bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Planned, improvised or resilience: Small business owner-managers’ perception and response to crises in crisis-prone environments
Authors: Mafimisebi Oluwasoye P , Obembe Demola , Ogunsade Adekunle I
Published: February 2023

This article addresses a fundamental question concerning planning, improvisation and resilience in the context of crisis management and business continuity. We seek to explore when and how small business owner-managers respond to crisis situations and cope with associated challenges to their business operations. This question remains unresolved, despite substantial progress in the crisis management and small business literature, which still produces opposing empirical findings and theoretical arguments. While one view supports strengthening existing planned responses to crises; the other view argues and finds support for improvised responses. Drawing on inductive multiple-case study approach, we extend previous research on crisis management by focusing on its planned, improvised and resilience dimensions. The purpose is to provide empirical insights about owner-managers’ perception and response to crises in a crisis-prone environment and complement it with theoretical insights from normal accident and high reliability theories to have a balanced view of crisis management practices within small businesses. We found that crisis planning, improvisation and resilience that occurs simultaneously in the crisis management process is more valuable and enrich crisis management practices of small businesses. We conclude by proposing specific areas for future research in relation to crises and resilience in crisis-prone environment.
Mechanism of the week: An approach for improving student engagement, interest, and understanding of course material
Authors: Rhudy Matthew B
Published: February 2023

A program called mechanism of the week was created for use within a third-year mechanical engineering course, machine dynamics, to improve the student engagement and interest in the course content as well as to help aid student understanding of the course concepts. This program was implemented across three semesters, including some virtual sessions, and evaluated using a student feedback survey. The results of this survey indicated strong student support of the program. In addition to this particular application, the general principles of this program could be applied to other courses and disciplines to gain the same overall benefit.
Trends in Nursing Home Complaints: Prevalence and Variation Across Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Regions
Authors: Bhattacharyya Kallol Kumar , Molinari Victor , Fauth Elizabeth B
Published: February 2023

Resident complaints are vital to understanding nursing home (NH) quality. Using complaints as facility- and resident-level outcomes, this study replicates prior analyses (spanning 1998–2002 and 2007–2012) with 2013–2017 data, the phase prior to NH regulatory changes initiated in November, 2017. Advancing prior papers, we analyze the number of complaints, allegations, and deficiency citations separately. Between 2013–2017, 458,101 total complaints (5.9/NH/year) were identified, containing 949,466 allegations (12.2/NH/year), and resulting in the issuance of 156,135 deficiency citations (2.0/NH/year) in about 15,600 NHs across the country. Regarding the number of complaints, substantiated complaints, and deficiency citations, results show a steady increase compared to previous years. Furthermore, there are marked differences among the CMS survey regions on the prevalence of overall complaints, substantiated complaints, and deficiency citations. However, the average rate of substantiation of complaint allegations shows a decreasing trend over these years, suggesting that complaints may have increased due to higher care expectations.
Microscopic Alterations of the Dental Pulp in Surgically Extracted Teeth of Dogs
Authors: Assunção Gabriela S. M. , Ocarino Natália M. , Sofal Luiz C. , Serakides Rogéria
Published: February 2023

Microscopic alterations in the dental pulp of dogs have not been extensively studied. The aim of this study was to investigate microscopic alterations of the dental pulp in dogs’ teeth. One hundred and ten surgically extracted teeth (20 incisors, 23 canines, 28 premolars, and 39 molars) from 74 dogs, of different ages, with a history of chronic periodontitis (66 dogs), periapical abscesses (2 dogs), pulpitis (2 dogs), oral cavity neoplasms (2 dogs), dens invaginatus (1 dog), and dental fractures (1 dog) were included. Eight-one maxillary and 29 mandibular teeth were included. Coronal, radicular, and coronal plus radicular calculus were present in 28.2%, 17.3%, and 54.5% of the teeth, respectively. In total 78 teeth (71%) had pulp alterations, including fibrosis (26%), calcification (14%), necrosis associated with the absence of odontoblasts (14%), presence of predentin and dentin inside the cavity (8%), odontoblastic hyperplasia (3%), pigmentation (3%), pulpitis (2%), and pulp stones (1%). Forty-nine (60.5%) of the maxillary teeth and all of the mandibular teeth had pulp alterations. The premolars were most affected, and the molars least affected, by pulp alterations. Pulp fibrosis, calcification, and necrosis were observed in teeth irrespective of the distribution of dental calculus.
A review on 4D printing of Nickel-Titanium smart alloy processing, the effect of major parameters and their biomedical applications
Authors: Sinha Ayush , Kumar Rajak Dipen , Shaik Nagoor Basha , Mohapatra Ranjan Kumar , Saxena Kuldeep Kumar , Singh Rajesh , Xu Jinyang , Behera Ajit
Published: February 2023

Nickel-Titanium smart alloys gradually widen their industrial demand due to their inherent structural and functional characteristics. Due to advanced properties such as shape memory effect (SME), superelasticity (SE), corrosion resistance, and better damping property, NiTi is the focus of interest among all the advanced materials. The domain of additive manufacturing (AM) is explored as the 3D print designed parts that sweep the conventional subtractive manufacturing process. Currently, smart structure fabrication by AM is a novel approach. This review paper gives a foundational understanding of NiTi smart alloy fabrication by various AM processes and their application in health care industry. 4D printing methodologies, especially the selective laser melting (SLM) process, are carefully discussed here by considering the sensing parameters for NiTi.
Syphilis and dentists: The data about knowledge and awareness of clinicians in Turkey
Authors: Meseli Suleyman E , Pelit Suleyman
Published: February 2023

Background: Syphilis may give pathognomonic signs in oral cavity. In order to emerge an awareness about dentists’ role in syphilis management, it was aimed to obtain the data from them about their knowledge.

Methods: This survey-based, cross-sectional study was conducted with 709 dentists practicing in Turkey. Participants answered 16 statements about syphilis “Transmission Routes,” “Extra-oral Clinical Features,” “Oral Findings,” and “Diagnosis & Treatment” with options yes/no/I do not know. Moreover, they responded to two 5-point Likert type questions about their comfort level and frequency of taking sexual anamnesis. The statistical significance was set at p ≤ .05.

Results: The mean age (years) and female/male ratio of the participants were 35.7 ± 10.2 and 449/260, respectively. The average of the correct answers in the survey was 10.38 ± 3.3. “Transmission Routes” had the highest ratio (50.6%) in terms of all questions in a single category that were answered correctly among groups. Dentists practicing at faculties had the highest number of correct answers ( p = .003). The total number of correct answers and the number of correct answers in each category were positively related to both the level of comfort and the frequency of taking patient’s sexual anamnesis (Oral Findings p = .002; others p ≤ .001).

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that dentists practicing in Turkey lack a significant level of knowledge about syphilis. This highlights the need for further training and education programs for dentists in Turkey.
“There’s still something positive about the Niger Delta ecology”: Metaphor and ideology in the Niger Delta poetic discourse
Authors: Ononye Chuka , Chiluwa Innocent
Published: February 2023

Studies on Niger Delta (ND) poetry have applied stylistic and discourse analyses in exploring the metaphorical elements of the deplorable ecological condition of the region, but how these elements have been used in creating an alternative positive image of the ecology, especially in Otobotekere’s poetry, has not attracted enough scholarly attention. This study examines metaphors in selected poems from Otobotekere’s My River. The poems were subjected to critical analysis, with insight from conceptual metaphor theory, phenomenonalistic construal, and aspects of ideology discourse. Three conceptual metaphors were observed with their respective phenomenalistic interpretations: the Niger River is a parent (sourced from the construal of ancestry, seasons and source), Niger River flow is entertainment (from the construal of theatrical display, music making and journey) and contacting Niger River is therapy (from the construal of relaxation and care giving). The mappings are associated with three natural traits imaginarily projected by the river, namely, identity, recreation, and comfort. Identity relates to the parental posture of the river, recreation deals with enjoyable nature of it, while comfort has to do with the care derived from coming in contact with the river. Through these metaphorical descriptions, Otobotekere is able to inscribe the ND ecology with an admirable landscape, which seems like an attempt by a former oil worker at greenwashing or changing the predominant ideological outlook of the environment. Thus, conceptual metaphors in Otobotekere’s poetry, with their phenomenalistic interpretation, demonstrate that there is still something positive about the ND ecology.
Stop Consonant Production in Children with Cleft Palate After Palatoplasty
Authors: Hardin-Jones Mary , Chapman Kathy L. , Heimbaugh Libby , Dahill Ann E. , Cummings Caitlin , Baylis Adriane , Hatch Pollard Sarah ,   On behalf of the Cleft Outcomes Research NETwork (CORNET) Consortium
Published: February 2023

:

The current study examined stop consonant production in children with cleft lip and/or palate (CP ± L) 2-6 months following palatal surgery.

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Prospective comparative study.

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Multisite institutional.

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Participants included 113 children with repaired CP ± L (mean age = 16 months) who were participating in the multicenter CORNET study.

Parents of participants were asked to record approximately two hours of their child's vocalizations/words at home using a Language ENvironmental Analysis (LENATM) recorder. Four ten-minute audio-recorded samples of vocalizations were extracted from the original recording for each participant and analyzed for presence of oral stop consonants. A minimum of 100 vocalizations were required for analysis.

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Preliminary findings indicate that at least one oral stop was evident in the consonant inventory for 95 of the 113 children (84%) at the time of their post-surgery 16-month recording, and 80 of these children (71%) were producing two or more different stops. Approximately 50% of the children (57/113) produced the three voiced stops, and eight of the children (7%) were producing all six stop consonants.

:

The findings of this study suggest that the majority of children with repaired CP ± L from English-speaking homes are producing oral stops within six months following palatal surgery. Similar to same-age children without CL ± P, voiced stops were more frequently evident in the children's inventories than voiceless stops. In contrast to findings of previous reports suggesting place of articulation differences, a somewhat comparable percentage of children in this study produced voiced bilabial, alveolar, and velar stops.
South Asian Young Adults and Gender Roles: Expectations, Expressions, and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention
Authors: Mahapatra Neely , Murugan Vithya
Published: February 2023

The goals of the researchers who conducted this study were to explore South Asian young adults’ ( N = 30) perceptions of gender roles and intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention in South Asian communities in the United States. Three distinct themes (a) gender role socialization and expectations, (b) gender role expression/negotiation within own intimate relationship, family, and own community, and (c) IPV prevention were identified. Important implications include how socialization and acculturation processes, immigration, and other factors influence South Asian young adults’ perceptions of IPV in the community.
Large-Scale direct numerical simulations of turbulence using GPUs and modern Fortran
Authors: Karp Martin , Massaro Daniele , Jansson Niclas , Hart Alistair , Wahlgren Jacob , Schlatter Philipp , Markidis Stefano
Published: February 2023

We present our approach to making direct numerical simulations of turbulence with applications in sustainable shipping. We use modern Fortran and the spectral element method to leverage and scale on supercomputers powered by the Nvidia A100 and the recent AMD Instinct MI250X GPUs, while still providing support for user software developed in Fortran. We demonstrate the efficiency of our approach by performing the world’s first direct numerical simulation of the flow around a Flettner rotor at Re = 30,000 and its interaction with a turbulent boundary layer. We present a performance comparison between the AMD Instinct MI250X and Nvidia A100 GPUs for scalable computational fluid dynamics. Our results show that one MI250X offers performance on par with two A100 GPUs and has a similar power efficiency based on readings from on-chip energy sensors.
Concentrations of glucose metabolites in the aqueous humour of diabetic cataract eyes
Authors: Ren Ruoxin , Zhang Guo-Wei , Yang Wen-Yu , Xie Yi , Wei Miao , Guan Huai-Jin , Ji Min
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Glucose metabolism underpins diabetic cataracts (DCs), but the relationship between the two remains unclear. Here, we tested the aqueous humour (AH) of patients with DCs to elucidate glucose metabolite levels.

Methods

In this study, aqueous humour (AH) samples were collected preoperatively from DC eyes (n = 37) and age-related cataract eyes (n = 37) from 74 patients (74 eyes) undergoing uncomplicated cataract surgery. The content of glucose, pyruvate, L-lactate were detected by biochemical methods and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) was detemined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Furthermore, the ratios of glucose/pyruvate and L-lactate/pyruvate in the AH were calculated. In addition, we calculated the correlation between glucose levels and AGEs in the AH.

Results

The concentrations of glucose, pyruvate and AGEs in the DC group were higher than those in the control group. Significantly lower levels of L-lactate in the AH were found in the DC group. We calculated the glucose/pyruvate ratio and the L-lactate/pyruvate ratio in the AH, which showed that glucose metabolism was changed in the AH from DC patients. Interestingly, we observed that AGEs in the AH were significantly correlated with increased anterior chamber glucose permeability. A stronger correlation was found in the subgroups of male patients, younger patients, and patients with poor glycaemic control status.

Conclusions

Comparison of the levels of glucose metabolism-related products in the AH in the DC group highlight a potential pathological mechanism for DC from a glucose metabolism perspective. The findings indicated an alteration in the metabolic pathways of energy metabolism and amino acids in the AH of DC patients.
Effectiveness of c-TACE Combined With Sorafenib Versus c-TACE Monotherapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Liu Shanshan , Han Yunwei , Zhang Zhihong , Wu Fei
Published: February 2023

Background:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has insidious onset. Most HCC patients are in advanced stage at the time of initial diagnosis, and the treatment response is poor. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (c-TACE) combined with sorafenib versus c-TACE monotherapy in the treatment of advanced HCC.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with advanced HCC (stage C based on the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system) admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from December 9, 2013, to February 25, 2021. After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria, 120 patients were finally included, including 60 patients in the c-TACE group and 60 patients in c-TACE + sorafenib group. There were no statistically significant differences in general data between the 2 groups before treatment. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the 2 groups, and prognostic factors were assessed by Cox proportional risk model.

Results:

The study found that median PFS was 7.37 months in the c-TACE + sorafenib group and 5.97 months in c-TACE group, a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 5.239, P = .022 < .05). The median OS was 22.9 months in the combination group and 12.1 months in c-TACE monotherapy group, also a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 5.848, P = .016 < .05). The Cox proportional risk model found that c-TACE number and presence of ascites were common risk factors among patients in both groups ( P < .05).

Conclusion:

c-TACE + sorafenib was superior to c-TACE alone in the treatment of advanced HCC and yielded significant improvements in PFS and OS in our study. The number of c-TACE and presence of ascites were common risk factors affecting the survival of patients in the 2 groups.
Modelling the asymmetric productivity effects of tourism demand
Authors: Kumar Nikeel Nishkar
Published: February 2023

A recent critique of the tourism-growth literature raises concerns about whether tourism leads to permanent economic growth. We argue that tourism can be linked to total factor productivity. Tourism demand spurs efficiency gains in the tourism sector through learning by doing. However, because tourism is demand-led, asymmetric effects may arise in the tourism-productivity association. To model the permanent growth effects of tourism, we use panel asymmetric ARDL models with annual data from 94 countries over the period 1995–2018. The finding implies that tourism has permanent but asymmetric growth effects.
Mechanical properties of shear thickening fluid filled warp-knitted spacer fabrics
Authors: Gu Longxin , Du Zhaoqun , Liu Gui , Ma Mingying
Published: February 2023

This paper reports the compressive behavior and low-velocity impact behavior of warp-knitted spacer fabrics (WKSFs) filled with shear thickening fluid (STF) when subjected to quasi-static compression and low-velocity impact loadings, respectively. In the steady rheological test, the STF experiences a shear thickening transition at a critical shear rate. Besides, the critical shear rate decreases with the increase of silica mass fraction. The compression curves of WKSFs filled with STF composites were consistent with those of WKSFs, including initial, elastic and compaction stage. As the compression speed increases, the overall compression load values of WKSF and WKSFs filled with STF composite increase. Moreover, the compression load of composite increases with the increase of silica mass fraction. Compared with WKSFs, WKSFs filled with STF composite composites need more work to deform under the same strain. The impact result reveals that STF-filled WKSF would absorb more energy and keep the peak load at a lower level than WKSF under the same impact loadings. In a certain range, the energy absorption of composites becomes more excellent with the increasing silica mass fraction. However, over a certain range, the energy absorption of the composite decreases with the increase of the mass fraction of silica. It was concluded that the STF-filled WKSF composite could be expected as a damping or energy-absorptive material for human body protection.
Mycetoma (Madura foot): A Case Report of a Rare Tropical Disease in Turkey
Authors: Kuzucular Elif , Eren Abdulkadir , Isik Eray , Ozden Ferhat
Published: February 2023

Mycetoma is a chronic discharging infection involving the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and bone, which is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries. We report a rare case of mycetoma localized on the foot of a patient living in a country with a temperate climate. A 32-year-old male patient presented with painless swelling in the right foot. He had undergone surgery 3 years ago with the same complaints. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 90 × 65 × 37 mm cystic soft tissue lesion in the posterior of the right ankle. Histological analysis identified the fungus. Extensive resection was performed. Mycetoma is characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammatory response, often associated with sinus tract formations due to fungal (eumycetoma) or bacterial (actinomycetoma) organisms. Here we provide a literature review and highlight the importance of increasing awareness toward mycetoma, particularly in non-endemic regions.
Gene expression patterns and related pathways in the hearts of rhesus monkeys subjected to prolonged myocardial ischemia
Authors: Liu Xiaojuan , Zhang Jingyao , Li Pengfei , Han Pengfei , Kang Y James , Zhang Wenjing
Published: February 2023

After myocardial infarction (MI) occurs, progressive pathological cardiac remodeling results in heart dysfunction and even heart failure during the following months or years. The present study explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the late phase of MI at the global transcript level. A rhesus monkey model of myocardial ischemia induced by left anterior descending (LAD) artery ligation was established, and the heart tissue was collected eight weeks after ligation for transcriptome analysis by DNA microarray technology. Differentially expressed genes in the core infarcted area and remote infarcted area of the ischemic heart were detected with significance analysis of microarray (SAM), and related pathways were detected by Gene Ontology (GO)/pathway analysis. We found that compared to the sham condition, prolonged ischemia increased the levels of 941 transcripts, decreased the levels of 380 transcripts in the core infarcted area, and decreased the levels of 8 transcripts in the remote area in monkey heart tissue. Loss of coordination between the expression of genes, including natriuretic peptide A ( NPPA), NPPB, and corin (Corin, serine peptidase), may aggravate cardiac remodeling. Furthermore, imbalance in the enriched significantly changed pathways, including fibrosis-related pathways, cardioprotective pathways, and the cardiac systolic pathway, likely also plays a key role in regulating the development of heart remodeling.
Antibiotic impregnation and nanocoating of external ventricular drainage catheters for antibacterial applications: Evaluation of in vitro studies and molecular docking
Authors: Eawsakul Komgrit , Parajuli Deepak , Wongsuwan Nattarat , Nasongkla Norased
Published: February 2023

The most suitable method to treat hydrocephalus disease is to insert a shunt catheter that drains the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF); however, shunt implantation is often associated with various bacterial infections. In this study, antibiotic-loaded nanospheres were prepared using the solvent evaporation technique and coated on an antibiotic-impregnated shunt surface to promote shunt antibacterial properties. Clindamycin (CDM) and rifampicin (RIF) were in combination loaded in a single nanosphere, whereas trimethoprim (TMP) was loaded individually in triblock copolymers [(d,l-lactide-random-ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-(d,l-lactide-random-ε-caprolactone)] (PLEC). The drug-loading content, encapsulation efficiency, yield, size, and zeta potential of the antibiotic-loaded nanospheres were measured. The results showed that the drug-loading content of clindamycin- and rifampicin-loaded nanospheres (CDM/RIF-NPs) was approximately 3% and 8%, respectively, at a drug to polymer ratio of 1:2. In addition, trimethoprim-loaded nanospheres (TMP-NPs) showed nearly 7% drug loading at equal drug and polymer ratios. The amount of drug release was determined before and after the coating of nanospheres on the shunt surface. In addition, in silico molecular docking studies indicated the good chemical interaction of these antibiotics with PLEC, and the results were consistent with those of impregnation studies. Antibacterial tests of coated external ventricular drainage showed antibacterial activity for up to 21 days.
Memories of nursing in Singapore – an oral history approach
Authors: Hoon Lim Siew , Aloweni Fazila , Ang Shin Yuh , Ayre Tracy Carol , Uthaman Thendral , Hassan Norasyikin , Lee Kim Hua , Teo Lee Wah , Ngoh Soh Heng , Chua Ying Jie , Chen Ling-Jun , Shorey Shefaly
Published: February 2023

Background:

Documentation of the voices of nurses provided valuable insight and a greater understanding of the nursing experience in Singapore.

Aim:

To record nurses’ experiences of journey of nursing profession in the acute care setting in Singapore from the early days of formalisation of nursing education to today’s practice as a profession with various specialisation and career tracks.

Method:

An oral history research approach was adopted, with purposive and snowball sampling to recruit nurses (both current and retired) who had trained in Singapore from 1956 which marked the beginning of the founding of the School of Nursing to current. Interviews were conducted with an interview guide. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the audio-recorded data.

Results:

The 54 participants with a range of 10–54 years of nursing experience were interviewed and they completed their nursing training between 1952 and 2006. Four themes were generated: essence of nursing, inevitable changes across nursing profession, resilience and future outlook in nursing.

Conclusions:

Understanding the experiences of these nurses generated an in-depth understanding of the personal, social and historical events that were at play in fostering today’s nursing practice. With the evolution of the roles in nursing, compassion in current practice needs to be re-evaluated. Continuous learning is essential to meet the needs of the changing healthcare landscape.
Nurses’ assessment of the ethical climate of a university hospital in the South of Brazil
Authors: Carpes Lanes Taís , de Lima Dalmolin Graziele , Maciel da Silva Augusto , Costa Schutz Thaís , Bosi de Souza Magnago Tânia Solange , Andolhe Rafaela
Published: February 2023

Background:

Ethical climate can be defined as the healthcare professionals’ perceptions of the ethical treatment of healthcare issues and human interactions in their work environment. A number of studies on ethical climate are being carried out in several countries. In Brazil, however, research on the matter is still incipient, especially among hospital nurses.

Aim:

To assess nurses’ perception of the ethical climate in a university hospital in the South of Brazil.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study carried out with 269 nurses from a university hospital, using a sociodemographic and occupational profiling survey and the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey – Brazilian version. Data analysis was done through descriptive statistics.

Results:

The nurses’ perception of the ethical climate was positive (3.68 ± 0.55). Among the five assessment factors, ‘peers’ had the highest score (4.07 ± 0.57), whereas ‘physicians’ had the lowest score (3.26 ± 0.70) for ethical climate.

Conclusion:

In general, the ethical climate was perceived as positive, with small variations between the factors of the instrument. Ethical climate could be enhanced through strategies that encourage interpersonal relationships. This study shows the importance of a positive ethical climate based on good relationships between healthcare professionals for ensuring better care.
Characteristics of ulnar neuropathy in baseball players: Focusing on the entrapment point of the ulnar nerve and valgus instability
Authors: Noda Issei , Fukumoto Yusuke , Kitano Masashi , Kudo Shintarou
Published: February 2023

Background

The region where the ulnar nerve (UN) is swollen in baseball players with ulnar neuropathy is not apparent. This study investigated the UN's cross-sectional area (CSA) at each entrapment point in baseball players. We also aimed to clarify the relationship between valgus instability and the CSA of the UN.

Methods

Forty baseball players were separated into healthy and ulnar neuropathy groups. The CSA and valgus instability were measured using ultrasonography (US). Relative to the medial epicondyle (MEC), the arcade of Struthers (SA) was 5 cm proximal, the cubital tunnel was the posterior part, and Osborne's ligament was defined as 3 cm distal. The ulnohumeral joint space was imaged as a low-echo space between the distal-medial corner of the trochlea and the proximal edge of the sublime tubercle.

Results

The UN in the ulnar neuropathy group had significant swelling in the cubital tunnel and Osborne's ligament. We found a weak positive correlation between the CSA and ulnohumeral joint space, and the ulnohumeral joint space at rest and valgus stress.

Conclusion

Evaluation and treatment of UN, especially cubital tunnel and Osborne's ligament, are necessary for the rehabilitation of baseball players presenting with ulnar neuropathy and valgus instability.
Anxiety and well-being amidst the COVID-19 outbreak and the moderating role of locus-of-hope: Evidence from a large sample in the Philippines
Authors: Dizon John Ian Wilzon T. , Mendoza Norman B. , Nalipay Ma. Jenina N.
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a heavy psychological burden on the lives of many individuals and created a rise in the prevalence of anxiety, which could be detrimental to people's well-being. Nevertheless, there have also been reports about having hope in overcoming the challenges brought about by the pandemic. The study intended to find out whether the different locus-of-hope dimensions (internal, family, peers, and spiritual locus-of-hope) would moderate the impact of anxiety symptoms on well-being (psychological, social, and emotional well-being). A nationwide survey was conducted among Filipino adults ( N = 10,529). Results showed that anxiety symptoms were negatively associated with psychological, social, and emotional well-being. Moderation analyses show that internal, family, and spiritual locus-of-hope buffered the negative effect of anxiety symptoms on specific well-being outcomes, whereas peer locus-of hope did not. The study demonstrates the importance of hope as a viable resource in facilitating an individual's well-being amid adverse and uncertain circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The East-West Collaboration across the Iron Curtain against Polio Epidemics: Soviet Engagement with Global Health and Poliomyelitis Vaccine Development in 1956-1964
Authors: Shin Boram
Published: February 2023

The eradication of polio has often been portrayed as an “American story” since the heroes who invented the first polio vaccines, the primary weapon against the disease, were American medical scientists and health administrators. The main protagonists of the story are Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, the developers of the IPV and oral poliovirus vaccine. This paper revisits the story of polio vaccine development from a Soviet perspective, focusing on an international collaboration initiated by Soviet scientists who crossed the Iron Curtain and visited the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1955, Mikhail Chumakov, the head of the newly established Soviet Institute of Poliomyelitis, led a small group of Soviet medical scientists to the United States to learn about the Salk polio vaccine. The delegation gained more than just knowledge about American polio vaccine development, but they also established a regular channel for communication and collaboration between Soviet and American medical scientists that led to the national immunization program against polio in the USSR. The vaccine used for the Soviet mass immunization campaign was the Sabin live-attenuated polio vaccine that would ultimately be chosen as the weapon for global polio eradication. This paper suggests that the Soviet science diplomacy in the field of global medicine was shaped by the Soviet scientists’ experience of cooperating with their American counterparts for the Soviet polio vaccination campaign. In other words, the experience of international collaboration on the polio vaccination campaign influenced Soviet science diplomacy in the Cold War era.
South Korea’s Detent with Soviet Russia: Building Diplomatic Relationship through Science and Technology Diplomacy, 1988–1998
Authors: Moon Manyong
Published: February 2023

This paper examines the highs and lows of Russian-South Korean collaboration in science and technology (S&T) during the first 10 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1988–1998). S&T collaboration served as a path to improve diplomacy in the absence of prior interaction and offered an opportunity for both countries to collaborate in their pursuit of technological advancement and economic growth. However, the history of this collaboration has been largely forgotten. The paper investigates the reasons for the decline of Russian-South Korean S&T collaboration and identifies potential obstacles to establishing a lasting and stable bilateral partnership in the field of science and technology.
A two-stage spectral model for sound texture perception: Synthesis and psychophysics
Authors: Maruyama Hironori , Okada Kosuke , Motoyoshi Isamu
Published: February 2023

The natural environment is filled with a variety of auditory events such as wind blowing, water flowing, and fire crackling. It has been suggested that the perception of such textural sounds is based on the statistics of the natural auditory events. Inspired by a recent spectral model for visual texture perception, we propose a model that can describe the perceived sound texture only with the linear spectrum and the energy spectrum. We tested the validity of the model by using synthetic noise sounds that preserve the two-stage amplitude spectra of the original sound. Psychophysical experiment showed that our synthetic noises were perceived as like the original sounds for 120 real-world auditory events. The performance was comparable with the synthetic sounds produced by McDermott-Simoncelli's model which considers various classes of auditory statistics. The results support the notion that the perception of natural sound textures is predictable by the two-stage spectral signals.
The right to information or data sovereignty? Sending unsolicited messages to Russians about the war in Ukraine
Authors: Li Yao-Tai , Whitworth Katherine
Published: February 2023

The Russian government's narrative about the Russia-Ukraine war has raised concerns about disinformation, fake news and freedom of information. In response, websites have been developed that allow people across the world to call or send emails and texts with information about the war to individuals based in Russia. To facilitate this person-to-person communication between strangers, automated data processing has been used to collect personal data from the internet and compile it into publicly accessible mailing lists. This side-stepping of consent coupled with the nature of information being transmitted and the motivation behind its transmission poses important questions of an ethical nature: What is an appropriate balance between the data subjects’ right to freedom of information and their right to privacy? Can data processing without the consent of the data subject be justified in certain circumstances? This commentary does not seek to provide definitive answers to these questions, rather it canvases some key issues in the hope of starting further dialogue on the topic.
Role for calcineurin inhibitor in tyrosine kinase inhibitor-induced focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
Authors: Teruel Benjamin R , Bruner Evelyn T , McMahon Blaithin A
Published: February 2023

Background:

As the use and indications of anti-angiogenic therapies such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tyrosine kinases inhibitors (TKI’s) continues to expand, clinicians will be faced with an increase in adverse kidney events associated with these therapies. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA) are well recognized kidney pathologies identified in patients receiving anti-angiogenic therapy. Options to treat the nephrotoxicity induced by these agents include discontinuation or dose reduction of the anti-angiogenic therapy or change to alternative agent within the same class of drug.

Case presentation:

We describe the case of a 74-year-old Caucasian man with metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma who developed proteinuria and peripheral edema following treatment with Lenvatinib, 20 mg. Kidney biopsy revealed FSGS. Partial resolution of proteinuria (>1.0 g/g) was achieved via temporary discontinuation of Lenvatinib and treatment with oral prednisone. Subsequently, tumor burden increased off Lenvatinib and a collective decision was made to resume this medication at a lower dose. Proteinuria then increased to nephrotic range (>4.0 g/g) following resumption of Lenvatinib, 14 mg. Over the next 3 months the patient went into a complete clinical remission of his nephrotic syndrome following administration of the calcineurin-inhibitor, tacrolimus and permitted ongoing concurrent use of Lenvatinib.

Conclusions:

Our case demonstrates that low-dose calcineurin inhibitors may have efficacy as a second-line treatment in instances of TKI-induced FSGS. Further studies must be conducted to determine the protective mechanisms of tacrolimus on podocytes from TKIs, however, we hypothesize that calcineurin inhibitors may protect podocytes via downregulation of c-mip, which is overexpressed in the presence of VEGF inhibition and contributes to podocyte cytoskeleton remodeling and subsequent proteinuria.
An Expansion of the Endoplasmic Reticulum that Halts Autophagy is Permissive to Genome Instability
Authors: Lara-Barba Eliana , Torán-Vilarrubias Alba , Moriel-Carretero María
Published: February 2023

The links between autophagy and genome stability, and whether they are important for lifespan and health, are not fully understood. We undertook a study to explore this notion at the molecular level using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. On the one hand, we triggered autophagy using rapamycin, to which we exposed mutants defective in preserving genome integrity, then assessed their viability, their ability to induce autophagy and the link between these two parameters. On the other hand, we searched for molecules derived from plant extracts known to have powerful benefits on human health to try to rescue the negative effects rapamycin had against some of these mutants. We uncover that autophagy execution is lethal for mutants unable to repair DNA double strand breaks, while the extract from Silybum marianum seeds induces an expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that blocks autophagy and protects them. Our data uncover a connection between genome integrity and homeostasis of the ER whereby ER stress-like scenarios render cells tolerant to sub-optimal genome integrity conditions.
Stories, contingent materialities, and moral inquiry: Response to Simone, MacLeavy, Kim, and Lake
Authors: Jon Ihnji
Published: February 2023

In response to the thoughtful and generous commentaries of Simone, MacLeavy, Kim, and Lake in my paper “Bubble Clash,” I lay out three considerations for social inquiry and knowledge production. First, learning from MacIntyre’s discussion of Jane Austen, whose stories exemplify an imaginative moral inquiry in which different rationalities and virtues collide, I highlight the role of stories in moral progress in which our sensitivity and responsiveness to people and things are increased. Second, I expand on Simone’s and MacLeavy’s notion of contingent materialities that mandate storytellers’ work to be always in progress and “in the middle.” I connect this line of thought with Kim’s “dreamscapes” of the municipalities in Georgia where the past, present, and future are being spatially materialized, the examples of which include the continuing legacies of institutional anti-Blackness concurrently existing with immigrants’ growing physical predominance in “White-fled” areas. Finally, I return to Lake’s pragmatism and its emphasis on moral inquiry. No matter how complex, ungraspable, and perturbing the world may seem, the wisdom of pragmatism invites us to start from questioning the purpose of our writing act: why do we write and for whom do we write?
Impact of Vincristine-Steroid Pulses in Maintenance for B-Cell Pediatric ALL: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Guolla Louise , Breitbart Sara , Foroutan Farid , Thabane Lehana , Loh Mignon L. , Teachey David T , Raetz Elizabeth A. , Gupta Sumit
Published: February 2023

The benefit associated with the incorporation of vincristine-corticosteroid pulses into maintenance therapy for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is unclear, particularly in the context of modern intensive therapy. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of reducing frequency of vincristine-steroid pulses during maintenance for newly diagnosed pediatric patients with B-cell ALL. Two authors reviewed all eligible studies identified through a comprehensive search, extracted data from the 25 included publications (12 513 patients), and assessed risk of bias. We created historical and contemporary subgroups; the latter included trials providing a version of Protocol III from early Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster trials and eliminating routine prophylactic cranial radiation. Meta-analysis of event-free survival data suggested no benefit between more frequent or less frequent pulses in contemporary trials (HR 0.96, 95%CI 0.85-1.09) which differs significantly from historical trials (HR 0.79, 95%CI 0.68-0.91, p=0.04). We found no significant impact of reduced pulse frequency on overall survival or relapse risk. There was however an increased odds of Grade 3+ non-hepatic toxicity in the high pulse frequency group (OR 1.31, 95%CI 1.12-1.52). This systematic review suggests that the previous benefit conferred by frequent pulses of vincristine-steroids in maintenance therapy for pediatric B-cell ALL in historical trials no longer applies in contemporary trials but is associated with toxicity. These results will help guide development of the next phase of clinical trials in the field of pediatric ALL and question the continued use of pulses in maintenance for patients not on clinical trials, particularly those experiencing toxicity.
A predictive model for acute exacerbation of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias
Authors: Karayama Masato , Aoshima Yoichiro , Suzuki Takahito , Mori Kazutaka , Yoshizawa Nobuko , Ichikawa Shintaro , Kato Shinpei , Yokomura Koshi , Kono Masato , Hashimoto Dai , Inoue Yusuke , Yasui Hideki , Hozumi Hironao , Suzuki Yuzo , Furuhashi Kazuki , Fujisawa Tomoyuki , Enomoto Noriyuki , Goshima Satoshi , Inui Naoki , Suda Takafumi
Published: February 2023

Background

Acute exacerbation of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (AE-IIPs) induces permanent pulmonary dysfunction and is potentially lethal. The unpredictable occurrence of AE-IIPs remains an important clinical issue in the management of IIPs.

Methods

In this multicentre, retrospective, observational study, a predictive score for AE-IIPs was designed using clinical factors based on multivariate Fine–Gray analysis in patients with IIPs.

Results

Based on multivariate Fine–Gray analysis in an exploratory cohort of 487 patients with IIPs, the predictive score for AE-IIPs was determined as follows: 1 point each was added for honeycombing on high-resolution computed tomography (H), age >75 years (A) and lactate dehydrogenase level >222 U·L−1(L); the total score ranged from 0 to 3 (HAL score). The HAL score discriminated the risk of AE-IIPs with a C-index of 0.62 (95% CI 0.56–0.67); this discrimination was verified in a validation cohort of 402 patients with IIPs with a C-index of 0.67 (95% CI 0.60–0.73). In a combined cohort, the estimated cumulative risks for AE-IIPs at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 years were 1.9%, 3.5%, 5.1%, 7.7% and 12.9%, respectively, in the total score 0 group; 4.7%, 8.3%, 12.0%, 17.7% and 28.4%, respectively, in the total score 1 group; and 8.0%, 14.2%, 19.7%, 28.7% and 43.0%, respectively, in the total score ≥2 group. Subgroup analysis revealed that the HAL score was applicable to patients with and without idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Conclusions

The HAL score discriminated the risk of AE-IIPs and could aid in the management of IIPs.
Functional respiratory complaints among COVID-19 survivors: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Beurnier Antoine , Savale Laurent , Jaïs Xavier , Colle Romain , Pham Tai , Morin Luc , Bulifon Sophie , Noël Nicolas , Boucly Athénaïs , Delbarre Benoit , Ebstein Nathan , Figueiredo Samy , Gasnier Matthieu , Harrois Anatole , Jutant Etienne-Marie , Jevnikar Mitja , Keddache Sophia , Lecoq Anne-Lise , Meyrignac Olivier , Parent Florence , Pichon Jérémie , Preda Mariana , Roche Anne , Seferian Andrei , Bellin Marie-France , Gille Thomas , Corruble Emmanuelle , Sitbon Olivier , Becquemont Laurent , Monnet Xavier , Humbert Marc , Montani David ,   and the Comebac Investigators,   the Comebac Investigators, Morin Luc , Savale Laurent , Pham Tài , Colle Romain , Figueiredo Samy , Harrois Anatole , Gasnier Matthieu , Lecoq Anne-Lise , Meyrignac Olivier , Noel Nicolas , Baudry Elodie , Bellin Marie-France , Beurnier Antoine , Choucha Walid , Corruble Emmanuelle , Dortet Laurent , Hardy-Leger Isabelle , Radiguer François , Sportouch Sabine , Verny Christiane , Wyplosz Benjamin , Zaidan Mohamad , Becquemont Laurent , Montani David , Monnet Xavier
Published: February 2023

Background

Dyspnoea is a common persistent symptom after COVID-19. Whether it is associated with functional respiratory disorders remains unclear.

Methods

We assessed the proportion and characteristics of patients with “functional respiratory complaints” (FRCs) (as defined by Nijmegen Questionnaire >22) among 177 post-COVID-19 individuals who benefited from outclinic evaluation in the COMEBAC study (i.e., symptomatic and/or intensive care unit (ICU) survivors at 4 months). In a distinct explanatory cohort of 21 consecutive individuals with unexplained post-COVID-19 dyspnoea after routine tests, we also analysed the physiological responses to incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).

Findings

In the COMEBAC cohort, 37 patients had significant FRCs (20.9%, IC95: 14.9–26.9). The prevalence of FRCs ranged from 7.2% (ICU patients) to 37.5% (non-ICU patients). The presence of FRCs was significantly associated with more severe dyspnoea, lower 6-min walk distance, more frequent psychological and neurological symptoms (cognitive complaint, anxiety, depression, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorders) and poorer quality of life (all p<0.01). In the explanatory cohort, seven out of 21 patients had significant FRCs. Based on CPET, dysfunctional breathing was identified in 12 out of 21 patients, five out of 21 had normal CPET, three out of 21 had deconditioning and one out of 21 had evidence of uncontrolled cardiovascular disease.

Interpretation

FRCs are common during post-COVID-19 follow-up, especially among patients with unexplained dyspnoea. Diagnosis of dysfunctional breathing should be considered in those cases.