bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constructs, Tape Measures, and Mercury
Authors: Boykin C. Malik
Published: June 2022

This is a Lewinian-field-theory approach to understanding the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in the context of racism to contribute to the debate about whether graduate schools should remove GRE scores from admissions processes. Woo and colleagues (this issue) review the empirical literature on bias from a psychometric perspective. In this commentary, I challenge the definition of the underlying construct measured by the GRE and offer alternative definitions of what is measured. Next, drawing on an analogy from genome-wide association studies, I discuss how genomic models predicting height that are trained on data from European ancestral populations systematically underpredict the height of West Africans. Our access to data from tape measures, and their correlation with height, provide objective opportunities to audit our prediction. I discuss the implications of this when the criterion variable for validating the GRE is first-year grades. I then probe an analogy used by Woo and colleagues in which they assert that blaming the GRE for disparities in scores across groups is akin to blaming the thermometer for global warming. I describe racism as context for a field-theory approach to thinking about the limitations of this misguided analogy. Finally, I suggest pathways forward.
The Body of a Performer as a Form of Capital: Age, Gender and Aesthetics in Theatre Work
Authors: Kuric Kardelis Stribor
Published: June 2022

The goal of this article is to analyse socio-cultural schemes embodied in the physical bodies of theatre actors and their effect on the actors’ professional development. Age, gender and beauty standards are three key variables in theatre work and their impact is noticeable all over the performers’ career spans. The basis for this research is a qualitative sample of 31 in-depth interviews with professional Spanish theatre performers. I will start by defining the dimensions of the dramatic body to focus afterwards on its physicality, image and aesthetics, as malleable forms of capital. Despite their expertise in their trade, performers are highly conditioned by their body image due to a continuous exposure to the expectations of the audience and their own. I will explore the potentiality of the performers’ marked bodies through the characters they are able to portray and the socio-cultural schemes inscribed in their bodies.
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination willingness and predictors in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD) and without CIRD
Authors: Roman Iulia , Andreica Ioana , Baraliakos Xenofon , Redeker Imke , Kiltz Uta , Braun Jürgen
Published: June 2022

Background:

Recent surveys in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD) showed a high degree of vaccine hesitancy. Current knowledge about patients’ attitudes toward vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is limited.

Objectives:

To assess the willingness of CIRD patients to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 and to identify the influencing factors compared with non-CIRD patients.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, two cohorts of consecutive patients with and without CIRD were recruited in parallel when presenting to our tertiary hospital and asked to answer questions of a structured interview to assess vaccination willingness to SARS-CoV-2 their experience with SARS-CoV-2 and their personal history of infections and vaccinations. Vaccination willingness was assessed using a numerical rating scale (0: fully disagree; 10: fully agree). Arbitrarily defined cut-offs were used to define definite (score ⩾7) and probable willingness (score of 5 or 6) to be vaccinated. Factors associated with willingness were assessed using Kendall’s tau- b correlation measure and linear regression analysis.

Results:

A total of 514 CIRD and 100 non-CIRD patients, mean age of 54.7 ± 12.8 and 55.6 ± 9.8 years, respectively, were included. Definite and probable willingness to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 was declared by 79.6% and 90.7% versus 76.0% and 85.0% of CIRD and non-CIRD patients, respectively. Only 60% of CIRD patients believed that the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 were safe, and 42% indicated to be afraid of side effects. Vaccination willingness was significantly correlated with being in a risk group for COVID-19 (tau- b = −0.149), hypertension (tau- b = 0.14), and information about disease prevention (tau- b = 0.19), while a history of infections or immunosuppressive therapy was not. Vaccination willingness was significantly associated with higher education ( b = 0.65) and age ( b = 0.06).

Conclusion:

This survey highlights several predictors of relevance for the vaccination willingness of patients with CIRD and controls including appropriate information about its relevance. The good news, however, is that the vast majority of CIRD patients indicated their willingness to be vaccinated. However, there was some uncertainty regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Since the major influencing factors were education and information about SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine and COVID-19 Disease, patient education should be improved soon.
The Limits of Neoliberal Policy Feedback: Private Pension Fund Reforms in Peru (2014–2021)
Authors: Dargent Bocanegra Eduardo
Published: June 2022

A growing literature in comparative Latin American Politics highlights how policy feedback effects help explain the resilience of neoliberal reforms in the region. These works emphasize private actors/interest groups to explain neoliberal policy continuity. Nonetheless, given their focus on continuity, these works do little to explore other instances in which neoliberal feedback cannot preclude change. This paper presents an instance in which powerful private actors favored by neoliberal reforms were incapable of resisting change. An Act of the Peruvian Congress adopted in 2016 opened the door for individual pensioners to withdraw up to 95.5 percent of all their accumulated savings at the point of retirement. Ensuing reforms approved by Congress during the COVID-19 emergency (2020–2021) further weakened private administrators of these pension funds (AFPs). The case shows how the conflicting interests between private service providers and future pensioners make the service providers vulnerable; a divide also found in other neoliberal reforms.
Elevated Patellofemoral and Tibiofemoral T1ρ Relaxation Times Following a First Time Patellar Dislocation
Authors: Elias John J. , Li Mei , Yang Mingrui , Lartey Richard , Murray John P. , Farrow Lutul D. , Winalski Carl S. , Li Xiaojuan
Published: June 2022

Objective

The study was performed to evaluate cartilage within the knee following a first-time patellar dislocation, using elevated MRI-based T1ρ relaxation times as an indicator of low proteoglycan concentration. The hypothesis is that MRI-based T1ρ relaxation times for patellofemoral and tibiofemoral cartilage are significantly longer for knees being treated for patellar dislocation than for healthy control knees.

Design

Twenty-one subjects being treated for a first-time, unilateral dislocation of the patella and 16 healthy controls participated in MRI-based T1ρ relaxation time mapping. Mean relaxation times were quantified for patellofemoral and tibiofemoral regions for injured knees, the contralateral knees, and healthy controls. T1ρ values for each region were compared between the 3 groups with generalized estimating equations. Linear regressions were also performed to correlate T1ρ relaxation times with time from injury.

Results

The knees with a disloction had longer T1ρ relaxation times than the contralateral knees and control group at the medial patella and longer relaxation times than the control group at the lateral tibia ( P < 0.05). T1ρ relaxation times at the medial patella also decreased with time from injury (r2 = 0.21, P = 0.037).

Conclusions

Compositional changes to cartilage on the medial patella are related to traumatic impact during a dislocation. Potential exists for cartilage properties at the medial patella to improve with time. Cartilage degradation at the lateral tibia is not directly related to traumatic impact. The current baseline data are a starting point to characterize the pathway from a first-time dislocation to progressive cartilage degradation and osteoarthritis.
Zero-hour contracts and labour law: An antithetical association?
Authors: Dermine Elise , Mechelynck Amaury
Published: June 2022

As an introduction to the special issue, this article provides a common definition of the phenomenon studied, i.e. zero-hour contracts, and sets out the research goals pursued through the successive contributions that compose it. Zero-hour contracts are long-term relationships where the employer does not commit to providing a minimum number of working hours to the worker. Legal scholars often state that zero-hour contracts are antithetical to the decommodification of work pursued by labour law. The special issue intends to explore this hypothesis through a legal doctrinal approach to European, international, and national labour law. First, it seeks to refine this hypothesis by examining, through three national case-studies, if (and how) national labour laws were designed to prevent zero-hour contracts and similar on-demand work arrangements. Second, taking the hypothesis seriously, it investigates whether there might be legal arguments in national labour laws and in European and international social law to oppose or to better protect zero-hour workers.
Drug delivery systems based on renewable polymers: A conceptual short review
Authors: Khodadadi Yazdi Mohsen , Jabbour Karam , Sajadi S Mohammad , Esmaeili Amin
Published: June 2022

There are ever increasing concerns about environmental and health hazards of conventional synthetic polymers. These polymers are not sustainable because their production process relies on fossil-based feedstocks and energy sources. Economic benefits and beneficial physicochemical and mechanical properties have made synthetic polymers to be used in wide range of applications from packaging to biomedicine. On the other hand, modern chemistry has provided us with invaluable tools to make well-defined polymers with tailored properties which can be used in biomedical filed such as designing advanced drug delivery systems (DDSs). In fact, polymers are indispensable constituents of most of novel DDSs. However, sustainability concerns about raw materials and polymeric building blocks of such DDSs, remains unsolved. In addition, efficient and proper degradability of sustainable building blocks of DDSs is important for their clearance from human body. Accordingly, development of sustainable and biodegradable polymeric materials is highly demanding in development of sustainable DDSs. This perspective provides a general overview on sustainable polymers and highlights their potential applications in designing novel DDSs. Unsolved challenges and future prospects are discussed accompanied by offering potential solutions.
Radiation induced biodegradable polymer blends for growth promotion of corn plants
Authors: Abdel Hakiem Afaf A , Abdel Moneam Yasser K , Said Hossam M , Senna Magdy MH
Published: June 2022

A series of polymer blends based on plasticized starch (PLST), poly(vinyl alcohol), alginic acid (AG), and chitosan (CS) were prepared by solution casting. The different blends were exposed to electron beam irradiation to different doses to form hydrogels. The blends before and after electron beam irradiation were characterized in terms of gel fraction (%), swelling in water (%), FTIR spectroscopic analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and rheological measurements. As a practical application in the field agriculture, the hydrogels were used as growth promotion of corn plants. The results showed that the gel fraction was increases by increasing the ratio of PVA in the blends and was decreased by the addition of AG or CS due to the occurrence of degradation. On the other hand, opposite results was found in swelling in water. The corn plant growth indicated an improvement in corn plant height in presence of CS or AG polymers in starch (PLST), poly(vinyl alcohol) blends also, more improvement in corn plant heights in case of blends modified with MgSO4.
What is ‘affective infrastructure’?
Authors: Bosworth Kai
Published: June 2022

Recent work in analyses of infrastructure and affect theory has mobilized a concept of ‘affective infrastructure’ in two related but somewhat different ways. On the one hand, some scholars use the concept to draw our attention to the emotions produced by concrete infrastructure systems. On the other hand, scholars have sought to locate how affect might condition forms of political organization. The concept risks analytic confusion: is ‘infrastructure’ metaphor, analogy, or material-technical system? Is the concept historically, spatially, or empirically situated, or does it have potential generic parameters as well? This article seeks to reconstruct two ‘sides’ of affective infrastructure while drawing out its significance for infrastructural politics. Doing so also involves understanding the problem space from which it emerged: affective geographies and 20th century Marxism. This article's process of reading results in a cluster of attendant concepts that give ‘affective infrastructure’ further specificity: mediation, endurance, determination, technical alienation, temporalities of repair, and political organization. The article's wager is that the concept gains analytic utility when it is used to clarify the ratio between historically situated technical alienation as a power relation of enduring colonial capitalism and the project of organizing anti-colonial social relations that might work to transform the capitalist mode of production.
Hepatic abscess following foreign body perforation of the colon: A case report
Authors: Subasinghe Duminda , Jayasinghe Ravindri , Kodithuwakku Uditha , Fernandopulle Nilesh
Published: June 2022

Liver abscess following foreign body perforation of the gastrointestinal tract is uncommon. Preoperative diagnosis is challenging as the ingestion of foreign body most often goes unnoticed with non-specific presentation. We report a case of a 68-year-old male patient presenting with abdominal pain and anorexia. His investigations and cross-sectional imaging revealed a liver abscess. A colonoscopy performed to find an etiology revealed an incidental finding of a colonic perforation from an impacted denture, which was successfully removed endoscopically. Therefore, pyogenic liver abscesses remain a therapeutic challenge despite advances in imaging and therapy. The case reflects the importance of investigating for etiology of unexplained liver abscesses. The patient made an uneventful recovery following abscess drainage by image-guided pigtail stent insertion. The colonic perforation was managed conservatively.
The ontology explorer: A method to make visible data infrastructures for population management
Authors: Van Rossem Wouter , Pelizza Annalisa
Published: June 2022

This article introduces the methodology of the ‘Ontology Explorer’, a semantic method and JavaScript-based open-source tool to analyse data models underpinning information systems. The Ontology Explorer has been devised and developed by the authors, who recognized a need to compare data models collected in different formats and used by diverse systems. The Ontology Explorer is distinctive firstly because it supports analyses of information systems that are not immediately comparable and, secondly, because it systematically and quantitatively supports discursive analysis of ‘thin’ data models – also by detecting differences and absences through comparison. When applied to data models underpinning systems for population management, the Ontology Explorer enables the apprehension of how people are ‘inscribed’ in information systems: which assumptions are made about them, and which possibilities are excluded by design. The Ontology Explorer thus constitutes a methodology to capture authorities’ own imaginaries of populations and the ‘scripts’ through which they enact actual people. Furthermore, the method allows the comparison of scripts from diverse authorities. This is exemplified by illustrating its functioning with information systems for population management deployed at the European border. Our approach integrates a number of insights from early infrastructure studies and extends their methods and analytical depth to account for contemporary data infrastructures. By doing so, we hope to trigger a systematic discussion on how to extend those early methodical innovations at the semantic level to contemporary developments in digital methods.
The effect of parental divorce on the sexual life and marital well-being of offspring in China
Authors: Zhang Chunni
Published: June 2022

Over the past few decades, the increasing divorce rate has been one of the most prominent behavioral changes influencing Chinese families and the nurturing and socialization of children. Research has found that parental divorce exerts only a limited negative impact on children's socioeconomic achievement in China relative to that in Western societies. However, few studies have explored the long-term consequences of parental divorce on children's demographic outcomes in China. Therefore, how parental divorce influences the timing of offspring's first sexual intercourse and marriage, as well as its impact on their sexual and marital well-being, were investigated in this study. Based on findings obtained using data from the Chinese Private Life Survey, children from divorced families were more likely to initiate sexual intercourse at younger ages than those from intact families, although the two groups entered their first marriage at similar ages. Regarding sexual and marital well-being, married men and women who experienced parental divorce during childhood were less satisfied with their current marriage and marital sex and exhibited a higher level of divorce proneness and more sexual dysfunction symptoms than those from intact families. The effect of parental divorce on marital well-being was also largely mediated by the onset of sexual intercourse at a younger age. Having more years of premarital sexual experience was associated with lower sexual satisfaction, more sexual dysfunction symptoms, and more liberal sexual attitudes and behaviors. The worsening of sexual life also further undermined marital well-being.
Pedagogy and Ethics in Early Childhood Education and Care: A Danish Hermeneutic Inquiry
Authors: Rothuizen Jan Jaap
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This article provides an exploration of the internal relationship between ethics and pedagogy in early childhood education and care (ECEC). It aims at a clarification of the interrelationships between political and administrative government, the absence/presence of a pedagogical foundation, and the need for a code of ethics.

Design/Approach/Methods

The overall approach is hermeneutic and combines interpretations of a narrative research project, a review of recent developments in ECEC in Denmark, and the search for a theoretical conceptualization of a pedagogical foundation for ECEC.

Findings

ECEC as a pedagogical practice needs a pedagogical foundation. If a foundation is vivid and a clear reference for practice, a separate code of ethical conduct might be superfluous. Nevertheless, such a code can be indispensable if ECEC governance is outcome-oriented and reduces practice to technique.

Originality/Value

The study includes a discussion of the central European tradition for human science pedagogy and argues for the relevance of insights from this tradition in pedagogical foundations for ECEC. The study combines an empirical study of knowledge at play in ECEC and of specific developments in Danish ECEC with original philosophical, pedagogical, and conceptual reflections and results in a more precise indication of the relationship between ECEC government, pedagogy, and ethics.
Public scientific literacy is the basis for the progress of social civilization
Authors: Tang Shukun
Published: June 2022

Within the context of China's current development and the goal of building an innovative country by 2035, the National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021–2035) has emphasized that public scientific literacy is the basis for the progress of social civilization and oriented its systematic planning towards that end. The plan includes the following key statements. First, the basis for the progress of social civilization is a new starting point and direction for boosting public scientific literacy. Second, science and technology must take meeting people's growing needs for a better life as the basic starting point for the enhancement of public scientific literacy. Finally, establishing a more balanced and adequate form of development is the basic principle guiding the enhancement of public scientific literacy, and China is beginning to present itself as a global demonstration for the scientific literacy enhancement campaign.
Efficacy of Stem Cell Therapy for Tendon Graft Ligamentization After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wang Hong-De , Li Zong , Hu Xiaoqing , Ao Yingfang
Published: June 2022

Background:

Sufficient intra-articular graft ligamentization enhances the biomechanical and biological properties of the femur-graft-tibia complex to ensure knee stability after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a tendon graft. It remains unclear whether stem cell therapy promotes tendon graft ligamentization.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to compare tendon graft ligamentization after primary ACL reconstruction with versus without stem cell therapy. It was hypothesized was that stem cell therapy would promote tendon graft ligamentization by enhancing the biomechanical and histological properties of the tendon graft after ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

A systematic review was performed according to the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement to identify controlled animal studies that compared tendon graft ligamentization outcomes after primary ACL reconstruction in groups with and without stem cell therapy. Biomechanical and histological outcomes were assessed.

Results:

A total of 4 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells were used in 3 studies, while tendon-derived stem cells were used in 1 study. An intra-articular injection was used to deliver conditioned medium and stem cells in 2 studies, while around-graft application was used to deliver bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells in 2 studies. Stem cell therapy enhanced the biomechanical and histological properties of the tendon graft after ACL reconstruction.

Conclusion:

This review revealed that stem cell therapy is a promising technique that promotes graft ligamentization by enhancing the biomechanical and histological properties of the tendon graft after ACL reconstruction in animal models. There is a need for future preclinical studies aimed at evaluating the effect of stem cells on graft ligamentization and identifying the optimal method of intra-articular stem cell delivery.
Expressing Demands or Offers: How to Promote Volunteering Using Visual and Verbal Appeals
Authors: Bünzli Fabienne , Eppler Martin J. , Stanoevska-Slabeva Katarina , Hofer Alena
Published: June 2022

Due to an increased competition for volunteers, nonprofit organizations have intensified efforts to recruit members as volunteers. But how to effectively persuade members to volunteer using visual communication? Research suggests that images are most persuasive when they demand something from the viewer. A demand is expressed through the depiction of a person who directly gazes at the viewer, whereas an offer is expressed through the depiction of a face with an averted gaze. Demands and offers can also be expressed verbally. A verbal demand is articulated through commands, whereas a verbal offer is conveyed through statements. This study examines whether NPOs should address their members using demands or offers and whether correspondence between image and text increases persuasion. An experiment among 205 members of a Swiss NPO finds that direct gaze images are most effective. However, image-text matching increases persuasion for campaigns that feature an averted gaze image.
Servingness in the Borderlands: A Study of Faculty Hiring at a Hispanic-Serving Institution on the Border
Authors: Villarreal Cynthia D.
Published: June 2022

This evaluation of faculty hiring examines how eight faculty search chairs at a border Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) discuss how they enact an HSI consciousness when making hiring decisions. Using a combined phenomenological case study approach, the author examines hiring through a conceptual framework that brings together organizational culture and Borderlands theory to understand how committee decisions on hiring are informed by their campus’s HSI designation and cultural identity. Through analysis of faculty search chair interviews, faculty search chairs at a borderland HSI are committed to hiring with their student population in mind by enacting a Latinx-serving consciousness. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to a broader conversation on servingness as well as scholarship on how educators and administrators can embrace the cultural values that their Latinx students possess to make decisions in hiring.
Changes to Physical Activity Levels in Adults Aged 50+ in the First Six Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Baughn Maya , Grimes Amanda , Kachadoorian Carol
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults’ PA nearly 6 months into the pandemic. Approximately 230 interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of participants (22.1% Black and 10.8% Hispanic). Data were transcribed in fall 2020 and analyzed using NVivo 12. Overall, most older adults (54.6%) interviewed reported no change in their PA, often reporting that their work kept them active. Decreases in PA for older adults (42.7%) were attributed to little social connectedness and stay-at-home restrictions. The few reporting an increase in PA (2.6%) had more time available to be active, including setting goals while staying home. This data provides an insight on how COVID-19 impacted PA levels for older adults. These findings can inform tailored interventions to promote PA during the pandemic.
Crafting a Bad News Email: An Exercise in Managerial Communication
Authors: Springer Scott , Springer Ann
Published: June 2022

Delivering bad news is an inevitable aspect of management. Teaching students to deliver bad news effectively and professionally can be successfully implemented into a course that addresses elements of managerial communication. In this article, we explain an experiential exercise that applies components of a three-phase model for delivering bad news. This exercise challenges students, working in groups, to plan and craft the text of an email message that delivers bad news and then to write a response to that message from the perspective of the participant. Students then analyze how other groups handled the same scenario. The exercise may fit with instruction about tone and word choice in written communication, especially as it relates to delivering bad news. The four-step exercise can be used in an undergraduate- or graduate-level course. Recommendations for adapting the exercise to the online environment are included.
A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Early Childhood Caries Onset in Initially Caries-Free Children
Authors: Kopycka-Kedzierawski D.T. , Billings R.J. , Feng C. , Ragusa P.G. , Flint K. , Watson G.E. , Wong C.L. , Manning S. , Gill S.R. , O’Connor T.G.
Published: June 2022

Introduction:

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a complex oral disease that is prevalent in US children.

Objectives:

The purpose of this 2-y prospective cohort study was to examine baseline and time-dependent risk factors for ECC onset in initially caries-free preschool children.

Methods:

A cohort of 189 initially caries-free children aged 1 to 3 y was recruited. At each 6-mo study visit, children were examined using the ICDAS index; salivary samples were collected to assess mutans streptococci (MS), lactobacilli, Candida species, salivary cortisol (prior and after a stressor), and salivary IgA. Diet and oral health behavior were assessed from parent report. Child and family stress exposure was assessed from measures of psychological symptoms, stressful life event exposure, family organization and violence exposure, and social support. Sociodemographic factors were also considered. A Kaplan-Meier estimator of survival function of time to ECC and a Cox proportional hazards model were used to identify predictors of ECC onset.

Results:

Onset of ECC was associated with high salivary MS levels at baseline (log-rank test, P < 0.0001). Cox proportional hazards regression showed that the risk of dental caries significantly increased with salivary MS in log scale over the 6-mo period (hazard ratio, 1.08; P = 0.01). Other risk factors in the model did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion:

Our results provide prospective evidence that an increase in salivary MS predicts ECC onset in young, initially caries-free children, confirming that a high salivary MS count likely plays a causal role in ECC onset, independent of covariates.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

These results suggest that we must focus on reducing salivary MS counts in young children and preventing or delaying MS colonization in infants and young children determined to be at risk for ECC.
Examining the interplay between racial segregation patterns and access to hospital care
Authors: Cromley Gordon , Lin Jie
Published: June 2022

Access to hospitals and especially intensive care units is an important issue given the current COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the interplay between the pattern of spatial separation of racial groups and the access by those groups to hospital services as measured by the number of beds. Differences between racial groups in the Chicago Area were investigated using two models that calculated supply and cost accessibility to hospital care using Huff-style probabilities. An additional two models focused on minimizing the unevenness in congestion for ICU beds at hospitals. Results suggest that with respect to hospital beds, there was not much difference between racial groups in terms of supply accessibility, but there were greater differences in the travel cost for accessing those services. This is due to the association between the centrality dimension of residential segregation and the central location of hospitals in the Chicago Area. Results also suggest that the goal of even congestion levels results in higher travel costs with the region.
Systemic and Intraocular Methotrexate for the Prevention and Treatment of Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy in Children With Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment and Underlying Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Al-Moujahed, MD, PhD, MPH Ahmad , Saleh, MD Solin , Ghoraba, MD Hashem , Dong Nguyen, MD, MSc Quan , Wood Edward
Published: June 2022

Purpose:

To highlight the efficacy and safety of a combined surgical and medical therapy (with intraocular and systemic methotrexate [MTX]) of pediatric rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) complicated by proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

Methods:

Three pediatric patients with RRD complicated by PVR in the setting of underlying atopic dermatitis and/or uveitis were treated with a combination of vitreoretinal surgery and intraoperative intravitreal MTX (40 mg) infusion followed by at least 1 injection of 200 μg of MTX into the silicone oil–filled vitreous cavity. The patients received short-term systemic immunosuppression with systemic (oral or subcutaneous 20 mg weekly MTX for 12 weeks) and/or steroids.

Results:

Retinal reattachment with visual acuity improvement was achieved in all eyes following a single surgery and remained to the final follow-up after oil removal. No side effects of intraocular or systemic MTX were observed.

Conclusions:

This combination therapy could be a successful strategy for treating pediatric patients with RRD with or without PVR.
The PROMoting the USE of SWATs (PROMETHEUS) programme: Lessons learnt and future developments for SWATs
Authors: Clark Laura , Arundel Catherine , Coleman Elizabeth , Doherty Laura , Parker Adwoa , Hewitt Catherine , Beard David , Bower Peter , Brocklehurst Paul , Cooper Cindy , Culliford Lucy , Devane Declan , Emsley Richard , Eldridge Sandra , Galvin Sandra , Gillies Katie , Montgomery Alan , Sutton Chris , Treweek Shaun , Torgerson David
Published: June 2022

Introduction

The PROMETHEUS programme (PROMoting THE USE of SWATs) was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) infrastructure funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The purpose was to develop strategies to increase the recruitment and retention evidence base. This paper aims to present observations from this work.

Observations

The PROMETHUS programme funded 42 SWATs, the average cost of each SWAT was £4007. A central coordination point enabled a concentrated effort in SWAT research activity leading to a rapid increase in the evidence base. The methodological feasibility of undertaking a coordinated SWAT design was established. The international Trial Forge SWAT Network was developed in 2021 to connect research groups in response for the need to connect teams undertaking methodological research. A SWAT reporting template and a database of researchers willing to peer review SWATs are also needed to improve the reporting of SWATs.

Discussion

There is a need to develop a strategy to aid teams to identify a suitable SWAT for their host trial populations and a mechanism to communicate SWAT research priorities. Work is needed to increase the awareness of the methodological importance of SWAT research with research teams and develop engagement strategies to increase SWAT activity. Continued collaboration with the HRA is necessary to refine the SWAT approvals process.

Conclusion

The coordination PROMETHEUS provided is crucial to increasing the recruitment retention evidence base. The Trial Forge Network will be key to provide ongoing networking and dissemination opportunities.
Is two better than one? Maximising follow-up of self-reported outcome measures for a stroke survivor population: Results from a study within a trial in the LoTS2Care feasibility study
Authors: Moreau Lauren , Holloway Ivana , Ozer Seline , Forster Anne , Hulme Claire , Hartley Suzanne , Farrin Amanda ,   On behalf of the LoTS2Care Programme Management Group
Published: June 2022

Background:

Improving outcome data collection rates is an essential part of managing clinical trials and ensures statistical power and generalisability of results are maintained. Studies within a trial (SWATs) provide a robust methodology to investigate the most efficient methods to maximise outcome follow-up.

Methods:

LoTS2Care, a feasibility cluster Randomised Controlled Trial, recruited 269 stroke survivors across 10 services, and incorporated a SWAT to evaluate the effect of questionnaire booklet format (one booklet or two) on follow-up rates for self-reported postal outcomes at 6 and 9 months post-recruitment. Available participants were individually randomised (1 : 1) by the Clinical Trials Research Unit and follow-up rates in the two groups were compared.

Results:

At 6 months post-recruitment, 254 participants were randomised: 126 to receive (125 posted) the single booklet; 128 to receive two booklets. By 9 months post-recruitment, 116 and 123 participants were still available in each group, respectively. For participants randomised to two booklets, return of at least one of the booklets was considered as ‘followed-up’. At 6 months, 114/125 (91.2%) participants sent the single booklet returned it, compared to 108/128 (84.4%) sent two (odds ratio (OR) 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88 to 4.19). By 9 months, 108/116 (93.1%) participants returned the single booklet, compared to 105/123 (85.4%) sent two (OR 2.31, 95% CI 0.97 to 5.55).

Conclusions:

The SWAT was an inexpensive, straightforward way to test how booklet format affected follow-up rates. Larger participant numbers would be required for conclusive results. These initial findings, however, suggest that including all outcome measures in a single booklet may maximise return rates, especially in trials with similar populations, such as those living with brain injury, cognitive or speech impairment or older people.
Various Management Modalities and Radiographic Outcomes of Condylar Fractures: A Single Centric Retrospective Study
Authors: Aurora Jitender K , Dubey Krishna Nand , Panda Barsarani , Tandon Parul , Chauhan Himanshu , Tiwari Shamita , Srivastava Amartya Prakash , Saxena Mohit
Published: June 2022

Background:

The mandibular condylar fracture is second most frequent maxillofacial fracture but still the management remains controversial.

Aim:

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the clinical as well as radiographic outcomes of different types of management modalities in various mandibular condyle fractures during 6 months of follow-up.

Material and Method:

This retrospective study consisted of 17 patients of which 11 were male (65%) and 6 female (35%). These included 12 unilateral condylar fractures (70%) and 5 bilateral fractures (30%). Anatomically, these fractures were 13 condylar neck fractures (59%) while 9 were subcondylar fractures (41%). Depending on the anatomic position, type, displacement/dislocation/deviation of condyle, and associated fractures, 5 closed reduction (23%) and 17 open reduction and internal fixations (77%) were performed. Fixation was done with lag screw in 1 patient, 3-D strut plate in 2 patients, and single miniplate fixations in 14 patients. Orthopantomograms were taken preoperatively, immediate postoperatively, and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively to evaluate the radiographic changes.

Results:

Preoperatively, the average ramus height was 62.07 ± 4.13 (in mm) while condylar angulation was 18.23 ± 4.38 (in degree) while immediate postoperatively these were 66.98 ± 5.03 (in mm) and 25.67 ± 4.07 (in degree), respectively. After 6 months, the value was 66.43 ± 4.97 (in mm) and 25.24 ± 3.94 (in degree) which is statistically significant (P < .5).

Conclusion:

Open reduction and internal fixation allows better maintenance in function and anatomical repositioning of condyle as compared to closed reduction.
Evaluation of Primary Stability in Immediate Loading of Dental Implants
Authors: Singh Gaurav , Kumar Abhigyan
Published: June 2022

Study Design:

With the patient’s desire to shorten the treatment time and to avoid an edentulous condition, immediate loading of implants has emerged as an alternative approach as compared to delayed loading implants for replacing missing natural teeth. The aim of this study is to evaluate the primary stability in immediate loading of dental implants.

Objective:

To evaluate primary stability and postoperative complications clinically and radiographically.

Method:

Total 50 patients were treated with immediate loading dental implants. Withdrawal criteria includes patients not returning for checkup, follow-up, or documentation, and patients not following postoperative instruction.

Result:

Primary stability increases in immediate loading protocol; mean stability was 57 which was adequate at the time of surgery and during healing period.

Conclusion:

Our study concludes that under appropriate circumstances, medical condition and maintenance of good oral hygiene provide better primary stability in immediate loading protocol.
Role and Reliability of Pectoralis Major Myocutaneous Flap in Oro Facial Reconstruction
Authors: Singh Gaurav , Kumar Abhigyan , Gupta Anup Kumar , Agrawal Amiya , Chandel Siddhartha
Published: June 2022

Background

Pectoralis major myocutaneous (PMMC) flap has been used in head and neck reconstruction since its initial description. Its reliability and versatility made it the workhorse flap until the widespread rise of the microvascular surgery. The vascular supply to the pectoralis major is based on branches of the axillary artery. The skin overlying the pectoralis major receives most of its blood supply from fasciocutaneous perforators. In the literature, the flap is also associated with a high incidence of complications in addition to its large bulk. This case report shows the reliability and indication of this flap in the reconstruction of the oral defects.

Case Report

A 42-year-old male patient reported with the chief complaint of increasing pain and nonhealing ulcer in his left lower posterior teeth region with reducing ability to open mouth. On clinical examination, an ulceroproliferative lesion was found on the left retromolar trigone region (RMT). Biopsy was performed which demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma of left RMT. Modified radical neck dissection type II was performed with hemimandibulectomy without disarticulation with reconstruction with the PMMC flap.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the flap-related complications can be minimized by proper planning with regard to the length of the PMMC flap, the defect location, and the type of mandibular osteotomy. There are some situations in which pectoralis major still appears as a valuable option even in facilities performing free flaps and for patients in good general conditions.
Social capital, structuralism, and organizational form: Three social network theory perspectives for research in higher education
Authors: Smith-Doerr Laurel , Yates Aaron , Knaub Alexis
Published: June 2022

Social network analysis offers much for understanding educational contexts, including inequalities. However, adoption of network methods has not always been accompanied by clear understanding of network theoretical assumptions. With an eye to closing the gap between network methods and theory, literature from three major theoretical perspectives on social networks is reviewed. First, social capital comes from network ties providing access to beneficial outcomes, often material resources. Second, structuralism assumes primacy of network structures, and largely disregards individual agency. Third, at the organizational level, the network form of organization contrasts to hierarchies. Each perspective has conceptual strengths and weaknesses. Critical views are also needed; network research should disrupt inequalities in education.
Diagnostic Applications of Ultrasonography in Myofascial Trigger Points: A Scoping Review and Critical Appraisal of Literature
Authors: Elbarbary Mohamed , Sgro Adam , Goldberg Michael , Tenenbaum Howard , Azarpazhooh Amir
Published: June 2022

Objective:

Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are pathognomonic of myofascial pain syndrome. The detection ability of MTrPs via ultrasonography is underreported and the characteristics of MTrPs are not sufficiently standardized. The objective was to summarize the characteristics and diagnostic abilities of ultrasonography for MTrP investigations.

Materials and Methods:

A multi-database, and bibliography hand-search was implemented. Studies of ≥10 patients, published after 1980, appraising ultrasonography as a diagnostic aid for myofascial pain syndrome were included. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) tool was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the included studies.

Results:

Six cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria. The back and trapezius muscles were the most studied locations. The diagnostic studies were of low-medium risk of bias. The studies reported a large range of diagnostic metrics (accuracy 58%–100%, sensitivity 33%–91%, specificity 75%–100%, positive predictive value 91%–100%, negative predictive value 47%–97%, positive likelihood ratio 3.6, and negative likelihood ratio 0.12–0.67).

Conclusion:

This review found low-medium risk of bias evidence in support of ultrasonography for MTrP investigations. The clinical studies identified in the scoping review used gray-scale ultrasound equipment systems with a 5 to 14 MHz transducer to diagnose MTrPs and the local twitch response, and MTrPs were visualized mostly as hypoechoic nodules.
Genomic characterization of lymphomas in patients with inborn errors of immunity
Authors: Ye Xiaofei , Maglione Paul J. , Wehr Claudia , Li Xiaobo , Wang Yating , Abolhassani Hassan , Deripapa Elena , Liu Dongbing , Borte Stephan , Du Likun , Wan Hui , Plötner Andreas , Giannoula Yvonne , Ko Huai-Bin , Hou Yong , Zhu Shida , Grossman Jennifer K. , Sander Birgitta , Grimbacher Bodo , Hammarström Lennart , Fedorova Alina , Rosenzweig Sergio D. , Shcherbina Anna , Wu Kui , Warnatz Klaus , Cunningham-Rundles Charlotte , Pan-Hammarström Qiang
Published: June 2022

Patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) have a higher risk of developing cancer, especially lymphoma. However, the molecular basis for IEI-related lymphoma is complex and remains elusive. Here, we perform an in-depth analysis of lymphoma genomes derived from 23 IEI patients. We identified and validated disease-causing or -associated germline mutations in 14 of 23 patients involving ATM, BACH2, BLM, CD70, G6PD, NBN, PIK3CD, PTEN, and TNFRSF13B. Furthermore, we profiled somatic mutations in the lymphoma genome and identified 8 genes that were mutated at a significantly higher level in IEI-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) than in non-IEI DLBCLs, such as BRCA2, NCOR1, KLF2, FAS, CCND3, and BRWD3. The latter, BRWD3, is furthermore preferentially mutated in tumors of a subgroup of activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase δ syndrome patients. We also identified 5 genomic mutational signatures, including 2 DNA repair deficiency-related signatures, in IEI-associated lymphomas and a strikingly high number of inter- and intrachromosomal structural variants in the tumor genome of a Bloom syndrome patient. In summary, our comprehensive genomic characterization of lymphomas derived from patients with rare genetic disorders expands our understanding of lymphomagenesis and provides new insights for targeted therapy.