bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uncovering Zoo Audience Values Necessary to Create Effective Messaging About Illegal Wildlife Trade
Authors: Nageotte Nichole L. , Eagle-Malone Rebecca , Searles Vicki
Published: October 2022

The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a far-reaching problem with devastating effects on wildlife populations. To engage zoo audiences in environmental behaviors that can help combat IWT, they need to be made aware of what it is, its impacts on wildlife, and how it affects human communities abroad and locally. In fall of 2019, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo initiated a project to investigate the values of target Zoo and public audiences to develop effective messaging about IWT. The first step of this project was to explore knowledge and values participants hold toward wildlife and IWT. Intercept interviews occurred both on grounds at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and off Zoo grounds at a nearby university. Project participants in Northeast Ohio had four main values when it came to wildlife and illegal wildlife trade: moral, protection, human centric, and ethical. Future messaging about this topic will be created with these values in mind.
Who cares for wellbeing? Corporate wellness, social reproduction and the essential worker
Authors: Murtola Anna-Maria , Vallelly Neil
Published: October 2022

This paper seeks to contribute to the rethinking of wellbeing in organisation studies. First, it contributes to critiques of corporate wellness by drawing on social reproduction theory to show how the wellbeing of every individual worker is dependent on the efforts of many, often unacknowledged, others. Corporate wellness initiatives epitomise the dominant, neoliberal narrative of wellbeing in which individuals are posited as responsible for the maintenance of their own wellbeing. Against this, social reproduction theory highlights the relational, socially distributed and materially grounded character of wellbeing. Second, the COVID-19 pandemic opened an opportunity to radically rethink wellbeing. A social reproduction reading of the category of the essential worker allows us to analyse some of the tensions and contradictions involved in the work of producing wellbeing today. It shows the unequal distribution of both the work involved and of its rewards. In sum, this paper helps extend debates over wellbeing in organisation studies beyond, on the one hand, individualised accounts of wellbeing and, on the other, accounts that ultimately confine understandings of wellbeing to the traditional workplace. It argues for the need for organisational studies of wellbeing to take the wider social reproduction of wellbeing as its starting point.
Factors influencing the dynamic response of protective structures within heavy-duty vehicles in complex transportation conditions
Authors: Su Yi , Zou Jun , Li Zhong Yi , Lu Wei
Published: October 2022

This paper develops a simulated dynamics model focused on the vibration coupling between a heavy-duty vehicle and the protective structure of the payload and verifies it through field experiments, which monitor the dynamic response under complex driving conditions such as uneven surfaces, turning, deceleration, and excessive gradients in real time. Compared with the results of the experiments and the simulations (with numerical methods), it can be found that the model can accurately estimate dynamic response of protective structures. The maximum acceleration at the bottom of the protective structure becomes larger as the amplitude of the road surface roughness increases. Furthermore, when the vehicle turns, the vibration of the protective structure increases sharply with braking, and when the vehicle begins decelerating, the lateral acceleration of the freight increases significantly in the first few seconds. In addition, the maximum acceleration at the bottom of the protective structure increases with the increase in speed when the heavy-duty vehicle is driving on a gradient, but that increase is small when the speed exceeds 80 km/h.
Guidelines for effective unsupervised guided wave compression and denoising in long-term guided wave structural health monitoring
Authors: Yang Kang , Kim Sungwon , Harley Joel B
Published: October 2022

This paper studies the effectiveness of joint compression and denoising strategies with realistic, long-term guided wave structural health monitoring data. We leverage the high correlation between nearby collections of guided waves in time to create sparse and low-rank representations. While compression and denoising schemes are not new, they are almost exclusively designed and studied with relatively simple datasets. In contrast, guided wave structural health monitoring datasets have much more complex operational and environmental conditions, such as temperature, that distort data and for which the requirements to achieve effective compression and denoising are not well understood. The paper studies how to optimize our data collection and algorithms to best utilize guided wave data for compression, denoising, and damage detection based on seven million guided wave measurements collected over 2 years.
Sexual Harassment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Qualitative Systematic Review
Authors: Hardt Selina , Stöckl Heidi , Wamoyi Joyce , Ranganathan Meghna
Published: October 2022

Sexual harassment is a pervasive form of gender-based violence that has negative social and health impacts, yet there is only limited research available on sexual harassment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of this qualitative systematic review was to better understand how participants across a variety of countries and settings conceptualized sexual harassment and to investigate its causal factors, consequences, coping strategies, and recommendations for prevention and interventions. We searched eight databases and included English language qualitative studies published from 1990 until June 2021 if they mentioned sexual harassment in LMICs and included female or male participants aged 12 and older. This resulted in 34 included studies. Overall, this review established that sexual harassment was salient in participants’ lives, yet their conceptualizations of sexual harassment varied widely and were strongly influenced by contextual and sociocultural factors. Overall, our review has highlighted (1) the conflation of sexual harassment and sexual violence, (2) the intersections of gendered power with other hierarchies of authority, age, and socio-economic status and how the role of power is different in street versus educational and workplace settings, (3) the patriarchal norms, gender inequalities, and normalization of gender-based violence that enable sexual harassment and silence those affected by it, (4) the varied expectations of how women should cope with sexual harassment in order for their experiences to be validated, and (5) the need for gender norms change and fair and effective policies in order to not only prevent sexual harassment but also address the underlying causes.
Semi-Markov models of inspection-based maintenance with empirical data from case studies on hydrant pumps
Authors: Dong Hyun Soo , Liu Yiliu
Published: October 2022

Considerable benefits have been gained from condition-based maintenance (CBM) utilizing continuous monitoring integrated with information technology. However, periodic inspection for CBM is still used widely as a practically helpful method to know the condition of the equipment. This paper starts from a case study where a maintenance log recorded by periodic inspection from five hydrant pumps is used to estimate the required parameter for maintenance modeling. To process the data for CBM, two schemes are taken into consideration: Inference of condition indicator through repair activities and reflection of non-observable events with virtual nodes. A CBM model of inspection-based preventive maintenance with discrete data is developed using the Markov model. The semi-Markov process is adopted then with more flexibility allowing the Weibull distributed sojourn times and the Multiphase Markov process is suggested to reflect the periodic inspection. Thus, the model for pumps takes into account both SMP and multiphase Markov process. Monte-Carlo simulations are generated to calculate state probability and the number of maintenances. An analytical solution is proposed by the transition probability of embedded Markov chain (EMC) and sojourn time of SMP. The developed CBM models are verified and compared based on analysis results and empirical data.
Impact of Birthing Room Design on Maternal Childbirth Experience: Results From the Room4Birth Randomized Trial
Authors: Goldkuhl Lisa , Gyllensten Hanna , Begley Cecily , Nilsson Christina , Wijk Helle , Lindahl Göran , Uvnäs-Moberg Kerstin , Berg Marie
Published: October 2022

Objective:

To study the effect of the birthing room design on nulliparous women’s childbirth experience up to 1 year after birth.

Background:

Although it is known that the birth environment can support or hinder birth processes, the impact of the birthing room design on maternal childbirth experience over time is insufficiently studied.

Methods:

The Room4Birth randomized controlled trial was conducted at a labor ward in Sweden. Nulliparous women in active stage of spontaneous labor were randomized ( n = 406) to either a regular birthing room ( n = 202) or a new birthing room designed with more person-centered considerations ( n = 204). Childbirth experiences were measured 2 hr, 3 months, and 12 months after birth by using a Visual Analogue Scale of Overall Childbirth Experience (VAS-OCE), the Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS), and the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ2).

Results:

Women randomized to the new room had a more positive childbirth experience reported on the VAS-OCE 3 months ( p = .002) and 12 months ( p = .021) after birth compared to women randomized to a regular room. Women in the new room also scored higher in the total CEQ2 score ( p = .039) and within the CEQ2 subdomain own capacity after 3 months ( p = .028). The remaining CEQ2 domains and the FOBS scores did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions:

These findings show that a birthing room offering more possibilities to change features and functions in the room according to personal needs and requirements, positively affects the childbirth experience of nulliparous women 3 and 12 months after they have given birth.
Anabolic Response of Intermittent Parathyroid Hormone and Alendronate on the Osteochondral Tissue of TMJ
Authors: Chen Po-Jung , Wang Ke , Mehta Shivam , O’Brien Mara H. , Dealy Caroline N. , Dutra Eliane H. , Yadav Sumit
Published: October 2022

Objective

To characterize the effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and alendronate (Alend) on the osteochondral tissue of temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Materials and Methods

Ninety-six male and female transgenic reporter mice, 4 to 5 weeks old were divided into 6 groups: (1) Control group: Saline was injected daily for 14 days; (2) PTH: PTH was injected daily for 14 days; (3) Alend: Alend was injected every alternate days for 14 days; (4) Combined PTH and Alend: PTH was injected daily and Alend injected every alternate days for 14 days; (5) PTH then Alend: PTH was injected daily for 14 days followed by Alend injections in alternate days for 14 days; and (6) PTH wait Alend: PTH was injected daily for 14 days. There was a waiting period of 1 week before administration of Alend in alternate days for 14 days. Mice were injected with 5-ethnyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), 48 and 24 hours prior to euthanization.

Results

There was significant increase in bone volume and decrease in osteoclastic activity in groups in which Alend was administered after PTH in both gender. There was significant increase in cartilage thickness with PTH or Alend alone in females, whereas in males, PTH alone led to increase in cartilage thickness. Chondrocyte apoptosis was significantly decreased with PTH or Alend alone in both male and female. Matrix metallopeptidase 13, and aggreganase-2 (ADAMTS5) expression were significantly decreased with PTH and Alend alone in both gender.

Conclusion

PTH and Alend administration causes anabolic effects in the osteochondral tissue of TMJ.
Changes in the Cross-Sectional Profile of Treated Anterior Cruciate Ligament Within 2 Years After Surgery
Authors: Menghini Danilo , Kaushal Shankar G. , Flannery Sean W. , Ecklund Kirsten ,   BEAR Trial Team, Murray Martha M. , Fleming Braden C. , Kiapour Ata M. , Proffen Benedikt , Sant Nicholas , Portilla Gabriela , Sanborn Ryan , Freiberger Christina , Henderson Rachael , Barnett Samuel , Yen Yi-Meng , Kramer Dennis E. , Micheli Lyle J.
Published: October 2022

Background:

The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and reconstructed graft has direct implications on its strength and knee function. Little is known regarding how the CSA changes along the ligament length and how those changes vary between treated and native ligaments over time.

Hypothesis:

It was hypothesized that (1) the CSA of reconstructed ACLs and restored ACLs via bridge-enhanced ACL restoration (BEAR) is heterogeneous along the length. (2) Differences in CSA between treated and native ACLs decrease over time. (3) CSA of the surgically treated ACLs is correlated significantly with body size (ie, height, weight, body mass index) and knee size (ie, bicondylar and notch width).

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Magnetic resonance imaging scans of treated and contralateral knees of 98 patients (n = 33 ACL reconstruction, 65 BEAR) at 6, 12, and 24 months post-operation were used to measure the ligament CSA at 1% increments along the ACL length (tibial insertion, 0%; femoral insertion, 100%). Statistical parametric mapping was used to evaluate the differences in CSA between 6 and 24 months. Correlations between body and knee size and treated ligament CSA along its length were also assessed.

Results:

Hamstring autografts had larger CSAs than native ACLs at all time points ( P < .001), with region of difference decreasing from proximal 95% of length (6 months) to proximal 77% of length (24 months). Restored ACLs had larger CSAs than native ACLs at 6 and 12 months, with larger than native CSA only along a small midsubstance region at 24 months ( P < .001). Graft CSA was correlated significantly with weight (6 and 12 months), bicondylar width (all time points), and notch width (24 months). Restored ACL CSA was significantly correlated with bicondylar width (6 months) and notch width (6 and 12 months).

Conclusion:

Surgically treated ACLs remodel continuously within the first 2 years after surgery, leading to ligaments/grafts with heterogeneous CSAs along the length, similar to the native ACL. While reconstructed ACLs remained significantly larger, the restored ACL had a CSA profile comparable with that of the contralateral native ACL. In addition to size and morphology differences, there were fundamental differences in factors contributing to CSA profile between the ACL reconstruction and BEAR procedures.

Registration:

NCT 02664545 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
‘Kresy’ as the heart of darkness: Reading Polish and Belgian colonialisms
Authors: Shimomura Anna
Published: October 2022

‘Kresy’ [ borderlands/outskirts] is a sentimental term used by Poles to denote the lands of today’s Western Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. The Polish rule in that region has rarely been discussed in terms of colonialism. In this article, I employ the framework of postcolonial theory within the context of Polish rule in ‘Kresy’. The article juxtaposes anthropologist Józef Obrębski’s ethnographic writings about Polesia region (a part of ‘Kresy’ that was polonised in the most extreme manner) with Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad – a Polish-British author born and raised in ‘Kresy’, that during his time was subjugated by Russian Empire. The figure of Conrad, whose ambivalent relationship with colonialism was pointed out by many postcolonial scholars starting with Chinua Achebe, becomes a point of departure to think about what Maria Janion describes as ‘the paradoxical Polish postcolonial mentality’: the ambivalence of being a colonised coloniser. The article is an attempt of contribution to the ongoing debate about identity and dependence in the East Central Europe region.
Impact of Liberalisation on Dalit Entrepreneurship
Authors: Jarwal Devendra , Kahal Anju
Published: October 2022

Indian society is broadly stratified into a caste system that is historically classified on the occupation of a particular class and seeks to enforce the idea of ‘once a labourer always a labourer’. Free market followed after the introduction of the liberalisation policy has eliminated excessive administrative control and social hierarchies. Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain and enquire whether all sections of society have been equally given the chance to seek entrepreneurial opportunities in the liberalised era. For this research, we have carried out a survey on Dalit entrepreneurship, and the significance of our assumptions was tested through the ‘test of signification of attributes’. We conclude that there is a positive impact of the liberalisation policy on the growth of Dalit entrepreneurship, but this has resulted in proliferation in very small business units, which are mainly doing survival activities. Most of the Dalit-owned enterprises were established due to the necessity to survive as they did not get any employment opportunities, and had they have gotten any employment opportunities, they would have been earning more than what they are currently earning through necessity entrepreneurship. We have highlighted the factors augmenting Dalit entrepreneurship that will provide useful information to stakeholders and policymakers to prepare strategies to support entrepreneurship among the marginalised section.
Measuring the superblock based on a hierarchy matrix of geometry, configuration, network, and area: The case of Nanjing
Authors: Song Yacheng , Pang Yueting
Published: October 2022

A superblock is a core unit of the built form of an old city in China, in which various morphological elements are organized and related through a hierarchical structure. Existing quantitative studies are generally limited to a single perspective or object and do not support the classification of morphological types through comprehensive analysis methods. In this study, a new cognitive framework, the hierarchy matrix, is presented to bridge this knowledge gap. It consists of four dimensions: configuration of network, geometry of network, configuration of area, and geometry of area. These dimensions are formed by the intersection of the two coordinates of perspective and object. Based on their measurement, the overall characteristics of the superblocks are represented and compared through matrix diagrams. Subsequently, the validity and adaptability of this quantitative approach are verified through an empirical analysis of Nanjing’s old city superblocks. The results reveal the morphological type of superblocks, and their causes are analyzed through the correlation with the urban environmental background. hierarchy matrix is potentially a useful method for studying the complex emerging built form of rapidly changing cities, especially in developing countries, such as China. The hierarchical matrix method is not only an analysis tool but also has the potential to develop an evaluation method to provide scientific support for the practice of urban renewal.
“A little portion of our 40 acres”: A black agrarian imaginary in the city
Authors: Lindemann Justine
Published: October 2022

In this article, I draw upon more than three years of research with black urban gardeners and farmers in Cleveland, Ohio to explore the contours of a specifically black agrarianism in the city, or what I am calling a black agrarian imaginary. I argue that this imaginary, enacted through an ongoing production of space that stakes a claim on the right to difference, emerges from and draws upon a diasporic and ancestral agrarianism (most proximally from the American South) to build a more self-determined urban food system while also contesting prevailing notions of what does and does not belong in the city and who gets to make those decisions. Black growers in Cleveland assert the right to difference—to produce the city as oeuvre—as a way to build and establish a more self-determined, just food system.
Eptinezumab administered intravenously, subcutaneously, or intramuscularly in healthy subjects and/or patients with migraine: Early development studies
Authors: Baker Brian , Shen Vivienne , Cady Roger , Ettrup Anders , Larsen Frank
Published: October 2022

Objective:

To report the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of eptinezumab using intravenous (IV) infusion compared to other routes of administration from two phase 1 trials.

Methods:

Study 1 (NCT01579383) and Study 2 (ACTRN12615000531516) were double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials. Study 1 singly administered ascending doses of eptinezumab 1–1000 mg IV infusion or 100 mg subcutaneous (SC) injection to healthy adults on day 1 ( n = 60); in a second part, eptinezumab 300 mg IV + sumatriptan 6 mg SC was administered to healthy adults and patients with migraine ( n = 18). Study 2 administered eptinezumab 100 or 300 mg intramuscular (IM), 100 mg SC, or 100 mg IV to healthy adults on days 1 and 84 ( n = 60).

Results:

No withdrawals due to treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported due to IV administration, with IV generally reporting TEAEs similar to placebo. The pharmacokinetics of eptinezumab were as expected for a monoclonal antibody, with the 100 mg and 300 mg IV doses exhibiting higher C max and shorter t max compared to identical SC and IM doses.

Discussion:

These phase 1 safety and tolerability data supported eptinezumab intravenous infusions at 100 and 300 mg; both were approved for migraine prevention, were well tolerated, had low immunogenicity and rapid attainment of high plasma concentrations.
Comparisons of outcomes between different age groups attending a specialist mental health service for children and young people in care
Authors: Eadie Kathryn , Galloway Hannah , Middeldorp Christel M.
Published: October 2022

Objective: Children and adolescents in care experience higher rates of mental illness. No studies have looked at differences in treatment effect amongst age groups for children/young people in care accessing mental health services. This study aims to determine if age is associated with outcomes for children and adolescents in care receiving treatment from a specialist mental health service in Queensland, Australia. Method: This 5-year retrospective cohort study consisted of a sample of 1338 children and adolescents in care aged 0–17 with pre- and post-treatment data. The Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and the Health of the Nations Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) were used to assess functioning and mental health outcomes. Results: Data analysis revealed significant differences between the age groups. Age 0–4 also showed significantly greater improvement on a number of domains when compared with older age groups, including overactivity and attention, scholastic and language skills, emotional symptoms, peer relationships, and family life and relationships. Conclusion: This study demonstrated positive outcomes for all ages, yet better outcomes for the younger age groups in a cohort of children and adolescents in care attending a specialist mental health service. It highlights the importance of providing mental health interventions to children/young people in care, particularly age 0–4. Further, it calls for validated measures for young children to be utilised across mental health services to aid research in this area and optimise outcomes for this vulnerable population.
Transcutaneous Approach to Treat a Fracture of the Anterior Wall of the Frontal Bone With Low Level of Comminution: A Case Report Closed Reduction of a Midfacial Bone Fracture
Authors: Abdalla Barbosa Brunno di Azevedo , Pastore Patrícia Radaic , Barreto Gustavo Lopes , Freitas Lilian Santos , Pastore Gabriel Pires
Published: October 2022

Study design

case report.

Objective

present a transcutaneous approach to treat a fracture of the anterior wall of the frontal bone with low level of comminution.

Methods

the fracture was studied in detail with computed tomography (CT) and the patient was treated with a closed reduction of a midfacial bone fracture with the use of transcutaneous screws.

Results

Optimal aesthetic result was achieved without any adverse event up. CT at 6-month follow-up demonstrated good bone alignment of the anterior wall of the fractured frontal sinus.

Conclusion

Closed approaches, when well indicated, can be an interesting treatment option for isolated fractures of the anterior wall of the frontal sinus with low levels of comminution.
Analysis of disparities in time to allogeneic transplantation in adults with acute myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Fingrut Warren B. , Gyurkocza Boglarka , Flynn Jessica , Davis Eric , Devlin Sean , Scaradavou Andromachi , Chinapen Stephanie , Quach Sean , Cho Christina , Giralt Sergio A. , Jakubowski Ann A. , Lin Richard J. , Papadopoulos Esperanza B. , Perales Miguel-Angel , Ponce Doris , Shaffer Brian C. , Tamari Roni , Young James W. , Politikos Ioannis , Barker Juliet N.
Published: October 2022

Although alternative donors extend transplant access, whether recipient ancestry affects the time to allogeneic transplant is not established. We analyzed the likelihood of clinically significant delays to allograft by patient ancestry in 313 adult patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who underwent transplantation. Non-European ancestry patients (n = 99) were more likely than Europeans (n = 214) to receive HLA-mismatched donor allografts (45% vs 24%). Overall, the median time from transplant indication to allograft was 127 days (range, 57-1683). In multivariable analysis, non-Europeans had an increased risk of prolonged indication to transplant time >180 days owing to significant delays in indication to consult >90 days and consult to transplant >120 days. Compared with recipients of HLA-matched unrelated donors (URDs), HLA-mismatched adult donor recipients were at an increased risk of delayed indication to transplant, whereas HLA-identical sibling and cord blood recipients were at a lower risk. Subanalysis showed more indication to transplant delays >180 days in non-European (44%) vs European (19%) 8/8 URD recipients. Finally, the pandemic further exacerbated delays for non-Europeans. In summary, although non-European patients with AML are less likely to receive 8/8 URDs as expected, if they do, their transplants are delayed. HLA-identical siblings and cord blood facilitate the fastest transplants regardless of patient ancestry, whereas other adult donor transplants are delayed. Strategies to mitigate referral barriers, hasten donor evaluation, and use all alternative donor sources are critical to ensure timely transplantation for patients with AML.
Convergence on reduced aggression through shared behavioral traits in multiple populations of Astyanax mexicanus
Authors: Rodriguez-Morales Roberto , Gonzalez-Lerma Paola , Yuiska Anders , Han Ji Heon , Guerra Yolanda , Crisostomo Lina , Keene Alex C. , Duboue Erik R. , Kowalko Johanna E.
Published: October 2022

Background

Aggression is observed across the animal kingdom, and benefits animals in a number of ways to increase fitness and promote survival. While aggressive behaviors vary widely across populations and can evolve as an adaptation to a particular environment, the complexity of aggressive behaviors presents a challenge to studying the evolution of aggression. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus exists as an aggressive river-dwelling surface form and multiple populations of a blind cave form, some of which exhibit reduced aggression, providing the opportunity to investigate how evolution shapes aggressive behaviors.

Results

To define how aggressive behaviors evolve, we performed a high-resolution analysis of multiple social behaviors that occur during aggressive interactions in A. mexicanus. We found that many of the aggression-associated behaviors observed in surface-surface aggressive encounters were reduced or lost in Pachón cavefish. Interestingly, one behavior, circling, was observed more often in cavefish, suggesting evolution of a shift in the types of social behaviors exhibited by cavefish. Further, detailed analysis revealed substantive differences in aggression-related sub-behaviors in independently evolved cavefish populations, suggesting independent evolution of reduced aggression between cave populations. We found that many aggressive behaviors are still present when surface fish fight in the dark, suggesting that these reductions in aggression-associated and escape-associated behaviors in cavefish are likely independent of loss of vision in this species. Further, levels of aggression within populations were largely independent of type of opponent (cave vs. surface) or individual stress levels, measured through quantifying stress-like behaviors, suggesting these behaviors are hardwired and not reflective of population-specific changes in other cave-evolved traits.

Conclusion

These results reveal that loss of aggression in cavefish evolved through the loss of multiple aggression-associated behaviors and raise the possibility that independent genetic mechanisms underlie changes in each behavior within populations and across populations. Taken together, these findings reveal the complexity of evolution of social behaviors and establish A. mexicanus as a model for investigating the evolutionary and genetic basis of aggressive behavior.
Risk factors for portal hypertensive gastropathy
Authors: Wu Ran , Liu Kunyi , Shi Chengyi , Tian Hui , Wang Na
Published: October 2022

Background

Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) is often underestimated in clinical diagnosis. Gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhosis of PHG accounts for approximately 10% of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. However, the relationship between PHG and gender, laboratory parameters, liver function and varices is still controversial. In the present study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of PHG and to explore the relationship between PHG and gender, laboratory parameters, liver function and varicose veins.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 325 patients with cirrhosis who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in the Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020 was performed. The relationships among age, gender, laboratory parameters, Child–Pugh stage, oesophageal varices (EV), gastric varices (GV) and ascites with PHG were analysed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

The occurrence of PHG was significantly associated with gender, haemoglobin, platelet count, prothrombin time, albumin, Child–Pugh stage, EV, GV and ascites (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the severity of PHG and the degree of EV, GV and ascites (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that albumin, EV and GV levels were independently associated with the occurrence of PHG.

Conclusion

The incidence of PHG in cirrhosis was 87.4% in this study. The occurrence of PHG was related to gender, haemoglobin, platelet count, prothrombin time, albumin, Child–Pugh stage, EV, GV and ascites. Albumin, the degree of EV and GV are independent risk factors for the occurrence of PHG.
The 30-day hospital readmission and mortality after surgery in colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Alyabsi Mesnad S. , Alqarni Anwar H. , Almutairi Latifah M. , Algarni Mohammed A. , Alshammari Kanan M. , Almutairi Adel , Alselaim Nahar A.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Hospital readmissions in the first weeks following surgery are common, expensive, and associated with increased mortality among colorectal cancer patients. This study is designed to assess the 30-day hospital readmission after colorectal cancer surgery and evaluate the risk factors that affect hospital readmission.

Methods

The study uses data from the Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs Cancer Registry. All colorectal cancer patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery between January 1, 2016, and November 31, 2021, were investigated. Factors examined were age, gender, marital status, Body Mass Index, Charlson Comorbidity Index, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, tumor stage, grade, site, surgical approach, length of stay, and discharge location. Kaplan–Meier curves were constructed to assess survival rates between readmitted and non-readmitted patients, and logistic regressions were performed to assess predictors of readmission.

Results

A total of 356 patients underwent tumor resection and 49 patients were readmitted within 30-day of index discharge. The most common reasons for hospital readmissions were gastrointestinal (22.45%), urinary tract infection (16.33%), and surgical site infection (12.24%). In the multivariable analysis, females were 89% more likely to be readmitted compared to males (odds ratio 1.89, 95% confidence intervals 1.00–3.58). Patients with distant metastatic tumors have higher odds of readmission (odds ratio 4.52, 95% confidence intervals 1.39–14.71) compared to patients with localized disease.

Conclusions

Colorectal cancer readmission is more common in patients with metastatic disease. Strategies to reduce readmission include planned transition to outpatient care, especially among patients with a high risk of readmission.
Home-based training technology for persons with dementia: a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators for mobility-based training at home
Authors: Ladekjær Larsen Eva , Waldorff Frans Boch , Hansen Helle Ploug , la Cour Karen
Published: October 2022

Background

Physical training is increasingly used in rehabilitation for older people with dementia and several studies have documented positive results. Currently, welfare nations promote motion-based technology (MBT) at home to replace group training in various rehabilitation interventions. Research on the use of MBT by people with dementia is sparse. Therefore, this study explores how people with mild dementia and their relatives experience home-based MBT training in an intervention facilitated by a Danish municipality.

Methods

The study is part of a feasibility study and builds on participant observation and interviews with people with dementia (n = 4), their relatives (n = 4), and health care workers (n = 3) engaged in the project.

Results

Participants compared MBT training to group training and found that MBT was not a satisfactory replacement for group training. Some participants used and enjoyed MBT daily while others were challenged by the technology, the placement of the device, or motivation to independently complete the training program.

Conclusion

MBT is possibly best considered as a supplement to group training, suitable for individuals able to use it in daily life.
Association between active cytomegalovirus infection and lung fibroproliferation in adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: a retrospective study
Authors: Zhang Zhihui , Li Rujian , Chen Yubiao , Zhang Jierong , Zheng Yongxin , Xu Minmin , Liang Jiaqi , Li Jiahui , Huang Yongbo , Xu Yonghao , He Weiqun , Liu Xiaoqing , Li Yimin
Published: October 2022

Background

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has high seroprevalence, and its active infection is associated with several adverse prognoses in adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, the role of active CMV infection in ARDS-associated fibroproliferation is unknown. This study aimed at determining the association between active CMV infection and lung fibroproliferation in adult patients with ARDS.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all adult patients with ARDS who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2018 to December 2020 at a national university-affiliated hospital in China. Study subjects were divided into active and non-active CMV infection groups based on CMV DNAemia within a 28-day ICU hospitalization. Lung fibroproliferation was measured using chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and N-terminal peptide of serum procollagen III (NT-PCP-III) within the first 28 days of ICU admission. Pulmonary fibrosis, clinical features, laboratory findings, treatment measures, and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups.

Results

Among the 87 ARDS patients included in this study, the incidence of active CMV infection was 16.1% within the 28-day ICU admission period. In logistic regression analyze, active CMV infection was found to be associated with higher pulmonary fibrogenesis, pulmonary fibrosis score, and NT-PCP-III level (P < 0.05). The duration of ICU stay in ARDS patients with active CMV infection was significantly higher than in those without active CMV infection (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Among adult patients with ARDS, active CMV infection was related to poor clinical outcomes. Active CMV infection was associated with ARDS-associated fibroproliferation. Prophylactic and preemptive use of anti-CMV agents on pulmonary fibrosis should be assessed to determine a consensus therapeutic strategy.
Automated total and vessel-specific coronary artery calcium (CAC) quantification on chest CT: direct comparison with CAC scoring on non-contrast cardiac CT
Authors: Yu Jie , Qian Lijuan , Sun Wengang , Nie Zhuang , Zheng DanDan , Han Ping , Shi Heshui , Zheng Chuansheng , Yang Fan
Published: October 2022

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the artificial intelligence (AI)-based coronary artery calcium (CAC) quantification and regional distribution of CAC on non-gated chest CT, using standard electrocardiograph (ECG)-gated CAC scoring as the reference.

Methods

In this retrospective study, a total of 405 patients underwent non-gated chest CT and standard ECG-gated cardiac CT. An AI-based algorithm was used for automated CAC scoring on chest CT, and Agatston score on cardiac CT was manually quantified. Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the agreement of absolute Agatston score between the two scans at the patient and vessel levels. Linearly weighted kappa (κ) was calculated to assess the reliability of AI-based CAC risk categorization and the number of involved vessels on chest CT.

Results

The AI-based algorithm showed moderate reliability for the number of involved vessels in comparison to measures on cardiac CT (κ = 0.75, 95% CI 0.70–0.79, P < 0.001) and an assignment agreement of 76%. Considerable coronary arteries with CAC were not identified with a per-vessel false-negative rate of 59.3%, 17.8%, 34.9%, and 34.7% for LM, LAD, CX, and RCA on chest CT. The leading causes for false negatives of LM were motion artifact (56.3%, 18/32) and segmentation error (43.8%, 14/32). The motion artifact was almost the only cause for false negatives of LAD (96.6%, 28/29), CX (96.7%, 29/30), and RCA (100%, 34/34). Absolute Agatston scores on chest CT were underestimated either for the patient and individual vessels except for LAD (median difference: − 12.5, − 11.3, − 5.6, − 18.6 for total, LM, CX, and RCA, all P < 0.01; − 2.5 for LAD, P = 0.18). AI-based total Agatston score yielded good reliability for risk categorization (weighted κ 0.86, P < 0.001) and an assignment agreement of 86.7% on chest CT, with a per-patient false-negative rate of 15.2% (28/184) and false-positive rate of 0.5% (1/221) respectively.

Conclusions

AI-based per-patient CAC quantification on non-gated chest CT achieved a good agreement with dedicated ECG-gated CAC scoring overall and highly reliable CVD risk categorization, despite a slight but significant underestimation. However, it is challenging to evaluate the regional distribution of CAC without ECG-synchronization.
Neck circumference cut-off points for detecting overweight and obesity among school children in Northern Cyprus
Authors: Turkay Ezgi , Kabaran Seray
Published: October 2022

Background

Neck circumference is one of the anthropometric parameters that is widely used in practical applications, clinical and epidemiological studies in children. It is aimed to determine the neck circumference cut-off points and to use them in the detection of overweight and obesity in children living in Northern Cyprus.

Subjects

This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2019 and January 2020, and covered a sample of 692 children (367 girls and 325 boys) aged 6–10 years attending primary schools in the Northern Cyprus.

Methods

Body weight, height, neck circumference, waist circumference, subscapular and triceps skinfold tickness were measured. BF% was calculated with Slaughter equations. World Health Organization BMI cut-off points for age and gender percentiles were used to categorize obesity. BMI, WHtR, NC, body fat were calculated. The Pearson Correlation co-efficient between NC and the other anhtropometric measurements were calculated. Receiver operating characteristics analysis, sensitivity, specificity, PV + ve PV- was used to determine the optimal NC cut-off points for identifying children with overweight and obesity.

Results

NC was a statistically significant positive and strong relationship with body weight, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference (p < 0,005). NC cut-off values to define overweight and obesity were calculated as 26,9 cm in girls (AUC: 0,851, 95% CI: 0,811–0,891, sensitivity 70,50%, specificity 84,65%) and 27,9 cm in boys (AUC: 0,847, 95% CI: 0,805–0,888, sensitivity 76,4%, specificity 79,3%). The ROC curves accurately define overweight and obesity of the whole cohort regardless of age for both sexes of children.

Conclusions

The cut-off points for neck circumference were found to be 27,9 cm for boys and 26,9 cm for girls in determining overweight and obesity in children aged 6–10 years. The NC cut-off points obtained in this study can be used to define overweight and obesity in children in epidemiological studies. It is considered to shed light on studies that will examine the relationship between neck circumference and diseases with more people in future studies.
Outcomes from integrating anti-cervical cancer teachings into the curriculum of high schools in a South-Eastern Nigerian State
Authors: Ifediora Christian , Veerman Lennert , Azuike Emmanuel , Ekwochi Uchenna , Obiozor Williams
Published: October 2022

Background

Quests for the global elimination of cervical cancer and its related SDG goals by 2030 are achievable if realistic approaches for improving outcomes in LMICs are entrenched. Targeting teenage high schoolers in these countries, which largely lack universally-affordable anti-cervical cancer measures, can be a game-changer. This paper evaluates a 2019 Harvard-endorsed measure that integrated relevant teachings into the curricula of some Nigerian high schools, in what was a global-first.

Method

A 12-month, quasi-experimental (pre-and-post-tests) research that evaluated the impact of the above initiative on three public schools randomly selected from a pool of 261 in South-east Nigeria. The intervention was “exposure” to anti-cervical teachings, which included “repetitions” and “examination/assessments” designed to enhance “engagement”. Both genders were among the 2,498 recruited participants. Data collections with questionnaires were at three different intervals over 12 months.

Results

At Phase-1 (baseline), there were 1,699 (68.0%) responses, while Phases 2 (one-month post-intervention) and 4 (12-month post-intervention) had 1,797 (71.9%) and 500 (20.0%) responses, respectively. COVID-19 lockdowns washed out Phase-3 (six-month post-intervention).

The majority in all groups were aged 15–19 years. Males dominated in phases 1 (55.9%) and 2 (67.3%), and females (65.6%) in Phase 4.

Overall, there were increased knowledge on “General Awareness”, “HPV Vaccinations”, “Risk Factors” and “Symptoms”, particularly between Phases 2 and 1. Levels at Phase-4 were higher than at Phase-2, with the exception of “Pap Smears”, as knowledge gained in half of its assessing items became negative (reversed) at Phase-4. These observed changes were non-different between gender, age groups, and classes of high schools.

Relative to Phase 2, knowledge changes at Phase-4 for questions associated with established myths (“spiritual attacks”; OR 0.39; CI 0.29–0.52 and “enemy poisons”; OR 0.49; CI 0.37–0.65) were reversed, even though they were originally increased significantly between Phases 2 and 1.

Conclusion

Anti-cervical cancer enlightenment interventions to teenage high school students were largely effective, but appears guaranteed if engagement-enhancing measures are maintained over time. Extra efforts should be put into debunking prevailing myths.
Association of metabolites of benzene and toluene with lipid profiles in Korean adults: Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2015–2017)
Authors: Shin Soon Su , Yang Eun Hye , Lee Hyo Choon , Moon Seong Ho , Ryoo Jae-Hong
Published: October 2022

Background

Environmental exposure to benzene and toluene is a suspected risk factor for metabolic disorders among the general adult population. However, the effects of benzene and toluene on blood lipid profiles remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the association between urinary blood lipid profiles and metabolites of benzene and toluene in Korean adults.

Methods

We analyzed the data of 3,423 adults from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey Cycle 3 (2015–2017). We used urinary trans,trans-muconic acid (ttMA) as a biomarker of benzene exposure, and urinary benzylmercapturic acid (BMA) as an indicator of toluene exposure. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the association between blood lipid profiles and urinary metabolites of benzene and toluene. Additionally, we examined the linear relationship and urinary metabolites of benzene and toluene between lipoprotein ratios using multivariate regression analyses.

Results

After adjusting for covariates, the fourth quartile (Q4) of ttMA [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval, CI = 1.599 (1.231, 2.077)] and Q3 of BMA [OR (95% CI) = 1.579 (1.129, 2.208)] were associated with an increased risk of hypertriglyceridemia. However, the Q4 of urinary ttMA [OR (95% CI) = 0.654 (0.446, 0.961)] and Q3 of urinary BMA [OR (95% CI) = 0.619 (0.430, 0.889)] decreased the risk of a high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Higher urinary ttMA levels were positively associated with the ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoproteins [Q4 compared to Q1: β = 0.11, 95% CI: (0.02, 0.20)]. Higher urinary metabolite levels were negatively associated with the ratio of low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein [Q4 of ttMA compared to reference: β = -0.06, 95% CI: (-0.11, -0.01); Q4 of BMA compared to reference: β = -0.13, 95% CI: (-0.19, -0.08)].

Conclusion

Benzene and toluene metabolites were significantly and positively associated with hypertriglyceridemia. However, urinary ttMA and BMA levels were negatively associated with high LDL-C levels. These findings suggest that environmental exposure to benzene and toluene disrupts lipid metabolism in humans.