bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Substance related offending behaviour programme (SROBP): exploring male prisoner’s experiences of treatment and application of learning
Authors: Howie Patricia , Johnson Darren , Taylor Angela
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Cognitive-behavioural interventions, such as the substance related offending behaviour programme (SROBP), are being implemented across forensic contexts in an attempt to address the detrimental economic, social and personal impacts of substance use and offending. Whilst support exists for the effectiveness of such treatment, there remains to be limited knowledge of offenders’ experiences of treatment and factors that promote treatment efficacy and support desistance. This study aims to develop an idiographical understanding of those processes.

Design/methodology/approach

Six prisoners who had completed the SROBP were interviewed via a semi-structured schedule to collate their individual experiences of engaging in treatment. Interviews transcripts were analysed by the lead researcher using interpretative phenomenological analysis, and external auditing analysis was conducted by the research supervisors.

Findings

Three superordinate themes resulted: “Therapeutic processes and relationships,” “Therapeutic outcomes” and “Threats to post treatment recovery.” Participants identified factors which facilitated the effectiveness of treatment and were effective in meeting their needs, although there were other factors that required improvement.

Practical implications

The important role of motivation at various stages of treatment as this engenders commitment to treatment aims and longer-term recovery. Treatment efficacy is linked with perceived relevance and value of treatment outcomes in supporting desistence from substance use. Pro-social peer relationships are important for effective application of learning and recovery. Attentiveness to participants specific needs is required. The lack of post-programme support has the potential to threaten therapeutic alliances and reinforce experiences of rejection and abandonment. The management of the exit phase from programmes is critical.

Originality/value

Results are discussed in light of their implications for future working practices in supporting therapeutic processes and rehabilitative culture.
The importance of servicescapes in Maldivian higher education: application of the stimuli-organism-response(SOR) framework
Authors: Alagarsamy Subburaj , Mehrolia Sangeeta , Vijay Margret
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to use the servicescape model of higher education environments to measure the students’ perceptions of the learning environment (classroom) and the effect this has on students’ learning ability.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study follows the stimulus-organism-response paradigm framework. A self-administered and well-structured survey questionnaire is used to collect data. The snowball sampling technique is used to collect samples of 403 students belonging to Maldivian higher education institutions.

Findings

Findings show that the physical appearances of these higher education institutions greatly influenced the pleasure dimension. Furthermore, pleasure is found to have a significant and positive relationship with the approach behaviour and engagement/involvement of the students.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the study is that it successfully tests the “Eduscape” model adopted from the servicescape model, and thus helps to extend existing knowledge on the critical elements in the Maldivian higher education learning environments and student’s behaviour within them. The findings have implications for higher education institutions to improve their learning environments and better engage with their students.
Knowledge management, sharing and transfer in cross-national teams and the remote management of team members: the onsite-offshore phenomenon of service EMNEs
Authors: Patel Parth , Rammal Hussain Gulzar , Ferreira João J. , Prikshat Verma
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study examines how emerging market multinational enterprises operating in the service sector manage knowledge and team members in their overseas subsidiaries and what role expatriates play in their operations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a multiple case study design and interview 20 senior managers representing 16 Indian IT firm's subsidiaries in Australia. The onsite-offshore concept and the SECI model are used to explain the knowledge management process.

Findings

The findings show that Indian IT firms mostly transfer knowledge from their headquarters in the parent country to their subsidiaries in the host country using the onsite-offshore model where work is divided and coordinated between team members situated between the two locations. Furthermore, the host country subsidiaries have limited independence in decision-making due to a forward, one-way diffusion of knowledge, thus limiting a two-way interaction between the HQ and the subsidiary for opportunities to create and exchange new knowledge.

Originality/value

The study is one of the few to investigate the onsite-offshore phenomenon in service-based emerging market multinational enterprises.
Psychosocial antecedents of knowledge sharing in healthcare research centers: a mixed-methods approach
Authors: Gonçalves Tiago , Curado Carla , Balle Andrea Raymundo
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Literature addressing psychosocial factors’ relation with knowledge sharing in healthcare organizations is still scarce, being of extreme shortage in specific environments, such as healthcare research centers. This paper investigates the impact of psychosocial factors as antecedents of knowledge sharing between healthcare research peers in such environments.

Design/methodology/approach

By expanding on the theory of reasoned action (TRA), the authors follow a mixed-methods design to study the relation between perceptions of psychosocial factors and knowledge sharing in healthcare researchers. A quantitative approach uses a structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the links in an original model. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identifies alternative configurations that lead knowledge sharing intention and its absence as well as the knowledge sharing behavior and its absence considering additional sample characteristics.

Findings

Findings show evidence of the proposed psychosocial antecedents' effect on knowledge sharing. Additional configurations of causal conditions that lead to the presence or absence of the intention and knowledge sharing behavior are discussed, with emphasis on both psychosocial antecedent configuration and sample characteristics.

Originality/value

This study identifies the influence of both psychosocial and team characteristic aspects leading to knowledge sharing behavior between healthcare researchers. The importance of a rich social network lying on trust is vital for a sharing environment inside research environments. Given the complex nature of behavioral intentionality, additional findings allow an articulation between individual characteristics, substantiating the proposition of complex configurations between antecedents that hints for team configuration strategies and managerial practices in healthcare research teams.
Humor and learning styles: toward a deeper understanding of learning effectiveness in the virtual environment
Authors: Tam Steven
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study explores how virtual learners perceive the use of humor in instructor-developed videos and their other factors for learning effectiveness in an online course.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a set of qualitative methods flowing from lesson study, to pilot study, to self-declaration of a learning style, to semi-structured interviews. Through the process, 142 undergraduate business students from the same online course, of different learning styles, discussed their perspectives on the instructor's use of humor and their learning preferences in online situations. Thematic analysis was performed.

Findings

First, humor is deemed harmless, but its value is perceived at different degrees among the four styles of adult learners for their benefit of learning motivation toward an online course. Second, four common themes that respond to learning effectiveness online are addressed.

Research limitations/implications

Similar studies with additional samples, including students in other countries, in different age groups and/or on different online courses, are encouraged to strengthen the current findings.

Practical implications

The results provide evidence to school administrators, course developers and instructors on the importance of using a diverse pedagogy in online education. To motivate virtual learners, being humorous from instructors proves insufficient but developing the course with all respective features for different learners' styles is a clue.

Originality/value

It is among the first studies contextualizing a differential relationship between humor and learners' styles as well as evaluating the effectiveness of an online course from the learning-style standpoint.
Enablers of incorporating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) principles into buildings
Authors: Afful Aba Essanowa , Ayarkwa Joshua , Acquah Godwin Kojo Kumi , Osei-Asibey Dickson
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to identify these enablers in literature and subsume them under broad categories for the development of a framework showing the interrelationships among the enablers.

Design/methodology/approach

Fifty-four (54) relevant articles were desk reviewed from different construction peer-reviewed journals and published conference proceedings to identify 20 core enablers of incorporating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) into building designs.

Findings

The identified enablers include improved occupants' health, well-being and satisfaction, environmental conservation, high return on investments and co-operative methods of design and construction management among others. To better understand the enablers identified, they were classified into seven main interconnected categories: economic enablers, environmental enablers, occupant and end-user enablers, process enablers, corporate image, culture and vision enablers, client-related enablers and external enablers.

Research limitations/implications

The interconnectedness brought to the fore a subtler appreciation of the drivers of IEQ, which could help expand current knowledge outside the narrow scope of isolated drivers. The fact that the papers selected in this study are not limited geographically underscores the wide applicability of the findings to the global construction industry.

Practical implications

Understanding that the enablers will enhance the adoption and design of quality indoor environments, help in building the capacity of consultants to adopt the design of quality IEs and reduce the impact of construction on the environment.

Social implications

These identified enablers are not limited geographically and thus could promote the design of quality indoor environments globally, particularly in green building design. To the global construction community, this review presents a list of enablers that would expedite the adoption of principles of IEQ designs in buildings thus taking the global construction industry one more step towards sustainable built forms. Promoting the identified enablers would ultimately steer stakeholders to design and build better indoor environments.

Originality/value

The fact that the papers selected in this study are not limited geographically underscores the wide applicability of the findings to the global construction industry.
Detection of solder paste defects with an optimization‐based deep learning model using image processing techniques
Authors: Sezer Ali , Altan Aytaç
Published: August 2021

Purpose

In the production processes of electronic devices, production activities are interrupted due to the problems caused by soldering defects during the assembly of surface-mounted elements on printed circuit boards (PCBs), and this leads to an increase in production costs. In solder paste applications, defects that may occur in electronic cards are usually noticed at the last stage of the production process. This situation reduces the efficiency of production and causes delays in the delivery schedule of critical systems. This study aims to overcome these problems, optimization based deep learning model has been proposed by using 2D signal processing methods.

Design/methodology/approach

An optimization-based deep learning model is proposed by using image-processing techniques to detect solder paste defects on PCBs with high performance at an early stage. Convolutional neural network, one of the deep learning methods, is trained using the data set obtained for this study, and pad regions on PCB are classified.

Findings

A total of six types of classes used in the study consist of uncorrectable soldering, missing soldering, excess soldering, short circuit, undefined object and correct soldering, which are frequently used in the literature. The validity of the model has been tested on the data set consisting of 648 test data.

Originality/value

The effect of image processing and optimization methods on model performance is examined. With the help of the proposed model, defective solder paste areas on PCBs are detected, and these regions are visualized by taking them into a frame.
Microstructures evolution and growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds in Cu/Sn/Cu system during ultrasonic soldering process
Authors: Han Xu , Li Xiaoyan , Yao Peng
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of ultrasound on interfacial microstructures and growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at different temperatures.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate the effect of ultrasound on IMCs growth quantitatively, the cross-sectional area of IMCs layers over a confirmed length was obtained for calculating the thickness of the IMCs layer.

Findings

The generation of dimensional difference in normal direction between Cu6Sn5 and its adjacent Cu6Sn5, formation of bossed Cu6Sn5 and non-interfacial Cu6Sn5 in ultrasonic solder joints made the interfacial Cu6Sn5 layer present a non-scallop-like morphology different from that of traditional solder joints. At 260°C and 290°C, the Cu3Sn layer presented a wave-like shape. In contrast, at 320°C, the Cu3Sn in ultrasonic solder joints consisted of non-interfacial Cu3Sn and interfacial Cu3Sn with a branch-like shape. The Cu6Sn5/Cu3Sn boundary and Cu3Sn/Cu interface presented a sawtooth-like shape under the effect of ultrasound. The predominant mechanism of ultrasonic-assisted growth of Cu6Sn5 growth at 260°C, 290°C and 320°C involved the grain boundary diffusion accompanied by grain coarsening. The Cu3Sn growth was controlled by volume diffusion during the ultrasonic soldering process at 260°C and 290°C. The diffusion mechanism of Cu3Sn growth transformed to grain boundary diffusion accompanied by grain coarsening when the ultrasonic soldering temperature was increased to 320°C.

Originality/value

The microstructural evolution and growth kinetics of IMCs in ultrasonically prepared ultrasonic solder joints at different temperatures have rarely been reported in previous studies. In this study, the effect of ultrasound on microstructural evolution and growth kinetics of IMCs was systematically investigated.
Symbiotic relationship between robotics and Lean Manufacturing: a case study involving line balancing
Authors: Sordan Juliano Endrigo , Oprime Pedro Carlos , Pimenta Marcio Lopes , Lombardi Franco , Chiabert Paolo
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The present paper aims to demonstrate the potential of integration between industrial robotics and Lean Manufacturing (LM) approach to increase the efficiency of an assembly line.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a case study performed in an Italian company, this paper reports a comparative analysis of the results produced on a line balancing study involving a semi-automated production line, aided by an industrial robot.

Findings

The results suggest the possibility of implementing industrial robotics in line balancing studies highlighting efficiency gains and idle reduction. Further, it also addresses some concepts directly related to industry 4.0, such as collaborative robotics, artificial intelligence, and lean automation.

Practical implications

Line balancing studies may include advanced robotics in order to extend traditional lean practices toward Digital LM.

Originality/value

This study adds contributions to the operational excellence literature, demonstrating the symbiosis between industrial robotics and LM practices.
Investigating the mediating role of visitor satisfaction in the relationship between memorable tourism experiences and behavioral intentions in heritage tourism context
Authors: Rasoolimanesh S. Mostafa , Seyfi Siamak , Rather Raouf Ahmad , Hall Colin Michael
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the interplay of memorable tourism experiences (MTE) dimensions in driving behavioral intentions of heritage tourists through the mediating role of satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data were collected from tourists in the heritage city of Kashan, Iran. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were applied to analyze the data.

Findings

The results of PLS-SEM showed that three dimensions of MTE as follows: local culture, involvement and knowledge, significantly directly or indirectly influence tourists’ behavioral intention toward a destination. However, the results of fsQCA identified greater heterogeneity among the respondents by highlighting the positive effects of hedonism and novelty on satisfaction and revisit and word-of-mouth intentions.

Originality/value

This study enriches the empirical evidence on MTE by constructing a composite picture of the memorability of tourists’ experiences within a heritage tourism context. This study is one of the first to investigate the effects of dimensions of MTE on behavioral intentions using both symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric approaches to identify the more significant dimensions of MTE, as well as sufficient combinations of dimensions to predict behavioral intentions.
Mixing/Medicines: Healing Exchanges among Women in Early Colonial New Spain (1530–1650)
Authors: Holler Jacqueline
Published: August 2021

Part of a broader project that studies the exchange of medical knowledge across boundaries of language and ethnicity in the colony of New Spain, this article uses records from the Mexican tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition to examine women healers’ participation in the exchange of healing materials and treatments and women’s networks as loci of knowledge and healing exchanges. The article finds that women in early‐colonial New Spain (1530–1650) participated in complex multi‐ethnic and multi‐class networks, sharing healing recipes and remedies, transmitting and hybridising medical traditions and medicines and helping forge a diverse healing culture.
Boycott, Resistance and the Law: Cause Lawyering in Conflict and Authoritarianism
Authors: McEvoy Kieran , Bryson Anna
Published: August 2021

This article examines the role of cause lawyers in conflicted or authoritarian contexts where the chances of legal victory are often minimal. Drawing upon the literature on resistance, performance, memory studies, legal consciousness and the sociology of lawyers, the paper examines how cause lawyers challenge and subvert power. The paper first explores the tactics and strategies of cause lawyers who boycott legal proceedings and the relationship between such boycotts and broader political struggles, legitimacy and law. It then examines why and how cause lawyers engage in fairly hopeless legal struggles as acts of instrumental resistance (the ‘sand in the cogs’), transforming courts into sites of symbolic resistance, and using law as a form of memory work. The paper argues that boycott of and resistance through the courts can counter the use of law as an instrument of wickedness and a tool of denial and preserves a ‘stubborn optimism’ in the rule of law.
An international comparison of long‐term care trajectories and spending following hip fracture
Authors: Wodchis Walter P. , Or Zeynep , Blankart Carl Rudolf , Atsma Femke , Janlov Nils , Bai Yu Qing , Penneau Anne , Arvin Mina , Knight Hannah , Riley Kristen , Figueroa Jose F. , Papanicolas Irene
Published: August 2021

Objective

The objectives of this study are to compare the relative use of different postacute care settings in different countries and to compare three important outcomes as follows: total expenditure, total days of care in different care settings, and overall longevity over a 1‐year period following a hip fracture.

Data Sources

We used administrative data from hospitals, institutional and home‐based long‐term care (LTC), physician visits, and medications compiled by the International Collaborative on Costs, Outcomes, and Needs in Care (ICCONIC) from five countries as follows: Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Data Extraction Methods

Data were extracted from existing administrative data systems in each participating country.

Study Design

This is a retrospective cohort study of all individuals admitted to acute care for hip fracture. Descriptive comparisons were used to examine aggregate institutional and home‐based postacute care. Care trajectories were created to track sequential care settings after acute‐care discharge through institutional and community‐based care in three countries where detailed information allowed. Comparisons in patient characteristics, utilization, and costs were made across these trajectories and countries.

Principal Findings

Across five countries with complete LTC data, we found notable variations with Germany having the highest days of home‐based services with relatively low costs, while Sweden incurred the highest overall expenditures. Comparisons of trajectories found that France had the highest use of inpatient rehabilitation. Germany was most likely to discharge hip fracture patients to home. Over 365 days, France averaged the highest number of days in institution with 104, Canada followed at 94, and Germany had just 87 days of institutional care on average.

Conclusion

In this comparison of LTC services following a hip fracture, we found international differences in total use of institutional and noninstitutional care, longevity, and total expenditures. There exist opportunities to organize postacute care differently to maximize independence and mitigate costs.
Hyperkalemia in patients undergoing hemodialysis: Its pathophysiology and management
Authors: Shibata Shigeru , Uchida Shunya
Published: August 2021

Potassium is a major intracellular cation in the body, regulating membrane potential of excitable cells, such as cardiomyocytes and skeletal muscle cells. Because the kidney plays a critical role in controlling potassium balance, the elevation in serum potassium levels is one of the most common complications in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). In addition to reduced renal potassium excretion, the alteration in body potassium distribution owing to comorbid conditions may also contribute to dyskalemia. Besides potassium elimination through hemodialysis in MHD patients, accumulating data indicate the potential importance of extra‐renal elimination involving the gastrointestinal system, which can be affected by the inhibitors of the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system. In this article, the literature on potassium physiology in MHD patients is reviewed with an emphasis on the changes from individuals with normal kidney function. This article also summarizes the findings of recent studies on dietary control, dialysate prescription, and pharmacological therapy.
Spectral‐based Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis for Fethiye, Muğla
Authors: HARMANDAR Ebru
Published: August 2021

Fethiye is an important region located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin. This region which is the most active part of the south‐western Anatolia extensional tectonic regime, has been effected by earthquakes, submarine landslides and tsunamis throughout the history due to the existence of the complex active plate boundary zone. The active area has been exposed to ground motion that had the potential to damage vulnerable structures. Therefore, a detailed assessment of seismic hazard is necessary for the prevention of potential damage. In this context, probabilistic seismic hazard analysis is performed by R‐CRISIS‐18.3 using the refined parameters computed from Seismic Hazard Harmonization for Europe (SHARE) project. Spatial distribution of spectral acceleration at T = 0.2 s and T = 1.0 s for the earthquake levels that corresponds to the average return period of 72, 475 and 2475 years is calculated. Hazard curves for the central region of Fethiye district are generated. The results are discussed and compared with the values obtained from the Revision of Turkish Seismic Hazard Map Project (UDAP‐Ç‐13‐06). These local results of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis will provide the basis for the preparation of seismic risk maps as future work.
High‐dose pollen intralymphatic immunotherapy: Two RDBPC trials question the benefit of dose increase
Authors: Hellkvist Laila , Hjalmarsson Eric , Weinfeld Dan , Dahl Åslög , Karlsson Agneta , Westman Marit , Lundkvist Karin , Winqvist Ola , Georén Susanna Kumlien , Westin Ulla , Cardell Lars Olaf
Published: August 2021

Background

The same dosing schedule, 1000 SQ‐U times three, with one‐month intervals, have been evaluated in most trials of intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). The present studies evaluated if a dose escalation in ILIT can enhance the clinical and immunological effects, without compromising safety.

Methods

Two randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trials of ILIT for grass pollen‐induced AR were performed. The first included 29 patients that had recently ended 3 years of SCIT and the second contained 39 not previously vaccinated patients. An up‐dosage of 1000–3000–10,000 (5000 + 5000 with 30 minutes apart) SQ‐U with 1 month in between was evaluated.

Results

Doses up to 10,000 SQ‐U were safe after recent SCIT. The combined symptom‐medication scores (CSMS) were reduced by 31% and the grass‐specific IgG4 levels in blood were doubled. In ILIT de novo, the two first patients that received active treatment developed serious adverse reactions at 5000 SQ‐U. A modified up‐dosing schedule; 1000–3000–3000 SQ‐U appeared to be safe but failed to improve the CSMS. Flow cytometry analyses showed increased activation of lymph node‐derived dendritic but not T cells. Quality of life and nasal provocation response did not improve in any study.

Conclusion

Intralymphatic immunotherapy in high doses after SCIT appears to further reduce grass pollen‐induced seasonal symptoms and may be considered as an add‐on treatment for patients that do not reach full symptom control after SCIT. Up‐dosing schedules de novo with three monthly injections that exceeds 3000 SQ‐U should be avoided.
Change in the prevalence of myopia in Australian middle‐aged adults across 20 years
Authors: Mackey David A. , Lingham Gareth , Lee Samantha Sze‐Yee , Hunter Michael , Wood Diane , Hewitt Alex W. , Mitchell Paul , Taylor Hugh R. , Hammond Christopher J. , Yazar Seyhan
Published: August 2021

Background

The prevalence of myopia is increasing globally including in Europe and parts of Asia but Australian data are lacking. This study aim described the change in myopia prevalence in middle‐aged Australian adults over approximately a 20‐year period.

Methods

Two contemporary Western Australian studies (conducted in mid‐late 2010s): the coastal‐regional Busselton Healthy Ageing Study (BHAS) and the urban Gen1 of the Raine Study (G1RS) were compared to two earlier studies (early‐mid 1990s) in Australia: the urban Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) and urban/regional Melbourne Visual Impairment Project (MVIP). Refractive error was measured by autorefraction, vertometry, or subjective refraction. Participants (49–70 years) of European descent without self‐reported/diagnosed cataract, corneal disease, or refractive or corneal surgery were included.

Results

After exclusions, data were available from 2217, 1760, 700, 2987 and 756 participants from BMES, urban MVIP, regional MVIP, BHAS, and G1RS, respectively. The mean age ranged from 57.1 ± 4.6 years in the G1RS to 60.1 ± 6.0 years in the BMES; 44–48% of participants were male. When stratified by location, the contemporary urban G1RS cohort had a higher age‐standardised myopia prevalence than the urban MVIP and BMES cohorts (29.2%, 16.4%, and 23.9%, p < 0.001). The contemporary coastal‐regional BHAS had a higher age‐standardised myopia prevalence than the regional MVIP cohort (19.4% vs. 13.8%, p = 0.001).

Conclusions

We report an increase in myopia prevalence in older adults in Australia born after World War ll compared to cohorts born before, accounting for urban/regional location. The prevalence of myopia remains relatively low in middle‐aged Australian adults.
Is neoadjuvant therapy an alternative strategy to immediate surgery in locally perforated colon cancer?
Authors: Kong Joseph C. , Lee Jordan , Gosavi Rathin , Ngan Samuel Y. , Tillman Matthew M. , Bednarski Brian K. , Heriot Alexander G. , Chang George J. , Warrier Satish K.
Published: August 2021

Background

Perforations are a rare but serious complication of colorectal cancer. The current standard of treatment is emergent surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The concern with this approach is not only the uncertainty of achieving a R0 resection but also potential injury to adjacent vessels, nerves and ureters due to inflamed tissue planes. A subset of this patient population with a contained perforation who are clinically stable may have superior oncological outcomes with local sepsis control, neoadjuvant therapy followed by radical resection. The aim of this study is to report on the pre‐operative safety profile for neoadjuvant therapy in the setting of an abscess from colon cancer perforation and the short‐term oncological surgical quality outcomes.

Methods

In this retrospective observational study, all consecutive perforated colon cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy from Jan 2010 to Dec 2019 were included.

Results

There were 21 patients that met the inclusion criteria. The most common symptom at presentation was abdominal pain (71.4%) and most common site of perforation was sigmoid colon (61.9%). Local sepsis control was achieved with a combination of radiological or surgical drainage, diverting ostomy and/or intravenous antibiotics. Thirteen patients had long‐course chemoradiation and eight patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Of these, 13 (61.9%) had tumour regression, with one patient having a pathological complete response. All patients achieved a R0 resection.

Conclusions

In a small subset of patients with colon cancer perforation, this study has demonstrated the potential safe usage of neoadjuvant therapy first before radical surgery to achieve a clear resection margin.
Evidence of Absence: Abstract Metrical Structure in Speech Planning
Authors: Myers Brett R. , Watson Duane G.
Published: August 2021

Rhythmic structure in speech is characterized by sequences of stressed and unstressed syllables. A large body of literature suggests that speakers of English attempt to achieve rhythmic harmony by evenly distributing stressed syllables throughout prosodic phrases. The question remains as to how speakers plan metrical structure during speech production and whether it is planned independently of phonemes. To examine this, we designed a tongue twister task consisting of disyllabic word pairs with overlapping phonological segments and either matching or non‐matching metrical structure. Results showed that speakers had more difficulty producing metrically regular word pairs, compared to irregular pairs; that is, word pairs with irregular meter had faster productions and fewer speech errors in this production task. This finding of metrical regularity inhibiting production is inconsistent with an abstract metrical structure that is planned independently of phonemes at the point of phonological encoding.
Looking for Wugs in all the Right Places: Children's Use of Prepositions in Word Learning
Authors: St. Pierre Thomas , Johnson Elizabeth K.
Published: August 2021

To help infer the meanings of novel words, children frequently capitalize on their current linguistic knowledge to constrain the hypothesis space. Children's syntactic knowledge of function words has been shown to be especially useful in helping to infer the meanings of novel words, with most previous research focusing on how children use preceding determiners and pronouns/auxiliary to infer whether a novel word refers to an entity or an action, respectively. In the current visual world experiment, we examined whether 28‐ to 32‐month‐olds could exploit their lexical semantic knowledge of an additional class of function words—prepositions—to learn novel nouns. During the experiment, children were tested on their ability to use the prepositions in, on, under, and next to to identify novel creatures displayed on a screen (e.g., The wug is on the table), as well as their ability to later identify the creature without accompanying prepositions (e.g., Look at the wug). Children overall demonstrated understanding of all the prepositions but next to and were able to use their knowledge of prepositions to learn the associations between novel words and their intended referents, as shown by greater‐than chance looks to the target referent when no prepositional phrase was provided.
Similarity Judgment Within and Across Categories: A Comprehensive Model Comparison
Authors: Richie Russell , Bhatia Sudeep
Published: August 2021

Similarity is one of the most important relations humans perceive, arguably subserving category learning and categorization, generalization and discrimination, judgment and decision making, and other cognitive functions. Researchers have proposed a wide range of representations and metrics that could be at play in similarity judgment, yet have not comprehensively compared the power of these representations and metrics for predicting similarity within and across different semantic categories. We performed such a comparison by pairing nine prominent vector semantic representations with seven established similarity metrics that could operate on these representations, as well as supervised methods for dimensional weighting in the similarity function. This approach yields a factorial model structure with 126 distinct representation‐metric pairs, which we tested on a novel dataset of similarity judgments between pairs of cohyponymic words in eight categories. We found that cosine similarity and Pearson correlation were the overall best performing unweighted similarity functions, and that word vectors derived from free association norms often outperformed word vectors derived from text (including those specialized for similarity). Importantly, models that used human similarity judgments to learn category‐specific weights on dimensions yielded substantially better predictions than all unweighted approaches across all types of similarity functions and representations, although dimension weights did not generalize well across semantic categories, suggesting strong category context effects in similarity judgment. We discuss implications of these results for cognitive modeling and natural language processing, as well as for theories of the representations and metrics involved in similarity.
Prospective evaluation of high‐dose methotrexate pharmacokinetics in adult patients with lymphoma using novel determinants of kidney function
Authors: Barreto Jason N. , Reid Joel M. , Thompson Carrie A. , Mara Kristin C. , Rule Andrew D. , Kashani Kianoush B. , Leung Nelson , Larson Thomas R. , McGovern Renee M. , Witzig Thomas E. , Barreto Erin F.
Published: August 2021

High‐dose methotrexate (HDMTX) pharmacokinetics (PKs), including the best estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equation that reflects methotrexate (MTX) clearance, requires investigation. This prospective, observational, single‐center study evaluated adult patients with lymphoma treated with HDMTX. Samples were collected at predefined time points up to 96 h postinfusion. MTX and 7‐hydroxy‐MTX PKs were estimated by standard noncompartmental analysis. Linear regression determined which serum creatinine‐ or cystatin C‐based eGFR equation best predicted MTX clearance. The 80 included patients had a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 68.6 years (IQR 59.2–75.6), 54 (67.5%) were men, and 74 (92.5%) were White. The median (IQR) dose of MTX was 7.6 (IQR 4.8–11.3) grams. Median clearance was similar across three dosing levels at 4.5–5.6 L/h and was consistent with linear PKs. Liver function, weight, age, sex, concomitant chemotherapy, and number of previous MTX doses did not impact clearance. MTX area under the curve (AUC) values varied over a fourfold range and appeared to increase in proportion to the dose. The eGFRcys (ml/min) equation most closely correlated with MTX clearance in both the entire cohort and after excluding outlier MTX clearance values (r = 0.31 and 0.51, respectively). HDMTX as a 4‐h infusion displays high interpatient pharmacokinetic variability. Population PK modeling to optimize MTX AUC attainment requires further evaluation. The cystatin C‐based eGFR equation most closely estimated MTX clearance and should be investigated for dosing and monitoring in adults requiring MTX as part of lymphoma management.
Organizational perspectives and diagnostic evaluations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Authors: Cloet Eva , Jansen Anna , Leys Mark
Published: August 2021

Aim

To clarify organizational perspectives on diagnostic evaluations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), with the goal to enhance interorganizational collaboration and improve accessibility.

Method

Focus groups with expert stakeholders in Flanders, Belgium, were organized. Data were analyzed in a continuous, comparative method with researcher and data triangulation, and a member check validation.

Results

Fifty‐nine people participated in six focus groups. Organizations had no shared vision on diagnostic evaluations of NDD. An interdisciplinary team approach was considered essential. All stakeholders agreed that a diagnostic evaluation is an iterative process along the trajectory of the child.

Interpretation

Diagnostic evaluations of NDD should be conceptualized as an integrated process of the child’s care trajectory, differentiating needs‐based goals in each phase, and requiring an interdisciplinary team approach. This conceptualization will support a health systems model, allowing interorganizational collaboration to optimize available capacity and increase accessibility.
Effects of empagliflozin on erythropoiesis in patients with type 2 diabetes: Data from a randomized, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Thiele Kirsten , Rau Matthias , Hartmann Niels‐Ulrik K. , Möllmann Julia , Jankowski Joachim , Böhm Michael , Keszei András P. , Marx Nikolaus , Lehrke Michael
Published: August 2021

Sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to significantly reduce hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in various CV outcome trials in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). SGLT2 inhibition further increased haemoglobin and haematocrit levels by an as yet unknown mechanism, and this increase has been shown to be an independent predictor of the CV benefit of these agents, for example, in the EMPA‐REG OUTCOME trial. The present analysis of the EMPA haemodynamic study examined the early and delayed effects of empagliflozin treatment on haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, in addition to measures of erythropoiesis and iron metabolism, to better understand the underlying mechanisms. In this prospective, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, randomized, two‐arm parallel, interventional and exploratory study, 44 patients with T2D were randomized into two groups and received empagliflozin 10 mg or placebo for a period of 3 months in addition to their concomitant medication. Blood and urine was collected at baseline, on Day 1, on Day 3 and after 3 months of treatment to investigate effects on haematological variables, erythropoietin concentrations and indices of iron stores. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the empagliflozin (n = 20) and placebo (n = 22) group. Empagliflozin led to a significant increase in urinary glucose excretion (baseline: 7.3 ± 22.7 g/24 h; Day 1: 48.4 ± 34.7 g/24 h; P < 0.001) as well as urinary volume (baseline: 1740 ± 601 mL/24 h; Day 1: 2112 ± 837 mL/24 h; P = 0.011) already after 1 day and throughout the 3‐month study period, while haematocrit and haemoglobin were only increased after 3 months of treatment (haematocrit: baseline: 40.6% ± 4.6%; Month 3: 42.2% ±  4.8%, P < 0.001; haemoglobin: baseline: 136 ± 19 g/L; Month 3: 142 ± 25 g/L; P = 0.008). In addition, after 3 months, empagliflozin further increased red blood cell count (P < 0.001) and transferrin concentrations (P = 0.063) and there was a trend toward increased erythropoietin levels (P = 0.117), while ferritin (P = 0.017), total iron (P = 0.053) and transferrin saturation levels (P = 0.030) decreased. Interestingly, the increase in urinary glucose excretion significantly correlated with the induction of erythropoietin in empagliflozin‐treated patients at the 3‐month timepoint (Spearman rho 0.64; P = 0.008). Empagliflozin increased haemoglobin concentrations and haematocrit with a delayed time kinetic, which was most likely attributable to increased erythropoiesis with augmented iron utilization and not haemoconcentration. This might be attributable to reduced tubular glucose reabsorption in response to SGLT2 inhibition, possibly resulting in diminished cellular stress as a mechanism for increased renal erythropoietin secretion.
Carfilzomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone (KCd) for the treatment of triple‐class relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM)
Authors: Pennipede Dante , Mohyuddin Ghulam Rehman , Hawkins Ryan , Ganguly Siddhartha , Shune Leyla , Ahmed Nausheen , Mohan Meera , Cui Wei , Mahmoudjafari Zahra , McGuirk Joseph , Atrash Shebli , Abdallah Al‐Ola
Published: August 2021

Background

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematologic malignancy, and outcomes remain poor for patients with triple‐class relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM). Descriptive analyses were performed on available data for patient characteristics, disease course, and outcomes of the KCd on triple‐class RRMM patients at our institution.

Patients and Methods

Twenty‐three patients with triple‐class RRMM treated with KCd between June 2017 and October 2020 were included in our analysis. The regimen KCd consisted of 28 days cycles of carfilzomib 20/36 mg/m2 IV on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16, cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 IV weekly, and dexamethasone (20‐40) mg orally weekly.

Results

Patients received a median of 6 (3‐10) prior regimens. The median number of cycles administered was 4 (1‐11) cycles. Overall response rate was 52%, 6 patients (26%) achieved very good partial response (VGPR), 6 patients (26%) achieved partial response (PR), and 5 patients (22%) achieved stable disease (SD). Progression‐free survival (PFS) and Overall‐survival (OS) were 4 and 11.9 months, respectively. There was no reported treatment‐related mortality. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events were neutropenia (26%), thrombocytopenia (56.5%), and anemia (56.5%).

Conclusions

KCd showed clinically meaningful efficacy and manageable safety profile in patients with triple‐class RRMM in real‐world.
Gene flow between island populations of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles hinesorum, may have contributed to the spread of divergent host preference phenotypes
Authors: Ambrose Luke , Ortiz‐Barrientos Daniel , Cooper Robert D. , Lobo Neil F. , Burkot Thomas R. , Russell Tanya L. , Beebe Nigel W.
Published: August 2021

Anopheles hinesorum is a mosquito species with variable host preference. Throughout New Guinea and northern Australia, An. hinesorum feeds on humans (it is opportunistically anthropophagic) while in the south‐west Pacific's Solomon Archipelago, the species is abundant but has rarely been found biting humans (it is exclusively zoophagic in most populations). There are at least two divergent zoophagic (nonhuman biting) mitochondrial lineages of An. hinesorum in the Solomon Archipelago representing two independent dispersals. Since zoophagy is a derived (nonancestral) trait in this species, this leads to the question: has zoophagy evolved independently in these two populations? Or conversely: has nuclear gene flow or connectivity resulted in the transfer of zoophagy? Although we cannot conclusively answer this, we find close nuclear relationships between Solomon Archipelago populations indicating that recent nuclear gene flow has occurred between zoophagic populations from the divergent mitochondrial lineages. Recent work on isolated islands of the Western Province (Solomon Archipelago) has also revealed an anomalous, anthropophagic island population of An. hinesorum. We find a common shared mitochondrial haplotype between this Solomon Island population and another anthropophagic population from New Guinea. This finding suggests that there has been recent migration from New Guinea into the only known anthropophagic population from the Solomon Islands. Although currently localized to a few islands in the Western Province of the Solomon Archipelago, if anthropophagy presents a selective advantage, we may see An. hinesorum emerge as a new malaria vector in a region that is now working on malaria elimination.
Parasite faecal egg counts in equine veterinary practice
Authors: Nielsen M. K.
Published: August 2021

Widespread occurrence of anthelmintic resistance in ascarid and strongylid parasites has led to recommendations of routine treatment efficacy screening with the faecal egg count reduction test. Furthermore, faecal egg counts are used for classifying mature horses into low, moderate and high strongylid egg shedders, and to monitor for ascarids in foals, weanlings and yearlings. The plethora of egg counting techniques is surrounded by confusion and misconception regarding their use, diagnostic performance and interpretation. This article aims to explain general concepts of evaluating and assessing faecal egg count test performance and address some of the most common misconceptions. The multiplication factor, which is used to convert the number of eggs counted under the microscope to eggs per gram of faeces, is a theoretically derived number, which does not reflect sensitivity. Accuracy and precision are quantitative performance parameters, which are not synonymous. Accuracy is a measure of how close a technique measures to the true count, and has implications for the classification of strongylid egg shedders, but will not affect anthelmintic treatment efficacy evaluation or ascarid monitoring. Precision is a measure of how close repeated counts are to each other, and affects anthelmintic efficacy estimates and strongylid shedding classification. Faecal egg counts do not correlate with worm burdens and do not inform on parasitic involvement in disease. Techniques using test tubes with cover slips placed on top tend to perform with low accuracy and precision in comparison to techniques using counting chambers. Veterinarians should consider the performance of the technique employed for determining faecal egg counts, whether they offer these in house or use a referral diagnostic service. Furthermore, they should consider the training and experience of personnel and protocols in place for diagnostic quality assurance.