bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient Self-Assessment and Acoustic Voice Analysis in Screening of Postoperative Vocal Fold Paresis and Paralysis
Authors: Heikkinen Maria , Penttilä Elina , Qvarnström Mari , Mäkinen Kimmo , Löppönen Heikki , Kärkkäinen Jussi M
Published: April 2021

Background and objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of two items in vocal fold paresis and paralysis screening after thyroid and parathyroid surgery: patient self-assessment of voice using the Voice Handicap Index and computer-based acoustic voice analysis using the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program.

Methods:

This was a prospective study of 181 patients who underwent thyroid or parathyroid surgery over a 1-year study period (2017). Preoperatively, all patients underwent laryngoscopic vocal fold inspection and acoustic voice analysis, and they completed the Voice Handicap Index questionnaire. Postoperatively, all patients underwent laryngoscopy prior to hospital discharge; 2 weeks after the surgery, they completed the Voice Handicap Index questionnaire a second time. Two weeks postoperatively, patients with vocal fold paresis or paralysis and 20 randomly selected controls without vocal fold paresis or paralysis underwent a follow-up acoustic voice analysis.

Results:

Fourteen patients had a new postoperative vocal fold paresis or paralysis. Postoperatively, the total Voice Handicap Index score was significantly higher (p = 0.040) and the change between preoperative and postoperative scores was greater (p = 0.028) in vocal fold paresis or paralysis patients. A total postoperative Voice Handicap Index score > 30 had 55% sensitivity, and 90% specificity, for vocal fold paresis or paralysis. In the postoperative Multi-Dimensional Voice Program analysis, vocal fold paresis or paralysis patients had significantly more jitter (p = 0.044). Postoperative jitter > 1.33 corresponded to 55% sensitivity, and 95% specificity, for vocal fold paresis or paralysis.

Conclusions:

In identifying postoperative vocal fold paresis or paralysis, patient self-assessment and jitter in acoustic voice analysis have high specificity but poor sensitivity. Without routine laryngoscopy, approximately half of the patients with postoperative vocal fold paresis or paralysis could be overlooked. However, if the patient has no complaints of voice disturbance 2 weeks after thyroid or parathyroid surgery, the likelihood of vocal fold paresis or paralysis is low.
On digital slow journalism in Spanish: An overview of ten media cases from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Spain
Authors: Zabalondo Beatriz , Aiestaran Alazne , Peñafiel Carmen
Published: April 2021

The journalism of the 21st Century has gone through a serious transformation consistent with the digital ecosystem. With the aim of shedding some light onto the current journalistic panorama, this article tackles questions relating to digital slow journalism in Spanish, mainly centred on the need of these media to reinvent itself and look for new formulas such as innovation and content quality. Our research is based on an international study – Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Spain – using a triangulation and mixed method with exploratory, descriptive and quantitative techniques: consultation of documentary sources, case studies, in-depth interviews, Delphi study (two rounds with 29 international experts) and surveys (a total of 2000 surveys, 500 surveys per country). These techniques were applied to 10 representative digital Media entities within the slow journalism context in four Ibero-American countries: Revista Anfibia (Argentina), La silla vacía (Colombia), Revista Arcadia (Colombia), Jot Down (Spain), Revista 5W (Spain), CTXT (Spain), Yorokobu (Spain), Panenka (Spain), Letras Libres (Mexico), Gatopardo (Mexico). This essay reflects on the content and elaboration of these publications, journalistic genres, the professionals who work on them and the future challenges facing these projects. The reader profiles of these outlets, their knowledge of slow journalism and their consumer habits are also explained.
Historical perspectives and contemporary challenges to education (Bildung) and citizenry in the modern nation state: Comparative perspectives on Germany and the USA
Authors: Ylimaki Rose M , Wilmers Annika
Published: April 2021

In this article, we provide a comparative analysis of public education in Germany and the US, focusing on historical and contemporary challenges to education, Bildung, and citizenry in the modern nation state. In particular, we examine relations among nation building processes and education, transnational discourses, mutual influences, and relations regarding public education over time, and identity building and citizenship within and between federal, nation state and international levels. Comparative methods are utilized to examine policy documents as well as the literature, looking for similarities and differences among key concepts and discourses. The article concludes by pointing out that a number of contemporary developments bringing public education to a crossroads today are not entirely new and that foundations of education theory are still relevant. At the same time, we suggest new cross-national dialogues regarding the challenges bringing public education to the crossroads today.
Using a virtual platform for an asynchronous co-operative inquiry
Authors: Crowther Susan , Balabanoff Doreen , Kay Lesley , Hall Jenny
Published: April 2021

A participatory action research (PAR) study using co-operative inquiry methods was employed to examine the topic ‘spirituality and childbirth’. Co-operative inquiry (CI) reclaims the right of co-researchers to create knowledge from their own lived experience, an approach that works ‘with’ rather than ‘on’ people, valuing individual contributions. Traditionally, CI has been organised synchronously in the same physical location. However, with current events and need for greater global collaboration for divergent/convergent perspectives, an ‘asynchronous’ CI is important to consider. To date, the authors are not aware of any published/unpublished asynchronous co-operative inquiry research projects. This article describes how our inquiry group worked across global regions and time zones meeting online, via emails and discussion boards, and gathered data in an online repository. The outcomes of this inquiry are published elsewhere, here we discuss the novel methods used to support emergence of a modified CI. We offer insight into how our cycles of reflection and action matured and were possible and enhanced through virtual inquiry methods. While technology posed limitations, working asynchronously across time and space enabled rich and complex conversations. An asynchronous modified CI method allows a depth of inquiry to be achieved whilst retaining the purpose of CI.
A critical analysis of unsustainable higher education internationalisation policies in developing economies
Authors: Ramaswamy Hari Hara Sudhan , Kumar Sanjay
Published: April 2021

International higher education in many developed countries and more particularly in the United States and Australia has become a great source of revenue for their economies from students of the developing and underdeveloped countries (Least Development Countries). Money together with the mobility of international students from Least Development Countries to the developed world have created social inequality with no sustainable method for successful and sustainable internationalisation policies and agendas. This situation of inequality is created by a viciously interdependent circle formed by the erosion of monetary, human and linguistic capital. Calamities beyond human control including COVID-19 amplify social inequality due to the aforementioned erosion of capital. This article compares the international higher education scenes in the USA and Australia which have strong educational collaborations with a developing country like India. The piece uses extant literature in partnership with the technique of discourse analysis to provide a critical analysis of the politics of the existing internationalisation policies in international higher education and provides suggestions to deliver better internationalisation policies.
World’s First Experience Treating TASC II C and D Tibial Occlusive Disease Using the Selution SLR Sirolimus-Eluting Balloon: Six-Month Results From the PRESTIGE Study
Authors: Tang Tjun Yip , Yap Charyl , Soon Shereen Xue Yun , Chan Sze Ling , Lee QingWei Shaun , Yap Hao Yun , Tay Hsien Ts’ung Luke , Chong Tze Tec
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

The performance of sirolimus-coated devices has not been studied in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia patients. PRESTIGE aims to investigate the 6-month efficacy and safety profile of the Selution Sustained Limus Release (SLR) sirolimus-eluting balloon for treatment of TASC II C and D tibial occlusive lesions in patients with CLTI.

Materials and Methods:

PRESTIGE is a pilot prospective, nonrandomized, single-arm, multi-investigator, single-center clinical study. Endpoints were adverse event-free survival at 1 month, technical success rate, primary tibial patency at 6 months, limb salvage success, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and amputation free survival (AFS).

Results:

A total of 25 patients were included. There were 17 (68.0%) males; mean age, 63.7±9.73 years. CLTI severity was based on the Rutherford scale (R5=25/25; 100.0%). Significant comorbidities included diabetes mellitus (n=22; 88.0%) and end-stage renal failure (n=11; 44.0%). A total of 33 atherosclerotic lesions were treated (TASC II D=15 (45.5%)). Mean lesion length treated was 191±111 mm. Technical success was 100%. Primary tibial patency at 6 months was 22/27 (81.5%) and freedom from clinically driven TLR was 25/30 (83.3%). AFS was 21/25 (84.0%; 3 deaths and 1 major lower extremity amputation). Mean Rutherford score improved from 5.00 at baseline to 1.14±2.10 (p<0.05) at 6 months. There was a wound healing rate of 13/22 (59.1%) and 17/21 (81.0%) at 3 and 6 months respectively.

Conclusions:

Selution SLR drug-eluting balloon is a safe and efficacious modality in treating complex tibial arterial occlusive lesions in what is an otherwise frail cohort of CLTI patients, with a high prevalence of diabetes and end-stage renal failure. Technical and clinical success rates are high and 6-month target lesion patency and AFS are more than satisfactory.
Effect of extraction method on properties of feather keratin grafted modified cotton nonwoven fabric for biomedical applications
Authors: Khalilipourroodi Khalilorrahman , Dadashian Fatemeh , Solouk Atefeh
Published: April 2021

This study offers a new wound dressing by immobilization of amino acid residues on partially carboxymethylated cotton nonwoven fabrics (CM-CN). To improve the absence of capacity to protect the open wound from infection, firstly, a usual cotton nonwoven fabric was chemically modified by utilizing a pad-dry-cure technique including a carboxymethylation procedure. Subsequently, the chicken feather wastes as a natural source were used for the cationization of CM-CN by the same method. Keratin successfully was extracted from chicken feathers using both chemical and enzymatic processes. Physicochemical and biological properties of the prepared samples were evaluated by FTIR, SEM, mechanical properties such as tensile, bending test and wrinkle recovery, biodegradation, permeability (air and water vapor), and MTT assay for cell viability and proliferation. The tensile strength increased to 200%, the air permeability almost doubled, and the greatest cell growth was observed for modified samples. According to the obtained results, enzymatic extraction was influential and the samples coated with enzyme-extracted keratin showed enhanced properties suitable for wound dressing applications.
Characteristics and Symptom Burden of Patients Accessing Acupuncture Services at a Cancer Hospital
Authors: Grant Suzanne J. , Kwon Ki , Naehrig Diana , Asher Rebecca , Lacey Judith
Published: April 2021

Background:

Patients with cancer are often impacted by a significant symptom burden. Cancer hospitals increasingly recognize the value of complementary and integrative therapies to support the management of cancer related symptoms. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the demographic characteristics and symptoms experienced by cancer patients who access acupuncture services in a tertiary hospital in Australia.

Methods:

A retrospective audit was conducted of patients that presented to the acupuncture service at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse between July 2017 and December 2018. Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW) outcome measures were used. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Principal Component Analysis.

Results:

A total of 127 inpatients and outpatients (mean age 55, range 19-85) were included with 441 individual surveys completed (264 ESAS, 177 MYCaW). Patients were predominantly female (76.8%) and breast cancer was the most prevalent primary diagnosis (48%). The most prevalent symptoms in the ESAS were sleep problems (88.6%), fatigue (88.3%), lack of wellbeing (88.1%), and memory difficulty (82.6%). Similarly, symptoms with the highest mean scores were numbness, fatigue, sleep problems and hot flushes, whilst neuropathy, and hot flashes were scored as the most severe (score ≥7) by patients. Cluster analysis yielded 3 symptom clusters, 2 included “physical symptoms” (pain, sleep problems, fatigue and numbness/neuropathy), and (nausea, appetite, general well-being), whilst the third included “psychological” symptoms (anxiety, depression, spiritual pain, financial distress). The most frequent concerns expressed by patients (MyCaW) seeking acupuncture were side effects of chemotherapy (24.6%) and pain (20.8%).

Conclusion:

This audit highlights the most prevalent symptoms, the symptoms with the greatest burden and the types of patients that receive acupuncture services at an Australian tertiary hospital setting. The findings of this audit provide direction for future acupuncture practices and research in hospital settings.
Stillbirth And Faith: When Belief And Death Collide
Authors: Murphy Donna , Flynn Pat , Warland Jane
Published: April 2021

Mothers who had experienced stillbirth ( n = 436) were asked about their “faith base” and whether it was “helpful to their healing.” Only 178 (24.5%) indicated their faith base was “helpful;” there was also a wide range of other responses including those who indicated their faith was “lost” following their baby’s death. Findings are discussed in terms of what participants found helpful from their pastor and/or church community.
HAVE-H: Five Attitudes for a Narratively Grounded and Embodied Spirituality
Authors: Lasair Simon
Published: April 2021

Western cultures are becoming increasingly cognitive. While this trend has produced many advances in science and related fields, it has also resulted in the neglect of human emotions and bodies in many domains. This article argues that spiritual care practitioners can counterbalance this trend through the embodiment of five specific attitudes summarized by the acronym HAVE-H ((a) honoring the origins of perception; (b) acknowledging the inevitability of projection; (c) validating experiential neutrality; (d) embodying a commitment to truth; and (e) holding space for metaphysics/transcendence/time).
A Chaplain’s View on Religious Delusions (and Other Extraordinary Experiences): Towards a Theological Framework of Understanding
Authors: van Holten Wilko
Published: April 2021

In this article, the author discusses the question of how to evaluate delusions with religious or spiritual content from a theological perspective. How does a spiritual care practitioner listen to such delusions? The author proposes a theory of meaning that can account for both ordinary and extraordinary experiences and discusses a list of theological criteria in terms of which spiritual care practitioners can understand delusional and other extraordinary experiences and beliefs with spiritual content.
Is it Laissez-Faire Leadership or Delegation? A Deeper Examination of an Over-Simplified Leadership Phenomenon
Authors: Norris Kalan R. , Ghahremani Hamed , Lemoine G. James
Published: April 2021

Characterized simply as “the absence of leadership,” scholars have generally written off “laissez-faire leadership” as the inaction of poor managers disinterested in their followers and organizational outcomes. In this study, we question whether this simple understanding of the construct is always true, arguing that delegation, a conceivably positive behavior, is sometimes perceived as laissez-faire leadership by subordinates. We examine how perceived leader competence and subordinate gender determine how delegation affects perceptions of laissez-faire leadership and, indirectly, dysfunctional subordinate resistance. Our test of this model reveals a significant three-way interaction between delegation, perceived leader competence, and gender in influencing perceptions of laissez-faire leadership and dysfunctional resistance. We conclude that laissez-faire leadership is a more complex phenomenon than is often assumed in research. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in this study.
Generalized Rhythmic Delta Activity Frontally Predominant Differentiates Dementia with Lewy Bodies From Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease Dementia: A Conventional Electroencephalography Visual Analysis
Authors: Zinno Lucia , Negrotti Anna , Falzoi Chiara , Messa Giovanni , Goldoni Matteo , Calzetti Stefano
Published: April 2021

Introduction. An easily accessible and inexpensive neurophysiological technique such as conventional electroencephalography may provide an accurate and generally applicable biomarker capable of differentiating dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease-associated dementia (PDD). Method. We carried out a retrospective visual analysis of resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) recording of 22 patients with a clinical diagnosis of 19 probable and 3 possible DLB, 22 patients with probable AD and 21 with PDD, matched for age, duration, and severity of cognitive impairment. Results. By using the grand total EEG scoring method, the total score and generalized rhythmic delta activity frontally predominant (GRDAfp) alone or, even better, coupled with a slowing of frequency of background activity (FBA) and its reduced reactivity differentiated DLB from AD at an individual level with an high accuracy similar to that obtained with quantitative EEG (qEEG). GRDAfp alone could also differentiate DLB from PDD with a similar level of diagnostic accuracy. AD differed from PDD only for a slowing of FBA. The duration and severity of cognitive impairment did not differ between DLB patients with and without GRDAfp, indicating that this abnormal EEG pattern should not be regarded as a disease progression marker. Conclusions. The findings of this investigation revalorize the role of conventional EEG in the diagnostic workup of degenerative dementias suggesting the potential inclusion of GRDAfp alone or better coupled with the slowing of FBA and its reduced reactivity, in the list of supportive diagnostic biomarkers of DLB.
Robust fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control for nonlinear quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle system with unknown actuator faults
Authors: Guo Jinjin , Qi Juntong , Wu Chong
Published: April 2021

This article addresses the problem that quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) actuator faults, including small-amplitude bias faults and gain degradation, cannot be detected in time. A hybrid observer, which combines the fast convergence from adaptive observer and the strong robustness from sliding mode observer, is proposed to detect and estimate UAV actuator faults accurately with model uncertainties and disturbances. A nonlinear quadrotor UAV model with model uncertainties and disturbances is considered and a more precise unified expression for actuator faults that do not require knowing where the upper or lower bound is provided. The original system is decomposed into two subsystems by coordinate transformation to improve detection accuracy for small amplitude bias faults and avoid external influences. The hybrid observer is then designed to estimate subsystem states and faults with good stability by selecting a Lyapunov function. A fault-tolerant controller is obtained depending on fault estimation by compensating the normal controller (proportion integral differential [PID] controller). Several numerical simulations confirmed that unknown actuator faults can be accurately detected, estimated, and compensated for even under disturbance conditions.
Perceptions of Israeli school principals regarding the knowledge needed for instructional leadership
Authors: Shaked Haim
Published: April 2021

Instructional leadership concerns the ongoing deep involvement of school principals in direct efforts to improve learning and achievement for all students. The goal of this study was to explore principals’ perceptions regarding the knowledge required for instructional leadership. Study participants were 38 Israeli school principals, representing the population of Israeli principals in terms of sex, age, seniority, academic degree and school level. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis classified the statements of the study participants according to Shulman’s seven categories of knowledge needed for effective teaching. The findings suggested that General Pedagogical Knowledge plays a key role in instructional leadership, while somewhat reducing the importance of Leadership Content Knowledge. Implications and further research of this study are discussed.
Long-term results of Sauvé–Kapandji procedure
Authors: Reissner Lisa , Schweizer Andreas , Unterfrauner Ines , Estermann Lea , Nagy Ladislav
Published: April 2021

The Sauvé–Kapandji procedure is an established treatment option for distal radioulnar joint dysfunction. We retrospectively analysed 36 patients following Sauvé–Kapandji procedure between 1997 and 2013. Fifteen patients were available for a follow-up after a mean of 13 years (range 6 to 23). Six patients needed revision surgery because of ulnar stump instability. Radiographs and sonography were performed to quantify the instability of the proximal ulnar stump. These showed a radioulnar convergence of 8 mm without weight and 2 mm while lifting 1 kg. Sonographically, the proximal ulnar stump dislocated by 8 mm to the volar side while applying pressure to the palm, compared with 4 mm on the contralateral side. Sonographically measured ulnar stump instability showed a positive strong correlation with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire and Patient-Reported Wrist Evaluations and a negative strong correlation with grip strength and supination torque. Because of the high incidence of revision surgery due to instability of the proximal ulnar stump, we restrict the use of the Sauvé–Kapandji procedure only to very selected cases.

Level of evidence: IV
Low haptoglobin and a positive direct antiglobulin test without haemolysis in pregnancy
Authors: Morton Adam
Published: April 2021

Haemolysis is typically associated with low haptoglobin and elevated reticulocyte count, lactate dehydrogenase and indirect bilirubin. Positive direct antiglobulin testing is consistent with autoimmune haemolysis. A case of anaemia in pregnancy with low haptoglobin levels and positive direct antiglobulin testing in a woman with systemic lupus erythematosus is presented. The lack of response to intravenous immune globulin and absence of other markers of haemolysis prompted further investigation. In the setting of mild renal dysfunction, the woman’s serum erythropoietin was inappropriately low consistent with a failure of erythropoietin response to anaemia, and the woman’s haemoglobin improved rapidly with darbopoietin therapy. darbepoetin Health professionals need to be aware of the possibility of low haptoglobin and positive direct antiglobulin testing in the absence of haemolysis with autoimmune disease and anticardiolipin antibodies, and the possibility of anaemia due to failure of erythropoietin response with mild renal dysfunction in pregnancy.
Leçons d’un colloque : les enjeux épistémiques et politiques de la recherche interventionnelle en santé des populations
Authors: Terral Philippe , Ferron Christine , Potvin Louise
Published: April 2021

Ce texte explore deux grands enjeux, engageant à la fois des questions épistémiques et politiques qui nous semblent majeures pour l’implantation durable de la recherche interventionnelle en santé des populations (RISP) comme champ de recherche en santé. Nous interrogeons la notion de « données probantes » en montrant l’intérêt d’une appréhension à la fois exigeante et ouverte de cette catégorie dans le contexte d’expertises plurielles des RISP qui visent des modes de coordination plus fluides et étendus entre chercheurs, décideurs, intervenants et bénéficiaires des interventions dont les rapports sont potentiellement marqués par des inégalités épistémiques. Nous questionnons ensuite la nature de ces partenariats en invitant à une analyse plus approfondie de la dynamique des collaborations. Il semble en effet pertinent de considérer à la fois les séquences temporelles mais aussi les différentes échelles de contexte qui marquent les modes de coordination entre ces acteurs-experts du dispositif considéré.
Recherche interventionnelle en santé des populations et lutte contre les inégalités sociales de santé : les partenariats « en train de se faire » de la Case de Santé de Toulouse, France
Authors: Basson Jean-Charles , Haschar-Noé Nadine , Lang Thierry , Maguin Fabien , Boulaghaf Laurence
Published: April 2021

Une recherche interventionnelle en santé des populations permet d’analyser les modalités de lutte contre les inégalités sociales de santé que pratique la Case de Santé de Toulouse (France). Créée en 2006, selon une approche de santé communautaire, cette organisation associative comprend un centre de santé de premier recours et un pôle santé-droits visant à accroître les capacités, individuelles et collectives, d’agir des très nombreux usagers-patients démunis qu’elle accueille afin d’améliorer leur santé et leurs conditions de vie. Cette expérimentation à visée de changement social rend nécessaires des arrangements partenariaux qu’une étude menée par le bas, selon les principes de la sociologie de l’action organisée, autorise à porter au jour. Il apparaît alors que la difficulté réside dans l’articulation entre, d’une part, la création, l’entretien et le bon fonctionnement des partenariats institutionnels induits par le projet et son financement et, d’autre part, les désajustements de ces derniers provoqués par des modes d’intervention associatifs proposant un modèle alternatif en santé.
Which communication strategies can improve interventions aimed at tackling social inequalities in organized cancer screening in France?
Authors: Bourmaud Aurelie , Chauvin Franck
Published: April 2021

Interventions to increase participation in cancer screening programs have been developed and evaluated by our research team. The results observed provide an opportunity to consider which methods of communication should be encouraged to improve those interventions. The objective of this commentary is to recommend communication strategies which should be adopted to efficiently reach and support disadvantaged individuals to engage in cancer screening, as a healthy behaviour.
Les défis de l’inclusion des patients et du public dans la recherche interventionnelle pour lutter contre les inégalités sociales de santé
Authors: Beaubrun en Famille Diant Laury , Durand Marie-Anne , Witkowski Veronique , Dordonne Honore Myriam , Clastres Nathalie , Linon Carole , Journet Pascale , Netens Béatrice , Lamouroux Aurore
Published: April 2021

L’implication des patients et du public (IPP) dans la recherche interventionnelle est incontournable mais présente des défis à relever. L’IPP requiert une réflexion éthique et collégiale en amont de la conception de l’étude, des moyens et une gouvernance adaptée afin de tenir compte des enjeux collectifs et individuels qui sous-tendent ce nouveau partenariat.
Réduire le tabagisme dans les prisons : éléments théoriques et méthodologiques nécessaires à la co-construction d’une intervention en contexte pénitentiaire
Authors: Picot-Ngo Clément , Kivits Joëlle , Chevreul Karine
Published: April 2021

Révélateur des inégalités sociales de santé, le tabagisme en établissement pénitentiaire exige des interventions visant sa réduction d’être adaptées aux spécificités du milieu carcéral. Dans le cadre de la recherche interventionnelle TABAPRI, nous avons mobilisé une première étude sociologique afin d’apporter des connaissances sur cette problématique. Une enquête a été réalisée au sein de trois établissements pénitentiaires, précédant les phases de construction, d’implémentation et d’évaluation de l’intervention. Cet article décrit d’une part la démarche méthodologique et d’autre part, la contribution de la sociologie, tant dans ses apports conceptuels que méthodologiques, à la construction d’une intervention. Notre travail a notamment souligné l’importance d’aménager des espaces d’échange permettant aux professionnels et aux personnes détenues de construire ensemble les modalités d'intervention qui participent à la réduction du tabagisme en détention.
An Efficient Synthesis of Ginsenoside Rg5 via Conversion of PPD Type Saponins: Unusual Application of 4A Molecular Sieves
Authors: Le-qin Cheng , An-qi Ye , Hao-ran Zhang , Yue-wei Zhang , Ling Li
Published: April 2021

Ginsenoside Rg5 is a rare secondary ginsenoside with good pharmacological activity. However, preparation of Rg5 is time consuming, gives a low yield and has poor selectivity and efficiency. Therefore, the current study describes an efficient method of preparing ginsenoside Rg5 through conversion of Protopanaxadiol (PPD) type saponins in the presence of a molecular sieve and hydrochloric acid. The PPD type saponins were transformed on the surface of a molecular sieve to obtain ginsenoside Rg5 and most of the generated secondary ginsenoside was dissociates into the reaction solution, avoiding further decomposition. In addition, the optimal experimental conditions were identified to be as follows; 0.5 ml of absolute ethanol, 0.2 mol/L of hydrochloric acid, 12.5 mg of a 4A molecular sieve, a reaction time of 2.5 hours and a reaction temperature of 70 ℃. Under these experimental conditions, yields of upto 63.2% were obtained for ginsenoside Rg5. Moreover, the hydrochloric acid-catalyzed preparation of ginsenoside Rg5 effectively inhibited its decomposition in the presence of a molecular sieve. The method is therefore suitable for laboratory and industrial production with the advantages of large-scale preparation and high-yield.
Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil Isolated From Flos Lonicerae (Flower Buds of Lonicera macranthoides Hand.-Mazz.)
Authors: Tao Sun , Yun Shi , Yinxue Mao , Xin Yang , Kunming Qin
Published: April 2021

Flos Lonicerae (FL, flower buds of Lonicera macranthoides Hand.-Mazz.) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that is officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The aim of this study was to screen the chemical composition and to study the antibacterial activity of essential oils of Flos Lonicerae. The chemical composition of the essential oils was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The major compounds of Flos Lonicerae essential oils were linalool (10.4%), palmitic acid (8.0%), geraniol (6.9%), hexanal (2.5%), and α-terpineol (2.2%). Flos Lonicerae essential oils demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results of this study suggest that the essential oils of Flos Lonicerae have an interesting antimicrobial effect and may be a new potential source for a natural antimicrobial applied in the pharmaceutical field.
Effects of Biophilic Nature Imagery on Indexes of Satisfaction in Medically Complex Physical Rehabilitation Patients: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Wichrowski Matthew J. , Corcoran John R. , Haas Francois , Sweeney Greg , Mcgee Arlene
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Exposure to nature has been shown to influence various dimensions of human experience in the healthcare environment. This mixed method study explores the effects of the presence of biophilic, nature-based imagery on patient perceptions of their hospital room and aspects of their experience in rehabilitation.

Background:

In settings where patients have high degrees of medical acuity and infection control is a major concern, exposure to the benefits of real nature may be precluded. This is also true in many older healthcare facilities which were not designed with salutatory nature exposure in mind. In these settings, the presence of nature imagery may provide benefits which positively impact patient experience.

Method:

Seventy-six physical rehabilitation patients on a medically complex/cardiopulmonary rehabilitation unit filled out questionnaires assessing their perceptions of their room and various indexes of patient satisfaction. Data were collected from 47 patients in enhanced room containing nature imagery and 29 patients in standard rooms which served as controls.

Results:

Scores on the Environmental Assessment Scale (EAS) indicated a significant difference between experimental and control group in the rating of their rooms ( p = .0071). Ratings of quality of room, quality of stay, quality of sleep, and overall care trended in the direction of the hypothesis but were not significant. Data from qualitative questionnaires supported the results of the EAS.

Conclusion:

We conclude that the presence of biophilic nature imagery in the hospital rooms had a significant effect on patients’ room ratings and positively influenced indexes of patient satisfaction.
The Trust Gap: Young People's Tactics for Assessing the Reliability of Political News
Authors: Swart Joëlle , Broersma Marcel
Published: April 2021

In theories about journalism's democratic remit, trust is generally regarded as a prerequisite for public connection: only when citizens believe the news, they will engage with it and act upon it to perform their citizenship. Trust seems even more important in today's digital society, where the destabilization of journalism institutions and proliferation of sources make the media ecology increasingly complex to navigate. This paper challenges such conceptualizations of media trust rooted in rationality and deliberateness. Based on two series of semistructured interviews with fifty-five young people from ten nationalities living in the Netherlands, conducted in 2016 and 2017, we develop a taxonomy of people's tactics when assessing the reliability of news. We explore what this means for how they value news and how such judgments, drawing on explicit and tacit knowledge, impact their news use. Rather than critically evaluating news through comparing and checking sources, users often employ more pragmatic shortcuts to approximate the trustworthiness of news, including affective and intuitive tactics rooted in tacit knowledge. Consequently, we argue that to fully understand how users deal with the complexity of trust in digital environments, we should not start from ideals of informed citizenship, but from people's actual practices and experiences instead.
The Heterogeneous Effects of Government Size and Press Freedom on Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa: Method of Moment Quantile Regression Approach
Authors: Amegavi George B.
Published: April 2021

Although an active body of literature exists on the relationship between government size and corruption, different findings proliferate the literature due to the nuances of geographical context, methods, and variables employed. The paper employs the novel method of moment quantile regression with fixed effects over the period 1984–2018 to investigate the dynamic impact of government size and press freedom on corruption in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The main contribution is to examine the impact of government size and press freedom across the conditional distribution of corruption in SSA. The findings show that the impacts of government size and press freedom are heterogeneous across the conditional quantile distribution of corruption. Among the most corrupt countries in SSA, larger government size and press freedom significantly increase corruption. Some policy recommendations are offered based on these findings.
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone: A survival analysis of 50 cases from the SEER database (1992–2016)
Authors: Gusho Charles A , Tepper Sarah C , Gitelis Steven , Blank Alan T
Published: April 2021

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular tumor that may arise in bone. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the clinicopathological features and outcomes of osseous EHE in a large patient series, and to assess whether survival is impacted by demographics, tumor characteristics, or treatment factors. This was a retrospective review of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 1992 to 2016. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). A Cox regression model was used to identify prognostic factors. Fifty patients from 1992 to 2016 with a median age of 54.5 years (IQR, 37–67) were reviewed. For location, 46% ( n = 23) of tumors arose from the appendicular skeleton while 38% ( n = 19) occurred within the axial skeleton (overlapping EHE: 16%, n = 8). Of the cases with recorded treatment factors, 54.8% ( n = 23) had surgery, 26% ( n = 13) received radiation, 22% ( n = 11) were treated with chemotherapy, and 26% ( n = 13) had surgery plus radiation. The 5-year OS probability was 49.2% (95% CI, 23.6–70.6), and the 5-year DSS probability was 63.9% (95% CI, 33.0–83.5). No surgery (surgery: HR, 0.262; 95% CI, 0.07–0.9); p = 0.041) and age older than 50 years (HR, 4.117; 95% CI, 1.1–15.4; p = 0.035) were negative prognostic factors of disease-specific mortality after controlling for confounding variables. There was no association between disease-specific mortality and adjuvant or multimodal therapy. The prognosis of EHE of bone is less than favorable, and the 5-year DSS probability of 64% emphasizes the intermediate grade nature of this tumor subtype. Surgical treatment, when feasible, is associated with a better prognosis.
Thinking with the grain
Authors: Bridge Gavin
Published: April 2021

In this short commentary, I consider William Jamieson’s proposal ‘For Granular Geography’. I focus on two parallel arguments at work in his piece: the proposal for a political ecology of sand foregrounding the physical dynamics of sand as a granular system; and second, his programmatic agenda for human geography in which the instability and unpredictability of granular systems become a ‘conceptual grammar’ for the material geographies of value transformation. I am sympathetic to thinking through materials and alive to the poetic possibilities of sand, but ultimately find neither of Jamieson’s arguments persuasive. I suggest a fuller engagement with existing ‘grammars’ – including those of new materialism, elemental geographies, and the role of friction in global commodity chains – could help clarify the contribution that ‘granularity’ might be able to make.
Acute upper airway obstruction as a life-threatening complication of ventral bulla osteotomy: report of two consecutive cases
Authors: Vlasin Michal , Artingstall Richard , Mala Barbora
Published: April 2021

Case summary

This paper presents two cases of acute postoperative upper airway obstruction following ventral bulla osteotomy (VBO) in cats. The first cat underwent a unilateral left-sided VBO for a suspected inflammatory polyp. The second cat underwent a single-session bilateral VBO procedure for bilateral otitis media. In the first case, immediate re-intubation and a gradual lightening of the anaesthetic plane resolved the clinical signs; in the second case, the patient deteriorated and went into acute cardiorespiratory arrest and received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Both patients recovered well and were discharged home 3 days after surgery. Both cases were reported to show no further clinical signs on postoperative follow-up 3 weeks and 4 months after surgery, respectively.

Relevance and novel information

Upper airway obstruction should be regarded as a potential complication of VBO in cats.
Actors, Partisan Inclination, and Emotions: An Analysis of Government Shutdown News Stories Shared on Twitter
Authors: Agur Colin , Gan Lanhuizi
Published: April 2021

Scholars have recognized emotion as an increasingly important element in the reception and retransmission of online information. In the United States, because of existing differences in ideology, among both audiences and producers of news stories, political issues are prone to spark considerable emotional responses online. While much research has explored emotional responses during election campaigns, this study focuses on the role of online emotion in social media posts related to day-to-day governance in between election periods. Specifically, this study takes the 2018–2019 government shutdown as its subject of investigation. The data set shows the prominence of journalistic and political figures in leading the discussion of news stories, the nuance of emotions employed in the news frames, and the choice of pro-attitudinal news sharing.
How Popular Culture Prompts Youth Collective Political Expression and Cross-Cutting Political Talk on Social Media: A Cross-Platform Analysis
Authors: Literat Ioana , Kligler-Vilenchik Neta
Published: April 2021

Adopting a comparative cross-platform approach, we examine youth political expression and conversation on social media, as prompted by popular culture. Tracking a common case study—the practice of building Donald Trump’s border wall within the videogame Fortnite—across three social media platforms popular with youth (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram), we ask: How do popular culture artifacts prompt youth political expression, as well as cross-cutting political talk with those holding different political views, across social media platforms? A mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative content analysis of around 6,400 comments posted on relevant artifacts, illuminates youth popular culture as a shared symbolic resource that stimulates communication within and across political differences—although, as our findings show, it is often deployed in a disparaging manner. This cross-platform analysis, grounded in contemporary youth culture and sociopolitical dynamics, enables a deeper understanding of the interplay between popular culture, cross-cutting political talk, and the role that different social media platforms play in shaping these expressive practices.
Correction Experiences on Social Media During COVID-19
Authors: Bode Leticia , Vraga Emily K.
Published: April 2021

Despite a wealth of research examining the effectiveness of correction of misinformation, not enough is known about how people experience such correction when it occurs on social media. Using a study of US adults in late March 2020, we measure how often people witness correction, correct others, or are corrected themselves, using the case of COVID-19 misinformation on social media. Descriptively, our results suggest that all three experiences related to correction on social media are relatively common and occur across partisan divides. Importantly, a majority of those who report seeing misinformation also report seeing it corrected, and a majority of those who report sharing misinformation report being corrected by others. Those with more education are more likely to engage in correction, and younger respondents are more likely to report all three experiences with correction. While experiences with correction are generally unrelated to misperceptions about COVID-19, those who correct others have higher COVID-19 misperceptions.
Reddit Gaming Communities During Times of Transition
Authors: Bergstrom Kelly , Poor Nathaniel
Published: April 2021

We studied the Reddit communities for three game franchises at the time of a new release in each franchise to see what the members of the Reddit community for the now-older game would do in terms of their community involvement and membership. Specifically, we sought to determine if community members transitioned to the community for a new game, leaving behind their established community devoted to the now-older game. Our main finding was that most people did not move to the new community, but instead remained with their established community. We argue that nostalgia played an important role for community members, whom we frame as fans. Data came from Reddit communities for The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and the Civilization franchises, comprising data on over 10 million posts from five different year-long time periods, each centered on the release of a new game in each of those franchises.
#reimagining Arab Women’s Social Media Empowerment and the Postdigital Condition
Authors: Hurley Zoe
Published: April 2021

Social media intersects across physical spaces, digital infrastructures, and social subjectivities in terms of what is being called the “postdigital,” in an increasingly merging offline/online world. But what precisely does it mean to be “postdigital” if you are an Arab woman or social actor in the Global South? How does access to social networking sites, while increasing visibilities, also provide potential for increased agency? This study is concerned with the extent to which Arab women’s self-presentation practices on Instagram could be considered as empowering, or otherwise, within the postdigital condition. First, the study takes Instagram as a case to develop a theoretical framework for considering social media as a tertiary artifact, involving material, routine-symbolic, and conceptual affordances. Second, it applies the artifact framework to explore a corpus of self-presentations by five Arab women influencers. Feminist postdigital theorizing offers unique contributions to problematizing normative, ethnocentric, and neoliberal conceptions of Arab women’s empowerment. The application of the novel framework leads to an interpretative discussion of Arab women’s influencing practices across merging offline/online and transnational boundaries. Overall, the critical perspective begins to reimagine Arab women’s empowerment, not simply as individualized or material processes, but as agencies that are interwoven within the commercialized and conceptual dynamics of visual social media.