bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Multiyear Temperature Predictions for Water Resources Planning
Authors: Towler Erin , Yates David
Published: December 2020

Multiyear climate predictions provide climate outlooks from years to a decade in advance. As multiyear temperature predictions become more mainstream and skillful, guidance is needed to assist practitioners who wish to explore this maturing field. This paper demonstrates the process and considerations of incorporating multiyear temperature predictions into water resources planning. Multiyear temperature predictions from the Community Earth System Model Decadal Prediction Large Ensemble are presented as discrete and probabilistic products and are used to force two common hydrologic modeling approaches: conceptual and empirical. The approaches are demonstrated to simulate streamflow in the upper Colorado River basin watershed in Colorado, where diagnostics show that increasing temperatures are associated with decreasing streamflows. Using temperature information for lead years 2–6, two analyses are performed: (i) a retrospective hindcast for the climatological period (1981–2010) and (ii) a blind forecast for 2011–15. For the retrospective hindcast, including temperature information improved the percent error as compared with climatology. For the blind forecast, the multiyear temperature prediction for warming was skillful, but the corresponding multiyear average streamflow predictions from both approaches were counterintuitive: with the predicted warming, the multiyear average streamflow was predicted to be lower than the climatological mean; however, the observed multiyear average streamflow was higher than the climatological mean. This was due to above-average precipitation during the prediction time frame, particularly for one of the years. With that year removed, the multiyear streamflow average became lower than the climatological mean. Temperature provides a marginal source of streamflow predictability, but there will be substantial uncertainty until prediction skill for year-to-year climate variability, especially for precipitation, increases.
Enhanced Double-Diffusive Salt Flux from the High-Salinity Core of Arabian Sea Origin Waters to the Bay of Bengal
Authors: George Jenson V. , Vinayachandran P. N. , Nayak Anoop A.
Published: December 2020

The inflow of high-saline water from the Arabian Sea (AS) into the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and its subsequent mixing with the relatively fresh BoB water is vital for the north Indian Ocean salt budget. During June–September, the Summer Monsoon Current carries high-salinity water from the AS to the BoB. A time series of microstructure and hydrographic data collected from 4 to 14 July 2016 in the southern BoB (8°N, 89°E) showed the presence of a subsurface (60–150 m) high-salinity core. The high-salinity core was composed of relatively warm and saline AS water overlying the relatively cold and fresh BoB water. The lower part of the high-salinity core showed double-diffusive salt fingering instability. Salt fingering staircases with varying thickness (up to 10 m) in the temperature and salinity profiles were also observed at the base of a high-salinity core at approximately 75–150-m depth. The average downward diapycnal salt flux out of the high-salinity core due to the effect of salt fingering was 2.8 × 10−7 kg m−2 s−1, approximately one order of magnitude higher than the flux if salt fingering was neglected.
Analysis of Dynamic Changes in Cognitive Workload During Cardiac Surgery Perfusionists′ Interactions With the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Pump
Authors: Kennedy-Metz Lauren R. , Dias Roger D. , Srey Rithy , Rance Geoffrey C. , Conboy Heather M. , Haime Miguel E. , Quin Jacquelyn A. , Yule Steven J. , Zenati Marco A.
Published: December 2020

Objective

This novel preliminary study sought to capture dynamic changes in heart rate variability (HRV) as a proxy for cognitive workload among perfusionists while operating the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) pump during real-life cardiac surgery.

Background

Estimations of operators’ cognitive workload states in naturalistic settings have been derived using noninvasive psychophysiological measures. Effective CPB pump operation by perfusionists is critical in maintaining the patient’s homeostasis during open-heart surgery. Investigation into dynamic cognitive workload fluctuations, and their relationship with performance, is lacking in the literature.

Method

HRV and self-reported cognitive workload were collected from three Board-certified cardiac perfusionists ( N = 23 cases). Five HRV components were analyzed in consecutive nonoverlapping 1-min windows from skin incision through sternal closure. Cases were annotated according to predetermined phases: prebypass, three phases during bypass, and postbypass. Values from all 1min time windows within each phase were averaged.

Results

Cognitive workload was at its highest during the time between initiating bypass and clamping the aorta (preclamp phase during bypass), and decreased over the course of the bypass period.

Conclusion

We identified dynamic, temporal fluctuations in HRV among perfusionists during cardiac surgery corresponding to subjective reports of cognitive workload. Not only does cognitive workload differ for perfusionists during bypass compared with pre- and postbypass phases, but differences in HRV were also detected within the three bypass phases.

Application

These preliminary findings suggest the preclamp phase of CPB pump interaction corresponds to higher cognitive workload, which may point to an area warranting further exploration using passive measurement.
Unsettled Belongings: Chinese Immigrants’ Mental Health Vulnerability as a Symptom of International Politics in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Gao Zhipeng
Published: December 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unique mental health challenges for Chinese immigrants due to their cultural, social, and political ties with China, which responded to COVID-19 with controversial measures amid tensions with the Western world. These challenges manifest in three conditions at a time of crisis: racism that associates overseas Chinese with the coronavirus, Chinese immigrants’ “double unbelonging” with regard to both host societies and China, and social disapproval of political criticism among overseas Chinese. This article examines these three conditions by drawing on ethnography conducted in Canada as well as international online media. It uses theories in humanistic psychology, existential psychology, and hermeneutics to explain how, for Chinese immigrants, international political tensions are implicated in a range of mental health–related phenomena including identity, belonging, self-consciousness, shame, depression, and agency. Meanwhile, it offers theoretical discussions of how to make humanistic psychology more capable of addressing social and political issues.
Unpacking the Simple View of Reading for Struggling Adult Readers
Authors: Talwar Amani , Greenberg Daphne , Tighe Elizabeth L. , Li Hongli
Published: December 2020

The Simple View of Reading (SVR), which posits that reading comprehension is the product of decoding and linguistic comprehension, has been studied extensively with school-age readers. However, little is known about the intricacies of the SVR for adults who struggle with reading. This study addresses notable gaps in this literature, including the dimensionality of linguistic comprehension, the interaction between the two SVR components, and the relative contributions of components across different reading proficiency levels. With a sample of 392 struggling adult readers, confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the linguistic comprehension component encompasses the highly related yet separable constructs of oral vocabulary and listening comprehension. Structural equation modeling showed significant main effects of decoding and listening comprehension, but not oral vocabulary, on reading comprehension. In addition, the interaction among the SVR components did not uniquely contribute to variance in reading comprehension. Quantile regression models demonstrated that the unique effects of the SVR components were relatively stable in magnitude across different levels of reading comprehension performance. Implications for instruction and future research are discussed.
Everyday Nation in Times of Rising Nationalism
Authors: Antonsich Marco
Published: December 2020

What is everyday nation and why does it matter in times of heightened nationalism? This article offers a brief commentary around these questions. It takes as a context the rise in nationalism associated with the surge in populist politics – a rise which risks being exacerbated by the present COVID-19 pandemic. After reviewing the origins of what can be loosely labelled as ‘everyday nation’ scholarship, the article makes the case for the importance of such an analytical approach to unpack the simplistic rhetoric which conflates nation with one ethno-culturally homogenous people. The argument advanced is that everyday nation allows for a plurality of people and understandings of nation to emerge. As much as this focus is essential in times when nationalism pretends to speak for one people, a fuller understanding of nation can only be realised, though, through an integrated theory which bridges its micro and macro dimensions.
Who Can Represent the Nation? Elite Athletes, Global Mega Events and the Contested Boundaries of National Belonging
Authors: Jansen Joost , Skey Michael
Published: December 2020

For those studying national belonging, elite athletes competing in international mega events offer particularly compelling case studies as they represent the nation during periods of sustained media attention and heightened emotional registers. But when compared with other types of representatives – such as heads of state, ambassadors, political leaders – they have received much less scholarly attention. This article analyses reporting of the ‘Plastic Brits’ debate, where elite athletes brought in to represent Britain at the Olympics were subject to ongoing scrutiny and critique. Developing an analytical framework that uses insights from Elias, Goffman and Hage, we focus on three key issues. First, how a taken-for-granted ‘logic of nationalism’ underlies discussions about which athletes should (not) represent Britain. Second, how the nation’s boundaries are discursively marked with reference to a range of everyday features. Third, the use of different ‘destigmatisation strategies’ by athletes caught up in the ‘Plastic Brits’ debate.
Coronavirus Conjuncture: Nationalism and Pandemic States
Authors: James Malcolm , Valluvan Sivamohan
Published: December 2020

Writing from Britain in the month of May 2020, this essay draws the multiple and conflicting alignments of the Covid-19 moment into conjunctural relief. It seeks to understand how prominent trends of welfarism, collectivism and capitalism are being reorganised across a Left–Right spectrum and to specifically situate nationalism in this general political flux. Focusing on Britain, the essay will explore how an otherwise unsettled ruling Right is reviving a nationalist political imagination through a pandemic consciousness – with an emphasis on the politics of bordering, the spectre of China, reheated civic patriotism, a poetics of survival and melancholic whiteness. The essay will however also speculate about the limits to nationalism amid the imperatives of global pandemics.
Predictors of Turnover Intention in U.S. Federal Government Workforce: Machine Learning Evidence That Perceived Comprehensive HR Practices Predict Turnover Intention
Authors: Kang In Gu , Croft Ben , Bichelmeyer Barbara A.
Published: December 2020

This study aims to identify important predictors of turnover intention and to characterize subgroups of U.S. federal employees at high risk for turnover intention. Data were drawn from the 2018 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS, unweighted N = 598,003), a nationally representative sample of U.S. federal employees. Machine learning Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analyses were conducted to predict turnover intention and accounted for sample weights. CART analyses identified six at-risk subgroups. Predictor importance scores showed job satisfaction was the strongest predictor of turnover intention, followed by satisfaction with organization, loyalty, accomplishment, involvement in decisions, likeness to job, satisfaction with promotion opportunities, skill development opportunities, organizational tenure, and pay satisfaction. Consequently, Human Resource (HR) departments should seek to implement comprehensive HR practices to enhance employees’ perceptions on job satisfaction, workplace environments and systems, and favorable organizational policies and supports and make tailored interventions for the at-risk subgroups.
The differences between referred and non-referred patients to a psychiatric consultation-liaison service in a general hospital
Authors: Valdés-Stauber Juan , Kendel Ulrich
Published: December 2020

Objective

The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether there are clinical differences between patients who are referred or not referred for psychiatric consultation and liaison service. The secondary aim was to compare the perspectives of doctors, nurses and patients.

Methods

This naturalistic, prospective and comparative study (N = 294) utilised a control sample of non-referrals (n = 177, consenting 81) and referrals (n = 177, consenting 49). The normality of the data was examined with the Shapiro-Wilk test; bivariate group comparisons were made using Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon tests and bivariate regression analyses. Statistically adjusted group comparisons were performed with multivariate median regressions.

Results

The sample presented limited representativeness. Referred patients were predominantly women, mostly living alone and not working. Compared to the non-referred patients, their disease episode and length of hospital stay were significantly longer, self-efficacy and quality of life lower and psychological stress was higher. For referred patients, there were no differences between the estimations of mental burden and the need for care among doctors, nurses and patients. Self-efficacy and appraisal of one's own burden were the best predictors of the extent of mental symptoms.

Discussion

Patients in an admission ward for internal medicine referred to a psychiatric consultation-liaison service displayed a more adverse psychosocial profile and were more psychologically burdened than non-referred patients, but they are also relevantly subsyndromal burdened. Identifying and supporting burdened patients is an endeavour that requires collaborative care, especially in the transition to specialised mental health and to primary care.
Using Distributed Practice to Improve Students’ Attitudes and Performance in Statistics
Authors: Benson Wendi L. , Dunning Jonathan P. , Barber Danette
Published: December 2020

Background:

Research shows distributed practice enhances learning and skill development, but less is known about the effect on perceptions and attitudes toward the material being learned.

Objective:

This study examined whether distributed practice could improve performance and attitudes in statistics, a subject that students report finding unpleasant and anxiety-provoking.

Method:

This quasi-experiment compared statistics students who received distributed practice with Excel throughout the semester to a control group without distributed practice. At the end of the semester, all students completed a major data analysis project with Excel and a self-report measure of their perceptions and attitudes toward the class and statistics.

Results:

Significant results suggest students who received distributed practice: earned higher project grades; liked statistics more; and perceived the class to be more effective for knowledge and skill development, even though they found statistics to be more difficult than the control group.

Conclusion:

This study suggests distributed practice helps improve students’ performance and attitudes toward statistics, even though they think it is difficult.

Teaching Implications:

In addition to improving performance in challenging subjects, distributed practice may be used to help students appreciate and feel more favorably about classes they find difficult.
Social Distance Reduces the Biases of Overweighting Small Probabilities and Underweighting Large Probabilities
Authors: Sun Qingzhou , Lu Jingyi , Zhang Huanren , Liu Yongfang
Published: December 2020

People often exhibit biases in probability weighting such as overweighting small probabilities and underweighting large probabilities. Our research examines whether increased social distance would reduce such biases. Participants completed valuation and choice tasks of probabilistic lotteries under conditions with different social distances. The results showed that increased social distance reduced these biases in both hypothetical (Studies 1 and 2) and incentivized (Study 3) settings. This reduction was accompanied by a decrease in emotional intensity and an increase in the attention to probability in the decision-making process (Study 4). Moreover, the bias-buffering effect of social distance was stronger in the gain domain than in the loss domain (Studies 1–4). These results suggest that increasing the social distance from the beneficiaries of the decisions can reduce biases in probability weighting and shed light on the relationship between social distance and the emotional-cognitive process in decision-making.
Can Talented Youth Soccer Players Who Have Undergone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Reach the Elite Level?
Authors: Sandon Alexander , Söderström Tor , Stenling Andreas , Forssblad Magnus
Published: December 2020

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are common in soccer players, and reconstructive surgery is often performed to restore knee stability and enable a return to play.

Purpose:

To investigate whether an ACL reconstruction for talented youth soccer players affects their potential to become elite players at the senior level.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

All soccer players who participated in the Swedish National Elite Camp for 15-year-old players between 2005 and 2011 (N = 5285 players; 2631 boys and 2654 girls) were matched with the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry to identify the players who had undergone ACL reconstruction. Information on player participation in Swedish league games and level of play was collected from the Swedish Football Association’s administrative data system. The players with an ACL reconstruction who were injured at the ages of 15 to 19 years were compared with the rest of the players who participated in the National Elite Camp to see whether an early ACL reconstruction affected whether they remained active as soccer players and their chance to play at the elite level as seniors.

Results:

A total of 524 (9.9%) players had undergone an ACL reconstruction, and 292 (5.5%; 75 male and 217 female) had sustained their injury at age 15 to 19 years. During the follow-up period, 122 (23.3%) players underwent ACL reconstruction: revision (11.5%; n = 60) or contralateral (11.8%; n = 62). Male and female soccer players undergoing an ACL reconstruction at age 15 to 19 years experienced no significant effect on being active or playing at the elite level in the season that they turned 21 years old. Of the youth players who underwent ACL reconstruction, 12% of the male players and 11.5% of the female players progressed to the elite level at the age of 21 years compared with 10.3% of the men and 11.1% of the women among the uninjured players.

Conclusion:

ACL reconstructive surgery in talented youth soccer players offers them the opportunity to become elite players as seniors and permits an activity level on a par with that of their uninjured peers. However, almost 1 in 4 requires further ACL surgery, so the players’ future knee health should be considered when deciding on a return to play.
Clinical Profile and Predictors of Mechanical Ventilation in Guillain-Barre Syndrome in North Indian Children
Authors: Tiwari Ishita , Alam Areesha , kanta Chandra , Koonwar Sciddhartha , Garg Ravindra Kumar , Pandey Shweta , Jain Amita , Kumar Rashmi
Published: December 2020

Objective:

To describe the clinical-laboratory profile of pediatric Guillain-Barre syndrome and delineate features associated with need of mechanical ventilation.

Methods:

In a prospective observational study at tertiary care hospital, clinical-laboratory assessment and nerve conduction studies were documented in consecutive children hospitalized with Guillain-Barre syndrome according to Brighton criteria. Clinical-laboratory features were compared between ventilated and nonventilated patients using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results:

Forty-six children (27 boys) with a mean age of 69.1±35.2 months were enrolled. History of preceding infection was present in 47.8%, bulbar palsy in 43.5%, feeble voice in 41.3%, sensory involvement in 13%, and autonomic involvement in 39.5%. Tetraparesis was noted in 87% of cases. Hughes disability scale >3 was noted in 44 children at admission and 39 (84.7%) at discharge. The most common electrophysiological type was acute motor axonal neuropathy (46.5%) followed by acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (39.5%), acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (7%), and inexcitable nerves (7%). Nine (19.7%) children were ventilated, 3 (6.5%) died or were lost, and 43 were discharged. Factors associated with need of mechanical ventilation on univariate analysis were older age, hypertension, bulbar palsy, feeble voice, lower Medical Research Council (MRC) sum, raised total leucocyte count, and history of preceding infection. Logistic regression revealed older age, history of predisposing illness, lower MRC sum at presentation, and bulbar palsy as independent predictors of mechanical ventilation.

Conclusions:

The most common electrophysiological subtype in northern Indian children is acute motor axonal neuropathy. Older age, preceding infection, low MRC sum, and bulbar palsy are predictors of mechanical ventilation in pediatric Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Do Released Prisoners’ Perceptions of Neighborhood Condition Affect Reentry Outcomes?
Authors: Liu Lin , Visher Christy A. , Sun Dayu
Published: December 2020

As the United States enters a decarceration era, the factors predicting reentry success have received a rapidly growing body of research attention. Numerous studies expand beyond individual-level attributes to assess the contextual effect of neighborhoods to which released prisoners return. However, past studies predominantly used neighborhood structural/economic characteristics as the proxies of neighborhood context, leaving the roles of community cohesion and disorder understudied in the context of reentry. Using longitudinal data, this study examines the influence of neighborhood cohesion and disorder on reentry outcomes, represented by released prisoners’ determination to desist and social isolation. The results of linear regression analyses show that net of the effects of individual-level risk factors, released prisoners’ perception of neighborhood disorder exhibit profound influence on reentry outcomes. Implications for reentry programming and interventions are presented.
Distilling Issue Cycles From Large Databases: A Time-Series Analysis of Terrorism and Media in Africa
Authors: Jünger Jakob , Gärtner Chantal
Published: December 2020

Analyzing issue cycles usually begins with observing selected events and then tracking the course of media coverage. This approach collapses when the events of interest are hidden, overlain, or even distorted by extensive coverage of other events. One such complicated case is news about terrorism in Africa. While previous studies have started from single media hypes, we propose modeling the general pattern of such issue cycles with distributed lag models on a large-scale data basis. In order to assess the utility of distributed lag models, two basic principles of issue cycles are derived from theory and empirically tested. Furthermore, using the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone, we evaluate the usefulness of automated methods for news research. Although the data are quite noisy, automated content analysis combined with distributed lag models is a promising approach for studying issue cycles. The model can be used to visualize issue cycles. In the case of news about terrorism in Africa, we found a sudden increase in coverage, followed by a second local maximum after a few weeks.
Influence of dielectric conductivity on corner error in wire electrical discharge machining of Al 7075 alloy
Authors: Mandal Kingshuk , Sekh Mukandar , Bose Dipankar , Mitra Souren , Sarkar Soumya
Published: December 2020

Comprehensive research has been carried out to investigate the effect of electrical conductivity (ĸ) of dielectric along with other process parameters in wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of Al 7075 alloy. Taguchi based design using L9 orthogonal array has been used to analyse the effect of open circuit voltage (VOC), pulse on time (TON), pulse frequency (fP) and servo sensitivity (SC) on corner accuracy including different other response criteria. The experimental result shows that dielectric conductivity plays a significant role in respect to corner error and surface finish in a single pass cutting operation. Surface topography and elemental analysis of the machined surface has been carried out for depth understanding of the influence of dielectric conductivity in WEDM. Experimental investigation and subsequent analysis of results showed that for a broad range of response variables (e.g. corner accuracy and surface finish) 12 mho conductivity setting gives the optimum result. However, to attain corner error (CE) and surface roughness (Ra) below a certain critical limit (i.e. CE = 0.101 mm & Ra = 2.671 µm), 4 mho conductivity setting is found to be the best setting for this alloy.
Identifying subgroups within at-risk populations that drive late HIV diagnosis in a Southern U.S. state
Authors: Nduaguba Sabina O , Ford Kentya H , Wilson James P , Lawson Kenneth A , Cook Robert L
Published: December 2020

We aimed to identify subgroups within age, racial/ethnic, and transmission categories that drive increased risk for late HIV diagnosis (LHD).

A 1996–2013 retrospective study of HIV-diagnosed individuals (N = 77,844) was conducted. The proportion of individuals with LHD (AIDS diagnosis within 365 days of HIV diagnosis) was determined, stratified by age, race/ethnicity, and transmission category. Logistic regression with interaction terms was used to identify groups/subgroups at risk for LHD during 1996–2001, 2002–2007, and 2008–2013.

Respectively, 78%, 27%, 38%, and 31% were male, White, Black, and Hispanic. Overall, 39% had LHD with a 6.7% reduction for each year increase (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.93–0.94, p < 0.01). Older age was significantly associated with increased odds of LHD (OR range = 1.90–4.55). Compared to their White counterparts, all Hispanic transmission categories (OR range = 1.31–2.58) and only Black female heterosexuals and men who have sex with men (MSM) (OR range = 1.14–1.33) had significantly higher odds of LHD during 1996–2001 and/or 2002–2007. Significance was limited to Hispanic MSM (all age categories), MSM/IDUs (30–59 years), and heterosexuals (18–29 years) and Black MSM (30–39 years) during 2008–2013.

Older individuals and Hispanics (driven by MSM) are at increased risk for LHD. HIV testing interventions directed at seniors and Hispanic MSM can further reduce rates of LHD.
Continuing Non-Invasive Ventilation During Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Related Hospice Care Is Medically, Administratively, and Financially Feasible
Authors: Choi Philip J. , Murn Michael , Turner Roberta , Bedlack Richard
Published: December 2020

Background:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neuromuscular disease with patients dying within 3-5 years of diagnosis. Most patients choose to forego invasive life sustaining measures. Timing of hospice referral can be challenging given the advancement of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) technology.

Objective:

To describe the characteristics of patients enrolled in hospice from an ALS clinic at 1 academic medical center and to perform a cost analysis for patients who remained on ventilator support.

Methods:

Retrospective cross-sectional study of patients enrolled in hospice over a 2-year period. Clinical characteristics included ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R) score, Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), use of NIV and mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MIE), riluzole use, and length of stay in hospice. A cost analysis was performed for patients enrolled in Duke Home Care and Hospice.

Results:

85 of 104 patients who died were enrolled in hospice. Median days enrolled in hospice was 84. Patients who continued on NIV had similar hospice length of stay as those on no respiratory support (88 versus 80 days, p = 0.83). Bulbar patients had a trend toward shorter length of stay in hospice than limb onset patients (71 versus 101 days, p = 0.49). Cost analysis showed that hospice maintained a mean net operating revenue of $3234.50 per patient who continued on NIV.

Conclusions:

Hospice referrals for ALS patients on NIV can be challenging. This study shows that even with continued NIV use, most ALS patients die within the expected 6 months on home hospice, and care remains cost effective for hospice agencies.
This Moment is the Curriculum: Equity, Inclusion, and Collectivist Critical Curriculum Mapping for Study Abroad Programs in the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Ohito Esther O. , Lyiscott Jamila , Green Keisha L. , Wilcox Susan E.
Published: December 2020

Background: This article explores critical curriculum mapping in experiential education through immersive travel or Study Abroad Programs (SAPs). Purpose: The tetrad of authors theorizes then models the practice of criticality in curriculum mapping for SAPs. Methodology/Approach: Using Black feminist thought as a theoretical moor and dialogue and reflexive narrative as methods, authors present a curriculum mapping framework that is berthed to collective knowledge of how Black women in the African diaspora make meaning of lived experience to survive a perpetually precarious world. Findings/Conclusions: The framework exemplifies an epistemological alternative to dominant individualistic Euro/American approaches to curriculum mapping. Such approaches privilege predictability and linearity, contributing to the low participation of collectivist-oriented Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in SAPs. Implications: A collectivist critical orientation to curriculum mapping may, therefore, be useful for (a) epistemologically diversifying curricular responsiveness (with implications for teaching and learning in the unpredictable chaos of the current COVID-19 moment) and (b) addressing enduring issues of equity and inclusion in SAPs.
Propensity Score–Matched Analysis of Arthroscopically Assisted Ankle Facture Treatment Versus Conventional Treatment
Authors: Baumbach Sebastian F. , Urresti-Gundlach Marcel , Braunstein Mareen , Borgmann Lars , Böcker Wolfgang , Vosseller J. Turner , Polzer Hans
Published: December 2020

Background:

The aim of this study was to assess the prospective, longitudinal outcome after arthroscopically assisted open reduction and internal fixation (AORIF) and to compare the results with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in complex ankle fractures.

Methods:

Acute, closed, bimalleolar equivalent, bimalleolar, or trimalleolar ankle fractures were included. The AORIF cohort was enrolled prospectively. The ORIF group was identified from a retrospective database. The same inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The only difference was the additional arthroscopy in the AORIF cohort. The patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) following AORIF was assessed at 1 and 4 years of follow-up using the Olerud and Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) and Tegner activity scale (TAS). The AORIF cohort was propensity score matched (nearest-neighbor matching) to the ORIF database. The OMAS and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) were compared between the resulting groups. Nonparametric statistics were applied; values are presented as median (interquartile range). Twenty-six AORIF patients had a prospective 4-year follow-up.

Results:

No significant differences (1 year vs 4 years) were identified for the OMAS (90 [10] vs 90 [11]) and TAS (4 [2] vs 5 [2]). The severity of the cartilage lesions (International Cartilage Repair Society [ICRS] grade <4 vs ICRS of 4) had no significant influence on the PROMs. Twenty-five patients per cohort (AORIF vs ORIF) were matched. The OMAS (90 [13] vs 75 [40]; P = .008) and FAAM Activities of Daily Living (ADL; 96 [11] vs 88 [30]; P = .034) revealed significantly better outcomes for AORIF. More patients in the AORIF cohort returned to sport (96% vs 77%; P = .035), with a higher FAAM Sports score (88 [37] vs 56 [47]; P = .008).

Conclusion:

AORIF for complex ankle fractures led to consistently good to excellent results. The propensity score–matched analysis revealed a significantly better outcome 4 years after surgery for AORIF compared with ORIF.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Comparison of Protective Effects of Recombinant Antithrombin Gamma and Plasma-Derived Antithrombin on Sepsis-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation and Multiple Organ Failure
Authors: Kuroda Hiromitsu , Masuda Yoshiki
Published: December 2020

In Japan, the dose of the new recombinant antithrombin III concentrate (rAT-gamma) is titrated according to patient body weight (BW), while conventional plasma-derived antithrombin concentrates (AT) are administered as a fixed dose. Therefore, it is anticipated that rAT-gamma could produce better treatment effects than AT. The aim of this study was to compare the organ protective effects of doses of rAT-gamma and AT administered in clinical practice for septic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and multiple organ failure. This study was performed at a single university hospital in Japan. A total of 49 patients with antithrombin deficiency secondary to septic DIC who were administered either rAT-gamma (n = 26) or AT (n = 23) were retrospectively analyzed to assess the dose of supplemental antithrombin concentrates, plasma antithrombin activity, Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM)-DIC score, and modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on days 0, 3 and 6. The AT-equivalent dose per kg BW of rAT-gamma (equal to the initial rAT-gamma dose per kg BW divided by 1.2) was significantly higher than the dose per kg BW of AT (AT 23.4 ± 5.1 vs. rAT 28.9 ± 3.9 IU/kg/day; P < 0.001). Consequently, serial increases in plasma antithrombin levels occurred more rapidly in the rAT-gamma group (P = 0.036). JAAM DIC and modified SOFA scores revealed significantly greater improvement in the rAT versus the AT group (JAAM DIC score: P = 0.042, mSOFA score: P = 0.005). The results of this study suggest that AT supplementation adjusted for patient BW might further improve septic DIC and multiple organ failure.
Comprehensive or Comprehensible Experience? A Case Study of Religion and Traumatic Bereavement
Authors: McGowan William , Cook Elizabeth A
Published: December 2020

The first half of this article provides a brief overview of two respective projects concerning traumatic bereavement, in which religious faith appeared to feature amid a constellation of significant coping and sense-making mechanisms for survivors. After presenting some illustrative examples of the kind of data produced in the course of our research, the second half of the article develops a retrospectively critical appraisal of our data collection and corresponding analysis practices. In questioning the extent to which our accounts of our participants’ accounts can be considered adequate representations of social order, we critically explore the relative potential of ‘reflexivity’ for bridging the experiential gap between researchers and participants. Taken together, these reflections prompt a return to the salutary question: what counts as sociologically ‘see-able’?
Upregulation of Serum lncRNA DLEU1 Predicts Progression of Premalignant Endometrial Lesion and Unfavorable Clinical Outcome of Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Shan Lixia , Zhao Tao , Wang Yu
Published: December 2020

Objective:

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in tumorigenesis. Upregulation of lncRNA deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 1 (DLEU1) has been reported in endometrial cancer (EC) tissues. This prospective study aimed to determine the potential clinical significance of serum lncRNA DLEU1 in EC.

Methods:

The serum lncRNA DLEU1 level was detected in EC patients, patients with endometrial hyperplasia and healthy controls by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Then its clinical value in EC was further evaluated.

Results:

Our results demonstrated that serum lncRNA DLEU1 levels were significantly increased in patients with EC, and serum lncRNA DLEU1 showed good performance for discriminating EC patients from patients with endometrial hyperplasia and healthy controls. In addition, EC patients with advanced clinicopathological features had higher circulating lncRNA DLEU1 level than those with favorable clinical characteristics. Moreover, EC patients in the high serum lncRNA DLEU1 group suffered worse overall survival and disease-free survival than those in the low serum lncRNA DLEU1 group. Furthermore, multivariate cox regression analysis displayed that the serum lncRNA DLEU1 served as an independent prognostic factor for EC.

Conclusions:

Collectively, our study suggests that serum lncRNA DLEU1 is a novel and promising biomarker for prognostic estimation of EC.
Identifications of Candidate Genes Significantly Associated With Rectal Cancer by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Xu Zhili , Li Yan , Cui Yiyi , Guo Yong
Published: December 2020

Introduction:

Rectal cancer ranks as the eighth in cancer-related morbidity and the tenth in the cancer-related mortality. A few studies have explored several biomarkers for colorectal cancer. However, there is still a great need for us to excavate novel biomarkers with effective and efficient diagnostic and prognostic values to discover the etiology and pathogenesis of rectal cancer separately. Therefore, we aimed to identify more novel candidate genes that were significantly associated with rectal cancer through integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Methods:

We analyzed the gene expression profiles of GSE15781 and GSE20842 from Gene Expression Omnibus database to identify differentially expressed genes between normal rectal tissue and rectal cancer tissue.

Results:

We searched for core genes, carried out survival analysis and analyzed the expressions of core genes. We found that 142 genes were significantly upregulated, and 229 genes were significantly downregulated in all 3 independent studies. In KEGG analysis, the upregulated genes were significantly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, IL-17 signaling pathway, cell cycle, etc. The downregulated genes were primarily enriched in nitrogen metabolism, mineral absorption and pentose and glucuronate interconversions. Inhibin subunit beta B (INHBB) expressed markedly higher in rectal cancer tissues compared with normal tissues, and claudins (CLDN) 23 expressed significantly lower in rectal cancer tissues.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we discovered that INHBB could provide a great significant diagnostic and prognostic values for rectal cancer.
Application of molecularly imprinted polymers for the separation and detection of aflatoxin
Authors: He Jian-Xiong , Pan Huan-Yu , Xu Li , Tang Ri-Yuan
Published: December 2020

Aflatoxins are extremely harmful carcinogens to humans and animals. In recent years, attention has been directed toward the application of molecular imprinting polymers for the separation and detection of aflatoxin. In this review, polymerization methods for the preparation of molecular imprinting polymers for aflatoxin detection, such as lump-bulk polymerization, spherical molecular imprinting polymer synthesis, surface-imprinted polymerization, and electropolymerization, are described. The applications of molecular imprinting polymers in solid-phase extraction, biosensors, and the surface-enhanced Raman detection of aflatoxin are also reviewed in this paper.
Robust autonomous flight in cluttered environment using a depth sensor
Authors: Lu Liang , Yunda Alexander , Carrio Adrian , Campoy Pascual
Published: December 2020

This paper presents a novel collision-free navigation system for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on point clouds that outperform compared to baseline methods, enabling high-speed flights in cluttered environments, such as forests or many indoor industrial plants. The algorithm takes the point cloud information from physical sensors (e.g. lidar, depth camera) and then converts it to an occupied map using Voxblox, which is then used by a rapid-exploring random tree to generate finite path candidates. A modified Covariant Hamiltonian Optimization for Motion Planning objective function is used to select the best candidate and update it. Finally, the best candidate trajectory is generated and sent to a Model Predictive Control controller. The proposed navigation strategy is evaluated in four different simulation environments; the results show that the proposed method has a better success rate and a shorter goal-reaching distance than the baseline method.
Implementation of pharmacogenomic testing in oncology care (PhOCus): study protocol of a pragmatic, randomized clinical trial
Authors: Reizine Natalie , Vokes Everett E. , Liu Ping , Truong Tien M. , Nanda Rita , Fleming Gini F. , Catenacci Daniel V.T. , Pearson Alexander T. , Parsad Sandeep , Danahey Keith , van Wijk Xander M. R. , Yeo Kiang-Teck J. , Ratain Mark J. , O’Donnell Peter H.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Many cancer patients who receive chemotherapy experience adverse drug effects. Pharmacogenomics (PGx) has promise to personalize chemotherapy drug dosing to maximize efficacy and safety. Fluoropyrimidines and irinotecan have well-known germline PGx associations. At our institution, we have delivered PGx clinical decision support (CDS) based on preemptively obtained genotyping results for a large number of non-oncology medications since 2012, but have not previously evaluated the utility of this strategy for patients initiating anti-cancer regimens. We hypothesize that providing oncologists with preemptive germline PGx information along with CDS will enable individualized dosing decisions and result in improved patient outcomes.

Methods:

Patients with oncologic malignancies for whom fluoropyrimidine and/or irinotecan-inclusive therapy is being planned will be enrolled and randomly assigned to PGx and control arms. Patients will be genotyped in a clinical laboratory across panels that include actionable variants in UGT1A1 and DPYD. For PGx arm patients, treating providers will be given access to the patient-specific PGx results with CDS prior to treatment initiation. In the control arm, genotyping will be deferred, and dosing will occur as per usual care. Co-primary endpoints are dose intensity deviation rate (the proportion of patients receiving dose modifications during the first treatment cycle), and grade ⩾3 treatment-related toxicities throughout the treatment course. Additional study endpoints will include cumulative drug dose intensity, progression-free survival, dosing of additional PGx supportive medications, and patient-reported quality of life and understanding of PGx.

Discussion:

Providing a platform of integrated germline PGx information may promote personalized chemotherapy dosing decisions and establish a new model of care to optimize oncology treatment planning.
Evaluation of osteoarthritis knee and hip quality of life (OAKHQoL): adaptation and validation of the questionnaire in the Hungarian population
Authors: Fekete Helga , Guillemin Francis , Pallagi Edina , Fekete Róbert , Lippai Zoltán , Luterán Ferenc , Tóth István , Tóth Kálmán , Vallata Amandine , Varjú Cecília , Csóka Ildiko
Published: December 2020

Background:

At least 17% of the population suffers from osteoarthritis (OA) in Hungary, according to the European Health Interview Survey. In Hungary, until now there was no OA-specific questionnaire available for the lower limb, in order to monitor the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This gap gave the relevance of this research. The aim of the study was to perform the Hungarian cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the French-developed Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life (OAKHQoL) questionnaire.

Methods:

The five-step translation procedure of the original OAKHQoL was performed by the expert panel and the translators. The created Hungarian version (OAKHQoL-HUN) was tested in six different geographical areas of Hungary. The validity and the reliability of this adapted tool was analyzed by our research group.

Results:

A total of 99 patients completed the questionnaires (78 women and 21 men), with the average age of 66.6 years (standard deviation (SD) 12.1), living with OA for more than 10 years. Excellent internal consistency was observed in the following domains: physical activity (α = 0.93), mental health (α = 0.91) and pain (α = 0.89). Good correlation was determined between physical subscales ( r = 0.615–0.676) and mental subscales ( r = 0.633–0.643) compared to generic quality of life instruments (World Health Organization Quality of life – BREF questionnaire and EQ-5D-3L).

Conclusion:

The OAKHQoL-HUN is the first valid and reliable tool for measuring the Hungarian lower limb OA patients’ quality of life.

Trial Registration:

This study is registered (24950-3/2016/EKU) by the National Ethics Committee: the Hungarian Medical Research Council.
Distribution Pattern of Trait-Based Community Assembly for Cyclobalanopsis Glauca in the Guilin Karst Mountainous Areas, China
Authors: Liang Shichu , Lin Hongling , Bao Han , Yao Yipeng , Jiang Yong , Li Yuejuan , Pan Yuanfang
Published: December 2020

Cyclobalanopsis glauca is one of the most dominant species in the late succession stage of plant communities in the Guilin karst mountainous areas of China. In order to explore its role in community assembly and adaptation strategies, we quantified three continuous traits (LA, SLA and WD) for 52 woody species and documented community composition for 20 plots across different habitat conditions. We performed a trait-gradient analysis to partition species trait values between alpha and beta components within and between communities. Alpha trait components consistently varied more widely than beta components, which suggests that much of the trait variation between species was associated with different functional strategies within a shared environment. The different correlation structures for alpha and beta components reflects community assembly processes at different scales. The alpha components were largely uncorrelated with the exception of SLA and WD, while the beta components showed significant correlations along the environmental gradient. There is a significant positive correlation between LA and SLA and significant negative correlations between both LA and WD as well as between SLA and WD. These results demonstrate that slow-growing species with high resource-use efficiency gradually became the dominant species in the late successional stage for Cyclobalanopsis glauca forest and co-occurring species in the same community employ different trait assemblies.