bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Colombian Adolescents’ Perceptions of Autonomy and Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Services: An Ethical Analysis
Authors: Brisson Julien , Ravitsky Vardit , Williams-Jones Bryn
Published: May 2021

There are conceptual and ethical challenges to defining adolescents’ autonomy to access health care, and these can lead to health care norms and practices that could be maladjusted to the needs and preferences of adolescents. Particularly sensitive is access to sexual and reproductive health care services (SRHS). Yet, while there has been substantial conceptual work to conceptualize autonomy (e.g., as independence), there is a lack of empirical research that documents the perceptions of adolescents regarding on how they access or wish to access health care services. The main objectives of this research were to (a) understand how adolescents in Colombia interpret the concept of “autonomy,” (b) describe how these adolescents articulate their autonomy (i.e., preferences) in accessing SRHS, and (c) analyze the ethical issues emerging from these data. Forty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants aged 14 to 23 years old in the Departments of Antioquia and Valle del Cauca in Colombia. Our study showed that participants’ understanding of autonomy was context-based and highly dependent on personal experiences, and these influenced their choice in how to access SRHS. Seen through the ethical lens of a reproductive justice framework, our results highlight the unequal opportunities for adolescents in terms of autonomy to access SRHS.
Victims and Perpetrators of Bullying in Physical Education Lessons: The Role of Peer Support, Weight Status, Gender, and Age in Polish Adolescents
Authors: Borowiec Joanna , Król-Zielińska Magdalena , Osiński Wiesław , Kantanista Adam
Published: May 2021

Physical education is a space in which adolescents may become the victims or perpetrators of bullying. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between being a victim or perpetrator of physical, verbal, or social bullying in physical education, and peer support, gender, weight status, and age. The sample consisted of 2, 848 adolescents (1, 512 girls and 1, 336 boys) aged 14–16 from Poland. The participants’ body mass index was determined based on their measured height and weight. The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children questionnaire was used to assess whether the participants were victims or perpetrators of bullying. Peer support during physical education was assessed using the modified Teacher and Classmate Support Scale. The analysis of logistic regressions revealed that low peer support increased the probability of being the victim of physical, verbal, and social bullying (odds ratio [ OR], 1.58–2.91) and becoming a perpetrator of bullying ( OR, 1.14–1.37) in physical education. Additionally, being overweight increased the likelihood of being a verbal victim ( OR, 1.39) and being obese raised the probability of becoming social victim ( OR, 1.60). Boys more often experienced ( OR, 1.12–2.06) and caused bullying ( OR, 1.25–1.89) than girls. Moreover, victims were mainly younger (14-year-old) students ( OR, 1.16–1.21), while perpetrators were more often older (15- and 16-year-old) adolescents ( OR, 1.12–1.20). This research indicated that peer support can play a key role in preventing bullying in physical education. Physical education teachers should pay special attention to unpopular and rejected students because they most often become the victims and perpetrators of bullying. Creating a climate that fosters the development of high peer support might protect adolescents from becoming a victim—and a perpetrator—of bullying in physical education.
Evaluating the Impact of Education on Pharmacist Tobramycin Dose Recommendations for Cystic Fibrosis and a Review of Perceptions on Pharmacist-Led Charting
Authors: Le Tran , Lord Louise , Pignataro Silvana , Simioni Diana , Cheah Ron
Published: May 2021

Background:

Pharmacists routinely interpret and optimize tobramycin dosing for people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF).

Objectives:

To determine the impact of tobramycin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) education on pharmacist dose recommendations, and to explore nurses’ and medical doctors’ perceptions toward pharmacist-led TDM charting.

Methods:

This study involved 3 phases: a 12-month retrospective audit of PwCF prescribed tobramycin to identify the appropriateness of pharmacists’ dose recommendations, a pharmacist tobramycin educational intervention utilizing a voiceover presentation with pre- and post-online tobramycin TDM assessment (involving multiple choice pharmacokinetics and case-based scenario questions), and a cross-sectional survey of respiratory nurses’ and doctors’ perceptions toward pharmacist-led TDM charting. The pharmacists’ dose recommendations, in the audit and case-based questions, were considered appropriate if subsequent levels achieved the targeted area under the curve (AUC).

Results:

Audit results revealed that 44.4% of the 277 pharmacist dose recommendations identified were appropriate. The pre- and post-interventional assessments were completed by 51 and 52 pharmacists, respectively. Post intervention, correct scores were significantly higher than pre-intervention, evident in both the pharmacokinetics (median score 75% vs 100%; P = 0.048) and case-based scenario (median score 60% vs 90%; P < 0.0001) questions. Of the 54 nurses and medical doctors surveyed, 92.6% supported the implementation of pharmacist-led tobramycin charting.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrated an increased accuracy and appropriateness of pharmacists’ tobramycin pharmacokinetics knowledge and TDM dose recommendations post-educational intervention and highlighted nurses’ and medical doctors’ support of pharmacist-led tobramycin TDM charting.
Patient experiences and strategies for coping with SLE: A qualitative study
Authors: Case Siobhan , Sinnette Corine , Phillip Courtnie , Grosgogeat Claire , Costenbader Karen H , Leatherwood Cianna , Feldman Candace H , Son Mary Beth
Published: May 2021

Objective

This study explored challenges that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) face to identify modifiable influences and coping strategies in patient experiences.

Methods

Participants were recruited from two academic medical centers through a Lupus Registry of individuals ≥18 years old and ≥4 1997 ACR classification criteria for SLE and a centralized data repository of cSLE patients, and participated in three focus groups. Transcripts were coded thematically and adjudicated by two independent reviewers.

Results

Thirteen adults, 7 (54%) with cSLE, participated in focus groups. Themes were categorized into two domains: (1) challenges with SLE diagnosis and management; and (2) patient coping strategies and modifiable factors of the SLE experience. Participants identified five primary challenges: diagnostic odyssey, public versus private face of SLE, SLE-related stresses, medication adherence, and transitioning from pediatric to adult care. Coping strategies and modifiable factors included social support, open communication about SLE, and strong patient–provider relationships. Several participants highlighted positive lessons learned through their experiences with SLE, including empathy, resilience, and self-care skills.

Conclusions

Patients with cSLE and SLE identified common challenges, modifying influences and coping strategies based on personal experiences. A strong patient–provider relationship and trust in the medical team emerged as key modifiable factors. Deriving optimism from experiences with SLE was unique to several patients diagnosed as children or young adults. Leveraging factors that improved the participants’ experiences living with SLE may be used in future studies to address vulnerabilities in care.
Factors Associated With Vaccination Compliance in Southeast Asian Children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kalaij Ayers Gilberth Ivano , Sugiyanto Michael , Ilham Ahmad Fadhil
Published: May 2021

Although vaccination coverage has reached a peak of 86% globally, around 19.9 million infants and children are yet to receive routine vaccinations—with Asia holding the highest prevalence of noncompliance. This implies notable gaps in vaccination coverage among some regions in the world. This study aims to analyze the factors associated with compliance toward childhood vaccination in Southeast Asia. A systematic review of observational studies was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane. Included studies analyze factors affecting compliance with childhood vaccination in Southeast Asia, and assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale’s criteria. Sixteen observational studies were included, with a total of 41 956 subjects, consisting of 15 cross-sectional studies and one case-control study. Our results suggested that parental personal–related, children and family status–related, socioeconomic, and health care–related factors strongly affected subjects’ compliance with immunization. Prominent determinants were older maternal age, higher economics groups, parents in government or health care sectors, and frequent antenatal care visits. On the other hand, noncompliance were associated with younger age, large quantity of family members, lower economic groups, lower education, and unemployed parents. We hope that this comprehensive assessment thoroughly addresses challenges and inform strategies to raise compliance toward childhood vaccination in Southeast Asia.
Does Lobbying Affect Bill Advancement? Evidence from Three State Legislatures
Authors: Butler Daniel M. , Miller David R.
Published: May 2021

Many studies consider the effect of lobbying on the behavior of individual legislators, but few studies demonstrate a relationship between lobbying and the ultimate dispositions of bills by the legislature. One challenge to establishing this latter relationship is data scarcity, as few legislatures systematically collect and publish information on organized interests’ lobbying activities on each bill. We provide new insights on lobbying by using data from Colorado, Nebraska, and Wisconsin that records the positions organized interests take on proposals in those states’ legislatures. We find that organized interests’ lobbying predicts outcomes, especially when lobbying is directed against a proposal. We also use our data to test whether lobbying succeeds by building support among legislators (i.e., vote buying) or by affecting a proposal’s advancement through the legislative process (i.e., agenda control). We find that lobbying does not buy the votes of legislators on the committees of jurisdiction for each bill, but lobbying does strongly predict what bills make it onto the agenda. Our findings contribute to ongoing discussions about money and politics, bias in representation, and legislator behavior.
Neural Control of Human Locomotor Adaptation: Lessons about Changes with Aging
Authors: Sato Sumire , Choi Julia T.
Published: May 2021

Walking patterns are adaptable in response to different environmental demands, which requires neural input from spinal and supraspinal structures. With an increase in age, there are changes in walking adaptation and in the neural control of locomotion, but the age-related changes in the neural control of locomotor adaptation is unclear. The purpose of this narrative review is to establish a framework where the age-related changes of neural control of human locomotor adaptation can be understood in terms of reactive feedback and predictive feedforward control driven by sensory feedback during locomotion. We parse out the effects of aging on (a) reactive adaptation to split-belt walking, (b) predictive adaptation to split-belt walking, (c) reactive visuomotor adaptation, and (d) predictive visuomotor adaptation, and hypothesize that specific neural circuits are influenced differentially with age, which influence locomotor adaptation. The differences observed in the age-related changes in walking adaptation across different locomotor adaptation paradigms will be discussed in light of the age-related changes in the neural mechanisms underlying locomotion.
Theorizing Home in the Academy: Chicana Doctoral Student Testimonios From the Borderlands
Authors: Sánchez Nydia C. , Hernández Estee
Published: May 2021

This article focuses on the educational journeys of two Chicana doctoral students born and raised along the U.S.–Mexico border. These scholars analyze how the intersection of their multiple identities, specifically border identities, has informed their socialization into the academy. Specifically, the authors use a combination of autohistoria, platica, and reflexión to theorize their doctoral experiences and examine how the concept of Home manifests in their research and praxis as graduate students.
Influence of Tourism Seasonality and Financial Ratios on Hotels’ Exit Risk
Authors: Zhang Dengjun , Xie Jinghua
Published: May 2021

Tourism seasonality negatively affects hotels’ operational and financial performance and then survival probabilities. Several studies have evaluated the impact of tourism seasonality on hotels’ exit risk. However, the empirical findings are ambiguous, probably due to the overall seasonality and different measures used in these studies. Against this background, this study explores the impact of tourism seasonality on hotel firms’ exit risk, using a proportional hazards model. We controlled for financial ratios, the main factors influencing the exit risk, and used two measures of tourism seasonality by market segment, namely, leisure, business, and conference tourism. The case study is the Norwegian hotel industry. The empirical results suggest that the different seasonal patterns of tourism demand in the market segments mitigate the impact of the overall seasonality on hotels’ exit risk, and that seasonality measures of various tourism segments affect the exit risk in different ways.
Longitudinal assessment of meibomian glands and tear film layer in systemic isotretinoin treatment
Authors: Tanriverdi Cafer , Nurozler Tabakci Burcu , Donmez Sumbule
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

This study aimed to analyze the changes in meibomian glands (MGs) and tear film layer over time in patients taking systemic isotretinoin treatment.

Methods:

Patients who received systemic isotretinoin treatment between 4 and 8 months were prospectively followed up. In addition to full ophthalmologic examination, MG dysfunction (MGD), noncontact meibography, noninvasive and invasive tear break-up time (TBUT), ocular surface disease index (OSDI), corneal staining, and eyelid margin abnormality scores were recorded before, during, and after treatment.

Results:

A total of 88 eyes of 88 patients were included in the study. The right eyes of all the patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 21 ± 2.9 years. Of the 88 patients, 70 (79.6%) were females and 18 (20.4%) were males. Before the treatment, MGD, noncontact meibography, first noninvasive TBUT, mean noninvasive TBUT, invasive TBUT, OSDI, corneal staining, and eyelid margin abnormality scores were 0.29 ± 0.45, 4.93 ± 3.50, 13.78 ± 3.89 s, 14.47 ± 3.09 s, 12.96 ± 3.61 s, 0.54 ± 1.00, 0.04 ± 0.20, and 0.09 ± 0.28, respectively. Twelve months after the end of treatment, the scores were 0.97 ± 0.87 ( p < 0.001), 9.62 ± 3.89 ( p < 0.001), 11.24 ± 3.52 s ( p < 0.001), 12.34 ± 3.02 s ( p < 0.001), 11.31 ± 2.90 s ( p < 0.001), 1.90 ± 2.44 ( p < 0.001), 0.20 ± 0.40 ( p < 0.001), and 0.56 ± 0.49 ( p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusion:

Systemic isotretinoin treatment causes morphological changes in the MGs. However, this treatment may negatively affect the tear film layer of patients. Some of these changes may persist for a long time even if the treatment is discontinued.
Knowledge of Vegetarian and Nonvegetarian Peruvian Dietitians about Vegetarianism at Different Stages of Life
Authors: Saintila Jacksaint , Calizaya-Milla Yaquelin E , Javier-Aliaga David J
Published: May 2021

Background:

The vegetarian diet continues to gain recognition and popularity among people; however, few studies have considered the level of knowledge of professional dietitians about this dietary pattern.

Objective:

This study aimed to compare the level of knowledge of vegetarian and nonvegetarian Peruvian dietitians regarding vegetarianism at different life stages.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was carried out. An online questionnaire based on the recommendations of the current dietary guidelines was administered to more than 400 registered dietitians. Of which, a total of 179 decided to participate in the study: 72 vegetarians and 107 nonvegetarians. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test, considering a significance level of 5%.

Results:

Women represented the largest proportion of the sample. The participants demonstrated a complete and exhaustive knowledge of the definition of vegetarian diets. Regarding the risks and benefits associated with vegetarianism, the largest proportion of those who got the correct answers were vegetarians. The percentage of correct answers selected for both groups regarding the critical nutrients were less than 50%. Only 17.6% identified the correct answer regarding the risk of eating disorders of vegetarianism.

Conclusions:

Dietitians did not demonstrate complete and comprehensive knowledge of the critical nutrients of vegetarianism and lack information on the risks of eating disorders from the vegetarian diet.
Queer citizens and the perils of the neoliberal city: Racialized narratives of homophobic hate crime in Oslo, Norway
Authors: Klatran Henning Kaiser
Published: May 2021

This article examines the relationship between queer citizenship, state violence and the exclusion of racialized, homophobic ‘others’. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with LGBT people in Oslo, Norway, I investigate the presence of racialization in narratives of homophobic hate crime. The findings suggest that racialization structures narratives of risk assessment among several of the participants. However, in these narratives, racialization often operates through place-specific references, rather than racial and ethnic markers of identity. The narrative work thus displays ambivalence and a disassociation from racism. I argue that these narratives feed on an already established conflation of space, ethnicity, religion and homophobia, to which both mainstream media and part of the LGBT community contribute.
Mapping the combustion modes of a dual-fuel compression ignition engine
Authors: Martin Jonathan , Boehman André
Published: May 2021

Compression-ignition (CI) engines can produce higher thermal efficiency (TE) and thus lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than spark-ignition (SI) engines. Unfortunately, the overall fuel economy of CI engine vehicles is limited by their emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and soot, which must be mitigated with costly, resource- and energy-intensive aftertreatment. NOx and soot could also be mitigated by adding premixed gasoline to complement the conventional, non-premixed direct injection (DI) of diesel fuel in CI engines. Several such “dual-fuel” combustion modes have been introduced in recent years, but these modes are usually studied individually at discrete conditions. This paper introduces a mapping system for dual-fuel CI modes that links together several previously studied modes across a continuous two-dimensional diagram. This system includes the conventional diesel combustion (CDC) and conventional dual-fuel (CDF) modes; the well-explored advanced combustion modes of HCCI, RCCI, PCCI, and PPCI; and a previously discovered but relatively unexplored combustion mode that is herein titled “Piston-split Dual-Fuel Combustion” or PDFC. Tests show that dual-fuel CI engines can simultaneously increase TE and lower NOx and/or soot emissions at high loads through the use of Partial HCCI (PHCCI). At low loads, PHCCI is not possible, but either PDFC or RCCI can be used to further improve NOx and/or soot emissions, albeit at slightly lower TE. These results lead to a “partial dual-fuel” multi-mode strategy of PHCCI at high loads and CDC at low loads, linked together by PDFC. Drive cycle simulations show that this strategy, when tuned to balance NOx and soot reductions, can reduce engine-out CO2 emissions by about 1% while reducing NOx and soot by about 20% each with respect to CDC. This increases emissions of unburnt hydrocarbons (UHC), still in a treatable range (2.0 g/kWh) but five times as high as CDC, requiring changes in aftertreatment strategy.
A regularized hidden Markov model for analyzing the ‘hot shoe’ in football
Authors: Ötting Marius , Andreas Groll
Published: May 2021

We propose a penalized likelihood approach in hidden Markov models (HMMs) to perform automated variable selection. To account for a potential large number of covariates, which also may be substantially correlated, we consider the elastic net penalty containing LASSO and ridge as special cases. By quadratically approximating the non-differentiable penalty, we ensure that the likelihood can be maximized numerically. The feasibility of our approach is assessed in simulation experiments. As a case study, we examine the ‘hot hand’ effect, whose existence is highly debated in different fields, such as psychology and economics. In the present work, we investigate a potential ‘hot shoe’ effect for the performance of penalty takers in (association) football, where the (latent) states of the HMM serve for the underlying form of a player.
The Association Between Periodontitis and Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Farook Fathima , Al Meshrafi Azzam , Mohamed Nizam Nuzaim , Al Shammari Abdulsalam
Published: May 2021

The objective of this study is to investigate the association between periodontitis (PD) and erectile dysfunction (ED).

A systematic review and meta-analysis on data was extracted and conducted according to PRISMA. Relevant articles were selected from a literature search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and CENTRAL from inception until August 2, 2020. Both randomized and nonrandomized controlled studies were included. Case reports, case series, nonsystematic reviews and trials published as abstract were excluded. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% conﬁdence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the association between PD and the risk of ED. The meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.3. Methodological quality assessment was carried out using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and the quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.

Six articles (215008 subjects) were included for analysis. Of the participants, 38,675 cases were compared to 1,76,333 healthy controls. Based on the random effects model, periodontitis was associated with an increased risk of ED (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.70–3.85) as compared with the non-periodontitis individuals. The findings were statistically significant with a p < .0001. The statistical heterogeneity was high across all studies ( I2 = 98%, p < .00001). Estimates of total effects were generally consistent with the sensitivity and subgroup analyses.

Within the limits of the available evidence, our review and meta-analysis showed that a significant association exists between the PD and ED. The results should be interpreted with caution due to high degree of inconsistency across all the studies.
Effects of two-organic-acid-dissolved chitosan on antibacterial properties of bamboo pulp-based fabrics
Authors: Wu Yan , Bian Yuqing , Yang Feng , Gan Jian , Hu Shiying , Zhang Jilei
Published: May 2021

Bamboo pulping fabrics (BPFs), one of the most important textile materials for clothing industry, has many excellent characteristics such as soft, skin-friendly, and hygroscopic, etc., but some drawbacks especially mildewed, causing customers’ concerns. This experiment evaluated effects of two organic acids, acetic acid (AA) and citric acid (CA), as solvents for dissolving chitosan on the antibacterial properties of chitosan-treated BPFs with the intention of replacing AA with CA because previous research finding indicated the strong acid smelling of BPFs treated with chitosan dissolved in AA. Experimental results indicated that BPFs treated chitosan dissolved in CA had a significantly higher antibacterial rate than ones treated with chitosan dissolved in AA within each of five chitosan mass fraction levels investigated. Antibacterial rates of BPFs treated with chitosan dissolved in AA and CA increased as chitosan mass fraction increased, but increasing rates were different between BPFs treated with chitosan dissolved in AA and CA. No acid sour smell was detected for BPFs treated with chitosan dissolved in CA.
Study about the technique of determining residual stress of loading measuring method
Authors: Hong Liu , Zheqi Jiang , Danqi Pan
Published: May 2021

Nondestructive test method for residual stress in a structural member is always an important research subject, as a new technique for measuring residual stress loading measuring method needs to consummate for the convenience of engineering. The paper proves that nondestructive test loading measuring method is effective and accurate when compared with the result from hole-drilling method. Taking the measurement of residual stress of injection-molded part in automotive lamp as example, the residual stresses in the surface of injection-molded parts of automotive lamp measured by the two methods are very close based on the two measuring results. It shows that loading measuring method, a new method is used to measure the residual stress, has enough accuracy and credibility when it is used to measure the residual stress of complicated injection-molded part. It provides a basis for popularization and application of loading measuring method in engineering. The paper discusses the basic principles of loading measuring method and detailed procedure of the measurement of residual stress by loading measuring method; it gives out some advices to reduce the test errors.
Duration of exposure and educational level as predictors of occupational respiratory symptoms among adults in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dagnew Baye , Andualem Zewudu , Angaw Dessie Abebaw , Alemu Gelaye Kassahun , Dagne Henok
Published: May 2021

Introduction:

Occupational respiratory symptoms are manifestations of respiratory diseases because of exposure to dust or chemicals such as asbestos, silicon and aluminium in the workplace like cement factory, tannery, textile and/or street sweeping, all of which affect the health condition and productivity. In Ethiopia, several primary studies were conducted regarding the magnitude of occupational respiratory symptoms with the prevalence of 68.89% in street sweepers and associated factors with inconsistent results. This meta-analysis aimed to pool the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their associated factors among Ethiopian adults working in different workplaces.

Methods:

PubMed, African Journals Online, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Direct Google were systematically searched to identify primary studies. Two authors performed data abstraction and quality assessment for each included study independently. Cochran’s Q-statistic and I2 (I-squared) statistic were used to check heterogeneity. DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled prevalence and associated factors of respiratory symptoms. Publication bias was checked by funnel plot and Egger’s test, and also sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results:

Ten primary studies with 3441 study participants were included for the narrative synthesis and meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of occupational respiratory symptoms. The pooled prevalence of overall occupational respiratory symptom was 54.58% (95% CI: 45.37–63.79). Dry cough was the most encountered respiratory symptom [34.93, 95% CI: 29.52–40.35], followed by breathlessness [28.67%, 95% CI: 20.13–37.22]. Work experience of over 5 years [OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.21–4.16] and educational level of Grade 8 and lower [OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.06–1.55] were significantly associated with occupational respiratory symptoms.

Conclusion:

In this review, the pooled prevalence of occupational respiratory symptoms was high. The findings of this study dictate the need for the implementation of workplace safety measures. Special attention is required to employees with lower educational level and longer duration of work experience.

Prospero registration:

CRD42020176826
A case of giant retroperitoneal lymphangioma and IgG4-positive fibrosis: Causality or coincidence?
Authors: Liedtke Kim Rouven , Käding Christoph , Döring Paula , Bekeschus Sander , Glitsch Anne Susann
Published: May 2021

Several chronic inflammatory diseases have been found to be a subtype of IgG4-related disease, all of which have a typical clinical and histological change, which is based in particular on an overexpression of IgG4 and subsequent fibrosis. At least a part of the retroperitoneal fibrosis, which was originally classified as idiopathic, seems to be assigned to IgG4-related disease. Lymphangiomas are benign, cystic tumors that rarely occur in adults. However, there is no firm association with IgG4-related disease described in the literature to date. This report is about a patient suffering from acute renal failure due to a giant retroperitoneal cyst. Surgical resection remains incomplete in the iliac vessel area due to severe fibrosis and histology revealed features of both lymphangioma and IgG4+ fibrosis. The case description is followed by a brief overview of IgG4-related disease and a consideration of whether lymphangiomas might be assigned to this topic.
The Effect of Respect: Respectful Communication at Work Drives Resiliency, Engagement, and Job Satisfaction among Early Career Employees
Authors: LaGree Danielle , Houston Brian , Duffy Margaret , Shin Haejung
Published: May 2021

Today’s business leaders face an unprecedented challenge of engaging and retaining young workers. We examined two facets of workplace respect to determine how leaders might combat this issue. A model was tested to examine the relationship of respectful engagement, autonomous respect, and occupational resilience on job outcomes. A survey of 1,036 U.S. young workers aged 21 to 34, employed full-time, revealed that autonomous respect was a stronger predictor of occupational resilience than respectful engagement. Additionally, there was a significant positive relationship between occupational resilience and job satisfaction, employee loyalty, and job engagement. Finally, the relationship of both respectful engagement and autonomous respect on job outcomes was positively mediated by occupational resilience, further substantiating the positive benefits of respectful communication on employees’ wellbeing and, ultimately, positive long-term business benefits.
Pathways to creating differentiated grids: Types, benefits and costs
Authors: Feng Chen , Peponis John
Published: May 2021

The patterns of syntactic differentiation and their causes and effects are fundamental to space syntax analysis. Often, however, differentiation is taken for granted with no reference to the dynamic process that brings it about. Here, we first show that by measuring the amount of syntactic differentiation, we can better distinguish between types of street networks. We then show that repeated local transformations of a regular street grid lead to different yet largely predictable trajectories of differentiation depending upon the rules used. Finally, we show that different paths to differentiation entail different costs in terms of undesirable properties. This allows us to better assess the likely consequences of design moves and their appropriateness relative to design intentions.
The Mesoarchean Amikoq Layered Complex of SW Greenland: Part 2. Geochemical evidence for high-Mg noritic plutonism through crustal assimilation
Authors: Aarestrup Emil , McDonald Iain , Armitage Paul E.B. , Nutman Allen P. , Christiansen Ole , Szilas Kristoffer
Published: May 2021

Whole-rock major- and trace-element data are presented on a sample collection from the >3 Ga Amikoq Layered Complex (ALC), and hosting amphibolites within the Mesoarchean Akia terrane, SW Greenland. The lithologies range from leuconorite to melanorite/feldspathic orthopyroxenite, orthopyroxenite to harzburgite through to dunite, and tholeiitic basaltic–picritic mafic host rocks. The Amikoq Layered Complex samples are primitive (Mg#: 65–89) with elevated Ni and Cr contents. However, the absence of troctolitic lithologies and the presence of two orthopyroxene compositional trends, suggests that the successions might not be comagmatic. On the basis of trace-element cumulate models, relatively low Ni contents and minor negative Sr-Eu anomalies in some high-Ti ultramafic rocks, it is not possible to exclude a petrogenesis related to a melt similar to that of the mafic host-rocks. Ultramafic samples with U-shaped trace-element distribution patterns are petrogenetically related to the noritic sequences, either through cumulus mineral accumulation or melt-rock reactions. Assimilation-fractional-crystallisation modelling of melanorites nevertheless require the parental melt to have been contaminated/mixed with a component of island-arc-like tholeiite affinity. A boninite-like parental melt might have been derived from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle of the Akia terrane, or alternatively via assimilation of an ultramafic parental melt with island-arc-like tholeiite. Given the complex geological evolution and high-grade metamorphic overprint of the Amikoq Layered Complex, we are unable to differentiate between the two models.
Plastid caseinolytic protease OsClpR1 regulates chloroplast development and chloroplast RNA editing in rice
Authors: Liu Xi , Xu Ziyi , Yang Yanrong , Cao Penghui , Cheng Hang , Zhou Haiying
Published: May 2021

Background

Plant plastidic caseinolytic protease (Clp) is a central part of the plastid protease network and consists of multiple subunits. The molecular functions of many Clps in plants, especially in crops, are not well known.

Results

In this study, we identified an albino lethal mutant al3 in rice, which produces albino leaves and dies at the seedling stage. Molecular cloning revealed that AL3 encodes a plastid caseinolytic protease, OsClpR1, homologous to Arabidopsis ClpR1 and is targeted to the chloroplast. Compared with the wild type, chloroplast structure in the al3 mutant was poorly developed. OsClpR1 was constitutively expressed in all rice tissues, especially in young leaves. The OsClpR1 mutation affected the transcript levels of chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development-related genes. The RNA editing efficiency of three chloroplast genes (rpl2, ndhB, ndhA) was remarkably reduced in al3. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we found that OsClpR1 interacted with OsClpP4, OsClpP5, OsClpP2, and OsClpS1.

Conclusions

Collectively, our results provide novel insights into the function of Clps in rice.
Examining the influence of illness perception and financial toxicity on the quality of life of prostate cancer patients
Authors: Akin-Odanye Elizabeth O. , Ogo Chidiebere N. , Sulaiman Faoziyat A. , Suleiman Lawal , Ogunsanya Motolani E. , Odedina Folakemi T.
Published: May 2021

Background

Cancer of the prostate (CaP) is a public health problem that affects the male genitourinary system causing a significant threat to men’s quality of life (QoL). Experiencing financial constraints and poor illness perception may further compromise the QoL of men with CaP.

Methods

Aim: To examine the relationship between financial toxicity and illness perception with quality of life in men with CaP. The descriptive cross-sectional study used simple random sampling technique to recruit 173 men with CaP from four tertiary health facilities in Nigeria. Data were collected with the comprehensive score for financial toxicity (COST-FACIT), the brief illness perception questionnaire (Brief IPQ) and the functional assessment of cancer therapy-prostate (FACT-P). Analysis of data was carried out using analysis of variance, correlation and hierarchical regression analyses.

Results

The 173 participants had an average age of 71.57 ± 11.18, and 53.18% had one comorbid disease. Significant difference was found in overall QoL based on treatment site and number of comorbid diseases (P < 0.01). QoL had a significant inverse relationship with all the illness perception variables and a significant linear relationship with lower financial toxicity (P < 0.01). Furthermore, financial toxicity (P < 0.05) and four illness perception variables: consequences, identity, concern and illness understanding (P < 0.01), had significant individual influences on QoL of men with CaP.

Conclusions

Quality of life in men with CaP may be improved through mitigating the financial toxicity associated with accessing care and providing appropriate counseling about the illness and what to expect following prostate cancer diagnosis and during treatment.
digIS: towards detecting distant and putative novel insertion sequence elements in prokaryotic genomes
Authors: Puterová Janka , Martínek Tomáš
Published: May 2021

Background

The insertion sequence elements (IS elements) represent the smallest and the most abundant mobile elements in prokaryotic genomes. It has been shown that they play a significant role in genome organization and evolution. To better understand their function in the host genome, it is desirable to have an effective detection and annotation tool. This need becomes even more crucial when considering rapid-growing genomic and metagenomic data. The existing tools for IS elements detection and annotation are usually based on comparing sequence similarity with a database of known IS families. Thus, they have limited ability to discover distant and putative novel IS elements.

Results

In this paper, we present digIS, a software tool based on profile hidden Markov models assembled from catalytic domains of transposases. It shows a very good performance in detecting known IS elements when tested on datasets with manually curated annotation. The main contribution of digIS is in its ability to detect distant and putative novel IS elements while maintaining a moderate level of false positives. In this category it outperforms existing tools, especially when tested on large datasets of archaeal and bacterial genomes.

Conclusion

We provide digIS, a software tool using a novel approach based on manually curated profile hidden Markov models, which is able to detect distant and putative novel IS elements. Although digIS can find known IS elements as well, we expect it to be used primarily by scientists interested in finding novel IS elements. The tool is available at https://github.com/janka2012/digIS.
Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, virulence and genetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bulk tank milk samples of U.S. dairy herds
Authors: Patel Kruthika , Godden Sandra M. , Royster Erin E. , Crooker Brian A. , Johnson Timothy J. , Smith Emily A. , Sreevatsan Srinand
Published: May 2021

Background

Colonization of dairy cows by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), especially those which are multi-drug resistant and toxin producing, is a concern for animal health and well-being as well as public health. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, antibiotic resistance, gene content and virulence determinants of S. aureus in bulk tank milk samples (BTM) from U.S. dairy herds.

Results

BTM samples were collected, once in winter and once in summer, from 189 U.S. dairy herds. Of 365 BTM samples cultured, the sample and herd prevalence of S. aureus in BTM was 46.6% (170 of 365 samples) and 62.4% (118 of 189 herds), respectively. Among a subset of 138 S. aureus isolates that were stored for further analysis, 124 were genome sequenced after being confirmed as S. aureus using phenotypic tests. The most commonly identified antimicrobial resistance-associated gene was norA (99.2%) and mecA gene responsible for methicillin resistance (MRSA) was identified in one isolate (0.8%). The most frequently detected putative virulence genes were aur (100%), hlgB (100%), hlgA, hlgC, hlb (99.2%), lukE (95.9%) and lukD (94.3%). In the 53 staphylococcal enterotoxin positive isolates, sen (37.9%), sem (35.5%), sei (35.5%) and seg (33.1%) were the most frequently detected enterotoxin genes. Among the 14 sequence types (ST) and 18 spa types identified, the most common was ST2187 (20.9%) and t529 (28.2%), respectively. The most predominant clone was CC97 (47.6%) followed by CC unknown (36.3%). The single MRSA isolate belonged to ST72-CC8, spa type t126 and was negative for the tst gene but harbored all the other virulence genes investigated.

Conclusion

Our findings indicated a high prevalence of S. aureus in BTM of U.S. dairy herds, with isolates showing little evidence of resistance to antibiotics commonly used to treat mastitis. However, isolates often carried genes for the various enterotoxins. This study identified predominant genetic clones. Despite lower prevalence, the presence of MRSA and multi-drug resistant strains in BTM poses a significant risk to animal and public health if their number were to increase in dairy environment. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor the use of antibiotics in dairy cows.
Er:YAG laser-assisted filtration surgery: initial results in rabbits
Authors: Kapelushnik Noa , Leshno Ari , Singer Reut , Huna-Baron Ruth , Barkana Yaniv , Skaat Alon
Published: May 2021

Background

Glaucoma is a leading cause of global blindness, especially preventable blindness. The increased prevalence of glaucoma has led to a growing demand for newer, safer, more rapid, and simpler treatments for the reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP). In this study, we evaluated the safety and feasibility of performing filtration glaucoma surgery with an Ab-Interno Er:YAG laser in rabbits.

Methods

Nine New Zealand White rabbits age 16 weeks were studied. After subconjunctival injection of mitomycin C (MMC), a novel Ab-Interno Er:YAG laser probe was inserted into the anterior chamber (AC) through a clear corneal 1 mm paracentesis and directed at the trabecular meshwork adjacent to the MMC injection area. A pulsed laser beam was applied to create a patent sclerostomy connecting the AC to the subconjuctival space, resulting in a filtering bleb. The laser system used was the Er:YAG laser system - LAS25-FCU, (Pantec Biosolutions AG, Liechtenstein). Parameters used: Wave lengh: 2940 nm, Pulse length: 100–400 μsec,frequency: 250 Hz. Average laser power in accordance to the fiber tip diameter: 0.85 W(range 0.8–0.92 W). Complete ocular exams, including IOP measurements, were performed on 1, 7, 14, and 23 days postoperatively. Three rabbits were sacrificed on days 1, 14, and 23, and histological examinations were performed on all nine eyes.

Results

All procedures resulted in a functional medium-large superior bleb without significant complications. The bleb was sustained in all rabbits by day 14 and in one of the three rabbits that reached the last follow-up at 23 days. No cases of postoperative hypotony were observed. There was a transient significant reduction in mean IOP on postoperative days 5 and 7 (P = 0.028). Histopathological analysis revealed a patent full-thickness scleral tunnel with only a minor degree of surrounding coagulation necrosis.

Conclusions

The Ab-Interno laser sclerostomy procedure is potentially safe and effective based on initial experience in an in-vivo rabbit animal model.
Use of acceptable daily intake (ADI) as a health-based benchmark in nutrition research studies that consider the safety of low-calorie sweeteners (LCS): a systematic map
Authors: Fitch Seneca E. , Payne Lauren E. , van de Ligt Jennifer L. G. , Doepker Candace , Handu Deepa , Cohen Samuel M. , Anyangwe Njwen , Wikoff Daniele
Published: May 2021

Background

It is well-recognized that consumers face many challenges in understanding and applying nutritional guidance for low-calorie sweeteners (LCS). Thus, this research aims to (1) assess how benchmarks for safe levels of consumption of LCS are utilized by researchers, and (2) understand how varying use of such benchmarks may contribute to challenges in understanding and applying nutritional guidance for LCS consumption.

Methods

A systematic mapping exercise was employed to characterize when and how acceptable daily intake (ADI) values are used as health-based benchmarks in nutrition research studies that consider the safety of LCS.

Results

Based on results from charting 121 studies, our findings demonstrate that comparisons of LCS intake to an ADI derived by an authoritative body have been made in a diverse set of published literature, varying widely in their objectives, approaches, and populations of interest. The majority of studies compared the ADI to intake in a population under study; these represent the type of comparison that is most consistent with the intent of the ADI. Other applications of the ADI included use as a benchmark in experimental studies, risk-benefit analyses, and metabolism studies.

Conclusion

Although most instances of ADI use were reasonable within the context of the individual studies’ objectives, the diversity in use by original-study authors amplifies the continued need for development of “best practices” regarding the use and interpretation of the ADIs in current research. Using comparisons to the ADI can be a helpful way to provide context to research findings. However, in doing so, it is important that researchers utilize the value in a manner specific with its intent, as the ADI is a metric that represents an estimate of the amount of a substance that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health.