bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of nodal staging by 18F-FDG-PET/CT in limited disease small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Hockmann Jan , Hautzel Hubertus , Darwiche Kaid , Eberhard Wilfried , Stuschke Martin , Aigner Clemens , Herrmann Ken , Plönes Till
Published: July 2023

Background

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is highly aggressive with a nearly incurable disease in most cases. The most important prognostic factor is the status of the mediastinal lymph nodes. Only a small proportion of patients can be diagnosed at early stages and directed to curative multimodal treatment. Therefore, accuracy of nodal staging by (18F)-Fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) in (very) limited disease SCLC, although not well investigated, is highly important.

Methods

Treatment naive, non-bulky patients treated or diagnosed with SCLC between June 2012 and April 2020 with complete data including FDG-PET/CT and invasive mediastinal staging were retrospectively analyzed ( n = 19). Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy of mediastinal lymph node staging of 18F-FDG-PET/CT was calculated.

Results

The FDG-PET/CT showed a sensitivity of 91%, and the specificity was calculated as 87.5%. In this cohort, the disease prevalence in lymph nodes was 58% ( n = 11). Positive predictive value was 91%, NPV 88% and accuracy calculated at 89%. One patient was upstaged from single-level N2 to multilevel N2. In one patient, upstaging in invasive staging was performed from N2 to N3, and one patient was downstaged from N1 to N0.

Conclusions

FDG-PET/CT is a valuable tool for the detection of distant metastases, but in mediastinal staging of SCLC some limitations might remain. Invasive methods remain the gold standard. Therefore, the mediastinal lymph nodal status of patients with SCLC screened for multimodal treatment should be further evaluated by additional invasive techniques to verify the exact N-staging and to optimize treatment stratification.
Multimodality imaging of myocardial tuberculosis presenting as right ventricular cardiomyopathy: A case report
Authors: Singhal Manphool , Kaur Maninder , Singh Harmandeep , Bahl Ajay , Nahar Uma , Sharma Arun
Published: July 2023

An 18-year male with no significant past medical history presented with features of right-sided heart failure. Haematological investigations revealed raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (23 mm/h). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) demonstrated biventricular systolic dysfunction with thickened free wall of right ventricle (RV). Whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose ( FDG) -positron emission tomography ( PET) computed tomography (FDG-PET-CT) showed intensely increased FDG uptake in the thickened RV wall and an FDG avid lesion in the left medial temporal lobe. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) characterized thickening and suggested an infiltrative disease (isointense on TI, hyperintense on myocardial oedema sensitive sequence with transmural enhancement on late gadolinium sequence). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain showed a thick rim enhancing ring lesion in the body of hippocampus. Endomyocardial biopsy revealed moderately dense lymphomononuclear inflammation with the formation of granulomas. Since tuberculosis is endemic in our country and considering all laboratory, imaging and biopsy findings a working diagnosis of tuberculosis was considered, and standard anti-tubercular treatment was started. There was an improvement in clinical status and follow-up imaging (TTE, CMR, brain MRI and FDG-PET-CT) showed improvement in biventricular function with regression in myocardial thickening and resolution of brain lesion, confirming the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
A Cry for “Help”? How Crisis Negotiators Overcome Suicidal People's Resistance to Offers of Assistance
Authors: Sikveland Rein Ove , Stokoe Elizabeth
Published: July 2023

This paper explores how police negotiators offer “help” to suicidal persons in crisis. The phrase “a cry for help” is long associated with suicide ideation, and “help” is a key offer made in crisis situations. However, we know little about how “help” is formulated, and received, in crisis encounters as they actually unfold. Fourteen cases (31 h) of UK-based police crisis negotiations with (suicidal) individuals in crisis were transcribed and analyzed using conversation analysis. Our analysis shows that persons in crisis typically reject negotiators’ offers of “help.” However, when negotiators propose that (and how) matters can be “sorted out,” or refocus “help” as actions that the person in crisis can do themselves, progress is made. The paper contributes to the growing literature on the management of resistance in institutional encounters, and to our understanding of how negotiators may minimize or de-escalate resistance in crisis communication.
Living with dyspraxia: A personal perspective
Authors: Andersen-Warren Madeline
Published: July 2023

This article is an attempt to convey a sense of how it feels to live with dyspraxia and how creating imagery can be effective in dulling some of the experienced difficulties. It addresses, in particular, problems that arise during training group warm-up sessions.
Naming and framing victims: Identity, ‘usable’ victimhood, and the spectral turn in transitional justice
Authors: Hearty Micheál , Hearty Kevin
Published: July 2023

Drawing from the literature on victimology, memory studies, and transitional justice, this article critically examines how representations of victimhood in post-conflict memory activism are rooted in contemporaneous claims-making. Using the collective remembrance of the events of August 1969 in Belfast as an empirical case study, it argues that memory activism centres on ‘usable’ victims whose victimhood can be seamlessly mapped onto preferred interpretations of the past in furtherance of post-conflict claims-making. Acknowledging the recent ‘spectral turn’ in transitional justice, the article explores how selective remembering and forgetting and the instrumentalization of selected identities through memory activism can transform otherwise problematic spectral figures into ‘usable’ victims. Once they have become ‘usable’, these victims become embedded in grassroots memory activism because they speak to claims-making over post-conflict truth and justice, the causes and consequences of past violence, and the post-conflict treatment of certain constituencies.
Marketing Capabilities, Market Orientation and Food Security of Biofortified Cassava Producers in Nigeria
Authors: Oteh Ogbonnaya Ukeh , Osabohien Romanus , Mbanasor Jude A , Agwu Nnanna Mba , Oloveze Ambrose Ogbonna , Hefferon Kathleen
Published: July 2023

This paper proposed that marketing capability is a critical component of market orientation. As such, knowledge of intelligence and competitive strategy, aspects of market capability obtained through training is essential for market orientation. Cross-sectional survey was used. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analysed using the structural equation model (SEM). The structural model and path estimates indicate that all the constructs intervene in food security, implying that a systemic approach rather than individual strength can help achieve food security. The study's findings support the perspective that marketing capabilities have spill-over effects that improve market orientation and food security performance. Therefore, BoP producers through training can generate significant marketing capabilities that can improve the food market. It highlights the importance of producers adopting a market-oriented approach. The study recommended a multi-stakeholder engagement model toward integrating biofortification into public and private policies and programmes. This would encourage investment and continuous training of producers on how to improve communication and customer relationship management to stimulate consumption and supply.
Pectoralis muscle predicts distant metastases in breast cancer by deep learning radiomics
Authors: Miao Shidi , An Yunfei , Liu Pingping , Mu Shikai , Zhou Wenjin , Jia Haobo , Huang Wenjuan , Li Jing , Wang Ruitao
Published: July 2023

Background

Sarcopenia is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer (BC). Currently, there are few quantitative assessments carried out between muscle biomarkers and distant metastasis using existing methods.

Purpose

To assess the predictive value of the pectoralis muscle for BC distant metastasis, we developed a deep learning radiomics nomogram model (DLR-N) in this study.

Material and Methods

A total of 493 patients with pathologically confirmed BC were registered. Image features were extracted from computed tomography (CT) images for each patient. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the independent prognostic factors for distant metastasis. The DLR-N was built based on independent prognostic factors and CT images to predict distant metastases. The model was assessed in terms of overall performance, discrimination, calibration, and clinical value. Finally, the predictive performance of the model was validated using the testing cohort.

Results

The developed DLR-N combined multiple radiomic features and clinicopathological factors and demonstrated excellent predictive performance. The C-index of the training cohort was 0.983 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.969–0.998) and the C-index of the testing cohort was 0.948 (95% CI = 0.917–0.979). Decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that patients could benefit more from incorporating multimodal radiomic features into clinicopathological models.

Conclusions

DLR-N verified that there were biomarkers at the level of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4) that affected distant metastasis. Multimodal prediction models based on deep learning could be a potential method to aid in the prediction of distant metastases in patients with BC.
Histopathologic survey of free-living populations of 2 species of freshwater mussels in Indiana
Authors: Burcham Grant N. , Fisher Brant , Boedeker Nancy
Published: July 2023

Freshwater mussels are one of the most endangered groups of animals in Indiana, with nearly half of the native species either extirpated or listed as “state endangered” or of “special concern.” Nationally, numerous freshwater mussel species are considered threatened. Freshwater mussel diseases are not well understood and few published accounts of freshwater mussel diseases with detailed histological descriptions exist. Mass mortality events within mussel populations are increasingly recognized, often with undetermined etiology. Our objective was to determine baseline histopathology in free-living populations of freshwater mussels. One-hundred twenty individual mussels representing 2 species—plain pocketbook ( Lampsilis cardium) and fatmucket ( Lampsilis siliquoidea)—were collected from 3 different locations within the Wildcat Creek watershed in central Indiana during June and July 2019. A cross-section through the visceral mass was obtained and immersed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin, with routine processing and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Branchial acariasis occurred in 43/60 fatmuckets and 22/60 plain pocketbooks. Infection with a bucephalid trematode was recognized in 18/60 fatmuckets, while infection of the gonadal duct with an unidentified trematode species was identified in 4/60 fatmuckets and 18/59 plain pocketbooks. Additional changes associated with unidentified trematodes, bacteria, fungi or oomycetes, and ciliates were observed. Other miscellaneous changes included mineralization, neuronal lipofuscinosis, and gonadal atrophy/atresia. A range of histological changes were observed. These changes likely represented background lesions: incidental findings, spontaneous infectious or endosymbiotic conditions, or normal physiological changes that routinely occur in free-living wild populations. Awareness of baseline lesions should inform future diagnostic investigations of mussel mortality events.
Home environment design theories and models related to the occupational performance, participation and well-being of people with intellectual disabilities: A scoping review
Authors: Yong Audrey Su Lin , Haines David , Henry Joseph Leonard
Published: July 2023

Background:

Access to housing for people with intellectual disabilities is often constrained by lack of choice, control and can often be inappropriate or unsafe. To enable people to remain at home and participate in their occupations, a collation and review of theories and models supporting good home environment design offers a view from which practice could be advanced.

Method:

A scoping review was used to map the literature on theories and models on home environmental designing, which can have influence on the occupational performance and participation of people with intellectual disabilities. The theories and models found were analysed using the lens of the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance model.

Results:

Four themes supporting the understanding of environmental home design that can influence participation and well-being were found. These were offering safety and comfort; providing control and choice to manage stress; offering skill acquisition for continued learning and interest; and the person–environment interaction for function and participation. The themes are discussed in relation to participation in occupation and well-being for people with intellectual disabilities.

Conclusion:

The study contributes knowledge to practitioners and stakeholders on theories and models of home environment design which could support the occupational performance, participation and well-being of people with intellectual disabilities.
Urban Geography III: Universities and their spaces
Authors: McNeill Donald
Published: July 2023

This Progress Report reviews recent literature that rethinks the spatiality of the university. First, it discusses the growing body of work that identifies the agency of universities in producing and shaping urban space, including their role in contributing to social injustice in cities. Second, it reviews understandings of universities as sites of relational knowledge production, linking this to the proliferation of studies of student (im)mobility. Third, it considers how the university works to spatially sort and place bodies – students, staff and non-humans.
The evolution of open biomass burning during summer crop harvest in the North China Plain
Authors: Li Shiyu , Zhang Ming , Wang Lunche , Cao Qian , Qin Wenmin
Published: July 2023

Open biomass burning (OBB) negatively impacts air quality by discharging abundant fine particulate matter (PM2.5, aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm) and trace gases. The statistical methods and numerical simulations have been used to estimate emissions from OBB. The former is poor in producing reliable distributions and transport of emissions, while studies with the latter have focused on cases analysis over short periods. This study investigates the multi-year evaluation of OBB and its contribution to PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) based on satellite observations and numerical modeling over the North China Plain. The number of fires increased by 206% from 2008 to 2012, and decreased by 84% from 2012 to 2016, indicating that the implementation of straw burning ban policy had achieved significant positive effects. The simulation from Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry showed that the surface concentrations of PM2.5 and BC emitted by OBB in the burning source area increased from 22 and 3.22 μg/m3, respectively, in 2008 to 45.77 and 6.47 μg/m3, respectively, in 2012, and then decreased to 1.41 and 0.22 μg/m3, respectively, in 2016. The differentiated impacts on air quality of policies across provinces are also investigated. Open crop straw burning was banned early in Shandong and Henan provinces, but they suffer from poor air quality due to open straw burning until the effective straw burning ban in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, which suggests the need for interregional collaboration for pollution control.
Identifying Colonial Roads in Southern New Jersey: An Application of Remote Sensing, Field, and Archival Methods to Document the Locations, Condition, and Routes of Critical American Revolutionary War Supply Chains
Authors: Peters Jonathan R. , Gordon Cameron E. , Peters Carl E.
Published: July 2023

This paper explores the identification, use, and preservation of historic roads in the state of New Jersey that primarily travel through public lands. The authors examine in detail the historical significance of several unpaved routes that continue to exist in Burlington County, NJ, as well as discuss various methods that can be used to identify routes with historical significance and document their physical characteristics. Field research was conducted to establish the current location of these historic routes, using LiDAR, GPS, and geographic information systems methods to estimate their likely date of construction. Further examination and mapping of these routes was undertaken, followed by documentation of the historical events linked to their use, thus establishing historical context. We identified likely routes used as critical Revolutionary War supply routes. The paper concludes with a discussion of appropriate actions that should be considered in the preservation of these routes and offers planners some options in relation to public policy.
Proactive Safety Analysis Using Roadside LiDAR Based Vehicle Trajectory Data: A Study of Rear-End Crashes
Authors: Bhattarai Nischal , Zhang Yibin , Liu Hongchao , Pakzad Yaser , Xu Hao
Published: July 2023

This paper presents a methodology to detect rear-end conflicts at signalized intersections with the help of roadside LiDAR sensors. Raw data collected in the point cloud format from the sensors was processed using a series of data processing algorithms to obtain vehicle trajectories. Time-based (MTTC), deceleration-based (SDI), and severity-based (CSI) surrogate safety indices were calculated from the vehicle trajectories to identify the conflict threats at every frame of the dataset, which were further aggregated together to evaluate the risk exposure and risk severity at different temporal segments of the leader/follower car-following period to obtain a rear-end conflict index. The identified conflicts were compared with the historical crash records using negative binomial models. The results indicate correlation between the identified conflicts and the crashes, and further provide new information about the rear-end crash risks at the intersection which could support the proactive approach of traffic safety analysis.
Statistical Models of Interactions between Vehicles during Overtaking Maneuvers
Authors: Espinoza Joaquín , Delpiano Rafael
Published: July 2023

A practical challenge facing the adoption of self-driving vehicles is the complex influence of the lateral dimension in vehicle traffic. This phenomenon has received little attention in the literature and few quantitative descriptions of interactions between vehicles are available for model validation. This paper proposes an analysis of the kinematic variables describing vehicle interactions on both axes during overtaking maneuvers using linear as well as nonlinear and nonparametric models based on real-world highway data. The principal findings are as follows: (a) a mutual influence between pairs of vehicles, especially at small lateral separation distances; (b) the higher the longitudinal velocity, the greater the lateral distances, no doubt to avoid collisions; and (c) lateral accelerations that tend to narrow lateral distance are associated with longitudinal accelerations that tend to widen it. These results are consistent across the different models applied and also with previous studies.
The Gendered Effects of Urban Displacement: Insights from Delhi, India
Authors: Biswas Arpita
Published: July 2023

In India, the politics of hope around slum relocation is created through claims that it would improve living standards of the poor and vulnerable families. Families, however, are not a unitary entity whose members are affected by relocation in the exact same ways. Motivated by the sets of feminist literature that problematize the family as a locus of both cooperation and conflict, and displacements as a gendered process, this article examines how forced relocation alters labor market engagements of (relocated) women, and why. Using an in-depth fieldwork-based case study of slums and a resettlement colony in Delhi, it elucidates if relocation-led sociospatial changes are reproducing gendered vulnerabilities in the city. Through that, my work underscores the need to transform the current policy into one that is gender sensitive and, hence, truly inclusive.

JEL Classification: J46, R11, O20, P10
Loss of life at sea from shipping British coal since 1890
Authors: Carter Tim , Williams John G. , Smith Hance D. , Protheroe-Jones Jennifer , John Ann , Roberts Stephen E.
Published: July 2023

There was continuing public and political concern about the loss of life at sea during the second half of the nineteenth century in Britain. New regulatory requirements, introduced to examine the competence of officers, prevent overloading and reduce the risks from hazardous cargoes such as coal, were in place by 1890. However, the effectiveness of these measures was not systematically monitored at the time. This retrospective evaluation reviews subsequent loss of life in the coal trade, the largest sector of British exports by weight. Loss of life remained high; it was more dangerous to export a ton of coal than it was to mine it. Some routes, such as those around Cape Horn and to Scandinavia, carried the highest risk, and losses on European voyages were more common in winter. Over time, the risks reduced as sail gave way to steam and diesel propulsion, and as maritime communications improved.
Labor Recruitment and Coloniality in the Agricultural Sector: On Plantation Archives, Underclassing, and Postcolonial Masculinities in Switzerland
Authors: Bolokan Dina
Published: July 2023

This study provides insights into mechanisms of underclassing in modern society based on interviews with recruiters of agricultural workers in Switzerland. I show that narratives that racialize and ethnicize workers are nurtured by colonial legacies. This reveals that plantation practices and discourses have shaped Switzerland and remain as powerful means of enforcing agricultural racial capitalism. Furthermore, I argue that postcolonial masculinities drive these intersubjective relations. Tracing and situating these postcolonial subject formations on farms allows one to see how caring narratives entangle with a dehumanizing grammar and how this colonial logic is incorporated into social consensus on extractive labor practices. Finally, this reveals how coloniality operates in a postcolonial country that claims political neutrality.
Multi-source motion constrained model predictive control for tractor-trailer trucks with coupled dynamics
Authors: Xu Chen , Yue Ming , Shangguan Jinyong , Xu Mingyang
Published: July 2023

This paper proposes a constrained model predictive control (MPC) for tractor-trailer trucks with the complicated physical characteristics, where motion constraints can be considered to govern the vehicle maneuver. Firstly, a targeted theoretical derivation method is developed to establish a more accurate nonlinear model for articulated vehicles, with expressly considering the articulation coupling effects. As an essential basis, the kinematic coupling behavior is further investigated. Secondly, multi-source motion constraints are introduced in particular with the analysis of nonholonomic constraints on the underactuated trailer: (i) keeping trucks traveling in the feasible domain away from collision; (ii) maintaining the vehicle states in a stable field through the steady-state response and side-slip thresholds. Thirdly, a constrained MPC controller is constructed for the automatic tracking operation, wherein vehicle demands of position security and yaw stability will be taken into reasonable consideration. For this purpose, vehicle states information can be fully utilized in a parallel approach to optimize quadratic programming (QP) in MPC: model prediction and updated constraints. In the end, the contrasted-simulation analysis is carried out to verify the accuracy of derived model and effectiveness of the designed controller, along with the feasibility of the additive multi-source constraints.
Harm reduction services for people engaging in chemsex in Brighton, UK: A pilot qualitative study
Authors: McGaughey Gigi , Richardson Daniel , Vera Jaime
Published: July 2023

Objective

A broad range of stakeholders commission and provide harm reduction support for people who engage in chemsex, including public health, sexual health, mental health, HIV services and substance misuse services. Understanding the experiences of stakeholders could provide important insights and suggest ways to improve outcomes. We aimed to explore the experiences of stakeholders providing harm reduction support to people who engage in chemsex in Brighton, UK.

Methods

We conducted semi structured interviews with chemsex harm reduction stakeholders who provide support for people in Brighton, UK. The semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically using NVivo 1.6.2: Braun & Clarke framework.

Results

We recruited ten stakeholders with at least 6 months of experience in providing commissioning, managing or providing harm reduction services to people who engage in chemsex. Five themes emerged from the stakeholders: stakeholder perception of client pathways (inefficiency in client pathways, inequitable access to services, unmet client mental health needs) and stakeholder experiences (having to use an ‘empathy’, ‘non judgement’ and ‘guiding hand’ approach), and experiencing emotional burnout as a result of the chemsex harm reduction work.

Conclusions

This pilot study of stakeholders suggests that to improve chemsex harm reduction outcomes, a more integrated approach between providers with clear client pathways and a broader reach including services tailored towards non-MSM, and offering services outside of typical business hours is needed. Furthermore, the sustainability of services requires increased workplace support for chemsex service providers to prevent burnout and maintain service quality.
Development of feature extraction method for near infrared spectroscopy using stepwise bayesian linear regression
Authors: Chen Zhifeng , Pan Tianhong , Wu Qiong , Yu Xiaofeng
Published: July 2023

Near infrared (NIR) spectra contain information regarding the analyte as well as uninformative wavelengths. To build high-performance data-driven models, key wavelengths with a strong correlation to the analyte must be selected. This study proposes a feature selection method called stepwise Bayesian linear regression (SBLR) for eliminating unrelated wavelengths, thereby enhancing the robustness of the constructed model. First, a random wavelength is selected from an optimal variable set, and the other wavelengths are placed in a candidate variable set. A Bayesian linear regression (BLR) is implemented by adding a new variable from the candidate set or removing a variable from the optimal set in each step. Furthermore, the BLR model is utilized to perform the F-test. Comparing with the critical value of the F-test with a significance level of α, the test determines whether the variable is retained in the optimal set. Finally, the extracted variables are used to construct a BLR model. The performance and generalization ability of the proposed method were validated. The physical explanation of extracted wavelengths is consistent with the perspective of chemical analysis based on the experiment, which provides a good understanding of the collected NIR spectral data. In addition, compared with traditional algorithms, such as partial least squares regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and stepwise regression, the proposed method reserves only a few of the effective wavelengths from the full NIR spectra. The proposed method demonstrates potential for key wavelength selection in NIR spectroscopy.
Carrier rate of thalassemia among 25,910 high school students in Shaoguan area, China
Authors: Chen Yajun , Zhong Rui , Guo Xueqin , Chen Shiping , Wang Yan , Li Jiufeng , Huang Lichan , Li Yi , Wang Xiaoling , Wu Liting , Huang Mubao , Huang Xiaoyan , Fang Junbin , Chu Zhongjie , Sun Jun , Peng Zhiyu , Sun Yan
Published: July 2023

Objectives

As one of the most common hereditary diseases, thalassemia affects a large number of people in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a method based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) for screening of thalassemia carriers among high school students in the Shaoguan area.

Materials and Methods

The NGS-based method was performed using 25,910 high school students recruited from 38 schools. The screening yield was systematically analyzed. Before screening, a lecture on how the disease is inherited, the symptoms of thalassemia, and how to prevent it was given to 28,780 students.

Results

Implying successful delivery of information on the disease, 90.03% (25,910 of 28,780) of the students agreed to join this program for thalassemia screening. A thalassemia carrier rate of 15.99% (4144 of 25,910) was found. Also, 69 rare genotypes (28 of α-thalassemia and 41 of β-thalassemia) and 9 novel variants were identified.

Conclusions

This NGS-based method provided a feasible platform for high school population thalassemia screening. Combined with a clinical follow-up strategy, it could help eventually to prevent the births of affected children.
International Trade and Wage Inequality in India: Does Direction of Trade Matter?
Authors: Vashisht Pankaj
Published: July 2023

After following import-substituting policies for nearly three decades, India opted for liberal economic regime in the early 1990s. Since then, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, concerns have been raised about the distributional consequences of liberalization. This article attempts to quantify the impact of trade on wage inequality in the Indian manufacturing sector. Estimating a relative wage equation with a panel of 49 manufacturing industries, this article found a positive association between trade and wage disparity in Indian manufacturing, but the association is contingent on the direction of trade. Our results show that after controlling skill-biased technological change and other variables, trade, especially exports to developed and developing countries, has an opposite impact on wage disparity.
Internalising precariousness: experiences of Georgian platform workers
Authors: Diakonidze Ana
Published: July 2023

Much has been written about the precarious nature of platform work, whether in high-income or less advanced economies. The lack of alternative employment opportunities and the high level of informal work in the latter are often assumed to be the key incentive for local workers to take on platform work. There is however little research on how exactly local conditions affect workers’ choices and most importantly on the factors making them accept the precariousness of platform labour. Based on 40 interviews with ride-hailing drivers in Tbilisi, the capital of the Republic of Georgia, this article argues that, rather than the lack of alternative opportunities, the poor quality of available jobs and the lack of social protection are the factors leading workers to accept and internalise precariousness, making the inherent features of app-based work seem normal.
Sexual and reproductive health care for trans and gender diverse people: Imagining a human rights-based approach
Authors: Sifris Ronli , Gerber Paula
Published: July 2023

In Australia today, trans and gender diverse people face daily indignities in a myriad of contexts, including when accessing sexual and reproductive health care. This article illuminates some of the barriers that trans and gender diverse people experience when seeking sexual and reproductive health care and illustrates how these obstacles violate human rights. It concludes with recommendations regarding reforms to better protect the rights and dignity of trans and gender diverse people in Australia.
Social Representation of Pain and Suffering in Cancer Patients: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Salès-Wuillemin Edith , Lejeune Catherine , Clain Anthony , Carrel Thomas , Dolard Adrien
Published: July 2023

Most patients report physical pain and psychosocial problems (suffering, depression, anxiety) during and after cancer treatment. This mixed methods study, based on the Theory of Social Representations, examines if pain and suffering are taboo subjects for oncologists and patients, and if they share the same representations. The data collected included 33 in-depth interviews with patients in chemotherapy/radiotherapy treatment ( n = 20) and their oncologists ( n = 13). We measured the number of spontaneous mentions of the words “pain” and “suffering” and their synonyms. We then examined semantic networks related to these two terms. The results show that for patients, suffering refers to bodily degradation and vulnerability while pain confirms the presence of the disease. In the interviews conducted with oncologists, suffering is absent. Pain is perceived as a sign of disease progression and an indicator of tolerance to treatment. These results may help in increasing the mutual understanding between oncologists and patients and facilitating the detection of depression and anxiety.
Effects of Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting on Maxillary Growth in Cleft Lip or Palate Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kannan Phavithrasri , Verma Sanjeev , Kumar Vinay , Kumar Verma Raj , Pal Singh Satinder
Published: July 2023

To assess the effect of secondary alveolar bone grafting (SABG) on maxillary growth in patients with unilateral cleft lip or palate (UCL/P)

Systematic review and Meta-analysis

Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and manual search was performed to assess the maxillary growth following SABG in UCL/P patients

Non-syndromic patients with UCL/P

Comparison of maxillary growth between patients with UCL/P who underwent SABG and UCL/P patients who had not undergone SABG or non-cleft control

39 of the identified 233 articles were assessed for inclusion and exclusion criteria after duplicate removal and title and abstract reading. 7 articles (1 prospective, and 6 retrospective studies) were included in the qualitative analysis and 2 articles were subjected to quantitative analysis. Four studies had a low risk of bias and three studies had a moderate risk of bias. Meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction of SNA and no significant difference in ANB in the SABG group compared to the non-cleft control group(I2 = 0%). There was no significant difference in ANB between SABG and non-cleft control; however, results showed high heterogeneity(I2 = 83%). Meta-analysis of SNA and ANB showed no significant difference between SABG and the cleft control group; however, there was high heterogeneity.

The studies showed a low to moderate risk of bias. SABG causes inhibition of maxillary growth in patients with cleft lip or palate when compared to patients with non-cleft control. Due to high heterogeneity, comparison to cleft control showed insufficient evidence.
Race, Ethnicity and Basic Law Enforcement Training Non-Completion: A National-Level Examination of Police Academies
Authors: Paoline Eugene A. , Sloan John J.
Published: July 2023

Calls for the diversification of policing to better mirror communities served date to 1960s-era national commissions and continue to the present. Largely ignored in efforts to diversify policing is the role of race/ethnicity and completion of academy-based training of police recruits. This study used data collected from 615 U.S. basic law enforcement training (BLET) academies during 2018 to examine the correlates of BLET non-completion, including academy-level counts of racial/ethnic group membership of recruits, academy regional location, affiliation, stress of the training model used, and required weeks of BLET for state-level certification. Multivariate negative binomial regression modeling indicated that compared to non-completion counts of White non-Hispanic recruits, except for Asian non-Hispanic group members, the expected change in non-completion counts for members of all other racial/ethnic groups significantly increased holding all other variables in the model constant at their means. Implications for diversifying policing are discussed and recommendations made for further research.
Discordant FeLV p27 immunoassay and PCR test results in 21 cats with hematologic disorders
Authors: Kornya Matthew , Bienzle Dorothee , Beeler-Marfisi Janet
Published: July 2023

Case series summary

A total of 1692 medical records from a primary care feline practice and a veterinary referral hospital were evaluated retrospectively to assess discordant feline leukemia virus (FeLV) test results. In total, 73 cats were positive for FeLV using serum in a lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) or laboratory-based ELISA. Of these cats, 21 subsequently tested negative for FeLV proviral DNA by non-quantitative PCR on EDTA whole blood (16/21, 76.2%), bone marrow (4/21, 19%) or both (1/21, 4.7%). The proportional morbidity (an estimate of prevalence in a sample of the total population) for FeLV by LFI/ELISA and PCR assays was 3.1%, consistent with that reported in previous studies for cats in North America. Cats with discordant LFI/ELISA and PCR results had either primary bone marrow disease (18 autoimmune, one neoplastic), a bone marrow insult (hemotrophic mycoplasmosis) or systemic inflammation (pyothorax with a marked neutrophilic leukocytosis). The percentage of cats with a positive LFA/ELISA result and negative PCR assay surviving to discharge was 85.7% (18/21). Of these, 88.9% (16/18) survived 4 months to 6 years. Seven cats (33.3%) were re-tested with LFI or ELISA once primary disease was controlled, and all tested negative.

Relevance and novel information

These findings indicate that in cats with bone marrow disease that shares features of progressive FeLV infection, positive LFI and ELISA FeLV test results should be followed up with FeLV proviral DNA PCR testing, particularly in populations where disease prevalence is low.
Comparison of different corneal residual bed thickness after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE)
Authors: Ouyang Bo-wen , Ding Hui , Fan Hongming , Wang Han , Yang Zhenduo , Zhong Tan , Zhong Xingwu
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the corneal biological parameters stability between the different corneal residual bed thickness (RBT) after Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE).

Methods

In this prospective clinical trial, 127 eyes of 64 patients underwent SMILE. According to the corneal RBT, the patients were divided into the 250–270 µm, 270–290 µm and 290–310 µm groups. Corvis ST (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) and Scheimpflug camera (Pentacam; Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) measurements were performed preoperatively, 1 day, 1week, 1month and 3 months after surgery.

Results

The keratometer values among the three groups were no significant differences in postoperative periods (each P > 0.05), except the corneal thickness values (each P < 0.05). In the 250–270 µm and 270–290 µm groups, the keratometer and corneal thickness values were decreased at postoperative 1 week and increased at 1 and 3 months. The 290–310 µm group significantly higher posterior maximum elevation (PME) than the 250–270 µm group at 1 and 3 months (P = 0.022, 0.022, respectively), and higher preoperative thinnest point (PTE) at 1 week and 1 month (P = 0.013, 0.035, respectively). The PME of the 290–310 µm group was higher than the 270–290 µm group at 3 months (P = 0.045), and higher PTE at 1 week and 3 months (P = 0.022, 0.02, respectively). In all three groups, the maximal deformation amplitude (DA) was significantly higher at 1 and 3 months compared to postoperative 1 day and 1 week, and the IOP was decreased at 1 month then recovered at 3 months (each P < 0.05).The DA of the 250–270 µm group was significantly higher than the 290–310 µm group at postoperative 1 week, 1 and 3 months (P = 0.001, 0.01, 0.02, respectively). The change of the posterior corneal elevation and biomechanical parameters values were no significant differences among the three groups in postoperative periods (each P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The range of 250–310 µm RBT was safe and stable at the early postoperative of SMILE. The RBT may be positively correlated with the posterior corneal elevation.
Unusual anterior and posterior segment features of coats disease
Authors: Girolamo Matteo Maria , Hadjistilianou Theodora , Lembo Andrea , Salvoldi Federica , Serafino Massimiliano , Barchitta Matteo , Menicacci Cristina , De Francesco Sonia , Nucci Paolo
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To report the clinical course and management of unusual anterior and posterior segment features of Coats disease and their relation to the age of the patients to increase the awareness towards these rare clinical features rarely described in the current literature.

Methods

A retrospective descriptive review of 45 eyes of 45 patients affected by Coats disease was conducted at the Retinoblastoma Referral Center and Ophthalmology Unit of the University of Siena in Italy analyzing data from 2000 to 2022. Medical records and images were revised to find some cases presenting unusual anterior and posterior segment features in patients affected by Coats disease. We identified therefore 4 unusual clinical conditions: retinal macrocysts, anterior chamber cholesterolosis, fovea-sparing Coats disease and secondary vasoproliferative tumor.

Results

Two patients presented with retinal macrocyst (2/45  =  4.4%), one with anterior chamber cholesterolosis (1/45  =  2.2%), two with fovea sparing Coats disease (2/45  =  4.4%) and one with vasoproliferative tumor associated (1/45  =  2.2%) for a total of six (6/45  =  13.3%) patients manifesting unusual anterior or posterior segment features in Coats disease.

Conclusion

Unusual anterior and posterior segment features of Coats disease such as retinal macrocyst and anterior chamber cholesterolosis have been more frequently reported in younger children while fovea-sparing and vasoproliferative tumors have been more commonly described in older patients. Age is then a strong prognostic marker which allows to distinguish two different phenotypes of Coats disease: patients younger and older than 3 years old with more aggressive and milder phenotype respectively.
Sonographic diagnosis and evaluation in patients with superficial radial arteries
Authors: Uchino Tetsuya , Miura Masahiro , Matsumoto Shigekiyo , Shingu Chihiro , Kitano Takaaki
Published: July 2023

Background:

The superficial radial artery (SRA) is a rare congenital anomaly in the forearm. However, it can be detected incidentally via trauma, intraoperative findings, angiography, or ultrasonography. In addition, intra-arterial infusion of intravenous medications and difficulties in radial artery catheterization may occur in cases of the SRA.

Methods:

Between December 2016 and July 2020, anomalous branches of radial arteries were found incidentally in nine patients at the preoperative visit and identified during ultrasound-guided radial artery puncture in 21 patients when radial artery catheterization using the palpation method proved difficult. Ultrasound examinations were performed for diagnosis and evaluation of these 30 patients.

Results:

All anomalous branches of the radial artery were SRAs; 11 (37%), 13 (43%), 6 (20%) were present on the right side, on the left side, and bilaterally, respectively. All SRAs ran close to the cephalic vein. The vascular diameters of the radial arteries were the smallest in the radial artery distal to the SRA bifurcation (followed by in the SRA) and the largest in the radial artery proximal to the bifurcation ( p < .001). In two cases, color Doppler study revealed that both the blood flow and color Doppler signal of the SRA disappeared with compression of the radial artery proximal to the SRA bifurcation.

Conclusions:

Because the SRA runs very close to the cephalic vein, a tourniquet applied to the arm may easily lead to intravenous catheter misplacement into the SRA. In addition, the small radial artery distal to the SRA bifurcation causes difficulty in radial artery catheterization. Furthermore, SRA cases may have falsely normal Allen’s test results. Therefore, the authors recommend that the SRA must be identified before vascular puncture for safe vascular catheterization in the forearm.
Optical detection of infiltration during peripheral intravenous infusion in neonates
Authors: D’Andrea Vito , Prontera Giorgia , Carlino Riccardo , Di Trani Helena , Carlettini Ilaria , Pittiruti Mauro , Vento Giovanni
Published: July 2023

Background:

Infiltration and extravasation are common complications during peripheral intravenous infusion in the neonatal intensive care unit, and diagnosis is usually clinical, by inspection and palpation. Delay in diagnosis due to poor surveillance or misinterpretation of clinical signs may carry serious damage to the tissues of the neonate. Recently, a novel technology based on optical detection of infiltration has become available.

Methods:

We have studied two groups of term and preterm infants receiving non-vesicant intravenous infusions by the peripheral route (24G short peripheral cannulas), and we evaluated the incidence of infiltration. In the first group, we have compared the clinical detection of infiltration versus the detection obtained by a novel optical device, blinding the alarms of the device. In the second group, the comparison was carried out without blinding the alarms.

Results:

Of the neonates included in this study, 60% were female, 86% had a gestational age <37 weeks (34 ± 2.5 weeks) and a mean birth weight of 2.08 ± 0.4 g. Total recorded monitoring time was 1318 h and average monitoring time for each short peripheral cannula was 26.4 h. The incidence of infiltration was 80%, most of them having a Millam score <2. The novel device showed an overall sensitivity of 88.9% in detecting infiltration. Specificity was 84.4%, as evaluated assuming as standard the clinical diagnosis. Interestingly, in cases of documented infiltration, the event was diagnosed by the optical device approximately 6 h before the clinical diagnosis.

Conclusions:

Continuous monitoring of the insertion site, as automatically ensured by this novel optical device, may play a complementary role in early detection of infiltration, even if the percentage of false positives and false negatives suggests that periodic clinical assessment by expert nurses cannot be omitted.