bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of deviations in the nose and chin prominence on facial attractiveness
Authors: Rezaei Navid , Abbasi Hoshyar , Khaksar Ali , Golshah Amin
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To assess the effects of deviations in the nose and chin prominence on facial attractiveness.

Methods:

In this study, a reference digital photograph was taken from the facial profile view of an adult female model. Some changes were made in the nose and chin prominence in Photoshop software using the Crumley’s analysis. Changes made in the nose prominence yielded a prominent nose (2:11 ratio), a normal nose (3:53 ratio) and a small nose (4:61 ratio). Changes made in the chin prominence were protrusion by +2 and 0 mm and retrusion by −2, −4 and −6 mm (distance from the pogonion to the vertical reference line). In total, 18 orthodontists, 18 oral and maxillofacial surgeons, 18 art students and 18 laypeople evaluated the photographs (n = 15) and expressed their opinion regarding the facial profile attractiveness using a visual analogue scale (0−100). Data were analysed using SPSS version 18.

Results:

A significant difference was noted in the ratings of photographs (Greenhouse-Geisser, P < 0.001). Orthodontists gave a significantly higher score than laypeople to photographs with a small nose and deviations of the chin prominence ( P = 0.015). Art students gave a significantly higher score than laypeople to photographs with a prominent chin and deviations in the nose prominence ( P = 0.012).

Conclusions:

Facial profile with a normal (3:53 ratio) or small (4:61 ratio) nose and chin protrusion/retrusion by 2 mm (pogonion-vertical line) is considered attractive.
Adherence to RCS recommendations for extraction of first permanent molars in a teaching hospital: To compensate or not to compensate?
Authors: Lee Jed , Johnson Joanna , Bister Dirk , Chaudhary Mohsin , Khoshkhounejad Golfam
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To observe whether paediatric dentists and orthodontists balance and compensate the extraction of first permanent molars (FPMs) in children aged 7–11 years.

Design:

Service evaluation.

Setting:

UK dental teaching hospital.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of FPM extraction patterns in patients aged 7–11 years that attended for extraction of FPMs from 1 January 2019 to 31 January 2020 (13-month period).

Results:

A total of 194 patients were included and they collectively had 435 FPMs extracted. No balancing extractions to prevent dental centreline shifts and no lower FPM compensatory extractions were performed. Compensatory extraction of good prognosis upper FPMs were performed in 64% (94/146) of cases to avoid overeruption. Orthodontic input was sought for poor prognosis lower FPMs in 76% of cases compared to 51% for poor prognosis upper FPMs.

Conclusion:

Compensatory extraction of good prognosis upper FPMs to avoid overeruption appears to be a common practice at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals. There was also higher demand for orthodontic advice for cases presenting with poor prognosis lower FPMs compared to poor prognosis upper FPMs, which suggests that paediatric dentists may prefer for the final decision on upper FPM compensatory extractions to be made by an orthodontist, even with national guidelines available. More high-quality research on the topic is required to determine the necessity of this practice for achieving optimal long-term oral health in children.
The paradox of Whiteness: Neoliberal multiculturalism and the case of Chinese international students in Australia
Authors: Seet Adam Z , Zhao Xinyu
Published: February 2021

Since its formal inception in the 1970s, Australian (ethno-) ‘multiculturalism’ has been a source of debate over the nation’s imagined trajectory. This internal or national discourse has, inter alia, critiqued the unchanging racialised power relations between groups, where ethnocultural plurality becomes subsumed under a predominant White governmentality. In this article, however, we consider a particular difficulty in sustaining a ‘truly’ multicultural narrative of contemporary Australian society from an extra-national perspective. To do so, we draw from in-depth interviews with 28 Chinese international students (CIS) in Australia to examine how a White Australia is constructed and normalised from outside the state. We utilise these perspectives to argue for the importance of considering extra-national factors in maintaining this racialised imaginary of Australia as a White nation. This argument also foregrounds the challenge of Australia’s neoliberal multiculturalism project in capitalising on a normative multiculturalism on the international stage, highlighting an extra-national difficulty to fully commit to a multicultural re-imagining of the nation that is divorced from a racialist narrative. This further presents a conundrum for the Australian state racialised as White. That is, the need to relinquish a White face to engender better social cohesion amongst its ethnoculturally diverse populations paradoxically exists in tandem with the need to maintain a White face for the attraction of more diversity, at least for economic benefits in this globalised, neoliberal era.
From its drifter past to nomadic futures: future directions in backpacking research and practice
Authors: O’ Regan Michael
Published: February 2021

While the label ‘backpacker’ didn’t originate in 1990 when first presented at an academic conference by the late Philip L. Pearce, its usage rose within an emerging academic discourse community that established shared interests, sources of information, terminology, and methods of communication, along with a certain level of expertise and knowledge on the subject. While the community internationalised and embraced interdisciplinary approaches, a review of the academic scholarship points to the communities increasing instability, as differential authoritative voices conflict over discursive conventions that regulate our understanding of backpacking. While once conceptual and theoretical developments in backpacker research were built through subject level consensus, distinctions within the community point to new hierarchies, with their own particular schools of thought and reinterpretations. As disparities, incongruities and deviations in backpacker research output emerge, this overview explores current research directions and identifies paradoxes, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Dealing fairly with trade imbalances in monetary unions
Authors: Meyer Marco
Published: February 2021

Politicians around the globe wrangle about how to deal with trade imbalances. In the Eurozone, members running a trade deficit accuse members running a surplus of forcing them into deficit. Yet political philosophers have largely overlooked issues of justice related to trade imbalances. I address three such issues. First, what, if anything, is wrong with trade imbalances? I argue that in monetary unions, trade imbalances can lead to domination between member states. Second, who should bear the burden of rebalancing trade? I argue that surplus and deficit countries should share that burden. The current situation placing the burden squarely on deficit countries is unjust. Third, which institutional arrangements should monetary unions adopt to regulate trade balances? Monetary unions can either reduce trade imbalances within the monetary union, neutralise the impact of trade imbalances on the economic sovereignty of member states, or delegate economic policy affecting trade balances to a legitimate supranational institution. The Eurozone must adopt one of these options to prevent member states from domination. Which option protects members best against domination depends on what makes interference between members arbitrary, an unresolved question in republican theories of justice.
Can Professional Interventions Contribute to an Escalation in Cases of Youth Violence? Considering the Impact of the Shift from Informal to Formal Youth Support on an Inner City Housing Estate
Authors: Alexander James
Published: February 2021

Youth violence is on the increase across many UK cities and although national trends, such as more networked entrepreneurial drug dealing, are contributing to the spread of such incidents, localised community environments play a significant role in the development of violent youth cultures. Based on a 4-year ethnographic study, this article explores how the shift from a resident led, relationship-based interaction, to a more professionalised evidenced-based intervention model, increased the risk of young people getting involved in youth violence. Efforts to address youth violence should consider including more relational informal support networks, alongside more specialist interventions.
DNA aptamer raised against receptor for advanced glycation end products suppresses renal tubular damage and improves insulin resistance in diabetic mice
Authors: Sotokawauchi Ami , Matsui Takanori , Higashimoto Yuichiro , Nishino Yuri , Koga Yoshinori , Yagi Minoru , Yamagishi Sho-ichi
Published: February 2021

Objective:

Interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with the receptor RAGE plays a role in diabetic nephropathy. However, effects of RAGE-aptamer on tubular damage remain unknown. We examined whether RAGE-aptamer inhibited tubular damage in KKAy/Ta mice, obese type 2 diabetic mice with insulin resistance.

Materials and Methods:

Male 8-week-old KKAy/Ta mice received continuous intraperitoneal infusion of either control-aptamer or RAGE-aptamer for 8 weeks. Blood biochemistry and blood pressure, and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity and albumin excretion levels were monitored. Kidney and adipose tissue samples were obtained for immunohistochemical analyses.

Results:

Although RAGE-aptamer did not affect blood glucose, blood pressure, body weight, or serum creatinine values, it significantly inhibited the increase in urinary NAG activity and HOMA-IR in diabetic mice at 12 and 16 and at 16 weeks old, respectively. Furthermore, compared with control-aptamer-treated mice, renal carboxymethyllysine, RAGE, and NADPH oxidase-driven superoxide generation were significantly decreased in RAGE-aptamer-treated mice at 12 weeks old with subsequent amelioration of histological alterations in glomerular and interstitial area, while adipose tissue adiponectin expression was increased.

Conclusion:

Our present results suggest that RAGE-aptamer could inhibit tubular injury in obese type 2 diabetic mice partly by suppressing the AGE-RAGE-oxidative stress axis and improving insulin resistance.
Prediabetes versus type 2 diabetes mellitus based on pre-percutaneous coronary intervention thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after successful newer-generation drug-eluting stent implantation
Authors: Kim Yong Hoon , Her Ae-Young , Jeong Myung Ho , Kim Byeong-Keuk , Hong Sung-Jin , Kim Seunghwan , Ahn Chul-Min , Kim Jung-Sun , Ko Young-Guk , Choi Donghoon , Hong Myeong-Ki , Jang Yangsoo
Published: February 2021

Background:

We compared the 2-year clinical outcomes between prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) according to the pre-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Methods:

Overall, 6448 STEMI patients were divided into two groups: pre-PCI TIMI 0/1 group ( n = 4854) and pre-PCI TIMI 2/3 group ( n = 1594). They were further divided into patients with normoglycemia, prediabetes, and T2DM. The major endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, or any repeat revascularization.

Results:

In the pre-PCI TIMI 0/1 group, all-cause death rate was higher in both prediabetes (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.633, p = 0.045) and T2DM (aHR: 2.064, p = 0.002) groups than in the normoglycemia group. In the pre-PCI TIMI 2/3 group, any repeat revascularization rate was also higher in both prediabetes (aHR: 2.511, p = 0.039) and T2DM (aHR: 3.156, p = 0.009) than normoglycemia. In each group (pre-PCI TIMI 0/1 or 2/3), the MACEs and all other clinical outcomes rates were similar between the prediabetes and T2DM groups.

Conclusions:

Prediabetes showed comparable worse clinical outcomes to those of T2DM regardless of the pre-PCI TIMI flow grade.
Impact of Body Mass Index on Survival Outcome in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Single-Center Study
Authors: Cha Jun-Yong , Park Jae-Sung , Hong Yong-Kil , Jeun Sin-Soo , Ahn Stephen
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

The impact of obesity on survival outcomes in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) has not been well reported and the results for patients are currently unclear. We investigated the effect of obesity on survival outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed GBM.

Methods:

Using electronic medical records, all GBM patients that visited the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. A total of 177 patients met our eligibility criteria. The cut-off point for BMI was 23.0 kg/m2 based on previous studies which focused on Asian populations.

Results:

A total of 177 patients met our eligibility criteria. The overall median BMI of patients was 24.5 kg/m2 (range 15.82-39.26). About 62 patients who had a BMI less than the cut-off value were assigned to the “lower BMI” group, while 115 patients who had a BMI greater than the cut-off value were assigned to the “higher BMI” group. In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the median OS of the higher BMI group was longer than that of the lower BMI group (21.3 months vs 15.3 months, P = .002). In multivariate Cox regression analysis for OS, lower BMI was associated with inferior OS (HR 1.48 CI 1.06-2.08, P = .002).

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that elevated BMI may be associated with better survival in patients with newly diagnosed GBM. Additional larger prospective studies could help validate our findings to confirm the effect of body composition and survival outcomes in GBM patients.
Mindfulness “in” Education as a Form of Iatrogenesis
Authors: Brito Rodrigo , Joseph Stephen , Sellman Edward
Published: February 2021

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can result in positive “side effects,” such as concentration and individual well-being, highly desirable to schools operating within a neoliberalist agenda emphasizing performativity. However, employing a critical literature review, we argue that adverse side effects also occur, though under-researched. We engage critical and systems theories, within a broader complexity paradigm, to show how MBIs manifest as a form of “iatrogenesis,” whereby a “sleight of hand” occurs, offsetting systemic fallibility as individual culpability. Iatrogenesis provides both “cancer” and “cure,” the source of much stress and the means to cope, leaving systems under-critiqued whilst the individual is expected to adjust to this logic. Guised like this, MBIs may do more harm than good, obfuscating deeper transformation of self and society. We conclude by uniting with those who argue the need to embrace more authentic and holistic versions of mindfulness for individual and social transformation to occur.
Proposing a Methodological Borderland: Combining Chicana Feminist Theory With Transformative Mixed Methods Research
Authors: Garcia Gina A. , Ramirez Jenesis J.
Published: February 2021

In this article, we propose a “methodological borderland,” defined as a methodological space in constant transition; one that allows researchers to combine multiple methods, data points, and theories, guided by a desire for social justice for studied populations. In doing so, we urge mixed methods researchers to access theoretical frameworks that are grounded in the ways of knowing of participants and that promote critical analysis and interpretation in conjunction with transformative mixed methods. Using a convergent mixed methods approach, we illustrate the way Chicana feminist theory can be used as a theoretical lens and analytic tool that can amplify the voices of Raza college students. We suggest and illustrate ways to use theory to enhance transformative mixed methods.
Experimental investigations on diesel engine using alumina nanoparticle fuel additive
Authors: Gad Mohammed S , Abdel Razek Sayed M , Manu PV , Jayaraj Simon
Published: February 2021

Experimental work was done to examine the impact of diesel fuel with alumina nanoparticles on combustion characteristics, emissions and performance of diesel engine. Alumina nanoparticles were mixed with crude diesel in various weight fractions of 20, 30, and 40 mg/L. The engine tests showed that nano alumina addition of 40 ppm to pure diesel led to thermal efficiency enhancement up to 5.5% related to the pure diesel fuel. The average specific fuel consumption decrease about neat diesel fuel was found to be 3.5%, 4.5%, and 5.5% at dosing levels of 20, 30, and 40 ppm, respectively at full load. Emissions of smoke, HC, CO, and NOX were found to get diminished by about 17%, 25%, 30%, and 33%, respectively with 40 ppm nano-additive about diesel operation. The smaller size of nanoparticles produce fuel stability enhancement and prevents the fuel atomization problems and the clogging in fuel injectors. The increase of alumina nanoparticle percentage in diesel fuel produced the increases in cylinder pressure, cylinder temperature, heat release rate but the decreases in ignition delay and combustion duration were shown. The concentration of 40 ppm alumina nanoparticle is recommended for achieving the optimum improvements in the engine’s combustion, performance and emission characteristics.
Influence of gap filling on mechanical properties of composite-aluminum single-lap single-bolt hybrid joints
Authors: Yue Xuande , An Luling , Chen Zengtao , Wang Chufan , Cai Yuebo , Xiao Ruiheng
Published: February 2021

Composite-aluminum structures exist in aircraft structures generally. It is easy to cause gap between mating surfaces in composite-aluminum assembled structures with the curing deformation of composite. The composite-aluminum, single-lap, single-bolt joints were utilized to investigate the influence of forced assembly, liquid shim and peelable fiberglass shim on the mechanical properties of assembled structures. A steel gasket that removed the middle part was used in the joint to make a gap. The 3D Digital Imagine Correlation (3D-DIC) system was utilized to measure the strain field of specimens and the progressive damage model was created in ABAQUS. The results show that the shim filling can significantly increase the tension stiffness and peak load of the joint compare with forced assembly. As the shim thickness changes, the effects of the liquid shim and the peelable fiberglass shim on the tensile stiffness and peak load shows different. The liquid or peelable fiberglass shim can reduce the strain value around the hole and the peelable fiberglass shim has a better result than liquid shim. The squeeze between the bolt and composite laminate has a greater impact on matrix damage and fiber-matrix shear damage, while the secondary bending has a greater impact on matrix damage and fiber damage.
Intraventricular pressure gradients change during the development of left ventricular hypertrophy: Effect of salvianolic acid B and beta-blocker
Authors: Ma Danfu , Mandour Ahmed S , Yoshida Tomohiko , Matsuura Katsuhiro , Shimada Kazumi , Kitpipatkun Pitipat , Uemura Akiko , Ifuku Mayumi , Takahashi Ken , Tanaka Ryou
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Intraventricular pressure gradient is regarded as a non-invasive indicator of diastolic function. Salvianolic acid B (Sal-B), a traditional Asian medicine, revealed its usefulness in myocardial infarction models; however, the hemodynamic effect of salvianolic acid B is still unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the intraventricular pressure gradient changes during the development of left ventricular hypertrophy with or without salvianolic acid B and a beta-blocker.

Methods

In total, 48 rats were divided into four groups; Sham, Non-treatment, salvianolic acid B, and Carvedilol. Aortic coarctation-induced left ventricular hypertrophy was done in three groups and the treatment was started from the third to the sixth week. Blood pressure, conventional echocardiography, and color M-mode echocardiography for measurement of intraventricular pressure gradient were carried out for six consecutive weeks.

Results

At 4.5 weeks, the LV mass was elevated in the coarctation groups but the blood pressure was significantly lower in salvianolic acid B and Carvedilol groups ( P < 0.05). In the Non-treatment group, the total intraventricular pressure gradient was increased at 4.5 and 6 weeks (2.60 and 2.65, respectively). Meanwhile, the basal intraventricular pressure gradient was elevated at 3 and 6 weeks (1.67 and 1.75) compared with the Sham group. Salvianolic acid B and Carvedilol significantly reduced the basal intraventricular pressure gradient at six weeks compared with the Non-treatment group (1.52 and 1.51 vs 1.75, respectively).

Conclusions

Salvianolic acid B and Carvedilol promote cardiac function by decreasing the elevated basal intraventricular pressure gradient. The current preclinical results revealed the efficacy of salvianolic acid B as a potential therapy for left ventricular hypertrophy because of the non-blood pressure lowering effect.
Travel and pregnancy
Authors: Jones Bethan L , Kostopoulos Adriana
Published: February 2021

As global travel increases, so does the prominence of travel-related illness in the United Kingdom and across the globe. Pregnant people face particular risks while travelling, and may consult healthcare providers on any additional preparations and precautions they should consider. The GP’s role is to identify risks specific to the individual, the type of travel and the destination, and to recommend interventions to mitigate these issues. This article seeks to describe these special considerations for the pregnant traveller, encompassing environmental hazards, infectious disease and access to care, and to provide guidance on how these patients should be advised.
An analytic framework for enhancing the performance of big heterogeneous data analysis
Authors: Salama Mohamed , Kader Hatem Abdul , Abdelwahab Amira
Published: February 2021

The use of social media networks is becoming a current phenomenon in the world today where people are sharing posts and tweets, connect with different groups, and share their opinions about things. This data is extremely heterogeneous and so it is hard to analyze and derive information from this data that is considered an indispensable source for decision-makers. New techniques are therefore needed to handle these huge amounts of data to find the hidden information thus improve the results of the analysis. We are developing a framework for the analysis of heterogeneous data using machine learning (ML) techniques. In contrast to most of the literature frameworks that focus on a specific type of heterogeneous data for evaluating the proposed framework, we have analyzed 15k tweets data from six American airlines. These tweets are collected from the open stream of Twitter, also predict, classify each tweet as a negative or positive review, and test the ability of deep learning (DL) algorithms by comparing it with traditional ML algorithms. The findings confirmed the validity of the proposed framework and helped to achieve the study objective by providing excellent analysis performance and provide insights into additional aspects of information extraction from heterogeneous data.
Grape Seed Procyanidins Inhibit the Growth of Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells by Down-Regulating the EGFR/VEGF/MMP9 Pathway
Authors: Kong Fan-ting , He Chen-xi , Kong Fan-lei , Han Su-fen , Kong Xiang-shun , Han Wei-qiang , Yang Li-xian
Published: February 2021

Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. However, it is not clear about its effective treatments. As a potential anticancer agent, grape seed procyanidins (GSPs) have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of various cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, it was shown that GSPs significantly inhibit MCF-7 cell proliferation in a concentration/time-dependent manner. The flow cytometric data clearly demonstrated that GSPs cause cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, followed by cell apoptosis. Moreover, it also confirmed that growth inhibition mediated by treatment with GSPs is related to the induction of apoptosis due to p53 elevation, purportedly by inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) pathway. Taken together, these findings suggest that GSPs inhibit MCF-7 cells proliferation and induce cell apoptosis by suppressing EGFR/VEGF/MMP9 pathway.
Characterization of Hemorrhagic and Ischemic Stroke in a Diverse Cohort of COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Ramos Alexander D. , Koyfman Feliks , Byrns Kory , Wu Alan , Yasen Jay , Elreda Lauren , Boddu Srikanth , Pishanidar Sammy , Allen Baxter , Juthani Rupa G.
Published: February 2021

Background and Purpose:

COVID-19 is a known risk factor for stroke. There is limited data on the influence of demographics, risk factors, and hematologic function on outcomes in COVID-19 stroke patients.

Methods:

All patients with acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke tested for COVID-19 and treated from March 13 through May 19, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. COVID+ patients were compared to COVID- patients and a historical cohort from 2019.

Results:

84 patients with radiographic acute stroke from the 2020 study period and 152 patients in the historical cohort were included. Stroke incidence in COVID+ patients was 1.5%, with a significant decline in total stroke presentations during this period compared to 2019. 37 patients were COVID+ and 47 patients were COVID-. 32% of COVID+ stroke patients were Hispanic compared to 15% and 18% in the COVID- and 2019 cohorts respectively (p = 0.069 and 0.07). COVID+ stroke patients were younger, had higher rates of hemorrhagic conversion (p = 0.034), higher initial NIHSS (p < 0.001), increased cryptogenic stroke mechanism (p = 0.02), and higher mortality independent of COVID-19 severity. COVID+ patients had higher rates of thrombocytopenia (p = 0.02), and were less likely to be on antiplatelet therapy (p = 0.025). In multivariable analysis, only COVID-19 status independently predicted mortality.

Conclusions:

COVID status, independent of severity, was significantly associated with higher mortality in stroke patients. COVID+ stroke patients were younger and less likely to be on antiplatelets, with higher rates of thrombocytopenia, suggesting a possible role for antiplatelet use in this population.
A novel drug response score more accurately predicts renoprotective drug effects than existing renal risk scores
Authors: Idzerda Nienke M. A. , Tye Sok Cin , Zeeuw Dick de , Heerspink Hiddo J. L.
Published: February 2021

Background:

Risk factor-based equations are used to predict risk of kidney disease progression in patients with type 2 diabetes order to guide treatment decisions. It is, however, unknown whether these models can also be used to predict the effects of drugs on clinical outcomes.

Methods:

The previously developed Parameter Response Efficacy (PRE) score, which integrates multiple short-term drug effects, was first compared with the existing risk scores, Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) and The Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) renal risk score, in its performance to predict end-stage renal disease (ESRD; KFRE) and doubling of serum creatinine or ESRD (ADVANCE). Second, changes in the risk scores were compared after 6 months’ treatment to predict the long-term effects of losartan on these renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Results:

The KFRE, ADVANCE and PRE scores showed similarly good performance in predicting renal risk. However, for prediction of the effect of losartan, the KFRE risk score predicted a relative risk change in the occurrence of ESRD of 3.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) −5 to 12], whereas the observed risk change was −28.8% (95% CI −42.0 to −11.5). For the composite endpoint of doubling of serum creatinine or ESRD, the ADVANCE score predicted a risk change of −12.4% (95% CI −17 to −7), which underestimated the observed risk change −21.8% (95% CI −34 to −6). The PRE score predicted renal risk changes that were close to the observed risk changes with losartan treatment [−24.0% (95% CI −30 to −17) and −22.6% (95% CI −23 to −16) for ESRD and the composite renal outcome, respectively].

Conclusion:

A drug response score such as the PRE score may assist in improving clinical decision making and implement precision medicine strategies.
Overweight and Obesity Among Adult HIV Infected Peoples Receiving ART in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kabthymer Robel Hussen , Nega Techane Solomon , Muche Temesgen , Ali Ewune Helen , Mekonnen Abate Semagn , Feyisso Shaka Mohammed
Published: February 2021

Background:

Over-nutrition and diet-linked non-communicable morbidities are showing increasing trend overtime. Even if there are different factors that affect the change in BMI other than ART, several authors have reported increases in BMI among PLHIV on treatment that are equal to or surpass the general population. This study is aimed to estimate the prevalence of obesity and overweight among adult HIV infected peoples taking ART in Ethiopia.

Method:

PubMed, CINAHL, Web of science, global health and Google scholar electronic databases were used to perform a systematic literature search. Two authors independently extracted all the necessary data using a structured data extraction format. Data analysis was done using STATA Version 14. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed by using I2 test. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence. Publication bias was checked using Funnel plot and Egger’s test.

Result:

Two thousand seven hundred and fifty-one studies were reviewed and 13 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis of 13 studies, comprising 4994 participants resulted in pooled prevalence of overweight to be 17.85% (95% CI: 12.22-23.47). Whereas, the pooled prevalence of overweight was found to be 3.90 (95% CI: 2.31-5.49) but after adjusting for publication bias using trim and fill analysis it has become 3.58 (95% CI: 2.04-5.13). Magnitude of both overweight and obesity was higher in studies conducted in Addis Ababa, studies done after 2016 and studies having sample size of less than 400, in subgroup analysis.

Conclusion:

The magnitude of overweight and obesity among HIV infected peoples taking ART in Ethiopia is high. There is a need to have a routine screening to PLWHA on the risk of over-nutrition in order to facilitate early detection.
Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: An Examination of Teleworkers’ and Office Workers’ Job Satisfaction Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory
Authors: Brunelle Eric , Fortin Jo-Annie
Published: February 2021

Although research on teleworking dates back about a decade, much remains unknown with regard to how teleworking impacts employees’ experience at work. Based on self-determination theory, this research seeks to understand the dynamics underlying the impact of teleworking on employees’ job satisfaction. The study was conducted in an organization with a formal teleworking program; 448 respondents (211 teleworkers and 237 office workers) completed an online questionnaire. The results of structural equation model analysis indicate that teleworking is a better way of meeting workers’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In addition, our results indicate that there is a moderating effect on the relationship between these three types of psychological needs and employees’ job satisfaction, supporting the idea that the satisfaction of psychological needs does not operate in the same way for teleworkers and office workers.
Age and Spinal Disease Correlate to Albumin and Vitamin D Status
Authors: Marin Anderson Gomes , Pratali Raphael de Rezende , Marin Samuel Machado , Herrero Carlos Fernando Pereira da Silva
Published: February 2021

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Objectives:

Thus, this study aimed to assess the epidemiological profile of a patient sample that underwent spinal surgery regarding their nutritional and vitamin D status.

Methods:

Serum albumin and vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) levels were measured in patients with different spinal surgical approaches and various pathologies at a single institution. 112 patients were retrospectively identified for inclusion and stratified by age into 4 age groups and by pathology. The nutritional status of the patients was classified in vitamin D inadequacy (< 30ng/mL), vitamin D deficiency (<20ng/mL), and hypoalbuminemia (<3.5g/dL). Data was analyzed comparing vitamin D, and albumin means considering gender, age group, and pathologies.

Results:

Twenty-eight (25.2%) patients had hypoalbuminemia. There was no difference between gender (p = 0.988); there was a significant decrease in albumin concentration increasing the age (p < 0.001). The prevalence of hypoalbuminemia was significantly higher in patients with trauma, tumor and infection than in those patients with degenerative and deformity diseases (p = 0.003). The prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy was 33.7%, and that of deficiency was 62.2%, while severe deficiency (< 10 ng/mL) in 16.3%. The vitamin D concentration was significantly different among the pathologies (P = 0.047), the lower concentration occurring in patients with tumor.

Conclusion:

Older patients, as well as patients with tumor and infectious pathologies, seem to have a higher prevalence of hypoalbuminemia, inferring malnutrition. There was a low epidemic level of vitamin D concentration, almost all patients presenting some degree of hypovitaminosis D, independent of age, gender and nutritional status.
Guided bone regeneration with osteoconductive grafts and PDGF: A tissue engineering option for segmental bone defect reconstruction
Authors: Alkindi Mohammed , Ramalingam Sundar , Alghamdi Osama , Alomran Omar Mohamed , Binsalah Mohammed Awadh , Badwelan Mohammed
Published: February 2021

Regeneration and reconstruction of segmental bone defects (SBD) is a clinical challenge in maxillofacial surgery and orthopedics. The present study evaluated efficacy of guided bone-regeneration (GBR) of rat femoral SBD using osteoconductive equine-bone (EB) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) grafts, either with or without platelet-derived growth-factor (PDGF). Following ethical-approval, 50 male Wistar-Albino rats (aged ~12–15 months and weighing ~450–500 g) were included. A 5 mm femoral critical-size SBD was created and animals were divided into five groups depending on the graft material used for GBR (EB, EB + PDGF, Autograft, beta-TCP, beta-TCP + PDGF; n = 10/group). Following 12-weeks of healing, animals were sacrificed and femur specimens were analyzed through qualitative histology and quantitative histomorphometry. There was new bone bridging femoral SBD in all groups and qualitatively, better bone formation was seen in autograft and EB + PDGF groups. Histomorphometric bone-area (BA %) was significantly high in autograft group, followed by EB + PDGF, beta-TCP + PDGF, EB, and beta-TCP groups. Addition of PDGF to EB and beta-TCP during GBR resulted in significantly higher BA%. After 12-weeks of healing, EB + PDGF for GBR of rat femoral segmental defects resulted in new bone formation similar to that of autograft. Based on this study, GBR with EB and adjunct PDGF could be a potential clinical alternative for reconstruction and regeneration of segmental bone defects.
The Effect of Incentive Management System on Turnover Rate, Job Satisfaction and Motivation of Medical Laboratory Technologists
Authors: Al-Qathmi Ahlam , Zedan Haya
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

We investigated factors affecting turnover and assessed satisfaction with an existing Incentive Management System and to which extent it motivates employees. We also provide recommendations to improve the Incentive Management System.

Methods:

A cross-sectional questionnaire study utilizing a convenience sample from of a population of 250 Medical Laboratory Technologists.

Findings:

100 medical laboratory technologists responded to the survey. We found discrepancy in wage allocation to be the most prominent factor affecting turnover intention with 51% strongly agreeing, followed by low incremental system with 48%. Other factors were: limited opportunities for promotion, insufficient allowances and benefits, and lack of continuing education and professional growth opportunities with 49%. 26% of respondents found lack of autonomy/independence to be a factor. Poor workgroup cohesion was least ranked (17%). 39% reported dissatisfaction with workload, 31% were dissatisfied with their provided allowance, with management support, and the working hours, and opportunities for promotion (44%). Opportunities for career growth and higher pay were highest ranked as incentives to remain, and additional vacation time and supportive colleagues to be the least relevant factors. There was a significant correlation between age and motivation levels (r = 0.223, p = 0.026).

Discussion and Conclusions:

Burnout and turnover can be costly to healthcare organizations, due to the impact on productivity and healthcare quality. Human resource departments must ensure to not only attract skilled employees, but also influence their motivation and retention due to the impact on productivity and health care quality. Incentive management systems support practices to enhance skills, knowledge, abilities and retention rates for healthcare employees. Our study findings support the continued improvement of Incentive Management Systems within the healthcare organization to reduce turnover rates, maximize quality outcomes, and increase the levels of commitment and motivation of employees.
COVID-19 and the Dreads of Hospitalization: Connecting With a Recollection of Memories As a Patient of Dengue Fever
Authors: Iqbal Saad Arslan
Published: February 2021

I have spent a considerable time in visiting and even staying at various hospitals since my childhood. With many of the memories still intact, the one encounter whose mark is an enduring one in my mind is when I caught dengue fever and was admitted to a public hospital. During this stay, I remember largely being restless inside my room. However, visiting an outdoor ground near my ward was always a rejuvenating experience and made me feel stronger and better. It was during that time when I truly realized the significance of indoor as well as outdoor design quality of health care buildings and how they impact the well-being of their users. To say the least, that short stay at the hospital was one of the major reasons that why for my graduate and undergraduate theses, I chose to explore the role of well-designed and accessible outdoor spaces especially gardens in health care buildings for promoting mental as well as physical health and well-being among users.

Presently, as we steer through a deadly pandemic, my own experiences from this hospital stay makes me want to reflect back and reemphasize on why there is a need for health care policy makers and relevant governmental bodies to strategize and prioritize long-term goals for implementing measures such as evidence-based design considerations of hospitals, especially in developing countries, and to promote accessible, inclusive, and safe healing spaces where patients may leave with positive experiences instead of negative reminiscences and where the staff can also use these spaces for respite.
Income Inequality, Social Comparison, and Happiness in the United States
Authors: Liao Tim Futing
Published: February 2021

Using social comparison theory, I investigate the relation between experienced happiness and income inequality. In the analysis, I study happiness effects of the individual-level within-gender-ethnicity comparison-based Gini index conditional on a state’s overall inequality, using a linked set of the March 2013 Current Population Survey and the 2013 American Time Use Survey data while controlling major potential confounders. The findings suggest that individuals who are positioned to conduct both upward and downward comparison would feel happier in states where overall income inequality is high. In states where inequality is not high, however, such effects are not present because social comparison becomes less meaningful when one’s position is not as clearly definable. Therefore, social comparison matters where inequality persists: One’s comparison with all similar others’ in the income distribution in a social environment determines the effect of one’s income on happiness, with the comparison target being the same gender-ethnic group.
Reframing refugee crisis: A “European crisis of migration” or a “crisis of protection”?
Authors: Almustafa Maissaa
Published: February 2021

The end of 2015 witnessed a global record in the number of forcibly displaced people fleeing because of wars and persecution. The unprecedented total of 65.3 million displaced individuals, out of which 21.3 million were refugees, was the highest number that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recorded since its establishment in 1950. During the same year and in the face of this large-scale crisis, only 107,100 refugees were admitted for resettlement through official resettlement programs, whereas 3.2 million people applied for asylum globally. And in spite of the fact that the majority of the world refugees are hosted in ten developing regions, the dominant narrative in the global media was about the “unauthorized” arrival of more than one million asylum seekers in Europe by sea during 2015. This paper argues that the unexpected nature of refugees’ arrivals has proven that refugees were supposed to be contained in their camps in the Global South, deterred from reaching the territories of the Global North, represented here by Europe. Thus, the paper proposes that these arrivals are rather reflections of a crisis of protection that developed in the Global South where containment and deterrence strategies against refugees from the Global South exacerbate their inhumane displacement conditions in home regions. In the same context, the paper discusses how international protection structures have been reconstructed to serve the same goals of containment and deterrence, with the ultimate aim of putting people ‘back in place’ with minimal access to protection and rights.
Predictably Irrational Hiring
Authors: Machado Noel G. , Samuel Jerrin
Published: February 2021

The hiring process plays a key role in organisational performance, but it involves contentious judgements and decisions. Behavioural economics can help us improve hiring effectiveness and enable the development of strong cultures and successful organisations. Using three historical cases from a Big-Five accounting firm, we present counter-intuitive hiring strategies that are relevant to organisations today. The cases involve six practices related to hiring and nine scientific concepts. The practices are: reverse interview, reverse recruitment, assessment centre (AC) design, structured interviewing, salary history ban, and withdrawal and rationalisation of designations. The scientific concepts are: representativeness heuristic, anticipatory socialisation, affect heuristic, distinction bias, social facilitation (observer effect), dual-process thinking, identity economics, anchoring effect (reference dependence) and social preference (inequity aversion). Finally, we examine the relevance of these practices and concepts as they relate to four human resources (HR) functions: (a) recruitment; (b) selection; (c) compensation and rewards; and (d) culture building.
Dhat Syndrome—Revisiting the Phenomenology and Related Psychiatric Comorbidities
Authors: Singh Akshay , Karthik Murugan Selvaraj , Viswanathan Sushma , Sathianathan and Ramanathan
Published: February 2021

Background:

Dhat syndrome is a culture-bound syndrome found in men from India (and other South Asian countries), leading to a number of psychiatric problems.

Aim:

The study is aimed at studying the sociodemographic correlates of patients with Dhat syndrome and the occurrence of comorbid neurotic, stress-related, and somatic symptoms. It also aims to study the severity of comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Settings and Design:

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute (Chennai).

Materials and Methods:

Fifty patients were recruited from consecutive outpatients attending the psychiatry department and assessment was carried out using a semi-structured pro forma, Dhat Syndrome Questionnaire, and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale.

Statistical Analysis:

The data collected here was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.

Results:

Most patients were found to be in the second decade of life and hailed from urban areas and lower socioeconomic status. Media and peer group were the source of information for three-fourths of the patients. A majority of the patients reported with somatic symptoms. Mild to moderate anxiety and depression scores were most commonly observed.

Conclusion:

The current study has illustrated that Dhat syndrome is associated with a lot of misinformation and leads to mild–moderate depression and anxiety symptoms, making its awareness and treatment extremely important.
A Real Bonds Doctrine
Authors: Correa Romar
Published: February 2021

Two assumptions drive our policy construct. First, the task of implementing a Green New Deal will necessarily fall on the government. Second, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics have meant a reduction in labour in the production process.

The connection between the two is production by public firms, and the financial instrument is the government bond. The Real Bills doctrine meant the tracking of credit disbursed by commercial and central banks with the returns realized by borrowing firms. The horizon was finite. In the case of our bond, the issuer is the government, and the horizon is infinite. Balance sheet accounts with the central bank are maintained.

We write down a model with no labour. Households lend to the government, which, in turn, lends to firms to purchase their capital inputs. Households earn returns from their holdings of the government bond. The central bank mediates the accounts.