bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interannual Variation in Moisture Sources for the First Rainy Season in South China Estimated by the FLEXPART Model
Authors: Peng Dongdong , Zhou Tianjun , Sun Yong , Lin Ailan
Published: November 2021

The first rainy season (April–June) of South China includes the phases before and after the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM). Abundant moisture supply is the key dynamic process for precipitation formation. Thus, we employ the FLEXPART model to explore the corresponding moisture sources for the two phases. Before the onset of SCSSM, land regions contribute more moisture to the precipitation over South China than the ocean sources. The main source regions are Southeast Asia (27.01%), the South China Sea (25.96%), South China (11.12%), and the southern part of the northwestern Pacific (10.23%). Land sources (66.87%) play a more important role than ocean sources (33.13%) in the interannual variations, with the contributions mainly from Southeast Asia (47.56%) and the South China Sea (28.79%). After the onset of SCSSM, the climatological contribution of ocean sources is larger than that of land regions, and the main source regions are the South China Sea (20.78%), Southeast Asia (17.51%), the Bay of Bengal (13.76%), and South China (11.21%). For the interannual variations, the contributions of land sources and ocean regions are comparable, and mainly from Southeast Asia (33.53%) and the Bay of Bengal (32.26%). The moisture transports for the interannual variations in first rainy season precipitation over South China before and after the onset of SCSSM are significantly correlated with the east–west contrast of sea surface temperature anomalies over northern part of North Pacific and the uniform warming over Indian Ocean, respectively. This study provides important guidance in improving the regional precipitation predictions and understanding the water resources changes.
The Boreal Summer Zonal Wavenumber-3 Trend Pattern and Its Connection with Surface Enhanced Warming
Authors: Liu Yusen , Sun Cheng , Li Jianping
Published: November 2021

The Northern Hemisphere warms faster under global warming and suffers from more frequent heatwaves, causing considerable social and economic damage. The Northern Hemisphere surface warming exhibits strong regionality, with multiple “hotspots” (areas of enhanced warming), but the relations among them remain unclear. This study finds a dominating zonal wavenumber-3 (ZW3) trend pattern in the upper-level geopotential heights during the boreal summer. The summer geopotential heights show significant increasing trends along the latitudinal circle around 60°N, with three centers located over northeastern America, western Eurasia, and eastern Siberia. The regionally enhanced surface warming trends are closely linked to the increased geopotential through the reduced cloud cover, exhibiting a consistent ZW3 pattern. The model simulations forced by sea surface temperature (SST) and Arctic sea ice cover (SIC) indicate that the SST forcing plays an important role in generating the ZW3 pattern, while the contribution of the SIC is minimal. A theoretical barotropic model can fairly well reproduce the observed ZW3 structure forced by a heating source located over the subtropical North Atlantic, where the SSTs show prominent warming trends and a close relationship with the ZW3 pattern. Our results indicate that the hotspots may be interconnected and are related to a Rossby wave train with a ZW3 structure. It highlights a vital role of tropical/subtropical SSTs on the atmospheric circulation and the associated surface enhanced warming over the mid- to high latitudes, which may have great implications for the coordinated heatwave events and tropical–extratropical teleconnections.
The effects of parenting on early adolescents’ noncognitive skills: Evidence from a sample of twins in Germany
Authors: Grätz Michael , Lang Volker , Diewald Martin
Published: November 2021

Many theories in the social sciences assume that parenting affects child development. Previous research mostly supports the notion that parenting affects the skill development of children in early childhood. There are fewer studies testing whether parenting in early adolescence has such an influence. We estimate the effects of parenting on early adolescents’ noncognitive skills using data from the German Twin Family Panel (TwinLife). Specifically, we look at the effects of parenting styles, parental activities, and extracurricular activities on the academic self-concept, motivation, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control of 10 to 14 years old children. To control for unobserved heterogeneity and reverse causality, we employ twin fixed-effects models combined with longitudinal information. In addition, MZ twin fixed effects models also control for genetic confounding. Our findings provide no support to the notion that parenting styles, parental activities, and extracurricular activities in early adolescence affect the development of children's noncognitive skills. We conclude that our results, in combination with the majority of evidence from previous research, are in line with a model according to which parenting has larger effects on the skill development of children in early childhood than in early adolescence.
Appendectomy for Vague Symptoms and Equivocal Physical Findings on Physical Exam and Computed Tomography
Authors: Flatley Meaghan , Sokol Kyle K. , Balent Eric M. , Placek Sara B. , Ritenour Joshua S. , Sparkman Brian K.
Published: November 2021

Background: Appendicitis is a common condition affecting 7-8% of the general population. With the improvement of noninvasive imaging, the diagnostic approach and treatment algorithm for patients with clear signs and symptoms suggestive of acute appendicitis are well agreed-upon. However, patients without pathognomonic signs and symptoms, but with equivocal imaging pose a diagnostic dilemma. These patients may still have acute appendicitis and could potentially benefit from laparoscopic appendectomy. This may be especially true in the subset of patients with appendicoliths.

Methods: Our case series exams a group of patients with atypical symptoms who eventually underwent appendectomy and were followed after surgery for at least a month. This case series consists of eight patients with abdominal pain accompanied by a variety of other signs and symptoms in addition to laboratory results and imagining characteristics which were nondiagnostic. These patients had initial Alvarado scores ranging from 0-6.

Results: All of these patients were subsequently taken to the operating room for diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic appendectomy. Of these patients, six were known to have appendicoliths based on computed tomography obtained during initial diagnostic workup.

Conclusions: All patients underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy and appendectomy. Four had appendicitis and four also had resolution of their symptoms. There exist atypical presentations of appendiceal disease. Patients with abdominal pain/tenderness, even without diagnostic laboratory results or imaging characteristics, may benefit from laparoscopic appendectomy.
Trauma Surgeon-Led and Funded Injury Prevention Program Decreases Admission for Motorcycle Crash Injuries
Authors: Holt Matthew F. , Testerman George M.
Published: November 2021

Background

Unhelmeted motorcyclists injured in states with lax or poorly enforced helmet safety laws are frequently seen in rural trauma centers. A trauma surgeon started a comprehensive injury prevention and research fund with outreach to a three-state trauma center catchment area promoting injury prevention at area high schools and local communities. We hypothesized that unhelmeted riders would have more severe head injuries and fatalities than helmeted riders.

Methods

A trauma registry review of 708 injured motorcycle riders over an 11-year period examined demographics, helmet use, and clinical outcomes of helmeted and unhelmeted riders. A full-time injury prevention coordinator collaborating with law enforcement provided electronic and mechanical simulations with discussions regarding helmet use, alcohol avoidance, and responsible motorcycle riding for area high school students. This program coincided with the second half of our 11-year study. Multiple regression analysis evaluated predictors for head injury and death.

Results

Unhelmeted motorcyclists suffered worse head injuries, (OR 8.8, CI 1.6-2.4, P < .001), more severe overall injury (OR 10, CI 12.7-18.6, P < .001), and higher mortality (OR 2.7, CI .02-.15, P < .001). Local motorcycle-related trauma center admissions and deaths have stabilized in recent years while statewide motorcycle crashes have increased ( P < .05).

Discussion

Unhelmeted motorcyclists suffer worse head injuries and mortality rates. Physician-led outreach efforts for injury prevention may be effective. Trauma surgeons have ongoing opportunities to promote responsible motorcycle riding for schools and local communities.
Predictive Role of Platelet-Associated Indices on Admission and Discharge in the Long-Term Prognosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients
Authors: Psarakis Georgios , Farmakis Ioannis , Zafeiropoulos Stefanos , Kourti Olga , Konstantas Orestis , Vrana Eleni , Baroutidou Amalia , Tsolakidis Christos , Touriki Aikaterini-Vassiliki , Psathas Thomas , Graidis Spyridon , Spyridaki Konstantina , Daniilidou Anastasia , Tsakiridis Konstantinos , Tsalikakis Dimitrios , Skoura Lemonia , Karvounis Haralambos , Giannakoulas George
Published: November 2021

Our study aimed to investigate the association between platelet indices and their in-hospital change and long-term prognosis in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Data from a randomized controlled trial (NCT02927808) recruiting ACS patients were analyzed (survival analysis). The examined variables were platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) on admission and discharge, as well as their alteration during hospitalization. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke or hospitalization for unstable angina) and all-cause mortality, while secondary endpoints were all-cause hospitalization and bleeding events. The study included 252 patients with a follow-up of 39 (28–45) months. In the univariate analysis, MACE was associated with discharge PC [hazard ratio (HR) 2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–4.40], discharge MPV (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.25–0.94), and in-hospital PC difference (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.13–0.51). In the multivariable analysis, only in-hospital PC decrease correlated with lower MACE incidence (adjusted HR .27, 95% CI 0.14–0.54) and lower all-cause hospitalization risk (adjusted HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.19–0.68). PC reduction during hospitalization for ACS is an independent predictor of better prognosis.
Salivary HPV Persistence Following Treatment of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Quimby Alexandra E. , Lagiou Pagona , Purgina Bibiana , Corsten Martin , Johnson-Obaseki Stephanie
Published: November 2021

Objective:

To determine the persistence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection following treatment of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV + OPSCC).

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was undertaken at The Ottawa Hospital (Ottawa, ON, Canada), a tertiary academic hospital and regional cancer center. Adult patients who were diagnosed with HPV + OPSCC between the years of 2014 and 2016 and treated with curative intent, and who were alive and willing to consent were eligible for inclusion. A saliva assay was used to test for the presence of HPV DNA in a random sample of patients. qPCR was used to amplify DNA from saliva samples.

Results:

Saliva samples were obtained from 69 patients previously treated with HPV + OPSCC. All patients had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. 5 patients tested positive for HPV: 2 were positive for HPV-16, 2 for HPV-18, and 1 “other” HPV type. No patient in our study cohort had suffered recurrence post-treatment.

Conclusions:

This study is the first to demonstrate the prevalence of persistent oncogenic HPV DNA in saliva following treatment for HPV + OPSCC. This prevalence appears to be low, despite the fact that persistent HPV infection is a precursor for the development of HPV + OPSCC. This finding raises questions about what factors influence the clearance or persistence of HPV DNA in saliva after treatment for HPV + OPSCC, and may add to our understanding about the longitudinal effects of HPV infection in these cancers.
Book review: Awadhendra Sharan, Dust and Smoke: Air Pollution and Colonial Urbanism, India, c.1860–c.1940
Authors: Joshi Sopan
Published: November 2021

Awadhendra Sharan, Dust and Smoke: Air Pollution and Colonial Urbanism, India, c.1860–c.1940, Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan, 2020, 344 pp.
Online Education and Community Participation in Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities to Ensure Inclusive Learning During COVID-19 School Closure
Authors: Noor Shamim , Shaoun Saharin Priya
Published: November 2021

Like most other countries around the world, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the education system in Bangladesh has gone through a radical change from the beginning of March 2020 onwards. The study attempts to analyse teachers’, students’ and parents’ perceptions and experiences about the online education in the COVID-19 pandemic at the school level. To fulfil the research objectives, the study selects some private schools (kindergarten to high school) in the Chattogram District of Bangladesh. The study strongly advocates for making the online classes more effective and inclusive for all. There is a need to bring a strategic change from the course curriculum to the teaching process and ensure an amalgamation of all types of interventions (online and offline classes) for online learning activities through a unified policy direction.
The Reshaping Oil and Arms Trade between the United States and GCC: Is the Theory of Complex Interdependence Still Prevailing?
Authors: Akkas Erhan , Altiparmak Suleyman Orhun
Published: November 2021

This paper makes use of interdependence theory to analyse the historical development of the economic relations between the GCC countries and the United States. The focus will be on oil and arms trade between the GCC countries and the United States. The results show that while the military and security dependence of the GCC countries on the United States remains relatively intact, the dependence of the United States on the natural resources of the GCC region has decreased. In light of this, the paper suggests that the historical interdependence between the GCC countries and the United States has recently evolved into a unilateral dependence and that the GCC countries’ natural resources are directed towards Asian countries.
Toward a sustainable energy system in China: Status and influencing factors
Authors: Liu Tao , Zhou Na , Wu Qiaosheng , Wang Dandan , Hu Xiangping
Published: November 2021

This paper focused on the endogenous and exogenous factors that affect China's sustainable energy system (SES). 19 Endogenous factors, from economic sustainability dimension, social sustainability dimension, environmental sustainability dimension and energy security dimension assessed China's SES by entropy method-analytic hierarchy process-criteria importance through intercriteria correlation method (EM-AHP-CRITIC). We used urbanization, foreign direct investment and industrialization as exogenous variables and explored the extent of their long-term and short-term impacts on China's SES by autoregressive distributed lag-error correction (ARDL-ECM) model.
Effect of rare earth nucleating agent on supercritical CO2 foaming behavior of block copolymerized polypropylene
Authors: Zhang Yun , He Yadong , Xin Chunling , Su Yanbin
Published: November 2021

The rare earth nucleating agent was used to modify block copolymerized polypropylene (PPB) in foaming process. The results show that the crystallization of PPB and the melting temperature of β-crystal increased gradually with increased β-crystal nucleating agent content. The total crystallinity decreased with amount of addition increasing, and the relative content of β-crystal increased first and then decreased. When β-crystal nucleating agent content was 0.4 wt%, the relative β-crystal content reached the maximum value of 95.27%, and the final crystal grain refinement significantly. The addition of rare earth β-crystal nucleating agent has a good effect on improving the uniformity of foam cells. Under the same content of β-crystal nucleating agent and pressure, the average cell diameter and expansion ratio increased with the saturation temperature increasing. After the foaming temperature reaches 155°C, the expansion ratio began to decrease, which was also consistent with the changed trend of relative β-crystal content. At the same content of temperature and relative β-crystal, as the foaming pressure increased, the cell diameter decreased gradually, and the expansion ratio increased first, and then decreased.
The library as soft-power actor: A review
Authors: Bell Emilia C , Kennan Mary Anne
Published: November 2021

This narrative review pursues an understanding of the relationship of libraries to the concepts of soft power and public and cultural diplomacy. The cross-disciplinary nature of the study required that the search approach include literature from both the International Relations and Library and Information Science disciplines. The analysed literature reveals three key gaps. First, research explicitly addressing the topic of ‘libraries and soft power’ is scarce. Second, the little Library and Information Science literature that addresses libraries and soft power rarely considers contemporary discourse. Third, the literature often has an implicit liberal institutionalist perspective, overlooking negative or hegemonic aspects of soft power. Given that soft power is considered increasingly relevant for representing national interests, understanding libraries’ roles and impact in international relations is significant and warrants further research.
Analysis of crossover designs for longitudinal binary data with ignorable and nonignorable dropout
Authors: Wang Xi , Chinchilli Vernon M.
Published: November 2021

Longitudinal binary data in crossover designs with missing data due to ignorable and nonignorable dropout is common. This paper evaluates available conditional and marginal models and establishes the relationship between the conditional and marginal parameters with the primary objective of comparing the treatment mean effects. We perform extensive simulation studies to investigate these models under complete data and the selection models under missing data with different parametric distributions and missingness patterns and mechanisms. The generalized estimating equations and the generalized linear mixed-effects models with pseudo-likelihood estimation are advocated for valid and robust inference. We also propose a controlled multiple imputation method as a sensitivity analysis of the missing data assumption. Lastly, we implement the proposed models and the sensitivity analysis in two real data examples with binary data.
Anemia Among Children Under 5 Years in India: A District-Level Spatial Analysis Using NFHS-5 Data
Authors: Puranik Amitha , N Shreya
Published: November 2021

The 2015/2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) revealed that the prevalence of anemia among children under five years is 58% in India. Lack of nutritional supplementation and lack of health care facilities are found to be important influential factors of anemia among children. We aimed to examine district-level spatial heterogeneity and clustering of associated factors with childhood anemia in India. Geographically weighted regression was applied on the NFHS-5 data for 335 districts. Factors such as prevalence of nutritional supplementation in children and mothers, birth order, antenatal care, diarrhea in children, and stunting were found to be significantly associated. Spatial scan statistics technique identified three significant local spatial clusters of anemia. This study provides findings based on the latest available data which can further assist in the design and execution of tailor-made policies.
Midwives as Drivers of Contraceptive Uptake: Evidence From Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Lai Siow Li , Tey Nai Peng
Published: November 2021

Midwives play an important role in maternal and child health in developing countries, but they are rarely involved in providing family planning services, except in Indonesia. This article underscores midwives’ crucial role in supplying modern contraceptive methods in Indonesia. Data for this analysis came from eight waves of the Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS). The main analysis was confined to 17 216 current users of modern methods from the 2017 IDHS. Midwives delivered contraceptives to 53% of the modern-method users in Indonesia. Multinomial logistic regression showed that the odds of users obtaining their contraceptive supplies from midwives was significantly associated with age, parity, urban-rural location, region, education, wealth, exposure to family planning, and method type. Midwives help to reduce doctors’ workload for them to focus on specialized services. Developing countries can learn from the Indonesian experience to ensure equitable access to family planning services.
Soluble Lectin-Like Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-1 Level is Related to Clinical Prognosis In Patients with Acute Atherosclerosis-related Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Yang Xiaoli , Hou Duanlu , Liu Jianjun , Wang Tianyao , Luo Yufan , Sun Wenbo , Li Chen , Shen Liwei , Liu Wenpeng , Wu Danhong
Published: November 2021

To investigate the associations between soluble Lectin-like Oxidized Low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) and clinical prognosis, especially infarct volume in patients with acute atherosclerosis-related ischemic stroke. We recruited acute ischemic stroke patients within 3 days after onset. Patients were stratified into 3 groups by sLOX-1 level. Initial stroke severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, and infarct volume was measured using DWI by ITK-SNAP software. The clinical prognosis was evaluated by DWI volume, clinical response at discharge, and functional outcome at 90 days. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to examine associations between circulating sLOX-1 levels and infarct volumes. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between sLOX-1 levels and clinical prognosis. A total of 207 patients were included in our study. The median DWI volume in the lowest sLOX-1 tertile was 1.98 cm3, smaller than 4.26 cm3 in the highest sLOX-1 group. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient between sLOX-1 levels and DWI volume was 0.47 ( P < .01). Compared with the highest sLOX-1 tertiles, patients in the lowest sLOX-1 tertile had a higher risk of favorable functional outcome at 90 days (OR = 3.47, 95% CI, 1.21-9.96) after adjusting traditional risk factors. However, there was no difference between sLOX-1 level and clinical response at discharge. For patients with acute atherosclerosis-related ischemic stroke, circulating sLOX-1 level is correlated with DWI volume in the acute phase and favorable functional outcome at 90 days, but not with the clinical response at discharge.
Travelers’ Psychological Comfort with Local Food Experiences and Place Attachment
Authors: Wang Saerom , Lehto Xinran , Cai Liping , Behnke Carl , Kirillova Ksenia
Published: November 2021

Travelers’ engagement with local food at a foreign destination could be overwhelming and affect their overall travel experience. This study investigates the role travelers’ psychological comfort with local food plays in influencing the development of their place attachment to a destination. The study utilized survey data sampled from Korean and American travelers who had visited China and found that travelers’ place attachment is positively and significantly influenced by their psychological comfort with food, interaction with service providers, and atmospherics. The findings also reveal that Korean and American travelers differ in the degree to which comfort affects their place attachment. These and other findings of the study bring attention to the comfort factor of travelers’ food experience, thus complementing previous research that tended to emphasize the novelty value of local cuisines.
Human amniotic membrane for failed macular hole. A case of initial unsuccessful outcome that resolved after amniotic membrane exchange
Authors: Caporossi Tomaso , Governatori Lorenzo , Verdina Tommaso , Rizzo Stanislao
Published: November 2021

Introduction

We described a case of initial unsuccessful outcome of failed macular hole treated with amniotic membrane, that resolved after amniotic membrane exchange and silicone oil injection.

Case Description

a woman affected by a high myopic macular hole that had failed to close after multiple surgeries, had been treated using an amniotic membrane graft and 20% sulfur hexafluoride but, after the gas reabsorption, the macular hole was still open, and the amniotic membrane. A second surgery with a second amniotic membrane patch and silicone oil was carried out. Two weeks after the procedure the macular hole closed, and the final visual acuity improved from 20/400 to 20/100.

Conclusions

In this case, a second surgery, using a new amniotic membrane graft and a longer-lasting endotamponade, closed the hole and improved the visual acuity.
Telephone versus in-person genetic counseling for hereditary cancer risk: Patient predictors of differential outcomes
Authors: Binion Savannah , Sorgen Lia J , Peshkin Beth N , Valdimarsdottir Heiddis , Isaacs Claudine , Nusbaum Rachel , Graves Kristi D , DeMarco Tiffani , Wood Marie , McKinnon Wendy , Garber Judy , McCormick Shelley , Ladd Mary K , Schwartz Marc D
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Telegenetics has become the predominant mode of cancer genetic counseling during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to identify potential patient-level contraindicators for telegenetic genetic counseling.

Methods

We analyzed post-counseling (pre-result disclosure) follow-up data from a randomized noninferiority trial of a telephone genetic counseling versus usual care genetic counseling. Among 669 randomized participants, 600 completed pre-test counseling and 568 completed a 2-week follow-up assessment before receiving test results. In this analysis, we focused on genetic counseling outcomes (knowledge, decisional conflict, and distress). In multivariate models controlling for bivariate predictors of these outcomes, we tested our a priori hypotheses that pre-counseling numeracy, perceived stress, and race/ethnicity would moderate the outcomes of telephone genetic counseling versus usual care.

Results

Only numeracy significantly moderated associations between mode of genetic counseling and outcomes. Higher numeracy was associated with higher post-counseling knowledge following telephone genetic counseling ( p < 0.001), but not usual care ( p = 0.450). Higher numeracy was also associated with lower distress following telephone genetic counseling ( p = 0.009) but not usual care ( p = 0.16). Neither perceived stress nor race/ethnicity exhibited differential impacts on telephone genetic counseling versus usual care ( ps > 0.20).

Conclusion

Although high numeracy was associated with higher levels of knowledge following telegenetic counseling, we did not identify any clinically significant patient-level contraindicators for telegenetic counseling. These results lend further confidence to the broad use of telegenetics.
Five-year survival after elective open and endovascular aortic aneurysm repair
Authors: Lieberg Jüri , Kadatski Karl G. , Kals Mart , Paapstel Kaido , Kals Jaak
Published: November 2021

Background and objective:

Current evidence suggests short-term survival benefit from endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) versus open surgical repair (OSR) in elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) procedures, but this benefit is lost during long-term follow-up. The aim of this study was to compare short- and mid-term all-cause mortality in patients with non-ruptured aneurysm treated by OSR and EVAR; and to assess the rate of complications and reinterventions, as well as to evaluate their impact on survival.

Methods:

The medical records of the non-ruptured AAA patients undergoing OSR or EVAR between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2019 at Tartu University Hospital, Estonia, were retrospectively reviewed. We gathered survival data from the national registry (mean follow-up period was 3.7 ± 2.3 years).

Results:

A total of 225 non-ruptured AAA patients were treated operatively out of whom 95 (42.2%) were EVAR and 130 (57.8%) were OSR procedures. The difference in estimated all-cause mortality between the OSR and EVAR groups at day 30 was statistically irrelevant (2.3% vs 0%; p = 0.140), but OSR patients showed statistically significantly higher 5 year survival compared with EVAR patients (75.3% vs 50.0%, p = 0.002). Complication and reintervention rates for the EVAR and OSR groups did not differ statistically (26.3% vs 16.9%, p = 0.122; 10.5% vs 11.5%, p = 0.981, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that greater aneurysm diameter (p = 0.012), EVAR procedure (p = 0.016), male gender (p = 0.023), and cerebrovascular diseases (p = 0.028) were independently positively associated with 5-year mortality.

Conclusions:

Thirty-day mortality, and complication and reintervention rates for EVAR and OSR after elective AAA repair were similar. Although the EVAR procedure is an independent risk factor for 5-year mortality, higher age and greater proportion of comorbidities among EVAR patients may influence not only the choice of treatment modality, but also prognosis.
A new Bi(III)-based coordination complex: Treatment and nursing application values on pediatric pneumonia
Authors: Lu Jianli , Han Hong , Li Bo , Han Yanjun
Published: November 2021

In the current work, through applying the mixed-ligand generation method, [Bi4Cl8(PDC)2 (2,2′-bpy)4]·2MeCN (1), a fresh bismuth (III)-organic compound synthesized with the solvothermal reactions between 2,2′-bipyridine (2,2′-bpy); 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (H2PDC); and bismuth chloride. The structural characterization results show that complex 1 features a binuclear discrete structure which is further extended into a 1D chain–like supramolecular network via π–π interactions. Furthermore, the compound’s treatment and nursing application values on pediatric pneumonia was explored and the novel compound’s corresponding mechanism was also investigated. First of all, in our research, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection kit was employed for the determination of the inflammatory cytokines content released into alveolar lavage fluid. Subsequently, the adenosine 5‘-monophosphate (AMP)–activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway activation in alveolar epithelial cells was explored exploiting the real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Molecular docking demonstrated that although multiple pyridine rings are presented in the Bi complex, however, only the carboxylate groups have been observed to interact with the active residues.
Life Expectancy After Liver Transplantation for Alcoholic Cirrhosis
Authors: Shavelle Robert M. , Saur Rachel C. , Kwak Ji Hun , Brooks Jordan C. , Hameed Bilal
Published: November 2021

Background

Alcohol-associated liver disease is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the western world. For these patients we calculated life expectancies both at time of transplant and several years later, stratified by key risk factors, and determined if survival has improved in recent years.

Methods

Data on 14 962 patients with alcohol-associated liver disease who underwent liver transplantation in the MELD era (2002-2018) from the United States Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model and life table methods.

Results

Demographic and past medical history factors related to survival were patient age, presence of diabetes or severe hepatic encephalopathy, and length of hospital stay. Survival improved over the study period, at roughly 3% per calendar year during the first 5 years posttransplant and 1% per year thereafter.

Conclusions

Life expectancy in transplanted patients with alcohol-associated liver disease was much reduced from normal, and varied according to age, medical risk factors, and functional status. Survival improved modestly over the study period. Information on patient longevity can be helpful in making treatment decisions.
Neuroanatomy of the Cutaneous Nervous System Regarding Wound Healing
Authors: Ge Shealinna , Khachemoune Amor
Published: November 2021

Wound healing is an important topic in modern medicine across many disciplines. Healing of all cutaneous wounds, whether accidentally sustained or intentionally created, requires the common yet complex set of interactions between the immune, circulatory, nervous, endocrine, and integumentary systems. Deficits in any of these systems or the molecular factors that mediate their communications can contribute to impaired healing of cutaneous wounds. While the stages of wound repair, angiogenesis, growth factors, and cytokines involved have been extensively studied, the role of the cutaneous nervous system in wound healing has not been well outlined. We have provided a basic overview of cutaneous innervation and wound repair for the dermatologic surgeon by outlining the normal cutaneous nervous anatomy and function and discussing the most important neuropeptides that mediate the wound healing process.
Using the Graphic Narrative to Stimulate Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory in Learners
Authors: Tedford Keith , Kitchenham Andrew D.
Published: November 2021

This article describes a bounded action research case study that examines how reading and discussing a graphic narrative ( March Book Two, a comic autobiography of John Lewis’s life as a civil rights activist) enabled transformations in a group of seven adult student participants at a Canadian postsecondary institution. Data primarily gathered from photocopies of student work, including reflective journal entries, postsemester interviews, and the primary researcher’s daily reflexive and reflective research journal entries, were evaluated with Kitchenham and Chasteauneuf’s framework of assessing transformative learning with critical reflection types such as objective and subjective reframing of assumptions. The authors found that both the participants and the primary researcher engaged in a number of shifts, including engaging in systemic critical self-reflection of and on assumptions.
Differences in expertise level for anticipatory skill between badminton ‘in game’ strokes and serves
Authors: Robertson Kamasha , De Waelle Silke , Deconinck Frederik JA , Lenoir Matthieu
Published: November 2021

Over the past decades, researchers in racquet sports have been testing the role of visual anticipation and expert attunement to essential kinematic information for responding to ‘in game’ strokes as well as serves. However, anticipatory behaviour to both strokes has not been compared directly, in spite of the different characteristics of these strokes in the context of badminton. Therefore, this study explored the differences in anticipatory behaviour among elite ( n = 26), competitive ( n = 15) and novices ( n = 17) between in game strokes and serves in badminton by use of lab based video temporal occlusion tests. In two separate blocks, last strokes (LS) and serves (S) were presented with different occlusion points (− 200 and − 100 ms before shuttle–racquet contact, at shuttle–racquet contact, and  + 100 after shuttle–racquet contact) in a randomised order. The main results from the analysis of variance were that (a) elites generally showed faster and more accurate responses, and (b) responses were generally faster in LS conditions than in serves. These results add to the current body of knowledge on anticipatory behaviour in racquet sports, and the practical implications for coaching and training are discussed.
Experiencing Melodrama, Imagining Audiences: Perspectives on the Representation of the Melodrama Spectator
Authors: Davis Jim
Published: November 2021

This article considers representations of melodrama audiences by Louis-Léopold Boilly and Honoré Daumier and what they may or may not tell us about spectator response. It also looks at emotional response to melodrama as a form of active spectatorship.
Prevention of crime, tort and epidemy: The use of criminal procedure for preventive purposes in Poland during Covid-19
Authors: Lach Arkadiusz
Published: November 2021

Criminal procedure is increasingly becoming an important instrument of prevention. This is a globally observed tendency, and Poland is not an exception. There are several regulations in the Polish Code of Criminal Procedure that allow the preventive use of coercive measures. In 2020, a new and controversial regulation was introduced, authorising the public prosecutor or court to prohibit the publication of content interfering with the legally protected goods of the victim. The author criticises the new preventive measure as duplicating civil law injunctions and expresses the opinion that, in criminal procedure, preventive measures should be used to prevent crime, not every illegal activity. In addition, the article describes the criminal procedure for isolating persons obliged to quarantine themselves because they have tested positive for Covid-19 or had contact with infected persons. This raises the question of the limits of the preventive function of provisional arrest and possible abuse of the criminal process using it for aims unrelated to the traditional goal of the criminal process: determining the question of guilt of the accused.
Sequential Enzymatic Digestion of Different Cartilage Tissues: A Rapid and High-Efficiency Protocol for Chondrocyte Isolation, and Its Application in Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Authors: Yan Yuxin , Fu Rao , Liu Chuanqi , Yang Jing , Li Qingfeng , Huang Ru-Lin
Published: November 2021

Objective

The classic chondrocyte isolation protocol is a 1-step enzymatic digestion protocol in which cartilage samples are digested in collagenase solution for a single, long period. However, this method usually results in incomplete cartilage dissociation and low chondrocyte quality. In this study, we aimed to develop a rapid, high-efficiency, and flexible chondrocyte isolation protocol for cartilage tissue engineering.

Design

Cartilage tissues harvested from rabbit ear, rib, septum, and articulation were minced and subjected to enzymatic digestion using the classic protocol or the newly developed sequential protocol. In the classic protocol, cartilage fragments were subjected to one 12-hour digestion. In the sequential protocol, cartilage fragments were sequentially subjected to 2-hour first digestion, followed by two 3-hour digestions. The collected cells were then subjected to analyses of cell-yield efficiency, viability, proliferation, phenotype, and cartilage matrix synthesis capacity

Results

Overall, the sequential protocol exhibited higher cell-yield efficiency than the classic protocol for the 4 cartilage types. The cells harvested from the second and third digestions demonstrated higher cell viability, more proliferative activity, a better chondrocyte phenotype, and a higher cartilage-specific matrix synthesis ability than those harvested from the first digestion and after the classic 1-step protocol.

Conclusions

The sequential protocol is a rapid, flexible, high-efficiency chondrocyte isolation protocol for different cartilage tissues. We recommend using this protocol for chondrocyte isolation, and in particular, the cells obtained after the subsequent 3-hour sequential digestions should be used for chondrocyte-based therapy.
Hyaluronic Acid In Vitro Response: Viability and Proliferation Profile of Human Chondrocytes in 3D-Based Culture
Authors: Nascimento Leonardo do , Nicoletti Natália Fontana , Peletti-Figueiró Manuela , Marinowic Daniel , Falavigna Asdrubal
Published: November 2021

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hyaluronic acid in the viability and proliferation profile of human femoral-tibial joint cartilage affected by osteoarthritis using in vitro models of chondrocytes in a 2-dimensional (2D)- and 3-dimensional (3D)-based culture model by spheroids.

Design

In vitro study of knee cartilage affected by osteoarthritis that required surgical treatment. Samples were cultured and exposed to hyaluronic acid (100 and 500 μM; intervention group) or vehicle solution. In monolayer or 2D culture, proliferation and cell viability were measured, and nuclear morphometry was analyzed by 4′,6′-diamino-2-fenil-indol (DAPI) staining. The 3D-based culture established from the culture of articular cartilage of patients submitted to total knee arthroplasty evaluated the diameter, viability, and fusion ability of the chondrospheres created.

Results

Samples from 3 patients resulted in viable cultures, with chondrocyte cells exhibiting a potential for cell proliferation and viability to establish a culture. Hyaluronic acid (100 and 500 μM) improved chondrocyte viability and proliferation up to 72 hours in contact when compared with the control group, and no nuclear irregularities in morphology cell characteristics were observed by DAPI. In the 3D evaluation, hyaluronic acid (500 μM) improved the cellular feedback mechanisms, increasing the survival and maintenance of the chondrospheres after 7 days of analysis, showing the intrinsic capacity of chondrospheres grouped in the attempt to rearrange and reestablish new articular tissue.

Conclusions

The 2D- and 3D-based culture models with hyaluronic acid improved chondrocyte viability and proliferation and demonstrated the ability of freshly formed chondrospheres to undergo fusion when placed together in the presence of hyaluronic acid.
Children’s Financial Dependence on Mothers: Propensity and Duration
Authors: Glass Jennifer L. , Raley R. Kelly , Pepin Joanna R.
Published: November 2021

Over 40 percent of American children rely primarily on their mothers’ earnings for financial support in cross-sectional surveys. Yet these data understate mothers’ role as their family’s primary earner. Using longitudinal Survey of Income and Program Participation panels beginning in 2014, we create multistate life table estimates of mothers’ duration as primary earner as well as single-decrement life table estimates of their chance of ever being the primary earner over the first 18 years of motherhood. Using a threshold of 60 percent of household earnings to determine primary earning status, mothers average 4.19 years as their families’ primary earner in the 18 years following first birth. Mothers with some college but no degree spent the most years as primary earners, about 5.09 years on average, as did mothers with nonmarital first births, about 5.69 years. Around 70 percent of American mothers can reasonably expect to be their household’s primary earner at some point during their first 18 years of motherhood.
Measuring the sensitivity of difference-in-difference estimates to the parallel trends assumption
Authors: Gibson Landon , Zimmerman Frederick
Published: November 2021

Background. Difference-in-Difference makes a critical assumption that the changes in the outcomes, over the post-treatment period, are similar between the treated and control groups—the parallel trends assumption. Evaluation of this assumption is often done either by graphical examination or by statistical tests in the pre-treatment period. They result in a binary conclusion about the validity of the assumption. Purpose. This paper proposes a sensitivity analysis that quantifies the departure from parallel trends necessary to meaningfully change the estimated treatment effect. Results. Sensitivity analyses have an advantage over traditional parallel trends tests: they use all available data and thereby work even if only one pre-period is available, and they quantify the strength of unobserved confounder(s) required to change the conclusions of a study. Conclusions. We apply the sensitivity analysis metrics developed by Cinelli and Hazlett (2020) and illustrate them on two studies.
Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea, What a Surgeon Should Know. Part 1: Interpreting the Polysomnography Study; Part 2: Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Smearman Erica Lauren , Williams Joseph
Published: November 2021

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and disordered breathing can be common in early development with certain conditions placing children at increased risk for OSA, such as micrognathia and the Pierre Robin sequence, craniosynostosis, and tonsillar hypertrophy. A Level 1 Sleep Study evaluation is recommended in all children with suspected sleep apnea. Part 1 of this review provides a discussion of the polysomnography study and interpretation. Part 2 focuses on diagnosis and management, emphasizing conditions that are amendable to surgical intervention and the impact of intervention on post-operative sleep study outcomes.
MS4A3 promotes differentiation in chronic myeloid leukemia by enhancing common β-chain cytokine receptor endocytosis
Authors: Zhao Helong , Pomicter Anthony D. , Eiring Anna M. , Franzini Anca , Ahmann Jonathan , Hwang Jae-Yeon , Senina Anna , Helton Bret , Iyer Siddharth , Yan Dongqing , Khorashad Jamshid S. , Zabriskie Matthew S. , Agarwal Anupriya , Redwine Hannah M. , Bowler Amber D. , Clair Phillip M. , McWeeney Shannon K. , Druker Brian J. , Tyner Jeffrey W. , Stirewalt Derek L. , Oehler Vivian G. , Varambally Sooryanarayana , Berrett Kristofer C. , Vahrenkamp Jeffery M. , Gertz Jason , Varley Katherine E. , Radich Jerald P. , Deininger Michael W.
Published: November 2021

The chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) is characterized by the excessive production of maturating myeloid cells. As CML stem/progenitor cells (LSPCs) are poised to cycle and differentiate, LSPCs must balance conservation and differentiation to avoid exhaustion, similar to normal hematopoiesis under stress. Since BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) eliminate differentiating cells but spare BCR-ABL1-independent LSPCs, understanding the mechanisms that regulate LSPC differentiation may inform strategies to eliminate LSPCs. Upon performing a meta-analysis of published CML transcriptomes, we discovered that low expression of the MS4A3 transmembrane protein is a universal characteristic of LSPC quiescence, BCR-ABL1 independence, and transformation to blast phase (BP). Several mechanisms are involved in suppressing MS4A3, including aberrant methylation and a MECOM-C/EBPε axis. Contrary to previous reports, we find that MS4A3 does not function as a G1/S phase inhibitor but promotes endocytosis of common β-chain (βc) cytokine receptors upon GM-CSF/IL-3 stimulation, enhancing downstream signaling and cellular differentiation. This suggests that LSPCs downregulate MS4A3 to evade βc cytokine-induced differentiation and maintain a more primitive, TKI-insensitive state. Accordingly, knockdown (KD) or deletion of MS4A3/Ms4a3 promotes TKI resistance and survival of CML cells ex vivo and enhances leukemogenesis in vivo, while targeted delivery of exogenous MS4A3 protein promotes differentiation. These data support a model in which MS4A3 governs response to differentiating myeloid cytokines, providing a unifying mechanism for the differentiation block characteristic of CML quiescence and BP-CML. Promoting MS4A3 reexpression or delivery of ectopic MS4A3 may help eliminate LSPCs in vivo.