bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Childhood maltreatment, psychiatric symptoms, and suicidal thoughts among adolescents receiving substance use treatment services
Authors: Tubman Jonathan G. , Oshri Assaf , Duprey Erinn B. , Sutton Tara E.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Childhood maltreatment experiences are associated with future suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, yet the roles of specific psychiatric symptoms mediating this relation remain to be clarified. To clarify these relations, we tested a model incorporating multiple forms of childhood maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical punishment, emotional neglect), past year psychiatric disorder symptoms during adolescence (anxiety, mood, and conduct disorders) and recent suicidal thoughts.

Methods

We administered structured interviews to 394 adolescents receiving outpatient substance use treatment services in the Southeastern United States (280 males; Mage = 16.33; SDage = 1.15). Structural equation models (SEMs) were used to evaluate the degree to which relations between childhood maltreatment and suicidal thoughts were mediated by specific past‐year psychiatric symptoms.

Results

Mood disorder symptoms significantly mediated the relation between neglect/negative home environment and suicidal thoughts. This path of influence did not vary by gender.

Conclusions

Childhood maltreatment and subsequent psychopathology influence suicidal thoughts among adolescents receiving substance use treatment services. The findings of the present study have implications for the adaptation and delivery of substance use treatment services to adolescents to enhance treatment engagement and outcomes.
Marine Penetrating Injury to the Shoulder of Uncertain Origin
Authors: Briotti Joshua , Jayamaha Joseph Yohan , Keogh Angus
Published: April 2021

Penetrating injuries from marine animals are rare events; however, published case reports have detailed critical injuries including death occurring as a result of such incidents. We present a case of a marine penetrating injury to the right posterolateral shoulder of a 10-y-old boy. The patient underwent open surgical debridement and a course of oral antibiotics before returning to normal function. Clinicians should have an appreciation of various clinical patterns of marine penetrating wounds, the need for prompt imaging to exclude foreign bodies, and appropriate antibiotics to cover gram-negative bacteria and Vibrio species, which are commonly found in marine-related injuries.
The Bronze Horseman of Justinian in Constantinople
Authors: Boeck Elena N.
Published: April 2021

Justinian's triumphal column was the tallest free-standing column of the pre-modern world and was crowned with arguably the largest metal equestrian sculpture created anywhere in the world before 1699. The Byzantine empire's bronze horseman towered over the heart of Constantinople, assumed new identities, spawned conflicting narratives, and acquired widespread international acclaim. Because all traces of Justinian's column were erased from the urban fabric of Istanbul in the sixteenth century, scholars have undervalued its astonishing agency and remarkable longevity. Its impact in visual and verbal culture was arguably among the most extensive of any Mediterranean monument. This book analyzes Byzantine, Islamic, Slavic, Crusader, and Renaissance historical accounts, medieval pilgrimages, geographic, apocalyptic and apocryphal narratives, vernacular poetry, Byzantine, Bulgarian, Italian, French, Latin, and Ottoman illustrated manuscripts, Florentine wedding chests, Venetian paintings, and Russian icons to provide an engrossing and pioneering biography of a contested medieval monument during the millennium of its life.
Local brand entry and incumbent variety response: evidence from the ice cream market
Authors: Dong Xiao , Klaiber H. Allen
Published: April 2021

We investigate incumbent brands’ response to entry and increased competition in a large retail setting. We extend the nonprice competition and manufacturer stocking literatures by examining if incumbent brands increase quality, specifically increasing the number of varieties (product-line length), in response to entry of a new local brand in the ice cream market. We use the entry of a new, local, super-premium ice cream brand in a large supermarket chain as a quasi-natural experiment and empirically examine if incumbent ice cream brands increased the product-line length in stores carrying the new brand. Using Poisson difference-in-differences estimators, we find that incumbent brands increased the number of varieties offered by 0.9 (3 percent) after the new brand's entry, with most of the responses coming from super-premium ice cream, which increased the number of varieties offered by 2.9 (12 percent) product choices. These findings contribute new insights into quality changes, manufacturer stocking decisions, and nonprice competition associated with entry of a local brand into the food retail sector.
The Attributional–Counterfactual Theory of Need: Integrating Theories to Predict Need Norm Use
Authors: Liu Joseph T. , Mendez Maria J.
Published: April 2021

The justice literature has coalesced around the notion that actors (e.g., supervisors) tend to utilize the norm of equity for resource allocation decisions because it is generally considered most fair when employees who contribute more to the organization receive more resources. Yet, actors might sometimes utilize a need norm to allocate resources to those most in need. Studies that have addressed need-based resource allocations have assumed a relatively straightforward conceptualization of need. However, research from related areas suggests that multiple characteristics of the need itself could trigger actors’ use of a need norm to allocate resources. We advance a theoretical framework that outlines various need characteristics that drive actors’ use of a need norm. The framework draws on the processes outlined in attribution theory and integrates those with the content domains addressed in fairness theory. A discussion of the implications for justice, attribution, and fairness theory research follows.
Value of peer mentoring for early career professional, research, and personal development: a case study of implementation scientists
Authors: Dickson Kelsey S. , Glass Joseph E. , Barnett Miya L. , Graham Andrea K. , Powell Byron J. , Stadnick Nicole A.
Published: April 2021

Effective mentoring is a key mechanism propelling successful research and academic careers, particularly for early career scholars. Most mentoring programs focus on models pairing senior and early career researchers, with limited focus on peer mentoring. Peer mentoring may be especially advantageous within emerging areas such as implementation science (IS) where challenges to traditional mentoring may be more prevalent. This special communication highlights the value of peer mentoring by describing a case study of an early career IS peer mentoring group. We delineate our curriculum and structure; support and processes; and products and outcomes. We highlight important group member characteristics to consider during group formation and continuation. The group’s long-term (6 years) success was attributed to the balance of similarities and differences among group members. Members were in a similar career phase and used similar methodologies but studied different health topics at different institutions. Group members gave and received instrumental and psychosocial support and shared resources and knowledge. Peer mentoring can serve an important function to provide emotional, logistical, and professional development support for early career scholars. Our case study highlights strategies to foster peer mentoring groups that provide a generalizable blueprint and opportunity for improved outcomes for early career professionals.
Clinical trial enrollment at a rural satellite hospital during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sedhai Yub Raj , Sears Melissa , Vecchiè Alessandra , Bonaventura Aldo , Greer Joan , Spence Kathryn , Tackett Hilary , Turner Juanita , Pak Mary , Patel Nimesh , Black Mellisa , Wohlford George , Clary Rick Earle , Duke Christina , Hardin Mary , Kemp Heather , Priday Anna , Sims Earl Kenneth , Mihalick Virginia , Ho Ai-Chen , Ibe Ikenna , Harmon Mary , Markley Roshanak , Van Tassell Benjamin , Abbate Antonio
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Controlled clinical trials (CCTs) have traditionally been limited to urban academic clinical centers. Implementation of CCTs in rural setting is challenged by lack of resources, the inexperience of patient care team members in CCT conductance and workflow interruption, and global inexperience with remote data monitoring.

Methods:

We report our experience during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in activating through remote monitoring a multicenter clinical trial (the Study of Efficacy and Safety of Canakinumab Treatment for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in Participants with COVID-19-induced Pneumonia [CAN-COVID] trial, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04362813) at a rural satellite hospital, the VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (VCU-CMH) in South Hill, VA, that is part of the larger VCU Health network, with the lead institution being VCU Health Medical College of Virginia Hospital (VCU-MCV), Richmond, VA. We used the local resources at the facility and remote guidance and oversight from the VCU-MCV resources using a closed-loop communication network. Investigational pharmacy, pathology, and nursing were essential to operate the work in coordination with the lead institution.

Results:

Fifty-one patients with COVID-19 were enrolled from May to August 2020, 35 (69%) at VCU-MCV, and 16 (31%) at VCU-CMH. Among the patients enrolled at VCU-CMH, 37.5% were female, 62.5% Black, and had a median age of 60 (interquartile range 56–68) years.

Conclusion:

Local decentralization of this trial in our experience gave rural patients access to a novel treatment and also accelerated enrollment and more diverse participants’ representative of the target population.
A multi-institutional partnership catalyzing the commercialization of medical devices and biotechnology products
Authors: Hafer Nathaniel , Buchholz Bryan , Dunlap Denise , Fournier Brennan , Latham Scott , Picard Mary Ann , Tello Steven , Gibson Laura , Lilly Craig M. , McManus David D.
Published: April 2021

The commercialization of medical devices and biotechnology products is characterized by high failure rates and long development lead times particularly among start-up enterprises. To increase the success rate of these high-risk ventures, the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) and University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) partnered to create key academic support centers with programs to accelerate entrepreneurship and innovation in this industry. In 2008, UML and UMMS founded the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2), which is a business and technology incubator that provides business planning, product prototyping, laboratory services, access to clinical testing, and ecosystem networking to medical device and biotech start-up firms. M2D2 has three physical locations that encompass approximately 40,000 square feet. Recently, M2D2 leveraged these resources to expand into new areas such as health security, point of care technologies for heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders, and rapid diagnostics to detect SARS-CoV-2. Since its inception, M2D2 has vetted approximately 260 medical device and biotech start-up companies for inclusion in its programs and provided active support to more than 80 firms. This manuscript describes how two UMass campuses leveraged institutional, state, and Federal resources to create a thriving entrepreneurial environment for medical device and biotech companies.
Prehospital Triage by Lay Person First Responders: A Scoping Review and Proposal for a new Prehospital Triage Tool
Authors: Jetten Wesley D , Seesink Jeroen , Klimek Markus
Published: April 2021

Objective:

The primary aim of this study is to review the available tools for prehospital triage in case of mass casualty incidents and secondly, to develop a tool which enables lay person first responders (LPFRs) to perform triage and start basic life support in mass casualty incidents.

Methods:

In July 2019, online databases were consulted. Studies addressing prehospital triage methods for lay people were analyzed. Secondly, a new prehospital triage tool for LPFRs was developed. Therefore, a search for prehospital triage models available in literature was conducted and triage actions were extracted.

Results:

The search resulted in 6188 articles, and after screening, a scoping review of 4 articles was conducted. All articles stated that there is great potential to provide accurate prehospital triage by people with no healthcare experience. Based on these findings, and combined with the pre-existing prehospital triage tools, we developed a, not-yet validated, prehospital triage tool for lay people, which may improve disaster awareness and preparedness and might positively contribute to community resilience.

Conclusion:

The prehospital triage tool for lay person first responders may be useful and may help professional medical first responders to determine faster, which casualties most urgently need help in a mass casualty incident.
Facilitating design: examining the effects of facilitator’s neutrality on trust and potency in an exploratory experimental study
Authors: Wróbel Agata Ewa , Lomberg Carina , Cash Philip
Published: April 2021

Facilitation style appears to be an important determinant of design team effectiveness. The neutrality of the group facilitator may be a key factor; however, the characteristics and impact of neutrality are relatively understudied. In a designed classroom setting, we examine the impact of two different approaches to group facilitation: (i) facilitator’s neutrality expressed as low equidistance and high impartiality and (ii) facilitator’s neutrality expressed as high equidistance and low impartiality, onteam trust,trust to the facilitatorandteam potency.To do this, we conducted a repeated-measures experiment with a student sample. Our results indicate that facilitators expressing neutrality through low equidistance and high impartiality had a greater positive impact on team trust. The two approaches did not differ on team potency and facilitator trust. These results contribute to developing theories of design facilitation and team effectiveness by suggesting how facilitation may shape team trust and potency in group design. Based on our findings, we point to the need for future work to further examine the impact of facilitator’s process awareness and neutrality, and show how facilitation methods may benefit teams during creative design teamwork.
Physical prototyping rationale in design student projects: an analysis based on the concept of purposeful prototyping
Authors: Petrakis Konstantinos , Wodehouse Andrew , Hird Abigail
Published: April 2021

Prototyping constitutes a major theme of design education and an integral part of engineering design academic courses. Physical prototypes and the model building process, in particular, have been proved to boost students’ creativity and resourcefulness and assist in the better evaluation of concepts. However, students’ usage of prototypes has still not been explored in depth with the aim of being transformed into educational guidelines. This paper presents an investigation of students’ reasoning behind prototyping activities based on the concept of Purposeful Prototyping, developed in the authors’ previous work. This is performed by identifying instances of prototype use in students’ design projects and by discovering which types of prototyping purposes they apply and to what extent, as well as by studying the relationships between purposes, early design stages, academic performance and project planning. The analysis of the results shows that prototyping can support students’ learning objectives by acting as a project scheduling tool and highlights the contribution of early-stage prototyping in academic performance. It is also confirmed that students’ limited prototyping scope prevents them from gaining prototyping’s maximum benefits and that they require strategic guidelines tailored to their needs. A new, improved list of prototyping purposes is proposed based on the study’s results.
Cantor spectrum for CMV and Jacobi matrices with coefficients arising from generalized skew-shifts
Authors: JUN HYUNKYU
Published: April 2021

We consider continuous cocycles arising from CMV and Jacobi matrices. Assuming that the Verblunsky and Jacobi coefficients arise from generalized skew-shifts, we prove that uniform hyperbolicity of the associated cocycles is
$C^0$
-dense. This implies that the associated CMV and Jacobi matrices have a Cantor spectrum for a generic continuous sampling map.
Smoothness of solutions of a convolution equation of restricted type on the sphere
Authors: Oliveira e Silva Diogo , Quilodrán René
Published: April 2021

Let

$\mathbb {S}^{d-1}$

denote the unit sphere in Euclidean space

$\mathbb {R}^d$

,

$d\geq 2$

, equipped with surface measure

$\sigma _{d-1}$

. An instance of our main result concerns the regularity of solutions of the convolution equation

$$\begin{align*}a\cdot(f\sigma_{d-1})^{\ast {(q-1)}}\big\vert_{\mathbb{S}^{d-1}}=f,\text{ a.e. on }\mathbb{S}^{d-1}, \end{align*}$$

where

$a\in C^\infty (\mathbb {S}^{d-1})$

,

$q\geq 2(d+1)/(d-1)$

is an integer, and the only a priori assumption is

$f\in L^2(\mathbb {S}^{d-1})$

. We prove that any such solution belongs to the class

$C^\infty (\mathbb {S}^{d-1})$

. In particular, we show that all critical points associated with the sharp form of the corresponding adjoint Fourier restriction inequality on

$\mathbb {S}^{d-1}$

are

$C^\infty $

-smooth. This extends previous work of Christ and Shao [4] to arbitrary dimensions and general even exponents and plays a key role in the companion paper [24].
Antimicrobial stewardship programs in adult intensive care units in Latin America: Implementation, assessments, and impact on outcomes
Authors: Quirós Rodolfo E. , Bardossy Ana C. , Angeleri Patricia , Zurita Jeannete , Aleman Espinoza Washington R. , Carneiro Marcelo , Guerra Silvia , Medina Julio , Castañeda Luquerna Ximena , Guerra Alexander , Vega Silvio , Cuellar Ponce de Leon Luis E. , Munita José , Escobar Elvio D. , Maki Gina , Prentiss Tyler , Zervos Marcus ,   for the PROA-LATAM Project Group
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To assess the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in adult medical–surgical intensive care units (MS-ICUs) in Latin America.

Design:

Quasi-experimental prospective with continuous time series.

Setting:

The study included 77 MS-ICUs in 9 Latin American countries.

Patients:

Adult patients admitted to an MS-ICU for at least 24 hours were included in the study.

Methods:

This multicenter study was conducted over 12 months. To evaluate the ASPs, representatives from all MS-ICUs performed a self-assessment survey (0–100 scale) at the beginning and end of the study. The impact of each ASP was evaluated monthly using the following measures: antimicrobial consumption, appropriateness of antimicrobial treatments, crude mortality, and multidrug-resistant microorganisms in healthcare-associated infections (MDRO-HAIs). Using final stewardship program quality self-assessment scores, MS-ICUs were stratified and compared among 3 groups: ≤25th percentile, >25th to <75th percentile, and ≥75th percentile.

Results:

In total, 77 MS-ICU from 9 Latin American countries completed the study. Twenty MS-ICUs reached at least the 75th percentile at the end of the study in comparison with the same number who remain within the 25th percentile (score, 76.1 ± 7.5 vs 28.0 ± 7.3; P < .0001). Several indicators performed better in the MS-ICUs in the 75th versus 25th percentiles: antimicrobial consumption (143.4 vs 159.4 DDD per 100 patient days; P < .0001), adherence to clinical guidelines (92.5% vs 59.3%; P < .0001), validation of prescription by pharmacist (72.0% vs 58.0%; P < .0001), crude mortality (15.9% vs 17.7%; P < .0001), and MDRO-HAIs (9.45 vs 10.96 cases per 1,000 patient days; P = .004).

Conclusion:

MS-ICUs with more comprehensive ASPs showed significant improvement in antimicrobial utilization.
Improvement in psychological wellbeing among adolescents with a substance use disorder attending an outpatient treatment programme
Authors: Gamage N.M. , Darker C. , Smyth B.P.
Published: April 2021

Objectives:

Adolescents with substance use disorders (SUDs) exhibit high rates of comorbid psychological problems. This study aimed to examine the impact of an outpatient substance use treatment programme upon the psychological wellbeing of adolescents.

Methods:

A prospective study was carried out examining psychological symptoms in a group of adolescents attending the Youth Drug and Alcohol (YoDA) Addiction Service in Dublin. Participants were treated with evidenced based psychological models such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing and systemic family therapy. The Becks Youth Inventory was utilised to assess psychological symptoms at treatment entry and repeated three months later at follow up.

Results:

Among 36 adolescents who were included in this study, poly-substance misuse was the norm. Almost three-quarter had a cannabis use disorder (CUD). There were significant reductions in mean subscale scores of depression (56.0 to 50.8, p = 0.003), anger (55.2 to 49.5, p < 0.001) and disruptive behaviour (61.6 to 56.5, p = 0.002) at follow up. Although there wasn’t a statistically significant reduction in mean scores for anxiety, we observed a significant proportion of participants (p = 0.008) improving and moving out of a moderate to severe symptom range when examined by category. This was also the case for self-concept (p = 0.04). Furthermore this study revealed a positive correlation between the reduction in days of cannabis use and reduction in depressive scores (Pearson correlation 0.49, p = 0.01) among those with a CUD.

Conclusion:

The findings indicate that substance use treatment for adolescents is associated with important psychological and behavioural improvements.
Prevalence of undernutrition and potential risk factors among children under 5 years of age in Amhara Region, Ethiopia: evidence from 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Kebede Damitie , Merkeb Yidnekachew , Worku Eyerusalem , Aragaw Hayat
Published: April 2021

More than one-third of deaths during the first 5 years of life are attributed to undernutrition, which are mostly preventable through economic development and public health measures. The present study aimed to explore the potential risk factors of undernutrition among children under 5 years of age in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) were used. A total of 974 children under 5 years of age were involved. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used at a 5 % level of significance to determine the individual- and community-level factors associated with childhood undernutrition. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 46⋅3, 9⋅8 and 28⋅4 %, respectively. About 23⋅1 % of children were both stunting and underweight, 7⋅3 % were both underweight and wasting and 4⋅5 % of children had all three conditions. Among the factors considered in the present study, the age of a child in months, birth weight, mother educational level, sex of household head, sources of drinking water and the type of toilet facility were significantly associated with undernutrition in the Amhara Region. Undernutrition among under-five children was one of the public health problems in the Amhara Region. The potential risk factors should be considered to develop strategies for reducing undernutrition in the Amhara Region. Finally, improving the living standards of the children is important to get better health care, to enhance the child's nutritional status and to reduce child mortality.
The lure of the private sector: career prospects affect selection out of Congress
Authors: Egerod Benjamin C. K.
Published: April 2021

Does the potential for a successful private sector career induce legislators to leave office? How does this affect the representation voters receive? I show that when former US senators—who now work as lobbyists—become more successful, currently serving senators with similar characteristics are more likely to take private sector employment. I replicate all results on data from the House. A number of tests suggest that senators react to the opportunity costs of holding office. Investigating selection effects, I find that legislative specialists are attracted the most in the Senate. Preliminary evidence suggests that the least wealthy respond most strongly in the House. This suggests that the revolving door shapes the skill set of legislators and the representation voters receive.
Polymorphisms in the stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene modify blood glucose response to dietary oils varying in MUFA content in adults with obesity
Authors: Mutch David M. , Lowry Dana E. , Roth Michael , Sihag Jyoti , Hammad Shatha S. , Taylor Carla G. , Zahradka Peter , Connelly Philip W. , West Sheila G. , Bowen Kate , Kris-Etherton Penny M. , Lamarche Benoît , Couture Patrick , Guay Valérie , Jenkins David J. A. , Eck Peter , Jones Peter J. H.
Published: April 2021

Diets varying in SFA and MUFA content can impact glycaemic control; however, whether underlying differences in genetic make-up can influence blood glucose responses to these dietary fatty acids is unknown. We examined the impact of dietary oils varying in SFA/MUFA content on changes in blood glucose levels (primary outcome) and whether these changes were modified by variants in the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene (secondary outcome). Obese men and women participating in the randomised, crossover, isoenergetic, controlled-feeding Canola Oil Multicenter Intervention Trial II consumed three dietary oils for 6 weeks, with washout periods of ˜6 weeks between each treatment. Diets studied included a high SFA/low MUFA Control oil (36·6 % SFA/28·2 % MUFA), a conventional canola oil (6·2 % SFA/63·1 % MUFA) and a high-oleic acid canola oil (5·8 % SFA/74·7 % MUFA). No differences in fasting blood glucose were observed following the consumption of the dietary oils. However, when stratified by SCD genotypes, significant SNP-by-treatment interactions on blood glucose response were found with additive models for rs1502593 (P = 0·01), rs3071 (P = 0·02) and rs522951 (P = 0·03). The interaction for rs3071 remained significant (P = 0·005) when analysed with a recessive model, where individuals carrying the CC genotype showed an increase (0·14 (sem 0·09) mmol/l) in blood glucose levels with the Control oil diet, but reductions in blood glucose with both MUFA oil diets. Individuals carrying the AA and AC genotypes experienced reductions in blood glucose in response to all three oils. These findings identify a potential new target for personalised nutrition approaches aimed at improving glycaemic control.
Corporate R&D and Stock Returns: International Evidence
Authors: Hou Kewei , Hsu Po-Hsuan , Wang Shiheng , Watanabe Akiko , Xu Yan
Published: April 2021

Firms with higher R&D intensity subsequently experience higher stock returns in international stock markets, highlighting the role of intangible investments in international asset pricing. The R&D effect is stronger in countries where growth option risk is more likely priced, but is unrelated to country characteristics representing market sentiments and limits-of-arbitrage. Moreover, we find that R&D intensity is associated with higher future operating performance, return volatility, and default likelihood. Our evidence suggests that the cross sectional relation between R&D intensity and stock returns is more likely attributable to risk premium than to mispricing.
Why Do Mutual Funds Hold Lottery Stocks?
Authors: Agarwal Vikas , Jiang Lei , Wen Quan
Published: April 2021

We provide evidence regarding mutual funds’ motivation to hold lottery stocks. Funds with higher managerial ownership invest less in lottery stocks, suggesting that managers themselves do not prefer such stocks. The evidence instead supports that managers cater to fund investors’ preference for such stocks. In particular, funds with more lottery holdings attract larger flows after portfolio disclosure compared with their peers, and poorly performing funds tend to engage in risk shifting by increasing their lottery holdings toward year-ends. Funds’ aggregate holdings of lottery stocks contribute to their overpricing.
Value of copeptin and S100B protein in the differential diagnosis of central vertigo and peripheral vertigo
Authors: Koyuncu M , Cakmak F , Guzel M , Yavasoglu O H , Biberoglu S , Ipekci A
Published: April 2021

Objective

To investigate the usefulness of copeptin and S100B levels in the differentiation of central and peripheral vertigo.

Methods

Ninety patients were included in the study. Copeptin and S100B levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

Results

The time between symptom onset and presentation to the emergency department was longer in the patients diagnosed with central vertigo. S100B and copeptin levels were significantly higher in central vertigo patients. The confirmed cut-off value was 17 for the S100B level and 1.65 for the copeptin level.

Conclusion

Quick and reliable differentiation between central and peripheral vertigo is important to reduce the length of hospital stay of patients in the emergency department, and for patient comfort. S100B and copeptin levels are potential biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of central vertigo and peripheral vertigo for patients whose aetiology of vertigo cannot be differentially diagnosed with history-taking and physical examination.
Post coronavirus disease mucormycosis: a deadly addition to the pandemic spectrum
Authors: Sharma S , Grover M , Bhargava S , Samdani S , Kataria T
Published: April 2021

Objective

To study the possible association between invasive fungal sinusitis (mucormycosis) and coronavirus disease.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care centre over four months, involving all patients with mucormycosis of the paranasal sinuses suffering from or having a history of coronavirus disease infection.

Results

Twenty-three patients presented with mucormycosis, all had an association with coronavirus disease 2019. The ethmoids (100 per cent) were the most common sinuses affected. Intra-orbital extension was seen in 43.47 per cent of cases, while intracranial extension was only seen in 8.69 per cent. Diabetes mellitus was present in 21 of 23 cases, and was uncontrolled in 12 cases. All patients had a history of steroid use during their coronavirus treatment.

Conclusion

New manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 are appearing over time. The association between coronavirus and mucormycosis of the paranasal sinuses must be given serious consideration. Uncontrolled diabetes and over-zealous use of steroids are two main factors aggravating the illness, and both of these must be properly checked.
Effects of polygenic risk for major mental disorders and cross-disorder on cortical complexity
Authors: Schmitt Simon , Meller Tina , Stein Frederike , Brosch Katharina , Ringwald Kai , Pfarr Julia-Katharina , Bordin Clemens , Peusch Nina , Steinsträter Olaf , Grotegerd Dominik , Dohm Katharina , Meinert Susanne , Förster Katharina , Redlich Ronny , Opel Nils , Hahn Tim , Jansen Andreas , Forstner Andreas J. , Streit Fabian , Witt Stephanie H. , Rietschel Marcella , Müller-Myhsok Bertram , Nöthen Markus M. , Dannlowski Udo , Krug Axel , Kircher Tilo , Nenadić Igor
Published: April 2021

Background

MRI-derived cortical folding measures are an indicator of largely genetically driven early developmental processes. However, the effects of genetic risk for major mental disorders on early brain development are not well understood.

Methods

We extracted cortical complexity values from structural MRI data of 580 healthy participants using the CAT12 toolbox. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and cross-disorder (incorporating cumulative genetic risk for depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) were computed and used in separate general linear models with cortical complexity as the regressand. In brain regions that showed a significant association between polygenic risk for mental disorders and cortical complexity, volume of interest (VOI)/region of interest (ROI) analyses were conducted to investigate additional changes in their volume and cortical thickness.

Results

The PRS for depression was associated with cortical complexity in the right orbitofrontal cortex (right hemisphere: p = 0.006). A subsequent VOI/ROI analysis showed no association between polygenic risk for depression and either grey matter volume or cortical thickness. We found no associations between cortical complexity and polygenic risk for either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or psychiatric cross-disorder when correcting for multiple testing.

Conclusions

Changes in cortical complexity associated with polygenic risk for depression might facilitate well-established volume changes in orbitofrontal cortices in depression. Despite the absence of psychopathology, changed cortical complexity that parallels polygenic risk for depression might also change reward systems, which are also structurally affected in patients with depressive syndrome.
Global Prague: Renaissance and Reformation Crossroads
Authors: Louthan Howard
Published: April 2021

Reading these articles in our AHY Forum brought back a flood of memories to my last days as a university undergraduate at Emory University when I first encountered Emperor Rudolf II and Renaissance Prague in a course taught by the late James Allen Vann. What captivates us about the past? What prompts naive undergraduates to take that fateful step and pursue a PhD in history? For me, it was simply Rudolf. I was not alone. The quizzical emperor ensconced in his castle high above the city has intrigued the imaginations of many. There is certainly irony in this, for Rudolf as an emperor was no success. He ended his reign an ineffective ruler browbeaten by his own brother to abdicate as king of Bohemia. But if he failed politically, there were lasting triumphs elsewhere. Rudolf's contemporary, the Flemish painter and theoretician Karel van Mander, famously pointed to Prague and the emperor as the “greatest art patron in the world.” And what emperor can boast that his most acclaimed “likeness” was a collage of fruits and vegetables, a portrait executed by a student of Leonardo da Vinci?
Grammatical performance in children with dyslexia: the contributions of individual differences in phonological memory and statistical learning
Authors: van Witteloostuijn Merel , Boersma Paul , Wijnen Frank , Rispens Judith
Published: April 2021

Several studies have signaled grammatical difficulties in individuals with developmental dyslexia. These difficulties may stem from a phonological deficit, but may alternatively be explained through a domain-general deficit in statistical learning. This study investigates grammar in children with and without dyslexia, and whether phonological memory and/or statistical learning ability contribute to individual differences in grammatical performance. We administered the CELF “word structure” and “recalling sentences” subtests and measures of phonological memory (digit span, nonword repetition) and statistical learning (serial reaction time, nonadjacent dependency learning) among 8- to 11-year-old children with and without dyslexia (N= 50 per group). Consistent with previous findings, our results show subtle difficulties in grammar, as children with dyslexia achieved lower scores on the CELF (word structure:p= .0027, recalling sentences:p= .053). While the two phonological memory measures were found to contribute to individual differences in grammatical performance, no evidence for a relationship with statistical learning was found. An error analysis revealed errors in irregular morphology (e.g., plural and past tense), suggesting problems with lexical retrieval. These findings are discussed in light of theoretical accounts of the underlying deficit in dyslexia.
Sexual satisfaction of older adults: testing the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction in the ageing population
Authors: Santos-Iglesias Pablo , Byers E. Sandra
Published: April 2021

Having a satisfying sex life is important to older adults. Thus, this study aimed to provide information about the sexual satisfaction of older adults in a relationship, using the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS) as a theoretical framework. Participants were 187 sexually active individuals (98 men and 89 women) in a romantic relationship (age 65–75 years). They were recruited using Amazon's Mechanical-Turk, and completed the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire and two open-ended questions asking what they enjoyed most and least about their sexual relationship. On average, participants were highly sexually satisfied. In keeping with the IEMSS, greater sexual satisfaction was predicted by a more favourable balance of sexual rewards to costs, greater equality of sexual costs and higher satisfaction with the non-sexual aspects of the relationship. Four themes emerged regarding what participants liked most and least about their sexual relationship: emotional aspects of the relationship, physical aspects of the relationship, dyadic aspects of the relationship and age-related aspects of being sexual. None of the four themes were specific to men or women, although some gender/sex differences were found. The results paint a positive picture of the sexual relationships of older adults and support the utility of the IEMSS as a framework to understand sexual satisfaction in older adults.
Simultaneous task placement and sequence optimization in an inspection robotic cell
Authors: FarzanehKaloorazi MohammadHadi , Bonev Ilian A. , Birglen Lionel
Published: April 2021

In this article, we improve the efficiency of a turbine blade inspection robotic workcell. The workcell consists of a stationary camera and a 6-axis serial robot that is holding a blade and presenting different zones of the blade to the camera for inspection. The problem at hand consists of a 6-DOF (degree of freedom) continuous optimization of the camera placement and a discrete combinatorial optimization of the sequence of inspection poses (images). For each image, all robot configurations (up to eight) are taken into consideration. A novel combined approach is introduced, called blind dynamic particle swarm optimization (BD-PSO), to simultaneously obtain the optimal design for both domains. The objective is to minimize the cycle time of the inspection process, while avoiding any collisions. Even though PSO is vastly used in engineering problems, the novelty of our combinatorial optimization method is in its ability to be used efficiently in traveling salesman problems where the distances between the cities are unknown and subject to change. This highly unpredictable environment is the case of the inspection cell where the cycle time between two images will change for different camera placements.
SEMIPARAMETRIC IDENTIFICATION AND FISHER INFORMATION
Authors: Escanciano Juan Carlos
Published: April 2021

This paper provides a systematic approach to semiparametric identification that is based on statistical information as a measure of its “quality.” Identification can be regular or irregular, depending on whether the Fisher information for the parameter is positive or zero, respectively. I first characterize these cases in models with densities linear in an infinite-dimensional parameter. I then introduce a novel “generalized Fisher information.” If positive, it implies (possibly irregular) identification when other conditions hold. If zero, it implies impossibility results on rates of estimation. Three examples illustrate the applicability of the general results. First, I consider the canonical example of average densities. Second, I show irregular identification of the median willingness to pay in contingent valuation studies. Finally, I study identification of the discount factor and average measures of risk aversion in a nonparametric Euler equation with nonparametric measurement error in consumption.
Sex ratio and life history traits at reaching sexual maturity in the dioecious shrub Fuchsia parviflora: field and common garden experiments
Authors: Ambriz Jessica S. , González Clementina , Cuevas Eduardo
Published: April 2021

Fuchsia parviflora is a dioecious shrub that depends on biotic pollination for reproduction. Previous studies suggest that the male plants produce more flowers, and male-biased sex ratios have been found in some natural populations. To assess whether the biased sex ratios found between genders in natural populations are present at the point at which plants reach sexual maturity, and to identify possible trade-offs between growth and reproduction, we performed a common garden experiment. Finally, to complement the information of the common garden experiment, we estimated the reproductive biomass allocation between genders in one natural population. Sex ratios at reaching sexual maturity in F. parviflora did not differ from 0.5, except in one population, which was the smallest seedling population. We found no differences between genders in terms of the probability of germination or flowering. When flowering began, female plants were taller than males and the tallest plants of both genders required more time to reach sexual maturity. Males produced significantly more flowers than females, and the number of flowers increased with plant height in both genders. Finally, in the natural population studied, the investment in reproductive biomass was seven-fold greater in female plants than in male plants. Our results showed no evidence of possible trade-offs between growth and reproduction. Despite the fact that female plants invest more in reproductive biomass, they were taller than the males after flowering, possibly at the expense of herbivory defence.
Epididymal tail solid-surface vitrification as an effective method for domestic cat sperm cryobanking
Authors: Lima Silmara L.G. , Soares Airton R.B. , Stalker Leanne , Santos Regiane R. , Domingues Sheyla F.S.
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to describe the viability of domestic feline spermatozoa after epididymal tail vitrification. For this, 10 pairs of testis–epididymis complexes were used. The epididymal tails were vitrified using the solid-surface vitrification (SSV) method, in which two vitrification media containing ethylene glycol (EG) 40% or glycerol (GLY) 40% were tested. Vitrification with the presence of EG resulted in better results for all sperm motility parameters (motility, vigour and CASA) compared with GLY (P< 0.05). There were no statistical differences for sperm viability and acrosome integrity, plasma membrane integrity, or overall health of morphologically normal sperm before or after vitrification among experimental groups. In conclusion, epididymal tail vitrification appears to be a suitable method for long-term storage of cat sperm, especially if the procedure is performed with EG as the cryoprotectant.
Influence of temperature on larval ontogenesis of Geophagus brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Pisces: Cichlidae)
Authors: Melo Marcelo Duarte Ventura , Paschoalini Alessandro Loureiro , Bazzoli Nilo
Published: April 2021

Studies on the larval development of fish are essential for conservation and improvements in cultivation techniques. Geophagus brasiliensis popularly known as Cará has potential as a fish of interest in ornamental aquaculture. Wild adults of G. brasiliensis were kept in an aquarium for spontaneous reproduction. Newly hatched larvae were transferred to 5-litre aquaria at 22, 26 and 30°C until total yolk sac resorption. Histological slides were used for biometric analysis and monitoring of larval ontogenesis at different temperatures. Histologically, from the first to the fourth days it was possible to identify myomeres, optic vesicle, yolk syncytial layer, brain, heart and differentiation of the eye layers. From the fourth to the seventh days, it was possible to identify mandibular and gill cartilages, swim bladder, liver, prismatic epithelium with striated border in intestine and renal epithelium. All biometric measurements increased over the days, except height and length of the yolk sac, which gradually decreased until the complete resorption of the yolk sac that occurred on the fifth day at a temperature of 30°C, the sixth day at 26°C and the seventh day at 22°C. Morphological events at 30°C such as the reabsorption of the yolk sac, the appearance of cartilage in the branchial arches and differentiation of the layers of the eyes occurred faster compared with the other temperatures tested. Opening of the mouth and digestive tract occurred at a similar time on the fourth day in all temperatures.
Literacy, metalinguistic, and executive functions processing in bilingual children speakers of similar typology languages in a border area
Authors: Gonçalves Talita dos Santos , Viapiana Vanisa Fante , Fonseca Rochele Paz , Hübner Lilian Cristine
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to analyze whether there are differences between bilingual (Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish) and monolingual (Brazilian Portuguese) school children regarding reading and writing learning achievement, in executive functions (EF) components and metalinguistic abilities. Twenty-three bilingual and 23 monolingual children, aged 6 to 8 years, were assessed in terms of their writing, reading, and metalinguistic abilities, and with verbal and non-verbal tasks testing EF. A bilingual advantage was observed in reading and writing abilities and in 16 of the 44 EF measures, including subcomponents of working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and executive attention, mainly in non-verbal paradigms, while monolingual children outperformed bilingual ones in three scores: counting errors (Five Digits Test), omission of bells (Bells test) and sequential trial B (Trail Making Test). There were moderate and weak effect sizes in metalinguistic subcomponents showing bilingual advantage. Literacy improvement seems to have the potential to increase linguistic and cognitive abilities.