bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic factors of polygenic urolithiasis
Authors: Vladimirovna Filippova Tamara , Faridovich Khafizov Кamil , Igorevich Rudenko Vadim , Mikhailovich Rapoport Leonid , Georgievich Tsarichenko Dmitry , Victorovich Enikeev Dmitry , Olegovich Korolev Dmitry , Nikolaevna Perekalina Anna , Мikhailovna Litvinova Мaria
Published: February 2020

The article summarizes the findings of Russian and international studies of the genetic aspects of polygenic urolithiasis associated with impairment of calcium metabolism. The article analyzes the genetic risk factors of polygenic nephrolithiasis that show significant association with the disease in case-control studies and Genome-Wide Association Studies (16 genes). We described the gene functions involved in concrement formation in polygenic nephrolithiasis. The modern molecular and genetic technologies (DNA microarray, high-throughput DNA sequencing, etc.) enable identification of the genetic predisposition to a specific disease, realization of the individualized treatment of the patient, and carrying out timely preventive measures among the proband’s relatives.
Adolescent Mothers’ Perceptions of a Mobile Phone-Based Peer Support Intervention
Authors: Chyzzy Barbara , Nelson LaRon E. , Stinson Jennifer , Vigod Simone , Dennis Cindy-Lee
Published: February 2020

Background

Postpartum depression (PPD) is prevalent among adolescent mothers and is associated with negative maternal and infant outcomes. Peer support can improve health outcomes among adult and adolescent populations and involves the provision of informational, emotional, and appraisal support delivered by a peer.

Purpose

To describe adolescent mothers’ perceptions of a mobile phone-based peer support (MPPS) intervention designed to prevent PPD.

Methods

This analysis draws on data from the MPPS intervention group of a pilot randomized controlled trial of pregnant adolescents 17 to 24 years old ( n = 16). Maternal perceptions of the intervention were measured using the validated Peer Support Evaluation Inventory at 12 weeks postpartum.

Results

Participants acknowledged receiving supportive actions including emotional (91%), informational (66%), and appraisal (64%) support. Participants perceived positive relationship qualities with their peer mentor such as trustworthiness (94%), acceptance (75%), empathy (81%), and commitment (81%) and felt their peer mentor possessed social competence (91%) and social skills (91%). Overall, 100% of participants were satisfied with their peer support experience and would recommend this type of support to a friend.

Conclusion

Participants perceived their experience with the MPPS intervention positively, which lends support to MPPS as an acceptable way to provide support to adolescent mothers.
Are Apathy and Depressive Symptoms Related to Vascular White Matter Hyperintensities in Severe Late Life Depression?
Authors: Oudega Mardien Leoniek , Siddiqui Amna , Wattjes Mike P. , Barkhof Frederik , Kate Mara ten , Muller Majon , Bouckaert Filip , Vandenbulcke Mathieu , De Winter François-Laurent , Sienaert Pascal , Stek Max L. , Comijs Hannie C. , Korten Nicole C. M. , Emsell Louise , Eikelenboom Piet , Rhebergen Didi , van Exel Eric , Dols Annemieke
Published: February 2020

Objective:

Apathy symptoms are defined as a lack of interest and motivation. Patients with late-life depression (LLD) also suffer from lack of interest and motivation and previous studies have linked apathy to vascular white matter hyperintensities (WMH) of the brain in depressed and nondepressed patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between apathy symptoms, depressive symptoms, and WMH in LLD. We hypothesize that late-onset depression (LOD; first episode of depression after 55 years of age) is associated with WMH and apathy symptoms.

Methods:

Apathy scores were collected for 87 inpatients diagnosed with LLD. Eighty patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. Associations between depressive and apathy symptoms and WMH were analyzed using linear regression.

Results:

All 3 subdomains of the 10-item Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale correlated significantly with the apathy scale score (all P < .05). In the total sample, apathy nor depressive symptoms were related to specific WMH. In LOD only, periventricular WMH were associated with depression severity (β = 5.21, P = .04), while WMH in the left infratentorial region were associated with apathy symptoms (β coefficient = 5.89, P = .03).

Conclusion:

Apathy and depressive symptoms are highly overlapping in the current cohort of older patients with severe LLD, leading to the hypothesis that apathy symptoms are part of depressive symptoms in the symptom profile of older patients with severe LLD. Neither apathy nor depressive symptoms were related to WMH, suggesting that radiological markers of cerebrovascular disease, such as WMH, may not be useful in predicting these symptoms in severe LLD.
Multilevel regulatory coordination: The interplay between European Union, federal and regional regulatory agencies
Authors: Mathieu Emmanuelle , Matthys Joery , Verhoest Koen , Rommel Jan
Published: February 2020

We know that European regulatory networks tend to broaden the gap between regulators and executives in the member states. But what is their impact on inter-agencies relationship at the national level? The scope of issues addressed by European regulatory networks may cover the competences of several independent regulatory agencies in the domestic arena. Who is competent to participate in the European regulatory network? What happens with the independent regulatory agency that cannot participate? This can trigger confusion, competence conflicts, but can also be an opportunity to develop coordination among the concerned independent regulatory agency. This situation is particularly delicate in federal states when the concerned independent regulatory agencies are located on different governmental levels. Against the background of interdependent regulatory competences across levels, this article examines the conditions for the rise of inter-independent regulatory agencies coordination regarding their participation in European regulatory networks. Theoretically, we engage with the literature on coordination between federal and subnational governmental actors for European Union affairs and extend its application to regulatory actors. Based on a longitudinal case study on energy regulation in Belgium, we bring three key findings. First, the federal regulator’s acceptance to coordinate is explained by the rising interdependencies between regulators across levels. Second, the regional regulator’s move from a contentious strategy to a more cooperative one is explained by learning. Third, bilateral coordination arrangements may pre-empt the emergence of multilateral ones.
National regulators, regulatory networks, and European agencies: Connecting the dots
Authors: Maggetti Martino , Di Mascio Fabrizio , Natalini Alessandro
Published: February 2020

This introduction to our special issue discusses the challenges related to the cooperative and competitive interaction between national regulators, regulatory networks, and European agencies within increasingly complex EU regulatory regimes. In this context, a special attention is given to the dynamic nature of multilevel processes. After presenting an overview of the contributions to the special issue, we conclude by offering three insights on possible avenues for further research, referring to (a) the governance structure of regulatory networks, (b) the micro-foundations of regulatory networks, and (c) their role in implementation and enforcement.
Implementation of routine interferon-gamma release assay testing in a South London HIV cohort
Authors: Sandhu Preeti , Taylor Chris , Miller Robert F , Post Frank A
Published: February 2020

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major risk factor for the development of tuberculosis (TB). Although guidelines recommend that people with HIV from high TB incidence countries and those with risk factors are screened for latent TB infection (LTBI) using interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs), this has not been widely implemented in the UK. We introduced universal LTBI screening using IGRAs at nurse-led induction clinics for patients newly presenting, transferring or re-presenting for HIV care and conducted a prospective audit from 1 January 2018 to 30 June 2019 to identify operational challenges as well as opportunities for TB prevention. Of the 223 patients, 17 had active or previously treated TB. Of the remaining 206 individuals who were eligible for IGRA testing, 78 (38%) were not tested due to logistical issues, failure to request the test or no induction visit taking place. Of the 128 (62%) individuals who were tested for LTBI, 3 (2.3%) had a positive IGRA, 4 (3.1%) an indeterminate result and 121 (94.5%) a negative result. All seven with positive/indeterminate tests were of African/Caribbean background, had CD4 cell counts >200 cells/mm3 and HIV RNA <400 copies/ml. Our audit suggests that universal LTBI screening was logistically challenging and provided few opportunities for TB prevention.
The Roads (Not) Taken: The Materiality, Poetics and Politics of Infrastructure in Manipur, India
Authors: Arora Vibha , Ziipao Raile Rocky
Published: February 2020

Roads are bitumen covered concrete metaphors of modernity and development, and they materially represent fantasies, collective hopes, and aspirations of future(s). They symbolize movement, connectivity, transactions and transportation, and eminently reflect governmentality. Our article is about Manipur’s connective infrastructures, and it focuses on internal roads, and a border highway that connects Imphal (Manipur’s capital city) to Dimapur at Nagaland in North-east India. We explain the infrastructural deficit within Manipur and decision-making about them being influenced by a hill-valley socio-ecological ethnic distributional conflict. The road links and is part of the uneven development route. We provide an ethnographic account of a truck journey undertaken between Imphal and Dimapur in 2018, and this enables us to understand routinized corruption and the collusion of state and non-state actors therein. The road is the symbol of hope, and a developmental desire, and epitomizes state’s governmentality and developmental project of progress, nonetheless it also gets transformed into the central locale of political protest, ethnic conflict when ethnic groups appropriate it forcibly to erect blockades and organize protests in its arterial space. The roads and highways spatially produce and reproduce (il)legality, (il)legibility, and (il)legitimacy of the Indian state. Our ethnographic research unpacks and invokes the multivalence of roads.
Comparison of Osteochondral Autologous Transplantation and Dorsiflexion Closing Wedge Metatarsal Osteotomy for Late-Stage Freiberg Disease in Adults
Authors: Kim Sung Jae , Kim Young Woo , Park Jin Ho , Kim Gab Lae
Published: February 2020

Background:

This study aimed to compare the clinical results between osteochondral autologous transplantation (OAT) and dorsiflexion closing wedge metatarsal osteotomy (DCWMO) in symptomatic adult patients with late-stage Freiberg disease.

Methods:

Between 2012 and 2017, patients with late-stage Freiberg disease surgically treated with OAT (12 patients) or DCWMO (15 patients) were retrospectively identified. The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society–lesser metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal (AOFAS-LMI) score, visual analog scale score for subjective pain, and range of motion (ROM) were determined preoperatively and at final follow-up. Postoperative complications were also recorded.

Results:

The AOFAS-LMI score at final follow-up was significantly greater in the OAT group than in the DCWMO group (95.7 vs 87.9, P < .001), whereas plantarflexion at final follow-up was significantly lower in the DCWMO group than in the OAT group (30.0 vs 24.0 degrees, P = .037). The DCWMO group reported more postoperative complications including postoperative joint stiffness, deformity, and pain recurrence. In the OAT group, one patient complained of mild knee pain.

Conclusion:

OAT seemed a better procedure for late-stage Freiberg disease compared with DCWMO in adult patients in terms of postoperative functional score and ROM, with lower complication rates.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Exploring How Employee Sense of Brand Community Affects Their Attitudes and Behavior
Authors: Xiong Lina , King Ceridwyn
Published: February 2020

The success of hospitality brands relies heavily on employees, collectively, to transform the tacit brand promise and unique brand values into a coherent brand experience for their guests. Thus, employees are likely to develop a sense of community that coalesces around brand values. A sense of community contributes to members’ belongingness, social exchanges, and subjective well-being. However, the importance of an employee-based brand community has rarely been considered. This study proposes and examines the role of a volitional employee-based brand community in promoting employees’ brand-aligned performance. With 223 responses from U.S.-based hospitality employees, this study supports the positive role of employee sense of brand community, which emanates from the organization’s brand climate. In turn, such a community enhances employee belief in the brand as well as their subsequent brand-aligned performance.
Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis and Influenza Vaccinations among Women With a Live Birth, Internet Panel Survey, 2017-2018
Authors: Murthy Neil Chandra , Black Carla , Kahn Katherine E , Ding Helen , Ball Sarah , Fink Rebecca V , Devlin Rebecca , D’Angelo Denise , Fiebelkorn Amy Parker
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications from influenza, and infants are at increased risk of pertussis. Maternal influenza and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) vaccination can reduce risk of these infections and related complications. Our objective was to estimate vaccination coverage with influenza and Tdap vaccines during pregnancy among women with a recent live birth.

Methods:

An opt-in Internet panel survey was conducted from March 28 to April 10, 2018 among pregnant and recently pregnant women. Respondents with a live birth from August 1, 2017 through the date in which the participant completed the survey were included in the analysis. Receipt of influenza vaccination since July 1, 2017 and Tdap vaccination during pregnancy were assessed by sociodemographic characteristics, receipt of a health care provider (HCP) recommendation and/or offer of vaccination, and vaccination-related knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs.

Results:

Less than a third (30.3%) of women with a live birth were unvaccinated during their pregnancy with both Tdap and influenza vaccines. Almost a third (32.8%) of the women reported being vaccinated with both vaccines. The majority (73.0%) of women reported receiving an HCP recommendation for both vaccines, and 54.2% of women were offered both vaccines by an HCP. Reasons for nonvaccination included negative attitudes toward influenza vaccine and lack of awareness about Tdap vaccination during pregnancy.

Conclusions:

Maternal Tdap and influenza vaccinations can prevent morbidity and mortality among infants and their mothers, yet many pregnant women are unvaccinated with either Tdap or influenza vaccines. Clinic-based education, along with interventions, such as standing orders and provider reminders, are strategies to increase maternal vaccination.
The Politics of Spatial Testimony: The Role of Space in Witnessing Martyrdom and Shame During and After a Widely Televised and Collectively Perpetrated Arson Attack in Turkey
Authors: Çaylı Eray
Published: February 2020

This article engages with the spatial turn in the analyses of and activism against political violence. It does so through an ethnography of memory activism around an arson attack in Turkey, which took place in 1993 in the central-eastern city of Sivas before live TV cameras and thousands of onlookers, including law enforcement officers. The attack killed 33 guests of a culture festival organized by an association representing Alevism, one of Turkey’s demographically minor faiths. A prevalent approach to remembering the arson attack has hinged on mobilizing testimony’s cognates witnessing and martyrdom as spatial mechanisms, drawing on the site of the arson attack and/or its widely televised images. This mobilization has followed its contemporaries from around the world in that it has considered violence’s effects on the subjectivity of its spatial witnesses reducible to unambiguous subject positions adopted in discrete historical moments, using the affective trope of shame to rigidify and hierarchize this positionality. In-depth conversations with, and observations among, memory activists discussed in this article, however, indicate two reasons why this consideration might be limited. First, the mutual impact between activists’ subjectivity and each in-person or visually mediated encounter they have had with the site of the arson attack has taken shape in entanglement with rather than in isolation from other such encounters. Second, the historical moments featuring in these encounters are also manifold rather than singular. The article argues that the politics of spatial testimony hinges on this manifoldness and entanglement.
Prediction of the sound reduction index of clay hollow brick walls
Authors: Granzotto Nicola , Di Bella Antonino , Piana Edoardo Alessio
Published: February 2020

Clay hollow brick walls are still popular in building industry, but the prediction of their sound insulation properties is not straightforward due to their inhomogeneous and anisotropic characteristics. In this article, a classic approach has been used to determine the sound transmission coefficient of brick walls, assuming an orthotropic behaviour and deriving the mechanical and dynamic characteristics from datasheet information. Different types of walls with horizontal and vertical mortar joints have been analysed. Experimental measurements of the sound reduction index carried out according to ISO 10140-2 standard have been performed, and the resulting values are compared with the predictions in the proposed model. It was found that the sound reduction index can be fairly predicted in the low-frequency range and it is correctly predicted in the mass law region, whereas in the high-frequency range the inner block structure is responsible for a loss of performance which is difficult to predict with the analytical methods.
Shifting targets: the effect of peacekeeping on postwar violence
Authors: Bara Corinne
Published: February 2020

Existing research shows that peace after civil wars is more stable with peacekeepers present. Yet, violence persists in many postwar contexts, and although postwar violence is often strategic and closely linked to the faultlines of the preceding war, we know little about the impact of peacekeepers on such violence. What we know, moreover, focuses on the former combatants, while this study shows that the majority of deaths in postwar violence are inflicted by other armed actors. This is a challenge for peacekeepers who – for mandate or capacity reasons – usually focus on the warring parties. I argue that the impact of peacekeepers on postwar violence hinges on the extent to which they fill a public security gap after war, since responsibility for violence not covered by a mission’s mandate lies with the often dysfunctional security agencies of the state. To test this I use a novel spatial approach to generate data that captures the manifold manifestations of violence across different postwar contexts. I find that only UN police – with their broader effect on public security – mitigate postwar violence generally. UN troops have some impact on civilian targeting by former combatants but no such effect could be identified for violence by other armed actors. The findings highlight the importance of peacekeeping police at a time when the modus operandi and capacity of UN police have been questioned, but also the importance of accounting for a multitude of violent actors when analysing the impact of international interventions more generally.
Organizing for performance: coalition effectiveness on the battlefield
Authors: Cappella Zielinski Rosella , Grauer Ryan
Published: February 2020

States often fight side-by-side on the battlefield. As detailed in our new dataset, Belligerents in Battle, 178 of the 480 major land battles fought during interstate wars waged between 1900 and 2003 involved at least one multinational coalition. Though coalition partners fight battles together to increase their odds of securing specific objectives, they vary significantly in their capacity to do so. Why? Drawing on organization theory insights, we argue that coalitions’ variable battlefield effectiveness is a function of interactions between their command structures and the resources each partner brings to the fight. Coalitions adopting command structures tailored to simultaneously facilitate the efficient use of partners’ variably sized resource contributions and discourage free-riding, shirking, and other counterproductive actions will fight effectively; those that employ inappropriate command structures will not. Evidence from Anglo-French operations during World War I and Axis operations during World War II strongly supports our claim. For scholars, our argument and findings about the importance of military organizational dynamics for the operation and performance of coalitions raise important new questions and provide potential insights about coalition formation, duration, and termination. For practitioners, it is significant that, since 1990, 36 of 49 of major battles in interstate wars have involved at least one coalition and the majority of those coalitions have been, like the cases we study, ad hoc in nature. Understanding how command arrangements affect performance and getting organization right at the outset of wars is increasingly important.
Multipliers and impacts of active sport tourism in the Greek region of Messinia
Authors: Drakakis Panayiotis , Papadaskalopoulos Athanasios , Lagos Dimitrios
Published: February 2020

Few studies on the economic impact of active sport tourism have been conducted, and these are limited to one sport. Multipliers, moreover, relate only to sport activities and not to sport tourist typologies. This article examines the economic impact of four activities (golf, windsurfing, horse riding and scuba diving) on income and employment generation in Messinia, a region in south-western Greece. Since no input–output tables are available at this local level, the ad hoc model was employed. Golf generated higher income and more employment units than the other activities, displaying all of the characteristics of a propulsive activity, a concept derived from the growth pole theory. Regarding typologies, primary sports tourists exhibit higher multipliers than tourists interested in sport in every case. The article, also, partially validates the general consensus that small tourism firms have higher total multipliers than their larger counterparts. Implications stemming from the results are discussed.
Gastro-emotivism: How MasterChef Israel produces therapeutic collective belongings
Authors: Grosglik Rafi , Lerner Julia
Published: February 2020

Although there is burgeoning research on the impact of therapeutic culture in the construction of the individual Self, the ways in which emotional discourse and therapeutic style shape the collective Self have been overlooked. Focusing on the popular reality-television cooking show MasterChef Israel, this article explores the emergence of gastro-emotivism – an interlacing of food with emotions and therapy and a materialization of emotions in the form of food. In MasterChef Israel, gastro-emotivism is used to articulate emotional-therapeutic selves as well as collective belongings and social categories. While recent literature understood the appearance of therapeutic culture in popular media as geared to reshape the individual neoliberal Self, we suggest that gastro-emotivism indicates the expansion of the emotional therapeutic framework in the depiction and construction of collective identities and identifications. We elaborate on the global phenomena of gastro-emotivism and explain its particular Israeli appearance. Emerging from this account is the proliferation of emotional-therapeutic discourse in the Israeli public sphere and its predominance in the ways in which Israelis ‘cook, taste and feel’ their collective affiliations.
East Asian pop music idol production and the emergence of data fandom in China
Authors: Zhang Qian , Negus Keith
Published: February 2020

This article traces the formation of popular music idol industries in China and the emergence of data fandom. It charts the growth of digital platforms and historicizes the commercial and geopolitical itinerations linking cultural production in Japan, South Korea, and China. It locates data fandom as an integral part of the popular music industries reconfigured by digital social media platforms; a structural change from the production-to-consumption ‘supply chain’ model of the recording era towards emergent circuits of content that integrate industries and audiences. Data fans understand how their online activities are tracked, and adopt individual and collective strategies to influence metric and semantic information reported on digital platforms and social media. This article analyses how the practices of data fans impact upon charts, media and content traffic, illustrating how this activity benefits the idols they are following, and enhances a fan’s sense of achievement and agency.
Seismic behaviors of precast assembled bridge columns connected with prestressed threaded steel bar: Experimental test and hysteretic model
Authors: Xie Qifang , Zhao Xudong , Yao Xiaofei , Hao Wenming , Hu Fangzheng
Published: February 2020

Three 1/10-scale bridge pier specimens were tested under quasi-static test. The specimens included two precast specimens (PC1 and PC2) and one cast-in-place reference specimen. The two precast bridge pier specimens were connected with prestressing threaded steel bar and steel flange at the connection between precast pier column and the foundation, and non-socket assembly scheme and socket assembly scheme are adopted, respectively. They were tested to verify the seismic performance of prefabricated piers connected by prestressed threaded steel bars and steel flanges and study which assembly scheme is better for non-socketed and socketed piers. The results show that the prefabricated pier with the combination of the prestressed threaded steel bars and steel flange has higher cracking load and smaller residual displacement, which indicates that it has good service performance and good self-resetting ability. Compared with the non-socket assembly scheme, the socket assembly scheme is superior due to its higher ductility, higher overall initial stiffness, and higher energy dissipation capacity. Therefore, the prefabricated assembled pier with the socket connection scheme of the combination of the prestressed threaded steel bars and steel flange has good service performance and seismic performance. After that, a hysteretic model for the precast assembled columns was proposed, which has a good agreement with the test results.
Seeing the insurgent in transformative planning practices
Authors: Huq Efadul
Published: February 2020

Insurgent planning and radical planning are two of the most popular conceptual frames of reference for progressive planners and theorists of transformative planning practices. In the past decades, scholars have extended these two planning conceptions to new geographies and realities to shed light on how planning can challenge structural injustices and marginalization. However, less attention has been given to how insurgent planning renovates radical planning practices in response to the crisis of neoliberal urbanization. While appreciating that radical and insurgent planning remain braided in practice, this article contributes to the literature on transformative planning by highlighting how insurgent planning builds on radical planning and innovates with regard to social location, epistemic distinction, and analytical unit.
The convergence of environmental crime with other serious crimes: Subtypes within the environmental crime continuum
Authors: van Uhm Daan P. , Nijman Rick C.C.
Published: February 2020

The rising global scarcity of natural resources increasingly attracts transnational criminal organizations. Organized crime syndicates diversify into the lucrative business of tropical timber, endangered species, and natural minerals, alongside their traditional activities. The developing interconnectedness between environmental crime and other serious crimes shows that traditional lines of separation are no longer appropriate for understanding and dealing with the increasing complexities of organized crime. Therefore, this article aims to analyse the nexus between environmental crime and other serious crimes through cluster analyses to identify subtypes of organized crime groups that have diversified into the illegal trade in natural resources. The two-step cluster algorithm found a cluster solution with three distinct clusters of subtypes of criminal groups that diversified into the illegal trade in natural resources in various ways: first, the Green Organized Crime cluster, with a high degree of diversification and domination; second, the Green Opportunistic Crime cluster, with flexible and fluid groups that partially diversify their criminal activities; and, third, the low-level diversifiers of the Green Camouflaged Crime cluster, shadowing their illegal businesses with legitimate companies. The three clusters can be related to specific stages within the environmental crime continuum, albeit with nuances.
Discipline, punishment, and the moral community of schools
Authors: Warnick Bryan R. , Scribner Campbell F.
Published: February 2020

The following article surveys changes to school punishment in the United States over the past century – particularly, the rise of exclusionary methods and the school-to-prison pipeline – to argue that prevailing disciplinary techniques are out of step with the developmental ethos of education and the principles of democratic oversight. To remedy these shortcomings, it offers a defense of schools as moral communities and outlines disciplinary responses grounded in the recognition and respect of the restorative justice model.
Readability and Accessibility of Terms of Service and Privacy Policies for Menstruation-Tracking Smartphone Applications
Authors: Fowler Leah R. , Gillard Charlotte , Morain Stephanie R.
Published: February 2020

Over 100 million women track their menstruation using mobile applications (apps). In addition to comparatively unremarkable personal information such as height and weight, these apps collect intimate data like characteristics of vaginal discharge and cervical position. In exchange, many apps claim to predict the timing and duration of menstruation and windows of fertility. From this information, users may modify their sexual behavior based on their reproductive intentions. Though these apps are popular, news reports and prior studies reveal that user expectations about privacy and accuracy often do not align with the content of terms of service and privacy policies. In this article, we analyzed the readability and accessibility of terms of service and privacy policies for 15 popular menstruation-tracking apps. We found that information about data-sharing practices and accuracy is often neither easily accessible nor understandable. As a result, terms of service and privacy policies likely obscure material information about privacy and accuracy, posing safety and reproductive health risks to users. To date, no regulatory body oversees or approves the vast majority of menstruation trackers, leaving the market open to apps that vary widely in quality, accuracy, and levels of protection. We encourage health care professionals to ask their patients and clients about app use and understanding, encourage them to review relevant app-specific information, and discourage use as contraception when indicated. We conclude with recommendations for future research to establish the appropriate standards of disclosure that should govern these and similar types of smartphone-based consumer health technologies.
Cost-effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Diabetic Foot Ulcer in Spain
Authors: Linertová Renata , del Pino-Sedeño Tasmania , Pérez Lidia-García , Aragón-Sánchez Javier , Andia-Ortiz Isabel , Trujillo-Martín Mar , Iruzubieta-Barragan Francisco J. , Serrano-Aguilar Pedro
Published: February 2020

This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) added to usual care versus usual care alone in elderly patients with chronic diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) from the Spanish health care system perpective. A 6-state Markov model with 3-month cycles was used to estimate costs and outcomes of wound healing and risk of recurrences, infections, and amputations over 5 years. Three treatment strategies were compared: ( a) usual care plus PRP obtained with a commercial kit, ( b) usual care plus PRP obtained manually, and ( c) usual care. Data on effectiveness were taken from a recent meta-analysis. Outcomes and costs were discounted at 3% and resources were valued in 2018 euro. Compared with usual care, the PRP treatment with the manual method was more effective and less costly (dominant option), whereas the PRP treatment with the commercial kit was more effective but also more costly, with the incremental ratio being above the cost-effectiveness threshold (€57 916 per quality-adjusted life year). These results are sensitive to the price of PRP kits (a 20% discount would make the PRP treatment a cost-effective option) and effectiveness data, due to the heterogeneity of primary studies. In conclusion, PRP treatment for DFUs could be considered a cost-effective or even cost-saving alternative in Spain, depending on the method of obtaining the PRP. Despite the dominance of the manual method, its general use is limited to hospitals and specialized centers, whereas PRP kits could be used in primary care settings, but their prices should be negotiated by health authorities.
Association of arterial thromboembolism location with presence of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation
Authors: Kızıltan Feryaz , Benli Emre Demir , Yılmaz Seyhan , Kalender Mehmet , Gunaydin Serdar
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Since nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is persistent in nature, patients with chronic nonvalvular atrial fibrillation are at life-time risk for development of thromboembolic events. Several novel oral anticoagulants have entered the market and there has been a growing body of evidence regarding their efficacy in prevention of ischemic stroke and arterial thromboembolism. The present study sought to compare the baseline characteristics between patients presenting with upper and lower extremity arterial thromboembolism developed secondary to nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Methods

This retrospective study was made up of patients presenting with acute upper or lower extremity arterial thromboembolism as the first presentation of atrial fibrillation. Patients were included if they had acute upper or lower critical limb ischemia symptoms lasting for less than one week. Patients in whom chronic peripheral artery disease was diagnosed were also excluded to prevent potential confounding.

Results

Overall, 46.9% of patients presented with upper extremity arterial thromboembolism and 53.1% of patients presented with lower extremity arterial thromboembolism. None of the baseline characteristics showed significant difference between patients with upper and lower extremity arterial thrombosis.

Conclusion

It was observed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of extremity involvement of acute arterial thromboembolism occurring in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in our study, and we think that acute arterial thromboembolism must be taken into consideration as one of the first signs and symptoms of atrial fibrillation.
Patterns of morbidity and multimorbidity associated with early and late readmissions in an Australian regional health service
Authors: Westley-Wise Victoria , Lago Luise , Mullan Judy , Facci Franca , Zingel Rebekah , Eagar Kathy
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To describe morbidity and multimorbidity patterns among adults readmitted to an Australian regional health service, in terms of occurrence of the same and different morbidities at index admission and readmission.

Methods

This cohort study used hospital admissions data for patients admitted between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2016 to estimate proportions of unplanned readmissions (‘early’ within 30 days and ‘late’ within 1–6 months) with the same and different morbidities as the index admission. Readmission rates were estimated by selected sociodemographic, admission and diagnostic characteristics.

Results

The majority of early and late readmissions were in different diagnostic groups and for different primary morbidities to the index admission. Only 38.8% of readmissions were in the same major diagnostic group as the index admission and 18.4% in the same Adjacent Diagnosis-Related Group. Twenty one percent of admitted patients were readmitted within six months, with this increasing to 35.3% among multimorbid patients.

Conclusion

With increasing prevalence of multimorbidity, particularly among those at increased risk of readmission, it is essential to step away from a single disease focus in the design of both hospital avoidance and chronic disease management programmes. Holistic interventions and strategies that address multiple chronic conditions are required.
Experimental investigation of the airflow generated by the human foot tapping using the hot-wire anemometry
Authors: Benabed Ahmed , Limam Karim , Janssens Bart , Bosschaerts Walter , Vercauteren Jan
Published: February 2020

Human-walking-induced particle resuspension in indoor environments is believed to be an important source of particulate matter. Aerodynamic disturbance generated by the human foot during a gait cycle are the main driver for particle detachment and dispersion in the room. In this work, the hot-wire anemometry technique was employed to investigate the airflow generated by one phase of the human gait cycle: the foot tapping. This phase was simulated by a mechanical simulator that consists of a wooden rectangular 25 × 8 × 1.2 cm plate, and a servomotor that allows downward and upward rotations of the plate with a constant velocity. A correction procedure based on the hot-wire velocity measurements and the analytical solution of Falkner–Skan has been derived to correct the hot-wire readings in the near-wall region. Results show a sharp increase of airflow velocity in front of the simulator after the simulator rotation. Transverse hot-wire measurements downstream of the simulator show that the profile of the maximal velocities reaches a peak at a distance y = 8 × 10−3 m from the wall. The expulsed air from the volume under the simulator propagates downstream from the foot to reach near zero velocity values at 0.15 m away from the top of the simulator.
Making memory sovereign/making sovereign memory
Authors: Chazan May , Cole Jenn
Published: February 2020

This article foregrounds the activist memory projects of four Indigenous women artists, recorded as part of a digital storytelling project in 2018. These memory projects collectively represent a refusal of settler colonial frameworks and a grounding in Indigenous knowledges, which challenge institutional understandings of the archive and dominant conceptions of memory. Through close reading and analysis, we argue that these storytellers’ practices – rooted in Land, body, ancestral relations, and creativity – are not efforts to simply right the colonial archive, nor are they insertions into colonial narratives; instead, they remember differently, with distinct modes and mechanisms for accessing, producing and circulating memory. Their work, in concert with Indigenous scholars cited throughout this article, extends not only the epistemological basis of the archive. It also expands the ontology of memory: pushing memory scholars to expand their understandings of what is possible to remember, and how memory is accessed and shared.
Comment: A role of Language in Infant Emotion Concept Acquisition
Authors: Shablack Holly , Stein Andrea G. , Lindquist Kristen A.
Published: February 2020

Ruba and Repacholi (2020) review an important debate in the emotion development literature: whether infants can perceive and understand facial configurations as instances of discrete emotion categories. Consistent with a psychological constructionist account (Lindquist & Gendron, 2013; Shablack & Lindquist, 2019), they conclude that infants can perceive valence on faces, but argue the evidence is far from clear that infants perceive and understand discrete emotions. Ruba and Repacholi outline a novel developmental trajectory of emotion perception and understanding in which early emotion concept learning may be language-independent. In this comment, we argue that language may play a role in emotion concept acquisition even prior to children’s ability to produce emotion labels. We look forward to future research addressing this hypothesis.
Measuring Education Index for China and Mexico
Authors: Czarnecki Lukasz , Juárez Contreras Karla Elisa , Dong Weizhen
Published: February 2020

Since the 1980s, China and Mexico adopted market-oriented public policies, which impacted all spheres of their respective societies. This study pays special attention to the areas of income, literacy, and urbanization; identifies relevant policies effects on their educational systems; and proposes a model of education index for analyzing their transformations. It found regional inequalities between west and east China and southern and north-central Mexico a crucial factor that affects the Education Index. In conclusion, we provide a theoretical and practical understanding of the education inequalities occurred in both countries.
Magnitude of antiretroviral treatment failure and associated factors among adult HIV-positive patients in Harar public hospitals, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Feleke Rahel , Geda Biftu , Teji Roba Kedir , Weldegebreal Fitsum
Published: February 2020

Background:

Antiretroviral treatment failure occurred when the antiretroviral regimen is unable to control HIV infection. There is no information on antiretroviral therapy failure in this study area.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of antiretroviral therapy failure among HIV-positive adult patients in Harar public hospitals from January to February 2018.

Methods:

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted using chart review data from February 2005 to July 2017. Systematic sampling technique was used to include a sample of 1094 patient charts. Data were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05.

Results:

The prevalence of first-line antiretroviral treatment failure was 21% (95% confidence interval = 18.3–23.5). Being male in sex, age of 45–54 years, patients with World Health Organization stages 3 and 4 during antiretroviral therapy initiation, a baseline CD4 count <100 cells/mm3, poor drug adherence, and on antiretroviral therapy follow-up for ⩾25 months were predictors of antiretroviral treatment failure.

Conclusion:

In this study, the rate of antiretroviral treatment failure is relatively high. Therefore, the concerned body should pay attention to the predictors to reduce the risk of treatment failure among this study group.
An SFTPC gene mutation causes childhood interstitial lung disease: first report in the Arab region
Authors: Alzaid Mohammed A , Eltahir Safa , Amin Ur Rahman Muhammad , Alotaibi Wadha , Mobaireek Khalid
Published: February 2020

Background

Surfactant protein C dysfunction is one of the causes of childhood interstitial lung disease but has not previously been reported in Arabian countries.

Case presentation

A six-year-old girl had presented at the age of eight months old with bronchiolitis followed by a persistent cough, dyspnea and hypoxaemia. She was found to have gastroesophageal reflux disease, but her symptoms did not resolve despite her therapy being optimised. Further tests, including a chest computed tomographic scan, lung biopsy and genetic testing, confirmed a diagnosis of surfactant protein C dysfunction.

Conclusion

We report the first case in the Arab region of childhood interstitial lung disease caused by surfactant protein C deficiency.
Antecedents of overtime work: The case of junior academics
Authors: Frei Irina , Grund Christian
Published: February 2020

Despite the ongoing public debate about precarious working conditions in academia, there is only little evidence on working hours and overtime work for the group of (non-tenured) junior academics. We make use of unique longitudinal survey data on the occupational situation and careers of doctoral students and doctorate holders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields in Germany. We find that overtime hours are less pronounced among firm employees holding a doctorate and among postdocs than they are among doctoral students. This result is prevalent both between individuals in the cross-section and with regard to individual fixed effects panel estimations. In contrast to firm employees, overtime hours are in a considerable way positively associated with part-time contracts for doctoral students. Furthermore, our results reveal that individuals’ career orientation is positively associated with extra hours. In contrast, individuals with family responsibilities spend significantly fewer hours at work.
Selective inhibition of Ph-positive ALL cell growth through kinase-dependent and -independent effects by CDK6-specific PROTACs
Authors: De Dominici Marco , Porazzi Patrizia , Xiao Youcai , Chao Allen , Tang Hsin-Yao , Kumar Gaurav , Fortina Paolo , Spinelli Orietta , Rambaldi Alessandro , Peterson Luke F. , Petruk Svetlana , Barletta Camilla , Mazo Alexander , Cingolani Gino , Salvino Joseph M. , Calabretta Bruno
Published: February 2020

Expression of the cell cycle regulatory gene CDK6 is required for Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell growth, whereas expression of the closely related CDK4 protein is dispensable. Moreover, CDK6 silencing is more effective than treatment with the dual CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in suppressing Ph+ ALL in mice, suggesting that the growth-promoting effects of CDK6 are, in part, kinase-independent in Ph+ ALL. Accordingly, we developed CDK4/6–targeted proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) that inhibit CDK6 enzymatic activity in vitro, promote the rapid and preferential degradation of CDK6 over CDK4 in Ph+ ALL cells, and markedly suppress S-phase cells concomitant with inhibition of CDK6-regulated phospho-RB and FOXM1 expression. No such effects were observed in CD34+ normal hematopoietic progenitors, although CDK6 was efficiently degraded. Treatment with the CDK6-degrading PROTAC YX-2-107 markedly suppressed leukemia burden in mice injected with de novo or tyrosine kinase inhibitor–resistant primary Ph+ ALL cells, and this effect was comparable or superior to that of the CDK4/6 enzymatic inhibitor palbociclib. These studies provide “proof of principle” that targeting CDK6 with PROTACs that inhibit its enzymatic activity and promote its degradation represents an effective strategy to exploit the “CDK6 dependence” of Ph+ ALL and, perhaps, of other hematologic malignancies. Moreover, they suggest that treatment of Ph+ ALL with CDK6-selective PROTACs would spare a high proportion of normal hematopoietic progenitors, preventing the neutropenia induced by treatment with dual CDK4/6 inhibitors.