bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validity and reliability of high-resolution ultrasound imaging for the assessment of regional body composition in stage 5 chronic kidney disease patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Geneen Louise J , Kinsella Jodie , Zanotto Tobia , Naish Patrick F , Mercer Thomas H
Published: March 2021

Background:

Accurate measurement of muscle mass is an important research and clinical tool. High-resolution ultrasound (US) has shown potential as a method to assess muscle and fat mass at specific anatomical sites. However, there is limited evidence for the reliability of US to measure muscle size in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Therefore, we examined the validity and reliability of an US method compared to a gold standard comparison for the assessment of a quadriceps muscle in this clinical population.

Methods:

Twenty people receiving CAPD (mean age = 56.5 ± 16.7 years) at a single dialysis unit were assessed on two occasions, 7 days apart. Measures of the mid-thigh, such as vastus lateralis (VL) anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA), VL muscle thickness and subcutaneous fat thickness were compared for US reliability and validity compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures.

Results:

US had high validity against gold standard MRI measures, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) equating to VL ACSA of 0.95, VL thickness of 0.99 and fat thickness of 0.98. The US measurements also exhibited high intra-rater reliability (ICCs: VL thickness = 0.98, total muscle thickness = 0.97 and fat thickness = 0.99) in measuring body composition at the mid-VL site in the study population.

Conclusions:

Valid assessment of regional body composition can be achieved via high-resolution US in patients receiving CAPD. The validity and reliability of the US in repeated measures (in comparison to the gold standard MRI) warrant further investigation in the wider chronic kidney disease population.
Peritoneal physicochemical transport mechanisms: Hypotheses, models and controversies
Authors: Wolf Matthew B
Published: March 2021

This study answers criticisms by Waniewski et al. of the recent paper by Wolf on peritoneal transport kinetic models. Their criticisms centre on the accuracy of the data used for model fits, the hypothesis presented, which involves changes in glucose membrane parameters at high peritoneal glucose concentration and on the necessary techniques required to achieve accurate model parameter estimation. In response, this article shows that (1) the mean values previously captured from graphical depictions of Heimburger et al. are not different than those captured from the recent Waniewski et al. graphs, (2) a much simpler hypothesis is proposed, which centres on intraperitoneal pressure-induced lymph flow during the dialysis dwell and (3) the finding that the new model predictions, with only two constant parameter values, as estimated by the Powell algorithm, give a closer fit than the Waniewski model, which uses many time-varying parameters. The current findings again bring into question of the validity of their vasodilation hypothesis, leading to transient changes in capillary surface area during the dwell.
A novel Siamese Attention Network for visual object tracking of autonomous vehicles
Authors: Chen Jia , Ai Yibo , Qian Yuhan , Zhang Weidong
Published: March 2021

In the environment perception stage of autonomous driving, vehicles need to track its surrounding objects quickly and accurately to avoid dangerous behaviors. Therefore, visual object tracking has important practical application value in autonomous driving system. However, the performance of most hierarchical convolutional feature trackers are limited by ignoring the complex environment of autonomous driving. In this paper, a novel Siamese Attention Network to explore the rich spatial and channel information of objects was proposed. Because of the lack of important information between the channel and the spatial position, the tracking performance is reduced by the challenges of illumination change and deformation. The spatial attention block and channel attention block focus on the importance of different spatial positions and channels, respectively. The effective fusion of the two makes our tracker achieve the state-of-the art performance of 0.300 in the EAO criterion of 2017, which exceeds the baseline by 5.7%.
Sex-seeking on the internet and mobile-based applications among young people in China: An online survey
Authors: Li Jian , Shan Duo , Liu Peng , Liu Hui , Cai Lingping , Zhang Haichao , Zhang Lei , Zhang Dapeng
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate young people’s risk behaviors in use of social network applications for sexual purposes. Snowball sampling technique was used to recruit participants online. Logistic regressions were performed to examine interrelationships among risk behaviors and sex-seeking platforms (A, B, C, D, and others). The prevalence of online sex-seeking was 22.2% (1156/5199) among people with sexual experience, and the most debut online sex-seeking happened in 15–24 years old in both men and women (79.8%, 590/739 vs 86.1%, 359/417). The risk behaviors varied in different platforms among 730 young people age 15–24 years. Among men, participants seeking sex via B were more likely to engage in concurrent sexual partnership (aOR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.01–2.66). Participants seeking sex via C were more likely to engage in drug use (aOR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.01–3.02) and condomless sex (aOR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04–2.95). Participants seeking sex via A, C, or D were all less likely to have homosexual behaviors. Among women, participants seeking sex via B were more likely to have condomless sex (aOR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.10–3.86). The study indicated that emerging of the HIV epidemic in young people might be driven by risk behaviors during online sex-seeking. Effective intervention programs need to target on different social network platforms.
Synthesis of passive interconnections in mass chains achieving a scale-free performance
Authors: Yamamoto Kaoru
Published: March 2021

This article is concerned with the synthesis problem of passive mechanical admittances that connect masses in a chain. The mass chain is excited at one boundary point, and the admittances are designed to suppress the disturbance independent of the length of the chain. The scalar transfer functions from the disturbance to a given intermass displacement are studied. The disturbance rejection performance is optimised over a class of arbitrary positive real mechanical admittances. The resulting admittance is synthesised mechanically using springs, dampers, and inerters only.
A discrete repetitive adaptive sliding mode control for DC-DC buck converter
Authors: Dehri Khadija , Nouri Ahmed Said
Published: March 2021

The problem of sensitivity to uncertainties and disturbances is still a challenging task in the theory of discrete sliding mode controller. In this article, a discrete repetitive adaptive sliding mode control using only input-output measurements of linear time-varying system with periodic disturbances is proposed. A new indirect adaptive algorithm taken into account the periodicity of disturbances is used to identify parameter variations of the considered system. Based on this identification, discrete sliding mode controller is developed. Then, the structure of plug-in repetitive control is integrated into the previous controller to reject harmonic disturbances. A robustness analysis is achieved to ensure the asymptotic stability of the proposed controller. An example of time-varying DC-DC buck converter subject to harmonic disturbances is carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the designed discrete repetitive adaptive sliding mode control.
Guiding the Emotion in Emotional Memories: The Role of the Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Kensinger Elizabeth A. , Ford Jaclyn H.
Published: March 2021

Models of episodic emotional memory typically concern why emotional events are more likely to be remembered than neutral events, focusing on interactions between the amygdala and other medial temporal lobe regions. But memories of emotional events can be distinguished by their affective tone and framing. We propose that the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), a region that is increasingly recognized to crosscut socio-affective and cognitive domains, plays a key role in this aspect of emotional memory. After briefly reviewing the role of the dmPFC in the control of behaviors ranging from actions to emotions to social cognition, we delve into the accumulating evidence that its functions also subserve the abstraction of meaning from events and the control of memories, particularly emotional memories. Its role begins during the encoding of emotional experiences, continues through their stabilization, and endures during the retrieval of memory content. At each phase, the dmPFC participates in the integration of affective and cognitive components of memories, setting up networks and framings that either emphasize or de-emphasize emotional content. Incorporating the dmPFC into models of episodic emotional memory should provide leverage in understanding the affective tone with which experiences are brought to memory.
Role of Non-Clinical Human Resources for COVID-19: Strategic Way Forward
Authors: Chandra Ashish , Sodani P.R.
Published: March 2021

When one talks about a healthcare organisation, in most instances it is an automatic assumption that we are talking about clinical personnel. This article addresses the critical role that non-clinical personnel played during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the authors delineated the critical roles of the marketing department personnel in healthcare organisations. In light of the pandemic, in the future, there will be a greater need for unique training topics that were not even imagined in the years prior to 2020, and using the concepts of marketing, the authors have provided a list of the potential generic topics as well as how to assess its reach, effectiveness and value.
Return and Volatility Spillovers Among the Thematic Indices in India
Authors: Majumder Sayantan Bandhu
Published: March 2021

The article attempts to explore the interlinkages among the Nifty thematic indices and their portfolio implications. First, we examine the return and volatility spillovers among eight Nifty thematic indices, namely Energy, Infrastructure, MNC, PSE, Services Sector, Aditya Birla Group, Mahindra Group and Tata group using the vector autoregressive (VAR (1)) asymmetric BEKK–GARCH model for the period 4 January 2010–28 March 2020. Second, the estimation results are used to calculate and analyse the optimal portfolio weights, hedge ratios and hedging effectiveness. We find significant evidence of return and volatility spillover. Moreover, the spillovers are found to be asymmetric in few cases. The optimal portfolio weight favours the MNC and Services sectors.
Are Land Conflicts Documented Sufficiently in India?
Authors: Singh Pramod K. , Nair Abhishek , Issac Jofri
Published: March 2021

Land conflicts are impediments to socio-economic development. Understanding drivers and types of land conflicts is vital for peaceful conflict resolution and enhancing the effectiveness of institutions and agencies dealing with such issues. This article tries to develop and apply a methodology for tracking and characterising drivers and the types of land conflicts in India. We have applied the methods to peer-reviewed articles and thesis in the English language on land conflicts in India. Our results shed light on the most evident drivers and types of land conflict in India while challenging and supporting common assumptions. The key finding of our study indicates land administration as being the primary driver of land conflicts in India, followed by political, socio-economic and sociocultural factors. The most important type of land conflict occurring in India involves boundary or territorial conflicts. Of late, several conflicts are reported over special economic zones, which are also related to poor land administration and erroneous planning processes by the government actors. However, the published study reporting land conflicts in India fails to identify the root cause of such conflicts. In order to ensure better land administration, there need to have reasonably accurate and up-to-date records, which studies have not been able to identify. Another primary reason of land conflicts, which the studies have failed to acknowledge, is the problems germane to the prevailing land tenure system in India.
Participatory Urban Development in India: A Tale of Two Townships
Authors: Salamah Ansari
Published: March 2021

This paper intends to offer a critical understanding of citizen engagement in the process of city making using two case studies within the Indian context, namely, Magarpatta City in Maharashtra and Auroville in Tamil Nadu. As an initial foray into the issue, it engages with contemporary discourses on the scope and nature of public participation in urban development within the framework of a neoliberal economy. This is followed by a qualitative analysis based on unstructured interviews, which capture the live experiences of the local landowners and residents in each location. The findings indicate that citizen engagement is instrumental in producing socially equitable urbanization. If harnessed well, it offers the possibility for an effective departure from the traditional state-market dynamics, which presently underlie forms of neoliberal urbanism in developing countries. This paper, therefore, makes the case for mainstreaming citizen participation for urban development as an attempt to create a sustainable built environment that caters to the needs of citizens.
European prosecution between cooperation and integration: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the rule of law
Authors: Mitsilegas Valsamis
Published: March 2021

The article will examine the challenges that the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office poses for the rule of law – a question which has been underexplored in the policy and academic debate on the establishment of the EPPO, which focused largely on questions of structure and powers of the EPPO and the battle between intergovernmental and supranational visions of European prosecution. The implications of the finally adopted legal framework on the EPPO on the rule of law will be analysed primarily from the perspective of the rule of law as related to EPPO investigations and prosecutions and their consequences for affected individuals – in terms of legal certainty and foreseeability, protection from executive arbitrariness, effective judicial protection and defence rights. The article will undertake a rule of law audit of the EPPO by focusing on three key elements of its legal architecture – the competence of the EPPO, applicable law and judicial review – and the interaction between EU and national levels of investigation and prosecution that the EPPO Regulation envisages. The analysis will aim to cast light on the current rule of law deficit in a hybrid system of European prosecution located somewhere between co-operation and integration.
Rudimentary capital budgeting for a utopian Italian colony in Australia: Accounting as an advocating device
Authors: Leoni Giulia
Published: March 2021

Accounting historiography has often paid attention to individuals for their pivotal roles in the development of accounting practice and thought; however, little is known about individuals using accounting outside the traditional professional domain. This study explores the use of accounting calculations by a non-professional accountant, the intellectual Melchiorre Peccenini, who advocated his utopian project of an Italian colony in Australia in a book published in Melbourne. By analysing his life and context, as well as his writings and use of calculations, the article reveals how accounting was embedded in the intellectual discourse of an individual and became an advocating device. With its results, this investigation contributes to the accounting biography tradition by extending its boundaries to include ordinary individuals who can provide new insights into accounting as a multi-purpose device.
The Use of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Ergonomic Applications for Education, Aviation, and Maintenance
Authors: Brown Christopher , Hicks Jamison , Rinaudo Christina H. , Burch Reuben
Published: March 2021

Practicing engineers associated with military applications performed a literature review to detail the use of augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) related to ergonomic applications across education, aircraft crew stations, and maintenance. This review examines articles based on both breadth of applications for and relevance to ergonomic AR/VR applications. Results of the review were summarized across multiple industries to highlight specific use cases of AR/VR applications. The purpose of this article is to inform ergonomics practitioners of current AR/VR applications addressing ergonomic issues across a selection of three military-related usage areas and to highlight research insights, implementation ideas, and commonalities between applications.
Vibration behavior of an overhead conductor under updraft winds
Authors: Zhou Qi , Zhao Liangtao , Zheng Chong , Tu Feng
Published: March 2021

At present, the wind-induced response analysis of an overhead conductor is mainly based on the action of horizontal normal wind. However, for crossing hillsides or extremely strong winds, such a conductor will bear the action of updraft wind, which will change the geometry of the conductor and make its structural dynamic characteristics nonlinear to some extent. In this work, the in-plane and out-of-plane two-dimensional nonlinear equations were established under the action of self-weight and updraft wind. Furthermore, the improved equations of conductor tension and sag were obtained, and the wind-induced vibration response was further investigated. The results showed that the updraft wind caused the nonlinearity of the tension and sag of the overhead conductor, and the nonlinear geometric change significantly affected its resonance response, which exceeded 25% if the wind speed was 50 m/s. In addition, because the proportion of the resonance response in the total wind-induced response was different, the influence of the wind attack angle calculated using the gust response factor method on the gust response factor was slightly larger than that calculated using the the American society of civil engineers method.
Therapists’ Perceived Competence in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client Outcomes: Findings From a Community-Based Learning Collaborative
Authors: Espeleta Hannah C. , Peer Samuel O. , Are Funlola , Hanson Rochelle F.
Published: March 2021

This study examined therapists’ perceived competence in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and its association with youth treatment outcomes (posttraumatic stress and depression). Participants included 99 community therapists enrolled in a TF-CBT-focused Learning Collaborative (LC), along with one of their randomly selected TF-CBT training cases. Analyzed data included: 1) caregiver/youth-reported posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms, pre- and post-treatment, and 2) therapist-perceived competence with TF-CBT components across treatment delivery. Youth- and caregiver-reports indicated large, significant pre- to post-treatment decreases in youth posttraumatic stress ( ds = 1.10–1.30, ps < .001) and depressive symptoms ( d = 1.01, p < .001). Higher therapist-perceived competence with TF-CBT predicted positive treatment responses for posttraumatic stress ( ds = 0.38–0.39, ps = .03) and depression ( d = 0.25), though only the former association was significant ( ps = .03 vs. p = .15). Findings highlight the need to monitor and improve therapists’ competencies to enhance clinical outcomes for trauma-exposed youth and suggest that LCs may be an effective training/implementation model to help achieve those critical goals.
A Proposal for New Strategies in Dose Selection for 26-Week Tg.Rash2 Carcinogenicity Studies
Authors: Paranjpe Madhav G. , Vidmar Tom J. , Denton Melissa D. , Elbekai Reem H. , Mann Peter C. , Mckeon Marie , Brown Caren , Martineck John
Published: March 2021

Our experience indicates that extrapolation of doses from the maximum tolerated doses (MTD) derived from 4-week dose range finding (DRF) studies conducted in CByB6F1 may overpredict tolerability and undermine utility of the high-dose groups in 26-week carcinogenicity studies conducted in Tg.rasH2. In the 26-week carcinogenicity studies conducted in Tg.rasH2 mice, we analyzed the initial body weights, food consumption (FC), terminal body weights, body weight gain (BWG), mortality, and tumor incidence for vehicle and test article–treated dose groups for 26 studies conducted from 2014 to 2018. Although not statistically significant compared to the control dose group, the % BWG decreased in male mice of mid- and high-dose groups by >10%, whereas in females there were no differences. The mortality increased in a statistically significant manner for medium and high doses of males. In female mice, the mortality increased in the high-dose group but not in a statistically significant manner. When the cause of death (COD) was analyzed in all dose groups of both sexes, the COD due to tumors was highest in the control groups, whereas it was lowest in high-dose groups of both sexes. At the same time, the COD due to undetermined causes, which is possible indication of test article–induced toxicity, was highest in high-dose groups of both sexes. These findings together indicate that MTD derived from earlier DRF studies was exceeded when applied to 26-week carcinogenicity studies and did not serve any purpose in the outcome of these studies.
Machine Learning Approaches to Determine Feature Importance for Predicting Infant Autopsy Outcome
Authors: Booth John , Margetts Ben , Bryant Will , Issitt Richard , Hutchinson Ciaran , Martin Nigel , Sebire Neil J
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) represents the commonest presentation of postneonatal death. We explored whether machine learning could be used to derive data driven insights for prediction of infant autopsy outcome.

Methods

A paediatric autopsy database containing >7,000 cases, with >300 variables, was analysed by examination stage and autopsy outcome classified as ‘explained (medical cause of death identified)’ or ‘unexplained’. Decision tree, random forest, and gradient boosting models were iteratively trained and evaluated.

Results

Data from 3,100 infant and young child (<2 years) autopsies were included. Naïve decision tree using external examination data had performance of 68% for predicting an explained death. Core data items were identified using model feature importance. The most effective model was XG Boost, with overall predictive performance of 80%, demonstrating age at death, and cardiovascular and respiratory histological findings as the most important variables associated with determining medical cause of death.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates feasibility of using machine-learning to evaluate component importance of complex medical procedures (paediatric autopsy) and highlights value of collecting routine clinical data according to defined standards. This approach can be applied to a range of clinical and operational healthcare scenarios
Morphometric analysis of fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachments treated with ranibizumab and aflibercept
Authors: Karampelas Michael , Syriga Maria , Petrou Petros , Georgalas Ilias , Papaconstantinou Dimitrios , Brouzas Dimitrios
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To assess fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachments (PED) and their response to two different anti-VEGF agents using optical coherence tomography (OCT) morphometric analysis.

Methods:

Seventy-three consecutive, treatment-naïve eyes with fibrovascular PED (>125 μm) treated with ranibizumab or aflibercept were retrospectively included. A custom-made software was used to manually segment and calculate PED maximum height, base area, volume and internal reflectivity at baseline, after three injections and 1 year.

Results:

Visual acuity (VA) change was 2 ETDRS letters ± 7.6 after three injections and 3.2 ETDRS letters ± 10.3 at 1 year. There was no significant difference between VA changes amongst the two drugs. At 1 year, anti-VEGF treatment resulted in a mean reduction of 125 μm in maximum PED height, of 2.26 mm2 in base area and of 0.54 mm3 in volume with a corresponding increase in reflectivity. These changes were more prominent in the aflilbercept group. The observed PED and VA changes at year 1 were strongly correlated with their values at baseline and after three injections.

Conclusions:

Anti-VEGF treatment resulted in a reduction of all PED dimensions and a corresponding increase in optical reflectivity. Higher, larger and more hypo-reflective PEDs demonstrated a better anatomical response, especially with aflibercept, but this was not correlated with VA.
Intracameral anesthetic mydriatic (ICAM) assisted pediatric cataract surgery
Authors: Kaur Savleen , Korla Shagun , Ram Jagat , Gupta Parul Chawla , Sukhija Jaspreet
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To assess the efficacy and safety of intracameral mydriatic and anesthetic combination for pupillary dilation in pediatric cataract surgery

Methods:

This prospective series included children <12 years, with visually significant unilateral or bilateral cataracts planned for cataract surgery with/without intraocular lens implantation. At the beginning of surgery, 0.025 ml of a combination of phenylephrine hydrochloride (0.31%), tropicamide (0.02%), and lidocaine hydrochloride (1%) was injected intracamerally. The efficacy of the combination was tested by achieving capsulorhexis and intraocular lens implantation without additional mydriatics.

Results:

We recruited 13 patients (16 eyes) with a mean age of 4.1 ± 3.9 years. The mean pupillary diameter changed increased from 1.92 to 5.68 mm after injection of one unit (0.025 ml) of drug ( p < 0.0001). There was a strong positive correlation of the pupillary dilation with axial length ( R = 0.86) and horizontal corneal diameter ( R = 0.81). Seventy-five percent patients had a pupillary diameter >6 mm and surgery could be completed successfully in all cases without additional mydriatics. In all cases, pupil dilated as the surgery progressed. No adverse event to the drug was noted.

Conclusions:

Intracameral mydriatic-anesthetic combination is an effective and safe way to obtain stable mydriasis in pediatric cataract surgery.
Intraoperative Evaluation of Resection Margins in Breast-Conserving Surgery for In Situ and Invasive Breast Carcinoma
Authors: Koopmansch Caroline , Noël Jean-Christophe , Maris Calliope , Simon Philippe , Sy Marième , Catteau Xavier
Published: March 2021

Background:

The challenge of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is to remove the entire tumour with free margins and avoid secondary excision that may adversely affect the cosmetic outcome. Consequently, intraoperative evaluation of surgical margins is critical. The aims of this study were multiple. First, to analyse our methodology of intraoperative examination of the resection margins and to evaluate radiological and pathological methods in the assessment of the surgical margins. Second, to evaluate the factors associated with positive margins in our patient population.

M&m:

The data on the resection margin status of 290 patients who underwent BCS for invasive carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) between 2009 and 2016 were reviewed.

Results:

In the cohort of BCS with invasive carcinoma, the negative predictive value was 97.4% for intraoperative assessment by radiography and 81.8% for intraoperative assessment by pathology. The re-operation rate among cases without intraoperative assessment was 23.6% compared to 7.3% among cases with intraoperative assessment ( P = .003). Margin status was significantly associated with tumour size, histological subtype (invasive lobular carcinoma), and multifocality. In the population of BCS with DCIS, margin status was significantly associated with preoperative localisation and intraoperative margin assessment ( P = .03).

Conclusion:

There is no statistical difference between pathological and radiological intraoperative assessment. Tumour size, lobular subtype, and multifocality were found to be significantly associated with positive margins in cases with invasive carcinoma, whereas absence of intraoperative margin assessment was significantly associated with positive margins in cases with DCIS. Therefore, intraoperative margin assessment improves the likelihood of complete excision of the lesion.
Tobacco Use Status as a Function of Transgender Identity: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress
Authors: Kittaneh Ahmad A , Patel Sweta , Sidhu Natasha K , Lechner William V , Kenne Deric R
Published: March 2021

Aim:

The current study examined differences between individuals identifying as transgender and people identifying as cisgender in terms of (1) psychological distress (eg, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation), (2) rates of combustible and e-cigarette use, and (3) the potential for elevated psychological distress stemming from transgender identification to be associated with increased rates of smoking and vaping.

Method:

This was a secondary analysis of data from a study examining behavioral health, perceptions and behaviors associated with alcohol and other drug use, and mental health status at a large mid-western university. Differences in current use of cigarette and e-cigarette products were examined between self-identified transgender (n = 253) and cisgender (n = 18 371) respondents.

Results:

Overall, 17.2% (n = 2727) of the sample endorsed past 30-day use of cigarettes or e-cigarettes. Results demonstrated a significant effect of gender identity, with individuals identifying as transgender reporting higher odds of using cigarettes or e-cigarettes (AOR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.26-6.31). Regression analyses revealed significant effects of transgender identity on symptoms of anxiety ( b = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.64, 5.25, P < .001.); depression, ( b = 4.14, 95% CI = 2.21, 6.07, P < .001); and suicidal ideation, ( b = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.48, 3.55, P < .001.), respectively. Finally, we observed significant indirect effects of transgender identity on cigarette and e-cigarette product use via increased symptoms of depression (indirect effect = 0.13, 95% CI [0.07, 0.19], P < .05), and suicidal ideation (indirect effect = 0.22, 95% CI [0.15, 0.28], P < .05), but not symptoms of anxiety.

Discussion:

This is the first study of our knowledge to examine the association between psychological symptoms and smoking and vaping products with transgender identity. The results of this study support previous findings that transgender individuals are at risk for elevated substance use and extend the literature by demonstrating this this risk is associated with elevated psychological distress.
Delphi Consensus Recommendations on Management of Dosing, Adverse Events, and Comorbidities in the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis with Nintedanib
Authors: Rahaghi Franck , Belperio John A , Fitzgerald John , Gulati Mridu , Hallowell Robert , Highland Kristin B , Huie Tristan J , Kim Hyun J , Kolb Martin , Lasky Joseph A , Southern Brian D , Swigris Jeffrey J , de Andrade Joao A
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

Nintedanib is an approved treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which slows disease progression. Management of patients with IPF receiving nintedanib can be complicated by tolerability issues, comorbidities, and concomitant medications. We developed consensus recommendations on the management of dosing, adverse events and comorbidities in patients with IPF treated with nintedanib.

Methods:

A modified Delphi process using 3 questionnaires was used to survey 14 pulmonologists experienced in using nintedanib. Panelists rated their agreement with statements on a Likert scale from −5 (strongly disagree) to +5 (strongly agree). Consensus was predefined as a mean score of ⩽−2.5 or ⩾+2.5 with a standard deviation not crossing zero.

Results:

The panelists’ recommendations were largely aligned with clinical trial data, real-world evidence, and the prescribing information, and provided additional guidance regarding minimizing gastrointestinal effects, periodic monitoring for liver dysfunction, caution with respect to concomitant administration of cytochrome P450 3A4 and P-glycoprotein 1 inhibitors and inducers and anticoagulants, and management of comorbidities. The panelists unanimously agreed that adverse event management should be individualized, based on careful consideration of the risks and benefits of each possible intervention and discussion with the patient.

Conclusions:

These consensus recommendations provide additional guidance on the appropriate management of IPF with nintedanib, for use alongside evidence-based literature and the prescribing information.
Institutional Ethics Challenges to Sex Work Researchers: Committees, Communities, and Collaboration
Authors: Huysamen Monique , Sanders Teela
Published: March 2021

Doing research in the field of sex work studies throws up challenges. Among these are the restrictions and regulatory issues placed on researchers by institutional ethical review processes. We draw on academic research and our personal experiences as two researchers who have been involved with many sex work research projects to illustrate how sex work researchers face a set of challenges relating to ethics – we define these as institutional ethics challenges rather than ethical challenges. They are the challenges associated with applying for and obtaining ethical approval from research institutions and funders to conduct research on stigmatised and potentially criminalised topics. This article has three aims. First, to discuss the institutional ethics challenges that sex work researchers may encounter when applying for ethical clearance. Second, to assist researchers in making a case for their research by communicating the value of doing research on sex work in contexts where it remains criminalised and by placing the assumed risks associated with sex work research into perspective. Finally, to offer a pathway forward regarding how, guided by co-produced research protocols, researchers and sex work Communities can find common ground for good practice to enhance collaboration and foster genuinely ethical research.
Is courtroom discourse an ‘oral’ or ‘literate’ register? The importance of sub-register
Authors: Chen Meishan
Published: March 2021

By applying Multi-Dimensional Analysis, this study has provided a thorough description of the lexico-grammatical characteristics of courtroom discourse to see to what extent it employs both linguistic features of oral registers and literate registers. In particular, this study focuses on language used in the four public sub-registers (opening statements, direct examinations, cross-examinations, closing arguments) of courtroom discourse and analyzes how oral/literate each sub-register is, instead of characterizing courtroom discourse as oral/literate overall. Detailed interpretation of results focuses on Dimension 1 (involved and interactive vs. informational production) and 2 (narrative vs. non-narrative discourse) as these two dimensions are identified as universal parameters of register variation (Biber, 2014). A corpus of high-profile courtroom trials was compiled for this study that includes the O. J. Simpson criminal trial, the Boston Marathon bombing trial, and the Oklahoma bombing trial.
Is Chile building good climate governance? Reflections on the drafting process of the climate change framework law
Authors: Madariaga Gómez de Cuenca Monserrat
Published: March 2021

This article provides a critical account of the genesis of the first Chilean climate change law. Analysis and discussion on national climate policies and laws must take into account the constitutional, legal, political and social context of each country. Along with a description of the main objectives and regulatory instruments in the law, this article contains a review of the drafting process -with a special focus on the actors involved and public participation-.This review demonstrates a centralised decision-making process which lacked meaningful public participation. These violations to the right of democracy lead to the disappointing prediction that this climate change law and the instruments that will be enacted to implement it will be unfit to respond to the climate crisis in a country that – like many others – desperately needs to take climate change-related action.
Shifting the mindset of commercial lawyers to rewire contracts, to mitigate climate change more effectively in practice: The Chancery Lane Project
Authors: Ramos Jennifer
Published: March 2021

Climate change, sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity no longer live in an ‘environmental box’ but are increasingly a central element of commercial decision-making. A fair and sustainable transition to net zero and the associated climate adaptation and mitigation can be driven by the legal community but will need a shift in the values and norms that inform how lawyers and law firms conduct themselves and view their role in, and impact on, society and the environment. Environmental lawyers are key to informing and enabling their commercial colleagues to make this shift. The Chancery Lane Project has facilitated collaboration by lawyers from a wide range of practice areas and across several jurisdictions to produce a significant selection of climate-conscious clauses. However, with the time to solve the climate crisis rapidly running out, the project needs more lawyers from around the world, including those with environmental expertise, to guide, inform, participate in and support their own organisations, clients and others to deliver the essential change needed to achieve a more sustainable and just future. Rewiring contracts to tackle climate change should, if done right, lead to a significant improvement in mitigating climate change across an array of industries across the world.
Fearn v Tate Galleries: Privacy and the law of nuisance
Authors: Lees Emma
Published: March 2021

This note considers the decision of the Court of Appeal in Fearn v Tate Galleries. It considers the Court’s decision specifically with regards to whether the law of private nuisance discloses an action in pure overlooking cases. It argues that as a matter of historical precedent, the Court of Appeal is correct in assessing that the weight of authority argues against such an action. It then analyses how the Court of Appeal’s reasoning can be viewed from the lens of understandings of property and ownership, and as part of the discussion of the interaction between planning and private law.
Authentic style–fashion–dress negotiations of married lesbian couples on their wedding day
Authors: Reddy-Best Kelly L , Paff Ogle Jennifer , Morgan Courtney , Hyllegard Karen
Published: March 2021

In 2015, a United States Supreme Court ruling allowed same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Since that time, there have been over one million same-sex marriages in the United States, and the number of same-sex marriages has increased every year (Romero, 2017). With this work, we conducted an in-depth, exploratory study on how lesbian married couples in the United States negotiated their style–fashion–dress on their wedding day. The work was guided by theory exploring authenticity as related to self-expression through appearance, and in particular, the notion that individuals mobilize a diverse array of products within the consumer marketplace to articulate an authentic identity or self. We conducted a single, semi-structured, in-depth interview with a photo-elicitation component with 10 lesbian married couples. Our analyses revealed themes that interconnected with the overarching concept of authenticity. Specifically, analyses demonstrated that, as participants sought to articulate an authentic identity through their wedding day style–fashion–dress, they often became entangled in gender and other symbolic negotiations that prompted feelings of empowerment as well as experiences of ambivalence and/or the need to engage in various forms of emotional labor or renegotiations of meaning. Four themes that emerged included (1) ambivalence, renegotiations, and labor surrounding the identity or concept of “bride” or what it means to be a bride; (2) gender expressions and experiences as central to the negotiation and construction of style–fashion–dress for the wedding day; (3) representations of the authentic self in wedding day style–fashion–dress; and (4) heteronormative experiences. Findings from the present study also revealed that lesbian couples sought to redefine what it means to be a bride/person getting married, a form of political action enacted through wedding day style–fashion–dress. Findings suggest implications for lesbian, queer, and heterosexual–focused wedding retailers and event planners to consider in order to provide an affirming experience for the increasing number of same-sex married couples in the United States.
Examining the Impact of a Survey’s Email Timing on Response Latency, Mobile Response Rates, and Breakoff Rates
Authors: Griggs Ashley K. , Smith Amanda C. , Berzofsky Marcus E. , Lindquist Christine , Krebs Christopher , Shook-Sa Bonnie
Published: March 2021

The proportion of web survey responses submitted from mobile devices such as smartphones is increasing steadily. This trend presents new methodological challenges because mobile responses are often associated with increased breakoffs, which, in turn, can increase nonresponse bias. Using data from a survey of college students with more than 20,000 respondents, response patterns are examined to identify which days and times the survey invitation and reminder emails were most likely to produce nonmobile responses. The findings provide guidance on the optimal timing for recruiting college student sample members via email to reduce their likelihood of responding from a mobile device, and potentially, breaking off.
FGFR1 Is Associated With Tamoxifen Resistance and Poor Prognosis of ER-Positive Breast Cancers by Suppressing ER Protein Expression
Authors: Lv Qing , Guan Shiming , Zhu Mingjie , Huang Hu , Wu Junqiang , Dai Xiaofeng
Published: March 2021

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) is widely recognized as a key player in mammary carcinogenesis and associated with the prognosis and therapeutic response of breast cancers. With the aim of investigating the correlation between FGFR1 expression and estrogen receptor (ER) and exploring the effect of FGFR1 on endocrine therapy response and ER+ breast cancer prognosis, we examined the FGFR1 protein expression among 184 ER-positive breast cancers by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) method, analyzed the association between FGFR1 expression and disease characters using the Pearson’s chi-square test, and assessed the prognostic role of FGFR1 among breast cancers using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Moreover, in vitro assays were conducted to confirm the correlation between FGFR1 and ER expression and investigate the effect of FGFR1 on tamoxifen (TAM) sensitivity in ER+ breast cancer. The results showed that ER expression was negatively correlated with FGFR1 expression ( P = 0.011, r = -0.221). Moreover, FGFR1 expression was one of the prognostic factors of ER-positive breast cancer (OR = 1.974, 95% CI = 1.043-3.633), and high FGFR1 expression was correlated with decreased breast cancer overall survival. In addition, knocking down FGFR1 inhibited cell proliferation and enhanced TAM sensitivity in TAM-resistant cells. In conclusion, we found that there was a significant negative correlation between FGFR1 and ER levels in ER+ breast cancers, high FGFR1 protein expression was associated with poor breast cancer prognosis, down-regulating FGFR1 could elevate ER expression and is associated with enhanced TAM sensitivity in ER+ breast cancers.
Integrated Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Comorbid Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Study with a Military Veteran
Authors: Skilbeck Lilian , Spanton Christopher , Roylance Ian
Published: March 2021

Individual Trauma-focused CBT has been shown to be effective for treating posttraumatic stress disorder in military veterans. Treatment challenges are common including the presence of dissociation and comorbidities including depression, traumatic brain injury symptoms, substance misuse, and social transition difficulties. There are currently no standard psychological therapy guidelines for veterans with comorbid presentations. However, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence treatment guidelines, adapting existing treatments can improve the chances of successfully treating trauma cases. In line with these recommendations, the current case study describes how the existing individual trauma-focused CBT model was integrated to treat posttraumatic stress disorder with comorbid depression, persistent mild-traumatic brain injury migraine, and social transition difficulties in a 38-year-old male combat veteran. The client attended 16-sessions of trauma-focused CBT. This model integrated his comorbidities and involved his spouse and multidisciplinary discussions with his general practitioner, and neurorehabilitation team and the Veterans’ Transition Service. At the end of treatment, the client no longer met the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. This case illustrates how trauma-focused CBT can be integrated to treat comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans.
Bootstrap unit-root test for random walk with drift: The bsrwalkdrift command
Authors: Dorta Miguel , Sanchez Gustavo
Published: March 2021

In this article, we introduce the command bsrwalkdrift, which is primarily intended to perform a bootstrap unit-root test under the null hypothesis of random walk with drift. The method implemented in this command is considerably more precise than the corresponding case of the conventional augmented Dickey–Fuller test, which can be inaccurate when the true value of the drift term is small relative to the standard deviation of the innovations. The command also has an option to account for deterministic linear trend and another option to perform bootstrap unit-root tests under the null hypothesis of random walk without drift.
Testing for slope heterogeneity in Stata
Authors: Bersvendsen Tore , Ditzen Jan
Published: March 2021

In this article, we introduce a new community-contributed command, xthst, to test for slope heterogeneity in panels with many observations over cross-sectional units and time periods. The command implements such a test, the delta test (Pesaran and Yamagata, 2008, Journal of Econometrics 142: 50–93). Under its null, slope coefficients are homogeneous across cross-sectional units. Under the alternative, slope coefficients are heterogeneous in the cross-sectional dimension. xthst also includes two extensions. The first is a heteroskedasticity- and autocorrelation-consistent robust test along the lines of Blomquist and Westerlund (2013, Economics Letters 121: 374–378). The second extension is a cross-sectional-dependence robust version. We discuss all tests and present examples using an economic growth model. A Monte Carlo simulation shows that the size and the power behave as expected.
Estimation of marginal effects for models with alternative variable transformations
Authors: Rios-Avila Fernando
Published: March 2021

margins is a powerful postestimation command that allows the estimation of marginal effects for official and community-contributed commands, with well-defined predicted outcomes (see predict). While the use of factor-variable notation allows one to easily estimate marginal effects when interactions and polynomials are used, estimation of marginal effects when other types of transformations such as splines, logs, or fractional polynomials are used remains a challenge. In this article, I describe how margins‘s capabilities can be extended to analyze other variable transformations using the command f_able.