bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intravenous Thrombolysis for a Stroke Mimic Patient
Authors: Nguyen Lilly , Lee Joyce Hoonsuh , Ganti Latha , Rivera-Morales Mark , Dub Larissa
Published: October 2021

The authors present the case of a young woman on phentermine and herbal supplements who presented as an acute stroke alert with right-sided facial droop and numbness. She was treated acutely with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). However, the workup did not reveal any evidence of cerebrovascular disease or cerebral infarct. The authors discuss plausible stroke mimics and the safety of administering tPA to such patients.
Comprensión actual de los biomarcadores circulantes en la hipertensión pulmonar debida a enfermedad de ventrículo izquierdo
Authors: Todd Noah , Lai Yen-Chun
Published: October 2021

La hipertensión pulmonar debida a enfermedad del ventrículo izquierdo (HP-EVI, grupo 2), especialmente en el contexto de insuficiencia cardiaca con fracción de eyección preservada (ICFEp), es la causa más frecuente de HP. A pesar de su prevalencia, por el momento no disponemos de terapias efectivas para la HP-EVI. Esto se debe en gran medida a la falta de una definición concisa de los fenotipos hemodinámicos, la existencia de huecos significativos en nuestra comprensión de la patología subyacente y del impacto de comorbilidades asociadas, así como a la ausencia de biomarcadores específicos que pudieran ayudar en el diagnóstico temprano y el manejo de este complejo síndrome. Los lineamientos actuales recomiendan emplear el péptido natriurético tipo B (BNP) y el proBNP N-terminal (ProBNP-NT) como biomarcadores para el diagnóstico y el pronóstico de la insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) y la HP. Recientemente, también se identificó a la endotelina 1 (ET-1), el factor de crecimiento endotelial vascular D (VEGF-D) y el microRNA-206 como potenciales biomarcadores circulantes para pacientes con HP-EVI. El objetivo de esta revisión es presentar el estado actual de nuestro conocimiento sobre los biomarcadores circulantes que pueden emplearse para guiar las futuras investigaciones hacia el diagnóstico, refinar el fenotipo específico de los pacientes y desarrollar estrategias terapéuticas para la HP-EVI, con atención particular en la HP-ICFEp. Asimismo, se resumen los biomarcadores identificados en modelos preclínicos de HP-EVI.
Symmetrisches juveniles Riesenxanthogranulom vom Plaque-Typ im Gesicht: Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht
Authors: Itin Kaspar , Häusermann Peter , Whitington Peter F. , Fosse Nicole
Published: October 2021

Das juvenile Xanthogranulom (JXG) ist die häufigste Form der Non-Langerhans-Zell-Histiozytose. Es handelt sich um einen seltenen, angeborenen oder im späteren Alter auftretenden gutartigen Tumor. Die klassische Form des JXG ist durch rötlich-gelbe benigne Papeln oder Knötchen mit Prädilektion am Kopf, Hals und Rumpf gekennzeichnet, doch können auch den Extremitäten oder extrakutanen Stellen Läsionen auftreten. In den meisten Fällen findet sich nur eine solitäre Läsion, allerdings können auch multiple Papeln oder Knötchen vorliegen. Sonderformen sind unter anderem das gemischte, riesige, subkutane, eruptive, gruppierte und plaqueartige JXG, und das JXG wurde überdies mit systemischen Erkrankungen in Verbindung gebracht. Die Diagnose wird im Wesentlichen auf Grundlage des klinischen Erscheinungsbildes gestellt und in der Regel durch die histologische Untersuchung bestätigt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit berichten wir über einen sehr seltenen Fall eines symmetrischen juvenilen Riesenxanthogranuloms vom Plaque-Typ im Gesicht (symmetrical giant facial plaque-type juvenile xanthogranuloma, SGFP-JXG); außerdem nehmen wir einen Vergleich mit der klassischen Form des JXG sowie JXG-Varianten vor und diskutieren die Differentialdiagnosen. Vorgestellt wurde uns ein 4-jähriges Mädchen kaukasischer Abstammung mit plaqueartigen Läsionen auf beiden Wangen, die aus gelblichen konfluierenden Papeln bestanden. Die histologische Untersuchung zeigte eine histiozytäre Läsion mit Bildung von Touton-Riesenzellen, und die immunhistochemischen Ergebnisse bestätigten die Diagnose SGFP-JXG. Im Vergleich zum klassischen JXG tritt das SGFP-JXG in manchen Fällen später auf, und die spontane Abheilung kann länger dauern. Begleiterkrankungen und eine systemische Beteiligung wurden nicht festgestellt. Die histopathologische Untersuchung ist erforderlich, um diese Form des JXG von anderen Histiozytosen abzugrenzen. Unseres Wissens wurden bisher nur vier Fälle von SGFP-JXG in der Literatur beschrieben.
NSCLC: Früherkennung von Rezidiven mittels zirkulierender Tumor-DNA
Authors: Hekmat Khosro
Published: October 2021

Approximately 30% of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present with localized/non-metastatic disease and are eligible for surgical resection or other «treatment with curative intent». Due to the high prevalence of recurrence after treatment, adjuvant therapy is standard care for most patients. The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy is, however, modest, and new tools are needed to identify candidates for adjuvant treatments (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapies), especially since expanded lung cancer screening programs will increase the rate of patients detected with localized NSCLC. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has shown strong potential to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) and to guide adjuvant therapies. In this manuscript, we review the technical aspects and performances of the main ctDNA sequencing platforms (TRACERx, CAPP-seq) investigated in this purpose, and discuss the potential of this approach to guide or spare adjuvant therapies after definitive treatment of NSCLC.
EphB3 as a Potential Mediator of Developmental and Reparative Osteogenesis
Authors: Kamath Rajay A.D. , Benson M. Douglas
Published: October 2021

The ephrin-B family of membrane-bound ligands is involved in skeletal patterning, osteogenesis, and bone homeostasis. Yet, despite the increasing collection of data affirming their importance in bone, the Eph tyrosine kinases that serve as the receptors for these ephrins in osteoblast stem cell niches remain unidentified. Here we report the expression of EphB3 at sites of bone growth in the embryo, especially at the calvaria suture fronts, periosteum, chondrocytes, and trabeculae of developing long bones. Strong EphB3 expression persisted in the adult calvarial sutures and in the proliferative chondrocytes of long bones, both of which are documented niches for osteoblastic stem cells. We observed EphB3-positive cells in the tissue filling a created calvarial injury, further implying EphB3 involvement in bone healing. Genetic knockout of EphB3 caused an increase in the bone tissue volume as a fraction of total volume in 6-week-old calvaria and in femoral trabecular density, compared to wild type controls. This difference resolved by 12 weeks of age, when we instead observed an increase in the bone volume of femoral trabeculae and in trabecular thickness. Our data identify EphB3 as a candidate regulator of osteogenesis either alone or in combination with other bone-expressed Ephs, and indicate that it appears to function as a limiter of bone growth.
FGF-23 (Fibroblast Growth Factor-23) and Cardiorenal Interactions
Authors: Ivey-Miranda Juan B. , Stewart Brendan , Cox Zachary L. , McCallum Wendy , Maulion Christopher , Gleason Olyvia , Meegan Grace , Amatruda Jonathan G. , Moreno-Villagomez Julieta , Mahoney Devin , Turner Jeffrey M. , Wilson F. Perry , Estrella Michelle M. , Shlipak Michael G. , Rao Veena S. , Testani Jeffrey M.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Animal models implicate FGF-23 (fibroblast growth factor-23) as a direct contributor to adverse cardiorenal interactions such as sodium avidity, diuretic resistance, and neurohormonal activation, but this has not been conclusively demonstrated in humans. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether FGF-23 is associated with parameters of cardiorenal dysfunction in humans with heart failure, independent of confounding factors.

Methods:

One hundred ninety-nine outpatients with heart failure undergoing diuretic treatment at the Yale Transitional Care Center were enrolled and underwent blood collection, and urine sampling before and after diuretics.

Results:

FGF-23 was associated with several metrics of disease severity such as higher home loop diuretic dose and NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum chloride, and serum albumin. Multivariable analysis demonstrated no statistically significant association between FGF-23 and sodium avidity measured by fractional excretion of sodium, or proximal or distal tubular sodium reabsorption, either before diuretic administration or at peak diuresis (
P
≥0.11 for all). Likewise, FGF-23 was not independently associated with parameters of diuretic resistance (diuretic excretion, cumulative urine and sodium output, and loop diuretic efficiency [
P
≥0.33 for all]) or neurohormonal activation (plasma or urine renin [
P
≥0.36 for all]). Moreover, the upper boundary of the 95% CI of all the partial correlations were ≤0.30, supporting the lack of meaningful correlations. FGF-23 was not associated with mortality in multivariable analysis (
P
=0.44).

Conclusions:

FGF-23 was not meaningfully associated with any cardiorenal parameter in patients with heart failure. While our methods cannot rule out a small effect, FGF-23 is unlikely to be a primary driver of cardiorenal interactions.
Changing Demographics, Temporal Trends in Waitlist, and Posttransplant Outcomes After Heart Transplantation in the United States: Analysis of the UNOS Database 1991–2019
Authors: Akintoye Emmanuel , Alvarez Paulino , Shin Doosup , Egbe Alexander , Panos Anthony , Sellke Frank , Briasoulis Alexandros
Published: October 2021

Background:

We sought to investigate temporal trends in patient characteristics, waitlist, and posttransplant outcomes after heart transplantation in the United States.

Methods:

Using data from the United Network of Organ Sharing, we identified adults listed for heart transplantation between 1991 and 2019. Patients were divided into 4 eras based on the 3 time points in which changes were made to the patient selection/allocation policy (Era 1=January 1991–January 1999; Era 2=January 1999–July 2006; Era 3=July 2006–October 2018; and Era 4=October 2018–March 2020), and patient characteristics, waitlist, and posttransplant outcomes were evaluated for each era.

Results:

Between 1991 and 2019, 95 179 patients were added to the heart transplantation waitlist. Compared with Era 1, patients listed in Era 4 were older (mean age: 50 versus 52 years) and with higher risk comorbidities (eg, 10% versus 28.8% diabetes, 23.3% versus 35.6% obese). Over the study period, 22 738 patients died or were permanently delisted for deterioration on the waitlist while 61 687 were transplanted. Compared with the preceding era, there was significant decrease in death or deterioration in the last 2 eras (sub-hazard ratio, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.65–0.70] for Era 3 versus Era 2 and sub-hazard ratio, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.58–0.73] for Era 4 versus 3). Across the years, 27.1% to 40.5% of those on the waitlist were transplanted. Among those transplanted, there was increase in the rates of in-hospital stroke (2.8% in Era 1 to 3.7% in Era 4), renal failure requiring dialysis (7.2%–17.1%), and length-of-stay (14–17days),
P
<0.001. However, this did not negatively impact short-term survival when compared with the preceding era (1-year graft survival from Era 1 to Era 4=84.1%, 86.4%, 90.4%, and 89.7%, respectively).

Conclusions:

There have been significant changes in the characteristics of patients listed for heart transplantation. Although transplant volume has increased, the wide supply-demand gap persisted. The last two changes in the allocation policy achieved their primary objective of reducing waitlist mortality.
Neohydatothrips from China, with one new species and one new record (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
Authors: FENG QINGJING , WANG JIAYANG , TONG XIAOLI
Published: October 2021

Neohydatothrips sophorae sp. n. is described from Western China. The new Sericothripinae species is characterized by the bicoloured body with the abdominal tergites bearing a posteromarginal craspedum. N. reticulatus (Kudo) is newly recorded in China. An updated key is provided to 18 species of Neohydatothrips from China.
Application of Fluorescent Nanoparticles in Immunodetection and Emergency Treatment of Myocardial Infarction Disease
Authors: Zhang Lingzhi , Wang Wei , Zhao Yu , Zhao Feng
Published: October 2021

This study was to explore the feasibility of immunofluorescence based on fluorescent nanoparticles (FNP) in the detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) marker Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and analyze the clinical value of optimized rescue measures in the emergency treatment of
AMI. FNPs were prepared with the soap-free emulsion polymerization with potassium peroxodisulfate (KPS), styrene (St), and acrylic acid (AA) as raw materials and Nile red (NR) as fluorescent dye. FNPs were then applied to lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA). The size and Zeta potential of the
FNP were measured with transmission electron microscope (TEM) and laser granulometer (LGM), respectively. The fluorescence intensity and ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption spectrum (AP) of the FNP were detected with the fluorescence spectrophotometer (FSM) and ultraviolet spectrophotome-ter
(USM), respectively. The changes in functional groups in the test sample were determined with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The sensitivity (Sen) and precision (Pre) of cTnI content detection were analyzed comprehensively. 76 AMI patients were recruited as the research
objects and rolled into a control group (conventional treatment, group C) and an observation group (optimized rescue measures, group O)) with 38 cases in each group. The cTnI levels of the two groups of patients were detected before and after the treatment. In addition, the cure rates, death
rates, and complications of the two groups were counted statistically. It was found that when the KPS and AA were 0.1 g and 0.4 g, the particle size was about 300 nm, the maximum wavelength of the UV-visible AP of FNP was 552 nm, and the maximum fluorescence emission wavelength was 606 nm.
After the FNPs were dyed, –CH characteristic peaks were found at 1,060 cm−1 and 2,926 cm−1 in nitrogen heterocycles and aromatic heterocycles, which were similar to NR. The upper limit of cTnI concentration was 80 ng/mL, and the coefficient of variation
(CV) was 1.32%–1.86%. The cTnI value of patients in group O after treatment was obviously lower than that in group C (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications and death rate in the group O were considerably different from those in group C (P < 0.01). To sum up, FNP
was adopted in the detection of AMI marker cTnI, and the LFIA based on FNP showed high detection Sen and Pre, which can be promoted in clinical detection. In short, the optimized rescue measures improved the survival rate of AMI patients effectively.
Evaluating the Economic Impacts of Improvements to the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) Numerical Weather Prediction Model
Authors: Turner David D. , Cutler Harvey , Shields Martin , Hill Rebecca , Hartman Brad , Hu Yuchen , Lu Tao , Jeon Hwayoung
Published: October 2021

Forecasts from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models play a critical role in many sectors of the U.S. economy. Improvements to operational NWP model forecasts are generally assumed to provide significant economic savings through better decision-making. But is this true? Since 2014, several new versions of the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model were released into operation within the National Weather Service. Practically, forecasts have an economic impact only if they lead to a different action than what would be taken under an alternative information set. And in many sectors, these decisions only need to be considered during certain weather conditions. We estimate the economic impacts of improvements made to the HRRR, using 12-h wind, precipitation, and temperature forecasts in several cases where they can have “economically meaningful” behavioral consequences. We examine three different components of the U.S. economy where such information matters: 1) better integration of wind energy resources into the electric grid, 2) increased worker output due to better precipitation forecasts that allow workers to arrive to their jobs on time, and 3) better decisions by agricultural producers in preparing for freezing conditions. These applications demonstrate some of the challenges in ascertaining the economic impacts of improved weather forecasts, including highlighting key assumptions that must be made to make the problem tractable. For these sectors, we demonstrate that there was a marked economic gain for the United States between HRRR versions 1 and 2 and a smaller, but still appreciable economic gain between versions 2 and 3.
A Geostationary Lightning Pseudo-Observation Generator Utilizing Low-Frequency Ground-Based Lightning Observations
Authors: Erdmann Felix , Caumont Olivier , Defer Eric
Published: October 2021

Coincident Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) observations are used to build a generator of realistic lightning optical signal in the perspective to simulate Lightning Imager (LI) signal from European NLDN-like observations. Characteristics of GLM and NLDN flashes are used to train different machine-learning (ML) models, which predict simulated pseudo-GLM flash extent, flash duration, and event number per flash (targets) from several NLDN flash characteristics. Comparing statistics of observed GLM targets and simulated pseudo-GLM targets, the most suitable ML-based target generators are identified. The simulated targets are then further processed to obtain pseudo-GLM events and flash-scale products. In the perspective of lightning data assimilation, flash extent density (FED) is derived from both observed and simulated GLM data. The best generators simulate accumulated hourly FED sums with a bias of 2% to the observation while cumulated absolute differences remain of about 22%. A visual comparison reveals that hourly simulated FED features local maxima at the similar geolocations as the FED derived from GLM observations. However, the simulated FED often exceeds the observed FED in regions of convective cores and high flash rates. The accumulated hourly area with FED > 0 flashes per 5 km × 5 km pixel simulated by some pseudo-GLM generators differs by only 7%–8% from the observed values. The recommended generator uses a linear support vector regressor (linSVR) to create pseudo-GLM FED. It provides the best balance between target simulation, hourly FED sum, and hourly electrified area.
Beliefs about Legality and Benefits for Mental Health
Authors: Upenieks Laura , Sendroiu Ioana , Levi Ron , Hagan John
Published: October 2021

Research on mental health pays increasing attention to the influence of social institutions on subjective well-being over the life course. Yet little research has considered how belief in the promise of legal institutions may have beneficial effects for well-being. Through structural equation models of longitudinal data, our findings suggest that belief in the neutrality and fairness of legal institutions has salutary effects for mental health net of social and economic status and across individuals from a wide range of ethnic groups. By combining research in the sociology of mental health, cultural sociology, social psychology, and the sociology of law, we extend the emerging literature on the institutional determinants of mental health by including attention to law as one of the central organizing institutions of social life.
Are We Prepared for Precision Public Health? An Examination of Genomics Content in Graduate Public Health Programs
Authors: Niemchick Karen L. , Goerge Ally , Ponte Amy H.
Published: October 2021

Objective

With the completion of the Human Genome Project and swift development of genomic technologies, public health practitioners can use these advancements to more precisely target disease interventions to populations at risk. To integrate these innovations into better health outcomes, public health professionals need to have at least a basic understanding of genomics within various disciplines of public health. This descriptive study focused on the current level of genomics content in accredited master of public health (MPH) programs in the United States.

Methods

We conducted an internet search on all 171 Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)–accredited MPH programs in the United States for genomics content in required and elective courses using the search terms “genetics,” “genomics,” and “molecular.”

Results

Of the 171 CEPH-accredited MPH programs examined, 52 (30.4%) schools and programs in 34 states offered some type of genomics education. Thirty-five (20.5%) schools and programs had a course in genetic epidemiology, 29 (16.9%) had a course in genetic biostatistics or bioinformatics, and 17 (9.9%) had a course in general public health genomics. The remaining 119 offered no course with a focus on genetics or genomics. In addition, some electives or specifically focused courses related to genomics were offered.

Conclusion

We found inadequate training in public health genomics for MPH students. To realize the promise of precision public health and to increase the understanding of genomics among the public health workforce, MPH programs need to find ways to integrate genomics education into their curricula.
Teaching Writing Through Content: Six Instructional Activities to Improve Students’ Sentence-Level Writing Skills
Authors: Chandler Brennan W. , Sayeski Kristin L.
Published: October 2021

Writing is a complex activity requiring a wide range of skills. Sentence construction, a foundational writing skill, is necessary for paragraph and composition writing. Unfortunately, many current approaches to teaching writing place a priority on the product—focusing on teaching the process of writing lengthy pieces rather than providing explicit instruction in the development of singular, well-constructed sentences. Many students with learning disabilities struggle with proficient sentence construction and acquiring content-area knowledge. Teaching sentence-level writing through content can aid in remediating sentence-level writing deficits while helping students build content-area knowledge. A framework for embedding writing across the curriculum and six sentence-level instructional activities are described.
The Eyewitnesses in their Own Words: Testing Richard Bauckham’s Model Using Verifiable Quotations
Authors: Tripp Jeffrey
Published: October 2021

In his influential Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, Richard Bauckham claims that eyewitnesses to events in Jesus’ life minimized changes to Jesus sayings by establishing a culture of formal control in oral performance, a culture reflected in the gospels and Acts. This study tests Bauckham’s hypothesis using verifiable internal quotations, cases where a single text narrates the original speech act and its later direct quotation by the speaker or by another character. Most quotations modify the original statement, and eyewitnesses paraphrase roughly as often as others. Whatever the historical character of the eyewitnesses actually was, they are not portrayed as the careful reciters of Jesus’ words that Bauckham’s model requires.
Gendered patterns in candidates’ campaign fundraising: The case of Italy
Authors: Feo Francesca , Fiorelli Chiara , Piccio Daniela R
Published: October 2021

The lack of financial resources is an often-cited hurdle for women pursuing political careers. However, empirical analysis of the dynamics of the private funding of women candidates and its potential implications for their political careers is still scant, particularly for countries outside the anglophone regions. This paper contributes to the scholarly debate by focusing on the gendered patterns in campaign fundraising in Italy, where radical changes to the party funding regime and multiple reforms to the electoral laws may have changed the structure of opportunity for fundraising by women candidates. We analyse patterns of private funding for men and women candidates in four national elections between 1996 and 2018. Our analysis, triangulated with semi-structured interviews with women candidates, shows that differences exist in fundraising patterns between male and female candidates in Italy. It reveals differences in the quality of candidates’ fundraising networks and confirms that political affiliation (to right-wing parties) and incumbency have an effect on the amount of donations received, thus granting women candidates greater access to private donations.
Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee Points to Consider: Fixation, Trimming, and Sectioning of Nonrodent Eyes and Ocular Tissues for Examination in Ocular and General Toxicity Studies
Authors: Booler Helen S. , Lejeune Typhaine , Sorden Steven , Gruebbel Margarita M. , Schafer Kenneth A. , Short Brian , Farman Cindy , Ramos Meg Ferrell , Bennet Bindu , Yekkala Krishna , Atzpodien Elke-Astrid , Turner Oliver C. , Brassard Jaqueline , Foley George
Published: October 2021

A Working Group of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology’s Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee conducted a technical and scientific review of current practices relating to the fixation, trimming, and sectioning of the nonrodent eye to identify key points and species-specific anatomical landmarks to consider when preparing and evaluating eyes of rabbits, dogs, minipigs, and nonhuman primates from ocular and general toxicity studies. The topics addressed in this Points to Consider article include determination of situations when more comprehensive evaluation of the globe and/or associated extraocular tissues should be implemented (expanded ocular sampling), and what constitutes expanded ocular sampling. In addition, this manuscript highlights the practical aspects of fixing, trimming, and sectioning the eye to ensure adequate histopathological evaluation of all major ocular structures, including the cone-dense areas (visual streak/macula/fovea) of the retina for rabbits, dogs, minipigs, and nonhuman primates, which is a current regulatory expectation for ocular toxicity studies.

[Box: see text]
Applying Batho Pele principles in South African public archives – Do public programming initiatives count?
Authors: Mojapelo Makutla , Modiba Mashilo , Saurombe Nampombe
Published: October 2021

Archival records exist for the benefit of society; therefore, people are at the very centre of the purpose of keeping archives. The South African government developed the Batho Pele principles to embrace them as a charter for public service to ensure a reliable and customer-oriented public service. Archival institutions such as the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa and the provincial archives are not exempted from this responsibility. These repositories form a part of the South African Public Service and play a crucial role in promoting the preservation and access to significant records that have enduring value. The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa and the provincial archives are responsible for preserving public and non-public records and promoting them to the public. In this quantitative study, an online survey completed by 20 archivists from these repositories helped establish whether archivists from the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa and the provincial archives utilised public programming initiatives to fulfil the Batho Pele principles. The analysed data indicated that the public archival institutions struggle to conduct public programming initiatives, and their limited efforts were not effective. This implies that most of these repositories did not consider public programming initiatives as tools to implement the Batho Pele principles. The study recommends that South African public archival institutions take advantage of the ‘window of opportunity’ presented by the Batho Pele principles to strengthen their outreach strategies to improve archival service quality.
Adult-induced genetic ablation distinguishes PDGFB roles in blood-brain barrier maintenance and development
Authors: Vazquez-Liebanas Elisa , Nahar Khayrun , Bertuzzi Giacomo , Keller Annika , Betsholtz Christer , Mäe Maarja Andaloussi
Published: October 2021

Platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB) released from endothelial cells is indispensable for pericyte recruitment during angiogenesis in embryonic and postnatal organ growth. Constitutive genetic loss-of-function of PDGFB leads to pericyte hypoplasia and the formation of a sparse, dilated and venous-shifted brain microvasculature with dysfunctional blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice, as well as the formation of microvascular calcification in both mice and humans. Endothelial PDGFB is also expressed in the adult quiescent microvasculature, but here its importance is unknown. We show that deletion of Pdgfb in endothelial cells in 2-months-old mice causes a slowly progressing pericyte loss leading, at 12–18 months of age, to ≈50% decrease in endothelial:pericyte cell ratio, ≈60% decrease in pericyte longitudinal capillary coverage and >70% decrease in pericyte marker expression. Similar to constitutive loss of Pdgfb, this correlates with increased BBB permeability. However, in contrast to the constitutive loss of Pdgfb, adult-induced loss does not lead to vessel dilation, impaired arterio-venous zonation or the formation of microvascular calcifications. We conclude that PDFGB expression in quiescent adult microvascular brain endothelium is critical for the maintenance of pericyte coverage and normal BBB function, but that microvessel dilation, rarefaction, arterio-venous skewing and calcification reflect developmental roles of PDGFB.
Jack’s story: Personal experiences of a family with a severely disabled child
Authors: Legge Tim , Legge Heather
Published: October 2021

This article recounts the life history of a severely disabled child and the experience of his parents in dealing with a range of health, educational and social services as he moved to adulthood. It indicates features of multi-agency services that proved helpful and makes recommendations about service design and delivery. Particular attention is given to the role of respite care within a complex package of interventions.
Families with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Exploring adoptive parents’ experiences of family well-being
Authors: Balcaen Lisa , Santos Rob , Roger Kerstin , Mignone Javier
Published: October 2021

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the leading non-genetic cause of developmental disability in Canada. It poses many challenges at the individual, family and societal levels. This study explores adoptive parents’ experiences of having a child with FASD in their family and how these experiences impact family well-being and, specifically, parenting, family dynamics, sources of support and coping strategies. Using an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight adoptive parents of children with FASD. Four main themes emerged, each with several subthemes: (1) managing individuals with FASD; (2) navigating family cohesion; (3) psychological warfare; and (4) experiences of supports. Findings showed how FASD affects all aspects of family life and has a constant and cumulative effect on the family’s well-being. Hope, community and parents feeling successful in their efforts were found to have strong connections to well-being.
Association Between Excessive Joint Laxity and a Wider Hill-Sachs Lesion in Anterior Shoulder Instability
Authors: Lim Joon-Ryul , Lee Hyung-Min , Yoon Tae-Hwan , Lee Hwan-Mo , Chun Yong-Min
Published: October 2021

Background:

Excessive general joint laxity, a negative prognostic factor in joint instability, has not been studied to determine its relationship with bipolar bone loss in anterior shoulder instability.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of bipolar bone defects in the presence of excessive joint laxity and the clinical outcomes based on the on-track/off-track theory. We hypothesized that (1) patients with excessive joint laxity might have less significant bipolar bone defects compared with those without excessive joint laxity and (2) no significant difference would be found in the clinical outcomes, including recurrence rate.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This study included 81 patients who had undergone arthroscopic Bankart repair, with (group L; n = 33) or without (group N; n = 48) excessive joint laxity. The presence of excessive joint laxity was defined as a score of ≥4 using Beighton and Horan criteria preoperatively. Bipolar bone lesions were assessed using preoperative 3-dimensional computed tomography. Additional remplissage was performed for cases with off-track or positive engagement test in borderline on-track lesions. The functional outcomes at the 2-year follow-up were assessed using the recurrence rate, Subjective Shoulder Value, Rowe score, University of California Los Angeles shoulder score, active range of motion, and the sports/recreation activity level.

Results:

No significant difference was found in the glenoid bone defect between groups (14.1%, group L; 14.4%, group N). Off-track lesions were identified in 39.4% (13/33) of group L and 14.6% (7/48) of group N ( P = .011). The mean Hill-Sachs interval to glenoid track ratio was 83.1% in group L and 75.2% in group N ( P = .021). Additional remplissage procedures were more frequently performed in group L (48.5%; 16/33) than in group N (16.7%; 8/48) ( P = .002). However, no significant difference was observed in the shoulder functional scores and recurrence rates between the groups.

Conclusion:

Patients with anterior shoulder instability and excessive joint laxity had significantly wider Hill-Sachs lesions and more off-track lesions than did those with normal joint laxity despite the lack of a significant difference in the glenoid bone defect. However, these differences in the Hill-Sachs lesion were not related to differences in the functional outcomes between the groups.
How to Fuel Public Employees’ Change-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Two-Wave Moderated Mediation Study
Authors: Chen Dingxiang , Zhang Ying , Ahmad Ahmad Bayiz , Liu Bangcheng
Published: October 2021

Determining how to stimulate public employees’ change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has become a critical issue in both theory and practice. This article draws on the theories of job demands-resources (JD-R), leadership, and public service motivation (PSM) to propose a moderated mediation model to explore how empowering leadership shapes public employees’ change-oriented OCB. We conducted a two-wave investigation of 267 public employees in a large metropolitan city in Northern China to test this study’s hypotheses. The results show that empowering leadership significantly predicts employees’ change-oriented OCB by enhancing job crafting. Furthermore, PSM moderates the relationship between empowering leadership and job crafting. These findings advance our understanding of how to motivate employees’ change-oriented OCB from the perspective of empowering leadership in public organizations.
Preparation and characterization of chitosan/carboxymethyl pullulan/bioglass composite films for wound healing
Authors: Soubhagya A S , Balagangadharan K , Selvamurugan N , Sathya Seeli D , Prabaharan M
Published: October 2021

Wound dressings play a vital role in the wound healing process. Although a variety of wound dressings have been developed so far, most of them still have many drawbacks such as rigidity, non-porosity, low mechanical strength, an affinity to stick onto the injury surface and less antimicrobial activity. To overcome these issues, a novel type of porous three-dimensional (3D) film was fabricated using chitosan/carboxymethyl pullulan polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) loaded with 45S5 bioglass (CCMPBG) by the freeze-drying method for wound healing application. The developed films were analysed by FTIR, XRD, EDS and SEM to confirm their chemical nature, microstructure and surface morphologies. The CCMPBG films exhibited rough surface morphology and well-interconnected micropores with an average size range of 101–74 μm. Compared to the control chitosan/carboxymethyl pullulan (CCMP) film, the CCMPBG films showed an enhanced mechanical strength and controlled rate of swelling and biodegradation behaviours due to the interaction of polymer matrix and 45S5 bioglass (BG). Furthermore, CCMPBG films presented the improved biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity and wound closure ability because of the synergistic effects of chitosan, carboxymethyl pullulan (CMP) and BG. The results demonstrated that CCMPBG films can be an effective dressing material for wound therapy.
The Rhetoric of Teacher Evaluation: New York City Teachers’ Responses to Performance Labels
Authors: Pallas Aaron M.
Published: October 2021

This paper uses the case of New York City teachers’ interpretations of the labels that are assigned to their performance to explore how teachers experience teacher evaluation systems. Based on our analyses of 141 interviews with New York City teachers, we argue that the ordinal performance labels assigned to teachers by New York City’s Advance teacher development and evaluation system—Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, and Ineffective—have meanings that extend beyond how they locate teachers in relation to one another, or in relation to an absolute standard of teaching performance. The labels can evoke powerful emotions in teachers, and may stymie policymakers’ hopes that they will be motivated by the labels to redouble their efforts to teach well. Teachers’ reactions to the labels can also reveal their strategies to resist the redefinition of teachers’ work.
An examination of two different approaches for the study of femoral neck fracture: Towards a more relevant rodent model
Authors: Monzem Samuel , Gohin Stephanie , Yagüe Ballester Rafael , Lopes de Souza Roberto , Meeson Richard , Pitsillides Andrew Anthony
Published: October 2021

Femoral neck fractures are a massive personal and health programme burden. Methods to study femoral neck strength, across its combined trabecular and cortical components are therefore essential. Rodent ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis models are commonly coupled with ex vivo 3-/4-point bending methods to measure changes in femoral cortical diaphysis. The loading direction used to assess these properties are often non-physiologic and, moreover, these ovariectomy models are linked to marked weight gain that can influence the biomechanical properties. Herein, we explore whether more physiological axial ex vivo loading protocols applied to femoral neck samples of ovariectomised (OVX) rodents provide anatomically-relevant models for the assessment of strength. We examine the use of mouse and rat femurs, loaded in constrained and unconstrained configuration, respectively, and explore whether weight-correction increases their utility. Accordingly, the mid-shaft of the proximal half of femurs from OVX and sham-operated (Sham) mice was methacrylate-anchored and the head loaded parallel to the diaphysis (constrained). Alternatively, femurs from OVX and Sham rats were isolated intact and axially-loaded through hip and knee joint articular surfaces (unconstrained). Yield displacement, stiffness, maximum load and resilience were measured and fracture pattern classified; effects of body weight-correction via a linear regression method or simple division were assessed. Our data reveal significant deficiencies in biomechanical properties in OVX mouse femurs loaded in constrained configuration, only after weight-correction by linear regression. In addition, evaluation of rat femur biomechanics in unconstrained loading demonstrated greater variation and that weight-correction by simple division improved scope to reveal significant OVX impact. We conclude that greater femoral neck fracture susceptibility can indeed be measured in OVX rodents as long as multiple biomechanical parameters are reported, care is taken in choosing the method for assessing load-bearing strength and weight-correction applied. These studies advance the establishment of more relevant rodent models for the study of femoral neck fracture.
Importance of surgical assembly technique on the engagement of 12/14 modular tapers
Authors: Wade A , Webster F , Beadling AR , Bryant MG
Published: October 2021

Fretting-corrosion at the modular taper junction in total hip replacements (THR), leading to implant failure, has been identified as a clinical concern and has received increased interest in recent years. There are many parameters thought to affect the performance of the taper junction, with the assembly process being one of the few consistently identified to have a direct impact. Despite this, the assembly process used by surgeons during THR surgery differs from a suggested ‘ideal’ process. For example, taper junctions of cutting tools should be pushed together rather than impacted, while ensuring as much concentricity as possible between the male and female taper and loading axis. This study devised six simple assembly methodologies to investigate how surgical variations affect the success of the compressive fit achieved at the taper interface compared to a controlled assembly method, designed to represent a more ‘ideal’ scenario. Key findings from this study suggest that a more successful and repeatable engagement can be achieved by quasi-statically loading the male and female taper concentrically with the loading axis. This was shown by a greater disassembly to assembly force ratio of 0.626 ± 0.07 when assembled using the more ‘ideal’ process, compared to 0.480 ± 0.05 when using a method closer to that used by a surgeon intraoperatively. Findings from this study can be used to help inform new surgical instrumentation and an improved surgical assembly method.
Understanding the Delivery of Patient-Centered Survivorship Care Planning: An Exploratory Interview Study With Complex Cancer Survivors
Authors: Austin Jessica D. , Allicock Marlyn , Fernandez Maria E. , Balasubramanian Bijal A. , Lee Simon Craddock
Published: October 2021

Introduction:

Understanding key elements of the survivorship care planning process, such as patient-centered communication (PCC) and health self-efficacy, are critical for delivering patient-centered survivorship care to cancer survivors with multiple chronic conditions (“complex cancer survivors”). Building upon our team’s recent research efforts to examine the survivorship care planning process from a patient-centered lens, this exploratory study leveraged an ongoing quasi-experimental trial to elucidate the experience of complex cancer survivors with survivorship care planning and post-treatment management.

Methods:

We conducted a hypothesis-generating thematic content analysis on 8 interview transcripts.

Results:

Survivors reported positive experiences communicating with their oncology care team but the presence of multiple chronic conditions in addition to cancer creates additional barriers to patient-centered survivorship care.

Conclusion:

These findings support the need for further in-depth research aimed at improving PCC across all care teams and enabling self-management by delivering more personalized survivorship care planning that aligns with survivor’s needs, values, and preferences.
Pelvic incidence affects postoperative dislocation rate in total hip arthropalsty patients with spinal fusion
Authors: Ochiai Satoshi , Seki Taisuke , Osawa Yusuke , Kawasaki Masashi , Yamaguchi Jin , Ishiguro Naoki
Published: October 2021

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of total hip arthroplasty (THA) with and without spinal fusion (SF), and to evaluate the radiographic characteristics of patients with dislocation after THA.

Methods:

A case-controlled study of 53 patients (67 hips) who underwent both THA and SF was performed. The control group was matched to the SF group by age, gender and body mass index, and 106 patients (134 hips) were selected. Hip function was evaluated using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) hip score. In addition, the incidence rates of postoperative complications were determined. Radiograph evaluation included lateral inclination and anteversion of the acetabular component. We also analysed sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), and pelvic incidence (PI).

Results:

The JOA hip score at final follow up was significantly poorer in the SF group compared to the control group. There were 5 cases of dislocations in the SF group and none in the control group. The anteversion of acetabular cup, PT, and PI were significantly higher in the SF group compare to the control group. In particular, the PI of patients with anterior dislocation were significantly higher compare to those of patients without dislocation.

Conclusions:

Our study showed that SF is a risk factor for a poorer clinical outcome and postoperative dislocation of THA. In addition, the abnormal value of PI may be a risk factor to predict dislocation after THA with SF.
Making sense of the image of TV in Greek preschoolers’ drawings
Authors: Theodosiadou Sofia , Kyridis Argyris
Published: October 2021

This research illustrates how young children conceptualize the image and role of television in their lives. Building upon Kress and Van Leeuwen’s theoretical framework of Visual Grammar, 70 drawings of children from kindergartens of Thessaloniki were analyzed both qualitative and quantitative. The research found that children sketch a rich and varied profile of TV. Children’s open–ended construction of meaning surfaced content that reflected themes such as: the profile of the journalist, emotions connected to television, the use of TV, TV as an object, TV as a children’s program or an adult program. Future research should also address the challenge of investigating the diverse and rapidly changing media landscape to which the current generation of children experience.
Cross-scene loop-closure detection with continual learning for visual simultaneous localization and mapping
Authors: Chen Shilang , Wu Junjun , Lu Qinghua , Wang Yanran , Lin Zeqin
Published: October 2021

Humans maintain good memory and recognition capability of previous environments when they are learning about new ones. Thus humans are able to continually learn and increase their experience. It is also obvious importance for autonomous mobile robot. The simultaneous localization and mapping system plays an important role in localization and navigation of robot. The loop-closure detection method is an indispensable part of the relocation and map construction, which is critical to correct mappoint errors of simultaneous localization and mapping. Existing visual loop-closure detection methods based on deep learning are not capable of continual learning in terms of cross-scene environment, which bring a great limitation to the application scope. In this article, we propose a novel end-to-end loop-closure detection method based on continual learning, which can effectively suppress the decline of the memory capability of simultaneous localization and mapping system by introducing firstly the orthogonal projection operator into the loop-closure detection to overcome the catastrophic forgetting problem of mobile robot in large-scale and multi-scene environments. Based on the three scenes from public data sets, the experimental results show that the proposed method has a strong capability of continual learning in the cross-scene environment where existing state-of-the-art methods fail.