bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Healthy Pregnant Women With COVID-19 Versus High-risk Pregnant Women: A Multi-Center Case-Control Comparison Study
Authors: Al Hashmi Iman , Khalaf Atika , Seshan Vidya , Alsabti Hilal , Al Omari Omar , Yehia Dalal , Baqer Mohammed , Al Khadhuri Jamal
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this retrospective, matched case-control study (two controls [healthy control and high- risk control] vs. COVID-19 cases) was to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with and without COVID-19. A total of 261 pregnant women from three different countries with and without COVID-19 were included in this study. Several pregnancy complications were more common in high-risk pregnant women compared to COVID-19 cases and healthy pregnant women. These include preeclampsia ( p < .01), vaginal bleeding ( p < .05), preterm labor ( p < .05), premature rupture of membrane ( p < .01), requiring induction of labor ( p < .05), have lower gestational age on delivery ( F (2) = 3.1, p < .05), requiring cesarean section ( p < .01), neonatal admission in the NICU ( p < .01), and low neonatal Apgar score ( p < .01). Nurses are advised to provide equal attention to pregnant women with underlying health issues and to pregnant women infected with COVID-19 in terms of the risk assessment, health care, and follow-up for optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Solitary Peutz-Jeghers Type Polyp of Jejunum with Gastric Fundic and Antral Gland Lining Mucosa: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Liu Bella Lingjia , Zhou Huifang , Risech Martina , Ky Alex , Houldsworth Jane , Ward Stephen C.
Published: December 2021

Solitary Peutz-Jeghers type polyps are characterized by a hamartomatous polyp of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in a patient without mucocutaneous pigmentation, family history of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, or STK11/LKB1 mutations. Histologically identical to the polyps in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, these sporadic polyps can arise anywhere along the GI tract, with typical arborizing smooth muscles extending from the muscularis mucosa. While the lining mucosa is generally the same as the organ in which it arises, gastric pyloric and osseous metaplasia have been reported in intestinal polyps in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Herein, the authors report the first case of a small intestinal solitary Peutz-Jeghers type polyp with gastric antral and fundic gland lining mucosa. A 43-year-old male was admitted for small bowel obstruction. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed jejuno-jejunal intussusception with an associated polyp measuring 7.2 cm. Histological examination showed a hamartomatous polyp with arborizing smooth muscle bundles extending from the muscularis mucosae. The polyp was lined by non-dysplastic gastric antral and fundic gland mucosa, and was sharply demarcated from the adjacent non-polypoid intestinal mucosa. Colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy and small bowel enteroscopy revealed no additional polyps or masses. Thorough investigation of the patient's family history was negative for Peutz-Jeghers syndrome or mucocutaneous pigmentation. Molecular analysis of the lesion was negative for STK11/LKB1 mutations. A diagnosis of solitary Peutz-Jeghers type polyp of the small bowel with gastric antral and fundic gland mucosal lining was rendered.
Metastatic Breast Carcinoma Mimicking Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Shbair Abdallah TM , Yasin Ayse Irem , Topçu Atakan , Coban Ganime , Uzunoglu Gokce Deniz , Şimşek Melih
Published: December 2021

Besides being the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, breast cancer is the main cause of cancer-related deaths in this group of patients. Breast cancer frequently metastasizes to bone, lung, brain, and liver. Renal metastasis from the breast is extremely rare. Here we aimed to report a case of breast cancer with metastasis to bone and left renal pelvis. A 58-year old woman with a mass lesion in the left renal pelvis that mimicked urothelial carcinoma was referred to our clinic. The left nephroureterectomy procedure was performed, and the pathology revealed that a renal pelvis metastasis secondary to breast cancer.
The carrier wave design for the synthesis of non-Gaussian and non-stationary signals using the amplitude modulation method
Authors: Cui Song , Liu Bin
Published: December 2021

The methods of generating stationary random signals, both Gaussian and non-Gaussian, are quite complete, but the researches on the non-stationary signals are insufficient. Especially, the current methods seldom provide mathematical bases about the kurtoses of the produced signals such that the generations of non-stationary non-Gaussian signals with the desired kurtoses are inefficient, which also decrease the flexibility of the real-time control in shaker table tests. In the article, the amplitude modulation method is employed to realize the signal synthesis. The carrier waves of the method are investigated considering the bursts overlapping situations. At first, the explicit equations between the kurtoses of the synthesized signals and the three crucial parameters (the offset, the distance between a pair of adjacent bursts and the parameter of the Beta-distributed random variables) are deduced for the carrier waves with both overlapped bursts and non-overlapped busts. Meanwhile, to solve the power spectral density variation led by the amplitude modulation method, an explicit expression of a rescaling parameter is also proposed. Furthermore, the impacts of the three parameters are investigated; the focus of the investigation is on how the kurtoses of the synthesized signals are changed by the parameters. Based on the results of the investigation, a test procedure is put forward to apply the proposed equations in a shaker table test. The control process of the test demonstrates that the real-time kurtoses control can be achieved efficiently with the help of the newly proposed equations.
Impact of tourism development on inclusive growth: A panel vector autoregression analysis for African economies
Authors: Adeniyi Oluwatosin , Kumeka Terver T , Orekoya Samuel , Adekunle Wasiu
Published: December 2021

The persistent debate among policy makers and academics around combating the high rates of poverty and income inequality can be further illuminated by understanding how tourism contributes to inclusive growth, especially in developing economies. Tourism sector can be regarded as one of the key contributors to inclusive growth and where it has the capacity to generate prospects for productive employment. The goal of this article is thus to investigate the link between inclusive growth and tourism in the African context. To do this, we utilized a recent panel vector autoregression (pVAR) and data for 45 African countries spanning the period 1995 to 2019. Thus, by the error variance decomposition and impulse response functions, our results showed a weak positive effect of international tourism arrivals and the composite tourism indicator on inclusive growth, while tourism receipts and tourism expenditure insignificantly decreases inclusive growth in the sampled African economies. Our result is further supported by the panel system generalized method of moments (GMM). We provide some policy implications from our findings.
Ethical environment, accountability, and sustainability reporting: What is the connection in the hospitality and tourism industry?
Authors: Hamrouni Amal , Karaman Abdullah S , Kuzey Cemil , Uyar Ali
Published: December 2021

Drawing on institutional theory, this study tests how the ethical behaviors of firms, in interaction with public officials and through the strength of accountability regulations, influence sustainability reporting practices in the hospitality and tourism (H&T) sector. The results indicate that firms operating in a highly ethical business environment are less likely than those in a less ethical environment to disclose a sustainability report. However, accountability yields the opposite result; firms established in environments characterized by high accountability are more likely than low accountability environments to issue a sustainability report, which implies a complementary effect between the strength of the accountability and the firms’ sustainability disclosures. This verifies that the weakness or strength of informal and formal institutional forces exert considerable influence on firms’ desire to carry out sustainability reporting. However, this influence is not true of the acquisition of external assurance statements and following Global Reporting Initiative guidelines, with which accountability has a negative and insignificant association, respectively.
Educating for the future? Mapping the emerging lines of precision education governance
Authors: Mertanen Katariina , Vainio Saara , Brunila Kristiina
Published: December 2021

Managing the future has become one of the major focuses of global governance in education. In its current mode, education seems unable to answer the needs and interests of the market and future megatrends, such as globalisation and digitalisation. Calls for precision education to introduce the usage of digital platforms, artificial intelligence in education, and knowledge from the behavioural and life sciences are getting a foothold in widening powerful networks of strengthening global governance and EdTech business. By bringing together some of the emerging changes in education governance, in this article we argue for a new constitution of governance, precision education governance. Precision education governance combines three overlapping and strengthening lines of governance: (i) global governance of education, (ii) marketisation, privatisation and digitalisation, and (iii) behavioural and life sciences as the basis for managing the future education. In the article, we highlight the importance in bringing these so far separately studied lines together to understand how they shape the aims and outcomes of education, knowledge and understanding of human subjectivity more thoroughly than before.
Evaluation of a Health Education Intervention to Improve Parental Knowledge and Attitudes About Chronic Stress and Depression Among Head Start Families
Authors: Guerrero Alma D. , Herman Ariella , Teutsch Carol , Dudovitz Rebecca
Published: December 2021

Background. Chronic stress and depression disproportionately affect families experiencing poverty, and likely contribute to disparities in early childhood developmental outcomes. Developing strategies to address chronic stress and depression may help mitigate these disparities. Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS) programs provide an important platform to address the disproportionate burden of stress and mental health issues experienced by EHS/HS families. However, few low-literacy, broad, scalable interventions improve parents’ knowledge and attitudes around these topics. Objectives. We examined parents’ knowledge and attitudes regarding stress and depression before and after a train-the-trainer (TTT) intervention delivered to 28 EHS/HS agencies across the United States. Methods. Following a TTT workshop, 18 agencies chose to deliver the stress training to 1,089 parents and 5 chose to deliver the depression training to 670 parents. Participating parents completed paper assessments at baseline and 3 months following the training. Paired T-tests and chi-square analyses tested whether responses significantly improved over time. Results. At baseline, 37.2% of parents reported feeling stressed most of the time and 13.4% reported feeling depressed most of the time. Following the trainings and reinforcement activities, parents’ knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behaviors significantly improved, including willingness to seek help for depression, avoidance of negative health-risk behaviors and utilization of healthy stress management practices. At follow up, 18.6% of parents reported feeling stressed most of the time and 11% reported feeling depressed. Conclusion. Findings suggest this low-literacy TTT approach is potentially a promising health promotion intervention with broad dissemination potential.
Clinical Utility of Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) in Carotid Artery Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Mishra B. , Pandit A. K. , Miyachi S. , Ohshima T. , Kawaguchi R. , Vishnu V. Y. , Misra S. , Srivastava M. V. P. , Srivastava A. K. , Kale S. S. , Phalak M.
Published: December 2021

Background:

Carotid plaque morphology plays an important role in determining outcome of carotid artery stenting (CAS). Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and its extension VH (Virtual Histology)-IVUS evaluate plaque characteristics in real time and guide decision making during stenting. To date, there is no consensus about indications of IVUS and its validated methods. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the clinical utility of IVUS in carotid artery interventions (CAS) and develop a future consensus for research and practice parameters.

Methods:

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed of the English literature articles published till February 2021. Studies reporting on IVUS parameters and findings and also its performance compared with other imaging modalities were included in review. Pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated. The statistical analysis was conducted in R version 3.6.2.

Results:

A total of 2015 patients from 29 studies were included. Proportional meta-analysis was performed on 1566 patients from 11 studies. In 9 studies, stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) had a pooled prevalence of 4% (95% CI 3%–5%) while asymptomatic stroke had a pooled prevalence of 46% (95% CI 31%–62%) in 4 studies following IVUS. Two studies reported that IVUS detected more plaque protrusion compared with angiography (n=33/396 vs 11/396). IVUS led to stent type or size change in 8 of 48 cases which were missed on angiography in 3 other studies. Concordance between VH-IVUS and true histology was good at 80% to 85% reported in 2 studies.

Conclusions:

This systematic review and meta-analysis showed, though IVUS fared better to computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance (MR) angiography for better stent selection during CAS, with low to moderate risk of bias in the studies included. However, large scale, preferably randomized controlled studies are needed to predict its role in determining clinical outcome.
Fate of the Dissected Thoraco-Abdominal Aorta Distal to TEVAR (Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair) for Complicated Acute and Subacute Type B Aortic Dissection
Authors: Nassib Jowan , Hireche Kheira , Ozdemir Baris Ata , Alric Pierre , Canaud Ludovic
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

This study assessed morphological changes in the aortic true and false lumens during follow-up of patients undergoing TEVAR (Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair) for complicated acute and subacute type B dissection. The study analyzes the effectiveness of TEVAR in preventing distal aneurysmal progression.

Materials and Methods:

All patients between 2009 and 2019 undergoing TEVAR for complicated acute and subacute type B dissection at the study institution were retrospectively reviewed. Maximal diameters were measured on the proximal descending aorta right below the left subclavian artery, thoraco-abdominal junction right above the celiac trunk, and infrarenal aortic right above the inferior mesenteric artery, pre-operatively and during follow-up, analyzing either expansion or shrinkage of true and false lumens at these 3 sites.

Results:

Forty-one patients were included. Thirty-day incidence of death, stroke, paraplegia, and visceral ischemia was, respectively, 8% (n = 4), 6% (n = 3), 2% (n = 1), and 2% (n = 1). Three patients (6%) died from intervention-related cause. Mortality was 17% (n = 8) during a mean follow-up of 54 months. One patient had aneurysmal dilation of the descending aorta needing additional coverage and only 2 (4%) developed thoraco-abdominal aneurysms requiring re-intervention. In the remaining patients, both significant expansion of the true lumen and shrinkage of false lumen were observed at all 3 sites.

Conclusion:

Proximal coverage of the main entry tear appears to prevent aneurysmal progression in most patients (96%). With such promising results, TEVAR should be considered as a first-line treatment in acute and subacute type B dissection.
Limb Ischemia Associated With Covid-19 and Its Treatment With Above-Knee Amputation
Authors: Üzümcügil Alaaddin Oktar , Demirkiran Nihat Demirhan , Öner Süleyman Kaan , Akkurt Alper , Alkan Çeviker Sevil
Published: December 2021

An 84-year-old male patient with no known comorbidity was admitted to the emergency department with complaints of dyspnea and respiratory distress. The patient was referred to the COVID outpatient clinic, laboratory and radiology tests were performed. Thoracic CT scan of the patient showed large peripheral patchy ground glass densities observed in the lower lobes of both lungs. CT imaging findings were evaluated by an experienced radiologist and reported as COVID-19 pneumonia. The patient, who was self-isolated at home for 5 days, presented to the emergency department again on the fifth day with complaints of respiratory distress, fever, bruising with cough, and loss of peripheral pulse in the left lower extremity. Necessary tests were performed on the patient. An above-knee amputation was performed when a diagnosis of limb ischemic necrosis was made and no revascularization attempt was considered by the CVS department. This case study describes the coexistence of sudden lower extremity thrombosis and Covid-19 in our case without a known chronic disease.
Maintaining Balance for Christian Counsellors When Work is a Calling
Authors: Frost Leanne , Gardner Dianne
Published: December 2021

This study examined how Christian Counsellors with a calling manage their work–non-work boundaries. A calling offers satisfaction, meaning and purpose but can lead to overwork. Using a qualitative approach with seven experienced counsellors, we identified demands that a calling can create, resources that counsellors use to manage these demands, and strategies for maintaining a balance between work and non-work. Maintaining balance required deliberate attention and giving oneself permission, and strategies were learned over time.
Unbalanced, Unfair, Unhappy, or Unable? Theoretical Integration of Multiple Processes Underlying the Leader Mistreatment-Employee CWB Relationship with Meta-Analytic Methods
Authors: Liang Lindie H. , Nishioka Midori , Evans Rochelle , Brown Douglas J. , Shen Winny , Lian Huiwen
Published: December 2021

Although a litany of theoretical accounts exists to explain why mistreated employees engage in counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs), little is known about whether these mechanisms are complementary or mutually exclusive, or the effect of context on their explanatory strength. To address these gaps, this meta-analytic investigation tests four theoretically-derived mechanisms simultaneously to explain the robust relationship between leader mistreatment and employee CWB: (1) a social exchange perspective, which argues that mistreated employees engage in negative reciprocal behaviors to counterbalance experienced mistreatment; (2) a justice perspective, whereby mistreated employees experience moral outrage and engage in retributive behaviors against the organization and its members; (3) a stressor-emotion perspective, which suggests that mistreated employees engage in CWBs to cope with their negative affect; and (4) a self-regulatory perspective, which proposes that mistreated employees are simply unable to inhibit undesirable behaviors. Moreover, we also examine whether the above model holds across cultures that vary on power distance. Our meta-analytic structural equation model demonstrated that all but the justice mechanism significantly mediated the relationship between leader mistreatment and employee CWBs, with negative affect emerging as the strongest explanatory mechanism in both high and low power distance cultures. Given these surprising results, as the stressor-emotion perspective is less frequently invoked in the literature, this paper highlights not only the importance of investigating multiple mechanisms together when examining the leader mistreatment-employee CWB relationship, but also the need to develop more nuanced theorizing about these mechanisms, particularly for negative affect.
Comparison of crossover and jab step start techniques in sprinting for football and handball players
Authors: Miyanishi Tomohisa , Chen Yifan , Shibayama Kazuhito , Nagahara Ryu
Published: December 2021

There are two techniques for a lateral sprint start: crossover (CS) and jab step (JS) starts. This study aimed to elucidate the difference in the CS and JS starts in terms of sprint performance and leg kinetics in athletes from ball-and-goal type sports (e.g. soccer and handball). Nineteen male athletes performed CS and JS starts, during which their motion and the force they applied to the ground were simultaneously recorded using a motion-capture system and two force platforms. The results showed that, although 5-m time via video analysis did not differ between CS and JS starts, forward velocity of centre of gravity (CG) and normalised average horizontal external power were greater for the JS start than the CS start. From waveform analysis, greater positive joint power in the sagittal plane leading to greater positive work in the JS start were found in the first three quarters of the push-off phase for rear hip extension and in the subsequent push-off phase for rear ankle plantar flexion. In conclusion, the results suggest that the JS start is superior to the CS start for start quickness, though the gains in the start did not appear to transfer to the 5-m performance. Moreover, greater positive joint power in the first three quarters of the push-off phase for the rear hip extension and in the subsequent push-off phase for the rear ankle plantar flexion were considered to be important contributing factors to the better performance of the JS start.
Regulating artificial intelligence in the EU: A risky game
Authors: Lilkov Dimitar
Published: December 2021

The EU continues its quest to draw the contours of innovative legislation for the digital domain. The European Commission’s draft Regulation on artificial intelligence (AI) is a clear departure from previous ‘soft’ attempts to set the rules through ethical principles and industry pledges. The EU aspires to be the first global player to adopt a comprehensive framework that classifies and regulates the roll-out of AI software and hardware within its internal market. The draft rules try to provide legal certainty for public and private bodies across the EU, while making sure that potential risks to its citizens are minimised. This article sketches out some of the most important provisions of the draft Regulation and tries to critically assess its potential shortcomings related to implementation and enforcement. The final version of the AI proposal should avoid the mistakes of previous attempts to draft transnational rules for the online space and establish a sufficiently flexible legal framework.
Ethics and governance in the digital age
Authors: Mišić Jana
Published: December 2021

This article argues that ethics need not be toothless or side-lined in the technology governance debates. Rather, moral evaluation is necessary, even when legal compliance is already possible. Moral evaluation supplies answers not only to what is legal or illegal, but also to what is good and better for society. The article first defends a pragmatist ethics approach to uncovering the inevitability of values and norms embedded in digital technologies and related to their design and use. It then makes the case for policymakers engaging in the anticipatory ethics of technology. This approach provides a toolbox to tackle moral dilemmas and better understand what trustworthiness and ethics mean in certain contexts. The convergence of ethics and policy is not only worth pursuing but a necessity for good technology governance if we are to achieve a Europe fit for the digital age.
Consumers’ Responses to Corporate Normalised Misconduct During an Industry-Wide Crisis: An Investigation in the Chinese Dairy Industry
Authors: Chen Shijiao (Joseph) , Gao Hongzhi , Zhang Jing A.
Published: December 2021

Industry-wide crises are rooted in institutional problems and can cause large-scale negative consequences. This study investigates consumer responses during industry-wide crises by considering micro-level psychological aspects of institutions – the processes in which individual consumers perceive, judge and respond to the affected industry as an institutional entity. Specifically, it examines how consumers’ perceptions of the normative and regulatory environments of the affected industry influence their purchase intentions through legitimacy judgement. A consumer survey ( n = 534) was conducted after an industry-wide crisis in the Chinese dairy market. The results show that a high degree of perceived normalised misconduct and insufficient governmental regulation propel consumers to form negative legitimacy judgements of institutions and decrease their purchase intentions. This study is one of the first to provide an integrative framework for understanding consumer psychological mechanisms during industry-wide crises. It contributes to integrating the perspectives of consumers’ micro-level psychological mechanisms with views from macro-institutional environments. The research provides implications for managing industry misconduct and industry-wide crises.
Facial Trauma During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Tipirneni Kiranya E. , Gemmiti Amanda , Arnold Mark A. , Suryadevara Amar
Published: December 2021

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the regional trends in facial trauma at a tertiary care, level 1 trauma center in Central New York.

Methods

The study sample was derived from the population of patients who presented with facial trauma to the emergency department at the Downtown and/or Community Campuses of SUNY Upstate University Hospital between March 1, 2020, and May 15, 2020, and compared to two historical controls in 2018 and 2019. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were calculated for study variables in each cohort. Poisson regression was used to compare incident rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals with significance set at P < .05.

Results

Sixty five patients presented during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 83 presented in 2019 and 95 in 2018. For the study period, the most common mechanism was assault in 47.7%. IRR was significantly lower than in 2018 (IRR = 1.46, P = .018), but not significantly different from 2019 (IRR = 1.28, P = .14). During lockdown, IRR was significantly decreased compared to 2019 (IRR = 1.84, P = .0029) and 2018 (IRR = 2.16, P < .001).

Conclusions

The volume of facial trauma seen in Central New York appears undeterred in the absence of “shelter in place” orders. Analysis of pandemic and regional trauma variations can offer valuable insight for improved resource allocation to better prepare for potentially high-risk procedures.
Should I Ask Over Zoom, Phone, Email, or In-Person? Communication Channel and Predicted Versus Actual Compliance
Authors: Roghanizad M. Mahdi , Bohns Vanessa K.
Published: December 2021

Research has found that people are much more likely to agree to help requests made in-person than those made via text-based media, but that help-seekers underestimate the relative advantage of asking for help face-to-face. It remains unknown what help-seekers’ intuitions about the effectiveness of richer media channels incorporating audio and video features might be, or how these intuitions would compare with the actual effectiveness of face-to-face or email versus rich media requests. In two behavioral and two supplemental vignette experiments, participants expected differences in the effectiveness of seeking help through various communication channels to be quite small, or nonexistent. However, when participants actually made requests, the differences were substantial. Ultimately, help-seekers underestimated the relative advantage of asking for help face-to-face compared with asking through any mediated channel. Help-seekers also underestimated the relative advantage of asking through richer media channels compared with email.
Significant other interactions in people with chronic low back pain: Subgrouping and multidimensional profiles
Authors: Rabey Martin , Buldo Brendan , Duesund Helland Magnus , Pang Courtenay , Kendell Michelle , Beales Darren
Published: December 2021

Background: Back pain is complex. Social support and significant other interactions influence the pain experience. Purpose: To statistically derive subgroups of people with chronic low back pain based upon their interactions with significant others, and profile subgroups across multidimensional variables. Research Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Study Sample: People with chronic axial low back pain ( n = 262). Data Collection and Analysis: Latent class analysis of significant other interaction data was used to derive subgroups of people with chronic low back pain. Subgroups were profiled across baseline multidimensional variables and one-year follow-up pain intensity, disability and bothersomeness. Results: Three clusters were identified: Cluster 1 (7.6%) characterised by the lowest distracting, punishing and solicitous interactions. Cluster 2 (16.0%) characterised by the highest distracting and solicitous responses and social support. Cluster 3 (76.3%) characterised by the highest punishing and lowest social support. Cluster 1 reported less disability than Clusters 2 and 3. Mindfulness was significantly different across all subgroups with Cluster 1 being most mindful and Cluster 3 least mindful. Depression, anxiety and stress were significantly higher in Cluster 3 than Cluster 1. Pain catastrophising was higher for Cluster 2 than Clusters 1 and 3. Cluster 2 had lower pressure pain threshold than Clusters 1 and 3. Conclusions: These results support the association between significant other interactions and the experience of back pain. Considering significant other interactions in clinical practice may be important for managing some people’s presentation.
The value of music in liberal arts education and integrating musicing into a music appreciation course
Authors: Yi Gina J
Published: December 2021

A liberal arts education for Christians is about finding God’s truth; therefore, Christian students need to be educated in a broad range of subjects, including music. While a music appreciation course is thought to be about gaining knowledge of music, some music scholars have pointed out that a music curriculum should involve students in experiencing the essence of music through doing. This article discusses God’s invitation for us to music and the value of music in a liberal arts education. In addition, it looks at the integration of a praxial approach (referred to here as musicing) in a music appreciation course.
Agrarian Studies and the Caste Conundrum
Authors: Jodhka Surinder S.
Published: December 2021

The article calls for a recognition of caste as a structuring reality of agrarian life in South Asia. Such a recognition may also have a larger and comparative bearing beyond India. The article also argues for a simultaneous recognition of the serious problems with the almost universally accepted “idealistic” conceptualizations of caste. Further, approaching caste as an aspect of land relations and the realities of economic processes would significantly enhance our understanding of its obvious materiality, which makes it persist in contemporary times. A widespread “blindness” towards caste in the agrarian studies and, likewise, the imaginations of caste primarily as a “religious” phenomenon have broader academic and political implications. Bringing them together would thus require a recognition and opening-up of this academic conundrum. A critical engagement with the disciplinary framings of agrarian studies and, perhaps more importantly, of caste studies is thus called for.
Land and Contestations over Autochthony and Local Citizenship in Agrarian Ghana
Authors: Torvikey Gertrude Dzifa
Published: December 2021

This article examines the reimagination of communities in an industrial cassava frontier of Ghana in the wake of a contested land grab supported by state and community institutions. Qualitative and survey data were used to construct the existing social relations in the communities through the lens of earlier processes of agrarian change that have transformed the social base of the communities. It is argued that the expansion of capitalist production systems into agrarian areas results in local citizenship contestations centered on land, and redefinition and reclassification of people and their access to land. The multiple claims and contestations that arose from the land grab and the political reactions from below are highlighted. It is further argued that differentiated dispossession and class differences determine the strategies used by affected people. While some farmers demonstrated agency by holding on to a “little pie” to enjoy greater community social cohesion, others, drawing from their local citizenship status, although contested, fought the land grab.
Fetal Occipital Encephalocele: A Case Report
Authors: Hogan Amanda , Ullmer Natalie
Published: December 2021

Encephaloceles are considered neural tube defects, but their exact cause is unknown. The outcome is dismal, and essential management and counseling are needed for patients. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional sonography can be used to detect encephaloceles as early as 11 weeks, assist in treatment planning, and improve patient care. This case report presents an occipital encephalocele diagnosed by sonography and followed until delivery.
Critical role of Lama4 for hematopoiesis regeneration and acute myeloid leukemia progression
Authors: Cai Huan , Kondo Makoto , Sandhow Lakshmi , Xiao Pingnan , Johansson Anne-Sofie , Sasaki Takako , Zawacka-Pankau Joanna , Tryggvason Karl , Ungerstedt Johanna , Walfridsson Julian , Ekblom Marja , Qian Hong
Published: December 2021

Impairment of normal hematopoiesis and leukemia progression are 2 well-linked processes during leukemia development and are controlled by the bone marrow (BM) niche. Extracellular matrix proteins, including laminin, are important BM niche components. However, their role in hematopoiesis regeneration and leukemia is unknown. Laminin α4 (Lama4), a major receptor-binding chain of several laminins, is altered in BM niches in mice with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). So far, the impact of Lama4 on leukemia progression remains unknown. We here report that Lama4 deletion in mice resulted in impaired hematopoiesis regeneration following irradiation-induced stress, which is accompanied by altered BM niche composition and inflammation. Importantly, in a transplantation-induced MLL-AF9 AML mouse model, we demonstrate accelerated AML progression and relapse in Lama4−/− mice. Upon AML exposure, Lama4−/− mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibited dramatic molecular alterations, including upregulation of inflammatory cytokines that favor AML growth. Lama4−/− MSCs displayed increased antioxidant activities and promoted AML stem cell proliferation and chemoresistance to cytarabine, which was accompanied by increased mitochondrial transfer from the MSCs to AML cells and reduced reactive oxygen species in AML cells in vitro. Similarly, we detected lower levels of reactive oxygen species in AML cells from Lama4−/− mice post–cytarabine treatment. Notably, LAMA4 inhibition or knockdown in human MSCs promoted human AML cell proliferation and chemoprotection. Together, our study for the first time demonstrates the critical role of Lama4 in impeding AML progression and chemoresistance. Targeting Lama4 signaling pathways may offer potential new therapeutic options for AML.
Chemokine CXCL1 as a potential marker of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Zeng Yanli , Lin Qiaoduan , Yu Liang , Wang Xuelian , Lin Yiqiang , Zhang Yan , Yan Shuidi , Lu Xinxin , Li Yijing , Li Weibin , Xiao Yun
Published: December 2021

Objectives

The chemokine CXCL1, known as growth-related oncogene α (GRO-α), is a potent chemoattractant and regulator of neutrophils. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the regulatory response of CXCL1 in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the active stage of disease and to assess whether it was implicated in the pathogenesis/inflammatory process in lupus.

Methods

CXCL1 serum concentrations were examined in 90 SLE patients, 56 other autoimmune diseases (OADs) patients and 100 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent methodology.

Results

SLE patients exhibited significant increases in serum CXCL1 concentrations [1492.86 (735.47–2887.34) pg/ml] compared with OADs patients [155.88 (10.77–366.78) pg/ml] and healthy controls [13.58 (8.46–37.22) pg/ml] (p < 0.001). Moreover, the level of CXCL1 decreased as the level of anti-dsDNA IgG decreased after treatment between the anti-dsDNA-positive SLE patients and the anti-dsDNA-negative SLE patients. Additionly, serum CXCL1 concentrations were related to different disease activity levels in SLE and lupus nephritis (LN) and high avidity of IgG ANAs (HA IgG ANAs) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, CXCL1 serum concentrations were significantly correlated with the SLE Disease Activity Index(SLEDAI) score, relative avidity index (RAI) of HA IgG ANAs and the levels of anti-dsDNA IgG, CRP, ESR, albumin, C3 and C4.Additionally, Statistical analysis revealed that positivity for IgG ANA (p < 0.001), the presence of HA IgG ANAs (p = 0.001) and the logarithmic level of anti-dsDNA IgG (p = 0.021) were significantly associated with the logarithmic level of CXCL1 with standard partial regression coefficients (95% CI) of 2.371 (1.734–3.009), 1.231 (0.52–1.937) and 0.409 (0.062–0.755), respectively. Finally, using cutoff points of 1182.17 pg/mL and 1500.31 pg/mL, serum CXCL1 levels had a similar sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 100% and 75% for the diagnosis of active SLE and LN, respectively.

Conclusions

Serum CXCL13 concentrations might represent a potential marker of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Independent and joint effects of high-sensitivity c-reactive protein and hypoalbuminemia on long-term all-cause mortality among coronary artery disease: a prospective and multicenter cohort study
Authors: Huang Haozhang , Yu Yaren , Chen Liling , Chen Shiqun , Tang Ronghui , Li Qiang , Wei Wen , Bao Kunming , Huang Zhidong , Lai Wenguang , Wang Bo , Tan Ning , Chen Jiyan , Liu Jin , Liu Yong
Published: December 2021

Background

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) plays an important role in hypoalbuminemia as a representative of inflammation, which is closely associated with poor prognosis among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study aimed to evaluate the independent and joint effects of high hs-CRP levels and hypoalbuminemia on long-term mortality among CAD patients.

Methods

A total of 1449 CAD patients were included from a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study (REICIN, NCT01402232) of patients referred for coronary angiography (CAG). The primary endpoint was long-term all-cause death.

Results

During a median follow-up of 2.9 (2.0–3.0) years, a total of 107 (7.4%) patients died. The long-term mortality was higher among CAD patients with high hs-CRP levels (> 3 mg/L) than those with the low hs-CRP levels (≤ 3 mg/L; 10.7% versus 4.1%; hazard ratio [HR] 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48–4.17). Similarly, CAD patients with hypoalbuminemia had higher mortality than those without hypoalbuminemia (12.2% versus 4.9%; HR 1.93; 95% CI 1.20–3.08). When hs-CRP and albumin were combined, CAD patients with high hs-CRP levels (> 3 mg/L) and with hypoalbuminemia were at the highest risk of death compared with their reference group (hs-CRP ≤ 3 mg/L and albumin > 35 g/L; HR 3.79; 95% CI 1.91–7.52).

Conclusions

High hs-CRP levels and hypoalbuminemia were independently and jointly associated with long-term mortality among CAD patients. Patients with high hs-CRP levels and hypoalbuminemia had the highest risk of long-term mortality compared with other groups.
Campylobacter fetus subspecies venerealis meningitis associated with a companion dog in a young adult: a case report
Authors: Seong Yeol Jung , Lee Seung Hun , Kim Eun Jin , Choi Young Hwa , Kim Tae-Joon , Lee Wee Gyo , Heo Jung Yeon
Published: December 2021

Background

Campylobacter spp., common commensals in the gastrointestinal tract of animals, especially poultry, can cause acute gastrointestinal illness in humans through animal-to-human transmission. Although Campylobacter fetus, especially subspecies fetus, rarely leads to systemic infections such as bacteremia in immunocompromised patients, it is unclear whether Campylobacter fetus subspecies venerealis (Cfv) causes infectious diseases in humans.

Case presentation

A 28-year-old man with a history of chronic alcoholism visited the emergency department with weakness of the left extremities. The patient was clinically diagnosed with community-acquired bacterial meningitis. The organism from the blood culture was subsequently identified as Campylobacter fetus. On phylogenetic analysis, the 16S rRNA sequence showed 99.93% similarity with other Cfv 16S rRNA sequences. The patient had no exposure to identifiable sources except for close contact with a companion dog, which could have been a possible source of transmission.

Conclusions

This case suggests that Cfv could lead to human systemic infections such as meningitis and that companion animals, in addition to well-known animal hosts, could be sources of transmission.
Cholera outbreak caused by drinking unprotected well water contaminated with faeces from an open storm water drainage: Kampala City, Uganda, January 2019
Authors: Eurien Daniel , Mirembe Bernadette Basuta , Musewa Angella , Kisaakye Esther , Kwesiga Benon , Ogole Francis , Ayen Daniel Okello , Kadobera Daniel , Bulage Lilian , Ario Alex Riolexus , Zhu Bao-Ping
Published: December 2021

Background

Kampala city slums, with one million dwellers living in poor sanitary conditions, frequently experience cholera outbreaks. On 6 January 2019, Rubaga Division notified the Uganda Ministry of Health of a suspected cholera outbreak in Sembule village. We investigated to identify the source and mode of transmission, and recommended evidence-based interventions.

Methods

We defined a suspected case as onset of profuse, painless, acute watery diarrhoea in a Kampala City resident (≥ 2 years) from 28 December 2018 to 11 February 2019. A confirmed case was a suspected case with Vibrio cholerae identified from the patient’s stool specimen by culture. We found cases by record review and active community case-finding. We conducted a case–control study in Sembule village, the epi-center of this outbreak, to compare exposures between confirmed case-persons and asymptomatic controls, individually matched by age group. We overlaid rainfall data with the epidemic curve to identify temporal patterns between rain and illnesses. We conducted an environmental assessment, interviewed village local council members, and tested water samples from randomly-selected households and water sources using culture and PCR to identify V. cholerae.

Results

We identified 50 suspected case-patients, with three deaths (case-fatality rate: 6.0%). Of 45 case-patients with stool samples tested, 22 were confirmed positive for V. cholerae O1, serotype Ogawa. All age groups were affected; persons aged 5–14 years had the highest attack rate (AR) (8.2/100,000). The epidemic curve showed several point-source outbreaks; cases repeatedly spiked immediately following rainfall. Sembule village had a token-operated water tap, which had broken down 1 month before the outbreak, forcing residents to obtain water from one of three wells (Wells A, B, C) or a public tap. Environmental assessment showed that residents emptied their feces into a drainage channel connected to Well C. Drinking water from Well C was associated with illness (ORM–H = 21, 95% CI 4.6–93). Drinking water from a public tap (ORM–H = 0.07, 95% CI 0.014–0.304) was protective. Water from a container in one of eight households sampled tested positive for V. cholerae; water from Well C had coliform counts ˃ 900/100 ml.

Conclusions

Drinking contaminated water from an unprotected well was associated with this cholera outbreak. We recommended emergency chlorination of drinking water, fixing the broken token tap, and closure of Well C.
In vivo confocal microscopy qualitative investigation of the relationships between lattice corneal dystrophy deposition and corneal nerves
Authors: Zhu Fengjiao , Li Ming , Zhang Chun , Chen Chan , Ying Fangwei , Nie Danyao
Published: December 2021

Background

To investigate the corneal neurotropic phenomenon in patients with lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD) with in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy (IVCM).

Methods

IVCM was performed on a total of 15 patients (28 eyes) with LCD annually at a follow-up. A collection of the data was acquired to be analyzed.

Results

As indicated by the analysis, the LCD patients’ normal corneal stromal nerves (Grade 0) presented a decline with the prolongation of the follow-ups, corresponding to a gradual increase in grade I and II involving amyloid-wrapped nerve fibers, which demonstrated that the growing amount of amyloid deposit due to the corneal nerve invasion increased slowly over time.

Conclusions

The neurotropic phenomenon could increase with its severity in the corneal lesion of the patients with LCD, and also reflect the distribution of the corneal nerves, to some extent. IVCM provides a rapid, noninvasive way to observe the corneal nerves, which can be an efficient means of better understanding the development of LCD.
Xen45 gel stent ab interno trimming for ostium occlusion: case report
Authors: Tatti Filippo , Gentile Pietro , Mangoni Lorenzo , Demarinis Giuseppe , Napoli Pietro , Fossarello Maurizio
Published: December 2021

Background

Despite the XEN gel stent low-risk profile, various complications following the implant have been described, including internal and external occlusion, with a consequent postoperative rise in intraocular pressure (IOP). In this case report we aimed to present a XEN45 stent internal occlusion successfully treated by trimming in situ its proximal end with a 25 G vitreous scissors using a bimanual technique.

Case presentation

A 63-year-old male patient affected by primary open angle glaucoma (IOP = 25 mmHg) and a full thickness macular hole in his right eye, underwent ab-interno Xen gel stent implantation and, 1 month later, a 25 G vitrectomy surgery. Despite a significant IOP reduction after stent implant, 6 days after vitrectomy, IOP increased (25 mmHg) and the conjunctival bleb flattened following occlusion of stent internal ostium by a clot of presumed fibrinous material. The Nd:YAG laser failed to remove the clot, so that we decided to snip a small bit of the proximal end of the Xen tube (about 0,5 mm length) with a 25 G vitreous scissors, using a bimanual technique. In the postoperative day 1 and month 1, the IOP was 8 mmHg and 12 mmHg, respectively. The Anterior Segment OCT confirmed a functional, layered, filtering bleb, and the normal appearance and patency of the XEN proximal segment. No side effects from the intervention were observed.

Conclusions

Ab interno trimming with vitreous scissors of the occluded proximal end of the XEN stent may represent a safe, rapid and efficient method to restore aqueous humor subconjunctival drainage.