bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hollywood on the Danube: Location management and the production of place in transnational media production
Authors: Havens Timothy
Published: May 2023

Budapest, Hungary, has become one of the largest media production centers in Europe, even though the country has little local domestic production and few exports. Rather, nearly all production spending in Budapest comes from servicing foreign productions. This article explores the role that location managers in Budapest play in producing a recognizable sense of Budapest as a specific place, both on and behind the screen, in an effort to make the city “sticky” for global media capital. Throughout pre-production and production, location managers produce a sense for foreign creative workers that Budapest is both versatile and flexible as a shooting location. Ironically, while their efforts generally erase the specificity of Budapest, creating the impression that the city is as film-friendly as any other media capital, this erasure is precisely what makes Budapest sticky for transnational media productions.
The role of anger in mediating the effects of procedural justice and injustice
Authors: Maguire Edward R. , Lowrey-Kinberg Belen , Johnson Devon
Published: May 2023

Research has found that people’s perceptions of the extent to which authority figures behave in a procedurally just (or unjust) manner have powerful effects on a variety of outcomes. Procedural justice has been shown to influence people’s sense of obligation to obey and willingness to cooperate with the law and its agents, as well as people’s willingness to comply with the law and legal authorities. Yet very little research has examined the causal mechanisms through which the perceived fairness of procedures influences these outcomes. One possibility is that procedural injustice may trigger affective responses such as anger, frustration, or fear. In this study, we test the effects of three procedural justice conditions on a variety of outcomes using a laboratory-style experiment that simulates a police traffic stop. At the same time, we test the extent to which the relationships between procedural justice and these outcomes are mediated by people’s self-reported levels of anger. Our findings reveal that the treatment conditions had strong effects on self-reported anger, with the procedural justice condition decreasing anger, and the procedural injustice condition increasing anger. Moreover, the findings reveal that the treatment conditions also exerted indirect effects on all outcomes through anger. Taken together, these findings reinforce the importance of emotion in mediating the effects of procedural justice on a variety of outcomes during intergroup encounters.
Goals and outcomes of police officer communication: Evidence from in-depth interviews
Authors: Oxholm Perfecta Delgado , Glaser Jack
Published: May 2023

Communication between police and community is an inevitable part of policing. Core narratives—subjective, internal, sense-making processes that can shape behavior—that police officers hold related to communication can influence police–community interactions. There is no known research on core narratives related to police officer communication. To begin to fill the gap, this paper reports the analysis of in-depth interviews conducted to investigate how police officers understand police–community relations and the nature of encounters with community members. Communication emerged as an important theme. Five communication core narrative themes were identified: communication as central, advocacy, cover, withholding, and connection. Four of the core narrative themes were abstracted into two dimensions along which the characteristics of the communication varied. Understanding the core narratives influencing officer intergroup communication can help researchers and practitioners see the larger implications of communication, an essential component of policing and police–community relationships, and its connection to officer behavior.
Representing the photobiological dimension of light in northern architecture
Authors: Lalande Philippe , Hébert Marc , Potvin André , Lalonde Jean-François , Watchman Mélanie , Demers Claude MH
Published: May 2023

Daylight can enhance the quality and inhabitability of architecture through a better relationship with the exterior environment, especially by its intensity, chromaticity and ability to synchronize the human circadian clock. Daylight integration in architecture remains a challenge in Nunavik (Quebec, Canada) due to its subarctic climate, photoperiod and solar geometry. The objective of this research is to implement photobiological metrics of light in architectural representations by isolating the photopic (daytime vision) and melanopic (circadian clock) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and to spatialize daylight and artificial light in relation to landscapes and indoor architectural spaces. An automated and low-cost capture tool based on Raspberry Pi microcomputers and Camera Modules (RPiCM) captures high dynamic range images, which accurately measure luminance to render human perception. Absolute photopic luminance maps (cd/m2) are supplemented with false colour displays of photopic/melanopic contents of light regarding building surface materials. The research develops photometric captures of absolute photopic and melanopic illuminance (lux, EML). Photobiological metrics of light are integrated into a set of physical properties of lighting patterns to perform light assessments and are ultimately represented as a graphical display to help designers and researchers to evaluate architectural interior–exterior relationships through daylight qualities.
Vocational education in Sweden and youth transitions to working life – Challenges and possibilities in the light of a local follow-up study
Authors: Olofsson Jonas , Panican Alexandru
Published: May 2023

The basis of this article is a follow-up study of a cohort of pupils in the third largest city of Sweden, Malmö. The pupils finished fourth grade at compulsory school in 2008. We have data about every individual in the cohort as well as corresponding information about their parents. The information concern educational choices, educational accomplishments, employment relations, incomes from work and different kinds of social benefits and allowances. We got annual data on these variables from 2008 until the last follow-up year 2019 when most of the individuals were 21 years old. Most of them left upper secondary school in 2017 when they were 19 years old. They were therefore in the beginning of their transition 2019, either aiming for education or work. The results show that vocational education generated favourable conditions for work and incomes provided that the diploma goals ware reached. Individuals with foreign background and with unfavourable socioeconomic origins were overrepresented among those that didn’t reach the diploma goals; this was true for students on VET-programmes as well as higher education preparatory programmes. It should also be mentioned that experiences from a national programme in upper secondary school generally improved conditions for establishment. Those that didn’t reach the goals of compulsory school and weren’t eligible for studying at a national programme met the greatest difficulties in finding jobs and decent income levels.
“Genre as Feminist Platform: Diagnosis, Anger, and Serial T.V.”
Authors: McHugh Kathleen
Published: May 2023

How has the creation of neurodiverse female protagonists worked to make women’s anger generically viable, stripped of conventional stigma? The female T.V. showrunners of Crazy-Ex Girlfriend, Physical, and I May Destroy You fashion genres from musical comedy to autofiction, as feminist platforms through their leads’ diagnoses. These diagnoses facilitate serial generic narratives where the distinction between norm and pathology (the basis of feminized stigma, shame, and abjection) is inverted or blurred. What results is an intersectional complexity (of genre world and angry, neurodiverse character) that calls normative social strictures pointedly into question. These shows’ female, of color and queer characters generate intersectional “trouble” from stigmatized affects (shame, abjection, depression, rage) and bad behaviors (stalking, bullying, lying, and deception, vengeance, violence). Their narratives of angry, neurodiverse characters provide trenchant feminist platforms for rewriting cultural norms concerning women’s anger, sexuality, ambition, and appetite.
Fake news and fading views: A vanishing archive of the 1906 Atlanta race massacre
Authors: Jones Derrick
Published: May 2023

The absence, erasure, and exile of blackness from the archive breed a silence that has produced grounds for interrogation across numerous disciplines. The official record indexes the authority of the archive to shape what is available for view. Sites of remembrance such as memorials and historical markers are included in the vast material we engage for the sake of history, memory, and meaning. Such a site is the Five Points area of Atlanta, GA, where in 1906, a massacre of black Atlanteans bloodied the landscape and eluded significant remembrance. This article thinks alongside Saidiya Hartman’s project of recovery and Christina Sharpe’s practice of “wake work” to consider how writing with and against the archive through a blackened consciousness articulate alternative methods of engaging memory and care.
Creating Patient Context: Empathy and Attitudes Toward Diabetes Following Virtual Immersion
Authors: Wardian Jana L. , Wells Tessa M. , Cochran Teresa M.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Pandemic circumstances created challenges for doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students to understand social determinants of health (SDH) in clinical rotations. Instead of canceling clinical rotations, a virtual reality cinema (cine-VR) education series was implemented. The purpose of this project is to describe the effect of this simulated immersion on student empathy and attitudes toward diabetes.

Method:

The DPT students (n=59) participated in 12 cine-VR education modules, completing surveys at three time points as part of coursework. The students completed baseline measures of the Diabetes Attitude Scale–Version 3 (DAS-3) and Jefferson Empathy Scale (JES), and then were immersed in 12 cine-VR modules. One week after module completion, students participated in a class discussion about the modules. The students repeated the JES and DAS-3 scales at postclass and six weeks later. Three subscales from the Presence Questionnaire (PQ) were used to measure the virtual experience.

Results:

Student scores on three DAS-3 subscales significantly improved on posttest: Attitude toward patient autonomy, Mean: 0.75, SD: 0.45; t(58) = 12.742, P < .001; Psychosocial impact of diabetes, Mean: −0.21, SD: 0.41; t(58) = −3.854, P < .001; and Seriousness of type 2 diabetes, Mean: −039, SD: 0.44; t(58) = −6.780, P < .001, with lower scores six weeks later. Student scores increased on the JES and remained high ( P < .001). High subscale scores on the PQ demonstrated immersion and involvement in the virtual experience.

Discussion:

These modules can allow for a shared student experience that improves diabetes attitudes, increases empathy, and fosters meaningful classroom discussion. The cine-VR experience is flexible, and modules allow students to engage in aspects of a patient’s life that were not available otherwise.
A Comprehensive Method for Ranking Mutual Fund Performance
Authors: Yuan Jin , Yuan Xianghui
Published: May 2023

The increasing guidance requirement in choosing mutual funds contribute to the development of an abundant literature on approaches of ranking funds performance. However, all the commonly used single index and multi-indexes ranking methodologies have their own drawbacks and are in fact not suitable for a reasonable and practical mutual funds comprehensive ranking sometimes. More specifically, the single index measures are incomprehensive, controversial, or even ineffective sometimes, while the mostly used multi-indexes methods do not make full use of evaluation information and usually indirect and inflexible in reality. This paper proposes a paired competition based mutual fund multi-indexes comprehensive performance ranking method which could avoid most of the shortcomings of existing approaches with six good characteristics: it is a comprehensive ranking method that reflects different performance aspects; it provides both cardinal and ordinal information for various practical applications; it integrates both individual evaluation information and joint comparison information for obtaining a more accurate and robust ranking scheme; it has a flexible framework to process complicated data situation; it reveals true strength of fund without distortion; it is convenient to operate in practice. In addition, a more reasonable objective weighted method is proposed to deal with the indexes correlation problems.
Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Among Healthcare Workers and Personal Protective Equipment Usage in the United States
Authors: Persaud Eric , Parker Ginger B. , Mitchell Amber Hogan
Published: May 2023

Background:

The International Safety Center disseminates the Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet) surveillance system to standardize a system for healthcare facilities to track mucocutaneous blood and body fluid exposures.

Methods:

Occupational exposure incidents to blood and body fluids were recorded within the participant health systems and hospitals ( N = 41), using the EPINet Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Report Form. Forms include detailed questions about the circumstances surrounding the exposure, including the type of exposure, body part(s) involved, and if the employee reporting the incident was wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Results:

There were statistically significant differences between participants who wore PPE at time of exposure versus those who did not. Differences were noted by job category (χ2 =32.91, p-value = <.001); where the exposure occurred (χ2 = 32.31, p-value = <.001); what the exposure was a result of (χ2 = 50.19, p-value = <.001); and day versus night shift (χ2 = 11.47, p-value = .001).

Conclusion/Applications to Practice:

The study found that occupational exposure to blood and body fluids in 2021 remain high risk given the frequency with which they happen, the exposure site (face) and lack of PPE use. The pandemic seemed to matter little in changing frequencies despite high awareness and growing PPE availability and supply. The findings provide robust information about how exposures occur, why they remain high risk, and how important it is to improve reporting and surveillance to prevent occupational exposures and disease in healthcare in future.
Stress Accumulation, Depressive Symptoms, and Sleep Problems Among Black Americans in the Rural South
Authors: Adesogan Olutosin , Lavner Justin A. , Carter Sierra E. , Beach Steven R. H.
Published: May 2023

Centuries of systemic racism in the United States have led to Black Americans facing a disproportionate amount of life stressors. These stressors can have negative effects on mental and physical health, contributing to inequities throughout the life span. In the current study, we used longitudinal data from 692 Black adults in the rural South to examine the ways in which neighborhood stress, financial strain, and interpersonal experiences of racial discrimination operate independently and in tandem to affect depressive symptoms and sleep problems over time. Findings provided strong support for univariate and additive stress effects and modest support for multiplicative stress effects. Results underscore how multiple stressors stemming from systemic racism can undermine health among Black Americans and highlight the need for further research on factors that promote well-being in the face of these stressors.
Complement-Mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathy and Spontaneous Splenic Rupture Associated With Cytomegalovirus Infection
Authors: Shabir Sadia , Spencer Caleb T , Tabassum Arooj , Chandra Arjun , Sayeh Wasef , Safi Fadi , Ud din Shahab
Published: May 2023

This is a case report of a previously healthy female patient with complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) caused by a systemic cytomegalovirus infection that was successfully treated with plasmapheresis, steroids, and parenteral valganciclovir. Complement-mediated TMA is the result of various genetic mutations leading to complement abnormalities with overactivation of alternate complement pathway in response to a triggering infection. She also had splenic rupture without splenomegaly and was managed successfully without splenectomy.
Prisoners on prisons: Experiences of peer-delivered suicide prevention work
Authors: Buck Gillian , Tomczak Philippa , Harriott Paula , Page Rebecca , Bradley Kate , Nash Mark , Wainwright Lucy
Published: May 2023

Prison suicide is a global concern, with rates consistently exceeding those in non-incarcerated populations. Prisoners deliver (suicide prevention) initiatives in jurisdictions around the world. As part of a research project seeking to foreground prisoner voices in criminological knowledge, former prisoners and academics coproduced an innovative, retrospective examination of peer-delivered prison suicide prevention in England. Our collaborative, autoethnographic research design involved focus group discussions and co-authored outputs. We offer fresh perspectives on peer-delivered suicide prevention, revealing overlooked limitations including traumatisation through ‘volunteering’. Findings include: the riskiness of prison peer support; inconsistencies in training and conditions; the importance of (supported) peer provision; and proposals for safer service development.
DLBCL-associated NOTCH2 mutations escape ubiquitin-dependent degradation and promote chemoresistance
Authors: Zhou Nan , Choi Jaewoo , Grothusen Grant , Kim Bang-Jin , Ren Diqiu , Cao Zhendong , Liu Yiman , Li Qinglan , Inamdar Arati , Beer Thomas , Tang Hsin-Yao , Perkey Eric , Maillard Ivan , Bonasio Roberto , Shi Junwei , Ruella Marco , Wan Liling , Busino Luca
Published: May 2023

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Up to 40% of patients with DLBCL display refractory disease or relapse after standard chemotherapy treatment (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone [R-CHOP]), leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The molecular mechanisms of chemoresistance in DLBCL remain incompletely understood. Using a cullin–really interesting new gene (RING) ligase-based CRISPR-Cas9 library, we identify that inactivation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase KLHL6 promotes DLBCL chemoresistance. Furthermore, proteomic approaches helped identify KLHL6 as a novel master regulator of plasma membrane–associated NOTCH2 via proteasome-dependent degradation. In CHOP-resistant DLBCL tumors, mutations of NOTCH2 result in a protein that escapes the mechanism of ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis, leading to protein stabilization and activation of the oncogenic RAS signaling pathway. Targeting CHOP-resistant DLBCL tumors with the phase 3 clinical trial molecules nirogacestat, a selective γ-secretase inhibitor, and ipatasertib, a pan-AKT inhibitor, synergistically promotes DLBCL destruction. These findings establish the rationale for therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting the oncogenic pathway activated in KLHL6- or NOTCH2-mutated DLBCL.
Identification of the genetic basis of the duck growth rate in multiple growth stages using genome-wide association analysis
Authors: Xi Yang , Wu Qifan , Zeng Yutian , Qi Jingjing , Li Junpeng , He Hua , Xu Hengyong , Hu Jiwei , Yan Xiping , Bai Lili , Han Chunchun , Hu Shenqiang , Wang Jiwen , Liu Hehe , Li Liang
Published: May 2023

Background

The genetic locus responsible for duck body size has been fully explained before, but the growth trait-related genetic basis is still waiting to be explored. For example, the genetic site related to growth rate, an important economic trait affecting marketing weight and feeding cost, is still unclear. Here, we performed genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify growth rate-associated genes and mutations.

Result

In the current study, the body weight data of 358 ducks were recorded every 10 days from hatching to 120 days of age. According to the growth curve, we evaluated the relative and absolute growth rates (RGR and AGR) of 5 stages during the early rapid growth period. GWAS results for RGRs identified 31 significant SNPs on autosomes, and these SNPs were annotated by 24 protein-coding genes. Fourteen autosomal SNPs were significantly associated with AGRs. In addition, 4 shared significant SNPs were identified as having an association with both AGR and RGR, which were Chr2: 11483045 C>T, Chr2: 13750217 G>A, Chr2: 42508231 G>A and Chr2: 43644612 C>T. Among them, Chr2: 11483045 C>T, Chr2: 42508231 G>A, and Chr2: 43644612 C>T were annotated by ASAP1, LYN and CABYR, respectively. ASAP1 and LYN have already been proven to play roles in the growth and development of other species. In addition, we genotyped every duck using the most significant SNP (Chr2: 42508231 G>A) and compared the growth rate difference among each genotype population. The results showed that the growth rates of individuals carrying the Chr2: 42508231 A allele were significantly lower than those without this allele. Moreover, the results of the Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis supported the idea that the growth rate and birth weight had a causal effect on the adult body weight, with the growth rate having a greater effect size.

Conclusion

In this study, 41 SNPs significantly related to growth rate were identified. In addition, we considered that the ASAP1 and LYN genes are essential candidate genes affecting the duck growth rate. The growth rate also showed the potential to be used as a reliable predictor of adult weight, providing a theoretical reference for preselection.
Sea of opportunities: marine genomics in an era of global environmental change
Authors: Nedoluzhko Artem
Published: May 2023

Overexploitation of natural resources and pollution of seas, acidification of the ocean, and rising temperatures all contribute to the destruction of marine habitats and, in 2015, the protection of the ocean became one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14: Life Below Water). This collection aims to highlight the molecular genetic changes currently happening in marine organisms.
Decision on non-conveyance of patients suspected of COVID-19 in a novel arrangement with assessment visits by paramedics at home
Authors: Nielsen Vibe Maria Laden , Lindskou Tim Alex , Weinreich Ulla Møller , Jespersen Michael Skærbæk , Christensen Erika Frischknecht , Bøggild Henrik
Published: May 2023

Background

During the first weeks of the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the North Denmark emergency medical services authorised paramedics to assess patients suspected of COVID-19 at home, and then decide if conveyance to a hospital was required. The aim of this study was to describe the cohort of patients who were assessed at home and their outcomes in terms of subsequent hospital visits and short-term mortality.

Methods

This was a historical cohort study in the North Denmark Region with consecutive inclusion of patients suspected of COVID-19 who were referred to a paramedic’s assessment visit by their general practitioner or an out-of-hours general practitioner. The study was conducted from 16 March to 20 May 2020. The outcomes were the proportion of non-conveyed patients who subsequently visited a hospital within 72 hours of the paramedic’s assessment visit and mortality at 3, 7 and 30 days. Mortality was estimated using a Poisson regression model with robust variance estimation.

Results

During the study period, 587 patients with a median age of 75 (IQR 59–84) years were referred to a paramedic’s assessment visit. Three of four patients (76.5%, 95% CI 72.8;79.9) were non-conveyed, and 13.1% (95% CI 10.2;16.6) of the non-conveyed patients were subsequently referred to a hospital within 72 hours of the paramedic’s assessment visit. Within 30 days from the paramedic’s assessment visit, mortality was 11.1% [95% CI 6.9;17.9] among patients directly conveyed to a hospital and 5.8% [95% CI 4.0;8.5] among non-conveyed patients. Medical record review revealed that deaths in the non-conveyed group had happened among patients with ‘do-not-resuscitate’ orders, palliative care plans, severe comorbidities, age ≥ 90 years or nursing home residents.

Conclusions

The majority (87%) of the non-conveyed patients did not visit a hospital for the following three days after a paramedic’s assessment visit. The study implies that this newly established prehospital arrangement served as a kind of gatekeeper for the region’s hospitals in regard to patients suspected of COVID-19. The study also demonstrates that implementation of non-conveyance protocols should be accompanied by careful and regular evaluation to ensure patient safety.
Minding your steps: a cross-sectional pilot study using foot-worn inertial sensors and dual-task gait analysis to assess the cognitive status of older adults with mobility limitations
Authors: Guimarães Vânia , Sousa Inês , de Bruin Eling D. , Pais Joana , Correia Miguel Velhote
Published: May 2023

Background

Cognitive impairment is a critical aspect of our aging society. Yet, it receives inadequate intervention due to delayed or missed detection. Dual-task gait analysis is currently considered a solution to improve the early detection of cognitive impairment in clinical settings. Recently, our group proposed a new approach for the gait analysis resorting to inertial sensors placed on the shoes. This pilot study aimed to investigate the potential of this system to capture and differentiate gait performance in the presence of cognitive impairment based on single- and dual-task gait assessments.

Methods

We analyzed demographic and medical data, cognitive tests scores, physical tests scores, and gait metrics acquired from 29 older adults with mobility limitations. Gait metrics were extracted using the newly developed gait analysis approach and recorded in single- and dual-task conditions. Participants were stratified into two groups based on their Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) global cognitive scores. Statistical analysis was performed to assess differences between groups, discrimination ability, and association of gait metrics with cognitive performance.

Results

The addition of the cognitive task influenced gait performance of both groups, but the effect was higher in the group with cognitive impairment. Multiple dual-task costs, dual-task variability, and dual-task asymmetry metrics presented significant differences between groups. Also, several of these metrics provided acceptable discrimination ability and had a significant association with MoCA scores. The dual-task effect on gait speed explained the highest percentage of the variance in MoCA scores. None of the single-task gait metrics presented significant differences between groups.

Conclusions

Our preliminary results show that the newly developed gait analysis solution based on foot-worn inertial sensors is a pertinent tool to evaluate gait metrics affected by the cognitive status of older adults relying on single- and dual-task gait assessments. Further evaluation with a larger and more diverse group is required to establish system feasibility and reliability in clinical practice.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04587895)
Perspectives on sleep of people living with dementia in nursing homes: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Dörner Jonas , Hüsken Johann-Moritz , Schmüdderich Kathrin , Dinand Claudia , Dichter Martin N. , Halek Margareta
Published: May 2023

Background

Disturbed sleep among people living with dementia in nursing homes is widespread and is associated with diseases and all-cause mortality. This study examined the sleep of people living with dementia from their perspectives in nursing homes and that of the nurses who care for people living with dementia.

Methods

A qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 15 people living with dementia and 15 nurses in 11 German nursing homes were enrolled in this study. Data was collected between February and August 2021 through semistructured interviews, which were audio recorded and transcribed. Thematic analyses were performed by three independent researchers. Thematic mind maps and controversial findings were discussed with theResearch Working Group of People with Dementiaof the German Alzheimer Association.

Results

Thematic analysis identified five overarching themes from the nursing home participants regarding sleep patterns: (1) characteristics of good sleep, (2) characteristics of bad sleep, (3) personal influences of people living with dementia on sleep, (4) environmental factors on sleep, and (5) sleep strategies of people living with dementia. Analysis also identified five overarching themes from the nurses participants: (1) characteristics of good sleep, (2) characteristics of bad sleep, (3) personal influences on sleep, (4) environmental factors on sleep, and (5) interventions for sleep promotion.

Conclusions

The thematic analyses demonstrated that the perspectives of people living with dementia and nurses indicate the need to give more consideration to psychosocial factors and individual aspects of sleep in clinical practice. The results could also be helpful for the development of targeted assessment instruments and complex non-pharmacological interventions to promote sleep.
The diagnostic value of DMSA scan in differentiating functional pseudo-tumors from malignancies in scarred kidneys: case series and literature review
Authors: Mohammed Enas Hussein , Kaddourah Ahmad , Al Khori Noor , Djekidel Mehdi
Published: May 2023

Background

The terms “renal regenerating nodule” and “nodular compensatory hypertrophy” are used in the literature to describe functioning pseudo-tumors (FPT) in the setting of an extensively scarred kidney. FPTs are usually discovered incidentally during routine renal imaging. Differentiating these FPTs from renal neoplasms is critical but can be challenging in the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD) given the limitations related to using contrast-based imaging.

Case summaries

We report a pediatric case series of 5 CKD patients, with history of urinary tract infections, in which tumor-like lesions evolved in scarred kidneys and were incidentally discovered on routine renal imaging. These were diagnosed as FPT by utilizing dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) imaging and showed stable size and appearance upon follow-up with ultrasound and MRI.

Conclusion

FPTs can be picked up on routine imaging of pediatric patients with CKD. Although larger cohort studies are needed to confirm these conclusions, our case series supports the evidence that DMSA scan showing uptake at the site of the mass can be a useful tool to suggest the diagnosis of FPTs in children with kidney scarring, and that SPECT DMSA scan adds more precision in picking up and accurately localizing FPTs compared to planar DMSA.
The association between proton pump inhibitor use and risk of post-hospitalization acute kidney injury: a multicenter prospective matched cohort study
Authors: Zhang Yue , Ghahramani Nasrollah , Razjouyan Hadie , Ba Djibril M. , Chinchilli Vernon M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) are among the most commonly used drugs to treat acid-related gastrointestinal disorders in the USA. Although PPI use has been linked to acute interstitial nephritis, the side effects of post-hospitalization acute kidney injury (AKI) and the progression of kidney disease still are controversial. We conducted a matched cohort study to examine the associations between PPI use and the side effects, especially in post-hospitalization AKI.

Methods

We investigated 340 participants from the multicenter, prospective, matched-cohort ASSESS-AKI study, which enrolled participants from December 2009 to February 2015. After the baseline index hospitalization, follow-up visits were conducted every six months, and included a collection of self-reported PPI use by participants. Post-hospitalization AKI was defined as the percentage increase from the nadir to peak inpatient SCr value was ≥ 50% and/or absolute increase ≥ 0.3 mg/dL in peak inpatient serum creatinine compared with baseline outpatient serum creatinine. We applied a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model to test the relationship between PPI use and post-hospitalization AKI. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regression models also were conducted to examine the association between PPI use and the risk of progression of kidney disease.

Results

After controlling for demographic variables, baseline co-morbidities and drug use histories, there was no statistically significant association between PPI use and risk of post-hospitalization AKI (risk ratio [RR], 0.91; 95% CI, 0.38 to 1.45). Stratified by AKI status at baseline, no significant relationships were confirmed between PPI use and the risk of recurrent AKI (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.11 to 1.56) or incidence of AKI (RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.27 to 1.76). Similar non-significant results also were observed in the association between PPI use and the risk of progression of kidney diseases (Hazard Ratio [HR], 1.49; 95% CI, 0.51 to 4.36).

Conclusion

PPI use after the index hospitalization was not a significant risk factor for post-hospitalization AKI and progression of kidney diseases, regardless of the AKI status of participants at baseline.
A very early steroid responder after cataract surgery: a case report
Authors: Kawahara Atsushi
Published: May 2023

Background

Increased intraocular pressure (IOP), a side effect of corticosteroid eye drops, typically develops during the first few weeks of administration, and steroid response is not generally considered a cause of increased IOP immediately after cataract surgery.

Case presentation

Here, I report a rare case of increased IOP due to steroid eye drops immediately after surgery. A man in his 80s presented with vision loss. Bilateral cataracts and pseudoexfoliation syndrome were confirmed. Postoperative eye drops including steroid eye drops were started immediately after cataract surgery in the right eye. High IOP was observed at the next and subsequent morning visits, but IOP normalized when steroid eye drops were discontinued. After surgery on the left eye, steroids were not administered postoperatively, and no increase in IOP was observed.

Conclusion

This case report highlights that a very early steroid response may be potential cause of elevated IOP immediately after cataract surgery.
Working from home and intimate partner violence among cis-women during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a global, cross-sectional study
Authors: Miall Naomi , Francis Suzanna C. , Stöckl Heidi , Tucker Joseph D.
Published: May 2023

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) may have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis aimed to determine how employment disruption during COVID-19, including working from home, was associated with IPV experience among cis-gendered women.

Methods

The International Sexual Health and Reproductive health (I-SHARE) study is a cross-sectional online survey implemented in 30 countries during the pandemic. Samples used convenience, online panel, and population-representative methods. IPV was a pre-specified primary outcome, measured using questions from a validated World Health Organisation instrument. Conditional logistic regression modelling was used to quantify the associations between IPV and changes to employment during COVID-19, adjusted for confounding.

Results

13,416 cis-gender women, aged 18–97, were analysed. One third were from low and middle income countries, and two thirds from high income countries. The majority were heterosexual (82.7%), educated beyond secondary-level (72.4%) and childless (62.7%). During COVID-19 33.9% women worked from home, 14.6% lost employment, and 33.1% continued to work on-site. 15.5% experienced some form of IPV. Women working from home experienced greater odds of IPV than those working on-site (adjusted OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12–1.74, p = 0.003). This finding was robust independent of sampling strategy and country income. The association was primarily driven by an increase in psychological violence, which was more prevalent than sexual or physical violence. The association was stronger in countries with high gender inequality.

Conclusions

Working from home may increase IPV risk globally. Workplaces offering working from home should collaborate with support services and research interventions to strengthen resiliency against IPV.
Patterns of PrEP and condom use among PrEP users in Belgium: a web-based longitudinal study
Authors: Rotsaert Anke , Smekens Tom , Vuylsteke Bea , van der Loeff Maarten Schim , Hensen Bernadette , Nöstlinger Christiana , Wouters Edwin , Vanhamel Jef , Scheerder Gert , Reyniers Thijs
Published: May 2023

Background

Tailoring pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) service delivery is key to scaling-up PrEP uptake. Optimal implementation of tailored services requires, among other things, insights into patterns of PrEP use, sexual behaviours and condom use over time.

Methods

Between September 2020 and January 2022, we conducted a web-based, longitudinal study among PrEP users in Belgium. In three questionnaire rounds every six-months, we assessed PrEP and condom use, and sex with steady, casual and anonymous partners in the preceding three months. Based on the patterns of PrEP use in the preceding three months, we identified distinct PrEP use categories. We investigated differences in baseline socio-demographics and sexual behaviours by PrEP use category using Fisher’s exact and one-way ANOVA tests. Patterns in PrEP and condom use over time were examined using descriptive analyses and visualised in alluvial diagrams.

Results

In total, 326 participants completed the baseline questionnaire, and 173 completed all three questionnaires. We identified five distinct PrEP use categories: daily (≥ 90 pills), almost daily (75–89 pills), long period (> 7 consecutive days and < 75 pills) with or without additional short period use, short period (1–7 consecutive days and < 75 pills) and no PrEP use (0 pills). During the study, percentages of individuals in each PrEP use category varied, but did not change significantly over time. At baseline, daily and almost daily users were more likely to report five or more casual sex partners, ten or more anonymous sex partners and anal sex on a weekly basis with casual or anonymous partners compared to those using PrEP for long or short periods. Up to 12.6% (n = 16/127) of participants reporting anal sex with casual or anonymous partners, indicated always using condoms and PrEP with these partners. One in three (n = 23/69) participants who reported anal sex with steady partners had condomless anal sex and did not use PrEP with these partners; with casual or anonymous partners less than 3% reported this.

Conclusions

Our findings show that there is little variation in PrEP use over time and that PrEP use was associated with sexual behaviours, which could be taken into account when designing tailored PrEP care.
The Healthy Democracy Kit: design, implementation, uptake, and impact of a novel voter registration toolkit for healthcare settings
Authors: Grade Madeline M. , Reardon Alexander W. T. , Ha Yoonhee P. , Steinhart Adi , Martin Alister F.
Published: May 2023

Background

Access to voting is increasingly recognized as a social determinant of health. Health equity could be improved if healthcare workers (HCWs) routinely assessed the voter registration status of patients during clinical encounters and helped direct them towards appropriate resources. However, little consensus exists on how to achieve these tasks efficiently and effectively in healthcare settings. Intuitive and scalable tools that minimize workflow disruptions are needed. The Healthy Democracy Kit (HDK) is a novel voter registration toolkit for healthcare settings, featuring a wearable badge and posters that display quick response (QR) and text codes directing patients to an online hub for voter registration and mail-in ballot requests. The objective of this study was to assess national uptake and impact of the HDK prior to the 2020 United States (US) elections.

Methods

Between 19 May and 3 November 2020, HCWs and institutions could order and use HDKs to help direct patients to resources, free of cost. A descriptive analysis was conducted to summarize the characteristics of participating HCWs and institutions as well as the resultant total persons helped prepare to vote.

Results

During the study period, 13,192 HCWs (including 7,554 physicians, 2,209 medical students, and 983 nurses) from 2,407 affiliated institutions across the US ordered 24,031 individual HDKs. Representatives from 604 institutions (including 269 academic medical centers, 111 medical schools, and 141 Federally Qualified Health Centers) ordered 960 institutional HDKs. Collectively, HCWs and institutions from all 50 US states and the District of Columbia used HDKs to help initiate 27,317 voter registrations and 17,216 mail-in ballot requests.

Conclusions

A novel voter registration toolkit had widespread organic uptake and enabled HCWs and institutions to successfully conduct point-of-care civic health advocacy during clinical encounters. This methodology holds promise for future implementation of other types of public health initiatives. Further study is needed to assess downstream voting behaviors from healthcare-based voter registration.
Early life factors associated with the experiences of pain in later life: evidence from a population based study in India
Authors: Ahmed Waquar , Pai Manacy , Muhammad T. , Maurya Chanda , Mohanty Parimala , Javed Nargis Begum
Published: May 2023

Background

The influence of early life factors is becoming increasingly apparent as studies investigate how experiences, resources, and constraints in childhood affect health and well-being later in life. The present study contributes to this literature by examining the association between several early life factors and self-reported pain among older adults in India.

Methods

Data come from the 2017-18 wave 1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI). The sample size includes 28,050 older adults aged 60 and above (13,509 men and 14,541 women). Pain is a self-reported, dichotomous measure where participants responded to whether they were often troubled with pain and whether this experience interfered with their ability to carry out daily household chores. Early life factors, which are retrospective accounts of experiences, included the respondent’s position in birth order, their health status, school absenteeism, being bedridden, family socioeconomic status (SES), and their parent’s experience with chronic disease. Logistic regression analysis is employed to examine the unadjusted and adjusted average marginal effects (AME) of selected domains of early life factors associated with the probability of experiencing pain.

Results

22.8% of men and 32.3% of women reported pain that interfered with daily activities. Pain was higher among men (AME: 0.01, confidence interval (CI): 0.01–0.03) and women (AME: 0.02, CI: 0.01–0.04) with third or fourth birth order compared to counterparts with first birth order. Both men (AME: -0.02, CI: -0.04–0.01) and women (AME: -0.07, CI: -0.09 - -0.04) having a fair childhood health status reported a lower probability of pain. The probability of pain was higher among both men (AME: 0.03, CI: 0.01–0.07) and women (AME: 0.07, CI: 0.03–0.13) who were bedridden due to sickness in their childhood. Similarly, the pain likelihood was higher among men who missed school for more than a month due to health problems (AME: 0.04, CI: -0.01-0.09). Men and women with poor financial condition in their childhood reported (AME: 0.04, CI: 0.01–0.07) a higher probability of experiencing pain relative to their peers who reported a more financially advantaged early life.

Conclusions

Findings of the present study add to the empirical literature on the association between early life factors and later life health and well-being. They also are pertinent to health care providers and practitioners working in pain management, as this knowledge better positions them to identify older adults most susceptible to pain. Moreover, findings of our study underscore that the interventions to ensure health and well-being in later life must start far earlier in the life course.
Abnormal birth weights for gestational age in relation to maternal characteristics in Sweden: a five year cross-sectional study
Authors: Lwin Min Wai , Timby Erika , Ivarsson Anneli , Eurenius Eva , Vaezghasemi Masoud , Silfverdal Sven-Arne , Lindkvist Marie
Published: May 2023

Background

Abnormal birth weight – small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) – are important indicators for newborn health. Due to changes in lifestyle in recent decades, it is essential to keep up-to-date with the latest information on maternal factors linked to abnormal birth weight. The aim of this study is to investigate SGA and LGA in relation to maternal individual, lifestyle and socioeconomic characteristics. .

Methods

This is a register-based cross-sectional study. Self-reported data from Sweden’s Salut Programme maternal questionnaires (2010–2014) were linked with records in the Swedish Medical Birth Register (MBR). The analytical sample comprised 5089 singleton live births. A Swedish standard method using ultrasound-based sex-specific reference curves defines the abnormality of birth weight in MBR. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine crude and adjusted associations between abnormal birth weights and maternal individual, lifestyle and socioeconomic characteristics. A sensitivity analysis, using alternative definitions of SGA and LGA under the percentile method, was undertaken.

Results

In multivariable logistic regression, maternal age and parity were associated with LGA (aOR = 1.05, CI = 1.00, 1.09) and (aOR = 1.31, CI = 1.09, 1.58). Maternal overweight and obesity were strongly associated with LGA (aOR = 2.28, CI = 1.47, 3.54) and (aOR = 4.55, CI = 2.85, 7.26), respectively. As parity increased, the odds of delivering SGA babies decreased (aOR = 0.59, CI = 0.42, 0.81) and preterm deliveries were associated with SGA (aOR = 9.46, CI = 5.67, 15.79). The well-known maternal determinants of abnormal birthweight, such as unhealthy lifestyles and poor socioeconomic factors, were not statistically significant in this Swedish setting.

Conclusions

The main findings suggest that multiparity, maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity are strong determinants for LGA babies. Public health interventions should address modifiable risk factors, especially maternal overweight and obesity. These findings suggest that overweight and obesity is an emerging public health threat for newborn health. This might also result in the intergenerational transfer of overweight and obesity. These are important messages for public health policy and decision making.