez-Hernandez, made substantial contributions to the literature on pediatric neurology. One of their remarkable contributions was their discovery of a new, rare neurocutaneous syndrome with variable phenotype, the Gomez-Lopez–Hernandez syndrome (GLHS). Here, we describe the current understanding of GLHS and the historical background of how 2 celebrated Hispanic pediatric neurologists discovered this rare, sporadic syndrome during a time when there was a limited representation of minorities in the medical profession.
Development of HEXACO Personality Traits and Their Relations With Socioeconomic Factors Among Chinese Adolescents: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study
Authors: Li Wenqi , Wu Junhui , Guo Zhen , Kou Yu
Published: May 2023

This three-wave longitudinal study investigated the stability and changes in HEXACO personality traits and tested whether socioeconomic factors relate to the initial levels and changes of personality among Chinese adolescents ( N = 1,646, Wave 1 Mage = 15.21 years). The findings revealed high rank-order stability of HEXACO personality traits. Consistent with the disruption hypothesis, latent growth modeling revealed significant decreases in Honesty-Humility and Agreeableness and a significant increase in Emotionality among boys. Findings also provided evidence contradicting the disruption hypothesis as both boys and girls exhibited an increase in Extraversion, indicating the complexity of developmental trends in personality during adolescence. Conditional latent growth modeling demonstrated that higher childhood and current family socioeconomic status were associated with higher initial levels of Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience, and a lower initial level of Emotionality. Perceived economic inequality was related to a lower initial level of Honesty-Humility and a higher initial level of Openness to Experience. However, socioeconomic factors were not associated with the slopes of personality change. These findings highlight the need for future research to refine the disruption hypothesis and suggest that socioeconomic factors relate to the levels but not changes in personality traits during middle to late adolescence.
Air pollution and daily public transportation ridership: The case of Seoul city
Authors: Yang Eunmo , Bae Hojoong , Ryu Doojin
Published: May 2023

This study examines the relationship between air pollution and daily mobility, focusing on daily bus and subway usage in Seoul using panel data with the fixed effects model. This study empirically examines the effect of air pollutant exposure on the daily moving population volume, including daily bus and subway usage in Seoul over 1271 days. The results show that people's sensitivity to particulate matter is complex. The most remarkable aspect of the results is that people are not sensitive to continuous pollutant levels, but to the comprehensive air-quality index (CAI). In addition, people's sensitivity is different depending on the moving distance and the means of transportation. Considering that CAI is defined by adopting the first air quality guidelines proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2005, these results explain how sensitive people are to the human health risks of particulate matter exposure recommended by the WHO. Our findings can be used as evidence to establish the new particulate matter standards and policies that can be strengthened by reflecting the recently updated WHO's air quality guidelines in 2021.
How pandemic-related changes in global attitudes toward the scientific community shape “post-pandemic” environmental opinion
Authors: Motta Matt , Benegal Salil
Published: May 2023

Low public concern about anthropogenic climate change (ACC)—due in part to distrust in the scientific community—may decrease demand for policies aimed at mitigating its deleterious effects. Encouragingly, though, recent research finds that experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic has elevated trust in scientific expertise worldwide. We explore the possibility that positive attitudes toward the medical community are “spilling over” to increase ACC acceptance via globally representative survey data from 107 countries ( N = 119,088) conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We show that trust in medical experts’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with increased ACC acceptance, worldwide. Problematically, though, we also show that the effects of trust in medical professionals is strongest in countries experiencing the most positive change in attitudes toward the scientific community, which tend to be disproportionately wealthy, and less likely to bear the unequal effects of climate change.
Older people’s attitudes towards emerging technologies: A systematic literature review
Authors: Zhang Mengxi
Published: May 2023

Public attitudes towards technology have been studied extensively for decades, but older people were not largely involved in early studies. In recent years, with the trend of digitalisation and the rapid growth of the older population around the world, the attitudes of older people towards emerging technologies have attracted the attention of researchers. This article is a systematic review of 83 relevant studies, to summarise the factors that impact older adults’ attitudes towards adopting and using technology. It is found that older people’s attitudes are influenced by their personal characteristics, technology-related factors and the social context of technology adoption. The complex relationship between older people and technology is interpreted by researchers with the framing of older people’s identity, the role of technology, the interaction of the above factors and the opportunity for older adults to act as co-designers.
Impacting Instruments for Export Competitiveness: Evidence from India and China in the Global Manufacturing Market
Authors: Ganai Sayed Gulzar , Mir Abdul Hamid , Bhat Showkat Ahmad , Khan Javid Ahmad
Published: May 2023

This study attempts to find the impacting instruments of export competitiveness for India and China by utilizing the revealed comparative advantage index and panel data regression during 2001–2020. The top 10 product groups at HS two-digit level were selected for analysis in the sample economies. The results revealed that random effect analysis remained more significant than the fixed effect for these economies. The random effect analysis showed that the top positively impacting variables with a high magnitude for Chinese export competitiveness are foreign direct investment (FDI) and research and development (R&D), followed by relative export prices (REP). The wage rate is the only factor that remained negative in magnitude for China. On the other hand, India tried to absorb FDI toward making the domestic market strong along with R&D, which has significantly impacted its growing competitiveness in the global market. REP negatively impacted Indian competitiveness with a high magnitude, followed by the real effective exchange rate. China has remained entirely integrated with the international market through joint ventures and multi-national companies and has promoted its exports in an improved form in the global market as compared to India. Moreover, China remained quite active in promoting the competitiveness of its manufactured product lines through investing in R&D and gross fixed capital formation, which contributed a significant part to its export competitiveness. In contrast, such investments remained relatively unresponsive for India.

JEL Classification C33, F14, F15, F19
The development of a Youth Psychiatry specialty within the RANZCP (‘the College')
Authors: Pellen Daniel
Published: May 2023

Objective

To describe the development of a Youth Psychiatry specialty within the College.

Conclusion

Progress has been frustratingly slow. The recognition of a specialty will enable the development of an appropriately trained workforce to best meet the mental health needs of young people aged 12–25. We are hopeful Advanced Training in Youth Psychiatry will become available from February 2024.
Investigation of laboratory methods for characterization of aquatic viruses in fish infected experimentally with infectious salmon anemia virus
Authors: Eckstrand Chrissy D. , Torrevillas Brandi K. , Wolking Rebecca M. , Bradway Daniel S. , Warg Janet V. , Clayton Richard D. , Williams Laura B. , Pessier Allan P. , Reno Joetta Lynn , McMenamin-Snekvik Kathleen M. , Thompson Jim , Baszler Timothy , Snekvik Kevin R.
Published: May 2023

Rapid growth in aquaculture has resulted in high-density production systems in ecologically and geographically novel conditions in which the emergence of diseases is inevitable. Well-characterized methods for detection and surveillance of infectious diseases are vital for rapid identification, response, and recovery to protect economic and food security. We implemented a proof-of-concept approach for virus detection using a known high-consequence fish pathogen, infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV), as the archetypal pathogen. In fish infected with ISAV, we integrated histopathology, virus isolation, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), electron microscopy (EM), in situ hybridization (ISH), and reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-rtPCR). Fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed tissues were collected from virus-infected, control, and sham-infected Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar). Microscopic differences were not evident between uninfected and infected fish. Viral cytopathic effect was observed in cell cultures inoculated with fresh-frozen tissue homogenates from 3 of 3 ISAV-infected and 0 of 4 uninfected or sham-infected fish. The ISAV genome was detected by shotgun metagenomics in RNA extracted from the medium from 3 of 3 inoculated cell cultures, 3 of 3 infected fish, and 0 of 4 uninfected or sham-infected fish, yielding sufficient coverage for de novo assembly. An ISH probe against ISAV revealed ISAV genome in multiple organs, with abundance in renal hematopoietic tissue. Virus was detected by RT-rtPCR in gill, heart, kidney, liver, and spleen. EM and metagenomic WGS from tissues were challenging and unsuccessful. Our proof-of-concept methodology has promise for detection and characterization of unknown aquatic pathogens and also highlights some associated methodology challenges that require additional investigation.
Intrahepatic cholelithiasis with gallbladder-like metaplasia of intrahepatic bile ducts associated with gallbladder agenesis in a wild boar
Authors: Baek Su-Min , Lee A-Rang , Lee Seoung-Woo , Park Jin-Kyu
Published: May 2023

An unknown-aged adult female wild boar ( Sus scrofa) was brought to Kyungpook National University for postmortem examination. Gross examination revealed gallbladder agenesis. Histologically, the liver was cirrhotic and had intrahepatic cholelithiasis, the choleliths were yellow, brown, gray, and black, and had coffin-lid and pyramidal appearances. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that the components were 80% struvite and 20% calcium oxalate monohydrate. Chronic inflammatory cell infiltration was observed, with hyperplastic hepatocellular nodules characterized by large nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and scant cytoplasm with frequent binucleation, surrounded by thick fibrous septa. The epithelium of intrahepatic bile ducts that contained choleliths had undergone gallbladder-like metaplasia, which might have been induced by chronic irritation from the stones or by the accompanying chronic bacterial infection that was observed in Gram stains.
Massive hepatic trematodosis in 5 juvenile bald eagles
Authors: McDermott Kathleen A. , Greenwood Spencer J. , Conboy Gary A. , Franzen-Klein Dana M. , Wünschmann Arno
Published: May 2023

Hepatic trematodosis by opisthorchiid flukes has been reported sporadically in North American fish-eating raptors. Bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus) infected by these flukes often have various degrees of granulomatous cholangitis, pericholangitis, necrosis of adjacent hepatocytes, and subsequent hepatic fibrosis. Species identification has been complicated by the inability to dissect intact specimens from liver tissue. Between 2007 and 2018, 5 juvenile bald eagles with massive hepatic trematodosis were identified at autopsy. Histologically, flukes were non-spinous. Parasitologic identification revealed ventral suckers (80–93 µm diameter), and uteri containing golden, operculated eggs (~25.0 × 12.0 µm). An unfixed frozen liver sample of one eagle was analyzed by PCR and DNA sequencing targeting the large subunit rRNA, ITS region, and cox1 genes of the parasite. The fluke DNA sequences shared 99.6%, 98.4%, and 87.0% similarity, respectively, with Erschoviorchis anuiensis, a newly described opisthorchiid species infecting the liver and pancreas of fish-eating birds in Europe and Asia. Infection by E. anuiensis is highly pathogenic in several piscivorous bird species. The clinical significance of trematodosis in our 5 cases is uncertain because all birds had comorbidities.
Federal Advance Care Planning Policy Primer – Key Aspects, Barriers, and Opportunities
Authors: Singh Sarguni , Jones LaCinda , Grant Marian , Freeland Deborah
Published: May 2023

Advance care planning (ACP) is a nuanced process where patients identify their goals and consider their preferences for medical care over time. Recent systematic reviews have shown mixed findings about the association of ACP with the provision of goal-concordant care, completion of advance directives, and health care utilization. Despite a lack of consistent benefit, patients and clinicians value ACP and policy makers at the state and federal level have been moving ACP policies forward. All fifty states have policies regarding advance directives, and federal policy has had important implications on promoting awareness of ACP and its corresponding legal documents such as advance directives. However, challenges to effectively incentivize and facilitate the delivery of high-quality ACP exist. This paper provides an overview of key federal policy aspects and barriers that affect ACP use including: limitations of Medicare ACP billing codes, disparities in telemedicine access, difficulties with interoperability of advance directives, and underutilization of ACP as a mandatory measure in federal programs. This paper highlights key opportunities to improve federal ACP policy. Because ACP is an essential part of high-quality care and is deeply embedded in state and federal policies, it is imperative that clinicians are knowledgeable about these issues so they may more effectively engage in ACP policy.
Jobs and Punishment: Public Opinion on Leniency for White-Collar Crime
Authors: St-Georges Simon , Arel-Bundock Vincent , Blais André , Aviña Marco Mendoza
Published: May 2023

Governments routinely offer deals to companies accused of white-collar crimes, allowing them to escape criminal charges in exchange for fines or penalties. This lets prosecutors avoid costly litigation and protects companies’ right to bid on lucrative public contracts, which can reduce the likelihood of bankruptcies or layoffs. Striking deals with white-collar criminals can be risky for governments because it could affect the perceived legitimacy of the legal system. This article explores the conditions under which the general public supports leniency agreements. Building on theoretical intuitions from the literature, we identify three characteristics that could affect mass attitudes: home bias, economic incentives, and retribution. We conduct a survey experiment in the United States and find moderate support for leniency agreements. Whether the crime occurs on US soil or abroad does not affect public opinion, and the number of jobs that would be jeopardized by criminal prosecution only has a small effect. Instead, survey respondents become much more supportive of a deal when it includes criminal charges for the corporate managers who were personally involved in the alleged wrongdoing. In the court of public opinion, punishing a handful of individuals appears to matter more than saving thousands of jobs.
A Novel Nomogram for Identifying Candidates for Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Stage IB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Song Xue , Xie Yangyang , Deng Haoran , Yu Fei , Wang Shiqiang , Lou Yafang
Published: May 2023

Background

This study aimed to develop a novel predictive nomogram to identify specific stage IB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) populations who could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT).

Method

Stage IB NSCLC patients were included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and divided into the ACT and non-ACT groups. Then the methods of Kaplan-Meier analysis, propensity score matching (PSM), Least absolute shrink and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were implemented. Finally, the predictive nomogram was constructed and validated.

Results

9055 stage IB NSCLC patients were enrolled from the SEER database while 47 patients from Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University were identified as the external validation cohort. Of these patients, 1334 cases underwent ACT while the other 7721 patients didn’t receive ACT. After PSM, the patients in the ACT group presented longer median overall survival (100 vs 82 months, P < .001). Among the ACT group, 482 (49.6%) patients achieving more prolonged overall survival than 82 months were regarded as the beneficiary population. Then the LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression analyses were implemented. Finally, 8 predictors were selected for model construction, including age, gender, marital status, laterality, pathology, tumor size, regional nodes examined, and tumor size. The predictive nomogram demonstrated good discrimination in the training cohort (AUC = .781), internal validation cohort (AUC = .772), and external validation cohort (AUC = .851). And calibration curves indicated ideal consistency between the predicted and observed probabilities. Decision curve analysis presented a clinically useful model.

Conclusion

The practical nomogram could guide treatment decision-making and select optimal ACT candidates among stage IB NSCLC patients.
Thrombosis Occurrence in COVID-19 Compared With Other Infectious Causes of ARDS: A Contemporary Cohort
Authors: Coy-Canguçu Andréa , Locachevic Gisele A. , Mariolano João Carlos S. , Soares Kaio Henrique De O. , Oliveira José Diogo , Vaz Camila De Oliveira , Vieira-Damiani Gislaine , Mazetto Bruna , Annichino-Bizzacchi Joyce Maria , De Paula Erich V. , Orsi Fernanda A.
Published: May 2023

Thrombosis occurrence in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been mostly compared to historical cohorts of patients with other respiratory infections. We retrospectively evaluated the thrombotic events that occurred in a contemporary cohort of patients hospitalized between March and July 2020 for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) according to the Berlin Definition and compared those with positive and negative real-time polymerase chain reaction results for wild-type severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) using descriptive analysis. The association between COVID-19 and thrombotic risk was evaluated using logistic regression. 264 COVID-19-positive (56.8% male, 59.0 years [IQR 48.6-69.7], Padua score on admission 3.0 [2.0-3.0]) and 88 COVID-19-negative patients (58.0% male, 63.7 years [51.2-73.5], Padua score 3.0 [2.0-5.0]) were included. 10.2% of non-COVID-19 and 8.7% of COVID-19 patients presented ≥ 1 clinically relevant thrombotic event confirmed by imaging exam. After adjustment for sex, Padua score, intensive care unit stay, thromboprophylaxis, and hospitalization length, the odds ratio for thrombosis in COVID-19 was 0.69 (95% CI, 0.30-1.64). We, therefore, conclude that infection-induced ARDS carries an inherent thrombotic risk, which was comparable between patients with COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in our contemporary cohort.
Scribbling Toward Utopia
Authors: Badley Graham Francis
Published: May 2023

I first invoke Joan Didion’s essay “Slouching Towards Jerusalem.” Her concern was to move away from the dystopia that parts of the United States had become through drug use and other temptations toward a more utopian state. My attempt uses a number of examples where utopias have been imagined and some where the main lesson is cautionary rather than optimistic. Even Sir Thomas More’s Utopia had its faults while the East German vision of a socialist utopia collapsed into tyranny and farce. My scribbles are modest attempts to promote a just society, a kind of utopia—maybe.
Processing of verjuice by ultrasound-assisted microwave heating: An assessment on the enzyme activity retention, technological parameters, and bioactive properties
Authors: Gençdağ Esra , Görgüç Ahmet , Anakiz Sena , Yilmaz Fatih Mehmet
Published: May 2023

The present study evaluated the effect of ultrasonication prior to microwave heating applied at 60 °C, 70 °C, and 80 °C on the quality characteristics of verjuice. The sole microwave heating and conventional heating were also performed at the same temperature levels, and effectiveness of three different treatments were evaluated. The required treatment times were decided based on obtaining <10% pectin methylesterase (PME) activity, and ultrasound pretreatment provided the least heating durations. Turbidity, browning index, and viscosity values increased by 3.4 to 14.8-fold, 0.24 to 1.26-fold, and 9.2% to 48.0%, respectively, after all thermal treatments, while Brix values decreased by 1.4% to 15.7%. Ultrasound pretreatment revealed relatively lower browning index in all temperature levels, and almost the highest viscosity values were obtained in sonication pretreated microwave heating as compared with sole microwave and conventional heating. The minimum turbidity value (0.035) was determined in ultrasound-assisted microwave heating at 60 °C. The highest antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS) values were achieved by ultrasound-assisted microwave heating (up to 4.96 and 28.4 mmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/kg, respectively) followed by microwave heating (up to 4.30 and 27.0 mmol TE/kg) and conventional heating (up to 3.72 and 26.8 mmol TE/kg). Furthermore, ultrasonication resulted in better retentions of PME residual activity during 60 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C). Ultrasound pretreatment prior to microwave heating could be a convenient approach for juice processing by reducing the required treatment time and by conserving the quality parameters.
The Association Between Regular Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms Among Patients in Treatment of Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
Authors: Berger Endre , Bolstad Ingeborg , Lien Lars , Bramness Jørgen G
Published: May 2023

Background:

Alcohol and other substance use disorders and major depression often co-occur. A sedentary lifestyle is related to major depression and even moderate exercise may prevent and contribute to the treatment of depression. Studies have found an effect of physical activity on depression in alcohol and other substance use disorder patients even in clinical settings.

Aim:

To investigate the relationship between level of physical activity and depressive symptoms over time in alcohol and substance use disorder inpatients.

Methods:

Eighty-nine substance use disorder inpatients were followed for 6 months during treatment. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to categorize 3 groups of low, moderate, or high level of physical activity. In addition to background variables and alcohol and drug use measures, data on biometric measures and on sleep were gathered. Becks Depression Inventory version II (BDI-II) measured depressive symptoms. A multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the longitudinal relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms.

Results:

Most patients (57%) reported low activity, while 24% reported moderate and 19% high activity. Few changed their activity level during treatment. Moderate physical activity was related to lower score on BDI-II ( P = .029). Level of physical activity was closely related to insomnia ( P = .024). In the multivariate analysis the relationship between depressive symptoms and physical activity did not withstand the adjustment for insomnia. However, in the multilevel logistic regression higher physical activity was related to lower BDI-II score in a dose dependent manner.

Conclusions:

Among these alcohol and other substance use disorders patients in treatment, there was a relationship between depressive symptoms and physical activity. The low level of physical activity identified among these patients was related to a high level of depressive symptoms. The level of depressive symptoms declined over time; but this change was not related to an increase in physical activity.