bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Presence of Sarcopenia before Kidney Transplantation Is Associated with Poor Outcomes
Authors: Druckmann Ido , Yashar Hila , Schwartz Doron , Schwartz Idit F. , Goykhman Yaacov , Kliuk Ben-Bassat Orit , Baruch Roni , Tzadok Roie , Shashar Moshe , Cohen-Hagai Keren , Grupper Ayelet
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with renal failure. It is crucial to select which patients may benefit from renal transplantation and which are at high risk for post-transplant complications. Sarcopenia is associated with poor outcome in various conditions, including in chronic kidney disease patients. The gold standard for measuring sarcopenia is computed tomography (CT) imaging to estimate muscle mass and quality since it is objective, reproducible, and reflects the overall health condition. The data regarding those measurements among kidney transplant recipients are limited, therefore we aimed to describe it in patients before kidney transplantation, assess the parameters associated with sarcopenia, and evaluate the clinical significance of those markers on outcomes following transplantation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 183 kidney transplant recipients who had a CT scan 90 days prior to transplant. Sarcopenia was assessed by measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) and mean muscle density of the psoas muscle at the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae levels and paravertebral muscles at the 12th thoracic vertebra level. Results: There was a strong linear correlation between muscle size measured as CSA of the psoas muscle at the L3 and L4 vertebral body level and the CSA of the paravertebral muscles at the D12 vertebra level, and a moderate correlation to muscle density at those levels. Age was independently associated with risk of sarcopenia, defined as psoas CSA in the lowest tertile, with every year of age increasing the risk by 5%. CSA at the L3 level had a significant independent association with post kidney transplantation mortality, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.86 per cm2. There was a significantly longer hospitalization period postoperation in kidney recipients in the lower tertile of psoas CSA and density. Conclusions: Sarcopenia as measured by psoas CSA is associated with poor short- and long-term outcomes following kidney transplantation and should be included as part of the assessment of kidney transplantation candidates.
Frühes Mammakarzinom: CDK4-/6-Inhibitor ist auch in der adjuvanten Therapie effektiv
Authors: Hartmann Steffi
Published: May 2022

Background: Adjuvant abemaciclib combined with endocrine therapy (ET) previously demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement in invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) and distant relapse-free survival (DRFS) in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer at the second interim analysis, however follow-up was limited. Here, we present results of the prespecified primary outcome analysis and an additional follow-up analysis. Patients and methods: This global, phase III, open-label trial randomized (1 : 1) 5637 patients to adjuvant ET for ≥5 years ± abemaciclib for 2 years. Cohort 1 enrolled patients with ≥4 positive axillary lymph nodes (ALNs), or 1-3 positive ALNs and either grade 3 disease or tumor ≥5 cm. Cohort 2 enrolled patients with 1-3 positive ALNs and centrally determined high Ki-67 index (≥20%). The primary endpoint was IDFS in the intent-to-treat population (cohorts 1 and 2). Secondary endpoints were IDFS in patients with high Ki-67, DRFS, overall survival, and safety. Results: At the primary outcome analysis, with 19 months median follow-up time, abemaciclib + ET resulted in a 29% reduction in the risk of developing an IDFS event [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58-0.87; nominal P = 0.0009]. At the additional follow-up analysis, with 27 months median follow-up and 90% of patients off treatment, IDFS (HR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.59-0.82; nominal P < 0.0001) and DRFS (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.57-0.83; nominal P < 0.0001) benefit was maintained. The absolute improvements in 3-year IDFS and DRFS rates were 5.4% and 4.2%, respectively. Whereas Ki-67 index was prognostic, abemaciclib benefit was consistent regardless of Ki-67 index. Safety data were consistent with the known abemaciclib risk profile. Conclusion: Abemaciclib + ET significantly improved IDFS in patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer, with an acceptable safety profile. Ki-67 index was prognostic, but abemaciclib benefit was observed regardless of Ki-67 index. Overall, the robust treatment benefit of abemaciclib extended beyond the 2-year treatment period.
An internet of things-based irrigation and tank monitoring system
Authors: Obasanya Tayo Dorcas , Oluwafemi Ilesanmi Banjo , Bello Oluwaseyi Olawale , Lawal Taiwo Abdulazeez
Published: May 2022

Agriculture plays a significant role in the development of a nation and provides the main source of food production, income, and employment to nations. It was the most practiced occupation in Nigeria and this formed the backbone of the economy in the early 1960s before the discovery of crude oil, which has led to the derail of sufficient food production, exportation, and the agricultural economy at large. Over time, the dry season has always been challenging with little or no rainfall and there are no irrigation facilities that incorporate different saving practices to adapt to these climate changes on their own. In this paper, a cost-effective internet of things irrigation system that is capable of reducing water wastage, manual labor, monitoring tank water level and that can be controlled remotely is designed. The system integrated Arduino UNO with a soil moisture sensor, HCSR04 ultrasonic sensor, and ESP8266 Wi-Fi module that gives the system capable of being controlled remotely via the internet, thus achieving optimal irrigation using the internet of things (IoT). Some of the challenges facing the existing irrigation system are water wastage, poor performance, and high cost of implementation. The design system helps to control water supply to crops when it is needed, and also monitors soil moisture, temperature, and water tank level. After carrying out the experiments for 15 days, the system saved approximately 49% of the water used in traditional irrigation method. The system is useful in large farming areas to minimize human effort and reduce the cost of hiring personnel.
Telling friends from foes at the time of the Anthropocene
Authors: Latour Bruno
Published: May 2022

In spite of its pitfalls, the concept of Anthropocene offers a powerful way, if used wisely, to avoid the danger of naturalization while ensuring that the former domain of the social, or that of the “human”, is reconfigured as being the land of the Earthlings or of the Earthbound. Like Aesop’s tongue, it might deliver the worst – or worse still, much of the same; that is, the back and forth movement between, on the one hand, the “social construction of nature” and, on the other, the reductionist view of humans made of carbon and water, geological forces among other geological forces, or rather mud and dust above mud and dust. But it might also direct our attention toward the end of what Whitehead called “the Bifurcation of nature,” or the final rejection of the separation between Nature and Human that has paralyzed science and politics since the dawn of modernism.
Duas leituras de Malinowski
Authors: Sobral Luís Felipe
Published: May 2022

Neste ensaio, examino o artigo no qual James Clifford explorou a célebre declaração de Malinowski (“serei o Conrad da antropologia!”). Em seguida, critico o formalismo do autor: a forma do texto é que lhe interessa, não seu conteúdo nem a relação entre a fonte e o mundo social que a produziu. Defendo, contudo, a eficácia da forma como instrumento analítico capaz de identificar fissuras nas fontes históricas, permitindo um conhecimento mais apurado do mundo social desde que o indício morfológico seja relacionado à história. Como expoente desse procedimento, aponto o ensaio onde Carlo Ginzburg investiga a afinidade formal entre o circuito percorrido por um objeto mágico em um conto do escritor escocês Robert Louis Stevenson e o circuito do kula descrito na etnografia trobriandesa.
Monique Augras | A Segunda-Feira é das Almas
Authors: Brumana Fernando Giobellina
Published: May 2022

AUGRAS, Monique. A Segunda-Feira é das Almas. Rio de Janeiro: Pallas/ PUC/RJ, 2013, 144 pp.
“Pessoa, tempo e conduta em Bali”, ou como se “fabricam” os nativos
Authors: Garcia Ypuan
Published: May 2022

Admitindo deliberadamente que a coerção produzida por certas imagens na antropologia contemporânea esmaeceu devido a um “espírito da época”, o “fim do modernismo”, o artigo que se segue visa a discutir o caminho que Clifford Geertz parece ter seguido com o intuito de descrever o mundo balinês. Debruço-me no ensaio “Pessoa, tempo e conduta em Bali”, realçando que a presença da fenomenologia de Alfred Schutz cria um solo onde a análise de Geertz pode ser preenchida com metáforas que evocam “consistência”, “organização”, “impessoalização”etc.
Entre brigadas policiales, casas cuna y juzgados: circuitos institucionales, categorías jurídicas y parentescos de niños/as apropiados/as
Authors: Regueiro Sabina
Published: May 2022

La apropiación de niños hijos de detenidos–desaparecidos durante la última dictadura militar argentina se instrumentó a partir de categorías jurídicas específicas en su tránsito por distintas instituciones de menores, religiosas, de las FFAA y de Seguridad, dando como resultado la sustitución y reconfiguración de la filiación e identidad de origen. En particular, en las brigadas femeninas policiales y las casas cuna, en articulación con los tribunales de menores, existieron formas particulares de tránsito, registro y administración de los “hijos de subversivos”, entre las que resalta la fórmula de “NN s/abandono”, que operó en todos las apropiaciones silenciando, en la mayoría de los casos, los secuestros de sus padres. En este artículo, a través del análisis de este caso, se pretende aportar a la reflexión sobre una de las caras de las complejas relaciones entre burocracia y parentesco, atravesadas por la violencia de Estado, desde una perspectiva histórico-etnográfica.
ANDRELLO, Geraldo (org.). Rotas de criação e transformação: narrativas de origem dos povos indígenas do Rio Negro.
Authors: Pedroso Diego Rosa
Published: May 2022

ANDRELLO, Geraldo (org.). Rotas de criação e transformação: narrativas de origem dos povos indígenas do Rio Negro. São Paulo, Instituto Socioambiental; São Gabriel da Cachoeira (am), Foirn, 2012, 263 pp.
KUMMELS, Ingrid (org.). Espacios mediáticos: cultura y representación en México.
Authors: Macedo Renata Mourão
Published: May 2022

KUMMELS, Ingrid (org.). Espacios mediáticos: cultura y representación en México. Berlim, Ed. Tranvía, 2012, 410 pp.
Exploring the Genetic Architecture of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Using Whole-Genome Sequencing
Authors: Tarr Ingrid , Hesselson Stephanie , Iismaa Siiri E. , Rath Emma , Monger Steven , Troup Michael , Mishra Ketan , Wong Claire M.Y. , Hsu Pei-Chen , Junday Keerat , Humphreys David T. , Adlam David , Webb Tom R. , Baranowska-Clarke Anna A. , Hamby Stephen E. , Carss Keren J. , Samani Nilesh J. , Bax Monique , McGrath-Cadell Lucy , Kovacic Jason C. , Dunwoodie Sally L. , Fatkin Diane , Muller David W.M. , Graham Robert M. , Giannoulatou Eleni
Published: May 2022

Background:

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a cause of acute coronary syndrome that predominantly affects women. Its pathophysiology remains unclear but connective tissue disorders (CTD) and other vasculopathies have been observed in many SCAD patients. A genetic component for SCAD is increasingly appreciated, although few genes have been robustly implicated. We sought to clarify the genetic cause of SCAD using targeted and genome-wide methods in a cohort of sporadic cases to identify both common and rare disease-associated variants.

Methods:

A cohort of 91 unrelated sporadic SCAD cases was investigated for rare, deleterious variants in genes associated with either SCAD or CTD, while new candidate genes were sought using rare variant collapsing analysis and identification of novel loss-of-function variants in genes intolerant to such variation. Finally, 2 SCAD polygenic risk scores were applied to assess the contribution of common variants.

Results:

We identified 10 cases with at least one rare, likely disease-causing variant in CTD-associated genes, although only one had a CTD phenotype. No genes were significantly associated with SCAD from genome-wide collapsing analysis, however, enrichment for TGF (transforming growth factor)-β signaling pathway genes was found with analysis of 24 genes harboring novel loss-of-function variants. Both polygenic risk scores demonstrated that sporadic SCAD cases have a significantly elevated genetic SCAD risk compared with controls.

Conclusions:

SCAD shares some genetic overlap with CTD, even in the absence of any major CTD phenotype. Consistent with a complex genetic architecture, SCAD patients also have a higher burden of common variants than controls.
Revision of the ant-parasitizing genus Pseudacteon Coquillett (Diptera, Phoridae) from China
Authors: LIU GUANG-CHUN , DISNEY R. HENRY L.
Published: May 2022

The ant-parasitizing genus Pseudacteon Coquillett from China is revised. Nineteen species are recorded, of which nine are new to science: P. robustisetosus sp. nov., P. inticlinatus sp. nov., P. reticulatus sp. nov., P. linzhiensis sp. nov., P. shennongjianus sp. nov., P. yunnanensis sp. nov., P. calceoliformis sp. nov., P. tianmuensis sp. nov., and P. parviflavus sp. nov. The species P. botulpalpatus Disney et Michailovskaya, P. rudisetosus Disney et Michailovskaya, P. setipalpatus Disney et Michailovskaya, P. setosus Disney et Michailovskaya, P. pullum Michailovskaya and P. formicarum (Verrall) are recorded for the first time in China. The putative female of P. pullum Michailovskaya and the putative males of P. trapeziformis Zhang et Liu and P. setipalpatus Disney et Michailovskaya are also newly described. All known species are redescribed and illustrated. A key to species from China is presented.
A taxonomic study on the South Korean Diplonevra (Diptera: Phoridae)
Authors: LEE JUN-HO , LEE JUN-GI , KIM SAM-KYU
Published: May 2022

The South Korean species of the genus Diplonevra are revised and eight species are recognized. Three of these species, D. biflagella, sp. nov., D. incisura, sp. nov., and D. nigritarsis, sp. nov., are new to science and four species, D. abbreviata (von Roser, 1840), D. florescens (Turton, 1801), D. hirsuta Michailovskaya, 2000, and D. peregrina (Wiedemann, 1830), are described for the first time in Korea. Distribution of D. bifasciata (Walker, 1860), the only previously recorded species in Korean checklists, is confirmed based on figures of a female specimen in previous publications. Diplonevra lamella Liu & Yang, 2016 is considered a junior synonym of D. hirsuta Michailovskaya, 2000. The Chinese and Russian Far East records of D. pachycera (nec Schmitz) are treated as misidentifications of D. incisura, sp. nov. and D. nigritarsis, sp. nov., respectively. Also, the Chinese record of D. taigaensis (nec Michailovskaya) should be identified as D. biflagella, sp. nov. Detailed descriptions and photographs of three new species and four redescribed species and keys to eight males and seven females of Diplonevra species in South Korea are provided.
Five new species and new records of caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) from Australia’s ‘Top End’
Authors: CARTWRIGHT DAVID I. , DOSTINE PETER
Published: May 2022

Five new species of caddisflies are described from the ‘Top End’ of the Northern Territory, three in the family Ecnomidae—Ecnomina radonica sp. nov., Neboissomina topendica sp. nov., Wellsomina tamoides sp. nov.—and two in Polycentropodidae—Polyplectropus bamboosa sp. nov. and P. berryensis sp. nov. Four of these new species are endemic to the Top End, P. berryensis sp. nov. is also recorded from northern Western Australia. In addition, first reports are given for the Top End for two previously described species, one each in genera Ecnomus McLachlan and Wellsomina Cartwright, and new records are given for eighteen species of Ecnomus McLachlan, one further species of Ecnomina Kimmins and Neboissomina Cartwright, and six species of Wellsomina Cartwright (all Ecnomidae), four species of Nyctiophylax Brauer (Polycentropodidae), and Tinodes radona Neboiss (Psychomyiidae). Finally, one male (and three females) of Hyalopsyche disjuncta Neboiss (Dipseudopsidae) are recorded from the Northern Territory, the first adult specimens of this species found outside northeastern Queensland.
Luting resin cement shades and their effect on the color of ceramic ingot
Authors: Saeed Al-Ghamdi Sharifah Abdulrahman , Al-Bounni Roula Soufah
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to evaluate and explore the consequence of luting resin cement shade on the color of ceramic ingot at different periods (24 h & 7 d). Disc-shaped ceramic samples having 10 mm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness were fabricated (N = 30). Variolink Esthetic LC Refill
with three different shades (Neutral, Warm, Light+) were chosen to apply on the ceramic samples (n = 10). The color measurements were made by CIELAB color space using a spectrophotometer device. Color measurements were taken as baseline, 24 hours after complete polymerization of the
cement and after 7 days of fabrication. Analysis of variance, i.e., One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test were used to explore the data (P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference between cement type and the time point was observed (p = 0.000). Furthermore,
time duration had a significant effect on the Δ? value (p = 0.001). Moreover, the interaction effect of the cement type and time had a significant effect on the Δ? value (p = 0.000). There is an obvious consequence of luting resin cement shade used on the shade of pressed ceramics.
Time is an essential factor that affects and influence luting resin cement shade on the final color of the prosthesis.
Clinical implications of miR-424 in diabetic retinopathy and its correlation with inflammatory cytokines
Authors: Song Hexiang , Miao Lin
Published: May 2022

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that can result in low vision or blindness, severely threatening the quality of life of patients. Because of the aberrant expression of miR-424 in DM and its close association with cataracts, we aimed to analyze
the clinical implications of miR-424 in DR. We found that miR-424 levels were lower in DR than DM patients (P < 0.05), and they increased after treatment (P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated a reliable diagnostic value of miR-424, and levels
of inflammatory cytokines were elevated in DR patients and suppressed after treatment (P < 0.05). Correlation analyses indicated an inverse association between these cytokines and miR-424 in the observation group after treatment. Moreover, miR-424 was highly predictive of the prognosis
and recurrence of DR. Additionally, miR-424 was an independent protective factor for DM, as shown by logistic regression. Overall, it is concluded that the low expression of miR-424 in DR is inversely associated with inflammatory cytokines, which could be excellent potential candidates for
the diagnosis and treatment of DR.
Syncing Up: A Process Model of Emergent Interdependence in Dynamic Teams
Authors: Mayo Anna T.
Published: May 2022

Increasingly, organizational teams form quickly and change shape during their short lifespans, meaning they break from traditional definitions of “real” teams and experience instability in team membership and boundaries. While scholars have examined conditions that support effective teamwork in more-stable teams, we know little about how these dynamic teams can come to look like real teams that work interdependently rather than independently. My observations of and interviews with medical inpatient teams in a U.S. children’s hospital revealed a small subset of teams that succeeded at working interdependently within a core group (internally) and with a shifting set of peripheral contributors (externally). Brief periods of synchronous internal and external teamwork distinguished these emergently interdependent teams. To achieve these synchronous periods, core team members distributed their focus on internal team members and on peripheral members such as nurses, specialists, patients, and patients’ family members. Furthermore, core teams intertwined synchronous periods with cycles of external and internal coordination as team boundaries expanded and contracted. Such interdependence was associated with more-efficient work: faster morning rounds and, for patients, shorter hospital stays. Additionally, initial meetings among core team members set the stage for more-interdependent work. My findings contribute to dynamic teams research by illuminating the process of how teams can work interdependently as team boundaries expand and contract, to external activities research by suggesting that synchronous periods hold together previously documented cycles of separate internal and external activities, and to team launches research by extending work with more-stable teams to dynamic teams.
Enhancing Diversity in Surgery: Association of Out Surgeons and Allies, a New Society to Support and Promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Surgeons
Authors: St John Ace , Goulet Nicole
Published: May 2022

Background

Prejudice towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people continues to decline. Despite this, LGBTQ surgeons still experience discrimination from colleagues, staff, and patients at an alarming rate. The Association of Out Surgeons and Allies (AOSA) was established to address this issue by fostering a more equitable and inclusive surgical environment.

AOSA

AOSA is a national surgical organization of LGBTQ students, trainees, faculty, and allies committed to enhancing equity in surgery through education, outreach, mentorship, and sponsorship. AOSA works in collaboration with national efforts and institutional initiatives to promote the inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ surgeons.

Future Directions

Achieving these goals will require a community effort of LGBTQ surgeons and allies in addition to the support of prominent academic institutions and national surgical organizations.

Conclusion

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer surgeons continue to face workplace discrimination. This new surgical society will help foster a supportive environment through visibility, mentorship, education, and community.
Hospital Variation in Surgical Technique for Repair of Uncomplicated Gastroschisis
Authors: Williamson Catherine G. , Ng Ayesha , Richardson Shannon , Li Erica , Benharash Peyman , DeUgarte Daniel A. , Wagner Justin P.
Published: May 2022

Practices in surgical repair of uncomplicated gastroschisis are varied. Data regarding hospital volume, surgical technique, clinical outcomes, and costs remain limited. Neonatal patients with uncomplicated gastroschisis were identified using the 2015-2019 National Readmissions Database. Hospital volume tertiles were determined, and sutureless or fascial repair techniques were enumerated. High volume centers (HVC) comprised the top tertile. Hospital-level variability in surgical technique was determined. Adjusted multivariable analysis was performed to compare clinical outcomes and costs among HVC and lower-volume centers and among repair techniques. Of an estimated 2903 hospitalizations meeting inclusion criteria, 23.5% occurred at HVC. There was 42.4% variation among sutureless and fascial repair techniques across all hospitals. Among HVC and lower-volume centers, there were no significant differences in rates of 30-day readmission or complication; however, HVC were associated with greater cost and length of stay. Those with codes for fascial repair technique experienced greater lengths of stay, costs, and rates of complication. Codes for surgical repair technique for uncomplicated gastroschisis vary widely, while outcomes are equivalent across strata of hospital volume. Those with codes for sutureless technique were associated with favorable clinical outcomes, irrespective of hospital volume. Guidelines for management of uncomplicated gastroschisis should account for hospital volume, variation in technique, outcomes, and resource utilization.
Complicated Abdominal Wall Hernias in the Elderly: Time Is Life and Comorbidities Matter
Authors: Proaño-Zamudio Jefferson A. , Gebran Anthony , Argandykov Dias , Paranjape Charudutt N. , Maroney Stephanie J. , Onyewadume Louisa , Kaafarani Haytham M. A. , Fagenholz Peter J. , King David R. , Velmahos George C. , Hwabejire John O.
Published: May 2022

Background

Abdominal wall hernias represent a common problem that can present as surgical emergencies with increased morbidity and mortality. The data examining outcomes in elderly patients with hernia emergencies is scant.

Methods

The 2007-2017 ACS-NSQIP database was queried. Patients ≥65 years old with a diagnosis of acute complicated abdominal wall hernia were included. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to identify independent predictors of 30-day mortality and surgical site infection (SSI).

Results

Main predictors of 30-day mortality were admission from nursing home or chronic care facility (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.10-2.38, P = .014), transfer from outside ED (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.31-2.51, P < .001), days from admission to operation (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08, P = .002), recent significant weight loss (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.12-3.37, P = .018), pre-operative septic shock (OR = 4.13, 95% CI: 2.44-6.99, P < .001), ventilator dependence (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.29-4.81, P = .006), and ASA status. When compared to open repair, laparoscopic repair emerged as protective against SSI (OR = .34, 95% CI: .17-.66, P = .001). Bowel resection (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.63-2.84, P < .001) and increasing wound class were risk factors for SSI.

Conclusion

In the elderly patient presenting with an acute complicated abdominal wall hernia, time to surgery is crucial for survival, and comorbidities influence outcome. Laparoscopy is an option in management due to its decreased risk of surgical site infection without increased mortality, whenever patient factors are favorable for this approach.
Defining a Body Mass Index Threshold for Preventing Recurrence in Ventral Hernia Repairs
Authors: Liu Jessica K. , Purdy Amanda C. , Moazzez Ashkan , La Riva Anibal , Ozao-Choy Junko
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Body mass index (BMI) has been established as an independent risk factor for complications after abdominal hernia repairs. While various thresholds have been proposed, there is no consensus for an ideal BMI for elective hernia repair.

Objective

To identify the BMI threshold at which risk for hernia recurrence is significantly increased in patients undergoing ventral and incisional hernia repair.

Methods

This retrospective review of medical records included patients who underwent ventral or incisional hernia repairs from 2014 to 2020 at a single institution. Patients with hernia defects ≥4 cm were included. The primary outcome measure was hernia recurrence. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was used to determine the BMI threshold for recurrence. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to validate the threshold and to evaluate factors associated with recurrence.

Results

Of the 175 patients included, 9.1% had a recurrence. Classification and Regression Tree analysis identified BMI 35.3 kg/m2 as the critical threshold for hernia recurrence. In bivariate analysis, compared to patients who had no recurrence, patients with recurrence were more likely to have cirrhosis (12.5% vs 0%, P = .008), incarcerated hernias (75.0% vs 31.4%, P = .001), urgent surgery (75.0% vs 22.0%, P = <.001), biologic and no mesh use (25.0% vs 6.4% and 12.5% vs 5.7%, P = .012), and BMI >35.3 kg/m2 (75.0% vs 25.8%, P < .001). In multivariate regression, only BMI >35.3 kg/m2 was associated with recurrence [OR: 20.58 (95% CI: 2.17-194.87), P = .008].

Conclusion

Body mass index >35.3 kg/m2 was the only independent factor associated with hernia recurrence. This highlights the importance of determining a BMI threshold for patients undergoing ventral or incisional hernia repair.
Postoperative Analgesia in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols: Trends and Updates
Authors: Burgess Jessica , Hedrick Traci
Published: May 2022

Multimodal analgesia is an effective strategy to decrease opioid use after surgery and has been a mainstay of the surgical contribution to combat the opioid epidemic. Postoperative multimodal analgesia in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) continues to evolve as different adjuncts are added and removed based on the most up to date literature. This review examines recent trends in ERAS analgesia and what current evidence and research supports as well as those adjuncts that may not be as beneficial as once thought.
Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting Radial Artery Spasm During Coronary Angiography
Authors: Meng Shasha , Guo Qixin , Tong Guoxin , Shen Yun , Tong Xiaoshan , Gu Junjie , Li Xinli
Published: May 2022

This study describes an attempt to develop a user-friendly nomogram incorporating psychological factors to individually predict the risk of radial artery spasm. Patients consecutively recruited between June 2020 and June 2021 constituted the development cohort for retrospective analysis of the development of a prediction model. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression combined with clinical significance was employed to screen out appropriate independent variables. The model’s discrimination and calibration were subsequently evaluated and calibrated by using the C-index, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and calibration plot. Decision curve analysis was also performed to evaluate the net benefit with the nomogram, and internal validation was assessed using bootstrapping validation. The predictors included in the risk nomogram included “body mass index ,” “anxiety score,” “duration of interventional surgery,” “latency time (time spent waiting in the catheterization laboratory),” “vascular circuity (substantial changes in the curvature of vessels),” and “puncture number.” The derived model showed good discrimination with an area under the ROC curve of .77, a C-index of .771 (95% CI: .72–.822) and good calibration. Decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram provided a better net benefit than the alternatives.
Prayer book uniformity: myth or icon?
Authors: Strout Shawn
Published: May 2022

As the Episcopal Church contemplates prayer book revision, it faces the choice of traditional comprehensive revision or of altering its constitution and canons to permit the full authorization of supplemental liturgical materials. One of the key critiques of the latter choice centers on the myth that prayer book uniformity maintains Anglican identity. This myth began in the sixteenth century and persists today. Historical evidence belies this myth and instead supports the reality that liturgical diversity has always existed without eroding Anglican identity. This essay rehearses the historical evidence that belies the myth of prayer book uniformity. It explicates three tensions that the desire for prayer book uniformity has developed: context and text, catholic and reformed, and global and local. Finally, it discusses how the current prayer book could function as an icon for liturgical diversity.
Soil Heavy Metal Content Prediction Based on a Deep Belief Network and Random Forest Model
Authors: Chen Ying , Liu Zhengying , Zhao Xueliang , Sun Shicheng , Li Xiao , Xu Chongxuan
Published: May 2022

In order to extract useful information from X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectra and establish a high-accuracy prediction model of soil heavy metal contents, a hybrid model combining a deep belief network (DBN) with a tree-based model was proposed. The DBN was first introduced into feature extraction of XRF spectral data, which can obtain deep layer features of spectra. Owing to the strong regression ability of the tree-based model, it can offset the deficiency of DBN in prediction ability so it was used for predicting heavy metal contents based on the extracted features. In order to further improve the performance of the model, the parameters of model can be optimized according to the prediction error, which was completed by sparrow search algorithm and the gird search. The hybrid model was applied to predict the contents of As and Pb based on spectral data of overlapping peaks. It can be obtained that R2 of As and Pb reached 0.9884 and 0.9358, the mean square error of As and Pb are as low as 0.0011 and 0.0058, which outperform other commonly used models. That proved the combination of DBN and tree-based model can obtain more accurate prediction results.
Sociological Structures and Accounting Misbehavior: An Institutional Anomie Theory Explanation of Restatements in Family Firms
Authors: Mafrolla Elisabetta , Matozza Felice , D’Amico Eugenio
Published: May 2022

This article studies the underinvestigated but fascinating issue of the sociological determinants of accounting misbehavior while focusing on an allegedly illicit accounting practice (i.e., restatement) in family- vs. nonfamily-controlled corporations. Under the framework of institutional anomie theory, we examined whether sociological structures (i.e., legal forces and cultural values) influence accounting errors inducing restatements. By applying a multivariate regression analysis to a sample of restating firms listed in 23 countries during the 2006 to 2014 period, we found that legal forces and cultural values significantly moderate the severity of accounting errors. The results of this study suggest that investors, managers, and policymakers should more fully consider the sociological structures of societies when debating the feasibility of corporate misbehaviors, as combining firm-level and country-level analyses could help to predict a firm’s accounting misbehaviors, such as more severe accounting errors.
Interpersonal Resources and Insider/Outsider Dynamics in Party Office
Authors: Martínez-Cantó Javier , Verge Tània
Published: May 2022

While the multiple barriers women face to attain public office have been vastly documented, the operation of insider/outsider dynamics within political parties’ top decision-making bodies remains largely under-researched. This article provides new theoretical and empirical insights on how interpersonal resources create ingroups and outgroups in parties’ national executive committees—the body that manages the day-to-day functioning of the extra-parliamentary party organization. Our comparative analysis of Spanish political parties in the period 1975–2020 documents that interpersonal resources are unevenly distributed across gender. Most crucially, we show that these resources play out differently for women and men members, with embeddedness in party networks only helping the latter attain positional power and extend their tenure in party office. These heterogeneous effects suggest that top decision-making party bodies do not just reflect existing gender inequalities but reinforce them in significant ways, rendering women member outsiders on the inside.
Risk Avoidance Behavior on Darknet Marketplaces
Authors: Howell Christian Jordan , Maimon David , Perkins Robert C. , Burruss George W. , Ouellet Marie , Wu Yubao
Published: May 2022

The current study employs a quasi-experimental design to test the efficacy of situational crime prevention (SCP) in understanding risk avoidance behavior in a darknet environment. Specifically, we deployed a web scraper to extract data from a popular darknet market. We then used these data to assess change in vendors and customers’ behavior following the deliverance of a warning message from the market administrator regarding the former market administrator’s intention to scam market participants. In the one-month following the message, vendors posted fewer advertisements and customers spent less and made fewer transactions on the marketplace. These findings expand the scope of SCP and provide evidence for Hutchings and Holt’s notion that darknet markets can be disrupted by means of gossip.
Working around: Job crafting in the context of public and professional accountability
Authors: Renkema Erik , Broekhuis Manda , Tims Maria , Ahaus Kees
Published: May 2022

Professionals are expected to justify their actions to clients, disciplinary committees and courts in multiple accountability systems. Although developed to reflect professional standards, is it possible that these systems induce proactive behaviours that counteract their goals and instead serve to protect the professional? This article examines the types of stimuli professionals acquire from the public and professional accountability contexts and how these stimuli motivate engagement in specific proactive behaviours. An interpretive grounded theory study was conducted; it included 31 in-depth interviews with physicians from eight hospitals. The study revealed that accountability systems trigger and motivate professionals to engage in self-serving, proactive job-crafting behaviours. Professionals simultaneously manage their perceived accountability pressures and their personal interests. Context-specific factors that motivate individuals to craft their jobs are identified, and we reveal four distinct stimuli–motivation–job-crafting patterns that are linked to specific performance episodes (i.e. work stages). Our findings emphasize the importance of taking specific work contexts (i.e. accountability) and work stages into account when studying job-crafting behaviours. This study contributes to understanding professionals’ motivations and behaviours in the context of accountability, which is essential, as the quality and safety of their work are matters of public concern.
Promoting Greater Efficiency and Better Governance Through ICT Application
Authors: Sharma Anupam
Published: May 2022

The application of technology has always been a gamechanger. The history of civilisation can be summarised with the adaptation of changing technology. Techno-savvy nations always led the world and expanded their culture beyond their geographical boundaries. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Revolution is the latest technological tool. It has rapidly changed the whole scenario—economic, trade or commerce, social and political. Undoubtedly, it has a revolutionary impact. The application of ICT has changed the mode of production and distribution and has helped to create a global market through e-business. The relations of production have also undergone a change. The political milieu, the functioning of political institutions, the decision-making process and the governance, in short, the relationship of governors and governed, is also witnessing tremendous change. In this article, an attempt has been made to analyse the impact of ICT on fostering effective governance.
Book review: M. Ramachandran, Bringing Governments and People Closer: A Development Practitioner’s Prescriptions
Authors: Srinivas V.
Published: May 2022

M. Ramachandran, Bringing Governments and People Closer: A Development Practitioner’s Prescriptions. Ghaziabad: Copal Publishing, 2021, 126 pp. ISBN: 978-9383419975.
Modelling of incident light occlusion during gear measuring based on the line-structured laser sensor and analysis on its influence factors
Authors: Yu Bo , Kou Hanlin , Sun Yanqiang , Shi Zhaoyao
Published: May 2022

Line-structured laser sensors used in gear measuring provide a new way to acquire the perfect 3-D information of the complicated tooth flank with modification. This method leads to a series of problems, such as incident light occlusion, multiple reflection, system calibration and so on. The incident light occlusion poses severe problem on the integrity of the gear flank data acquired by the line-structured laser sensors. To understand the influence of the incident light occlusion during the cylindrical gear measuring and improve the efficiency of the measurement, this article analyzes this problem in depth. According to the position relation between the line-structure laser sensor and the gear, the projection theory is used to illustrate the incident light occlusion process between adjacent teeth and the model of the occlusion is built up. Four experiments are conducted to verify the validity of the model. This model applies to the cylindrical gear with different parameters. The influence of the modification on incident light occlusion zone could be ignored. On the basis of this model, the influence of the offset and the setting angle of the sensor on the incident light occlusion problem is thoroughly discussed, which gives a guide to control route planning and data acquiring during measuring the perfect information of the tooth flank.
Progress in numerical simulation of casting process
Authors: Chen Zhengyang , Li Yueyang , Zhao Fengrui , Li Shi , Zhang Ji
Published: May 2022

The numerical simulation of casting process can calculate casting filling process, solidification process, and obtain change and coupling information of temperature field, velocity field, pressure field, stress field and microstructure. At present, numerical simulation of casting process has been quite mature at the macro level, and is developing towards the direction of micro level. The coupling and integration of different fields between temperature, flow, stress, and microstructure, is the shape of things for numerical simulation research of casting process. This paper reviews and summarizes the research history and current situation of numerical simulation of casting process. The progress in numerical simulation from five aspects of casting solidification, casting filling, stress field, microstructure, commercial software, is presented.
Exclusionary attitudes toward immigrants: Globalization and configurations of ascribed and achieved status across 14 European countries
Authors: Kwon Ronald , Scarborough William J. , Faglie Tanya
Published: May 2022

Research on immigration attitudes focuses on two dimensions of exclusionary preferences: those related to achieved characteristics and those related to ascribed characteristics. First, we expand this work by unpacking how individuals blend attitudes across these two dimensions. Applying latent profile analysis to a comprehensive set of exclusionary indicators from the European Social Survey in 2002 and 2014, we observe seven attitudinal configurations: exclusionary, moderate individualistic, individualistic, tolerant, religious, illiberal liberalism, and racial capitalism. Second, using multinomial logistic regression with country fixed effects, we explore how configurations relate to a period where European countries experienced overall economic de-globalization, but more intensified cultural globalization. Consistent with integrated threat theories, we find that exclusionary views were less common in countries that became economically de-globalized. Conversely, we find no effect of cultural globalization on the growth or decline of the exclusionary configuration. We conclude by considering the policy implications of these results on current immigration policy.
New Bottle, Old Wine? Implications of the World Bank's Systematic Diagnostic Reports for the Rise of Noncommunicable Diseases in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
Authors: Carter Kewoba , Chaufan Claudia
Published: May 2022

Since its foundation in 1944, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, soon renamed the World Bank (hereafter, “the Bank”), has shifted its initial goal of reconstructing post-World War II Europe to promoting economic development and alleviating poverty in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Bank assistance is provided through loans awarded to countries that agree to policy changes that the Bank deems necessary to achieve its stated goals. Bank policies—dubbed Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) and, over time, superseded by Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers—have been criticized for not only failing to ameliorate underdevelopment and poverty, but for exacerbating both. The most recent Bank approach to development and poverty alleviation, the Systematic Diagnostic Reports (SDR), attempts to address these criticisms. We appraise the SDR for six Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). All share daunting economic and social challenges, including an ongoing epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). We argue that, contrary to the Bank's claims, these challenges will continue under, and may even be exacerbated by, the policies the Report demands, and we elaborate on their implications for NCDs in the OECS and for social and health equity in the region.
Impact of training on primary care physicians’ management of depression and anxiety disorders in rural China
Authors: Sun Kai Sing , Lam Tai Pong , Cai Jingjing , Lam Kwok Fai , Wu Dan , Kwok Kit Wing , Zhou Xudong
Published: May 2022

Background:

Primary care physicians (PCPs) in rural township health centers are the most easily accessible doctors to the residents in rural China, which covers 35% of the population. High prevalence of depression was reported among rural left-behind elderly and children as many workers had migrated to urban cities.

Aim:

This study explored mental health care provision by PCPs in rural China and the association with their training background.

Methods:

Rural township health centers in both developed and less developed counties of Zhejiang Province, China were chosen as the study sites. A total of 697 PCPs completed questionnaires between December 2019 and January 2020, and the number of valid questionnaires was 673, with a valid response rate of 79.3%.

Results:

The rural PCPs reported a median range of seeing 1 to 5 mental health patients per week. Over two-thirds (68.2%) of the respondents had never received any training on treating common mental health disorders (depression and anxiety) while 20.3% received at most 2 days of training; 6.4% received 3 to 20 days of training; and 5.1% received over 20 days of training. PCPs with mental health training were significantly associated with better mental health care in terms of confidence and practice characteristics (e.g. having patients who brought up mental health issues, providing follow-up), while years of practice made a difference in practice but not confidence.

Conclusions:

Training is the key determinant of the practice of mental health care by the PCPs in rural China. Our findings have implications for national policy to target two-thirds of rural PCPs who received no mental health training.