bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns and predictors of serious surf-related injuries in Hawaii
Authors: Marumoto Ashley , Guzman Adam , Harris William B. , Vossler John , Johnson Sidney
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Surfing is a popular leisure activity with inherent risk of injury that many participants fail to mitigate. There is a paucity of literature reporting severe surf-related trauma and associated risk factors.

Methods

A retrospective observational study of registry data from Honolulu’s main trauma center assessing surf-related injuries and risk factors for severe injury was performed between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018.

Results

Spine (35.1%), face (17.5%), and head (12.3%) injuries were the most common injuries identified in this cohort. A number of predictors for severe injury as well as serious spine injury were identified. Major risk factors for severe injury and serious spine injury included location of injury on Maui (Severe injury: OR 6.79, 95%CI 1.43–40.35, p = 0.0217; serious spine injury: OR 7.27, 95%CI 1.39–58.24, p = 0.0308) and being from one of the 48 contiguous states (severe injury: OR 3.33, 95%CI 1.10–10.98, p = 0.0388; serious spine injury: OR 2.95, 95%CI 1.08–8.46, p = 0.0379).

Conclusion

Understanding the nature of surf-related injuries and who is at risk can help to inform safety interventions that may prevent severe, sometimes irreversible injury. Efforts should be made to increase public awareness to the potential risk of surf-related activities.
Patient experiences of rehabilitation following traumatic complex musculoskeletal injury – A mixed methods pilot study
Authors: Silvester LA , Trompeter AJ , Hing CB
Published: January 2021

Introduction

The aim of this pilot study was to measure patient reported outcomes and evaluate their rehabilitation experience following traumatic complex musculoskeletal (CMSK) injury.

Methods

A mixed methods prospective observational study was undertaken between December 2015 and March 2018 to explore patient reported outcomes following CMSK injury sustained as a result of major trauma and perception of their rehabilitation and its impact on their recovery. The participants were asked to complete a series of outcome measures at 18-months post-injury. The data was anonymised and analysed by the lead researcher.

Results

Thirty patients were recruited into the study (19 males, 11 females) between 23 and 76 years of age (median 52 years). Their injury profile was split between open fractures 30%, pelvic fractures 23%, multiple fractures 27% and polytrauma 20%. The majority (60%) reported moderate disability at 18-months post injury with 50% returning to full time employment. Patients with multiple or open fractures reported the worst outcomes. There was no relationship between frequency, quantity or duration of physiotherapy and outcome. However, 77% reported supplementing their NHS rehabilitation with other interventions such as gym membership, hydrotherapy and psychological therapies. The thematic analysis showed that patients considered intensity, quality and coordinated timely access to rehabilitation as the most important factors.

Conclusion

From a patient perspective, the current NHS rehabilitation provision does not appear to meet their complex needs. In addition to physical and vocational rehabilitation, patients wanted effective pain management and psychological support. Strengthening current therapy services and involving other sectors (e.g. Citizen’s Advice) could help achieve this. Early access to an intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme was perceived to have positive benefits and improve outcomes.
Woman, time and the incommunicability of non-Western worlds: understanding the role of gender in the colonial denial of coevalness
Authors: Coetzee Azille
Published: January 2021

Central to the functioning of colonialism and coloniality is a specific construction of time, in terms of which the spatial ordering of the world also translates into a temporal ordering. Anthropologist Johannes Fabian argues that there is a specific rhetorical device at work here, namely the ‘denial of coevalness’, which is a colonial distancing strategy through which other worlds are robbed of validity on account of not existing within the same time as the West. In this article, I aim to add to analyses of scholars like Fabian, Chakrabarty and Mignolo by arguing that this colonial temporal ordering, which persists today, is also thoroughly gendered. As a point of departure I use Walter Mignolo’s idea that the denial of coevalness relies on two distinctions, namely nature versus culture, and tradition versus modernity. I argue that the discursive construction of nature (as opposed to culture) and tradition (as opposed to modernity) centres on gendered assumptions and an obsession with control over women’s bodies. In the course of making this argument, I also point out the overlaps, as well as key differences, between woman’s exclusion from Western linear time, on the one hand, and the temporal distancing of the colonised, on the other. In particular, I show how Western linear chronology positions Western women and previously colonised women in vastly different ways. I argue that if one considers the extent to which the denial of coevalness relies on colonial gender discourses, the erasure of indigenous sexuate knowledges that contradict the colonial gender discourses is not one erasure among many, but one of the key erasures that colonial temporality hinges on. A crucial implication of my analysis is that the process of undoing, deconstructing or dismantling the colonial denial of coevalness is also inherently a feminist project.
Child Marriage as a ‘Solution’ to Modern Youth in Bali
Authors: Horii Hoko
Published: January 2021

The current international approach to child marriage is the complete prohibition of marriage under the age of 18. Child marriage is considered a problem internationally, and those who practice it tend to be viewed as ‘traditional’, that is, insufficiently modern. This article aims to challenge this viewpoint, by discussing data that show that these young people use under-age marriage as a solution to navigate the modern world in which they live. As child marriage is rather a symptom of unplanned pregnancy outside of wedlock, the policies and programs should be redirected to address this root cause.
Experimental investigation of the effect of temperature on ignition of modified kerosene
Authors: Justin Sundararaj Aldin , Guna K R , William Matthew
Published: January 2021

Kerosene based hydrocarbon fuels are preferred candidates for the source of energy due to its stable properties. Based on the requirement of the combustor and the growing concern over pollutant, kerosene based fuels are modified. The fuel under investigation is a modified form of kerosene with ultra-low sulphur content. The effect of temperature on modified kerosene is studied for viscosity, surface tension, specific heat, density and ignition delay. The time delay for ignition of gas-phase mixtures of modified kerosene/oxygen have been measured using a shock tube facility. The experiments are conducted in the temperature range of 1200–1877 K, pressure range of 4–12 atm and equivalence ratio of Ø = 1.5, 1 and 0.5. The ignition delay time measurements were carried out using piezoelectric pressure transducers, which records the pressure rise due to ignition and simultaneously recording the light emission during the process of ignition using a photodiode. The ignition delay is represented as τign = 0.168841 × P−1.49 × Ø0.72 × e(14310/T)
Vibration analysis and combustion parameter evaluation of CI engine based on Fourier Decomposition Method
Authors: Yang Wang , Yong Cheng
Published: January 2021

As a non-intrusive method for engine working condition detection, the engine surface vibration contains rich information about the combustion process and has great potential for the closed-loop control of engines. However, the measured engine surface vibration signals are usually induced by combustion as well as non-combustion excitations and are difficult to be utilized directly. To evaluate some combustion parameters from engine surface vibration, the tests were carried out on a single-cylinder diesel engine and a new method called Fourier Decomposition Method (FDM) was used to extract combustion induced vibration. Simulated and test results verified the ability of the FDM for engine vibration analysis. Based on the extracted vibration signals, the methods for identifying start of combustion, location of maximum pressure rise rate, and location of peak pressure were proposed. The cycle-by-cycle analysis of the results show that the parameters identified based on vibration and in-cylinder pressure have the similar trends, and it suggests that the proposed FDM-based methods can be used for extracting combustion induced vibrations and identifying the combustion parameters.
When is the “Racist” Designation Truly Applicable? News Media’s Contribution to the Debatability of Racism
Authors: Brown Danielle K.
Published: January 2021

Since the U.S. 2016 presidential election, journalists and news organizations have been forced to confront shifting racial, social and political climates, and re-evaluate practices and norms. However, news coverage of racism is complex, especially because the conceptualization of racism in society is discordant, and the parameters of racism are heavily debated. News coverage can contribute to this debatability, specifically when it presents issues of racism with certain linguistic and topical features. In a content analysis of social media posts from six of the Facebook pages maintained by national broadcast and newspaper organizations, the present study explores contextual and linguistic representations of racism, and how social media users on Facebook engage with news posted by these organizations. Results suggest representations in news coverage signal a public debate about what is and is not racism. Coverage heavily emphasized prominent figures, while social media audiences amplified Trump’s presence in social networks.
Shifting Formations, Formative Infrastructures: Nationalisms and Racisms in Media Circulation
Authors: Titley Gavan , Nikunen Kaarina , Pantti Mervi
Published: January 2021

This introduction to the special issue departs from elaborating on the issues explored in a project examining right-wing politics and “debates” about racism in Finland. It situates the research gathered in the collection in terms of a shared focus on the disparate networks of organised and opportunistic cultural producers that invest time and labour in the production of racialising and othering discourse and aesthetics, and on the modes and forms of cultural and media production that have, in a relatively short space of time, come to be distributed and adapted across divergent socio-political contexts, and integrated to the situated forms of racism and nationalism given exclusionary force across and within them. It underlines the need to understand the motivated circulation of racializing discourse in the wider context of forms of “postracialism,” and the need for research to move past the paradigm of “hate speech” to get to grips with the significance and impacts of intensively circulated racist “noise.”
What Is the Best Option for Treating Venous Leg Ulcer Infection? Is It Systemic or Local Antimicrobials or a Combination of Both? A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Abdulhamid Ahmed Kamel , Khalaf Rusul Jasim , Sarker Shah-Jalal
Published: January 2021

Study aimed to find out best option (systemic or local antimicrobial or combination of both) for treating venous leg ulcer infection. Patients’ files were reviewed retrospectively. Participants were divided into three groups. First group was treated by systemic antibiotics only (SABG). Second group received local antibiotics only (LABG). Third group was treated by combination of both (SLABG). Treatment strategies were compared based on multiple parameters using Pearson chi-squared test & relative risk (RR). 456 participants identified: 153 in SABG, 152 in LABG and 151 in SLABG. It was found that SLABG group was statistically significantly better than other single treatment strategies regarding all parameters (except bacterial resistance): (i) ulcer healing within usual duration (10-14 days) was 2.4 time higher (RR 2.4, 95% CI: 1.84, 3.12), (ii) probability of not recurring ulcer was 2.6 time higher (iii) probability of not getting increased wound size, abscess,cellulites was 5 times higher (iv) probability of not developing septicemia was 40% higher (v) probability of not requiring surgical intervention was 30% higher (vi) fewer patients needed prolonged hospitalization & lower cost was 8 times more likely (vii) patients were 3 times more satisfied during treatment .Probability of bacterial resistance was six times higher with SLABG and 5 times higher with SABG compared to LABG. For RR & CI values for all above parameters, see results below Ultimately, combination of both systemic and local antimicrobials may be best option to treat venous leg ulcer infection with out- weight with emergence of antibiotic-resistance microorganism.
Eminent Domain and Expropriation Laws: A Century of Urban and Regional Planning in Mexico
Authors: Peña Sergio
Published: January 2021

This article analyzes two aspects of Mexican law that are relevant for planning practice in the country—eminent domain and expropriation. This article shows that the transition in Mexico from a semi-authoritarian to a democratic electoral political system brought not only substantial variability in the application of laws across states but also in planning practice. Democracy has generated a national debate about property rights issues and has reshaped the State–citizen relationship.
Actor–critic-based decision-making method for the artificial intelligence commander in tactical wargames
Authors: Zhang Junfeng , Xue Qing
Published: January 2021

In a tactical wargame, the decisions of the artificial intelligence (AI) commander are critical to the final combat result. Due to the existence of fog-of-war, AI commanders are faced with unknown and invisible information on the battlefield and lack of understanding of the situation, and it is difficult to make appropriate tactical strategies. The traditional knowledge rule-based decision-making method lacks flexibility and autonomy. How to make flexible and autonomous decision-making when facing complex battlefield situations is a difficult problem. This paper aims to solve the decision-making problem of the AI commander by using the deep reinforcement learning (DRL) method. We develop a tactical wargame as the research environment, which contains built-in script AI and supports the machine–machine combat mode. On this basis, an end-to-end actor–critic framework for commander decision making based on the convolutional neural network is designed to represent the battlefield situation and the reinforcement learning method is used to try different tactical strategies. Finally, we carry out a combat experiment between a DRL-based agent and a rule-based agent in a jungle terrain scenario. The result shows that the AI commander who adopts the actor–critic method successfully learns how to get a higher score in the tactical wargame, and the DRL-based agent has a higher winning ratio than the rule-based agent.
Amplatzer Vascular Plug for Complicated Residual DeBakey Type 1 Aortic Dissection in the Aortic Arch
Authors: Ikeda Shinichiro , Shih Michael , Rhee Robert Y. , Youdelman Benjamin A.
Published: January 2021

Surgical treatment of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection does not address the entire aorta, which can leave anatomically complex residual aortic dissection in the aortic arch and descending aorta. Open repair has been the standard treatment for this pathology. When the lesions are located in the aortic arch, re-do total arch replacement needs to be performed. Plug placement to close small entry tears in the aortic arch has been reported. This article reports about a 79-year-old man who underwent hemiarch replacement for acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection. One year later, his proximal descending aorta dilated to 6.3 cm. The patient was treated with Amplatzer plug in the false lumen, and a stent graft was placed in the true lumen. Follow-up computed tomography scan confirmed complete thrombosis of the false lumen in the descending aorta which had decreased from 6.3 to 4.0 cm. Plug placement in the false lumen in the aortic arch is a potential treatment strategy for anatomically complex residual aortic dissection to induce thrombosis of the false lumen and encourage remodeling.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement via the Right Subclavian Artery Approach: A Case Series
Authors: Pisaniello Anthony D. , Fraser Douglas G. W. , Colville Helen , Hasan Ragheb
Published: January 2021

The right subclavian artery (RSA) approach is an infrequently used alternative-access method for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which may be considered when transfemoral and left subclavian artery (LSA) access routes are contraindicated. The double arterial bend encountered along the course of the RSA to the aortic root makes advancement of the TAVR delivery system more challenging, but can be overcome using a steerable delivery system over an ultra-stiff guidewire. We report 5 cases from our institution of TAVRs performed via the RSA approach in patients with severe aortic stenosis that were unsuitable for transfemoral or LSA access. The procedures were performed under general anesthesia, using a 5-cm infraclavicular incision. In each case, an Edwards Commander Delivery System was advanced through an eSheath over an Innowi guidewire, and an Edwards SAPIEN 3 valve was successfully deployed. The mean fluoroscopy time was 19.5 ± 3.8 minutes. No aortic regurgitation (AR) was present postprocedure for 4 out of 5 cases, and 1 had mild to moderate AR. The length of hospital stay was 2 to 3 days for 4 patients. All patients had an excellent outcome at 12 months post-procedure. The RSA approach is a safe and feasible access method for TAVR, and we recommend that it be considered as the next best access method if transfemoral and LSA approaches are unsuitable.
Hybrid Double Valve Replacement for Multivalvular Disease With Severe Mitral Annular Calcification
Authors: Alukayli Mahmoud , Fujii Satoru , Gelinas Jill , Harle Chris , Bagur Rodrigo , Chu Michael W. A.
Published: January 2021

Severe mitral annular calcification poses a significant challenge, particularly in higher risk, frail, elderly patients with multivalvular disease. Both surgical and transcatheter options exist but remain fraught with risks of paravalvular leak, atrioventricular groove disruption, patient prosthesis mismatch, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. We present an innovative hybrid surgical approach to manage severe aortic and mitral valve disease in a Jehovah’s Witness patient with severe circumferential mitral annular calcification.
Atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon versus drug-coated balloon only for treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Feng , Wang Haoran , Ding Wenjie , Chen Gan , Zhang Zhigong
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To compare the safety and efficiency of atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon with drug-coated balloon only for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions.

Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed and reported following the requirement of the PRISMA. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane library were queried from January 2000 to June 2020 to identify eligible literature. The modified Downs and Black checklist was used to assess the quality of included studies. Outcome measures included bail-out stenting, distal embolization, perforation, hematoma, primary patency at 12 months, target lesion revascularization at 12 months, leg amputation at 12 months, and mortality at 12 months. We used DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model to pool the dichotomous data on risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from each study to obtain an overall estimate for major outcomes. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Results

Six studies (two randomized controlled trials and four retrospective cohort studies) with 470 patients were included. Atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon group was associated with lower rates of bail-out stenting (RR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.34–0.71, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of distal embolization (RR: 2.06, 95%CI: 0.51–8.38, P = 0.31), perforation (RR: 2.04, 95%CI: 0.43–9.71, P = 0.37), hematoma (RR: 1.75, 95%CI: 0.43–7.09, P = 0.43), primary patency at 12 months (1.09, 95%CI: 0.98–1.21, P = 0.12), target lesion revascularization at 12 months (RR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.41–1.14, P = 0.15), leg amputations at 12 months (RR: 0.54, 95%CI: 0.13–2.23, P = 0.39), mortality at 12 months (RR: 2.18, 95%CI: 0.71–6.64, P = 0.17). Sensitivity analysis had no effect on our findings.

Conclusions

The combination of atherectomy and drug-coated balloon was safe and effective in the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions, with lower incidence of bail-out stenting compared with drug-coated balloon only.
Blinding, sham, and treatment effects in randomized controlled trials for back pain in 2000–2019: A review and meta-analytic approach
Authors: Freed Brian , Williams Brian , Situ Xiaolu , Landsman Victoria , Kim Jeehyoung , Moroz Alex , Bang Heejung , Park Jongbae J
Published: January 2021

Background:

Blinding aims to minimize biases from what participants and investigators know or believe. Randomized controlled trials, despite being the gold standard to evaluate treatment effect, do not generally assess the success of blinding. We investigated the extent of blinding in back pain trials and the associations between participant guesses and treatment effects.

Methods:

We did a review with PubMed/OvidMedline, 2000–2019. Eligibility criteria were back pain trials with data available on treatment effect and participants’ guess of treatment. For blinding, blinding index was used as chance-corrected measure of excessive correct guess (0 for random guess). For treatment effects, within- or between-arm effect sizes were used. Analyses of investigators’ guess/blinding or by treatment modality were performed exploratorily.

Results:

Forty trials (3899 participants) were included. Active and sham treatment groups had mean blinding index of 0.26 (95% confidence interval: 0.12, 0.41) and 0.01 (−0.11, 0.14), respectively, meaning 26% of participants in active treatment believed they received active treatment, whereas only 1% in sham believed they received sham treatment, beyond chance, that is, random guess. A greater belief of receiving active treatment was associated with a larger within-arm effect size in both arms, and ideal blinding (namely, “random guess,” and “wishful thinking” that signifies both groups believing they received active treatment) showed smaller effect sizes, with correlation of effect size and summary blinding indexes of 0.35 ( p = 0.028) for between-arm comparison. We observed uniformly large sham treatment effects for all modalities, and larger correlation for investigator’s (un)blinding, 0.53 ( p = 0.046).

Conclusion:

Participants in active treatments in back pain trials guessed treatment identity more correctly, while those in sham treatments tended to display successful blinding. Excessive correct guesses (that could reflect weaker blinding and/or noticeable effects) by participants and investigators demonstrated larger effect sizes. Blinding and sham treatment effects on back pain need due consideration in individual trials and meta-analyses.
Matchplay characteristics and performance indicators of male junior and entry professional tennis players
Authors: Filipcic Ales , Leskosek Bojan , Crespo Miguel , Filipcic Tjasa
Published: January 2021

Performance analysis during match play is vital for the long-term development of tennis players. The primary goal of this study was to establish the differences between junior and entry professional tennis player's selected performance indicators in five-game situations. Data were collected using the Sagit/Tennis tracking system during six junior and four professional tennis matches. Eight boys performed 3,112 strokes, while eight male professional players hit 1,631 strokes. The results showed slight differences in the distance covered by the two observed groups in the specific game situations. Professional players performed faster shots in all game situations, except when playing at the net. They played at a significantly faster tempo than the juniors. This difference was also affected by the higher shots speed and shorter distance between the two players during the rallies. When playing from the baseline, the entry professional players performed shots at a smaller angle than the juniors; and when serving, receiving and playing at the net, they hit shots at a greater angle than the juniors. Our findings may assist coaches and players in improving the effectiveness of their tactical and technical training to enhance their competitive performance.
What male coaches want to know about the menstrual cycle in women’s team sports: Performance, health, and communication
Authors: Clarke Anthea , Govus Andrew , Donaldson Alex
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to identify what male coaches of elite female team sport athletes want to know about the menstrual cycle and its influence on athlete health and performance. Using a mixed-methods concept mapping approach, 18 male coaches of Australian female elite football-codes brainstormed what they wanted to know about the menstrual cycle to work more effectively with female athletes. Ideas were sorted into groups of similar ideas and rated for importance and influence. Thirty-eight unique statements emerged from the brainstorming. These were organised into five clusters/topics following multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis: 1) How does training need to be managed; 2) How is physical performance impacted; 3) What are the medical and dietary considerations; 4) When and how should we communicate with athletes; and 5) How are athletes affected psychologically and emotionally. These findings highlight the need for a comprehensive education framework to improve the knowledge of and practices related to the menstrual cycle. This education should 1) facilitate better recognition and referral of female athletes regarding menstrual cycle dysfunction and related health concerns; 2) encourage collaboration between athletes, coaches, and medical and dietary professionals; and 3) promote effective communication between athletes and coaches about the menstrual cycle.
“I think it is [the] mother who keeps things going”: The gendered division of labor in the transmission of memory of the Armenian Genocide
Authors: Muti Öndercan , Gürpınar Öykü
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we discuss what role gender plays in remembering, transmitting, and reframing memories of the Armenian Genocide in order to address the question of how young Armenian women negotiate their roles in this process. Centering the societal roles of memory transmission, we employ the specific sociological lens of gender to analyze 26 interviews conducted in Beirut during the week of the official commemorations of the Armenian Genocide in 2016. We define gender as the social construction of a stylized repetition of acts that reflect power relations. Accordingly, the examination of these power relations is necessary not only to understand the experiences and testimonies of men and women, but also the transmission of memory. While understanding Armenian youth as agents of the collective memory, gender allows us to discuss different patterns of remembrance and transmission. We therefore argue that gender influences how individuals remember the Armenian Genocide, as it underpins the (historically) assigned roles of memory and transmission.
Bioequivalence of intramuscular and subcutaneous peginterferon beta-1a: results of a phase I, open-label crossover study in healthy volunteers
Authors: Zhao Yuan , Chen Kun , Ramia Nancy , Sahu Sangeeta , Kumar Achint , Naylor Maria L. , Zhu Li , Naik Himanshu , Butts Cherié L.
Published: January 2021

Background:

Peginterferon beta-1a administered every 2 weeks via subcutaneous (SC) injection is approved to treat adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). However, associated injection site reactions (ISRs) can lead to treatment discontinuation. Prior studies with interferon beta-1a reported a lower frequency of ISRs with intramuscular (IM) administration than with SC administration. IM administration of peginterferon beta-1a may therefore represent a useful alternative treatment option.

Methods:

A phase I, open-label, two-period crossover study randomized healthy volunteers to receive a single dose of peginterferon beta-1a 125 mcg administered IM followed by a single 125 mcg dose administered SC after a 28-day washout or vice versa. Blood samples were collected up to 504 h post dose to determine pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profiles. The primary endpoint was assessment of bioequivalence based on maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve from time zero extrapolated to infinity (AUCinf). Other PK parameters, as well as PD (serum neopterin) and safety profiles, were also evaluated.

Results:

The study enrolled 136 participants. Bioequivalence of IM and SC peginterferon beta-1a was established for both Cmax ([least squares (LS)] mean IM/SC ratio: 1.083 [90% confidence interval (CI), 0.975–1.203]) and AUCinf (LS mean IM/SC ratio: 1.089 [90% CI, 1.020–1.162]). Other PK and PD parameters were similar between administration routes, although moderate to high inter-subject variability was observed for IM and SC. Safety profiles were generally balanced between IM and SC administration. ISRs occurred at a lower frequency with IM [14.4% (95% CI, 8.89–21.56%)] than with SC [32.1% (95% CI, 24.29–40.70%)] administration ( p = 0.0005).

Conclusions:

These results demonstrate bioequivalence between peginterferon beta-1a IM and SC and support the consideration of IM injection of peginterferon beta-1a as a viable treatment option in patients with RRMS and RMS.
Comparison of laparoscopic and hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy for inflammatory renal disease: which is the preferred approach?
Authors: Guo Xudong , Wang Hanbo , Xiang Yuzhu , Jin Xunbo , Jiang Shaobo
Published: January 2021

Aims:

Management of inflammatory renal disease (IRD) can still be technically challenging for laparoscopic procedures. The aim of the present study was to compare the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic and hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy in patients with IRD.

Patients and methods:

We retrospectively analyzed the data of 107 patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy (LN) and hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy (HALN) for IRD from January 2008 to March 2020, including pyonephrosis, renal tuberculosis, hydronephrosis, and xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Patient demographics, operative outcomes, and postoperative recovery and complications were compared between the LN and HALN groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent predictors of adverse outcomes.

Results:

Fifty-five subjects in the LN group and 52 subjects in the HALN group were enrolled in this study. In the LN group, laparoscopic nephrectomy was successfully performed in 50 patients (90.9%), while four (7.3%) patients were converted to HALN and one (1.8%) case was converted to open procedure. In HALN group, operations were completed in 51 (98.1%) patients and conversion to open surgery was necessary in one patient (1.9%). The LN group had a shorter median incision length (5 cm versus 7 cm, p < 0.01) but a longer median operative duration (140 min versus 105 min, p < 0.01) than the HALN group. There was no significant difference in blood loss, intraoperative complication rate, postoperative complication rate, recovery of bowel function, and hospital stay between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that severe perinephric adhesions was an independent predictor of adverse outcomes.

Conclusion:

Both LN and HALN appear to be safe and feasible for IRD. As a still minimally invasive approach, HALN provided an alternative to IRD or when conversion was needed in LN.
A registry study on radial head arthroplasties in the Netherlands: Indications, types and short-term survival
Authors: Macken Arno A , Prkić Ante , Koenraadt Koen LM , van Oost Iris , Spekenbrink-Spooren Anneke , The Bertram , Eygendaal Denise
Published: January 2021

Background

This study aims to use the Dutch Arthroplasty Register data to report an overview of the contemporary indications and implant designs, and report the short-term survival of radial head arthroplasty.

Methods

From the Dutch Arthroplasty Register, data on patient demographics, surgery and revision were extracted for radial head arthroplasties performed from January 2014 to December 2019. Implant survival was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

Two hundred fifty-eight arthroplasties were included with a median follow-up of 2.2 years. The most common indication was a fracture of the radial head (178, 69%). One hundred thirty-nine (68%) of the prostheses were of bipolar design, and the most commonly used implant type was the Radial Head System (Tornier; 134, 51%). Of the 258 included radial head arthroplasties, 16 were revised at a median of six months after surgery. Reason for revision was predominantly aseptic loosening (9). The overall implant survival was 95.8% after one year, 90.5% after three years and 89.5% after five years.

Discussion

For radial head arthroplasties, acute trauma is the most common indication and Radial Head System the most commonly used implant. The implant survival is 89.5% after five years.
The association of comorbidities with administration of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III colon cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Boakye Daniel , Nagrini Rajini , Ahrens Wolfgang , Haug Ulrike , Günther Kathrin
Published: January 2021

Background:

Chemotherapy is an established treatment for stage III colon cancer cases. Older age is known to be associated with less chemotherapy use in these patients, but there might be other relevant factors besides age that influence treatment administration. We summarized evidence on associations between comorbidity and adjuvant chemotherapy administration in stage III colon cancer patients in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

We searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases up to 2 June 2020 for studies on comorbidities and chemotherapy use in patients with stage III colon cancer. Summary odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses according to year of colon cancer diagnosis, timing of comorbidity assessment, and geographical region were also conducted.

Results:

Thirty-three studies were included in this review, including 219,406 stage III colon cancer patients overall. Chemotherapy administration was 60.9% (95% CI: 56.9% to 64.9%), increasing from 57.1% before 2001 to 66.3% after 2010. There were inverse associations between comorbidities and chemotherapy administration. Compared with patients with Charlson comorbidity score 0, those with scores 1 (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.72–0.87) and 2+ (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.42–0.56) received chemotherapy less often. Among comorbidities, the strongest predictors of chemotherapy non-use were dementia (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.33–0.54), followed by heart failure (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.28–0.70) and stroke (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.38–0.81).

Conclusions:

Merely 60% of stage III colon cancer patients receive chemotherapy. Comorbidities are strong predictors of chemotherapy non-use, but the association differs by comorbid condition and is strongest with dementia. Given the survival disadvantage of colon cancer patients with comorbidities, further evidence on the risk–benefit ratio of chemotherapy according to the type and severity of comorbidity and on the extent to which the survival disadvantage of comorbidity is explained by less use or lower tolerability of chemotherapy is needed to foster personalized medical care in these patients.
Evaluating the Role of Anesthesia on Intraoperative Blood Loss and Visibility during Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Moffatt David C. , McQuitty Robert A. , Wright Alex E. , Kamucheka Tawanda S. , Haider Ali L. , Chaaban Mohamad R.
Published: January 2021

Background

Previous studies and meta analyses have led to incongruent and incomplete results respectively when total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and inhalational anesthesia (IA) are compared in endoscopic sinus surgeries in regards to intraoperative bleeding and visibility.

Objective

To perform a more comprehensive meta-analysis on randomized controlled trial (RCTs) comparing TIVA with IA in endoscopic sinus surgery to evaluate their effects on intraoperative bleeding and visibility.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing TIVA and IA in endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis was completed in May 2020. Utilizing databases, articles were systematically screened for analysis and 19 studies met our inclusion criteria. The primary outcome included intraoperative visibility scores combining Boezaart, Wormald and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included rate of blood loss (mL/kg/min), estimated total blood loss (mL), Boezaart, Wormald scores, VAS, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure (MAP).

Results

19 RCTs with 1,010 patients were analyzed. TIVA had a significantly lower intraoperative bleeding score indicating better endoscopic visibility (Boezaart, VAS, and Wormald) than IA (−0.514, p = 0.020). IA had a significantly higher average rate of blood loss than TIVA by 0.563 mL/kg/min (p = 0.016). Estimated total blood loss was significantly lower in TIVA than IA (−0.853 mL, p = 0.002). There were no significant differences between TIVA and IA in the mean heart rate (−0.225, p = 0.63) and MAP values (−0.126, p = 0.634). The subgroup analyses revealed no significant difference between TIVA and IA when remifentanil was not utilized and whenever desflurane was the IA agent.

Conclusion

TIVA seemed to have superior intraoperative visibility scores and blood loss during endoscopic sinus surgery when compared to IA. However, the results are not consistent when stratifying the results based on the use of remifentanil and different inhaled anesthetics. Therefore, the conclusion cannot be made that one approach is superior to the other.
Multilevel analysis of anemia levels among reproductive age groups of women in Ethiopia
Authors: Assefa Enyew
Published: January 2021

Introduction:

Anemia is a condition in which the hemoglobin concentration falls below 11 g/dL. It impairs health and well-being in women and increases the risk of maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. The availability of local information on the magnitude and associated factors has a major role in the management and control of anemia in women contributing to reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality.

Methods:

The purpose of this study was to see regional impacts and influencing factors related to the anemia among women in Ethiopia using the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data. The anemia level among women aged 15–49 years ( n = 5133) using the multilevel ordinal logistic regression model was analyzed.

Results:

In the study, 37.4% of women in Ethiopia had no anemia, above one-third percent (34.4%) of women had moderate anemia, and approximately 4% women’s anemia level was severe. The 27.1% of variation of anemia was due to between-region variations. The odds of being normal weight in the greater category of anemia level were 0.59 times less likely as compared to underweight women. The higher levels of anemia were increased by 2.31 for pregnant women as compared to non-pregnant women. Having work being in greater anemia levels was 0.88 times less likely as compared to had no work. Older women (35–49 years) in higher anemia levels were 2.1 times more likely as compared to younger women. The women living in the rural area being in the greater category anemia levels were 1.53 times more likely as compared to women living in the urban area. The higher level of anemia in the rich quintile was 0.72 times less likely to the higher level of anemia as compared in the poor quintile women.

Conclusion:

Pregnant women in Ethiopia are more exposed for the higher anemia level and women live in rural area have the greater anemia level.
Being There Live: An Ethnographic Approach for Studying Social Media Use in Mediatized Live Events
Authors: Hammelburg Esther
Published: January 2021

While live event experiences have become increasingly mediatized, the prevalence of ephemeral content and diverse forms of (semi)private communication in social media platforms have complicated the study of these mediatized experiences as an outsider. This article proposes an ethnographic approach to studying mediatized event experiences from the inside, carrying out participatory fieldwork in online and offline festival environments. I argue that this approach both stimulates ethical research behavior and provides unique insights into mediatized practices. To develop this argument, I apply the proposed methodology to examine how festival-goers perceive differences between public and private, permanent and ephemeral when sharing their live event experiences through social media platforms. Drawing on a substantial dataset containing online and offline participant observations, media diaries, and (short in situ and longer in-depth) interviews with 379 event-goers, this article demonstrates the value of an ethnographic approach for creating thick descriptions of mediatized behavior in digital platforms.
From “Networked Publics” to “Refracted Publics”: A Companion Framework for Researching “Below the Radar” Studies
Authors: Abidin Crystal
Published: January 2021

Reflecting on a decade (2009–2020) of research on influencer cultures in Singapore, the Asia Pacific, and beyond, this article considers the potential of “below the radar” studies for understanding the fast evolving and growing potentials of subversive, risky, and hidden practices on social media. The article updates technology and social media scholar danah boyd’s foundational work on “networked publics” to offer the framework of “refracted publics.” While “networked publics” arose from media and communication studies of social network sites during the decade of the 2000s, focused on platforms, infrastructure, and affordances, “refracted publics” is birthed from anthropological and sociological studies of internet user cultures during the decade of the 2010s, focused on agentic and circumventive adaptations of what platforms offer them. “Refracted publics” are a product of the landscape of platform data leaks, political protests, fake news, and (most recently) COVID-19, and are creative vernacular strategies to accommodate for perpetual content saturation, hyper-competitive attention economies, gamified and datafied metric cultures, and information distrust. The key conditions (transience, discoverability, decodability, and silosociality) and dynamics (impactful audiences, weaponized contexts, and alternating publics and privates) of “refracted publics” allow cultures, communities, and contents to avoid being registered on a radar, register in misplaced pockets while appearing on the radar, or register on the radar but parsed as something else altogether. They are the strategies of private groups, locked platforms, or ephemeral contents that will continue to thrive alongside the internet for decades to come.
Disinformation and the Structural Transformations of the Public Arena: Addressing the Actual Challenges to Democracy
Authors: Jungherr Andreas , Schroeder Ralph
Published: January 2021

Current debate is dominated by fears of the threats of digital technology for democracy. One typical example is the perceived threats of malicious actors promoting disinformation through digital channels to sow confusion and exacerbate political divisions. The prominence of the threat of digital disinformation in the public imagination, however, is not supported by empirical findings which instead indicate that disinformation is a limited problem with limited reach among the public. Its prominence in public discourse is instead best understood as a “moral panic.” In this article, we argue that we should shift attention from these evocative but empirically marginal phenomena of deviance connected with digital media toward the structural transformations that give rise to these fears, namely those that have impacted information flows and attention allocation in the public arena. This account centers on structural transformations of the public arena and associated new challenges, especially in relation to gatekeepers, old and new. How the public arena serves actually existing democracy will not be addressed by focusing on disinformation, but rather by addressing structural transformations and the new challenges that arise from these.
The Assessment of School Counseling Competencies as a Tool to Support School Counseling Students, Supervisors, and Training Programs
Authors: Lambie Glenn W. , Stickl Haugen Jaimie
Published: January 2021

The Assessment of School Counseling Competencies (ASCC) is a measure designed to assess school counseling trainees’ student learning outcomes in four domains: (a) school counseling program development; (b) academic, career, and social/emotional student services; (c) evaluation and assessment; and (d) professional dispositions and behaviors. The ASCC aligns with standards from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs and the American School Counselor Association, supporting sound evaluation processes and continuous programmatic improvement. This article (a) reviews the developmental needs of school counselors in training and the importance of sound evaluation measures; (b) introduces the ASCC as a tool to promote the development of reflective, ethical, and effective school counseling professionals; and (c) offers implications of the ASCC for quality program evaluation and research.
Board Structure and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence From Developing Economy
Authors: Nwude E. Chuke , Nwude Comfort Amaka
Published: January 2021

This article undertakes an empirical investigation on how firm board characteristics relate with corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) in the banking industry of developing economies with a particular interest in Nigeria. The study focuses on a sample of 11 out of the 13 Nigerian listed national commercial banks which provide similar services and are subject to the same regulations and disclosure requirements by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2007 to 2018. Multiple regression analysis was employed on panel data obtained from the banks’ audited financial statements. The findings show that board with large number of persons, low proportion of persons operating outside the bank operations, and higher percentage of feminine directors on the board support higher level of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The results of large number of persons on board and better proportion of feminine administrators support the resource dependency theory and agency theory which offer the broad theoretical underpinnings for this study. The low percentage of nonexecutive administrators negates stand of bank regulators. This implies that banks with an oversized board size, gender diversity, and less board independence are seemingly favorably disposed to improve on CSR.