bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Helminth products modulate innate immune recognition of nucleic acids in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Dall Laura B , Deleuran Bent , Østergaard Lars J , Mardahl Maibritt , Denton Paul W , Nejsum Peter
Published: February 2022

Aim

Current treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is suboptimal and causes broad immunosuppression. Therapeutic use of helminths or helminth products has been suggested for autoimmune diseases such as SLE. In the present study, we evaluated possible immunomodulating effects of adult body fluid (ABF) from Ascaris suum on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SLE patients in an ex vivo setup.

Methods

PBMCs from SLE patients and healthy controls (HC) were isolated and stimulated ex vivo with ABF and Toll-like receptor agonists or activators of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) or mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) pathways. After 24 h of incubation, the cytokine profile was analyzed using ELISA and Meso Scale Discovery techniques.

Results

ABF suppressed production of IL-6, TNF-α, CXCL10, and IL-10 by PBMCs from SLE patients and HCs following stimulation with specific agonists. ABF also reduced IFN-у production by stimulated PBMCs from HCs.

Conclusions

Our data show that ABF has an immunomodulatory effect on the production of key cytokines in the pathogenesis of SLE. These results suggest that ABF or ABF components hold potential as a novel treatment option for SLE.
A dose–effect network meta-analysis model with application in antidepressants using restricted cubic splines
Authors: Hamza Tasnim , Furukawa Toshi A , Orsini Nicola , Cipriani Andrea , Iglesias Cynthia P , Salanti Georgia
Published: February 2022

Network meta-analysis has been used to answer a range of clinical questions about the preferred intervention for a given condition. Although the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological agents depend on the dose administered, network meta-analysis applications typically ignore the role that drugs dosage plays in the results. This leads to more heterogeneity in the network. In this paper, we present a suite of network meta-analysis models that incorporate the dose–effect relationship using restricted cubic splines. We extend existing models into a dose–effect network meta-regression to account for study-level covariates and for groups of agents in a class-effect dose–effect network meta-analysis model. We apply our models to a network of aggregate data about the efficacy of 21 antidepressants and placebo for depression. We find that all antidepressants are more efficacious than placebo after a certain dose. Also, we identify the dose level at which each antidepressant's effect exceeds that of placebo and estimate the dose beyond which the effect of antidepressants no longer increases. When covariates were introduced to the model, we find that studies with small sample size tend to exaggerate antidepressants efficacy for several of the drugs. Our dose–effect network meta-analysis model with restricted cubic splines provides a flexible approach to modelling the dose–effect relationship in multiple interventions. Decision-makers can use our model to inform treatment choice.
Toward a Comparative Approach to Language Acquisition
Authors: Christiansen Morten H. , Contreras Kallens Pablo , Trecca Fabio
Published: February 2022

The world’s languages vary in almost every conceivable way, yet children readily learn their native language. Understanding how children can acquire such a diversity of different languages has been a long-standing goal for psychological science, yet current acquisition research is dominated by studies of children learning one particular language: English. In this article, we argue that progress toward this goal will require systematic comparisons between different languages. We propose three levels of comparison: coarse-grained comparisons contrasting unrelated languages to confirm or refute broad theoretical claims, fine-grained comparisons between closely related languages to investigate the impact of specific factors on acquisition outcomes, and within-language comparisons targeting the impact of socio-communicative differences on learning. This three-pronged comparative approach to language acquisition promises to provide new insights into the mechanisms and processes by which children acquire their native tongue under such varied linguistic and socio-communicative conditions.
Family Participation to Promote Medication Adherence Among Thai-Muslim Older Adults With Hypertension: Action Research Study
Authors: Perngmark Pajongsil , Doloh NiIimron , Holroyd Eleanor
Published: February 2022

Introduction:

Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications has been found increasingly prevalent in Thailand, yet the critical cultural resources of Islamic belief systems and family support are seldom mobilized to support adherence. Our study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate an Islamic-based intervention program to promote medication adherence among Muslim older adults with uncontrolled hypertension in southern Thailand.

Method:

An action research with codesign and family participation principles was utilized. Within action research cycles, interviews with Thai-Muslim older adults, family primary caregivers, and health care professionals were undertaken alongside participant observations.

Results:

A qualitative audit demonstrated an improved medication adherence with all stakeholders expressing their desire to further engage and maintain the new intervention program.

Discussion:

Engaging with Islamic doctrine and concepts of family participation could support an improvement in antihypertensive medication adherence for Muslim older adults. Codesigning enables recognition of community belief systems, forming an important step toward improving community-based medication adherence.
Social Justice Conversations: Using Critical Dialogue to Unpack Oppression
Authors: Gockel Annemarie , O’Neill Peggy , Pole Nnamdi
Published: February 2022

Dialogues can bring people together across social divides to develop mutual understanding, generate empathy, and challenge oppression. Yet, all too often, these conversations derail and merely reinforce rather than challenge the social divides they are designed to bridge. We piloted a brief small group program aimed at fostering dialogue about racism and other forms of oppression with 100 undergraduates. A thematic analysis of the resulting 37 group transcripts found that the critical dialogue process helped participants unpack the nature and complexity of oppression, deepen their understanding of privilege, and begin to share and challenge the experience of oppression itself. Sharing thoughts, feelings, and personal experiences, participants used the critical dialogue process to work together to disrupt oppression in their lives.
Revisiting the fracture forming limits of bulk forming under biaxial tension
Authors: Sampaio Rui FV , Pragana João PM , Bragança Ivo MF , Silva Carlos MA , Martins Paulo AF
Published: February 2022

The formability limits of bulk metal forming in principal strain space and in the effective strain vs. stress-triaxiality space are characterized by an uncertainty region in which cracks may be triggered by tension (mode I of fracture mechanics) or by out-of-plane shear (mode III). The problem in obtaining experimental data in this region has been known for a long time and the main objective of this paper is to present a new upset formability test geometry that can effectively contribute to the characterization of the formability limits of bulk metal forming parts subjected to biaxial tension. Alongside with this objective, this paper also presents an analytical expression for converting the fracture forming limit line corresponding to crack opening by mode III in principal strain space into a hyperbolic fracture limit curve in the effective strain vs. stress-triaxiality space. The overall methodology employed by the authors combines experimentation along with analytical and numerical modelling, and the contents of the paper is a step towards diminishing the actual lack of knowledge regarding failure by fracture in bulk metal forming parts subject to stress-triaxiality values beyond uniaxial tension. Results show that a new uncoupled ductile fracture criterion built upon combination of the integrands of the Cockcroft-Latham and McClintock criteria can be successfully used to model the physics of the bulk metal forming limits for the entire range of stress-triaxiality values corresponding to cracking on free surfaces.
Value Disagreement and Partisan Sorting in the American Mass Public
Authors: Ciuk David J.
Published: February 2022

Decades ago, research described American political culture in terms of consensus. Contemporary research, however, reaches opposite conclusions, arguing that the “culture war” that now defines American politics stems from value disagreements among partisan and ideological groups. What factors are at work in this transition from consensus to dissensus? This manuscript pulls from two literatures—one on American core political values and another on partisan-ideological sorting and affective polarization—and argues that the term dissensus best describes value preferences among individuals whose partisan and ideological identities are aligned. Among others, however, preferences on core political values are largely in consensus. First, using data from 2006 and 2019 and fitting geometric models of value preferences, I show that strong value disagreements exist primarily among sorted partisans. Next, I explore possible implications of such alignments and find that relationships among value preferences, political attitudes, and political behaviors are significantly stronger in sorted partisans. I close with a discussion of how theories undergirding affective polarization and partisan-ideological sorting can help the discipline better understand value conflict in the American mass public.
Vibration isolation performance of simply supported beam installed with a negative stiffness device
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyun , Cao Dengqing , Liu Mei , Tian Yishen , tang Jie , Jiang Bolong , Huang Wenhu
Published: February 2022

A negative stiffness device composed of two horizontal pre-compression springs is proposed to isolate the vibration of the simply supported beam. The nonlinear vibration equation of simply supported beam installed with a negative stiffness device is established by using Hamilton principle first. The lower degree of freedom dynamic equation of the system is derived by using Galerkin truncation approach. The influence of support position and negative stiffness parameters on the natural frequency of the beam are obtained from the modal analysis of the free vibration system. According to the dynamic internal force of the beam, the force transmissibility at the support end is defined and the displacement transmissibility of any point on the beam is also defined to facilitate the analysis of the vibration isolation effect. The influence of negative stiffness support parameters on the amplitude–frequency curve and the transmissibility curve of the simply supported beam is discussed. The results show that the fundamental frequency of the system can be significantly reduced by the negative stiffness device, while the frequencies of high-order modes are changed a little bit only. Increasing the horizontal spring stiffness will reduce the first-order resonance frequency and the initial frequency of vibration isolation. Consequently, the aim of lower frequency vibration isolation for the simply supported beam can be achieved. This paper provides an effective approach to the vibration isolating design of flexible structures.
Female Officers in Use-of-Force Encounters: An Examination of Potential Correlates
Authors: Boehme Hunter M. , Metcalfe Christi , Kaminski Robert J.
Published: February 2022

With the changing landscape of women in policing, the representation of female police officers has increased. However, there is limited understanding of how these encounters vary with the presence of a female officer. The present study utilized data from three large, geographically diverse police agencies to evaluate situational, officer, and suspect characteristics of use-of-force incidents that are associated with the presence and involvement of a female officer. Analyses examining both multiple officer/suspect and single officer/suspect incidents indicate many situational similarities between incidents with at least one female officer present or involved and incidents with no female officers. However, the probability of female officer presence/involvement increases for incidents involving display of a taser, officer injuries, greater racial diversity among the officers, and female suspects. Additional findings and research implications are discussed.
Insecticide-Treated Bed Net Utilization and Associated Factors Among Households in Ilu Galan District, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Mekuria Mulugeta , Binegde Dereje Negasa , Derega Jirenga , Teferi Bala Elias , Tesfa Bikila , Deriba Berhanu Senbeta
Published: February 2022

Introduction:

Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are often used as a physical barrier to prevent infection of malaria. In sub-Saharan Africa, one of the most important ways of lowering malaria burden is the utilization of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). However, there is no sufficient information on ITN utilization and its associated factors in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the utilization of insecticide-treated bed nets and its associated factors among households in Ilu Galan district, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

Methods:

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ilu Galan district to select 550 households using systematic random sampling techniques. Interviewer-administered questionnaire and observational checklists were used to collect data. The collected data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. The results were presented by texts, tables, and graphs. Both binary and multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with ITN utilization.

Results:

A total of 532 study participants responded to the questionnaire making a response rate of 96.7%. About 72.2%, [95% CI: 68.4%, 75.8%] of the respondents utilized insecticide-treated nets in the night before the day data was collected. Being female [AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.81], age less than 25 years [AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.95], monthly income >1000 ETB [AOR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.69], and having more than 3 beds [AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.51] were significantly associated with ITN utilization.

Conclusions:

Insecticide-treated nets utilization was found to be low in this study. There is a gap between the ownership and ITN utilization. Sex, age, monthly income, and number of beds were factors associated with ITN utilization. The provision of behavioral change communication to the community on the importance of ITN utilization is compulsory.
Moving Up the Sanitation Ladder: A Study of the Coverage and Utilization of Improved Sanitation Facilities and Associated Factors Among Households in Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Afework Abel , Beyene Hunachew , Ermias Adane , Tamene Aiggan
Published: February 2022

Background:

Improved sanitation facilities offer numerous advantages, ranging from the reduction of diarrheal illnesses and helminth infections to the improvement of psychosocial well-being. At the household level, attaining universal access to improved sanitation facilities demands a thorough understanding of the factors that influence their adoption and use. As a result, the purpose of this study was to assess the availability and utilization of improved sanitation facilities, as well as the factors that influence the adoption and proper use of such a facility among households in the Gedeb district of Southern Ethiopia.

Methods:

A community-based cross-sectional household survey was conducted from March to April 2019. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 630 households at random. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect the respondents’ self-reported data, which comprised socio-demographic, home characteristics, behavioral, and environmental elements. The factors related to the availability and utilization of improved sanitation facilities were identified using multivariable logistic regression.

Result:

Improved sanitation facilities were present in 172 (27.3%) of the 630 households surveyed, with 111 (64.5%) of them being used properly. The availability of improved sanitation was associated with educational status [AOR = 2.73, 95% CI (1.59, 4.67)], upper wealth quintile [AOR = 2.18, 95% CI (1.21, 3.93)], ever hearing educational messages about latrines [AOR = 3.9, 95% CI (1.86, 8.18)], favorable attitude toward latrine construction [AOR = 2.81, 95% CI (1.67, 4.74)], and receiving support during construction [AOR = 3.78, 95% CI (2.15, 6.65)]. Furthermore, utilization was associated with the absence of children under the age of 5, knowledge of sanitation-related diseases, and a positive attitude toward latrine use.

Conclusion:

Both the availability of improved sanitation facilities and the rate at which they were used properly fell far short of the National Hygiene and Environmental Health Strategy’s goals. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on how to improve the availability of improved sanitation in Ethiopia.
The material politics of mobile virtual reality: Oculus, data, and the technics of sensemaking
Authors: Egliston Ben , Carter Marcus
Published: February 2022

This paper contributes to an increasing occupation in media studies with Mobile Virtual Reality (MVR) – a form of ‘wireless’ VR, where all necessary sensing componentry is built into the system’s headset and controllers. Our analysis focuses on the Quest series of devices, offered by Facebook-owned VR company Oculus. Through the philosophy of Gilbert Simondon, we argue that the Quest represents a ‘concretisation’ of VR – of VR becoming internally coherent and synergistic, enabling its mobility and use in varied contexts. We suggest that this process of concretisation is what enables it to generate vast amounts of data with the potential for use by Facebook’s advertising arm and in future product development.
Circuits of Time: Enacting Postgenomics in Indigenous Australia
Authors: Warin Megan , Keaney Jaya , Kowal Emma , Byrne Henrietta
Published: February 2022

Some Indigenous Australians have embraced developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) and epigenetic discourses to highlight the legacies of slow violence in a settler colonial context. Despite important differences between Indigenous and scientific knowledges, some Indigenous scholars are positioning DOHaD and epigenetics as a resource to benefit their communities. This article argues that time plays a crucial role of brokering disparate knowledge spaces in Indigenous discourses of postgenomics, with both Indigenous cosmological frames and DOHaD/epigenetics centring a circular temporal model. Drawing on interview data with scientists who work in Indigenous health, and broader ethnographic work in Indigenous Australian contexts where epigenetics is deployed, this article explores how different circularities of space and time become entangled to co-produce narratives of historical trauma. We use the concept of biocircularity to understand the complex ways that Indigenous and postgenomic temporalities are separated and connected, circling each other to produce a postcolonial articulation of postgenomics as a model of collective embodiment and distributed responsibility.
Crossing wires: short-circuiting marketing theory
Authors: Coffin Jack , Eichert Christian A , Bettany Shona , Lindridge Andrew , Oakenfull Gillian , Ostberg Jacob , Peñaloza Lisa , Rinallo Diego , Rowe David , Santana Jannsen , Visconti Luca M. , Walther Luciana
Published: February 2022

In the popular imagination sex sells. Yet, marketing theory has relatively little to say about sexuality per se. Drawing on Žižek’s metaphor of critical theory as ‘short-circuiting’ the dominant discourse, we conceptualise marketing as a field that theorises sexuality only in a series of ‘closed circuits’. Knowledge becomes hierarchical when some topics, such as sexuality, are denied the theoretical freedom to roam in wider open circuits alongside other ‘mainstream’ marketing topics. We identify four ways in which certain topics are enclosed: theoretical, empirical, institutional and neo-colonial. We then seek to short-circuit this state of affairs by bringing together a heterogeneous group of scholars interested in sexuality. By crossing their critical insights like unexpected connections in a circuit, we create sparks of inspiration that challenge the contents, contexts and concepts that relate to marketing theories of sexuality. Our paper makes a specific theoretical contribution in arguing for sexuality to be treated as a phenomenon worth studying and theorising in its own right. However, it also makes a wider methodological and epistemological contribution in showing how various topics within marketing theory might be short-circuited to help flatten the hierarchies of knowledge created by closed and open circuits.
Comparison of symptomatic vertebrobasilar plaques between patients with and without Diabetes Mellitus using computed tomographic angiography and vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Yang Huan , Liu Bo , Yin Qingqing , Zhang Shuai , Shen Yelong , Ji Congshan , Wang Haipeng , Dong Yin , Lin Liangjie , Wang Ximing
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Diabetes mellitus is significantly associated with posterior circulation ischemic stroke. We aimed to compare the characteristics of vertebrobasilar plaques in symptomatic patients with and without diabetes using high-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomographic angiography.

Methods

From April 2017 to May 2021, cases from patients with transient ischemic attack or stroke in the posterior circulation territory who underwent high-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomographic angiography were reviewed. Characteristics of culprit vertebrobasilar plaques were compared between patients with and without diabetes. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the correlation between culprit plaque characteristics and diabetes.

Results

A total of 148 patients were included and 75 patients were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Patients with diabetes had more intraplaque hemorrhage, calcification, spotty calcification presence, and higher calcification volume (all p < 0.05) compared with those without diabetes. Multivariate analysis demonstrated differences in the presence of intraplaque hemorrhage ( p = 0.045) and number of spotty calcifications ( p = 0.047) were statistically significant after adjusting for baseline characteristics.

Conclusions

Symptomatic patients with diabetes have a higher incidence of intraplaque hemorrhage and larger calcification burden than those without diabetes, indicating the association of diabetes with more advanced plaque features in the posterior circulation.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me: Fostering Social Connection Among College Students Through Peer-Led Physical Activity
Authors: Kirby Jessica B. , Babkes Stellino Megan , Lewis Cynthia , Humphrey Kimberly , Gordon Katie , Lindsay Keston G.
Published: February 2022

Social connection and physical activity (PA) are essential health behaviors necessary for young adults to thrive. The majority of college students in the United States are not meeting PA recommendations and simultaneously report concerning rates of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and fatigue; all factors that contribute to poor psychological well-being and reduce students’ abilities to sustain academic success. These mental and physical health indicators have only worsened due to the stress, isolation, and uncertainty experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fitness Buddies (FB) is a free peer-led PA program designed to combat loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression, and low PA, by providing students the opportunity to connect with one another through PA. FB participants are matched with a peer leader for weekly PA sessions based on activity interests and schedules. The FB program model shifts the focus of traditional PA programs, from prescribing and monitoring PA duration, intensity and modalities, to supporting psychological well-being through satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness within peer PA-based relationships. In the first pilot phase of implementation, students reported improved situational affect, to include reduced stress and anxiety, following participation in the FB program for one academic semester. Participants also reported the development of quality peer relationships and a sense of belonging to the campus community, both of which had previously been lacking. The FB program model is an innovative and cost-efficient strategy to supporting college students’ psychological well-being and long-term success.
Advance Translation—The Remedy to Improve Translatability of Source Questionnaires? Results of a Think-Aloud Study
Authors: Dorer Brita
Published: February 2022

Advance translation is a method of source questionnaire development for multilingual survey projects to enhance translatability and (inter)cultural portability. The aim is to minimize translation issues in the final translation stage. I empirically tested the results of a previously conducted advance translation in a think-aloud study and analyzed the utterances made in a mixed-method approach, calculating chi-square statistics and cross-checking these by observational notes of the think-aloud sessions. My study confirms the usefulness of advance translation in making source items better to translate, thus improving final translation quality. It appears to be particularly useful for comprehensibility issues of the source text, irrespective of the target language. I recommend that advance translations be carried out into all languages and cultures into which the final source questionnaire is to be translated. This will improve source questionnaire translatability and, thus, final translation and overall cross-cultural data quality.
Face masks to fight against COVID-19 pandemics: A comprehensive review of materials, design, technology and product development
Authors: Arora Sanchi , Majumdar Abhijit
Published: February 2022

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created renewed attention on research and large scale manufacturing of face masks. In the last two decades, usage of face masks for respiratory protection has gained increased importance as a measure to control the maladies and fatalities due to exposure to particulate pollutants and toxic pathogens. Numerous variants of surgical and high-performance respirator masks are available in the market, and yet the fibrous materials science researchers, manufacturers and public health agencies are making concerted efforts towards improvising them with respect to self-sterilisability, facial fit, thermo-physiological comfort, reusability and biodegradability, while maintaining or rather enhancing the filtration efficiency. This review article presents a compendium of materials, design and performance standards of existing face masks, as well as elaborates on developments made for their performance enhancement. The criticality of inculcation of good hygiene habits and earnest compliance to correct mask donning and doffing practices has also been highlighted. This review is expected to make valuable contributions in the present COVID-19 scenario when donning a face mask has become mandatory.
Interleukin-10 regulates starvation-induced autophagy through the STAT3-mTOR-p70s6k axis in hepatic stellate cells
Authors: Chen Dongmei , Chen Jiabing , Chen Yizhen , Chen Fenglin , Wang Xiaozhong , Huang Yuehong
Published: February 2022

The degree of activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is closely related to the level of autophagy in HSCs. We previously showed that interleukin-10 (IL-10) strongly inhibits HSC activation in rat fibrotic liver. However, little is known about the effect of IL-10 on HSC autophagy. For investigation of the effect of IL-10 on starvation-induced autophagy in immortal rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) and the molecular mechanism, HSC-T6 cells were incubated with serum-free DMEM for different periods and treated with IL-10 at different concentrations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), analysis of autophagic flux and Western blotting (WB) assays were used to observe changes in autophagosome morphology and number and autophagy-related protein expression in HSC-T6 cells and to evaluate the regulatory effect of IL-10 on starvation-induced autophagy. Cryptotanshinone (CPT) and rapamycin (Rapa) were used to block activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and mTOR signaling pathways, respectively. STAT3-mTOR-p70s6k signaling pathway proteins were analyzed by WB to assess the signaling pathway by which IL-10 regulates autophagy. WB showed an increased LC3II/I ratio, increased Beclin1 expression, and decreased p62 expression in HSC-T6 cells starved for 3 h ( p < 0.05). IL-10 inhibited the increases in the LC3II/I ratio and Beclin1 expression and upregulated p62 expression ( p < 0.05), and the optimal IL-10 concentration was 20 ng/mL. TEM and double-labeled immunofluorescence analysis showed that IL-10 inhibited autophagosome formation and autophagic flux, as indicated by the decreased numbers of double-membrane autophagosomes and yellow autophagic puncta. Further examination of signaling pathway molecules showed that phosphorylation of the mTOR, STAT3, and p70s6k proteins was significantly decreased during starvation-induced autophagy, but IL-10 could increase mTOR, STAT3, and p70s6k protein phosphorylation ( p < 0.05). Blocking either the mTOR or STAT3 pathway reversed the inhibitory effect of IL-10 on starvation-induced autophagy in HSC-T6 cells ( p < 0.05). IL-10 suppresses starvation-induced autophagosome formation through activation of the STAT3-mTOR-p70s6k axis in HSC-T6 cells.
Advancing the Impact of Critical Qualitative Research on Policy, Practice, and Science
Authors: Shaw James , Gagnon Monica , Carson Andrea , Gastaldo Denise , Gladstone Brenda , Webster Fiona , Eakin Joan
Published: February 2022

Discourses of research impact shape the ways in which critical qualitative research and researchers are evaluated in contemporary academic environments. Mainstream conceptualizations of research impact arise from a positivist perspective that challenges the aims and approaches of critical qualitative research. In this paper, we propose a framework for conceptualizing the impact of critical qualitative research on policy, practice, and science. After critiquing literature that presents mainstream views on research impact, we summarize a recent framework for conceptualizing the impact of critical research specifically. We then add to the Machen framework by highlighting the impacts of critical qualitative research on the institutions and practices of science. We provide examples of ways in which researchers at the Centre for Critical Qualitative Health Research at the University of Toronto have made contributions to the impact of critical qualitative research on science, and conclude by addressing implications of this framework for the ways in which critical qualitative researchers can plan and evidence the impact of their work.
Chimney endovascular aneurysm repair (ChEVAR) for hostile neck complex aneurysm
Authors: Bath Jonathan , Fazzini Stefano , Ippoliti Arnaldo , Vogel Todd R , Singh Priyanka , Donas Konstantinos P , Torsello Giovanni
Published: February 2022

Objective

Recent guidelines recognize the role of chimney endovascular aneurysm repair (ChEVAR) in the treatment of complex aortic disorders. The optimal configuration and number of visceral vessels that can be incorporated is still controversial. We aim to review outcomes from a multi-institutional decade-long experience with ChEVAR.

Methods

Patients undergoing ChEVAR with multiple (≥2) chimney branches were selected from a prospectively maintained database at the two academic university hospitals. All patients were poorly suited for fenestrated or branched endograft repair (F/BEVAR) and deemed poor-risk for open surgery.

Results

Forty-nine multiple ChEVAR were performed in 44 men and 5 women, with complete outcome data at a mean follow-up of 18 months. Overall, 2 patients died during follow-up (4%) with no aneurysm-related mortality and two ruptures after ChEVAR (4.1%) due to a type Ib endoleak from iliac limb pullout and persistent gutter-flow, both repaired with endovascular means. No stroke or spinal cord ischemia was noted during the follow-up period. Reintervention was undertaken in eight patients (16.3%) with five reinterventions for persistent gutter-flow and four chimney graft-associated. Three-vessel ChEVAR was performed in 16 patients, with two-vessel ChEVAR in 33 patients for a total of 114 chimney branches (mean 2.3 chimneys per patient). There were 21 superior mesenteric artery (SMA), 45 right renal, 46 left renal artery (LRA), and two accessory LRA chimneys placed. Antegrade configuration of chimney branches was chosen in 43 patients (88%). There were no significant differences between three-vessel and two-vessel ChEVAR upon univariate analysis in aneurysm size (65.6 vs 60.5 mm; p = 0.059), iliac diameter (7.3 vs 7.1 mm; p = 0.85), or endograft oversizing (30 vs 32.5%; p = 0.43). Three-vessel ChEVAR was associated with a larger aneurysm neck diameter (28.4 vs 25.0 mm; p = 0.021), shorter native infrarenal neck (0.5 vs 3.37 mm; p = 0.002) as well as longer seal zone (36.33 vs 22.67 mm; p = 0.005) compared with two-vessel ChEVAR. At follow-up, there were no significant differences in gutter area between three-vessel and two-vessel ChEVAR (18.9 vs 15.7 mm3; p = 0.73) nor the rate of persistent gutter-flow (12.5 vs 9.1%; p = 0.71).

Conclusion

Reintervention to multiple chimney grafts and for persistent gutter-flow is higher compared to single chimneys and demands close surveillance. However, based upon this combined transantlantic experience, we believe multiple ChEVAR provides a reasonable and safe option for complex aortic aneurysm repair when open or custom endografts are not available or indicated based on their Instructions For use, even when triple chimney grafts are required. The optimal configuration for multiple ChEVAR still warrants further study, although theoretical preliminary advantages may exist for a combination of antegrade and retrograde chimneys.
Early assessment of the efficacy of noninvasive ventilation tested by HACOR score to avoid delayed intubation in patients with moderate to severe ARDS
Authors: Bai Linfu , Ding Fei , Xiong Weiming , Shu Weiwei , Jiang Lei , Liu Yuliang , Duan Jun
Published: February 2022

Background:

Use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in patients with moderate to severe ARDS is controversial. We aimed to use HACOR (combination of heart rate, acidosis, consciousness, oxygenation and respiratory rate) score to comprehensively assess the efficacy of NIV in ARDS patients with PaO2/FiO2 ⩽ 150 mmHg.

Methods:

Secondary analysis was performed using the data collected from two databases. We screened the ARDS patients who used NIV as a first-line therapy. Patients with PaO2/FiO2 ⩽ 150 mmHg were enrolled. NIV failure was defined as requirement of intubation.

Results:

A total of 224 moderate to severe ARDS patients who used NIV as a first-line therapy were enrolled. Of them, 125 patients (56%) experienced NIV failure and received intubation. Among the intubated patients, the survivor had shorter time from initiation of NIV to intubation than nonsurvivors (median 10 vs 22 h, p  < 0.01). The median differences of HACOR score before and 1–2 h of NIV were 1 point (interquartile range: 0–3). We defined the patients with △HACOR >1 as responders (n  = 102) and the rest to non-responders (n  = 122). Compared to non-responders, the responders had higher HACOR score before NIV. However, the HACOR score was lower in the responders than non-responders after 1–2 h, 12 h, and 24 h of NIV. The responders also had lower NIV failure rate (36% vs 72%, p  < 0.01) and lower 28-day mortality (32% vs 47%, p  = 0.04) than non-responders.

Conclusions:

NIV failure was high among patients with moderate to severe ARDS. Delayed intubation is associated with increased mortality. The reduction of HACOR score after 1–2 h of NIV can identify the patients who respond well to NIV.
‘The interface of the future’: Mixed reality, intimate data and imagined temporalities
Authors: Egliston Ben , Carter Marcus
Published: February 2022

This article examines discourses about mixed reality as a data-rich sensing technology – specifically, engaging with discourses of time as framed by developers, engineers and in corporate PR and marketing in a range of public facing materials. We focus on four main settings in which mixed reality is imagined to be used, and in which time was a dominant discursive theme – (1) the development of mixed reality by big tech companies, (2) the use of mixed reality for defence, (3) mixed reality as a technology for control of populations in civil society and (4) mixed reality as a technology used in workplace settings. Across these settings, the broad narrative is that mixed reality technologies afford overwhelmingly positive benefits like efficiency and security through their capture, relay and rendition of data (about the environment, about the body etc.) – affording a form of anticipatory power to the user. The framing of temporality, we argue, is underlain by social and political values, which represent certain interests, but leave others out in the imagination of mixed reality's technological advance.
“An Immaculate Keeper of My Social Media Feed”: Social Media Usage in Body Justice Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Greene Amanda K. , Maloul Elana , Kelly Devin A. , Norling Hannah N. , Brownstone Lisa M.
Published: February 2022

This article examines how individuals proximate to online body justice communities utilized and experienced social media during COVID-19. The majority of research during the pandemic has been quantitative and survey-based; it has also tended to center (dis)information spread or mental health concerns. Our qualitative interviews with 44 individuals offer nuanced insights into what social media meant to people during quarantine, how they used it, and how they reflected on their experience of it. Five major themes emerged through reflexive, thematic analysis of the interview data: changed temporal rhythms, influx of toxic content, resource building, additive and subtractive actions, and algorithmic awareness. Some participants described social media as an increasingly harmful influence in their lives during the pandemic due to compulsive usage and exposure to “toxic content” like misinformation, weight stigma, and homophobia. At the same time, participants noted how social media positively enabled social connection, education, and activation around social justice. Across both of these extremes, many elaborated on the intensive, self-reflective labor of cultivating their accounts so that they mirrored their identities and the kinds of experiences they wanted to have online while preventing the infiltration of unwanted content. In addition to offering new insights into social media usage in body justice communities during COVID-19, our data suggest alternative ways of understanding how individuals manage their experience of social media, curate their social media feeds through additive and subtractive actions, and frequently reflect on how their choices interact with platform algorithms.
Judicial Interpretation of Human Dignity by Hong Kong’s Courts
Authors: Shen Taixia
Published: February 2022

This study employed empirical, case, and comparative analysis methods to examine how Hong Kong’s courts have judicially interpreted the concept of human dignity. It aimed to understand the concept of human dignity in Hong Kong law and its role in judicial adjudication and to explore the contributions that Hong Kong’s courts have made to interpreting and developing the concept of human dignity in support of the development of national and international human rights. In this study, cases heard in Hong Kong’s courts from 1997 to 2019 were analyzed. The results showed that Hong Kong’s courts interpreted the concept of human dignity in cases concerning the right to equality, right to privacy, right to work, right to dignity, and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment or treatment, despite the fact that some of them are not found in the Hong Kong Basic Law. The concept of human dignity provides a foundation on which judges can interpret human rights and is a useful tool for litigants to safeguard their human rights. Although Hong Kong’s courts have cited interpretations of human dignity made by the European Court of Human Rights and other common law courts, they have also interpreted it in their own unique way. Hong Kong’s courts have made great contributions to shaping the concept of human dignity to increase justice around the world.
Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Primary Hip Arthroscopy and Labral Reconstruction: A Propensity-Matched Controlled Study With Minimum 2-Year Follow-up
Authors: Jimenez Andrew E. , Lee Michael S. , George Tom , Owens Jade S. , Maldonado David R. , Saks Benjamin R. , Lall Ajay C. , Domb Benjamin G.
Published: February 2022

Background:

There is a paucity of literature evaluating the effect of cigarette smoking on outcomes in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy and labral reconstruction.

Purpose:

(1) To report minimum 2-year patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores for patients who smoke cigarettes and underwent primary hip arthroscopic labral reconstruction and (2) to compare these results with those of a propensity-matched control group of patients who have never smoked.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Data were collected for all patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for labral reconstruction between January 2011 and January 2019. Patients were eligible for the study if they indicated that they smoked cigarettes within 1 month of surgery and had minimum 2-year postoperative outcome scores for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. The percentage of patients achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) was recorded. Rates of revision surgery were also documented. These patients were then propensity matched in a 1:3 ratio to patients who had never smoked (controls) for comparison.

Results:

A total of 20 patients (20 hips) were included with a mean follow-up of 39.9 ± 13.0 months and mean age of 41.4 ± 10.4 years. These patients demonstrated significant improvement from preoperatively to the minimum 2-year follow-up for mHHS, NAHS, and VAS ( P < .05). They also achieved MCID for mHHS and VAS at acceptable rates, 70% for both. When outcomes were compared with those of 60 control patients (60 hips), patients who smoke demonstrated lower preoperative PRO scores but similar minimum 2-year postoperative PRO scores for mHHS and NAHS. Patients who smoke demonstrated lower rates of achieving PASS for mHHS (55% vs 75%) and NAHS (40% vs 61.7%) compared with controls; however, these findings were not statistically significant. Rates of secondary surgery were statistically significantly higher in the smoking group compared with controls (25% vs 5%; P = .031). Survivorship for the smoking patients was 80% and 98.3% for the control group. At the two-year mark survivorship was 90% for the smoking group and 100% for the control group ( P = .06)

Conclusion:

While smokers can still derive significant improvement from hip arthroscopy, their ultimate functional outcome and rate of secondary surgeries are inferior to those of nonsmokers. As smoking is a significant and modifiable risk factor, we should continue to counsel smokers on smoking cessation prior to and after surgery
Prospective Consecutive Clinical Outcomes After Transtibial Root Repair for Posterior Meniscal Root Tears: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Krych Aaron J. , Song Bryant M. , Nauert Richard F. , Cook Corey S. , Levy Bruce A. , Camp Christopher L. , Stuart Michael J. , Smith Patrick A.
Published: February 2022

Background:

Prospective evaluation of clinical outcomes after posterior meniscal root repair utilizing a transtibial pullout technique is limited, and factors that may contribute to outcomes are unclear.

Hypothesis:

It was hypothesized that there would be an overall significant improvement in outcomes after root repair and that differences in clinical outcomes would correlate with age, body mass index (BMI), sex, and meniscal extrusion.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Consecutive patients undergoing transtibial medial or lateral meniscal root repair were enrolled prospectively at 2 orthopaedic centers between March 2017 and January 2019. Pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were obtained to assess for meniscal healing, quantification of extrusion, articular cartilage grade, and subchondral bone changes. Patient-reported outcomes including International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, Tegner activity scale, and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were collected preoperatively and 2 years postoperatively. Patients were then subdivided by clinical and demographic characteristics to determine factors associated with clinical outcomes.

Results:

Included were 45 patients (29 female, 16 male; mean age, 42.3 ± 12.9 years; mean BMI, 31.6 kg/m2) who underwent 47 meniscal root repairs (29 medial and 16 lateral; 2 had both). Significant improvements at 2-year follow-up were seen in IKDC score (41.1 vs 78.4; P < .001), Tegner activity level (3 vs 4; P < .001), and VAS pain (2.8 vs 0.7; P < .001). BMI, preoperative malalignment, cartilage status, and progressive meniscus extrusion (Δ = 0.7 mm) did not have a negative impact on IKDC and Tegner scores 2 years postoperatively. Age greater than or equal to 50 years and extrusion pre- and postoperatively were associated with decreased Tegner scores. Progressive meniscal extrusion was associated with a decreased overall improvement in Tegner scores.

Conclusion:

Transtibial root repair for medial and lateral posterior meniscal root tears demonstrated significantly improved clinical outcomes at 2 years postoperatively. Increased age, increased BMI, cartilage status, and meniscal extrusion did not have a negative impact on short-term functional outcomes (IKDC), but age greater than or equal to 50 years and extrusion negatively influenced patient activity level (Tegner).

Registration:

NCT03037242 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).