bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biopsy-proven granulomatous interstitial nephritis associated with vancomycin in an adult patient: a case report
Authors: Lin Yong , Zhao Liangbin , Xie Dengpiao , Lv Lizeyu , Zhang Yu , Wu Ling , Li Mingquan
Published: June 2023

Acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by vancomycin mainly manifests as acute interstitial nephritis or acute tubular necrosis. Here, the rare case of a 71-year-old female patient with no history of kidney disease, who was diagnosed with granulomatous interstitial nephritis associated with vancomycin, is reported. The patient had been treated with vancomycin for over a month for an abscess in her right thigh. She presented to the emergency department with a history of fever, scattered rash, oliguria and elevated serum creatinine for >10 days. After hospitalization, the vancomycin trough concentration was confirmed to be >50 µg/ml. The patient received furosemide and continuous renal replacement therapy for AKI, teicoplanin and piperacillin/tazobactam for pulmonary infection, and urapidil, sodium nitroprusside and nifedipine for elevated blood pressure. Percutaneous ultrasound-guided kidney biopsy was performed. Light microscopy revealed granuloma formation, and diffuse infiltration of lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and some multinucleated giant cells. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with vancomycin-induced granulomatous interstitial nephritis and was treated with high-flux haemodialysis and 16 mg oral methylprednisolone, daily, for 3 weeks, which contributed to a significant recovery of renal function. This case suggests the need for regular vancomycin concentration testing during treatment. When AKI due to vancomycin occurs, a renal biopsy may be performed to help diagnose and treat the condition.
Workplace investigations, the epistemic power of managerialism and the hollowing out of the Norwegian model of co-determination
Authors: Kuldova Tereza Østbø , Nordrik Bitten
Published: June 2023

Workplace investigations are increasingly being used in Norwegian workplaces in both public and private sectors to investigate allegations of misconduct, harassment, blameworthy conditions, and other breaches of the Norwegian Working Environment Act. Workplace investigations are often triggered by complaints submitted through internal organizational whistleblowing and ‘speak up’ systems. With the EU Whistleblower Directive, ISO 37002:2021 Whistleblowing Management Systems – Guidelines and the ISO/AWI TS 37008 Internal Investigations in Organizations under development, we witness further standardization of whistleblowing systems and investigative procedures within organizations. And yet, these systems have so far received little critical attention. Our in-depth qualitative analysis of 22 such cases within standard employment relationships, informed by extensive literature review, secondary data and case files, has revealed that workplace investigations escalated conflicts, negatively affecting whistleblowers, trade union representatives, safety representatives, and other critical and dissenting voices, and that these systems leave little room for trade union representatives, co-determination or collective approaches to conflict resolution. We argue that this cannot be merely attributed to botched or biased investigations that have failed to follow ‘best practice’ guidelines. Instead, these are by default inquisitorial processes: the employer funds the investigation, creates the mandate and acts as prosecutor, police and judge in one. We analyse these methods and their epistemic power in light of the increasing privatization and pluralization of policing within the context of regulatory capitalism and the ‘criminalization’ of compliance, arguing that such methods are an expression of larger phenomena that lead to the progressive hollowing out of co-determination and workplace democracy and justice, in Norway and likely elsewhere.
Declaring Dharma Yudhdham: Conservative Reaction Against the Child Marriage Restraint Act in Colonial Andhra, 1928–1938
Authors: Basha Shaik Mahaboob
Published: June 2023

Hindu women’s marriage reform remained a contentious issue in colonial Andhra. The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, popularly known as the Sarda Act, originally fixed the minimum age of marriage of girls and boys at 14 and 18 years, respectively, and thus restrained child marriages. Conservative sections of Andhra society bitterly opposed the Sarda Act. They declared a dharma yudhdham (holy war defending the Hindu religion) on the social reformers, the Congress nationalists and the British government for trying to intrude into the sacred domain of the Hindu family. As they could not stop the Act from being made, they defeated it by making use of the various loopholes present in it. Conservative men mobilised a section of women who took part in the anti-Sarda campaign and agitation. This article is based on a variety of primary sources, especially the woefully neglected conservative journals such as Abhinava Saraswati and Swadharma Prakashini, which undertook a rigorous campaign against the Sarda Act. Pro-reform women’s monthlies such as the Grihalakshmi and newspapers like the Andhra Patrika and Golakonda Patrika, and progressive women’s writings published in contemporary women’s journals are also used.
Bourdieu and the Logic of Practice: Is all Giving Indian-Giving or is “Generalized Materialism” not Enough?
Authors: Evens T. M. S.
Published: June 2023

I argue here that in the end Bourdieu's theory of practice fails to overcome the problem on which it expressly centers, namely, subject-object dualism. The failure is registered in his avowed materialism, which, though significantly “generalized,” remains what it says: a materialism. In order to substantiate my criticism, I examine for their ontolog-ical presuppositions three areas of his theoretical framework pertaining to the questions of (1) human agency (as seen through the conceptual glass of the habitus), (2) otherness, and (3) the gift. By scrutinizing Bourdieu's powerful and progressive social theory, with an eye to finding fault, I hope to show the need to take a certain theoretical action, one that is patently out of keeping with the usual self-presentation and self-understanding of social science. The action I have in mind is this: because the problem of subject-object dualism is in the first place a matter of ontology, in order successfully to address it there must take place a direct shift of ontological starting point, from the received starting point in Western thought to one that projects reality in terms of ambiguity that is basic. With this shift the dualism of subject and object dissolves by definition, leaving a social reality that, for reasons of its basic ambiguity, is best approached as a question of ethics before power.
Rethinking Post-Fordism: The Meaning of Workplace Flexibility
Authors: Vallas Steven P.
Published: June 2023

Social scientists increasingly claim that work structures based on the mass production or “Fordist” paradigm have grown obsolete, giving way to a more flexible, “post-Fordist” structure of work. These claims have been much disputed, however, giving rise to a sharply polarized debate over the outcome of workplace restructuring. I seek to reorient the debate by subjecting the post-Fordist approach to theoretical and empirical critique. Several theoretical weaknesses internal to the post-Fordist approach are identified, including its uncertain handling of “power” and “efficiency” as factors that shape work organizations; its failure to acknowledge multiple responses to the crisis of Fordism, several of which seem at odds with the post-Fordist paradigm; and its tendency to neglect the resurgence of economic dualism and disparity within organizations and industries. Review of the empirical literature suggests that, despite scattered support for the post-Fordist approach, important anomalies exist (such as the growing authority of “mental” over manual labor) that post-Fordism seems powerless to explain. In spite of its ample contributions, post-Fordist theory provides a seriously distorted guide to the nature of workplace change in the United States. Two alternative perspectives toward the restructuring of work organizations are sketched— neoinstitutionalist and “flexible accumulation” models—which seem likely to inspire more fruitful lines of research on the disparate patterns currently unfolding within American work organizations.
Insights and Power of Storytelling
Authors: Carroll Karen
Published: June 2023

This practice column focuses on the insights and power of storytelling. Storytelling reflects a unique narrative that uncovers meaning in such a manner that new insights arise for the both the storyteller and beholder of a story. The importance of storytelling is illustrated with the light stories shine on meanings, value priorities, and choices. Accordingly, the honoring of storytelling within nursing’s theoretical frameworks and practices transforms the individual nurse, informs the discipline, and provides service to persons, families, and communities.
Behaviour of Capital and Risk Under Basel Regulations: A Simultaneous Equations Model Study of Indian Commercial Banks
Authors: Mehrotra Pallavi , Vyas Vidhisha , Naik Pramod Kumar
Published: June 2023

Implementation of Basel III guidelines necessitates, besides other measures, maintenance of additional capital buffers. The recommended capital adequacy ratio has been enhanced in phases to steer the banks gradually towards the ideal capital requirement. This study empirically examines the impact of regulations on the changes in capital and risk. An unbalanced panel data of Indian commercial banks, comprising 27 public and 31 private sector banks, is examined from 2002 to 2021. The capital adequacy ratio (CAR) maintained by the bank, against the minimum regulatory requirement, is used for the assessment of the target capital. The study employs a simultaneous equation model along with the Three Stage Least Square (3SLS) regression method. Two separate models based on risk weightage are employed to understand the relationship between capital and risk through the risk weight assignment. The findings suggest that the regulations have more impact on undercapitalized banks and the private sector banks have fared better than the public sector banks in sustaining higher CAR.
Investigating the Dynamics of Cryptocurrencies with Financial Markets: Evidence from an ARDL Approach
Authors: Prabhune Nimish , Mahajan Aman , Mittal Manu Priyam , Kumar Rishi
Published: June 2023

This article focuses on the returns of four major cryptocurrencies. It covers a complete study of the dynamics of cryptocurrencies with traditional financial markets, including stocks, gold and oil prices and the technology proxied by hashrates and social sentiments gauged by Twitter data. The article fits the time series model using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag framework and selects the fitted model using penalized least-square estimates. The study also encompasses a set of control variables to improve the model’s accuracy. The findings confirm the existence of a dynamic relationship between the cryptocurrency market and the traditional financial markets. Our results imply that cryptocurrencies can be used as a tool for portfolio diversification. This study is a unique attempt at identifying the major drivers of the cryptocurrency market at large, by disentangling and modelling the dynamic relationships shared by the leading four cryptocurrencies with the relevant components of the financial markets. This article is a significant contribution to the emerging literature on cryptocurrencies and has implications for practitioners.
Drivers of Households’ off-the-farm Income Diversification Patterns in Nigeria: Panel Evidence Using General Household Survey Data
Authors: Chukwu Ndubuisi Obeka , Chukwu Jude Okechukwu
Published: June 2023

This study examines the drivers of households’ off-the-farm income diversification patterns using four waves of the Nigeria General Household Survey panel data. The study further investigates the motives for households’ off-the-farm income diversification patterns. The Simpson Income Diversification index and count index were used to measure income diversification. The results of heteroscedastic fractional probit correlated random effects and Poisson fixed effects indicate that the level of diversifying off-the-farm income is driven by attributes of household such as assets value, household size, female headship, level of education, dependency ratio, access to credit, distance to tarred road and geographical location of household at the national level. The study found that the motive for accumulation drives households’ off-the-farm income diversification rather than the motive for survival. Specifically, non-poor households in the urban sector seem more probable to expand into off-the-farm income enterprises than poor rural households. A major finding is that the choice of off-the-farm income diversification proxy has a great influence on the drivers.
Consumption Patterns of Female Lifestyle Influencers During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Thematic Sentiment Analysis Based on the Comments of Selected YouTube Videos
Authors: Deori Maya , Nisha Faizul , Verma Nitesh Kumar , Verma Manoj Kumar
Published: June 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every walk of human life in unprecedented ways. During the lockdown, social media tools became a driving force leading to their best usage and receiving recognition for entertaining, learning and influencing daily lifestyles. Social Media Influencers have been admired and acknowledged for influencing people and providing innovative solutions to day-to-day problems maintaining a standard livelihood. This study evaluates the engagement of Indian female influencers during the pandemic extracting the reaction of audiences towards the content uploaded to YouTube through sentiment analysis, by classifying the influencers into five categories, such as Beauty & Fashion, Comedy, Food, Health & Fitness and Travel. The study reveals upload of content to YouTube increased rigorously during the pandemic however comments posted by audiences decrease simultaneously. Yet, the sentiment of the audience is substantially positive, primarily towards the food category. The duration of content uploaded is short and conveniently less time-consuming for the audience, attracting their attention and leading to prompt mention, feedback and comments within the 24-h of uploading content to YouTube. The study highlights that females are abruptly adapting to the social changes and also making it resourceful for the community by practising social media.
Prognostic Communication Between Parents and Clinicians in Pediatric Oncology: An Integrative Review
Authors: Ouyang Na , Feder Shelli L. , Baker Justin N. , Knobf M. Tish
Published: June 2023

Background: Prognostic communication between clinicians and parents in pediatric oncology is complex. However, no review has exclusively examined research on prognostic communication in pediatric oncology. In this review, we synthesize the evidence on prognostic communication in pediatric oncology and provide recommendations for future research. Methods: We conducted an integrative review searching six databases for studies on prognostic communication in pediatric oncology as of August 2022. We applied descriptive and narrative approaches to data analysis. Results: Fourteen quantitative and five qualitative studies were included. All studies were conducted in Western developed countries. In total, 804 parents of 770 children with cancer were included. Across studies, parents were predominately female, Non-Hispanic White, and had high school or higher levels of education. Most parents reported that prognostic communication was initiated in the first year after their children’s diagnosis. High-quality prognostic communication was positively associated with trust and hope and negatively associated with parental distress and decisional regret. In qualitative studies, parents suggested that prognostic communication should be open, ongoing, and delivered with sensitivity. Most studies were of moderate quality. The main gaps included inconsistent definitions of prognostic communication, and a lack of comprehensive and validated measurements, high-quality longitudinal studies, and diverse settings and participants. Conclusions: Clinicians should initiate high-quality prognostic communication early on in clinical practice. Future research should consider conducting high-quality longitudinal studies, developing prognostic communication definitions and measurements, and conducting studies across settings with diverse populations.
Bullying in Swiss Youth Born with a Unilateral Cleft lip and Palate by Self- and Parent-Report
Authors: Dumont Lisa , Urben Sébastien , Gomes Ana Carolina , Camenzind Lucia , Habersaat Stéphanie , Schechter Daniel S. , Morisod Harari Mathilde , Jung Christelle , Despars Josée , de Buys Roessingh Anthony
Published: June 2023

Objective

This study aimed to gain a better understanding of bullying as victims and aggressors in youths born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP).

Design

This is an observational study comparing youths with UCLP (ages 8-16) and their parents with a control group (CG) of children in state schools and their parents.

Participants

Forty-one youths (43% female; mean age 12.4 ± 2.3 years) and their parents (n = 40) composed the UCLP group and 56 youths (47% female; mean age 12.4 ± 1.2 years) and their parents (n = 33) were in the CG.

Main Outcome Measure

The Olweus Bully/Victim questionnaire self- and parent-report was used to assess victims and aggressors involved in bullying behaviors.

Results

About 30% of all youths reported being a frequent victim of bullying at least 2-3 times a month and an additional 32.3% were bullied 1-2 times in the last 2-3 months. For the total sample, parents significantly ( P < .05) underestimated any bullying, both as a victim (youths 62.5% vs parents 45.7%) and as an aggressor (youths 53.1% vs parents 37.1%). There were no significant group differences in experiencing any bullying between the youths with UCLP (52.5%) and the CG youths (69.6%) or in its perception by their parents (43.2% and 48.5%, respectively). There were no group differences between the combinations of victim and aggressor.

Conclusions

While there were no differences in bullying prevalence in our sample between youths with UCLP and their peers, this study highlights differences in bullying perceptions between parents and their children.
Innovating Methodologies for Examining Gentrification-Induced Social and Cultural Displacement: An Illustration of Integrating Photovoice into Story Map
Authors: Davis Brittany , Foster Kirk A. , Pitner Ronald O. , Wooten Nikki R. , Ohmer Mary L.
Published: June 2023

Gentrification has been identified as a phenomenon that involves impacts on space and place. Particularly, gentrification's social and cultural impacts involve disrupted meanings residents associate with spaces. Although space and place dynamics of gentrification have been well-documented, gentrification research has primarily involved traditional quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. These traditional approaches have not fully captured the nuanced ways space and place dimensions of gentrification converge in their impacts on residents. Also, traditional approaches have limited most gentrification research to theory and descriptions, as opposed to action and practice. To this end, innovative, integrated methodologies are needed for a paradigm shift in how gentrification is examined and addressed. In this article, we illustrate the use of photovoice and Geographic Information Systems’ Story Map as an integrated methodological approach to examining and fostering action against gentrification's space-place impacts. We provide strengths and challenges of this approach and recommendations for future research.
Structural Barriers to High-Quality Home Healthcare Nursing: What Home Health Nurses Want Medicare Policy Makers and Agency Administrators to Know
Authors: Narayan Mary Curry
Published: June 2023

Previous research indicates home health nurses (HHNs) worry that current home health care trends are threatening their ability to provide high-quality nursing care. High-quality nursing requires patient-centered and culture-sensitive care. These 2 attributes are indicators of high-quality nursing care. In this qualitative study, 20 HHNs were interviewed to discover their insights into 2 research questions: What barriers affect HHNs’ ability to provide patient-centered, culture-sensitive, high-quality nursing care and how do these barriers affect HHNs and patients? Participants were professional HHNs who provided skilled intermittent care to diverse patient populations in their homes. Participants believed that a lack of time, high productivity requirements, pay-per-visit compensation, documentation burden, EMR systems, and the “industrialization” of HHNs’ practice create structural barriers to high-quality home health nursing. Medicare was perceived as contributing to the barriers with burdensome documentation requirements and regulations that impeded holistic patient-centered care. Nurse participants indicated that the effects of these barriers were nurse stress, burnout, moral distress, and intent to leave; lower patient outcomes and satisfaction; and healthcare disparities. Additional research about the structural barriers were reviewed and found to support the nurses’ perceptions of barriers to high-quality nursing care. In a value-based purchasing system, agencies need to support high-quality nursing care by tackling the barriers to its practice. To address the barriers comprehensively, agencies can institute policies that mirror the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pathway to Excellence®. Medicare policy makers should examine how present policies adversely affect high-quality nursing care.
Quantitative Textual Analysis as a means to explore corporate interests in food safety
Authors: Vasilescu Corina L. , McKee Martin , Reeves Aaron
Published: June 2023

The growing body of scholarship on the commercial determinants of health has, so far, mostly employed qualitative methods but this is now being complemented by a small, yet growing, corpus of quantitative studies. We illustrate the use of one such method, quantitative text analysis (QTA), in a case study of submissions to a public consultation on a draft scientific opinion by the European Food Safety Authority on the chemical acrylamide, demonstrating how this method can be used and insights that might be drawn from it. We use Wordscores as one example of QTA to illuminate the diverse positions taken by actors submitting comments and then assess whether the final policy documents moved towards or away from the positions taken by different stakeholders. We find a broadly uniform position among the public health community, opposed to acrylamide, contrasting with industry positions that were not monolithic. Some firms recommended major amendments to the guidance, largely reflecting the impact on their practices, while policy innovators seeking ways to reduce acrylamide in foods aligned with the public health community. We also find no clear movement in the policy guidance, likely because most submissions supported the draft document. Many governments are required to conduct public consultations, some attracting enormous numbers of responses, with little guidance on how best to synthesise the responses so the default position is often a count of those for and against. We argue that QTA, primarily a research tool, might usefully be applied in analysing public consultation responses to understand better the positions taken by different actors.
Same threats, different platforms? Female journalists’ experiences of online gender-based violence in selected newsrooms in Namibia
Authors: Zviyita Itai , Mare Admire
Published: June 2023

Concerns about the disproportionate levels of online gender-based abuse experienced by female journalists when compared to their male counterparts have attracted sizeable scholarly attention in the last few years. Extant studies have highlighted that female journalists experience online forms of harassment such as name calling, body shaming, trolling, verbal abuse, sextortion, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, manipulation of photos, cyberstalking, doxing, hacking, receiving unwanted, offensive sexually explicit emails or messages, and inappropriate advances on social media platforms, in the line of duty. Although these findings are true in some of the newsrooms in the global North, there is a disconcerting absence of systematic studies looking at the experiences of female journalists in selected newsrooms in Africa in general and Namibia in particular. This article seeks to fill this lacuna by empirically investigating the extent to which online gender-based violence is deep-seated social problem in selected Namibian newsrooms. It deploys the intersectional approach to analyze the online gender-based violence experienced by female journalists in Namibia. Drawing our data from interviews with female journalists in selected Namibian newsrooms, overall, our findings suggest that cases of online gender-based violence against female journalists are still negligible when compared to other contexts, it is happening, nonetheless. This emerging phenomenon is largely underreported. Furthermore, it is occurring in an environment devoid of legislative, institutional, and newsroom-specific mechanisms aimed at ensuring the safety of female journalists. Namibian female journalists are facing unique online gender-based violence, which contributes immensely towards self-censorship and retreating from the public sphere.
From science journalism to educating a pandemic-wise public: Inquiries into the “NDR coronavirus-update” podcast
Authors: Nohl Arnd-Michael
Published: June 2023

This paper examines how a public radio podcast initially reported on SARS-CoV-2 in a science journalistic way and then, as the pandemic and the podcast progressed, gradually moved into an educational format. The focus is on how the science journalists in public radio NDR’s “Coronavirus Update” ask questions, how these are modulated by virologists and how the latter give listeners insights not only into scientific results but also methods. The educational format becomes evident in the journalists’ recontextualisations, the addressings of the listeners and especially in the construction and rearticulations of a fictitious interaction memory.
A Clinical Tool to Predict the Microvascular Invasion Risk in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Sheng Hui , Mao Minjie , Huang Kewei , Zheng Hailin , Liu Wen , Liang Yongneng
Published: June 2023

Background

Microvascular invasion (MVI) plays an important role in tumor progression. The aim of this study is to establish and validate an effective hematological nomogram for MVI prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

A retrospective study was performed in a primary cohort that includes 1306 patients clinicopathologically diagnosed with HCC, and a validation cohort contained 563 continuous patients. Univariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between variables included both clinicopathologic factors and coagulation parameters (prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, and thrombin time [TT]) and MVI. Multiple logistic regression was used to construct a prediction nomogram. We tested the accuracy of the nomogram by discrimination and calibration, and then plotted decision curves to assess the benefits of the nomogram-assisted decisions in a clinical context.

Results

In the two cohorts, patients without MVI had the longest overall survival (OS), compared the OS with MVI. The multivariate analysis indicated that age, sex, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, aspartate aminotransferase, alpha fetoprotein, C-reactive protein, and TT were identified as significant independent predictors of MVI of HCC patients. The Hosmer–Lemeshow test showed good point estimate associated P value between predicted risk and observed risk across the deciles. Moreover, the calibration performance of the nomogram risk scores in each decile of the primary cohort was within 5 percentage points of the mean predicted risk score, and in the validation cohort, the observed risk in 90% decile was within 5 percentage points of the mean predicted risk score.

Conclusions

A noninvasive and easy-to-use nomogram was established and may be used to predict preoperative MVI in HCC.
Single-Stage Procedure of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Under Local Anaesthesia and Percutaneous Access
Authors: Bramucci Alberto , Vignali Luigi , Tadonio Iacopo , Losi Luciano , Freyrie Antonio , Perini Paolo
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are observed in 6% of patients with concomitant aortic valve stenosis (AS) requiring aortic valve replacement. Optimal management of these concomitant pathologies is still debated.

Case Report

An 80-year-old man presented with acute heart failure due to a severe AS. Past medical history included AAA under regular surveillance. A thoracic and abdominal computed tomography angiography (CTA) confirmed a 6 mm increase of AAA over an 8-month period (max 55 mm). A multidisciplinary team prescribed a simultaneous endovascular approach of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) followed by endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) under local anaesthesia with bilateral femoral percutaneous access. No intra or post-procedural complications were registered; technical success was confirmed by completion angiography and post-operative ultrasound. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5. A 2-month post-operative CTA confirmed ongoing technical success.

Conclusion

Combined TAVI and EVAR under local anaesthesia for AS and AAA was associated with reduced hospital stay and technical success at 2 months from intervention in this case report.
Clinical research nurse utilisation and role in the conduct of decentralised clinical trials: a literature review
Authors: Johnson Elizabeth , Marsh Lisa
Published: June 2023

Background:

The decentralised clinical trial (DCT) model has been popularised given its remote or virtual design, permitting expanded participant enrolment into community settings. Clinical research nurses (CRNs) are specially trained in the management of clinical trials; however, the utilisation of the research nurse role relating to decentralised trial conduct is not well-established.

Aims:

A literature review was conducted to describe the role of the research nurse in the conduct of DCTs and the current utilisation of this nurse specialty for decentralised trial management.

Methods:

Use of keywords ‘DCT’ or ‘virtual trial’ and ‘nursing’ were used to identify full-text, peer-reviewed literature in the English language and published within the last 10 years that described the clinical research nursing role.

Results:

Of the 102 pre-screened articles identified across five databases, 11 articles were eligible for full-text analysis. Thematic groupings of common discussion elements included Variance in Decentralised Clinical Trial Model Implementation, CRN Involvement in Decentralised Trial Conduct and Reporting and Shared Challenges of Decentralised Trial Implementation Affecting the CRN Role.

Conclusions:

Implications of this literature review include expanded trial sponsor awareness of the support requirements to facilitate research nurse utilisation and optimal decentralised trial conduct.
Antioxidant and Antitumorigenic Activities of the Standardized Water Extract From Fruit of Terminalia chebula Retz. var. chebula
Authors: Na Takuathung Mingkwan , Wongnoppavich Ariyaphong , Jaijoy Kanjana , Soonthornchareonnon Noppamas , Sireeratawong Seewaboon
Published: June 2023

Background

Terminalia chebula Retz. var. chebula ( T chebula) has been traditionally used as a crude drug for treating various diseases, including skin disorders. This study aimed to investigate the potential antioxidant effects and antitumorigenic activity of an aqueous extract from the fruit of T chebula.

Methods

The extract's total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were measured using Folin-Ciocalteu, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) tests, respectively. The 2 ´,7 ´-dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate assay was employed to evaluate the extract's ability to reduce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in U-937 human monocytic cell lines which had been treated with hydrogen peroxide for 30 min. Male ICR mice ( n = 30, 5 groups) were used to investigate the influence of T chebula extract on dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)/12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced carcinogenesis. After 20 weeks of treatment with T chebula extract, tumor incidence, size, and number were assessed. The major phenolic compounds in the extract were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA followed by post hoc least significant difference test.

Results

T chebula extract effectively reduced intracellular ROS and scavenged antioxidants in vitro. The IC50 values of the extract as measured by DPPH and FRAP assays were 109.0 ± 14.5 μg/mL and 2.39 ± 0.17 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, 4 mg of T chebula extract significantly decreased the incidence, volume, and number of tumors in DMBA/TPA-induced skin tumorigenesis in mice.

Conclusion

T chebula extract effectively reduced intracellular ROS, and significantly decreased the incidence, volume, and number of tumors in DMBA/TPA-induced skin tumorigenesis in mice. These findings suggest that T chebula extract could be a promising therapeutic agent for skin tumors and other oxidative stress-related diseases.
The rise of mechanical metamaterials: Auxetic constructs for skin wound healing
Authors: Lecina-Tejero Óscar , Pérez María Ángeles , García-Gareta Elena , Borau Carlos
Published: June 2023

Auxetic materials are known for their unique ability to expand/contract in multiple directions when stretched/compressed. In other words, they exhibit a negative Poisson’s ratio, which is usually positive for most of materials. This behavior appears in some biological tissues such as human skin, where it promotes wound healing by providing an enhanced mechanical support and facilitating cell migration. Skin tissue engineering has been a growing research topic in recent years, largely thanks to the rapid development of 3D printing techniques and technologies. The combination of computational studies with rapid manufacturing and tailored designs presents a huge potential for the future of personalized medicine. Overall, this review article provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on auxetic constructs for skin healing applications, highlighting the potential of auxetics as a promising treatment option for skin wounds. The article also identifies gaps in the current knowledge and suggests areas for future research. In particular, we discuss the designs, materials, manufacturing techniques, and also the computational and experimental studies on this topic.
Algorithms and hegemony in the workplace: Negotiating design and values in an Italian television platform
Authors: Pronzato Riccardo
Published: June 2023

In recent years, several scholars have highlighted the necessity to scrutinize the practices and material settings in which algorithmic models are designed, in order to unpack the working activities and socio-cultural constructs underlying their production and deployment process. Drawing on a multisited ethnography, this paper investigates the practices of tech workers within the corporate environment of an internet television platform, the hierarchical relationships between different professional figures, and how these individuals frame algorithms and contribute to the enactment of these systems with their activities. Findings highlight the hierarchical organization of tech work and the subordination of operative figures to the goals imposed by business clients and to both internal and external forms of control. Specifically, it emerges how the subalternity of tech workers is materially and discursively constructed and forms of causal, dispositional and facilitative power exerted on them. In this environment, frictions, negotiations as well as concealing strategies by tech workers regarding the design and meaning of algorithms emerge, thus showing their cultural, contingent and multiple composition. Within the framework of Giddens’ structure/agency cycle, it is shown how everyday working activities and relationships contribute to the reproduction of hegemonic arrangements in the workplace, and how these hegemonic arrangements are at the core of algorithmic production, thus playing a key role in the framing, construction and enactment of these systems.
Scrolling Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Perceived Effects of Increased Social Media Use on the Mental Health of Undergraduate University Students
Authors: Giancola Dario , Travers Robb , Coulombe Simon
Published: June 2023

Social media has become increasingly integrated into the lives of students for the past decade; however, the public health restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a sharp increase in social media use in a short period of time. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of social media use on university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen students from a mid-sized Canadian city were interviewed to share their experiences with social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was conducted to gather a diverse sample of participants, including individuals of various ages, gender and sexual identities, and ethnicities. Thematic analysis on the 15 interviews was completed using NVivo (version 12). Participants experienced both advantages and disadvantages associated with social media use. Ease of communication and stress relief were acknowledged as the strongest benefits. Social comparison, loneliness, development of bad habits, and lack of focus were cited as major disadvantages to social media use during the pandemic. Cost–benefit analysis of social media was common, and participants expressed the importance of using social media with moderation, balance, and awareness. Our study indicates that the focus on health with respect to the pandemic should not be solely based on physical health, rather the potential mental health risks associated with social media use during the pandemic should be recognized and addressed by healthcare providers.
Saudi Arabian strategy reassessment since 2003: The emergence of a regional leadership via Neoclassical Realist lenses
Authors: Cerioli Luíza
Published: June 2023

This article argues that the well-discussed international behaviour change in Saudi Arabia, rather than being a consequence of the so-called Arab Spring, resulted from a grand strategy reassessment in the early 2000s. Grand strategy concerns how states assess the geostrategic environment, plan resource allocation and prioritize policy to meet national interests. Since the 1970s, Riyadh judged its geopolitical vulnerabilities concerning Iran and Iraq realistically, supporting the least threatening actor from the two and relying on the United States to protect the status quo. However, the 2003 Iraqi invasion forced strategy reevaluation, as it removed Baghdad from the power competition, empowering Tehran, Washington and Riyadh. In this new scenario, Saudi Arabia eventually decides on regional leadership as its priority interest, promoting, thus, partial autonomy from Washington and competition with Tehran. By employing Neoclassical Realism, this article argues that the reevaluation was gradual and in continuity with the monarchical logic. For that, it explores Saudi power position and shifts within status satisfaction and inter-monarchical preferences. Empirically, the article aims to demystify the image of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as something that turned the tables within the leadership, arguing that changes in the country's international relations preceded his rise to power, being linked to King Abdullah. It concludes that, while Saudi Arabian geopolitical goal was clear for outside observers only after 2011, the planning process takes precedence. Theoretically, by providing insight into Saudi Arabia's status-seeking behaviour, its motivations and potential limitations, the article also contributes to discussions about de-Westernizing Realism by incorporating Middle Eastern contextuality.
Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Field Archaeology: Characterization of Roman Wall Mortars and Etruscan Ceramics
Authors: Donais Mary Kate , Douglass Luke , Ramundt William H. , Bizzarri Claudio , George David B.
Published: June 2023

Handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied to two studies of archaeological material at excavation sites in the Orvieto (Umbria), Italy geographic region. The short analysis times and wide range of detectable elements, covering both metals and nonmetals, achievable via LIBS played a central role in successfully exploring research questions specific to the analyzed artifacts. For one study, associations among Roman terraced walls at the Coriglia excavation site were established through comparisons among lime mortar elemental compositions measured in situ. New conclusions regarding construction phases were achieved, and agreement between handheld LIBS and handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry results was established. Secondly, Etruscan bucchero pottery was examined to explore relationships among fabric color (gray and black), excavation site (Cavità 254 and Crocifisso del Tufo), and elemental composition. Differences were found and are discussed as they relate to ceramic production and object purpose. Principal component analysis was applied for data analysis in both studies.
The Registry for Migraine (REFORM) study: methodology, demographics, and baseline clinical characteristics
Authors: Karlsson William Kristian , Ashina Håkan , Cullum Christopher Kjær , Christensen Rune Häckert , Al-Khazali Haidar Muhsen , Amin Faisal Mohammad , Ashina Messoud ,   on behalf of the REFORM Investigators, Iljazi Afrim , Thomsen Andreas Vinther , Chaudhry Basit Ali , Tesfay Betel , Thuraiaiyah Janu , Kokoti Lili , Rasmussen Nadja Bredo , Domínguez-Moreno Rogelio , Do Thien Phu , Zhuang Zixuan Alice
Published: June 2023

Background

Erenumab has demonstrated effectiveness for prevention of migraine attacks, but the treatment is costly, and a considerable proportion of patients do not respond to it. The Registry for Migraine study (REFORM) was initiated to discover biomarkers that can predict response to erenumab in patients with migraine. The specific objective was to investigate differences in erenumab efficacy based on clinical information, blood-based biomarkers, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and response to intravenous infusion of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In this first report of the REFORM study, we provide a comprehensive description of the study methodology, and present the baseline characteristics of the study population.

Methods

The REFORM study was a single-center, prospective, longitudinal cohort study in adults with migraine who were scheduled to receive preventive treatment with erenumab as part of a separate, open-label, single-arm phase IV trial. The study included four periods: a 2-week screening period (Weeks -6 to -5), 4-week baseline period (Week -4 to Day 1), 24-week treatment period (Day 1 to Week 24), and a 24-week follow-up period without treatment (Week 25 to Week 48). Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded using a semi-structured interview, whilst outcome data were obtained using a headache diary, patient-reported outcomes, blood sampling, brain MRI, and responsiveness to intravenous infusion of CGRP.

Results

The study enrolled 751 participants, with a mean age ± SD of 43.8 ± 12.2 years, of which 88.8% (n = 667) were female. At enrollment, 64.7% (n = 486) were diagnosed with chronic migraine, and 30.2% (n = 227) had history of aura. The mean monthly migraine days (MMDs) was 14.5 ± 7.0. Concomitant preventive medications were used by 48.5% (n = 364) of the participants, and 39.9% (n = 300) had failed ≥ 4 preventive medications.

Conclusion

The REFORM study enrolled a population with a high migraine burden and frequent use of concomitant medications. The baseline characteristics were representative of patients with migraine in specialized headache clinics. Future publications will report the results of the investigations presented in this article.

Trial registration

The study and sub-studies were registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04592952; NCT04603976; and NCT04674020).
Comparative genomics of smut fungi suggest the ability of meiosis and mating in asexual species of the genus Pseudozyma (Ustilaginales)
Authors: Steins Lena , Guerreiro Marco Alexandre , Duhamel Marine , Liu Fei , Wang Qi-Ming , Boekhout Teun , Begerow Dominik
Published: June 2023

Background

The Ustilaginales comprise hundreds of plant-parasitic fungi with a characteristic life cycle that directly links sexual reproduction and parasitism: One of the two mating-type loci codes for a transcription factor that not only facilitates mating, but also initiates the infection process. However, several species within the Ustilaginales have no described parasitic stage and were historically assigned to the genus Pseudozyma. Molecular studies have shown that the group is polyphyletic, with members being scattered in various lineages of the Ustilaginales. Together with recent findings of conserved fungal effectors in these non-parasitic species, this raises the question if parasitism has been lost recently and in multiple independent events or if there are hitherto undescribed parasitic stages of these fungi.

Results

In this study, we sequenced genomes of five Pseudozyma species together with six parasitic species from the Ustilaginales to compare their genomic capability to perform two central functions in sexual reproduction: mating and meiosis. While the loss of sexual capability is assumed in certain lineages and asexual species are common in Asco- and Basidiomycota, we were able to successfully annotate potentially functional mating and meiosis genes that are conserved throughout the whole group.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that at least the key functions of a sexual lifestyle are maintained in the analyzed genomes, challenging the current understanding of the so-called asexual species with respect to their evolution and ecological role.