bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Admission Lung Ultrasound and Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Pressure in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Neves de Araujo Gustavo , Beltrame Rafael , Pinheiro Machado Guilherme , Luchese Custodio Julia , Zimerman Andre , Donelli da Silveira Anderson , Scolari Fernado Luís , Corsetti Bergoli Luiz Carlos , Gonçalves Sandro Cadaval , Pereira Lima Marques Felipe , Fuchs Felipe Costa , Vugman Wainstein Marco , Vugman Wainstein Rodrigo
Published: April 2021

Background:

Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) is related to ventricular dysfunction and increased retrograde pulmonary capillary pressure. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a sensitive and easy-to-use method for assessment of pulmonary congestion. Both methods have shown prognostic value in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. Our aim was to evaluate the correlation between LVEDP and bedside LUS and to compare their prognostic value in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods:

Prospective cohort study of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction patients treated in a tertiary care hospital in Brazil. LUS was performed immediately before coronary angiography. LVEDP was recorded before primary percutaneous coronary intervention, blinded to LUS results. Primary outcome was any in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event, defined as in-hospital mortality, new myocardial infarction, stroke, and new cardiogenic shock.

Results:

In total, 218 patients were included; their mean age was 60 (±12) years, and 64% were men. Cardiogenic shock was present in 16.5% of patients on admission. Overall in-hospital mortality was 15%. Median LVEDP was 19 mm Hg (interquartile range, 13–28); median LUS zones positive for pulmonary congestion were 1/patient (interquartile range, 0–5); Spearman correlation between them was 0.33 (
P
<0.001). LVEDP and LUS C statistic for in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event was 0.63 ([95% CI, 0.55–0.70]
P
=0.002) and 0.71 ([95% CI, 0.64–0.77]
P
<0.001), respectively. In multivariable analysis, LUS remained associated with in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event (odds ratio, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.06–1.23];
P
=0.01) for every positive LUS zone; LVEDP, however, did not (odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.99–1.03];
P
=0.23).

Conclusions:

We found a weak correlation between LVEDP and LUS in our cohort of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Pulmonary congestion in acute heart failure is a complex pathophysiological process and goes beyond fluid overload and hemodynamics. Unlike LVEDP, LUS was significantly associated with in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event, new cardiogenic shock, and in-hospital mortality in multivariable analysis.

Graphic Abstract:

A
graphic abstract
is available for this article.
Time-Dependent Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Primary Aldosteronism After Medical or Surgical Treatment Initiation
Authors: Kim Kyoung Jin , Hong Namki , Yu Min Heui , Lee Hokyou , Lee Seunghyun , Lim Jung Soo , Rhee Yumie
Published: April 2021

Increased risk of atrial fibrillation was reported in patients with primary aldosteronism. However, data are limited regarding the time-dependent risk of atrial fibrillation in surgically or medically treated primary aldosteronism. From the National Health Insurance Claim database in Korea (2003–2017), a total of 1418 patients with primary aldosteronism (adrenalectomy [ADX], n=755, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist n=663) were age- and sex-matched at a 1:5 ratios to patients with essential hypertension (n=7090). Crude incidence of new onset atrial fibrillation was 2.96% in primary aldosteronism and 1.97% in essential hypertension. Because of nonproportional hazard observed in new onset atrial fibrillation, analysis time was split at 3 years. Compared with essential hypertension, risk of new onset atrial fibrillation peaked at 1 year gradually declined but remained elevated up to 3 years in overall treated primary aldosteronism (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.02;
P
<0.001) as well as in both ADX (aHR, 3.54;
P
<0.001) and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist groups (aHR 2.27;
P
=0.031), which became comparable to essential hypertension afterward in both groups (ADX aHR, 0.38;
P
=0.102; mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist aHR, 0.60;
P
=0.214). Nonetheless, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist group was associated with increased risk of nonfatal stroke (aHR, 1.21;
P
=0.031) compared with essential hypertension, whereas ADX was not (aHR, 1.26;
P
=0.288). Our results suggest the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation remained elevated up to 3 years in treated primary aldosteronism compared with essential hypertension, which declined to comparable risk in essential hypertension thereafter. Monitoring for atrial fibrillation up to 3 years after treatment, particularly ADX, might be warranted.
Effect of Increased Potassium Intake on Adrenal Cortical and Cardiovascular Responses to Angiotensin II: A Randomized Crossover Study
Authors: Dreier Rasmus , Andersen Ulrik B. , Forman Julie L. , Sheykhzade Majid , Egfjord Martin , Jeppesen Jørgen L.
Published: April 2021

Background

Increased potassium intake lowers blood pressure in patients with hypertension, but increased potassium intake also elevates plasma concentrations of the blood pressure‐raising hormone aldosterone. Besides its well‐described renal effects, aldosterone is also believed to have vascular effects, acting through mineralocorticoid receptors present in endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, although mineralocorticoid receptors‐independent actions are also thought to be involved.

Methods and Results

To gain further insight into the effect of increased potassium intake and potassium‐stimulated hyperaldosteronism on the human cardiovascular system, we conducted a randomized placebo‐controlled double‐blind crossover study in 25 healthy normotensive men, where 4 weeks treatment with a potassium supplement (90 mmol/day) was compared with 4 weeks on placebo. At the end of each treatment period, we measured potassium and aldosterone in plasma and performed an angiotensin II (AngII) infusion experiment, during which we assessed the aldosterone response in plasma. Hemodynamics were also monitored during the AngII infusion using ECG, impedance cardiography, finger plethysmography (blood pressure‐monitoring), and Doppler ultrasound. The study showed that higher potassium intake increased plasma potassium (mean±SD, 4.3±0.2 versus 4.0±0.2 mmol/L;
P
=0.0002) and aldosterone (median [interquartile range], 440 [336–521] versus 237 [173–386] pmol/L;
P
<0.0001), and based on a linear mixed model for repeated measurements, increased potassium intake potentiated AngII‐stimulated aldosterone secretion (
P
=0.0020). In contrast, the hemodynamic responses (blood pressure, total peripheral resistance, cardiac output, and renal artery blood flow) to AngII were similar after potassium and placebo.

Conclusions

Increased potassium intake potentiates AngII‐stimulated aldosterone secretion without affecting systemic cardiovascular hemodynamics in healthy normotensive men.

Registration

EudraCT Number: 2013‐004460‐66; URL:
https://www.ClinicalTrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02380157.
Rotigaptide Infusion for the First 7 Days After Myocardial Infarction–Reperfusion Reduced Late Complexity of Myocardial Architecture of the Healing Border‐Zone and Arrhythmia Inducibility
Authors: Chowdhury Rasheda A. , Debney Michael T. , Protti Andrea , Handa Balvinder S. , Patel Kiran H. K. , Lyon Alexander R. , Shah Ajay M. , Ng Fu Siong , Peters Nicholas S.
Published: April 2021

Background

Survivors of myocardial infarction are at increased risk of late ventricular arrhythmias, with infarct size and scar heterogeneity being key determinants of arrhythmic risk. Gap junctions facilitate the passage of small ions and morphogenic cell signaling between myocytes. We hypothesized that gap junctions enhancement during infarction–reperfusion modulates structural and electrophysiological remodeling and reduces late arrhythmogenesis.

Methods and Results

Infarction–reperfusion surgery was carried out in male Sprague‐Dawley rats followed by 7 days of rotigaptide or saline administration. The in vivo and ex vivo arrhythmogenicity was characterized by programmed electrical stimulation 3 weeks later, followed by diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging and Masson's trichrome histology. Three weeks after 7‐day postinfarction administration of rotigaptide, ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation was induced on programmed electrical stimulation in 20% and 53% of rats, respectively (rotigaptide versus control), resulting in reduction of arrhythmia score (3.2 versus 1.4,
P
=0.018), associated with the reduced magnetic resonance imaging parameters fractional anisotropy (fractional anisotropy: −5% versus −15%;
P
=0.062) and mean diffusivity (mean diffusivity: 2% versus 6%,
P
=0.042), and remodeling of the 3‐dimensional laminar structure of the infarct border zone with reduction of the mean (16° versus 19°,
P
=0.013) and the dispersion (9° versus 12°,
P
=0.015) of the myofiber transverse angle. There was no change in ECG features, spontaneous arrhythmias, or mortality.

Conclusions

Enhancement of gap junctions function by rotigaptide administered during the early healing phase in reperfused infarction reduces later complexity of infarct scar morphology and programmed electrical stimulation–induced arrhythmias, and merits further exploration as a feasible and practicable intervention in the acute myocardial infarction management to reduce late arrhythmic risk.
Association of Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness and Other Carotid Ultrasound Features With Incident Dementia in the ARIC‐NCS
Authors: Wang Wendy , Norby Faye L. , George Kristen M. , Alonso Alvaro , Mosley Thomas H. , Gottesman Rebecca F. , Meyer Michelle L. , Lutsey Pamela L.
Published: April 2021

Background

Increased carotid intima‐media thickness, interadventitial diameter, presence of carotid plaque, and lower distensibility are predictors for cardiovascular disease. These indices likely relate to cerebrovascular disease, and thus may constitute a form of vascular contributions to dementia and Alzheimer disease–related dementia. Therefore, we assessed the relationship of carotid measurements and arterial stiffness with incident dementia in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study.

Methods and Results

A total of 12 459 ARIC participants with carotid arterial ultrasounds in 1990 to 1992 were followed through 2017 for dementia. Dementia cases were identified using in‐person and phone cognitive status assessments, hospitalization discharge codes, and death certificate codes. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for incident dementia. Participants were aged 57±6 at baseline, 57% were women, and 23% were Black individuals. Over a median follow‐up time of 24 years, 2224 dementia events were ascertained. After multivariable adjustments, the highest quintile of carotid intima‐media thickness and interadventitial diameter in midlife was associated with increased risk of dementia (HR [95% CIs], 1.25 [1.08–1.45]; and 1.22 [1.04–1.43], respectively) compared with its respective lowest quintile. Presence of carotid plaque did not have a significant association with dementia (HR [95% CI], 1.06 [0.97–1.15]). Higher distensibility was associated with lower risk of dementia (HR [95% CI] highest versus lowest quintile, 0.76 [0.63–0.91]).

Conclusions

Greater carotid intima‐media thickness, interadventitial diameter, and lower carotid distensibility are associated with an increased risk of incident dementia. These findings suggest that both atherosclerosis and carotid stiffness may be implicated in dementia risk.
Reporting China
Authors: Hu (胡博林) Bolin
Published: April 2021

This article explores how Chinese-language newspapers in Australia reported on China in the period 1931–37. These newspapers made efforts to build support for the Sino-Japanese war and influence Chinese residents in Australia. However, they offered contrasting views of the Chinese government ruled by the Kuomintang. The Tung Wah Times, along with the Chinese World’s News, continued to publish anti-Chiang Kai-shek propaganda, arguing for a strong anti-Japanese resistance. But the Chinese Republic News and the Chinese Times demonstrated support for and understanding of the Chiang government’s dilemma, though the political position of the former was much more fluid. The divergent views revealed the multiple loyalties of Chinese residents in Australia and their active community politics when their population in Australia was declining, and it was a reminder that the diasporic community cannot be homogenized with a collective concept of a “country.” It also reflected their shared identification with the Chinese nation, showing different approaches to building up a strong home country. By shaping their readerships’ Chinese patriotism and nationalism, these Chinese-language newspapers strengthened the connection and allegiances between Chinese in Australia and their homeland.
Holding Up Half the Family
Authors: Williams (韋邁高) Michael
Published: April 2021

The Chinese diaspora seen as a movement, at least in the years before the mid-twentieth century, is characterised largely as one of men. But the majority of these men stayed in close connection with an equally great, if not larger, group of women who remained at home in their south China villages. It is argued here that the role and significance of these women of the villages in the Chinese diaspora has been greatly under-researched. It is also argued that such neglect has meant that too great an emphasis has been put in the literature on leaving and settlement, as opposed to remaining and returning. Life for these women in the villages was one dependent on remittances, which in turn was a mixture of relative wealth and poverty, dependence and independence, authority and anxiety, and loneliness and freedom. It is concluded that the integration of half the participants in the Chinese diaspora – in so far as our largely male-based sources allow – into the literature of the Chinese overseas has much to offer in terms of our interpretation of the impact of the restrictive laws of the white-settler nations and of the motivations of those who returned to the villages and of those who did not.
Employment among female immigrants to Europe
Authors: Blekesaune Morten
Published: April 2021

This article investigates how cultural factors might affect the employment of female immigrants to Europe. Cultural factors include the characteristics of individual women, their countries of origin in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the European regions where they reside. Data are from the European Social Survey (2002 to 2019) and various international organisations. Employment is predicted by educational level and religiosity, religious composition of the country of origin, and rates of unemployment in the region of residence. Less educated immigrants from Muslim countries have particularly low employment rates. Contrary to expectations, the employment of female immigrants seems unaffected by overall female employment rates in the region of residence, and correlation with female employment in the country of origin disappears when controlling for its religious composition. The findings for cultural factors are consistent with theories about transculturation and also with theories about religion and moral orders. They are less consistent with a standard acculturation model hitherto popular in the research literature.
Patterns of Care and Outcomes of Primary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Trachea
Authors: Behbahani Sara , Barinsky Gregory L. , Wassef David , Paskhover Boris , Kaye Rachel
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Primary tracheal malignancies are relatively rare cancers, representing 0.1% to 0.4% of all malignancies. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the second most common histology of primary tracheal malignancy, after squamous cell carcinoma. This study aims to analyze demographic characteristics and potential influencing factors on survival of tracheal ACC (TACC).

Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study utilizing the National Cancer Database (NCDB). The NCDB was queried for all cases of TACC diagnosed from 2004 to 2016 (n = 394). Kaplan-Meier (KM) and Cox proportional-hazards models were used to determine clinicopathological and treatment factors associated with survival outcomes.

Results:

Median age of diagnosis was 56 (IQR: 44.75-66.00). Females were affected slightly more than males (53.8% vs 46.2%). The most prevalent tumor diameter range was 20 to 39 mm (34.8%) followed by greater than 40 mm in diameter (17.8%). Median overall survival (OS) was 9.72 years with a 5- and 10-year OS of 70% and 47.5%, respectively. Localized disease was not associated with a survival benefit over invasive disease ( P = .388). The most common intervention was surgery combined with radiation therapy (RT) at 46.2%, followed by surgery alone (16.8%), and standalone RT (8.9%). When adjusting for confounders, surgical resection was independently associated with improved OS (HR 0.461, 95% CI 0.225-0.946). Tumor size greater than 40 mm was independently associated with worse OS (HR 2.808; 95% CI 1.096-7.194).

Conclusion:

Our data suggests that surgical resection, possibly in conjunction with radiation therapy, is associated with improved survival, and tumor larger than 40 mm are associated with worse survival.
Whither European diplomacy? Long-term trends and the impact of the Lisbon Treaty
Authors: Bicchi Federica , Schade Daniel
Published: April 2021

The article analyses the evolution of European diplomacy over two decades, to assess the impact of the European External Action Service (EEAS) creation alongside consecutive waves of enlargement. Data is drawn from two original datasets about European Union (EU) member states’ diplomatic representations within the EU and across the globe. It shows that member states have maintained and strengthened their substantial diplomatic footprint across the EU’s territory, expanding it to include new members and making Brussels a diplomatic hub also for non-member countries. In parallel, and despite the establishment of the EEAS, member states have maintained and even increased their networks of diplomatic representations across the globe, alongside more numerous and more politically active EU Delegations (EUDs). At the same time, member states have been reducing their diplomats’ numbers, as the cases of Austria, France, Germany and Italy show. This delicate balancing act has been made possible not only by contemporary technological developments, but also by European cooperation, as in the case of EUDs hosting member states’ representations in non-member countries, a development referred to as co-location. Therefore, whereas the continued presence of national embassies on the ground could be interpreted as detracting from the EEAS, the existence of EUDs contributes also to other, more indirect but certainly novel, forms of diplomatic cooperation under a single European roof.
Disciplinary Confinement and Misconduct Patterns: An Examination of Gendered Effects
Authors: Toman Elisa L.
Published: April 2021

Reducing misconduct is a critical mechanism to maintaining prison safety. Disciplinary confinement constitutes one tool used by the corrections system to achieve this goal. Only a handful of studies explore how disciplinary confinement works and fewer examine whether this punishment exerts variable impacts on women. This paper will address this research gap by providing a systematic assessment of the effect of exposure to and length of disciplinary confinement on misconduct patterns with a focus on gender, using a longitudinal dataset, and random effects regression analyses. Results find disciplinary confinement has little deterrent effect on misconduct but gender variation exists. Implications for theory, research, and policy related to the relationship between in-prison penalties, misbehavior, and the gendered prison experience are discussed.
Parental Depression and Contextual Selection: The Case of School Choice
Authors: Schachner Jared N.
Published: April 2021

Parental depression constricts children’s development, but the mechanisms implicated—beyond daily parenting tactics—remain unknown. Today, parents must evaluate and select environmental contexts for child-rearing within increasingly complex residential and educational markets. Depression may hamper parents’ abilities to navigate this terrain, constraining information collection and impairing child-oriented decision-making. In turn, depressed parents’ children may lack access to developmentally enriching neighborhood, school, and child care settings. K–12 school sorting offers a strategic case to assess these expectations, given proliferating nontraditional options and school quality data. Analyses using the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (N = 2,754) linked to administrative data suggest that depressed parents’ children attend magnet, charter, or private schools at lower rates than similarly situated children of nondepressed parents; depression-based disparities appear largest among Latino and Black families. The study motivates future research examining whether the depression-contextual selection link mediates intergenerational processes and exacerbates segregation.
An Examination of Barriers and Facilitators of Job Satisfaction and Job Tenure Among Persons With Disability in South Korea
Authors: Eissenstat SunHee J. , Lee Yunsoo , Hong Sojung
Published: April 2021

The purpose of the study is to investigate the barriers to and facilitators of job tenure among persons with disabilities (PWD), using the theory of work adjustment, which explains that the correspondence between person and environment predicts job satisfaction and consequently job tenure. This study utilized the ninth Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled (PSED) data set compiled from 1,755 employees with disabilities in South Korea in 2016. The results show that education-level match and aptitude match are associated with job satisfaction, whereas the effect of job–skill match on job satisfaction was not significant. Job discrimination experience and accessible work facilities were significantly related to job satisfaction, which is a significant predictor of job tenure.
Predictive control for indoor environment based on thermal adaptation
Authors: Xu Xinyin , Fu Baochuan , Wu Zhengtian , Sun Guang
Published: April 2021

Previous studies show that the indoor environment quality (IEQ) of buildings directly affects human health and comfort. This study aims to predict the change of indoor parameters at the next moment under the influences of the current indoor climate and outdoor climate and control the IEQ parameters based on the human thermal adaption in advance. We combine the simulation and the mathematical method to establish the office building model with air-conditioning and lighting systems and construct the bilinear model of the IEQ parameters and control variables. Unknown parameters are identified using the experimental method. Model predictive control (MPC) based on human thermal comfort is discussed by considering human thermal adaptation, and the neutral temperature is calculated through the dynamic relationship between outdoor and indoor temperatures. Results show that the temperature setpoint is adjusted in accordance with human adaptability, and the air-conditioning, fan, and lighting systems are controlled via MPC. The usage time of air-conditioning and light is reduced, and thus, energy is saved.
A Comparison of the United States and Austrian Healthcare Needs and Systems
Authors: McAlister Margaret , Helton Joey D.
Published: April 2021

Austria and the United States have very different healthcare systems with Austria following a social insurance model and the United States following an out of pocket model however;gross domestic product on healthcare expenditures. There is a current gap in literature on how the United States and Austrian healthcare systems comparatively impact patient outcomes, especially when considering the mediating effects of societal norms such as exercise and mental self-care habits. The information presented could benefit the United States healthcare system if they adopted Austria’s model, which expands access, and the Austrian healthcare system regulators could look to American standards of communication and care coordination to improve their healthcare system overall.
Multi-unmanned aerial vehicle swarm formation control using hybrid strategy
Authors: Ali Zain Anwar , Zhangang Han
Published: April 2021

This study proposes a novel hybrid strategy for formation control of a swarm of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). To enhance the fitness function of the formation, this research offers a three-dimensional formation control for a swarm using particle swarm optimization (PSO) with Cauchy mutant (CM) operators. We use CM operators to enhance the PSO algorithm by examining the varying fitness levels of the local and global optimal solutions for UAV formation control. We establish the terrain and the fixed-wing UAV model. Furthermore, it also models different control parameters of the UAV as well. The enhanced hybrid algorithm not only quickens the convergence rate but also improves the solution optimality. Lastly, we carry out the simulations for the multi-UAV swarm under terrain and radar threats and the simulation results prove that the hybrid method is effective and gives better fitness function.
When heroes moonlight as graduate students: Accommodating those called into public service after the Hurricane Harvey disaster
Authors: Abernathy Jacqueline H
Published: April 2021

This study evaluates faculty efforts to accommodate graduate students in the Tarleton State University Masters of Public Administration and Masters of Criminal Justice programs called away from classes in the first weeks of the 2017 academic year as disaster responders called into duty by Hurricane Harvey. The evaluation employed a theoretical process map to track each case (student class experience) through action steps and corresponding variables related to implementation and intervention. The analysis found that although accommodations (e.g., flexible due dates, condensed content, and self-paced learning) worked in every case, only 77% of cases used them. The omission of use in the other 23% cases was due to implementation error, a lack of awareness regarding student needs, and a bilateral failure of initiative where faculty failed to offer solutions and students to request them. It concludes with ways in which faculty can remedy this by raising awareness and taking the initiative themselves.
Exploring change in networks supporting the deliberate practice of popular musicians
Authors: Längler Manuel , Brouwer Jasperina , Timmermans Anneke , Gruber Hans
Published: April 2021

Popular musicians are embedded in dynamic networks supporting their expertise development across different phases. During these phases, network actors support different aspects of deliberate practice in which a musician needs to engage to become an expert. Research in the domain of music is scarce in terms of investigating the change in the supportive networks of deliberate practice over time. Semi-structured interviews with five expert and five intermediate popular musicians were used to explore changes in networks supporting the deliberate practice during their childhood, apprenticeship, and career phases. Egocentric network analysis revealed that networks supporting the deliberate practice of expert musicians are more dynamic and less stable when considering the different phases than the networks of intermediates. In addition, experts are supported by a larger number of network actors during the developmental phases. In both groups, the number of network actors decreased as the musicians progressed through the phases. This decrease was more precipitous between the childhood and apprenticeship phases. Overall, expertise development as a popular musician depends not only on deliberate practice but also on the diversity and change in an adaptive support network from childhood to adulthood.
Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis Contributes Little to Change In Vivo Kinematics After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Chiba Daisuke , Gale Tom , Nishida Kyohei , Suntaxi Felipe , Lesniak Bryson P. , Fu Freddie H. , Anderst William , Musahl Volker
Published: April 2021

Background:

Lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) in combination with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) has been proposed to improve residual rotatory knee instability in patients having ACL deficiency.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose was to compare the effects of isolated ACLR (iACLR) versus LET in combination with ACLR (ACLR+LET) on in vivo kinematics during downhill running. It was hypothesized that ACLR+LET would reduce the internal rotation of the reconstructed knee in comparison with iACLR.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 18 patients with ACL deficiency were included. All participants were randomly assigned to receive ACLR+ LET or iACLR during surgery. Six months and 12 months after surgery, knee joint motion during downhill running was measured using dynamic biplane radiography and a validated registration process that matched patient-specific 3-dimensional bone models to synchronized biplane radiographs. Anterior tibial translation (ATT; positive value means “anterior translation”) and tibial rotation (TR) relative to the femur were calculated for both knees. The side-to-side differences (SSDs) in kinematics were also calculated (operated knee–contralateral healthy knee). The SSD value was compared between ACLR+LET and iACLR groups using a Mann-Whitney U test.

Results:

At 6 months after surgery, the SSD of ATT in patients who had undergone ACLR+LET (–1.9 ± 2.0 mm) was significantly greater than that in patients who had undergone iACLR (0.9 ± 2.3 mm) at 0% of the gait cycle (foot strike) ( P = .031). There was no difference in ATT 12 months after surgery. Regarding TR, there were no differences between ACLR+LET and iACLR at either 6 months ( P value range, .161-.605) or 12 months ( P value range, .083-.279) after surgery.

Conclusion:

LET in combination with ACLR significantly reduced ATT at the instant of foot strike during downhill running at 6 months after surgery. However, this effect was not significant at 12 months after surgery. The addition of LET to ACLR had no effect on TR at both 6 and 12 months after surgery.

Clinical Relevance:

LET in combination with ACLR may stabilize sagittal knee motion during downhill running in the early postoperation phase, but according to this study, it has no effect on 12-month in vivo kinematics.

Registration:

NCT02913404 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier)
The use of urban biowaste and excavated soil in the construction sector: A literature review
Authors: Scialpi Giulia , Perrotti Daniela
Published: April 2021

Soil has been used as building material for thousands of years with a decrease in popularity after the industrial revolution. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in the implementation of unfired soil-based building solutions for their low environmental impact, performances and availability. Traditional soil construction techniques have recurrently included vegetal fibres to enhance soil performance and recent studies highlight a predominant use of agro- and non-agro-waste for unfired soil construction. The article reviews the state-of-the-art of the use of excavated soil and biowaste in the construction industry including a novel focus on urban-only waste and on building technologies using the integration of these two secondary construction material flows. Our literature review highlights a lack of references about the joint use of these secondary resources. Finally, future research orientations are suggested to promote their implementation in the building sector, which could improve urban waste management.
Kohlschütter-Tönz Syndrome With a Novel ROGD1 Variant in 3 Individuals: A Rare Clinical Entity
Authors: Akgün-Doğan Özlem , Simsek-Kiper Pelin Ozlem , Taşkıran Ekim , Schossig Anna , Utine Gülen Eda , Zschocke Johannes , Boduroglu Koray
Published: April 2021

Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome (OMIM 226750) is a rare disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance among epileptic encephalopathy syndromes. To date, only 31 Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome families have been reported in the literature. Early-onset epilepsy, progressive global developmental delay, and amelogenesis imperfecta are the main components of the syndrome. Mutations in ROGDI (MIM 226750) and SLC13A5 (MIM 615905) are responsible for Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome. Here, we report on the clinical and molecular characteristics of 3 individuals from 2 families, all harboring the same homozygous novel deleterious variant in ROGD1, along with a long-term follow-up and review of the literature. Although the phenotypic features are almost consistent in Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome, overlooking dental findings and diverse degrees of variability in clinical findings makes diagnosis challenging occasionally. Because there is a limited number of reported patients, identification of new patients and delineation of clinical and molecular findings will increase the awareness of clinicians and enable establishing genotype-phenotype correlations.
Interpersonal Violence and Passing: Results from a Brazilian Trans-specific Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Peixoto Eduardo Mesquita , de Azevedo Oliveira Knupp Virginia Maria , Soares Jesilaine Resende Teixeira , Depret Davi Gomes , de Oliveira Souza Cleo , Messina Maria Eduarda Dantas , de Mello Andrade Lívia Machado , de Melo Luciana Catarina Santos , de Figueiredo Bezerra Damiana , de Castro Cristiane Regina Viníssius , da Silva Laylla monteiro Tavares , Fernandes Biancka , Jalil Emilia Moreira , Friedman Ruth Khalili , de Moura Silva Cláudia , Filho Edson José Abas , Grinsztejn Beatriz Gilda Jegerhorn , Moreira Ronaldo Ismério , de Mattos Russo Rafael Ricardo , de Souza Velasque Luciane
Published: April 2021

Trans women are specifically vulnerable to interpersonal violence. Being perceived as the gender that a transgender person identifies with, defined in some contexts as passing, may influence violence ratings. The EVAS (Violence and Health Self-Evaluation) study was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 121 trans women between 2019 and 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aiming to investigate the association between self-reported passing and different types of interpersonal violence. We enrolled 121 participants who had a median age of 36.3 (interquartile range [IQR] 13.7). Most of them were Black/mixed (78.5%) and had at least a high school education (63%). Most participants considered themselves as trans women (71.9%). Their median monthly income was $252.50 (IQR $302.50). Only 40 (33.1%) trans women had a main partner. Trans women with high passing had a higher prevalence of family violence and lower prevalence of observed police violence, violence in open and closed public spaces. Participants that reported a high passing had higher prevalence of family violence (p = .016); moreover, they reported observing less frequently police violence in the neighborhood they lived in for the last 12 months (p = .012) as well as having lower rates of suffering violence. Trans women who reported high passing had 81% (56%-92%) lower chance of suffering violence in open public places more than once, while prior racism experience had a positive association with violence in an open public place (aOR = 3.93, 95% CI [.48, 15.40]). Passing seems to protect from violence in public spaces, whilst it increases family violence. Data also suggest that observing police violence and violence in close public spaces. There is an urgent need to better understand the complex relationships around violence and foster its prevention.
Situated learning in a business incubator: Encouraging students to become real entrepreneurs
Authors: Jones Oswald , Meckel PingPing , Taylor David
Published: April 2021

The options for conventional graduate careers have become more limited in the last 20 years. This has stimulated an increase in university programmes and modules designed to encourage students to start their own businesses. The recent global Covid-19 pandemic is likely to make the job market even more difficult for those graduating from universities in the next few years. A career as an entrepreneur is a realistic alternative to employment in the ‘gig’ economy for many young graduates. University-based incubators can provide a sheltered learning environment for those wishing to develop business ideas without incurring a large financial burden. In this paper, the authors draw on a range of literature (business incubation, entrepreneurial learning, human capital and communities of practice) to develop a model of a university-based incubator that will support young people in their transition to becoming real entrepreneurs.
Approximate Bayesian inference for joint linear and partially linear modeling of longitudinal zero-inflated count and time to event data
Authors: Baghfalaki T , Ganjali M
Published: April 2021

Joint modeling of zero-inflated count and time-to-event data is usually performed by applying the shared random effect model. This kind of joint modeling can be considered as a latent Gaussian model. In this paper, the approach of integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) is used to perform approximate Bayesian approach for the joint modeling. We propose a zero-inflated hurdle model under Poisson or negative binomial distributional assumption as sub-model for count data. Also, a Weibull model is used as survival time sub-model. In addition to the usual joint linear model, a joint partially linear model is also considered to take into account the non-linear effect of time on the longitudinal count response. The performance of the method is investigated using some simulation studies and its achievement is compared with the usual approach via the Bayesian paradigm of Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC). Also, we apply the proposed method to analyze two real data sets. The first one is the data about a longitudinal study of pregnancy and the second one is a data set obtained of a HIV study.
Effectiveness of Online Marketing Tools: A Case Study
Authors: Sharma Hanuman
Published: April 2021

Offline marketing strategies are widely used; however, they are facing tough challenges from online marketing which has limitless options and proffers enormous amount of possibilities. With voluminous growth of Internet users and growing trend of online marketing, it seems indispensable to run a business without online presence. This is due to the fact that ‘consuming in shops’ is changing to ‘online consuming’. Companies are using different online marketing strategies to attract prospective buyers. Different tools and techniques are used to influence the purchasing decision of consumers. This case study on online marketing, research through survey and analysis of data received from respondents is still in its embryonic stage, and it is conducted to find the effectiveness of tools and techniques—online chat assistance, email advertisement, and word of mouth—causing opinion/decision change of prospective buyers. Marketers have to retain old loyal customers and evolve strategies to attract new prospective buyers.
Preventing Fungal Sepsis in Preterm Infants: The Impact of Changing to Prophylactic Nystatin in a Tertiary Neonatal Unit
Authors: Peterson Jennifer , Ranganna Ranganath
Published: April 2021

Fungal organisms pose a life-threatening risk to vulnerable premature infants. In this review, all cases of fungal sepsis in a large tertiary neonatal unit over the last 10 years (2008-2018) in premature neonates (<30 weeks gestation) were reviewed. This time frame spanned a change in prophylaxis policy from fluconazole to nystatin in 2012. The most common fungal organism causing sepsis was Candida albicans in 80% of cases and Candida parapsilosis in 13%. All fungal organisms cultured were fully sensitive; no resistant cases were seen in the last 10 years. Encouragingly, rates of infection were static (between 0 and 3 cases/year) over the last 10 years, despite the unit’s policy for antifungal prophylaxis changing from fluconazole to nystatin in 2012.
Do Japan’s Health Care Personnel Meet the Personal Health Goals of the “National Health Promotion Program”?
Authors: Hirooka Nobutaka , Sano Takeshi , Yasumura Reiko , Maeyama Yuji , Hidetomo Nakamoto
Published: April 2021

To improve health among the population and reduce the societal burden of care and health-related costs in a rapidly aging environment, the Japanese government launched the “National Health Promotion Program in the 21st Century” (HJ21), which contains goals concerning areas such as lifestyle behavior and the use of preventive medicine. While health care personnel are responsible for guiding others’ health choices, they may not maintain healthy lifestyles themselves. Whether these individuals are meeting the HJ21 goals has not yet been examined. This study aims to determine whether certified specialists in health management are meeting such goals, and to compare their performance with the national average. This is a cross-sectional survey study. Study participants, sourced from all prefectures in Japan, were specialists certified in health management. We measured data concerning demographic information, lifestyle (physical activity, nutrition, diet, sleep, rest, smoking, and alcohol use), and the use of preventive medicine. The study participants exhibited many characteristics of high health literacy. They had an overall healthy lifestyle and met most of the HJ21 goals of healthy lifestyle, and a high proportion underwent health maintenance examinations and cancer screenings. These practices and behaviors maybe associated with high health literacy and social engagement activities.
Physical activity, sport and transnational migrant spaces in Shanghai, China: (Re)crafting contours of a metropolitan cityscape
Authors: Kohe Geoffery Zain , Nehring Daniel , Tu Mengwei
Published: April 2021

This study examines associations between sport/physical activity space, community formation and social life among Shanghai’s highly skilled migrant demographic. There is limited illustration of the roles sport and physical exercise provision and spaces play in this migrant cohort’s lives, community formation and participation in their host societies. Yet, such evidence is of value in determining social policy, urban development and community engagement initiatives. Using a mixed-methods approach involving public policy critique, cultural and spatial analysis and virtual community investigation, this article provides a conceptual exploration of ways sport and physical activity frame individual and collective migrant experiences, and how such experiences enmesh with wider geo-spatial, political and domestic context. Amid Shanghai’s presentation as a globally attractive space, we reveal some of the complexities of the cityscape as an emblematic location for highly mobile, highly skilled migrants. A confluence of ideals about urban citizenship, social participation and localised physical activity/sport-based (inter)action, we note, articulate Shanghai anew, and contribute to debates on highly skilled transnational mobility and community formation.
Moving the National Institute of Justice Forward: July 2010 through December 2012
Authors: Laub John H.
Published: April 2021

Criminologists are often frustrated by the disconnect between sound empirical research and public policy initiatives. Recently, there have been several attempts to better connect research evidence and public policy. While these new strategies may well bear fruit, I believe the challenge is largely an intellectual one. Ideas and research evidence must guide public policy and practice. In this article, I present highlights from my tenure as the Director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research, development, and evaluation agency in the Department of Justice. One of the ideas that I emphasized at NIJ was “Translational Criminology.” I believe translational criminology acknowledges NIJ’s unique mission to facilitate rigorous research that is relevant to the practice and policy. I also discuss the challenges I faced in bringing research to bear on public policy and practice. I end with a call for my colleagues in criminology and criminal justice to become more involved in government.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Topical Skin Adhesive vs Nylon Sutures for Incision Closure in Forefoot Surgery
Authors: Lewis Thomas L. , Goff Thomas A. J. , Ray Robbie , Varrall C. Ruth , Robinson Peter W. , Fogarty Karen , Chang Alice , Dhaliwal Jagwinder , Dearden Paul M. C. , Wines Andrew
Published: April 2021

Background:

There are many options for incision closure in forefoot surgery. The aim of this study was to compare topical skin adhesive (2-octyl-cyanoacrylate) to simple interrupted nylon sutures.

Methods:

A prospective randomized controlled trial comparing topical skin adhesive (TSA) and nylon sutures (NSs) for elective open forefoot surgery. Primary outcome was Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale (HWES) assessed 2 weeks following surgery. Secondary objectives included time taken for wound closure, wound assessment, patient satisfaction with wound cosmesis, incision pain, and infection rate.

Results:

Between January and December 2018, 84 feet (70 patients) underwent hallux valgus scarf/Akin osteotomy or first metatarsophalangeal arthrodesis and were randomized to receive either intervention (topical skin adhesive) or control (3/0 nylon sutures). We found worse HWES scores when using TSA compared to NSs (1.07 vs 0.60). Incision closure time was slower for TSA (mean, 272 vs 229 seconds). At 2 weeks postoperatively, wound care was faster for TSA (mean 71 secs) vs NSs (mean 120), and patient-reported pain was less with TSA (visual analog scale: TSA 1.2 vs NSs 2.1). A high degree of overall patient satisfaction was reported in both groups, without significant difference.

Conclusion:

Closure of elective forefoot surgery incisions with topical skin adhesive or interrupted nylon sutures offers high satisfaction rates, low pain scores, and low complications. However, topical skin adhesive was associated with more inflammation and areas of wound separation compared to nylon sutures. We recommend the use of sutures for wound closure in forefoot surgery.

Level of Evidence:

Level I, randomized controlled trial.
Myocarditis Presenting as Sudden Death in Infants and Children: A Single Centre Analysis by ESGFOR Study Group
Authors: Neagu Oana , Rodríguez Amparo Fernández , Callon Domitille , Andréoletti Laurent , Cohen Marta C
Published: April 2021

Background

Acute myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart mostly diagnosed in young people, which can present as sudden death. The etiology includes infectious agents (mostly viruses), systemic diseases and toxins. We aim to characterize infants and children with myocarditis at post-mortem presenting as sudden deaths.

Methods

Retrospective evaluation of 813 post-mortems in infants and children dying suddenly and unexpectedly between 2009–2019. Data retrieved included histological features, microbiology and clinical history.

Results

23 of 813 post-mortems reviewed corresponded to acute myocarditis and 1 to dilated cardiomyopathy related to remote Parvovirus infection. PCR identified enterovirus (7), parvovirus (7 cases, 2 also with HHV6 and 1 case with EVB), Influenza A (1), Parainfluenza type 3 (1). Two cases corresponded to hypersensitivity myocarditis, 1 was Group A Streptococcus and 5 idiopathic myocarditis. Enterovirus was frequent in infants (7/10), and in newborns was associated with meningoencephalitis or congenital myocarditis. More than 50% were less than 2 years of age and all remained clinically unsuspected.

Conclusion

Myocarditis represents almost 3% of all sudden pediatric deaths. Enterovirus and parvovirus were the most common viruses. This retrospective analysis showed that patients experienced viral symptoms but remained unsuspected, highlighting the need for more clinical awareness of myocarditis.