bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Procedural Safety Comparison Between Transcarotid Artery Revascularization, Carotid Endarterectomy, and Carotid Stenting: Perioperative and 1‐Year Rates of Stroke or Death
Authors: Columbo Jesse A. , Martinez‐Camblor Pablo , Stone David H. , Goodney Philip P. , O'Malley A. James
Published: September 2022

Background

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015 for patients with carotid artery stenosis. However, no randomized trial to evaluate TCAR has been performed to date, and previous reports have important limitations. Accordingly, we measured stroke or death after TCAR compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TF‐CAS).

Methods and Results

We used the Vascular Quality Initiative registry to study patients who underwent TCAR, CEA, or TF‐CAS from September 2016 to June 2021. Our primary outcomes were perioperative and 1‐year stroke or death. We used logistic regression for risk adjustment for perioperative outcomes and Cox regression for risk adjustment for 1‐year outcomes. We used a 2‐stage residual inclusion instrumental variable (IV) method to adjust for selection bias and other unmeasured confounding. Our instrument was a center's preference to perform TCAR versus CEA or TF‐CAS. We performed a subgroup analysis stratified by presenting neurologic symptoms. We studied 21 234 patients who underwent TCAR, 82 737 who underwent CEA, and 14 595 who underwent TF‐CAS across 662 centers. The perioperative rate of stroke or death was 2.0% for TCAR, 1.7% for CEA, and 3.7% for TF‐CAS (
P
<0.001). Compared with TCAR, the IV‐adjusted odds ratio of perioperative stroke or death for CEA was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.55–0.99) and for TF‐CAS was 1.66 (95% CI, 0.99–2.79). Results were similar among both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The 1‐year rate of stroke or death was 6.4% for TCAR, 5.2% for CEA, and 9.7% for TF‐CAS (
P
<0.001). Compared with TCAR, the IV‐adjusted hazard ratio of 1 year stroke or death for CEA was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.80–1.17), and for TF‐CAS was 1.45 (95% CI, 1.04–2.02). IV analysis further demonstrated that symptomatic patients with carotid stenosis had the lowest 1‐year likelihood of stroke or death with TCAR (compared with TCAR, symptomatic IV‐adjusted hazard ratio for CEA: 1.30 [95% CI, 1.04–1.64], and TF‐CAS: 1.86 [95% CI, 1.27–2.71]).

Conclusions

Perioperative stroke or death was greater following TCAR when compared with CEA. However, at 1 year there was no statistically significant difference in stroke or death between the 2 procedures. TCAR performed favorably compared with TF‐CAS at both time points. Although CEA remains the gold standard procedure for patients with carotid stenosis, TCAR appears to be a safe alternative to CEA and TF‐CAS when used selectively and may be useful when treating symptomatic patients.
Sex‐Specific Considerations in Degenerative Aortic Stenosis for Female‐Tailored Transfemoral Aortic Valve Implantation Management
Authors: Masiero Giulia , Paradies Valeria , Franzone Anna , Bellini Barbara , De Biase Chiara , Karam Nicole , Sanguineti Francesca , Mamas Mamas A. , Eltchaninoff Hélène , Fraccaro Chiara , Castiglioni Battistina , Attisano Tiziana , Esposito Giovanni , Chieffo Alaide
Published: September 2022

The impact of sex on pathophysiological processes, clinical presentation, treatment options, as well as outcomes of degenerative aortic stenosis remain poorly understood. Female patients are well represented in transfemoral aortic valve implantation (TAVI) trials and appear to derive favorable outcomes with TAVI. However, higher incidences of major bleeding, vascular complications, and stroke have been reported in women following TAVI. The anatomical characteristics and pathophysiological features of aortic stenosis in women might guide a tailored planning of the percutaneous approach. We highlight whether a sex‐based TAVI management strategy might impact on clinical outcomes. This review aimed to evaluate the impact of sex from diagnosis to treatment of degenerative aortic stenosis, discussing the latest evidence on epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, therapeutic options, and outcomes. Furthermore, we focused on technical sex‐oriented considerations in TAVI including the preprocedural screening, device selection, implantation strategy, and postprocedural management.
Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Malnutrition in Older Japanese Adults at High Surgical Risk Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Ishizu Kenichi , Shirai Shinichi , Tashiro Hiroaki , Kitano Kazuki , Tabata Hiroyuki , Nakamura Miho , Morofuji Toru , Murakami Naoto , Morinaga Takashi , Hayashi Masaomi , Isotani Akihiro , Arai Yoshio , Ohno Nobuhisa , Kakumoto Shinichi , Ando Kenji
Published: September 2022

Background

The usefulness of preprocedural nutritional status to stratify prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been evaluated; however, the studies conducted so far have been relatively small and/or focused on a single nutritional index. This study sought to assess the prevalence and prognostic impact of malnutrition in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Methods and Results

We applied the Controlling Nutritional Status score, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and Prognostic Nutritional Index to 1040 consecutive older Japanese patients at high surgical risk who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation. According to the Controlling Nutritional Status score, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and Prognostic Nutritional Index, 16.6%, 60.5%, and 13.8% patients had moderate or severe malnutrition, respectively; 89.3% were at least mildly malnourished by at least 1 score. Worse nutritional status was associated with older age, lower body mass index, higher degree of frailty, worse symptoms and renal function, atrial fibrillation, and anemia. During a median follow‐up of 986 days (interquartile range, 556–1402 days), 273 (26.3%) patients died. Compared with normal nutrition, malnutrition was associated with an increased risk for all‐cause death (adjusted hazard ratio for moderate and severe malnutrition, respectively: 2.19 (95% CI, 1.45–3.31;
P
<0.001) and 6.13 (95% CI, 2.75–13.70;
P
<0.001) for the Controlling Nutritional Status score, 2.02 (95% CI, 1.36–3.02;
P
=0.001) and 3.24 (95% CI, 1.86–5.65;
P
<0.001) for the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and 1.60 (95% CI, 1.06–2.39;
P
=0.024) and 2.32 (95% CI, 1.50–3.60;
P
<0.001) for the Prognostic Nutritional Index).

Conclusions

Malnutrition is common in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation and is associated with increased mortality.
Hospital Variation of Spironolactone Use in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in China—The China PEACE Retrospective Heart Failure Study
Authors: Yu Yuan , Guan Wenchi , Masoudi Frederick A. , Wang Bin , He Guangda , Spertus John A. , Lu Yuan , Krumholz Harlan M. , Li Jing
Published: September 2022

Background

Although aldosterone antagonists improve outcomes in select individuals with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, studies in the United States have raised concerns about underuse and overuse. Variations in the prescription of aldosterone antagonist in China are unknown.

Methods and Results

In the multicenter, hospital‐based, retrospective China PEACE (China Patient‐Centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events) study, we identified a nationally representative cohort of admissions for heart failure in a nationally representative sample of Chinese hospitals in 2015. Patients were classified into 1 of 3 groups according to their eligibility for spironolactone—“ideal” (left ventricular ejection fraction <40% and without contraindications), “contraindicated” (a documented contraindication, irrespective of left ventricular ejection fraction), and “uncertain‐benefit” (all others). We measured hospital variation of spironolactone prescriptions at discharge in the “ideal” and “contraindicated” group and calculated the median odds ratio (MOR), a measure of institution‐level variation for 2 individuals with similar characteristics discharged at 2 randomly selected hospitals. Hospital characteristics associated with spironolactone use were identified using multivariable linear regression model. Among 1222 ideal patients from 97 hospitals, the median rate of spironolactone prescription was 78.6% (interquartile range [IQR], 42.8%–89.6% [range, 0%–100%], MOR, 3.4 [95% CI, 2.7–4.0]) at discharge. Among 900 contraindicated patients from 83 hospitals, the median rate of spironolactone prescription was 30.0% (IQR, 9.1%–50.0% [range, 0%–100%], MOR, 3.1 [95% CI, 2.4–3.9]) at discharge. Hospitals with independent departments of cardiology and located in Eastern China were associated with a 38.0% (95% CI, 18.7–57.3;
P
<0.001) and a 14.6% (95% CI, 2.3%–26.9%;
P
=0.020) higher rate of spironolactone use for ideal patients.

Conclusions

In this national study of hospitals in China, the use of spironolactone among ideal patients and the inappropriate use of spironolactone among patients with contraindications was substantial, with rates that varied markedly by institution.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02877914.
Protein Kinase D1 Regulates Cardiac Hypertrophy, Potassium Channel Remodeling, and Arrhythmias in Heart Failure
Authors: Bossuyt Julie , Borst Johanna M. , Verberckmoes Marie , Bailey Logan R. J. , Bers Donald M. , Hegyi Bence
Published: September 2022

Background

Structural and electrophysiological remodeling characterize heart failure (HF) enhancing arrhythmias. PKD1 (protein kinase D1) is upregulated in HF and mediates pathological hypertrophic signaling, but its role in K+ channel remodeling and arrhythmogenesis in HF is unknown.

Methods and Results

We performed echocardiography, electrophysiology, and expression analysis in wild‐type and PKD1 cardiomyocyte‐specific knockout (cKO) mice following transverse aortic constriction (TAC). PKD1‐cKO mice exhibited significantly less cardiac hypertrophy post‐TAC and were protected from early decline in cardiac contractile function (3 weeks post‐TAC) but not the progression to HF at 7 weeks post‐TAC. Wild‐type mice exhibited ventricular action potential duration prolongation at 8 weeks post‐TAC, which was attenuated in PKD1‐cKO, consistent with larger K+ currents via the transient outward current, sustained current, inward rectifier K+ current, and rapid delayed rectifier K+ current and increased expression of corresponding K+ channels. Conversely, reduction of slowly inactivating K+ current was independent of PKD1 in HF. Acute PKD inhibition slightly increased transient outward current in TAC and sham wild‐type myocytes but did not alter other K+ currents. Sham PKD1‐cKO versus wild‐type also exhibited larger transient outward current and faster early action potential repolarization. Tachypacing‐induced action potential duration alternans in TAC animals was increased and independent of PKD1, but diastolic arrhythmogenic activities were reduced in PKD1‐cKO.

Conclusions

Our data indicate an important role for PKD1 in the HF‐related hypertrophic response and K+ channel downregulation. Therefore, PKD1 inhibition may represent a therapeutic strategy to reduce hypertrophy and arrhythmias; however, PKD1 inhibition may not prevent disease progression and reduced contractility in HF.
SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF ECONOMIC CRIMES IN TURKEY: DYNAMIC PANEL DATA ANALYSIS
Authors: YILDIZ Ümit , KABAKÇI GÜNAY Eylül , GÜNSOY Güler , GÜNSOY Bülent
Published: September 2022

Individuals or criminal organizations carry out various criminal activities in all countries of the world with illegal methods to gain unfair economic benefits. With theft, bribery, and fraud being in the lead, many types of economic crimes disrupt the economic and social order of the society, damage mutual trust between individuals, and feed the informal economy. This study aims to determine the relationship between economic crimes and socioeconomic factors. Within the scope of the study, panel data of 26 sub-regions in the Statistical Regional Units Classification-II (İİBS-II) of Turkey for the period of 2008-2019 were analyzed with dynamic panel data methods and the socioeconomic determinants of 10 different crimes representing economic crimes in the literature were put forward. Based on the results of the study, it is observed that the gross national product per capita, unemployment, educational status, population density, and net migration, which are among the socioeconomic factors included in the analysis, have statistically significant effects on the economic crime rates.
Characterizing Permutation-Based Combinatorial Optimization Problems in Fourier Space
Authors: Elorza Anne , Hernando Leticia , Lozano Jose A.
Published: September 2022

Comparing combinatorial optimization problems is a difficult task. They are defined using different criteria and terms: weights, flows, distances, etc. In spite of this apparent discrepancy, on many occasions, they tend to produce problem instances with similar properties. One avenue to compare different problems is to project them onto the same space, in order to have homogeneous representations. Expressing the problems in a unified framework could also lead to the discovery of theoretical properties or the design of new algorithms. This article proposes the use of the Fourier transform over the symmetric group as the tool to project different permutation-based combinatorial optimization problems onto the same space. Based on a previous study (Kondor, 2010), which characterized the Fourier coefficients of the quadratic assignment problem, we describe the Fourier coefficients of three other well-known problems: the symmetric and nonsymmetric traveling salesperson problem and the linear ordering problem. This transformation allows us to gain a better understanding of the intersection between the problems, as well as to bound their intrinsic dimension.
The Value of Private Schools: Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Carneiro Pedro , Das Jishnu , Reis Hugo
Published: September 2022

Using unique data from Pakistan, we estimate a model of demand for differentiated products in 112 rural education markets with significant choice among public and private schools. Families are willing to pay substantially for reductions in distance to school, but, in contrast, price elasticities are low. Using the demand estimates, we show that the existence of a low-fee private school market is of great value for households in our sample, reaching 2% to 7% of annual per capita expenditure for those choosing private schools.
Impacts of Environmental Degradation: Forest Loss, Malaria, and Child Outcomes in Nigeria
Authors: Berazneva Julia , Byker Tanya S.
Published: September 2022

We examine the effect of forest loss around the time of birth on infant mortality and the early childhood health of children in rural Nigeria. We find that forest loss leads to an increase in neonatal mortality—one standard deviation of forest loss is associated with a 9%–15% increase in the likelihood of death within the first month of life. The mechanism linking forest loss to infant death is maternal exposure to malaria when the child is in utero. Such exposure also results in worse birth outcomes, proxied by lower weight-for-age and height-for-age of surviving infants.
The Value of Health Insurance during a Crisis: Effects of Medicaid Implementation on Pandemic Influenza Mortality
Authors: Clay Karen , Lewis Joshua , Severnini Edson , Wang Xiao
Published: September 2022

This paper studies how better access to public health insurance affects infant mortality during pandemics. The analysis combines cross-state variation in mandated eligibility for Medicaid with two influenza pandemics that arrived shortly before and after the program’s introduction in 1965. We find that better access to public health insurance in high-eligibility states substantially reduced pandemic infant mortality. The reductions in pandemic infant mortality are too large to be attributable solely to new Medicaid recipients, suggesting that expanded access to public health insurance helped mitigate disease transmission among the broader population.
Air Pollution and the Labor Market: Evidence from Wildfire Smoke
Authors: Borgschulte Mark , Molitor David , Zou Eric Yongchen
Published: September 2022

We study how air pollution impacts the U.S. labor market by analyzing the effects of drifting wildfire smoke. We link satellite-based smoke plume data with labor market outcomes to estimate that an additional day of smoke exposure reduces quarterly earnings by about 0.1%. Extensive margin responses, including employment reductions and labor force exits, explain 13% of the overall earnings losses. The implied welfare costs from lost earnings due to air pollution exposure is on par with standard valuations of the mortality burden. The findings highlight the importance of labor market channels in air pollution policy responses.
Hospital Allocation and Racial Disparities in Health Care
Authors: Chandra Amitabh , Kakani Pragya , Sacarny Adam
Published: September 2022

We develop a framework to measure the role of hospital allocation in racial disparities in health care and use it to study Black and white heart attack patients. Black patients receive care at lower-performing hospitals than white patients. However, over two decades, the performance gap between hospitals treating Black and white patients shrank by over two-thirds. This progress is due to more rapid performance improvement at hospitals that tended to treat Black patients rather than reallocation of patients. Hospital improvement is correlated with adoption of a productivity-raising input, beta blockers. Our work highlights reallocation and performance improvement as future disparity-reduction levers.
The Religious Feminist Subject as Material-Discursive Circuit
Authors: Hovland Ingie
Published: September 2022

This article describes three different readings of the creation story of Eve and Adam, occurring over the life span of Henny Dons, a Protestant Christian and first-wave feminist in early-twentieth-century Norway. I discuss her changing understandings of this creation account over the course of her life. More broadly I explore her approach to biblical reading (as receiving, arranging, and iterating) and how this shaped her as a religious feminist subject. I argue that what is going on in her iterated re-readings is not fully captured by the frame of self-cultivation. Rather, this religious feminist subject shows us a series of woman-word operations that receive and arrange a variety of material and discursive entities together in a circuit of “being created woman.”
A checklist of the ticks of Malaysia (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae), with lists of known associated hosts, geographical distribution, type localities, human infestations and pathogens
Authors: KAZIM ABDUL-RAHMAN , HOUSSAINI JAMAL , TAPPE DENNIS , HEO CHONG CHIN
Published: September 2022

Studies of ticks in Malaysia from past articles were reviewed, resulting in a list of 47 species belonging to seven genera (Argas, Ornithodoros, Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Ixodes, and Rhipicephalus). The most prevalent genus in Malaysia is Haemaphysalis (20 species), followed by Amblyomma (eight species) and Dermacentor (seven species). Out of 47 species, only 28 have bitten humans, mostly belonging to Haemaphysalis. The most researched tick-borne pathogens in Malaysia are Rickettsia and Anaplasma, and most research was focused on the tropical-lineage brown dog ticks, R. sanguineus sensu lato, and the cattle ticks, Haemaphysalis bispinosa and Rhipicephalus microplus. 18 species were excluded from the list due to lack of definite records or dubious findings: Ornithodoros mimon, O. turicata, Amblyomma breviscutatum, A. clypeolatum, A. integrum, A. maculatum, Dermacentor marginatum, D. taiwanensis, Haemaphysalis birmaniae, H. flava, H. humerosa, H. longicornis, H. punctata, H. sulcata, Ixodes holocyclus, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, R. annulatus and R. bursa. This paper presents the first complete and updated list for Dermacentor and Ixodes tick species in Malaysia since Kohls (1957).
Description of a new ant- and stingless-bee-loving species of Cryptostigma Ferris (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from Ecuador living inside internodes of Cecropia (Urticaceae), with an updated key to the adult females and first-instar nymphs of the genus
Authors: KONDO TAKUMASA , ROUBIK DAVID W.
Published: September 2022

A new soft scale species, Cryptostigma cecropiaphilum Kondo & Roubik, sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), is described from specimens collected from inside hollow branches (internodes) of Cecropia ficifolia Warb. ex Snethl and Cecropia sciadophylla Mart. (Urticaceae), in Orellana province, Ecuador. The new species was found in association with three mutualistic hymenopterans: two species of Plebeia Schwarz, subgenus Nanoplebeia Engel (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini), and Azteca sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae). The new species of coccid is described based on the morphology of the adult female and first-instar nymph. Keys to the known adult females and first-instar nymphs of Cryptostigma Ferris are provided.
Coupling between Abyssal Boundary Layers and the Interior Ocean in the Absence of Along-Slope Variations
Authors: Peterson Henry G. , Callies Jörn
Published: September 2022

To close the overturning circulation, dense bottom water must upwell via turbulent mixing. Recent studies have identified thin bottom boundary layers (BLs) as locations of intense upwelling, yet it remains unclear how they interact with and shape the large-scale circulation of the abyssal ocean. The current understanding of this BL–interior coupling is shaped by 1D theory, suggesting that variations in locally produced BL transport generate exchange with the interior and thus a global circulation. Until now, however, this picture has been based on a 1D theory that fails to capture the local evolution in even highly idealized 2D geometries. The present work applies BL theory to revised 1D dynamics, which more naturally generalizes to two and three dimensions. The BL is assumed to be in quasi-equilibrium between the upwelling of dense water and the convergence of downward buoyancy fluxes. The BL transport, for which explicit formulas are presented, exerts an influence on the interior by modifying the bottom boundary condition. In 1D, this BL transport is independent of the interior evolution, but in 2D the BL and interior are fully coupled. Once interior variables and the bottom slope are allowed to vary in the horizontal, the resulting convergences and divergences in the BL transport exchange mass with the interior. This framework allows for the analysis of previously inaccessible problems such as the BL–interior coupling in the presence of an exponential interior stratification, laying the foundation for developing a full theory for the abyssal circulation.
A point cloud segmentation and material statistics algorithm for train carriage
Authors: Qiao Xiaoshu , Gao Shan , Cao Weichong , Wang Chao , Liu Jun , Zhou Kai
Published: September 2022

The efficiency of train transportation in the port environment directly restricts the production efficiency of the entire port. In order to coordinate the productivity of the entire port and further improve the loading and unloading efficiency of the train automation system, this paper proposes a material segmentation and data statistics algorithm for the problem of material identification in the train compartment. The terrestrial laser scanning system was established under the experimental scenario of CHN ENERGY Tianjin Port. By fusing the laser point cloud data, and then performing pre-processing operations such as box filtering, down-sampling, and radius filtering, the pre-processed point cloud data is projected onto a two-dimensional plane as a two-dimensional image, and the canny operator is used to extract the contour of the carriage on the image. Further fitting to the plane of the point cloud of the carriage wall, and the point cloud of materials in the carriage is segmented. Through the method of slicing the compartment, completing the statistical analysis of the data in the compartment from the whole to the part. The database fields of the main carriage types are established to realize the information interaction between the database and the recognition algorithm. The final experimental results show that the error rate of the carriage length recognition is 5.89%, and the width error rate is 7.25%, which verifies that the algorithm has good recognition accuracy which fully meets engineering needs.
Domestic Bank Reform and the Contingent Nature of the Structural Power of Finance in Emerging Markets
Authors: Dafe Florence , Rethel Lena
Published: September 2022

This article examines the structural power of domestic finance in developing and emerging economies (DEEs) in the context of a shift toward increasingly activist financial development planning and financial sector reform. Focusing on efforts to create large, internationally competitive banks in Malaysia and Nigeria dating to the late 1990s and early 2000s, it highlights that banks have not played their envisaged role in financing structural transformation via industrial growth and economic development. Nonetheless, (large) banks in DEEs have attained considerable structural power over financial policy, supporting their ability to shape growth and investment strategies. Therefore, the article proposes a revised model of the structural power of finance, recognizing its contingent nature. States pursue various forms of financialization both as a substitute to, or in conjunction with, industrial policy. Financialized development strategies enhance the structural power of large banks in DEEs, notwithstanding their limited role in meeting the investment/development imperative.
Platelet preservation in cardiac surgery using minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation versus optimized cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Beairsto Brian , Serrick Cyril , Fernandez Amanda , Lafreniere-Roula Myriam , Badiwala Mitesh , Karkouti Keyvan , Rao Vivek
Published: September 2022

Background

Minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation (MiECC) is employed as a strategy to attenuate the physiologic disturbance caused by cardiopulmonary bypass. The aim of this study was to compare the coagulation profile of MiECC to an optimized conventional extracorporeal circuit (OpECC) with regards to platelet function, rotational thromboelastometry and blood product usage.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of coronary artery bypass grafting operations using either MiECC or OpECC was performed at a single institution.

Results

A total of 112 patients were included, with 61 receiving MiECC and 51 OpECC patients. OpECC patients had a significantly larger BSA (1.95+/- 0.22m2 vs 1.88 +/- 0.18m2, p = 0.034), than those who received MiECC. No difference between groups was observed regarding red blood cell, plasma, and platelet transfusions. Functional platelet count during the warming phase of cardiopulmonary bypass was found to be higher in the MiECC group ((136 (102–171) x109/L vs 109 (94–136) x109/L), p = 0.027), as were functional platelets as a percent of total platelet count ((86 (77–91)% vs 76 (63–82)%), p = 0.003). There were no significant differences between other outcomes such as operative mortality, incidence of stroke, and intensive care unit length of stay.

Conclusion

While we did not see a difference in blood transfusions, MiECC resulted in a statistically significant advantage over OpECC with regards to preservation of functional platelets.
Transient tunnel vision and altered consciousness after a single dose of ibuprofen
Authors: Finsterer Josef
Published: September 2022

Although neurological/ophthalmologic side effects including headache, vertigo, somnolence, paresthesia, optic neuritis, and optic neuropathy are listed as side effects in the medication guidelines for ibuprofen, transient tunnel vision and altered consciousness after a single dose of ibuprofen have not been reported. The patient was a 48-year-old man who experienced sudden-onset tunnel vision for a few seconds, followed by an altered state of consciousness for 20 minutes, during which he was communicating with his boss in an altered manner, 15 minutes after having taken 200 mg of ibuprofen. After awakening, he required 2 to 3 hours to return to his premorbid condition. No tongue biting or secessus occurred. Because his blood pressure, blood tests, blood gas analysis, electrocardiography, and electroencephalography results were normal and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging only showed non-specific spots in the subcortical white matter, the condition was attributed to ibuprofen. This case shows that a single dose of ibuprofen can cause severe side effects in the form of tunnel vision and altered consciousness. In some patients, single doses of ibuprofen may cause severe side effects.
Effect of pH on salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride-ester): Implications for polymer degradation and controlled salicylic acid release
Authors: Gulrajani Sammy , Snyder Sabrina , Hackenberg Jason D. , Uhrich Kathryn
Published: September 2022

Salicylic acid (SA)-based poly(anhydride-esters) (SAPAEs) hydrolytically degrade to release SA in a controlled manner over extended time periods. While these polymers have been well investigated under in vivo conditions, this study is the first detailed, systematic assessment of in vitro polymer degradation over a range of pH values. To investigate the effect of pH conditions on SAPAE degradation, in vitro degradation studies were conducted on SAPAE disks over a wide pH range (2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 7.4, 8.0, 9.0, and 10.0) for 30 days. Several parameters were evaluated, including SA concentrations in the degradation media, polymer mass loss, water uptake in the polymer matrices, and SA solubility at different pH values to substantiate SA release results and characterize the in vitro polymer degradation process. Complete SA release was achieved at more basic conditions (pH 9.0 and 10.0) over 9 days, whereas less than 41% SA was released over the same time period at neutral pH conditions (pH 8.0 and 7.4). By comparison, SA release was minimal in acidic pH conditions. Overall, we present quantitative data of polymer degradation as defined by SA in vitro release, which increased with increasing pH values. More basic conditions promoted polymer degradation, whereas acidic conditions minimized polymer degradation.
To pre-filter, or not to pre-filter, that is the query: A multi-campus big data study
Authors: Cribbs Heather L. , Gardner Gabriel J.
Published: September 2022

Library discovery platforms, which provide searchable user interfaces as their front-facing layer, aggregate tremendous amounts of metadata from multiple data streams describing a wide variety of print and electronic resources. Complicating the matter further, resources may differ in availability or delivery time depending not only on their media but also upon the source of the data stream describing them. How should libraries structure end users’ options for searching discovery platforms in light of the many options available? This study used a nonexperimental design and quantitative methods to analyze users’ revealed preferences for query type in twenty-four academic libraries in a data set containing metadata, sans queries, for over 64 million searches. Libraries studied were all located in California, used the same discovery layer software, and served similar user and faculty constituencies; however, the number of query types and pre-filtering options available differed between institutions. Results show that, when users were presented with the choice between search options, most conducted simple, more broad searches rather than complex and specific searches. When search options were highly constrained by the default choice architecture, but complex searches were possible, few users opted out of the default simple search. Implications for usability of discovery layers and the motivations of librarians in choice architecture are nontrivial and are discussed. The desires of librarians and “power user” faculty must be balanced with the fact that most users are novices and users of all abilities are largely habituated to commercial search products which emphasize post-search results filtering.
Estimation of Insurer’s Managerial Ability: A Goal Programming Approach
Authors: Sinha Ram Pratap , Vaisi Bahareh
Published: September 2022

Inter-firm performance differences are influenced by several contextual variables, and managerial ability is one important factor that enables some firms to gain leadership positions in the market and helps them to sustain the advantage over successive time periods. However, managerial ability is the cognitive capability which is not directly observable/measurable. In this article, an indirect estimate of managerial ability under a three-stage approach for 20 Indian general insurance companies based on 120 firm-year observations spread over the period 2012–2013 to 2017–2018 is provided. The three-stage estimation method for the measurement of firm-specific managerial ability includes data envelopment analysis (DEA)-goal programming, pooled regression, residual of the pooled regression, Ordinary Least Squares, and General Additive Model regression. Unlike other studies, in this study, DEA-goal programming method is considered to improve discriminatory power for proper classification of the Indian general insurance companies. The results indicate that the influence is statistically significant.
Drivers and patterns of early retirement in the neoliberal university
Authors: Taylor Philip , Gringart Eyal , Webb Eileen O , Carnemolla Phillippa , Drake Deirdre , Oppert Michelle , Harvey Robin
Published: September 2022

This article increases understanding of university labour processes. The antecedents and characteristics of early retirement schemes implemented by Australian universities between 2010 and 2020 were considered. Twenty-eight schemes were identified across 20 universities. Content analysis of descriptions of the schemes contained in official documents was undertaken. This revealed somewhat common justifications for the schemes, linked to concerns about organisational sustainability/resilience in the face of external threats and the implementation of modernising efforts. Such justifications appeared to be underpinned by similar ageist biases on the part of management. Despite this broad commonality, however, the schemes manifested a multifurcation of possible work-retirement pathways across institutions. Such reorganisation of labour processes, based on ageist representations that potentially place established workers in conflict with others, represents an incongruence between the market-oriented objectives of universities and areas of public policy responding to workforce ageing. It is argued that drawing momentum from emerging conceptions of sustainability and current diversity initiatives such as Athena Swan and Age Friendly Universities it may be possible to sever the link university leadership perceive between the divestment of older workers and the fulfilment of modernising agendas.
Research Priorities in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Funding Availability, Recently Published Work, and Future Directions for Advancing Our Science
Authors: Mechling Brandy , Ali Muhammad Ali Charania Nadia , Paun Olimpia , Lewin Linda , Bostrom Andrea , Mumba Mercy , Niitsu Ko , Ahern Nancy
Published: September 2022

Background:

Identifying and sharing psychiatric mental health (PMH) research priorities can help identify gaps in the literature, determine training needs for nurses, and assist investigators in locating funding.

Aims:

The aims for this project included: (1) identify PMH nursing specialty research priorities from large, public funding entities; (2) compare the identified research priorities and scholarly articles published in 2020; and (3) outline future directions for advancing the science of PMH nursing.

Methods:

Strategic plans of funding entities for PMH research were reviewed for research priorities. Summarized priorities were then compared with publications from peer-reviewed PMH nursing journals. Work conducted in the United States was extracted and categorized as original research, evidence-based practice (EBP), or quality improvement (QI), then design and population.

Results:

Priorities from 13 funding entities comprised three domains (education, research, and practice), with nine areas, 30 topics, and subtopics. Eight journals produced 432 articles with 99 (23%) conducted in the United States. Among these journals, publications fitting research priorities ranged from 1 to 33 articles. Of the 99 articles, 85% were original research and 15% were either EBP or QI. Descriptive articles comprised 64% and 23% tested interventions. Populations studied included workforce; adults; infants, children, and adolescents; and parents.

Conclusions:

All published articles by the U.S. PMH nurses matched the funding priorities, but not all funding priorities were addressed by 2020 publications. The majority of work was conducted outside of the United States and most published from the United States was descriptive, contrary to many United States funders’ priorities for interventional research.
Prevalence, clinical presentation and MRI of intervertebral disc herniations in cats
Authors: Bibbiani Leonardo , Gelendi Stefania , Bernardini Marco , Balducci Federica , Contiero Barbara , Canal Sara
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and to describe the clinical and diagnostic imaging features of the different types of feline intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH).

Methods

Medical records and imaging studies were retrospectively reviewed for cats diagnosed with IVDH between January 2008 and October 2020. Information obtained from the clinical records included signalment, clinical presentation, the presence of spinal hyperaesthesia and neurolocalisation. Diagnostic imaging findings, including type (ie, intervertebral disc extrusion [IVDE], intervertebral disc protrusion [IVDP] or acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE), site and number of IVDHs, were recorded. The association between breed, age, sex, duration and severity of neurological signs, the presence of spinal pain and MRI features was evaluated.

Results

Forty-three cats were included. A total of 50 IVDHs were identified: 39 cats were diagnosed with a single IVDH and four with multiple IVDHs. The most common type of IVDH was ANNPE (n = 22), followed by IVDP (n = 19) and IVDE (n = 9). Neuroanatomical localisation included L4–S3 (n = 19/43), T3–L3 (n = 18/43) and C1–C5 (n = 6/43). Cats with a single IVDH were statistically significantly associated with a diagnosis of ANNPE ( P = 0.023) compared with cats with multiple IVDHs affected by IVDP ( P = 0.004). Males were more commonly affected by IVDE ( P = 0.020) and females by ANNPE ( P = 0.020). Cats with IVDP had a longer duration of clinical signs ( P <0.001) than cats with ANNPE and demonstrated milder neurological deficits ( P = 0.005). IVDEs were statistically significantly associated with spinal hyperaesthesia ( P = 0.013), while ANNPEs were not ( P = 0.014).

Conclusions and relevance

ANNPE, IVDP and IVDE are each associated with distinctive clinical scenarios. Thoracolumbar and mid-to-caudal lumbar regions are the most affected, followed by the cranial cervical spine segment.
Pride and prejudice: Chinese citizens’ evaluations of democracy in the United States, India and Taiwan
Authors: Zhai Yida
Published: September 2022

How citizens in authoritarian regimes evaluate the practice of democracy in both new and established democracies has important implications on the prospect of democratisation in their own country. As an authoritarian country with the largest population around the world, China has resisted waves of democratisation and maintains the one-party rule. This study examined the Chinese case and explored how Chinese citizens evaluated democracy in the United States, India and Taiwan. It theorised that the tendency towards ingroup favouritism and attitudes towards democracy are the factors that primarily influence citizens’ evaluations of democracy in other countries. The results show that Chinese citizens perceive the democratic level of China as being as high as that of the United States and Taiwan, whereas they gave lower evaluations in the case of India’s democracy. The effects of the aforementioned factors varied between the three countries. After presenting the findings, the theoretical implications are also discussed.
The Halfie Predicament in the Ethnography of Religion: Fieldwork with Iranian-Americana Muslim Women in Los Angeles
Authors: Rezaei Afsane
Published: September 2022

This article draws from fieldwork with Iranian-American Muslim women in Los Angeles to address the difficulties of occupying a halfie position in the ethnography of faith. While halfies are assumed to have easier access to communities in which they are part-members, and often have to justify their sufficient distance from the research subject, they are not readily accepted as insiders by their interlocutors either. I argue that having an in-between, insider/outsider position with respect to interlocutors' faith, particularly in sensitive sociopolitical contexts where religion is a primary site of boundary work, increases the potential for mistrust and suspicion rather than facilitating ethnographic research.
Efficacy of a Hybrid Closed-Loop Solution in Patients With Excessive Time in Hypoglycaemia: A Post Hoc Analysis of Trials With DBLG1 System
Authors: Benhamou Pierre-Yves , Adenis Alice , Tourki Yousra , Pou Sylvie , Madrolle Stéphanie , Franc Sylvia , Kariyawasam Dulanjalee , Beltrand Jacques , Klonoff David C. , Charpentier Guillaume
Published: September 2022

Background:

Automated insulin delivery is an efficient treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes. Little is known on its impact on patients with excessive time in hypoglycaemia.

Methods:

We performed a post hoc analysis of three randomized control trials that used the DBLG1 (Diabeloop Generation 1) hybrid closed-loop solution. Patients whose time below 70 mg/dL during baseline, open-loop phase exceeded 5% were selected. The outcomes were the differences between the closed-loop and the open-loop phases in time in various ranges and Glycemia Risk Index (GRI).

Results:

We identified 45 patients exhibiting ≥5% of time below 70 mg/dL during the open-loop phase. Under closed-loop, the time in hypoglycaemia (54 to <70 mg/dL) dropped from 7.9% (SD 2.4) to 3.2% (SD 1.6) (difference −4.7% [−5.3; −4.1], P < 10−4). The time below 54 mg/dL decreased from 1.9% (SD 1.3) to 0.8% (SD 0.7) (difference −0.9% [−1.4; –0.8], P < 10−4). The time in range (TIR 70-180 mg/dL) improved from 63.3 (SD 9.5) to 68.2% (SD 8.2) (difference 5.1% [2.9; 7.0], P < 10−4). The GRI improved from 51.2 (SD 12.4) to 38.0 (SD 10.9) (difference 13.2 [10.4; 16.0], P < 10−4).

Conclusion:

DBLG1 decreased time in hypoglycaemia by more than 50% even in patients with excessive time in hypoglycaemia at baseline, while also improving both TIR and GRI, under real-life conditions. The improvement in GRI (13.2%) exceeded that of the improvement in TIR (5.1%) indicating that in this data set, GRI was more sensitive than TIR to the improvement in glycaemia achieved with closed-loop. These results support the safety and efficacy of this treatment.
Poisoning with central stimulant drugs: an observational study from Oslo, Norway
Authors: Ingebrigtsen Erlend , Persett Per Sverre , Brekke Mette , Heyerdahl Fridtjof , Hovda Knut Erik , Vallersnes Odd Martin
Published: September 2022

Background

The use of central stimulant drugs causes significant morbidity. We describe poisonings with central stimulant drugs and compare the different central stimulants concerning combinations with other drugs, treatment, and clinical course. 

Methods

Patients presenting from 1 October 2013 to 31 March 2016 with poisoning related to the recreational use of central stimulant drugs were retrospectively included at a primary care emergency outpatient clinic and at a hospital emergency department in Oslo, Norway. Diagnosis of toxic agents was mainly based on the clinical assessment of the doctor treating the patient. Amphetamine and methamphetamine were co-categorized as amphetamine.

Results

Among the 1131 cases of acute poisoning with central stimulant drugs at the outpatient clinic, amphetamine was involved in 808 (71.4%), cocaine in 252 (22.3%) methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in 104 (9.2%), and methylphenidate in 13 (1.1%). Among the 211 cases at the hospital, amphetamine was involved in 167 (79.1%), cocaine in 60 (28.4%), and MDMA in 38 (18.0%). Amphetamine was frequently combined with opioids (40.1% at the outpatient clinic and 41.9% at the hospital) and benzodiazepines (28.3% and 45.5%), while MDMA often was combined with ethanol (64.4% and 71.1%), as was cocaine (62.7% and 61.7%). Sedation was given in 5.2% and 38.4% of cases, naloxone in 9.4% and 37.0%, and flumazenil in 0.1% and 28.0%. In total, 16.5% of the cases at the outpatient clinic were transferred to a hospital for medical review and 8.5% to a psychiatric hospital. Among the hospital patients, 92.9% were admitted to intensive care.

Conclusion

Amphetamine was the most common central stimulant drug involved in acute poisoning in Oslo, often combined with opioids and benzodiazepines.
Meta-transcriptomic comparison of two sponge holobionts feeding on coral- and macroalgal-dissolved organic matter
Authors: Campana Sara , Riesgo Ana , Jongepier Evelien , Fuss Janina , Muyzer Gerard , de Goeij Jasper M.
Published: September 2022

Background

Sponge holobionts (i.e., the host and its associated microbiota) play a key role in the cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in marine ecosystems. On coral reefs, an ecological shift from coral-dominated to algal-dominated ecosystems is currently occurring. Given that benthic corals and macroalgae release different types of DOM, in different abundances and with different bioavailability to sponge holobionts, it is important to understand how the metabolic activity of the host and associated microbiota change in response to the exposure to both DOM sources. Here, we look at the differential gene expression of two sponge holobionts 6 hours after feeding on naturally sourced coral- and macroalgal-DOM using RNA sequencing and meta-transcriptomic analysis.

Results

We found a slight, but significant differential gene expression in the comparison between the coral- and macroalgal-DOM treatments in both the high microbial abundance sponge Plakortis angulospiculatus and the low microbial abundance sponge Haliclona vansoesti. In the hosts, processes that regulate immune response, signal transduction, and metabolic pathways related to cell proliferation were elicited. In the associated microbiota carbohydrate metabolism was upregulated in both treatments, but coral-DOM induced further lipid and amino acids biosynthesis, while macroalgal-DOM caused a stress response. These differences could be driven by the presence of distinct organic macronutrients in the two DOM sources and of small pathogens or bacterial virulence factors in the macroalgal-DOM.

Conclusions

This work provides two new sponge meta-transcriptomes and a database of putative genes and genetic pathways that are involved in the differential processing of coral- versus macroalgal-DOM as food source to sponges with high and low abundances of associated microbes. These pathways include carbohydrate metabolism, signaling pathways, and immune responses. However, the differences in the meta-transcriptomic responses of the sponge holobionts after 6 hours of feeding on the two DOM sources were small. Longer-term responses to both DOM sources should be assessed to evaluate how the metabolism and the ecological function of sponges will be affected when reefs shift from coral towards algal dominance.