bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of telemedicine in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (Tele-OPAT): A systematic review
Authors: Durojaiye Oyewole Christopher , Jibril Ihsan , Kritsotakis Evangelos I
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Telemedicine is increasingly used to deliver healthcare in many clinical specialities. However, the adoption of telemedicine in the delivery of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) has been relatively slow and limited. This study aims to collate current evidence for telemedicine in OPAT regarding clinical efficacy, safety, acceptability and cost-effectiveness.

Methods

We systematically searched the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMCARE, EMBASE and MEDLINE databases through 24 July 2022, for relevant studies published in English. Research articles and conference abstracts were included if they involved any form of telephone or video consultation in delivering parenteral antibiotics in the home or outpatient setting. Study findings were synthesised into three main themes: patient outcomes and safety, patient and provider satisfaction and cost-effectiveness. The mixed methods appraisal tool was used to review the methodological quality of the studies. PROSPERO CRD42022342874

Results

The literature search yielded 311 articles, of which 12 (five full-length articles and seven conference abstracts) reporting over 1245 telemedicine interventions were reviewed. The reported outcomes were heterogeneous. Telemedicine was cost-effective and associated with high patient satisfaction and comparable complication rates compared to conventional OPAT. Considering six comparative studies, rehospitalisation risk was lower for telemedicine than conventional OPAT (risk ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.38–0.88; I2  =  31%).

Discussion

The results of this review demonstrate that telemedicine has a role in delivering safe and cost-effective OPAT care, especially for patients residing in remote and geographically isolated locations. Nevertheless, high-quality studies and publication of existing data and experiences are needed to further validate this model of care delivery.
The risk–gang nexus in Sweden: Penal layering and the uneven topography of penal change
Authors: Örnlind Henrik , Forkby Torbjörn
Published: October 2022

This article maps the emergence of a risk–gang nexus in the Swedish correctional field. Using the concept of penal layering, the article analyses the configuration of risk-based practices to manage gang affiliates in the context of Swedish prison and probation services. By introducing the notion interludes of penal layering, this article stresses the synchronic/diachronic opposition in penal change processes and furthers ongoing discussions of the variegated, braided, and uneven patterns of penal change in and beyond Nordic penal institutions. Drawing on interviews with probation officers, prison staff, and other professionals working with gangs in Sweden, the study finds that new rules, practices, decisional hierarchies, and actors have been layered on top of or alongside existing institutional arrangements to manage gang affiliates. This penal layer enforces punitive conditions for incarcerated gang affiliates and creates tensions, agonism, and contradictions between the coexisting and multiple logics of rehabilitation, punishment, and risk in the penal field.
An Asian version of data journalism?: Uncovering “Asian values” in data stories produced across Asia
Authors: Wu Shangyuan
Published: October 2022

Data journalism in Western-centric research has been lauded for its investigative qualities, capable of bringing to light previously concealed information and enabling the press to play its watchdog function. That said, journalism outside the liberal West may operate within vastly different contexts, shaped by different historical experiences, political cultures, and philosophical traditions, thereby creating a different brand of data journalism. This paper examines data journalism practice in Asia specifically, a region known to be home to collaborative press systems that adhere to a set of “Asian values” pertaining to collectivism, social harmony, norm conformity and deference to authority. By examining 210 data stories produced by news outlets in six Asian countries, this study finds that Asian values are displayed in a vast majority of data stories produced in the region, most of which are news stories pertaining to the home country of these news outlets. Continued reliance on government sources for information and a lack of stories that reveal previously hidden information or scrutinize a powerful entity also suggest no strong push to leverage on the investigative qualities of data journalism to produce more “watchdog” journalism; focus is instead placed on the “civic” role of informing the public.
Coronary artery calcium score and coronary computed tomography angiography predict one-year mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease undergoing partial foot amputation
Authors: Shalaeva Evgeniya , Bano Arjola , Kasimov Ulugbek , Janabaev Bakhtiyor , Baumgartner Iris , Laimer Markus , Saner Hugo
Published: October 2022

The aim of the study was to examine the predictive value of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) on 1-year all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) undergoing partial foot amputations (PFA).

Methods

This is a single-center prospective cohort study including 199 consecutive patients with T2D, PAD (mean age 62.3 ± 7.2 years; 62.8% males), and preoperative CACS and CCTA undergoing PFA and followed-up over 1 year.

Results

Over a period of 1 year follow-up, a total of 35 (17.6%) participants died. The area under ROC curve to predict mortality for the CACS was 0.835 (95% CI:0.769–0.900), for CCTA 0.858 (95% CI:0.788–0.927). After adjustment for confounders, compared to no-stenosis on CCTA (reference), the risk of all-cause mortality in non-obstructive coronary atery disease (CAD) increased (HR = 1.38, 95% CI [0.75–12.86], p = .284), 1-vessel obstructive CAD (HR = 8.13, 95% CI [0.87–75.88], p = .066), 2-vessels (HR = 10.94, 95% CI [1.03–115.8], p = .047), and 3-vessels (HR = 45.73, 95% CI [4.6–454.7], p = .001) respectively. Increasing levels of CACS tended to be associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.002, 95% CI [1.0–1.003], p = .061). 61/95 patients with obstructive CAD underwent coronary revascularization.

Conclusions

Coronary artery calcium score and CCTA have a high predictive value for 1-year all-cause mortality in T2D patients undergoing minor amputations and may be considered for preoperative risk assessment allowing timely preventive interventions.
I Do
Authors: Ward Maranda C.
Published: October 2022

There are few things that I don’t know, feel, do, want or get to do as a Black woman public health professional. First, unlike the public health datasets that separate race from gender, I don’t know life in any other way than as a Black woman. Second, when other educators and public health professionals get to decide when to think about race and racism in their classrooms or research, I don’t know life without being reminded of my Blackness. I am treated accordingly and explains why I grew up believing that I needed to hide and shrink myself to get dubbed as professional. Third, anti-Black calls to codeswitch have had me feeling some kind of way about my hoops, braids, and nail art in predominately white spaces. I have since decided to carve out spaces for youth to show up unapologetically themselves and take up space. These experiences allow me to design youth programs and contribute to the literature in ways that affirm their identities and amplify their voice. And, despite being exhausted by the ongoing expectations to teach everyone about racism while being targeted by racism, there is one thing I do get to do . . . love being a Black woman in public health. To view the original version of this poem, see the supplemental material section of this article online.
Transposing
Authors: Burch Shanaé
Published: October 2022

This poem was written as a meditation on care and upholding abolition values such as building safety and repairing what is in need of revolution. Within arm’s reach of a more healthful narrative, the poem describes a person who sees the world burning, and remains committed to tending to her hopeful heart and others. It is shared here to archive a remarkable moment of recognition between two artists. The story is that, while in attendance at a virtual Black community circle a few years ago, my friend, Lily, shared her collage artwork, one among them titled, Spilling Out. This image among many spectacular pieces immediately struck my spirit. It prompted me to recall a poem I had written several months before. In the spirit of call and response, I offered this poem to her and my community, extending the metaphor of spilling out, shifting contexts, and sparking dialogue on what it means for us in practice to transpose and change places in our respective fields. Lily Nimo Ngaruiya is a Black, Kenyan-American, queer artist, educator, and Black liberation seeker. Lily’s watercolor collage pieces reflect the emotionality of Black womanhood and the journey of exploring her own fears and desires. Each image selected is rooted in her own intuition—restructuring, revising, and reimagining until the world within her piece feels complete. Through images, textures, and patterns, Lily aims to create a universe for Black femmes to exist fully. To view the original version of this poem, see the supplemental material section of this article online.
Young People’s Sexual Wellbeing: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis Protocol
Authors: Bosó Pérez Raquel , Lewis Ruth , Littlejohn Jennifer , Willis Malachi , Mitchell Kirstin R.
Published: October 2022

Sexual wellbeing is an integral part of a person’s overall sense of wellbeing. It is closely linked to physical, sexual, and mental health. Despite this, sexual wellbeing remains underexplored, including among young people (aged 16–24). This review aims to gain a greater understanding of young people’s experiences of sexual wellbeing. We will include qualitative research on young people’s lived experiences related to sexual wellbeing. We will search PROSPERO, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and SocINDEX utilising an iterative search approach. If the volume of eligible studies for inclusion is too large to permit in-depth analysis, the team will purposively sample studies to prioritise heterogeneity and richness. The lead author will assess the eligibility of studies, carry out data extraction, and assess the methodological quality of all studies. The wider research team will independently screen papers’ title and abstract, extract data, and conduct methodological quality assessments of a subset of papers. Two reviewers will independently assess inclusion of all papers at full text. We will draw on the QuART tool to assess the methodological quality of included studies. We will utilise a thematic synthesis approach to synthesise the data and produce analytical statements. We will apply GRADE-CERQual to evaluate our confidence in each of the synthesis’ analytical statements. The team will adopt a reflexive approach throughout all stages of the qualitative evidence synthesis (QES). Research will be written up in line with ENTREQ and PRISMA-S standards. The protocol for this QES was prospectively published in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROPERO) database under registration number CRD42022315593.
Social Impact Ex-Post Evaluation Protocol
Authors: Gómez Aitor , de León Manuel , Sánchez-Plaza Anabel , Soler-Gallart Marta
Published: October 2022

Measuring the societal impact of research has become a key issue in scientific research worldwide. Most competitive research funding agencies demand societal impact in research proposals. We must not only bring science closer to the public, but also make it improve the condition in which the science is found. But how can we measure the societal impact of a research once it has been completed? Through this article we present the Social Impact ex-post Evaluation Protocol (SIEP), a proposal of a tool to gather and measure the social impact of research. It is based on the qualitative work developed in the framework of NET4IMPACT, a Research Network on the Social Impact of Science. The work was developed applying communicative methodology, comparing across disciplines, and culminating in the establishment of a tool that can help in the measurement of societal impact from a great diversity of scientific areas.
Narrative Metaphors as a Qualitative Analytical Tool: Networked Webs of Oppression and Pedagogical Care for People of Colour in Academia
Authors: Au Anson Cheuk-Ho
Published: October 2022

Reflecting on an (auto)ethnographic study from the standpoint of a person of colour, this article uses the narrative myth of Gaia to analyze and structure the recollection of over 5 years of teaching people of colour at a large Canadian university and distill from them the character of pedagogical care. This article demonstrates how narrative metaphors offered the qualitative researcher an analytical tool to examine the networked webs of oppression conjoining personal lived experiences and experiences of students as a rich source of data for people of colour, excavating the nuanced socioemotional modalities that complicate marginalized instructors’ ability to provide pedagogical care for fellow marginalized students and the emotional labour required to resolve these tensions.
Linking distributed leadership with collective teacher innovativeness: The mediating roles of job satisfaction and professional collaboration
Authors: Buyukgoze Hilal , Caliskan Omer , Gümüş Sedat
Published: October 2022

Collective teacher innovativeness has emerged as a recent topic of interest in both international policy documents and scholarly research. However, only a few studies have focused on the factors that enable collective teacher innovativeness, particularly in terms of revealing whether and to what extent school leadership might influence this construct. Existing literature suggests that distributed leadership can influence teachers’ instructional practices, emotions, and daily activities, all of which could be important to teacher innovativeness. The present study, therefore, aimed to explore the effect of distributed leadership in fostering collective teacher innovativeness, as well as the mediating roles played by job satisfaction and professional collaboration, by using the Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018 dataset. The findings of the partial mediation structural equation model analysis revealed that distributed leadership has both direct and indirect effects on collective teacher innovativeness, as mediated by job satisfaction and professional collaboration. The results provide evidence of how principal leadership practices impact teachers’ changes in behaviors through professional attitudes and practices.
Transitions to nowhere: Western teleology and regime-type classification
Authors: de Albuquerque Afonso
Published: October 2022

Comparative Political Communication studies often take the same basic regime-type Stage of Democracy Development (SDD) classification as a basis for analysis. In this model, societies can fall into three basic categories: (1) established democracies; (2) transitional democracies; or (3) authoritarian regimes. This article presents a critique of the SDD model. First, it enshrines ethnocentric prejudices as a basis of global comparison in political communication research. It also lacks analytical consistency and scholars using these categories do not feel compelled to justify their choices. Not rarely, they outsource the task of classifying societies to non-scholarly institutions. This makes the model vulnerable to institutional political bias. Finally, the SDD model—which originated in the time of the US global hegemony—is becoming growingly obsolete, in a time when the global order evolves toward a more multipolar structure, and western democracies (the US, in particular) experience a major crisis.
Consumption of true crimes and perceived vulnerability: Does the cultural context matter?
Authors: Soto-Sanfiel María T. , Montoya-Bermúdez Diego F.
Published: October 2022

This qualitative research explores how true crime documentaries (TCDs) are received in cultural settings with different crime rates. It identifies and compares motivations for watching TCDs, perceived vulnerabilities from their consumption, and concerns about their inclusion on broadcasting in Colombia (high murder rate context) and Singapore (low murder rate context). Eleven Colombians (RangeAge = 18–24 years old) and 12 Singaporeans (RangeAge = 19–24 years old) participated in 4 focus groups (FGs). A thematic analysis (TA) revealed that Singaporeans watch TCDs mainly for entertainment, to experience emotions, and to learn about past events, whereas Colombians mostly obtain survival skills, and learn about murderers and their cultural context realities. Unlike Singaporeans, Colombians perceive vulnerabilities associated with TCDs’ representation and consumption as revictimization (resuffering consequences or even being blamed), self-victimization (fear of becoming victims), and victimization (vicarious emotional experience of the consequences of and responsibility for crimes). The samples differ in their approaches to TCDs’ offering in TV. These results inform academy, audiovisual industries, educational programs, and regulatory policies.
The voice of the work to be made: Abductive communication and creativity
Authors: Martine Thomas , Cooren François
Published: October 2022

While artists often present their works as communicating to and through them, this idea has rarely been taken seriously, nor empirically studied from a communicational perspective. Building upon the pragmatist tradition, we show how this particular form of communication takes place. Using Peirce’s concept of abduction, we argue that a creative process essentially happens when a resonance between two materials leads to the unification of these materials into a new whole. Drawing upon a case study, we show how we can retrace such resonances by paying close attention to the interactions between participants collectively involved in a creative project. This paper makes an important contribution to communication studies by revealing the communicational mechanism of our creative impulsions. It also opens new avenues for the study of artistic endeavors as well as other creative activities such as science, politics, or design.
Liberal‐democratic Values and Secondary School: The Case of Georgia
Authors: Tabatadze Sandro , Dundua Salome , Chkuaseli Ketevan
Published: October 2022

The paper focuses on studying the liberal-democratic values in the general education of Georgia. Based on the social interaction approach of political socialization, the article assesses pupils’ and teachers’ positions towards the liberal and democratic principles and values that have been declared policy goals of Georgia since 2004. Using DAP (Democracy-Autocracy Preference), DPE (Democratic Performance Evolution), and initially tested Lib-Dem (Liberal-Democratic) scales, 297 students and 121 teachers were surveyed. Results show that teachers demonstrate more liberal-democratic positions than pupils. Also, girls tend to be less supportive of authoritarian governments and share more liberal approaches than boys. A similar trend is observed comparing students from private and public schools. The type of school correlates to teachers’ results in supporting liberal and democratic positions. However, the more liberal-democratic positions the respondents share, the more likely they believe that “Georgian” and “Liberal” are incompatible. Also, respondents who see Georgia as a democratic country and are more proud to be members of Georgian society share less liberal and democratic principles and vice versa. The study shows how liberal and democratic declared and policy ideas are supported among respondents and what it means to Georgia and its education system. Based on the results and discussion, new research questions are articulated dealing with gender, the generation gap, and the importance of the type of school that needs to be examined more carefully using the social interaction approach and qualitative methods and techniques, as well.
Compounds Isolated from Lawsonia inermis L. Collected in Vietnam and Evaluation of Their Potential Activity Against the Main Protease of SARS-CoV-2 Using In silico Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamic Simulation
Authors: Tuan Nguyen Anh , Khanh Pham Ngoc , Ha Nguyen Xuan , Binh Ta Chi , Khanh Nguyen Duy , Oanh Tran Thị
Published: October 2022

Since late 2019 to early 2020, an outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a worldwide health emergency due to its rapid infection and mortality of millions of people around the world. As the main protease Mpro or 3CLpro produced by the virus plays an important role in coronavirus survival and proliferation, it becomes an excellent drug target to identify COVID-19 inhibitors. Lawsonia inermis L. (henna) is a medicinal plant that has been used for a long time for the treatment of many fungal and bacterial infections. In the search for new anti-COVID agents from medicinal plants, we report the results of our study into the potential inhibition of Mpro by the compounds isolated from the extracts of L. inermis roots and leaves using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. The molecular modeling results showed that all isolated compounds bonded spontaneously into the catalytic pockets of Mpro with binding energies <0. The docking and calculated pharmacokinetic results of the compounds (1-3, 6-8) were similar to and even better than those of the commercial COVID-19 inhibitor remdesivir. In particular, the triterpenoid glycoside suavissimoside R1 (8) showed the best binding to SARS-CoV Mpro, with the lowest binding energy ΔG and IC50,calc. values of −8.19 kcal/mol and 0.98 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the calculations of ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) showed that it had the lowest toxicity, with a predicted LD50 value of 3320 mg/kg. These triterpenoids are worthy of further study to evaluate their actual bioactivity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo in the hope of contributing valuable scientific data for natural resources for the development novel drug formulations for either the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diagnostic Frequency of Febrile Seizures: An Electronic Health Record Database Observational Study
Authors: Cadet Katsiah , Ceneviva Gary D , Walter Vonn , Thomas Neal J , Krawiec Conrad
Published: October 2022

Background and Purpose

Febrile seizures are common in children and are associated with viral infection. Mitigation strategies implemented during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have slowed the spread of all viral illnesses potentially impacting febrile seizure frequency. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 mitigation strategies on the diagnostic frequency of febrile seizures.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational cohort study utilizing TriNetX ® electronic health record (EHR) data. We included subjects aged 0 to 5 years of age reported to have a febrile seizure diagnosis. After the query, the study population was divided into 2 groups [pre-COVID-19 (April 1st, 2019 until March 31st, 2020) and COVID-19 (April 1st, 2020 until March 31st, 2021). We analyzed the following data: age, sex, race, diagnostic, medication, and procedural codes.

Results

During the pre-COVID time frame, emergency or inpatient encounters made up 688,704 subjects aged 0 to 5 years in the TriNetx database, while in the COVID-19 pandemic time frame, it made up of 368 627 subjects. Febrile seizure diagnosis frequency decreased by 36.1% [2696 during COVID-19 vs 7462 during the pre-COVID-19] and a higher proportion of status epilepticus was coded [72 (2.7%) vs 120 (1.6%)] ( P < .001) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitalization, lumbar puncture, critical care services, mechanical ventilation procedural codes were similar between the 2 cohorts. Antimicrobial use was higher in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic group [424 (15.7%) vs 1603 (21.5%)] ( P < .001).

Conclusions

Less children were diagnosed with febrile seizures during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a higher proportion were coded to have the complex subtype. The medical interventions required with the exception of antimicrobial use was similar. Further study is needed regarding mitigation strategies and its impact on pediatric diseases associated with viruses.
Balancing Safety, Comfort, and Fall Risk: An Intervention to Limit Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescriptions for Geriatric Patients
Authors: Bloomer Ainsley , Wally Meghan , Bailey Gisele , Roomian Tamar , Karunakar Madhav , Hsu Joseph R , Seymour Rachel , Beuhler Michael , Bosse Michael , Gibbs Michael , Griggs Christopher , Jarrett Steven , Leas Daniel , Odum Susan , Runyon Michael , Saha Animita , Yu Ziquing , Watling Brad , Wyatt Stephen
Published: October 2022

Introduction

This study reports on the impact of a clinical decision support tool embedded in the electronic medical record and characterizes the demographics, prescribing patterns, and risk factors associated with opioid and benzodiazepine misuse in the older adult population.

Significance

This study reports on prescribing patterns for patients ≥65 years-old who presented to Emergency Departments (ED) or Urgent Care (UC) facilities across a large healthcare system following a fall (n = 34,334 encounters; n = 25,469 patients). This system implemented a clinical decision support intervention which provides an alert when the patient has an evidence-based risk factor for prescription drug misuse; prescribers can continue, amend or cancel the prescription.

Results

Of older adults presenting with a fall, 31.4% (N = 7986) received an opioid or benzodiazepine prescription. Women and younger patients (65-74) had a higher likelihood of receiving a prescription ( P < .0001). 11% had ≥1 risk factor. Women were more likely to receive an early refill ( P = .0002) and younger (65-74) men were more likely to have a past positive toxicology ( P < .0001). A prescription was initiated in 8,591 encounters, and 946 (9.0%) triggered an alert. In 58 cases, the alert resulted in a prescription modification, and in 80 the prescription was canceled.

Conclusions

Documented risk for opioid misuse in the elderly was 10% among patients presenting to the ED/UC after a fall. The dangers associated with opioid/benzodiazepine use increase with age as does fall risk. Awareness of risk factors is an important first step; more work is needed to address potentially hazardous prescriptions in this population.
Can CSR Impact the Reputation of a Company? From the Eyes of Different Stakeholders
Authors: Baruah Loopamudra , Panda N.M.
Published: October 2022

This study investigates the impact of CSR on different stakeholder reputations. For this purpose, we consider reputation from the eyes of three major stakeholders—employees, investors, and customers. Content analysis technique based on a four-point scale was used to measure the CSR of the sample companies, whereas reputation was measured using an appropriate proxy from different stakeholders’ perspectives. System generalized method of moments (GMM) was employed to study the impact of CSR on different stakeholder reputation. The results pointed out that CSR has an insignificant impact on different stakeholder reputations. There is a need for Indian companies to disclose more quality information about their CSR actions to capitalize on its benefits in improving their reputation.
Low Back Pain and Lumbar Degeneration in Japanese Professional Baseball Players
Authors: Morimoto Masatoshi , Okada Ryo , Sugiura Kosuke , Manabe Hiroaki , Inokuchi Takashi , Tezuka Fumitake , Yamashita Kazuta , Takao Syoichiro , Fujitani Junzo , Sairyo Koichi
Published: October 2022

Background:

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Asia. It is known that baseball can easily lead to back pain. However, there has been no survey of low back pain (LBP) and lumbar disc degeneration in Japanese professional baseball players to date.

Purpose:

To investigate the cause of LBP and lumbar degeneration in professional Japanese baseball players.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of Japanese professional baseball players with LBP who visited our hospital. Data were collected from July 2018 to April 2021. We also investigated whether the results differed between players in their 20s and 30s or between pitchers and fielders. Data analysis was performed using the chi-square test.

Results:

We surveyed 32 professional baseball players. The most frequent causes of LBP among players in their 20s (n = 21) were lumbar disc herniation (LDH; 57%) and spondylolysis (24%). Of the players with spondylolysis, 50% had adult-onset spondylolysis. Players in their 30s (n = 11) most commonly had discogenic pain (55%) as well as LDH and facet joint arthritis (each 18%). The incidence of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration was significantly higher in players in their 30s (91%) than those in their 20s (14%), as was the incidence of Schmorl nodes and Modic type 1 changes. There was no significant difference in the cause of LBP or the incidence of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration between pitchers and fielders ( P = .59).

Conclusion:

Among professional baseball players in their 20s, lumbar degeneration was less common, and they most frequently developed diseases less related to degeneration, such as LDH. However, among players in their 30s, lumbar degeneration was more advanced, and degenerative diseases such as discogenic pain occurred more frequently. Research on training methods could lead to the prevention of LBP. Our data may be applicable to other professional athletes and will contribute to diagnosis and treatment.
Imaginaries of planetary inhabitance: Polar futurism and the labors of climate science
Authors: Adams Spencer
Published: October 2022

An emergent polar futurism characterizes the contemporary built space of climate science in Antarctica, inaugurated in large part by the British Antarctic Survey's cutting-edge Halley VI research base. This article analyzes the spatial form, design, and use of Halley VI as well as the rhetoric surrounding it, seeing in Halley VI an expression of a particular “socio-technical imaginary” that implicitly gestures toward a tendential integration of climate science and global logistics. Alongside claims toward fostering a comfortable, communal life among its inhabitants, the imaginary embedded in Halley VI is one where climate research is subsumed within capital's broader aims to facilitate stable logistical movements and infrastructural durability amid chaotic, volatile conditions, a subsumption that bears in particular on the knowledge workers who inhabit the base. What a reading of the base's layout, interior, and lived-in uses exposes, the paper claims, is an implicit portending of a growing proletarianization of sensual experience and knowledge work among residents at the base, increasingly displaced as they are from the subjective core of the base's operations. This reading both extends and complicates recent calls in polar geographies to attend to speculative figurations of Antarctic futures, channeling Halley VI's polar futurism through structural determinants drawn out of literatures critically dealing with design, the history of systems sciences, and theorizations of ongoing restructurings of contemporary labor. The article suggests then that imaginaries of Anthropocenic futures such as those embedded in Halley VI's polar futurism might serve at once as speculative-projective tools and implicit sites for carrying out critiques of tensions and pernicious trends that underlie such Anthropocenic speculation.
Perspectives of older participants on the delivery of individual results: Study within a trial (SWAT) hosted by the HAEL Study
Authors: De Nardi Angélica T , Pfeifer Lucinéia O , Oliveira Nórton L , Botton Cíntia E , Santos Lucas P , Umpierre Daniel
Published: October 2022

Background

Communicating and disseminating individual results to research participants is an ethical imperative, however, this practice is still unusual. In the present study, we investigated two delivery formats of individual results to older participants on the perspectives of understanding (main outcome), satisfaction, and short-term psychological impact.

Methods

This Study Within A Trial (SWAT) is a randomized, single-blinded (outcome assessors), parallel-group intervention hosted by “Hypertension Approaches in the Elderly: a Lifestyle study” multicenter, two-arm, randomized trial (HAEL Study). Participants who entered the HAEL Study in July 2019 or after were eligible. Randomization was generated by computer and allocation concealment by an independent investigator. The delivery of individual results was carried out in individual or group meetings between December 2019 and September 2020 at a Clinical Research Center. Outcomes were assessed by an unvalidated questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale and multiple choice questions.

Results

Of the 20 participants who agreed to participate in the SWAT, 10 from the individual format and 7 from the group format, with a mean age of 68 years old, were evaluated through per-protocol analysis. Most participants showed good understanding of their results in both delivery formats - individual 70% (7/10) and group 71% (5/7) ( p=1.00). Satisfaction with the results delivery format was reported in both groups, with moderate negative emotional impact. Any research-related physical harms were not identified.

Conclusion

Both formats for delivering individual results generated adequate understanding and satisfaction with low negative emotional impact to a partial sample of older participants in the HAEL Study.
Cancer Risk in Patients With Achalasia
Authors: Chablaney Shreya , Knotts Rita M.
Published: October 2022

It is well established that there is an increased risk of esophageal malignancy associated with achalasia, with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma being the most common histologic subtype thought to be secondary to the detrimental effects of food and saliva stasis resulting from poor esophageal emptying. Esophageal adenocarcinoma has also been found in this population with majority of these cases occurring after achalasia treatment, presumably as a result of iatrogenic reflux. Nevertheless, the benefits of cancer screening in this population remains an area of controversy. We reviewed the literature examining the pathogenesis of malignancy among patients with achalasia and the current data examining the potential strategies for long-term surveillance in this patient population.
Oral Mercaptopurine Adherence in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Survey Study From the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Consortium
Authors: Kahn Justine M. , Stevenson Kristen , Beauchemin Melissa , Koch Victoria B. , Cole Peter D. , Welch Jennifer J. G. , Gage-Bouchard Elizabeth , Karsenty Cecile , Silverman Lewis B. , Kelly Kara M. , Bona Kira
Published: October 2022

Background: Oral chemotherapy nonadherence is a challenge in clinical oncology. During therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), poor adherence to 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) increases relapse risk. Clinically significant nonadherence is reported in 30% of children treated for ALL on Children's Oncology Group (COG) trials. Whether nonadherence rates vary across regimens with different treatment schedules and modes of administration is unknown. Methods: We conducted an exploratory, cross-sectional survey study on parents of children (1–18 years) receiving continuation therapy on, or as per Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL Consortium Protocol 11-001. Treatment required weekly visits to the clinic and 14 days of oral 6MP every 3 weeks. Survey assessed self-reported sociodemographics, medication-taking, chemotherapy comprehension, and 6MP adherence; adherence survey items were developed from published surveys. Patients were grouped as nonadherent if they endorsed missing one 6MP dose during the last cycle, or more than one dose during prior cycles, for nonmedical reasons. Results: Sixty-two families completed the surveys, all of whom had evaluable adherence data. In total, 25% of patients met the study definition of nonadherence. Twenty-three percent reported that it was “not easy” to follow administration guidelines around the dairy intake and 57% requested more teaching and educational resources. Conclusion: Self-reported nonadherence to oral 6MP in the DFCI ALL Consortium is high, with rates similar to those observed in the COG. This suggests that the additional contact during weekly infusions on the DFCI is insufficient to address barriers affecting oral chemotherapy adherence.
c-Jun-mediated miR-19b expression induces endothelial barrier dysfunction in an in vitro model of hemorrhagic shock
Authors: Wu Feng , Wang Jian-Ying , Dorman Brooke , Zeineddin Ahmad , Kozar Rosemary Ann
Published: October 2022

Background

Our previous data demonstrated that miR-19b expression was increased in human lung microvascular endothelial cells in-vitro-, in-vivo and in patients with hemorrhagic shock, leading to a decrease in syndecan-1 mRNA and protein and resulting in loss of endothelial barrier function. However, the mechanism underlying increased miR-19b expression remains unclear. The objective of the current study was to determine if c-Jun mediates the early responsive microRNA, miR-19b, to cause endothelial barrier dysfunction.

Method

Human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMEC) or HEK293T cells were transfected with c-Jun overexpressing vector, c-Jun siRNA, miR-19b promoter vector, miR-19b mutated promoter vector, miR-19b oligo inhibitor, then subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation as in-vitro model of hemorrhagic shock. Levels of protein, miRNA, and luciferase activity were measured. Transwell permeability of endothelial monolayers were also determined. Plasma levels of c-Jun were measured in injured patients with hemorrhagic shock.

Result

Hypoxia/reoxygenation induced primary (pri-)miR-19b, mature miR-19b, and c-Jun expression over time in a comparable timeframe. c-Jun silencing by transfection with its specific siRNA reduced both pri-miR-19b and mature miR-19b levels. Conversely, c-Jun overexpression enhanced H/R-induced pri-miR-19b. Studies using a luciferase reporter assay revealed that in cells transfected with vectors containing the wild-type miR-19b promoter and luciferase reporter, c-Jun overexpression or hypoxia/ reoxygenation significantly increased luciferase activity. c-Jun knockdown reduced the luciferase activity in these cells, suggesting that the miR-19b promoter is directly activated by c-Jun. Further, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that c-Jun directly bound to the promoter DNA of miR-19b and hypoxia/reoxygenation significantly increased this interaction. Additionally, c-Jun silencing prevented cell surface syndecan-1 loss and endothelial barrier dysfunction in HLMECs after hypoxia/reoxygenation. Lastly, c-Jun was significantly elevated in patients with hemorrhagic shock compared to healthy controls.

Conclusion

Transcription factor c-Jun is inducible by hypoxia/reoxygenation, binds to and activates the miR-19b promoter. Using an in-vitro model of hemorrhagic shock, our findings identified a novel cellular mechanism whereby hypoxia/ reoxygenation increases miR-19b transcription by inducing c-Jun and leads to syndecan-1 decrease and endothelial cell barrier dysfunction. This finding supports that miR-19b could be a potential therapeutic target for hemorrhage shock.
European Headache Federation (EHF) consensus on the definition of effective treatment of a migraine attack and of triptan failure
Authors: Sacco Simona , Lampl Christian , Amin Faisal Mohammad , Braschinsky Mark , Deligianni Christina , Uludüz Derya , Versijpt Jan , Ducros Anne , Gil-Gouveia Raquel , Katsarava Zaza , Martelletti Paolo , Ornello Raffaele , Raffaelli Bianca , Boucherie Deirdre M. , Pozo-Rosich Patricia , Sanchez-del-Rio Margarita , Sinclair Alexandra , Maassen van den Brink Antoinette , Reuter Uwe
Published: October 2022

Background

Triptans are migraine-specific acute treatments. A well-accepted definition of triptan failure is needed in clinical practice and for research. The primary aim of the present Consensus was to provide a definition of triptan failure. To develop this definition, we deemed necessary to develop as first a consensus definition of effective treatment of an acute migraine attack and of triptan-responder.

Main body

The Consensus process included a preliminary literature review, a Delphi round and a subsequent open discussion. According to the Consensus Panel, effective treatment of a migraine attack is to be defined on patient well-being featured by a) improvement of headache, b) relief of non-pain symptoms and c) absence of adverse events. An attack is considered effectively treated if patient’s well-being, as defined above, is restored within 2 hours and for at least 24 hours. An individual with migraine is considered as triptan-responder when the given triptan leads to effective acute attack treatment in at least three out of four migraine attacks. On the other hand, an individual with migraine is considered triptan non-responder in the presence of failure of a single triptan (not matching the definition of triptan-responder). The Consensus Panel defined an individual with migraine as triptan-resistant in the presence of failure of at least 2 triptans; triptan refractory, in the presence of failure to at least 3 triptans, including subcutaneous formulation; triptan ineligibile in the presence of an acknowledged contraindication to triptan use, as specified in the summary of product characteristics.

Conclusions

The novel definitions can be useful in clinical practice for the assessment of acute attack treatments patients with migraine. They may be helpful in identifying people not responding to triptans and in need for novel acute migraine treatments. The definitions will also be of help in standardizing research on migraine acute care.
Aortic dissection following “ecstasy” use complicated by compartment syndrome
Authors: McDonnell Erin , Zhou Yi , Chao Joshua , Lee Leonard
Published: October 2022

Background

Patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with acute chest pain should receive a thorough history and exam to rule out rare, life-threatening conditions, such as drug-induced acute aortic dissections (AD).

Case presentation

A 34-year-old man with a history of uncontrolled hypertension, smoking, and “ecstasy” use presented to the ED with an acute type A aortic dissection (AD). Following surgery to repair the dissection, he developed compartment syndrome of the lower extremity requiring muscle excision and neurolysis with subsequent wound debridement procedures.

Conclusion

Physicians treating adults with symptoms and signs of aortic dissection should take a focused history about substance use and include AD on their differential. In addition, the extremities should be monitored for signs and symptoms of ischemia throughout the acute peri-surgical period(s).
Comparison of unweighted and item response theory-based weighted sum scoring for the Nine-Questions Depression-Rating Scale in the Northern Thai Dialect
Authors: Kawilapat Suttipong , Maneeton Benchalak , Maneeton Narong , Prasitwattanaseree Sukon , Kongsuk Thoranin , Arunpongpaisal Suwanna , Leejongpermpoon Jintana , Sukhawaha Supattra , Traisathit Patrinee
Published: October 2022

Background

The Nine-Questions Depression-Rating Scale (9Q) has been developed as an alternative assessment tool for assessing the severity of depressive symptoms in Thai adults. The traditional unweighted sum scoring approach does not account for differences in the loadings of the items on the actual severity. Therefore, we developed an Item Response Theory (IRT)-based weighted sum scoring approach to provide a scoring method that is more precise than the unweighted sum score.

Methods

Secondary data from a study on the criterion-related validity of the 9Q in the northern Thai dialect was used in this study. All participants were interviewed to obtain demographic data and screened/evaluated for major depressive disorder and the severity of the associated depressive symptoms, followed by diagnosis by a psychiatrist for major depressive disorder. IRT models were used to estimate the discrimination and threshold parameters. Differential item functioning (DIF) of responses to each item between males and females was compared using likelihood-ratio tests. The IRT-based weighed sum scores of the individual items are defined as the linear combination of individual response weighted with the discrimination and threshold parameters divided by the plausible maximum score based on the graded-response model (GRM) for the 9Q score (9Q-GRM) or the nominal-response model (NRM) for categorical combinations of the intensity and frequency of symptoms from the 9Q responses (9QSF-NRM). The performances of the two scoring procedures were compared using relative precision.

Results

Of the 1,355 participants, 1,000 and 355 participants were randomly selected for the developmental and validation group for the IRT-based weighted scoring, respectively. the gender-related DIF were presented for items 2 and 5 for the 9Q-GRM, while most items (except for items 3 and 6) for the 9QSF-NRM, which could be used to separately estimate the parameters between genders. The 9Q-GRM model accounting for DIF had a higher precision (16.7%) than the unweighted sum-score approach.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that weighted sum scoring with the IRT parameters can improve the scoring when using 9Q to measure the severity of the depressive symptoms in Thai adults. Accounting for DIF between the genders resulted in higher precision for IRT-based weighted scoring.