bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel PMVK Variant Associated with Familial Porokeratosis
Authors: Zhang Wenjing , Nie Xinmiao , Shi Lei , Shao Fengmin , Cao Lihua
Published: June 2023

Background: Porokeratosis is a rare chronic progressive hypokeratotic skin disease, possibly related to the mevalonate pathway. Variations in four enzymes, including phosphomevalonate kinase (PMVK) may alter this pathway, ultimately leading to porokeratosis. Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify the causative gene variant of porokeratosis in a Chinese family and investigate its population frequency and pathogenicity. Method: In this study, Sanger sequencing was used to identify the gene variant causative of porokeratosis; its population frequency was investigated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 4 patients and three normal individuals as well as in 100 normal unrelated controls; finally, the pathogenicity of the mutation and the associated structural changes were predicted. Results: We identified a novel heterozygous missense variant, c.207G>T (p. Lys69Asn) in the PMVK gene. This variant was found in all patients but not in the normal individuals in this family or in the 100 controls. In silico analysis indicated that the variant was pathogenic; p.Lys69Asn changed the length of the α-helix and the hydrogen bond pattern compared with the wild-type protein. Conclusions: The novel variant c.207G>T (p. Lys69Asn) in the PMVK gene was the causative variant in this porokeratosis family. This finding provides further evidence for the genetic basis of this disease.
Updating the Predictive Models for Mortality and Morbidity after Low Anterior Resection Based on the National Clinical Database
Authors: Kawai Kazushige , Hirakawa Shinya , Tachimori Hisateru , Oshikiri Taro , Miyata Hiroaki , Kakeji Yoshihiro , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: June 2023

Introduction: We previously developed risk models for mortality and morbidity after low anterior resection using a nationwide Japanese database. However, the milieu of low anterior resection in Japan has undergone drastic changes since then. This study aimed to construct risk models for 6 short-term postoperative outcomes after low anterior resection, i.e., in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, anastomotic leakage, surgical site infection except for anastomotic leakage, overall postoperative complication rate, and 30-day reoperation rate. Methods: This study enrolled 120,912 patients registered with the National Clinical Database, who underwent low anterior resection between 2014 and 2019. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to generate predictive models of mortality and morbidity using preoperative information, including the TNM stage. Results: We developed new risk prediction models for the overall postoperative complication and 30-day reoperation rates for low anterior resection, which were absent from the previous version. The concordance indices for each endpoint were 0.82 for in-hospital mortality, 0.79 for 30-day mortality, 0.64 for anastomotic leakage, 0.62 for surgical site infection besides anastomotic leakage, 0.63 for complications, and 0.62 for reoperation. The concordance indices of all four models included in the previous version showed improvement. Conclusion: This study successfully updated the risk calculators for predicting mortality and morbidity after low anterior resection using a model based on vast nationwide Japanese data.
Effects of Ulinastatin on Postoperative Renal Function in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Prospective Cohort Study with 10-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Lv Huanran , Li Qian , Fei Yuda , Zhang Peng , Li Lihuan , Shi Jia , Lv Hong
Published: June 2023

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore the potential effect of ulinastatin on renal function and long-term survival in patients receiving cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China. Ulinastatin was applied after induction anesthesia. The primary outcome was the rate of new-onset postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). Moreover, a 10-year follow-up was conducted until January 2021. Results: The rate of new-onset AKI was significantly lower in the ulinastatin group than in the control group (20.00 vs. 32.40%, p = 0.009). There was no significant difference in renal replacement therapy between the two groups (0.00 vs. 2.16%, p = 0.09). The postoperative plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (pNGAL) and IL-6 levels were significantly lower in the ulinastatin group compared with the control group (pNGAL: p = 0.007; IL-6: p = 0.001). A significantly lower incidence of respiratory failure in the ulinastatin group compared with the control group (0.76 vs. 5.40%, p = 0.02). The nearly 10-year follow-up (median: 9.37, 95% confidence interval: 9.17–9.57) survival rates did not differ significantly between the two groups (p = 0.076). Conclusions: Ulinastatin significantly reduced postoperative AKI and respiratory failure in patients receiving cardiac surgery with CPB. However, ulinastatin did not reduce intensive care unit and hospital stays, mortality, and long-term survival rate.
Impact of Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Use on In-Hospital Mortality in Community-Acquired Pneumonia Patients with Hypertension
Authors: Chen Dawei , Tan Yan , Wan Xin
Published: June 2023

Introduction: This study aimed to explore the association of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) use with in-hospital mortality among Chinese patients with hypertension hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: This study was conducted from January 2014 to January 2017, and data from patients with hypertension hospitalized with CAP were analyzed retrospectively. Multivariable logistic regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to investigate any association. Results: 1,510 patients were included in this study. The crude in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in patients with ARBs use (4.2% vs. 12.5%, p < 0.001). In the extended multivariable logistic models, the odds ratios (ORs) of ARBs use were consistently significant in all six models (OR range 0.27–0.48, p < 0.05 for all). After subgroup analysis, ARBs use remained a potentially protective factor against in-hospital mortality, and no interaction was detected. After PSM, the in-hospital mortality remained significantly lower in the ARBs use group (4.2% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.002). In the univariate analysis, using ARBs was associated with in-hospital mortality (PSM OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.19–0.68; p = 0.002). Additionally, compared with the control group, ARBs use did not significantly increase the risk of acute kidney injury (12.4% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.628), renal replacement therapy (0.6% vs. 0.3%, p = 1.000), and hyperkalemia (1.8% vs. 2.1%, p = 1.000). Conclusion: Although residual confounding cannot be excluded, the use of ARBs was associated with lower in-hospital mortality in Chinese patients with hypertension hospitalized with CAP.
"Y la culpa no era mía, ni dónde estaba, ni cómo vestía": para desafiar discursos e práticas autoritárias
Authors: Setti Cecilia , Borelli Solange
Published: June 2023

A partir da análise de um ato performático inaugurado pelo coletivo artístico LasTesis, este ensaio tem como objetivo provocar uma discussão preliminar, sob uma perspectiva de teorias pós-coloniais e dos feminismos decoloniais, sobre os mecanismos internos de subalternidade e sobre a produção de comportamentos naturalizados, como a violência de gênero em suas múltiplas formas. Emerge a necessidade de se compreender os elementos que deram origem a essas estruturas, de forma a buscarmos perspectivas epistemológicas que nos levem a aprofundamentos substanciais.
Dados das apreensões de cocaína na região Oeste do Pará de 2018 a 2020
Authors: Soares Deliane dos Santos , Silva Flavia Garcez da
Published: June 2023

Objetivo: a presente pesquisa objetiva analisar os laudos periciais liberados pela Polícia Científica do Pará através de dados sociodemográficos, gênero e quantidade de cocaína recebida pelo órgão de segurança pública no período de 2018 a 2020, referentes às apreensões no município de Santarém/PA e cidades adjacentes. Metodologia: esta pesquisa trata-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo com dados validados em laudos periciais definitivos de análises químicas, realizadas em amostras de cocaína provenientes de apreensões pelos órgãos policiais do Estado do Pará. Resultados: foram consultados 1.280 laudos periciais definitivos com resultados positivos para cocaína. Com isso, notou-se prevalência do sexo masculino no envolvimento com o tráfico; quanto ao grau de escolaridade e grupos etários houve grande ausência desta informação nos laudos; relativo à cocaína apreendida evidenciou-se o crescimento do tráfico no ano de 2019, colocando Santarém como cidade central do tráfico nessa região. Conclusão: a cocaína quantificada neste estudo mostra que durantes os três anos de análise dos dados da Polícia Científica do Pará notou-se um número razoável de cocaína apreendida, não somente na cidade de Santarém, como também nas cidades adjacentes, indicando circulação ativa dessa substância na região oeste do Pará, apontando também presença masculina, majoritariamente, no tráfico dessa substância.
Investigação do consumo de bebidas alcoólicas em um hospital durante a pandemia da COVID-19
Authors: Rigo Felipe Leonardo , Miranda Carolina Henriques Gomes , Silva Cassidy Tavares , Rodrigues Caroline Soares , Silva Mércia Beatriz Martins , Souza Thaís Pereira Lopes de
Published: June 2023

Objetivo: investigar o padrão de consumo de bebidas alcoólicas entre os profissionais de saúde durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Metodologia: estudo transversal realizado em um hospital infantil e público em Belo Horizonte. Utilizou-se um questionário sociodemográfico e o Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Resultados: participaram do estudo 271 profissionais de saúde, sendo 91,2% mulheres, 67,9% com idade entre 30 e 49 anos, 48,9% solteiros, 87,4% professam religião, 40% possuem pós-graduação. 65,3% consomem bebidas alcoólicas. A cerveja foi a bebida mais consumida (35,6%). Frequência de consumo de 2 a 4 vezes no mês (55,9%), com ingestão de 1 a 2 doses (62,3%). Entre os principais motivos listados para o consumo de álcool temos lazer/recreação (29,5%), relaxar (21,3%) e confinamento/tensão pela pandemia (5,1%). Entre os participantes, 14,1% relataram que iniciaram ou aumentaram o consumo de álcool durante a pandemia. Houve associação significativa para o uso de risco entre os entrevistados que têm familiares que consomem álcool (p<0,001). Conclusão: o estudo evidenciou que a ingestão de bebidas alcoólicas entre os profissionais de saúde é frequente. É fundamental que haja nas instituições de saúde políticas de ação com foco na promoção de hábitos saudáveis de vida.
Perfil sociodemográfico e farmacoterapêutico de usuários dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial III Álcool e Drogas
Authors: Almeida Flávia Menezes , Souza Maria Karolyne dos Santos , Souza Luana de Menezes de , Valença Diego Franco , Alves Mikaele Santos , Santos Alice da Cruz , Brito Giselle de Carvalho , Di Pietro Giuliano
Published: June 2023

Objetivo: caracterizar sociodemograficamente e traçar o perfil farmacoterapêutico dos usuários de dois Centros de Atenção Psicossocial III Álcool e Drogas, um infanto-juveniladulto e outro adulto. Metodologia: estudo documental, exploratório, descritivo, com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa, por meio da análise dos prontuários e entrevistas semiestruturadas. Resultados: foram incluídos 156 usuários, dos quais a maioria era do sexo masculino, solteiro, negro ou pardo, ensino fundamental incompleto, desempregado, idade entre 18 e 29 anos. A droga de predileção foi a maconha e o início do uso, em sua maioria, foi na faixa etária de 7 a 15 anos. Prescrição de medicamentos como manejo da dependência ocorre em 65% dos casos, sendo os benzodiazepínicos e os antidepressivos os mais prescritos. Conclusão: o perfil sociodemográfico encontrado é compatível com a literatura e o impacto dos fatores sociais que levam à vulnerabilidade dos usuários tem estreita relação com o uso de substâncias psicoativas. O uso de medicamentos na dependência química ainda é uma intervenção incerta, devido aos problemas físicos e mentais resultantes dessa dependência, das interações medicamentosas e com as substâncias utilizadas, além da adesão medicamentosa, levando, muitas vezes, a uma troca de “drogas” por “drogas”.
Дискуссия А.З. Валидова и В.В. Бартольда об академическом востоковедении и империи
Authors: Ikhsanov Anton R.
Published: June 2023

This article analyses the correspondence between Ahmed Z. Validov (Validi), a historian and school tutor from the Volga region, and Vasiliy V. Barthold, a Russian historian and orientalist, a professor at the Petrograd University. The modern-day scholars primarily concentrate on Validov and Barthold’s academic legacy, their writings on manuscripts, archeology and ethnography. Apparently, the historians describe them as associates by using «mentor and student» metaphor. However, this position is far from revealing the true nature of this complicated relationship.

What was the reason behind the communication between these two individuals? What did they discuss? Apart from the listing of manuscripts and archeological sites, both scholars were involved in the conversation about ethics and methods of Asian studies. They discussed the connections between the orientalists and local communities. To be specific, Barthold’s position was a widespread liberal positioning of a multinational and rightful empire as an ultimate good. Despite his indicative claim to support this position, Validov found multiple ruptures in Barthold’s thought. Validov criticised the Russian orientalists in anxiety and unreasonable hate towards the Muslim polymaths. He emphasised the insoluble contradictions in the Orientalists’ behaviour that hindered them from realising their ethical claims. This critical attitude is decisive in revealing the rationale behind the hostility between the knowledge-makers in the late Russian empire.
3. Floras, Herbaria, and Botanical Illustration
Authors: Page Joanna
Published: June 2023

New World plants were exhaustively catalogued in the floras and herbaria produced by the great scientific expeditions led by European naturalists in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, such as the Royal Botanical Expedition to New Granada (1783–1816), directed by José Celestino Mutis. Species were primarily illustrated in a way that would allow their identification according to Linnaean taxonomies. Three contemporary artists from Colombia—Alberto Baraya, María Fernanda Cardoso and Eulalia de Valdenebro—have reworked the Enlightenment norms of botanical illustration in order to draw attention to their many erasures and to chart environmental change over the past two centuries. Baraya’s Herbario de plantas artificiales (2002–) celebrates the anomalies and aberrations that were smoothed out in the European quest for a universal system of classification, exposing the relationship between modern Western science and the dynamics of economic and cultural dispossession. De Valdenebro’s seed collections contrast the homogenization and commercialization of transgenic varieties with the greater biodiversity of native seeds, whose cultivation has unfolded within a much higher degree of reciprocity between humans and their environment. In On the Marriages of Plants (2018), Cardoso reflects on Linnaeus’s use of sexual terms borrowed from the human world in her exploration of more recent research into reciprocal relationships between plants, insects, and humans. I bring these projects into dialogue with a selection of illustrations by Abel Rodríguez (Mogaje Guihu), an artist whose work preserves the ancestral knowledge of the Nonuya and Muinane communities in the Colombian Amazon. Contrasting with Linnaean abstraction, Rodríguez’s drawings and paintings depict rainforest ecosystems in ways that cast light on Amazonian concepts of cohabitation and the co-constitution of human and nonhuman subjects. These enter into conflict with two dominant Western paradigms: extraction, on the one hand, and conservation, on the other.
Increased PD-1 expression of bone marrow T-cells in acute myeloid leukaemia patients after stem cell transplantation, and its association with overall survival
Authors: You Eunkyoung , Park Chan-Jeoung , Cho Young-Uk , Jang Seongsoo , Lee Min Young , Kim Hery , Koh Kyung Nam , Im Ho Joon , Choi Eun-Ji , Lee Je-Hwan , Lee Kyoo-Hyung
Published: June 2023

Background

Immune checkpoints are involved in mechanisms by which tumours escape from the host immune system. Our aim was to evaluate acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients to determine expression levels of checkpoint molecules according to diagnosis and treatments, and to identify optimal candidates for checkpoint blockade.

Methods

Bone marrow (BM) samples were obtained from 279 AML patients at different disease status and from 23 controls. Flow cytometric analyses of PD-1 and PD-L1/PD-L2 expression were performed.

Results

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) expression levels on CD8+ T-cells at AML diagnosis were increased compared to controls. PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression levels on leukaemic cells at diagnosis were significantly higher in secondary AML than in de novo AML. PD-1 levels on CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells after allo-SCT were significantly higher than those at diagnosis and after CTx. PD-1 expression on CD8+ T-cells increased in the acute GVHD group than in the non-GVHD group. The overall survival of patients with high PD-1 expression on CD8+ T-cells was significantly shorter than that of patients with low PD-1 expression.

Conclusions

In conclusion, patients who underwent allo-SCT exhibited high PD-1 expression, suggesting that allo-SCT increases PD-1 expression on T-cells, and the patients with high PD-1 expression on CD8+ T-cells after allo-SCT showed the poor prognosis. For these patients, PD-1 blockade could be an immunotherapeutic strategy.
When Shutting the Door Won’t Do: Teaching With the Specter of Community Backlash and the Implications for Teacher Education
Authors: Ranschaert Rachel
Published: June 2023

Recently, numerous news stories have detailed the ways teachers across the country have been disciplined for addressing issues of oppression and justice in their schools. This paper engages poststructural discourse analysis to consider data from a year-long study of recent graduates of a justice-oriented teacher education program during their first year teaching, examining the ways that stories of community backlash functioned to discipline early career teachers to behave in particular ways. I theorize that these stories serve to discourage teachers from pursuing justice-oriented work in the classroom and that such discourses must be addressed in teacher education programs to prepare preservice teachers for the political realities of entering classrooms in the United States in the current cultural moment.
Uterine atony prophylaxis with carbetocin versus oxytocin and the risk of major haemorrhage during caesarean section: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Terblanche Nico CS , Sharman James E , Jones Mark A , Gregory Kye , Sturgess David J
Published: June 2023

Carbetocin and oxytocin are commonly recommended agents for active management of the third stage of labour. Evidence is inconclusive whether either one more effectively reduces the occurrence of important postpartum haemorrhage outcomes at caesarean section. We examined whether carbetocin is associated with a lower risk of severe postpartum haemorrhage (blood loss ≥ 1000 ml) in comparison with oxytocin for the third stage of labour in women undergoing caesarean section. This was a retrospective cohort study among women undergoing scheduled or intrapartum caesarean section between 1 January 2010 and 2 July 2015 who received carbetocin or oxytocin for the third stage of labour. The primary outcome was severe postpartum haemorrhage. Secondary outcomes included blood transfusion, interventions, third stage complications and estimated blood loss. Outcomes were examined overall and by timing of birth, scheduled versus intrapartum, using propensity score-matched analysis. Among 21,027 eligible participants, 10,564 women who received carbetocin and 3836 women who received oxytocin at caesarean section were included in the analysis. Carbetocin was associated with a lower risk of severe postpartum haemorrhage overall (2.1% versus 3.3%; odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval 0.48 to 0.79; P <  0.001). This reduction was apparent irrespective of timing of birth. Secondary outcomes also favoured carbetocin over oxytocin. In this retrospective cohort study, the risk of severe postpartum haemorrhage associated with carbetocin was lower than that associated with oxytocin in women undergoing caesarean section. Randomised clinical trials are needed to further investigate these findings.
Use of Accelerated Natural Aging to Simulate Long-Term Asphalt Binder Aging in Pavements
Authors: Li Fangjin , Wang Yuhong
Published: June 2023

Asphalt binder is prone to aging in usage conditions. Although aging an asphalt binder using a pressure aging vessel (PAV) is a popular method to simulate the long-term aging of the binder, questions have been raised about the accuracy of this method. This research is focused on (i) examining the detailed physicochemical aging processes of asphalt binders aged in a relatively natural condition, (ii) evaluating the effects of supporting medium on asphalt binder aging, (iii) comparing aging trends of binders from different crude sources, (iv) modeling and forecasting the long-term aging behaviors of asphalt binders. Seven types of neat asphalt binders were studied, and two types of supporting media were used. The natural aging condition was set to be 60°C in a dark environment, and the thickness of the asphalt film was reduced to about 0.8 mm. The longest natural aging treatment duration was 75 days. Samples were periodically taken to test their physicochemical properties. The binders were also subjected to PAV treatments for comparison purposes. It is found that most physicochemical properties of the naturally aged binders exhibit a fast change stage followed by a relatively slow change stage. At the slow change stage, commonly used properties can be predicted well through linear models. In general, PAV aging does not reflect well the aging trends and characteristics of binders treated in the more natural conditions. Therefore, it is proposed to consider using natural aging to simulate asphalt binder aging for road pavements with high expectations on durability.
Biomedical waste generation at Ayurveda hospitals in South Asia: A mini review of the composition, quantities and characteristics
Authors: Kularatne Ranil Kavindra Asela
Published: June 2023

Ayurveda hospitals generate biomedical wastes (BMW). However, details on composition, quantities and characteristics are very scarce, details which are important to formulate a proper waste management plan for subsequent implementation and continual improvement. Therefore, this article presents a mini review of the composition, quantities and characteristics of BMW generated from Ayurveda hospitals. Additionally, this article presents some best possible treatment and disposal procedures. Most of the information was gleaned from peer-reviewed journals, although some information was collected by the author and from grey literature available to the author; 70–99% (by wet weight) of the solid waste is non-hazardous; biodegradables contributing to 44–60% by wet weight due to more used Kizhi (medicinal bags for fomentation) and other medicinal/pharmaceutical wastes (excluding waste medicated oils, which is 12–15% of the liquid medicinal waste stream and are not readily biodegradable) largely derived from plants. The hazardous waste component includes infectious wastes, sharps, blood as pathological wastes (from Raktamoksha – bloodletting ), heavy metal containing pharmaceutical wastes, chemical wastes and heavy metal rich wastes. Quantities of infectious wastes followed by sharps and blood form a major portion of hazardous wastes. Most of the infectious waste material contaminated with blood or other body fluids and sharps from Raktamoksha are very similar (appearance, moisture content and bulk density) to what is generated from hospitals practicing Western medicine. However, hospital-specific waste studies are required in future to better understand the sources, areas of generation, types, quantities and characteristics of BMW, and hence to formulate more accurate waste management plans.
Usefulness of Mean Gastric Emptying Time in Late Preterm and Term AGA and SGA Newborns to Determine Feeding Frequency—An Observational Study
Authors: Jain Ankit , Patra Saikat , Jedhe Vinayak Madhukar , Chetan Chinmay , Gupta Girish
Published: June 2023

Objectives

The primary objective is to calculate and compare mean gastric emptying time in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) newborns. The secondary objective is to compare mean gastric emptying time in SGA babies with or without antenatal Doppler changes and to measure gastric spheroidal volume at various intervals in AGA and SGA newborns with or without antenatal Doppler changes.

Methods

This prospective observational study was carried over 3 months from November 2022 to January 2023. A total of 30 newborns were enrolled and their gastric spheroidal volume was calculated by ultrasound pre-feed and post-feed every 30 minutes till it reached within 10% of pre-feed volume which was taken as gastric emptying time. Mean gastric emptying time was compared among AGA and SGA newborns and amongst SGA with or without antenatal Doppler changes.

Results

Mean gastric emptying time of AGA was 124 ± ± 25.01 minutes and for SGA was 132 ± 29.57 minutes which was statistically nonsignificant. Mean gastric emptying time when compared between SGA neonates with or without antenatal Doppler changes was similar ( P value .43). The gastric spheroidal volume was significantly smaller in SGA newborns compared to their AGA counterparts in pre-feed state ( P value .01) and it persisted till 60 minutes post feed ( P value .028); however, the mean gastric emptying time is similar in both the groups.

Conclusion

Mean gastric emptying time of AGA and SGA newborns is similar and hence a feeding interval of 1.5 to 2.5 hours is appropriate for these late preterm and term newborns. Antenatal Doppler changes in SGA babies did not alter their gastric emptying time hence similar feeding frequency can be used in both.
‘Refugee footballers’: A socioecological exploration of forced migrants in the Italian and German elite football system
Authors: Norrito Alessio , Michelini Enrico , Giulianotti Richard , Mason Carolynne
Published: June 2023

Against the background of the recent European ‘refugee crisis’ and its long-term consequences, this article investigates the research question ‘how do footballers with a refugee background experience the process of accessing top-level football?’, using ethnographic material and interviews with competitive footballers with a refugee background in Italy and Germany from two studies. The material was examined using qualitative content analysis and interpreted through the ecological systems theory. The results show that inclusion to professional football is complex for refugee footballers who are faced with the additional hurdles and consequences of a forced migration. Moreover, refugees build their networks within the process of resettlement, without a clear path for inclusion to elite football. Those who ‘make it’ have relied on key enablers within their microsystem and on mesosystemic interactions, further emphasizing the importance of networks for professional development. In contrast, exosystemic and macrosystemic factors further hinder the possibility of a sport career in football, on top of the existing difficulties of a forced migration. The process of seeking inclusion in competitive football however has been identified as a positive element that can provide direction in resettlement and opportunities for socialisation.
Italian accounting history studies in international journals: Insights and possible future directions
Authors: Rappazzo Nicola , Marisca Carmelo , Pulejo Luisa
Published: June 2023

Italian accounting history studies have greatly contributed to the international academic debate, thanks both to their scientific quality and to the rich presence in Italy of archives and historical artifacts. This article analyses the growth of the scientific contributions of Italian scholars in international journals, providing insights into future research directions. The study adopts a bibliometric analysis based on the similarity visualisation technique. 145 articles published between 1993 and 2022 are analysed using the VOSviewer software. The findings of the study show a growing number of publications in international journals by Italian scholars, particularly from 2017 (72 articles). The findings also reveal the existence of four main thematic clusters:governmentality, accounting and accountability practices, power and accounting, and cost accounting and institutional theory. Hence, the article aims to map, systematise and deepen these contributions in such a way as to identify the most important research fields, providing insights into the most recent developments of Italian accounting history studies.
Repeat mild traumatic brain injuries (RmTBI) modify nociception and disrupt orexinergic connectivity within the descending pain pathway
Authors: Christensen Jennaya , MacPherson Naomi , Li Crystal , Yamakawa Glenn R. , Mychasiuk Richelle
Published: June 2023

Repeat mild traumatic brain injuries (RmTBI) result in substantial burden to the public health system given their association with chronic post-injury pathologies, such as chronic pain and post-traumatic headache. Although this may relate to dysfunctional descending pain modulation (DPM), it is uncertain what mechanisms drive changes within this pathway. One possibility is altered orexinergic system functioning, as orexin is a potent anti-nociceptive neuromodulator. Orexin is exclusively produced by the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and receives excitatory innervation from the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN). Therefore, we used neuronal tract-tracing to investigate the relationship between RmTBI and connectivity between lPBN and the LH, as well as orexinergic projections to a key site within the DPM, the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Prior to injury induction, retrograde and anterograde tract-tracing surgery was performed on 70 young-adult male Sprague Dawley rats, targeting the lPBN and PAG. Rodents were then randomly assigned to receive RmTBIs or sham injuries before undergoing testing for anxiety-like behaviour and nociceptive sensitivity. Immunohistochemical analysis identified distinct and co-localized orexin and tract-tracing cell bodies and projections within the LH. The RmTBI group exhibited altered nociception and reduced anxiety as well as a loss of orexin cell bodies and a reduction of hypothalamic projections to the ventrolateral nucleus of the PAG. However, there was no significant effect of injury on neuronal connectivity between the lPBN and orexinergic cell bodies within the LH. Our identification of structural losses and the resulting physiological changes in the orexinergic system following RmTBI begins to clarify acute post-injury mechanistic changes that drive may drive the development of post-traumatic headache and the chronification of pain.
Polygalacturonase gene family analysis identifies FcPG12 as a key player in fig (Ficus carica L.) fruit softening
Authors: Wang Yuan , Fan Zhiyi , Zhai Yanlei , Huang Hantang , Vainstein Alexander , Ma Huiqin
Published: June 2023

Background

The fig (Ficus carica L.) tree has high economic value. However, its fruit have a short shelf life due to rapid softening. Polygalacturonases (PGs) are essential hydrolases, responsible for the pectin degradation that plays a key role in fruit softening. However, fig PG genes and their regulators have not yet been characterized.

Results

In this study, 43 FcPGs were identified in the fig genome. They were non-uniformly distributed on 13 chromosomes, and tandem repeat PG gene clusters were found on chromosomes 4 and 5. Ka/Ks calculation and collinear analysis indicated negative selection as the main driver of FcPG family expansion. Fourteen FcPGs were found expressed in fig fruit with FPKM values > 10, of which seven were positively correlated, and three, negatively correlated with fruit softening. Eleven FcPGs were upregulated and two downregulated in response to ethephon treatment. FcPG12, a member of the tandem repeat cluster on chromosome 4, was selected for further analyses due to its sharp increment in transcript abundance during fruit softening and its response to ethephon treatment. Transient overexpression of FcPG12 led to decreased fig fruit firmness and increased PG enzyme activity in the tissue. Two ethylene response factor (ERF)-binding GCC-box sites were found on the FcPG12 promoter. Yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase assays showed that FcERF5 binds directly to the FcPG12 promoter and upregulates its expression. Transient overexpression of FcERF5 upregulated FcPG12 expression, thereby increasing PG activity and fruit softening.

Conclusions

Our study identified FcPG12 as a key PG gene in fig fruit softening, and its direct positive regulation by FcERF5. The results provide new information on the molecular regulation of fig fruit softening.
Postoperative airway morbidities in pediatric patients
Authors: Zhongpeng Sun , Dong Yang
Published: June 2023

Pediatric airway management is a huge challenge for anaesthetists, and airway-related complications should be actively addressed and focused on.
App-based interventions for the prevention of postpartum depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Miura Yumika , Ogawa Yusuke , Shibata Ayako , Kamijo Kyosuke , Joko Ken , Aoki Takuya
Published: June 2023

Background

This study explored whether psychosocial intervention applications (apps) are effective in preventing postpartum depression.

Methods

We conducted an initial article search on 26 March 2020, and the updated search on 17 March 2023 on the electronic databases of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE via Ovid, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. Furthermore, we searched the International Clinical Trials Platform Search Portal (ICTRP), and Clinical Trials.

Results

We identified 2515 references, and sixteen studies were ultimately included in this review. We conducted a meta-analysis of two studies on the onset of postpartum depression. There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.62 to 1.04; P = 0.570). We performed a meta-analysis of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The intervention group had significantly lower EPDS scores than the control group (mean difference -0.96; 95% CI -1.44 to -0.48; P < 0.001, I2 = 82%, Chi2 = 62.75, P < 0.001; high heterogeneity).

Conclusion

This study presents the results of current RCTs on interventions with apps, including an app with an automated psychosocial component for preventing postpartum depression that has been conducted. These apps improved the EPDS score; furthermore, they may prevent postpartum depression.
Sickness absence around contact with outpatient mental health care services – differences between migrants and non-migrants: a Norwegian register study
Authors: Straiton Melanie , Liefbroer Aart C. , Hollander Anna-Clara , Hauge Lars Johan
Published: June 2023

Background

Mental disorders are a leading cause of sickness absence. Some groups of migrants are at higher risk of both mental disorder and sickness absence. Yet, research on sickness absence in relation to mental disorders among migrants is limited. This study investigates differences in sickness absence in the twelve-month period around contact with outpatient mental health services between non-migrants and various migrant groups with different length of stays. It also considers whether these differences are similar for men and women.

Methods

Using linked Norwegian register data, we followed 146,785 individuals, aged 18–66 years, who had attended outpatient mental health services and who had, or had recently had, a stable workforce attachment. The number of days of sickness absence was calculated for the 12-month period surrounding contact with outpatient mental health services. We applied logistic regression and zero-truncated negative binomial regression to assess differences in any sickness absence and number of days of absence between non-migrants and migrants, including refugees and non-refugees. We included interaction terms between migrant category and sex.

Results

Refugee men and other migrant men from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) had a higher probability of any sickness absence in the period surrounding contact with outpatient mental health services than their non-migrant counterparts. Women from EEA countries with stays of less than 15 years had a lower probability than non-migrant women. Additionally, refugees, both men and women, with 6–14 years in Norway had more days of absence while EEA migrants had fewer days than their non-migrant counterparts.

Conclusions

Refugee men and other non-EEA migrant men appear to have higher sickness absence than non-migrant men around the time of contact with services. This finding does not apply to women. Several probable reasons for this are discussed, though further research is required to understand why. Targeted strategies to reduce sickness absence and support the return to work for refugees and other non-EEA migrant men are needed. Barriers to timely help-seeking should also be addressed.
Examining the factors associated with inpatients’ perception of overtreatment in Korea: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Jang Jin Su , Jung Hyun Woo
Published: June 2023

Background

Patients’ perception of receiving overtreatment can cause distrust in medical services. Unlike outpatients, inpatients are highly likely to receive many medical services without fully understanding their medical situation. This information asymmetry could prompt inpatients to perceive treatment as excessive. This study tested the hypothesis that there are systematic patterns in inpatients’ perceptions of overtreatment.

Methods

We examined determinant factors of inpatients’ perception of overtreatment in a cross-sectional design that used data from the 2017 Korean Health Panel (KHP), a nationally representative survey. For sensitivity analysis, the concept of overtreatment was analyzed by dividing it into a broad meaning (any overtreatment) and a narrow meaning (strict overtreatment). We performed chi-square for descriptive statistics, and multivariate logistic regression with sampling weights employing Andersen’s behavioral model.

Results

There were 1,742 inpatients from the KHP data set that were included in the analysis. Among them, 347 (19.9%) reported any overtreatment and 77 (4.42%) reported strict overtreatment. Furthermore, we found that the inpatient’s perception of overtreatment was associated with gender, marital status, income level, chronic disease, subjective health status, health recovery, and general tertiary hospital.

Conclusion

Medical institutions should understand factors that contribute to inpatients’ perception of overtreatment to mitigate patients’ complaints due to information asymmetry. Moreover, based on the result of this study, government agencies, such as the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, should create policy-based controls and evaluate overtreatment behavior of the medical providers and intervene in the miscommunication between patients and providers.
Better with GPs as managers? – Variation in perceptions of feedback messages, goal-clarity and performance across manager´s in Swedish primary care
Authors: Anell Anders , Glenngård Anna
Published: June 2023

Background

Primary care in several countries is developing towards team-based and multi-professional care, requiring leadership and management capabilities at the primary care practice level. This article reports findings from a study of primary care managers in Sweden, focusing variation in performance and perceptions of feedback messages and goal-clarity, depending on managers’ professional background.

Methods

The study was designed as a cross-sectional analysis of primary care practice managers’ perceptions combined with registered data on patient-reported performance. Managers perceptions was collected through a survey to all 1 327 primary care practice managers in Sweden. Data about patient-reported performance was collected from the 2021 National Patient Survey in primary care. We used bivariate (Pearson correlation) and multivariate (ordinary least square regression analysis) statistical methods to describe and analyse the possible association between managers’ background, responses to survey statements and patient-reported performance.

Results

Both GP and non-GP managers had positive perceptions of the quality and support of feedback messages from professional committees focusing medical quality indicators, although managers perceived that the feedback facilitated improvement work to a lower degree. Feedback from the regions as payers scored consistently lower in all dimensions, especially among GP-managers. Results from regression analysis indicate that GP-managers correlate with better patient-reported performance when controlling for selected primary care practice and managerial characteristics. A significant positive relationship with patient-reported performance was also found for female managers, a smaller size of the primary care practice and a good staffing situation of GPs.

Conclusions

Both GP and non-GP managers rated the quality and support of feedback messages from professional committees higher than feedback from regions as payers. Differences in perceptions were especially striking among GP-managers. Patient-reported performance was significantly better in primary care practices managed by GPs and female managers. Variables reflecting structural and organizational, rather than managerial, characteristics contributed with additional explanations behind the variation in patient-reported performance across primary care practices. As we cannot exclude reversed causality, the findings may reflect that GPs are more likely to accept being a manager of a primary care practice with favourable characteristics.
Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study
Authors: Raat Willem , Truyts Pauline , Gaillaert Justine , Van de Putte Marie , Van der Linden Lorenz , Janssens Stefan , Vaes Bert , Smeets Miek
Published: June 2023

Background

Heart failure (HF) is an important health problem and guidelines recommend multidisciplinary management. The pharmacist is an important member of the multidisciplinary heart failure team, both in the hospital and community setting. This study aims to explore the perceptions of community pharmacists on their role in HF care.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study based on face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 13 Belgian community pharmacists between September 2020 and December 2020. We used the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL) method as guidance for data analysis until data saturation was reached. We structured interview content into a thematic matrix.

Results

We identified two major themes: heart failure management and multidisciplinary management. Pharmacists feel responsible for the pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of heart failure, citing easy access and pharmacological expertise as important assets. Diagnostic uncertainty, lack of knowledge and time, disease complexity and difficulties in communication with patients and informal care providers are barriers to optimal management. General practitioners are the most important partners in multidisciplinary community heart failure management, although pharmacists perceive a lack of appreciation and cooperation and deplore communication difficulties. They feel intrinsically motivated to provide extended pharmaceutical care in HF but cite the lack of financial viability and information sharing structures as important barriers.

Conclusion

The importance of pharmacist involvement in multidisciplinary heart failure teams is undisputed by Belgian pharmacists, who cite easy access and pharmacological expertise as important assets. They point out several barriers impeding evidence-based pharmacist care for outpatients with heart failure: diagnostic uncertainty and disease complexity, lack of multidisciplinary information technology and insufficient resources. We recommend that future policy should focus on improved medical data exchanges between primary and secondary care electronic health records as well as the reinforcement of interprofessional relationships between locally affiliated pharmacists and general practitioners.
Assessment of multiple-opinion referrals and consults at the BC Children’s Hospital Allergy Clinic
Authors: Sage Adam P. , James Elliot , Burke Megan , Chan Edmond S. , Wong Tiffany
Published: June 2023

Background

Allergic disease is on the rise. Waitlists for specialists are long, and many referred patients have already received prior allergic assessment, either by a certified Allergist, Primary Care Provider, or other Specialist. It is important to understand the prevalence and motivating factors for multiple-opinion referrals, to deliver timely assessment for patients with allergic disease.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of demographic information, number of previous consultations, and motivation for new consults and multiple-opinion referrals, of pediatric patients aged 8 months–17 years to BC Children’s Hospital Allergy Clinic from September 1, 2016–August 31, 2017, was performed. Referral data including reason for referral or multiple-opinion, primary allergic concerns, and others, from referral forms and consult notes were accessed through local Electronic Medical Records and subsequently analyzed for trends in categorical variables to assess the rationale for and impact of multiple-opinion referrals to our clinic.

Results

Of 1029 new referrals received, 210 (20.4%) were multiple-opinion referrals. Food allergy was the predominant allergic concern prompting further opinion (75.7%). The main rationale for seeking further opinions was wanting an assessment by a certified allergist in cases where prior consultation was performed by non-allergist specialist, primary care provider, or alternative health care provider. Of second-opinion referrals generated, 70 (33.3%) initial consultations were performed by an Allergist, whereas 140 (66.7%) were performed by a non-allergist.

Conclusions

Many new consults at the BCCH Allergy Clinic are multiple-opinion assessments, contributing to long waitlists. Advocacy at the systems level through standardized referral guidelines, centralized triaging systems, and stronger support for Primary Care Providers is needed to provide better access in Canada for children needing a specialized Allergist.

Trial registration UBC/BCCH Research Ethics Board