bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation
Authors: Lu Huihui , Zheng Pei , Chen Ruo‐Yang , Chen Min
Published: May 2022

To analyse risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation to guide clinical decision‐making. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who received kidney transplantation from January 1, 2019, to May 1, 2021, at Kidney Transplantation Center in Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. A case‐control study was used to identify a cohort of patients with similar baseline characteristics according to 1:4 ratio. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether there was impaired wound healing after surgery. The basic data and clinical examinations between the two groups were compared, and the risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation were analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses. According to the data type, independent samples t‐test or Chi‐squared test was used for comparison between groups. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse different risk factors and calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each factor. A total of 18 patients showed impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation. And we conducted 72 statically matched controls. Age, diabetes, transplant types, body mass index (BMI), albumin, haemoglobin, and wound infection were statistically different between the two groups. The factors with statistically significant differences in univariate analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis. The results showed that BMI > 25, fasting blood glucose level, albumin level, and prealbumin level were independent risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation. Risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation can be detected after surgery. Strengthening postoperative monitoring and early intervention of recipients with such factors may effectively prevent impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation.
Long‐term follow‐up of patients with a quadripolar active fixation left ventricular lead: An Italian multicenter experience
Authors: De Regibus Valentina , Biffi Mauro , Infusino Tommaso , Savastano Simone , Landolina Maurizio , Palmisano Pietro , Foti Rosario , Facchin Domenico , Dello Russo Antonio , Urraro Francesco , Ziacchi Matteo
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Left ventricular (LV) lead optimal positioning is one of the most important determinants of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) success. LV quadripolar active fixation (QAF) leads have been designed to ensure stable LV pacing in the target area and reduce the likelihood of phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS). The aim of this analysis is to compare performances, safety, and clinical outcomes of QAF with those of quadripolar passive fixation leads (QPL) and bipolar active fixation (BAF) leads in a real‐world cohort of CRT patients.

Methods and Results

This retrospective analysis compared the procedure and follow‐up data of 117 QAF included in the One Hospital ClinicalService project from nine Italian hospitals with two historical cohorts of 261 BAF and 124 QPL. QAF enabled basal pacing more frequently than QPL (24.1% vs. 6.5%, p < .001) but not differently from BAF (p = .981). At implant, mean QAF LV myocardial threshold (LVMT) was 1.21 ± 0.8 V at 0.4 ms, not different from that of BAF (p = .346) and QPL (p = .333). At a median follow‐up of 22 months, LVMT was 1.37 ± 0.90 V (p = .036 vs. implant). Acute LV lead dislodgment occurrence was low in all cohorts: 1 (0.9%) in QAF, 4 in BAF (1.5%), and none (0.0%) in QPL. During follow‐up, total LV‐related complication rate was lower in QAF (0.5/100 patient‐years) than in BAF (4.2/100 patient‐years, p = .014) and QPL (3.6/100 patient‐years, p = .055). QAF, BAF, and QPL annual rate of heart failure hospitalization were respectively 6.1/100 patient‐years, 2.5/100 patient‐years (p = .081), and 3.6/100 patient‐years (p = .346). CRT responders' rate in QAF was 69.9%, with no difference in comparison to BAF (p = .998) and QPL (p = .509). During follow‐up, mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of QAF increased from 31.8 ± 10.1% to 40.3 ± 10.7% (p < .001). The average degree of echocardiographic response (ΔLVEF) did not differ between QAF and other cohorts; however, LVEF CRT responder's distribution of QAF differs from those of BAF (p = .003) and QPL (p = .022), due to a higher percentage of super‐responders.

Conclusions

QAF with short interelectrode spacing resulted in non‐inferior clinical outcomes and CRT responders' rate in comparison to BAF and QPL, while reducing complication rate during follow‐up and increasing the possibilities of electronic repositioning to manage PNS or to optimize resynchronization therapy.
Implementation of supervised physical training to reduce vasovagal syncope recurrence: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Aghajani Faezeh , Tavolinejad Hamed , Sadeghian Saeed , Bozorgi Ali , Jalali Arash , Vasheghani‐Farahani Ali , Yadangi Somayeh , Niazi Sepideh , Poopak Amirhossein , Tajdini Masih
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Physical techniques used for the prevention of vasovagal syncope have limited evidence for efficacy. We aimed to evaluate multimodal supervised physical training as a treatment approach.

Methods

In this 1:1 randomized trial, patients with ≥2 episodes of clinically diagnosed vasovagal syncope were included. On top of standard care, the intervention arm performed supervised tilt training and aerobic exercise in six sessions at a cardiac rehabilitation center (three sessions during the first month, and then at 3‐month intervals), plus home tilt training. The control arm received standard care with a similar protocol of home tilt training. The primary outcome was time to first syncopal recurrence during 1 year of follow‐up.

Results

Fifty participants were randomized (mean age: 34.5 ± 14.8 years; 64% female). The rate of syncopal recurrence was 28% and 64% within the intervention and control arms, respectively, with significantly higher syncope‐free survival at 1 year in the intervention arm (Log‐rank p = .003). The frequency of recurrent syncopal events was significantly lower with physical training (p = .017). Participants in the intervention arm reported significantly higher adherence to the home tilt training program (80% vs. 52%; p = .037).

Conclusion

Among patients with recurrent vasovagal syncope, a supervised program of tilt training and aerobic exercise reduced syncopal recurrence. Future trials are warranted to further investigate multimodal supervised physical techniques as a therapeutic approach in treating vasovagal syncope.
Bipolar catheter ablation strategies for outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias refractory to unipolar ablation
Authors: Zhou Benjun , Yu Jinbo , Ju Weizhu , Li Xiaorong , Zhang Fengxiang , Chen Hongwu , Li Mingfang , Gu Kai , Xie Xin , Cheng Dian , Wang Xuecheng , Wu Yizhang , Zhou Jian , Zhang Baowei , Kojodjojo Pipin , Cao Kejiang , Yang Bing , Chen Minglong
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Conventional unipolar catheter ablation (UA) is generally effective for the treatment of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (OT‐VAs). However, deep foci refractory to UA remains a clinical challenge. The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of bipolar ablation (BA) in the treatment of OT‐VAs refractory to UA.

Methods

A total of 1022 consecutive patients with antiarrhythmic drugs resistant OT‐VAs were screened for inclusion in this study, from 1643 VAs cases who underwent catheter ablation in two centers from October 2014 to May 2019. BA was performed after failed sequential UA. The pair of catheters used for BA was positioned on opposing surfaces of the earliest activation (EA) sites or on adjacent anatomical structures.

Results

Twelve patients (seven males, mean age 33.3 ± 16.2 years) who met the inclusion criteria were recruited: one patient suffered sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT), six patients had frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), and nonsustained VT (NSVT), and five patients had PVCs only. The 24‐hPVC/NSVT burden was 36.9 ± 21.7%. The mean distance between two ablation catheters during BA was 11.1 ± 4.3 mm (range 6.5–23.9 mm). The “rS” morphology of the unipolar electrogram was recorded simultaneously in both EA regions in seven cases (58.3%). Acute eradication of VAs was obtained in 10 (83.3%) cases. At a median follow‐up of 58 months, 10 patients (83.3%) remained free from VAs.

Conclusion

BA was highly effective and safe for the treatment of OT‐VAs refractory to UA.
Do doctors prescribe antibiotics out of fear of malpractice?
Authors: Panthöfer Sebastian
Published: May 2022

This paper studies whether doctors prescribe antibiotics to protect themselves against potential malpractice claims. Using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey on a representative sample of doctor visits from 1993 to 2011, I find that doctors are significantly less likely to prescribe antibiotics following tort reforms that reduce malpractice pressure. The changing prescribing patterns appear to have no adverse effects on patient health outcomes over the same time period. Almost 100 million hospital records from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample reveal little to no effects of tort reforms on hospital stays involving conditions that can potentially be avoided through the timely use of antibiotics. Taken together, these findings suggest that malpractice pressure induces doctors to prescribe antibiotics that are medically unnecessary, thereby contributing to the rise in antibiotic resistance.
Evaluation of pretreatments on intra‐radicular dentin bond strength of self‐adhesive resin cements
Authors: Santi Marina Rodrigues , Lins Rodrigo Barros Esteves , Sahadi Beatriz Ometto , Martins Luís Roberto Marcondes , Soto‐Montero Jorge Rodrigo
Published: May 2022

Objectives

To evaluate the influence of dentin pretreatments on the push‐out bond strength (POBS) of self‐adhesive resin cements (SARCs) to radicular dentin.

Materials and Methods

Two experimental pretreatments (2.5% titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4) and 26% polyacrylic acid (PA)) and two SARCs: Maxcem Elite (MAX) and Calibra Universal (CAL) were used. For each cement, a control group was applied as indicated by the manufacturer. Sixty bovine incisors were restored (n = 10) and subjected to POBS evaluation. Failure mode, adhesive interface and surface morphology were analyzed by a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and resin infiltration was performed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Data for POBS and CLSM were analyzed by three‐way ANOVA and Bonferroni post‐hoc (α = 0.05).

Results

For MAX, both experimental pretreatments resulted in increased POBS in the cervical third, and for CAL, only the PA resulted in higher POBS in the cervical third. The most failures occurred between the dentin and the resin cement, except when TiF4 was applied. For PA, analysis of surface morphology showed open dentinal tubules, while TiF4 presented particle agglomerates. SEM and CLSM images confirmed presence of resin tags for both pretreatments.

Conclusion

Pretreating radicular dentin with PA and TiF4 solutions improves the bond strength of SARCs.
Application of heat carrier particles in a fluidized bed dryer: Dimensionless modeling and GHG emissions
Authors: Karimi Mohsen , Moradi Mehdi , Niakousari Mehrdad , Karparvarfard Seyed Hosein
Published: May 2022

Drying of agricultural products inherently is an energy intensive process. In the majority of drying processes, the energy for the air heating process is delivered by the steam, gas‐turbine, and combined‐cycle type power plants that run on the fossil fuels which in turn are responsible for global warming due to the greenhouse phenomena. The industry therefore is interested in the development of any energy saving measure in the drying process. This in turn reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Optimization of the drying process for energy reduction by the mathematical modeling may provide means to accomplish this goal. In the present study, the drying of canola seeds in a fluidized bed dryer containing heat carrier particles was investigated. Drying kinetics was modeled using dimensionless groups and the GHG emissions in each process were determined and analyzed. Three temperature levels and four ratios of Heat Carrier Particle (HCP) to seeds were applied. The lowest specific energy consumption (least GHG emissions) was achieved when the air temperature was set at 60°C and the drying chamber was filled with a mass ratio of 0.5 of HCP to seeds. Values of R2, RMSE, and k2 obtained for the predicted and experimental data were 0.90, 0.017, and 0.00092 respectively.

Practical applications

In the current investigation, specific energy consumption and GHG emissions in different drying conditions of canola seeds in a fluidized bed dryer containing heat carrier particles were calculated and compared. A dimensionless approach was used to establish a new model for drying of canola seeds in the fluidized bed dryer. Subsequently, a dimensionless equation describing the drying behavior of seeds was derived. This method while being a simple model, gives high precision data for all effective parameters in the drying process. Therefore, the establishment of a dimensionless model for the drying kinetics and investigation of GHG emissions in the present study can be useful for the development of Eco‐friendly drying methods for future usages in food process engineering.
Peripheral blood IL‐6 levels in systemic sclerosis patients: Correlation between IL‐6 levels and clinical phenotypes
Authors: Lin Xiao , Ding Mingming , Chen Tan , Min Shuhui , Wang Danfeng , Jiang Guan
Published: May 2022

Objective

Detect the expression of Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in the serum of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and assess its association with clinical and laboratory features of the disease.

Methods

The clinical data from 50 patients with SSc in the affiliated hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, China were retrospectively analyzed. The level of IL‐6 in peripheral blood of systemic sclerosis patients was compared between the different clinical phenotypes groups. Spearman correlation test was used to analyze the correlation of the IL‐6 with C‐reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), creatinine, and cystatin C.

Results

Interleukin‐6 increased in the disease course ≥5 years, systemic sclerosis‐Interstitial lung disease (SSc‐ILD), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), gastrointestinal involvement, and cardiac involvement group compared with the group with disease course <5 years, no SSc‐ILD, PAH, gastrointestinal involvement, and no cardiac involvement group. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that IL‐6 in the group with disease course ≥5 years had a positive correlation with ESR (Rs = 0.438, p = 0.022) and CRP (Rs = 0.825, P < 0.001), whereas it was negatively correlated with creatinine (Rs = −0.481, p = 0.011). Nevertheless, when it came to disease course <5 years, the figures had no statistically significant difference.

Conclusion

Serum IL‐6 in patients with systemic sclerosis is related to different clinical phenotypes. IL‐6 helps to diagnose various phases of diseases, monitor severities of diseases, and predict the prognosis of patients.
Stock Market's Assessment of Monetary Policy Transmission: The Cash Flow Effect
Authors: GÜRKAYNAK REFET , KARASOY‐CAN HATİCE GÖKÇE , LEE SANG SEOK
Published: May 2022

We show that firm liability structure and associated cash flows matter for firm behavior and that financial market participants price stocks accordingly. Stock price reactions to monetary policy announcements depend on the type and maturity of debt issued by the firms and the forward guidance provided by the Fed, both at and away from the zero lower bound. Further, the marginal stock market participant knows the current liability structures of firms and does not rely on rules of thumb. The cash flow exposure at the time of monetary policy actions predicts future investment, assets, and net worth, clearly violating the Modigliani‐Miller theorem.
Circ‐0002814 participates in proliferation and migration through miR‐210 and FUS/VEGF pathway of preeclampsia
Authors: Wei Na , Song Hongbi
Published: May 2022

Background

Circular RNA plays a critical role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and autophagy. However, the role and mechanism of circRNA in preeclampsia is yet to be clarified. The present study investigated the function and mechanism of circ‐0002814 in preeclampsia.

Methods

The expression level of circ‐0002814, microRNA 210 (miR210), Notch receptor 1 (Notch1), or cytoplasmic polyadenylation element‐binding protein 2 (CPEB2) was investigated by Reverse transcription Real‐time Quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR). The level of Notch1, CPEB2, and FUS (FUS RNA‐binding protein) proteins was detected by western blot. The localization of circ‐0002814 and miR‐210 was determined by FISH assay. Cell proliferation and invasion were detected by EdU and transwell assays, respectively. The interaction between circ‐0002814 and FUS protein was detected by RNA pulldown assay, while that between circ‐0002814 and miR‐210 was detected by dual‐luciferase reporter assay.

Results

The expression of circ‐0002814 was decreased in the placenta and plasma of patients with preeclampsia. The ectopic expression of circ‐0002814 promoted the invasion and proliferation of HTR8 cells compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Silencing circ‐0002814 suppressed the invasion and proliferation of JEG3 cells compared to the control group (p < 0.05). circ_0002814‐regulated Notch1 and CPEB2 by interaction with miR‐210 and also regulated FUS/VEGF axis in HTR8 and JEG3 cells.

Conclusion

A low expression of circ‐0002814 was detected in the plasma and placental tissue in preeclampsia patients. circ‐0002814 participated in the proliferation and invasion of HTR8 and JEG3 cells. Thus, circ‐0002814 may be considered as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for preeclampsia.
Protective effect of symmetrical N‐heterocyclic 1,3,4‐oxadiazole and 1,3,4‐thiadiazole derivatives against Pepino mosaic virus of tomato
Authors: Imane Kasmi , Siham Esserti , Kacem Makroum , Malika Belfaizea , Tayeb Koussa , Aicha Rifai Lalla , Lydia Faize , Stéphane Venisse Jean , Fouad Bentiss , Amal Smaili , Mohamed Faize
Published: May 2022

Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) is a highly infectious potexvirus, which has presently become a major pathogen for tomato crops worldwide. Since there is no effective method control for PepMV, strict preventive hygienic measures and cross‐protection have been established. However, the use of mild isolates to protect against aggressive isolates provides opportunities for interaction with other microorganisms, which under certain conditions may worsen disease symptoms. Thus, alternative control methods are needed. In this study we aimed at the development of chemical control against PepMV based on the use of heterocyclic compounds including symmetrical 2,5‐disubstituted 1,3,4‐oxadiazoles, symmetrical 2,5‐disubstituted 1,3,4‐thiadiazole and dihydrotetrazine derivatives. Results showed that spray application of three 1,3,4‐oxadiazole derivatives (OH‐Oxa, CH3‐Oxa, NO2‐Oxa) and of the derivative of 1,3,4‐thiadiazole (OH‐Thia) resulted in reducing the main symptoms of PepMV in tomato leaves, conversely to the dihydrotetrazine carboxylic acid. Double‐antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (DAS‐ELISA) revealed that PepMV was not detected from tomato plants pre‐treated with the derivatives conferring elevated protection. Moreover, the protective ability of OH‐Oxa, CH3‐Oxa, NO2‐Oxa and OH‐Thia was closely related to the enhancement of the activity of antioxidant enzymes upon infection with PepMV.
Facilitators and barriers to providing affirming care for transgender patients in primary care practices in Arkansas
Authors: Marshall Sarah Alexandra , Stewart Mary Kathryn , Barham Caroline , Ounpraseuth Songthip , Curran Geoffrey
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study assessed factors affecting the provision of affirming‐care best practices (ACBPs) for transgender individuals by primary care providers (PCPs) in a rural, southern state

Methods

We conducted a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods study in 2020, including a statewide survey (phase 1) and interviews (phase 2). Surveyed PCPs (phase 1) included Medical Doctors/Doctors of Osteopathy (MDs/DOs), nurse practitioners, and 1 physician assistant. Interview participants (phase 2) included providers and staff in 6 practices throughout the state. We used an exploratory approach to data collection and performed content analysis to classify interview data into categories representing overarching themes

Results

Among surveyed PCPs who reported they had provided care to transgender patients (n = 35), the most common reason for providing gender‐affirming medical services was “because of my ethical obligation to treat patients equally” (n = 27, 77%). The most common reason for not providing such services was because the PCPs “have not been trained/don't feel competent to provide these services” (n = 12, 34%). Interviews revealed the following themes: (1) willingness to provide “culturally competent care”; (2) continuum of accepting to affirming attitudes toward transgender individuals; (3) basic understanding of stigma and an awareness of its impact; (4) changes needed to provide “culturally competent care”; and (5) preferred clinical support strategies.

Conclusion

Training and education to provide ACBPs are warranted and would meet the needs of patients and providers. Facilitating telemedicine visits for transgender patients with gender‐affirming care experts was a favorable implementation strategy for clinical support and is recommended to address access to affirming care.
The sleep physiology of nightmares in veterans with psychological trauma: Evaluation of a dominant model using participant‐applied electroencephalography in the home environment
Authors: Richards Anne , Woodward Steven H. , Baquirin David Paul G. , Yack Leslie M. , Metzler Thomas J. , Udupa Nikhila S. , Staggs Emily J. , Neylan Thomas C.
Published: May 2022

Nightmares are a core feature of posttraumatic stress disorder, are poorly understood, and are associated with serious negative outcomes. Their biology has been difficult to study, and the feasibility of capturing them in the naturalistic home environment has been poor. This said, the published research and dominant scientific model has focused on nightmares as a manifestation of noradrenergic hyperarousal during rapid eye movement sleep. The current study used at‐home, participant‐applied devices to measure nightmare physiology in posttraumatic stress disorder treatment‐seeking veterans, by examining heartrate measures as indicators of noradrenergic tone, and sleep‐stage characteristics and stability in the sleep preceding time‐stamped nightmare awakenings. Our data indicate the high feasibility of participant‐administered, at‐home measurement, and showed an unexpected stability of ‐rapid eye movement sleep along with no evidence of heartrate elevations in sleep preceding nightmare awakenings. Altogether, these data highlight new opportunities for the study of nightmares while questioning the sufficiency of dominant models, which to date are largely theoretically based.
Association between objective sleep measures and cognitive performance: a cross‐sectional analysis in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA‐Brasil) study
Authors: Suemoto Claudia K. , Santos Ronaldo B. , Giatti Soraya , Aielo Aline N. , Silva Wagner A. , Parise Barbara K. , Cunha Lorenna F. , Souza Silvana P. , Griep Rosane H. , Brunoni Andre R. , Lotufo Paulo A. , Bensenor Isabela M. , Drager Luciano F.
Published: May 2022

Sleep disturbances often co‐exist, which challenges our understanding of their potential impact on cognition. We explored the cross‐sectional associations of insomnia and objective measures of sleep with cognitive performance in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA‐Brasil) study stratified by middle‐aged and older adults. Participants aged ≥55 years underwent cognitive evaluations, polygraphy for 1 night, and actigraphy for 7 days. Insomnia was evaluated using the Clinical Interview Scheduled Revised. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and short sleep duration (SSD) were defined by an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) of ≥15 events/h and <6 h/ night, respectively. In 703 participants (mean [SD] age 62 [6] years, 44% men), cognition was evaluated using a 10‐word list, verbal fluency, and trail‐making tests. The frequencies of insomnia, SSD, and OSA were 11%, 24%, and 33%, respectively. In all, 4% had comorbid OSA and insomnia, and 11% had both OSA and SSD. Higher wake after sleep onset (β = −0.004, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.008, −0.001) and the number of awakenings (β = −0.006, 95% CI −0.012, −0.001) were associated with worse verbal fluency performance. Compared to those without insomnia, older participants with insomnia had worse global performance (β = −0.354, 95% CI −0.671, −0.038). Insomnia was an effect modifier in the associations between AHI and executive function performance (p for the interaction between insomnia and AHI = 0.004) and between oxygen saturation <90% and memory performance (p for the interaction between insomnia and oxygen saturation = 0.02). Although some associations between sleep measures and cognition were significant, they should be considered with caution due to the large sample size and multiple testing performed in this study.
Pilot hepatitis C micro‐elimination strategy in Pakistani migrants in Catalonia through a community intervention
Authors: Martró Elisa , Ouaarab Hakima , Saludes Verónica , Buti Maria , Treviño Begoña , Roade Luisa , Egea‐Cortés Laia , Reyes‐Ureña Juliana , Not Anna , Majó Xavier , Colom Joan , Gómez i Prat Jordi ,   HepClink Study Group
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

Pakistani migrants in Catalonia, Spain, could have high hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence. The aims of the HepClink study were (i) to implement and assess the quality of a micro‐elimination strategy based on a community intervention and (ii) to obtain data from primary care (PC) registries as a baseline comparator.

Methods

The community intervention targeted Pakistani adults and consisted of education, screening and simplified access to treatment. Quality indicators were calculated (effectiveness, impact and acceptability). The testing rate, the prevalence of HCV antibodies and HCV‐RNA were compared with those observed in the Pakistani population accessing PC in the previous year.

Results

A total of 505 participants were recruited through the community intervention (64.6% men, median 37 years) vs those accessing PC (N = 25 455, 70.9% men, median 38 years). Among study participants, 35.1% did not know about HCV and 9.7% had been previously tested. The testing rate in the community intervention was 99.4% vs 50.7% in PC. Prevalence was 4.6% vs 7.1% (p = .008) for HCV antibodies and 1.4% (3/6 new diagnoses) vs 2.4% (p = .183) for HCV‐RNA. Among the six viremic patients, three began treatment within the intervention and two through the usual circuit and all completed the full course.

Conclusions

This novel community intervention was well accepted and effective at reaching a Pakistani migrant population with a low‐level knowledge of HCV and largely not tested before. The observed prevalence and the high unawareness of their HCV status justify a targeted screening in this group both in the community and in PC.
Homage to Ebola Fighters: Black Labor and Humanitarian Media Campaigns
Authors: Gomez‐Temesio Veronica
Published: May 2022

During the Ebola outbreak that hit Guinea in 2014, most of the people employed at the Wonkifong Ebola treatment unit were from Africa or Cuba. Despite the recruitment of black personnel, the unit exposes how the humanitarian infrastructure exploited Guinean workers as if their lives were less vulnerable than those of the foreign personnel. The Africanization of aid reveals a post‐colonial segregation at the intersection of race, class, and locality. The article follows Guinean workers in the quarantine unit, as well as their enrolment in media campaigns. Their experience illuminates a triage at the core of Global Health according to which not only were local workers treated as expendable lives, but their stories were silenced. Yet how did Guinean workers inhabit this anti‐black world? The article unfolds the journey of workers during the outbreak and three years later, exploring the strategies they used to produce their own narratives through personal archives. [humanitarian aid, humanitarian media campaigns, race, Ebola, archives]
Turkey's Foreign Policy in Post‐Soviet Eurasia
Authors: Şahin Devrim
Published: May 2022

The central question explored in this article is what should motivate decision makers in Turkey when formulating the nation's strategies toward the Turkic countries of Eurasia. Should it be pan‐Islamism that advocates the unity of all Muslims in the world? Pan‐Turkism, based on the unity of Turkic peoples living across Eurasia? Pan‐Turanism, asserting the unity of Turanic people throughout the world? Or Atatürk's pragmatism, which advocated progressive Turkism? It would be unrealistic to revive objectives that, when tested by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire, failed to prevent its collapse in 1918. What Turkey needs now are realistic policies based on common strategic interests that are geographical and relevant, and an active skilled leadership similar to Atatürk's, whose pragmatism provided the driving force behind the founding and survival of modern Turkey.
Repeated extreme droughts decrease root production, but not the potential for post‐drought recovery of root production, in a mesic grassland
Authors: Slette Ingrid J. , Hoover David L. , Smith Melinda D. , Knapp Alan K.
Published: May 2022

Global climate change is expected to cause more frequent extreme droughts in many parts of the world. Despite the crucial role of roots in water acquisition and plant survival, our understanding of ecosystem vulnerability to drought is primarily based on aboveground impacts. As return intervals between droughts decrease, root responses to one drought might alter responses to subsequent droughts, but this remains unresolved. We conducted a seven‐year experiment that imposed extreme drought (growing season precipitation reduced 66%) in a mesic grassland. Plots were droughted during years 1–2 (‘Drought 1'), or years 5–6 (‘Drought 2') or both. We quantified root production during year 6 (final year of Drought 2) and year 7 (first year after Drought 2), when all plots received ambient precipitation. We found that repeated drought decreased root mass production more than twice as much as a single drought (−63% versus −27%, respectively, relative to ambient precipitation). Root mass production of the dominant C4grassAndropogon gerardiidid not decrease significantly with either one or two droughts.A. gerardiiroot traits differed from subdominant species on average across all treatments, but drought did not alter root traits of eitherA. gerardiior the subdominant species (collectively). In year 6, root production in plots droughted 4 years ago had not recovered (−21% versus control), but root production recovered in all formerly droughted plots in year 7, when precipitation was above average. Our results highlight the complexity of root responses to drought. Drought‐induced reductions in root production can persist for years after drought and repeated drought can reduce production even further, but this does not preclude rapid recovery of root production in a wet year.
The war in Ukraine underscores the need to strengthen the international security system
Authors: Wittner Lawrence S.
Published: May 2022

The Ukraine war and the response to it are profoundly troubling. Russia’s military assault upon its neighbor clearly constitutes a major war of aggression that shares many features with such wars of the past. Neither the Russian peace movement nor the Western peace movement has been able to affect it—the former because of government repression and the latter because of divisions within is ranks. Consequently, the war has already been immensely destructive and might well become far more so. As in the past, this kind of tragic situation illustrates the necessity for an effective international security system. Although the United Nations is supposed to provide that system, it lacks authority to do so thanks to the crippling control the great powers have exercised over the world organization. Therefore, the Ukraine war highlights the need to strengthen the United Nations as a force for peace.
Routine Crisis: An Ethnography of Disillusion
Authors: McNamara Owen
Published: May 2022

In Routine Crisis, Sarah Muir explores the prevailing sentiment within the Argentine middle‐class that not only have things gone wrong with their country, but that they will never be put right again. The book tracks the “radical negativity” of the middle‐class in the wake of the country's millennial economic crisis. This crisis entailed an economic collapse, the largest sovereign debt default in world history, sky‐rocketing rates of unemployment and poverty, and, as a result of currency devaluation, the over‐night loss of lifetimes’ worth of savings. For the Argentine middle‐class, Muir tells readers, these events were experienced not only as a financial loss, but as a loss of hope in the future; they crystalized the repeat political and economic crises through which Argentina had passed during the twentieth century and reframed them as proof that the country would never live up to its modernist dreams. While the political class bore the brunt of the blame during the civil unrest of December 2001, when crowds gathered in Argentina's major cities to demand “Que se vayan todos” (Out with all of them), Muir is attentive to the way middle‐class Argentines consider themselves complicit in the corruption that led to the crisis they were living through. Muir suggests that her interlocutors had come to see Argentina as a pathologically corrupt society, a stance that “inverted the familiar idea that national history is a teleological progression toward a better future” (93). In Routine Crisis, Muir not only captures a sensibility of hopelessness, but also lucidly explicates the social and political implications of the middle‐class embrace of disillusion as a historical outlook.
Pure Land in the Making: Vietnamese Buddhism in the US Gulf South
Authors: Hoang Tuan
Published: May 2022

Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese Buddhists who resettled in the Gulf South have gathered for worship in rented apartments, mobile homes, converted garages, vacant offices, fishing camps, even vacant lots. They have also raised funds to build a number of temples, especially during the 2000s, in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. In the process, Vietnamese refugees and immigrants have built an indelible Buddhist presence in a region that previously knew little about this religion. How this presence came to be and what it meant in practice for the Vietnamese form the backbone of this important monograph by the anthropologist Allison Truitt.
Bureaucratic Intimacies: Translating Human Rights in Turkey
Authors: Bierschenk Thomas
Published: May 2022

One indication of the quality of a scholarly study is surely the extent to which it passes the test of time. Babül's study of how universal human rights discourses are translated into local contexts in European Union training courses for Turkish government officials passes this test with flying colors. Even five years after its publication, this book is well worth reading. Babül shows how human rights principles are negotiated in these trainings. She demonstrates how, on the one hand, this leads to human rights discourses being anchored in Turkish statehood as a technology of governance, while on the other, the political sting is taken out of them. This, in turn, does not prevent these principles from being politicized in other ways by the participants of the trainings and other Turkish state actors.
Multiple Energy Landscapes Ethnographies of Power: A Political Anthropology of Energy
Authors: Brocco Giorgio
Published: May 2022

Over the last decades, global media debates and political discussions around climate change, environmental pollution and fossil fuel extraction have arisen vehemently. Anthropological attention to energy has therefore grown more explicit, thanks to studies conducted by a crop of scholars reflecting on various political, economic, and social issues related to the use and commercialization of hydrocarbon energy resources. In the wake of the recent Paris Agreement on climate change, researchers in “Energy Humanities” (Boyer and Szeman 2016) have grappled more deeply with the social, political and cultural dimensions of alternative types of energy (Günel 2018). For instance, scholars have investigated human and technological efforts towards the implementation of alternative forms of energy production from green design (Günel 2019; Rademacher 2017) to renewable energy sources (Argenti and Knight 2015; Rignall 2016) and clean technology (Dean 2020; Barber 2016; Love and Garwood 2011). In the meantime, anthropological analyses of electricity infrastructures and global notions of climate change expertise have also set the pace (Degani et al. 2020).
The turnout myth and referendum voting in the United States
Authors: Simon Christopher A. , Tatalovich Raymond
Published: May 2022

Although a large scholarship exists on referendums, few have explored the impact of turnout levels on policy outcomes. There have only been two Swiss studies of turnout bias and referendum results, making the current study the first to employ U.S. state‐level referendums to test the turnout bias hypothesis. Based on 735 cases of morality policy over a four‐decade period (1980–2020) and a subset of 364 mixed morality policies, multivariate analysis found that turnout had no strong or positive effect on liberal outcomes. However, competitive elections did yield more liberal referendum outcomes, and we revisit the long‐standing research stream on the impact of competitive elections and welfare policies. Since one 2020 study found no support for a partisan turnout bias favoring the Democrats, this finding of no turnout bias with respect to referendum outcomes adds credibility to their line of argument.

Related Articles

Burmila, Edward M., and Nathaniel A. Birkhead. 2017. “When Increased Turnout Matters: Simulating the Partisan Impact of Full Turnout in Senate and Gubernatorial Elections.”Politics & Policy45(6): 1024–50.https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12235.

Fisher, Patrick. 2020. “Generational Replacement and the Impending Transformation of the American Electorate.”Politics & Policy48(1): 38–68.https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12340.

Stockemer, Daniel, and Stephanie Parent. 2014. “The Inequality Turnout Nexus: New Evidence from Presidential Elections.”Politics & Policy42(2): 221–45.https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12067.
Temporal and Spatial Taylor's Law: Application to Japanese Subnational Mortality Rates
Authors: Yang Yang , Shang Han Lin , Cohen Joel E.
Published: May 2022

Taylor's law is a widely observed empirical pattern that relates the variances to the means of population densities. We present four extensions of the classical Taylor's law (TL): (1) a cubic extension of the linear TL describes the mean–variance relationship of human mortality at subnational levels well; (2) in a time series, long-run variance measures not only variance but also autocovariance, and it is a more suitable measure than variance alone to capture temporal/spatial correlation; (3) an extension of the classical equally weighted spatial variance takes account of synchrony and proximity; (4) robust linear regression estimators of TL parameters reduce vulnerability to outliers. Applying the proposed methods to age-specific Japanese subnational death rates from 1975 to 2018, we study temporal and spatial variations, compare different coefficient estimators, and interpret the implications. We apply a clustering algorithm to the estimated TL coefficients and find that cluster memberships are strongly related to prefectural gross domestic product. The time series of spatial TL coefficients has a decreasing trend that confirms the narrowing gap between rural and urban mortality in Japan.
Maltreatment history and reasons for self‐injurious behavior among adolescents engaged in non‐suicidal self‐injury versus adolescents who attempted suicide
Authors: Babcock Fenerci Rebecca L. , Jenkins Gracie A. , Gilbert Anna C. , Schettini Elana , Musella Katharine , MacPherson Heather , Kim Kerri L. , Kudinova Anastacia Y. , Radoeva Petya D. , Dickstein Daniel P.
Published: May 2022

Objective

Self‐injurious behavior (SIB) is a significant public health concern in the United States, especially among adolescents with histories of maltreatment. This study compared maltreatment characteristics and reasons for SIB between three homogenous samples of adolescents with either: (1) non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI); (2) suicide attempt/s (SA), and (3) typically developing controls (TDC).

Method

Participants (N = 124) aged 13–17 years completed questionnaires about their maltreatment and SIB histories.

Results

Maltreatment rates were as follows: 90% NSSI group, 76% SA group, and 40% TDC group. Adolescents in the NSSI group reported significantly higher rates of emotional neglect compared to the SA group. Maltreated adolescents in the NSSI and SA groups reported the same top three SIB reasons: (1) get rid of bad feelings, (2) mental state at the time, and (3) problems with family. However, maltreated NSSI participants were significantly more likely to engage in SIB for emotion regulation reasons than maltreated SA participants, who were more likely to engage in SIB for interpersonal reasons. Physical neglect and physical abuse also arose as significant predictors of specific SIB reasons.

Conclusions

Our findings help elucidate the maltreatment profiles and reasons for SIB among adolescents engaged in NSSI or SA. Specific maltreatment experiences may also influence the reasons why adolescents engaged in SIB.
Reconstructing the framing of resilience in the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy post‐2020 reform
Authors: Buitenhuis Yannick , Candel Jeroen J. L. , Termeer Katrien J. A. M. , Feindt Peter H.
Published: May 2022

The concept of resilience has been increasingly adopted on the European Union's (EU) policy agenda as a principle for agro‐food policy‐making. However, resilience is an ambiguous concept, allowing for different understandings and uses in the context of agro‐food policy‐making. This study analyses whether and how resilience is framed and contributes to framing in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post‐2020 reform process by policymakers and stakeholders. Combining deductive and inductive coding, we analysed 123 policy documents of EU institutions and stakeholders related to the CAP post‐2020 reform debate and the associated Farm‐to‐Fork Strategy. Five distinct resilience frames were identified: (1) income resilience frame, (2) farmers’ supply chain position resilience frame, (3) climate change impact resilience frame, (4) disease resilience frame and (5) ecological resilience frame. Whereas the resilience concept has been deployed by various actors, they differ in their preferred policy actions towards greater resilience.
Detection of the HLA‐B*15:01:74 allele, an HLA‐B*15 variant discovered in a Japanese individual
Authors: Khor Seik‐Soon , Omae Yosuke , Tokunaga Katsushi
Published: May 2022

HLA‐B*15:01:74 differs from B*15:01:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 2 at position 470.
Full genomic sequence of the HLA‐DRB3*02:22:01 allele by single molecule real‐time sequencing technology
Authors: Liacini Abdelhamid , Dadkhodaie Fereshte , Peters Lindsey , Mathew Leena , Geier Steven
Published: May 2022

Full‐length sequence covers the 5′‐untranslated region (UTR), all introns and exons, and the 3′ UTR.
Cost‐effectiveness of an exercise‐based cardiovascular rehabilitation program in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy in Brazil: An analysis from the PEACH study
Authors: Simões Valeria Alencar Linhares , Mendes Fernanda de Souza Nogueira Sardinha , Avellar Alexandre Monken , da Silva Gilberto Marcelo Sperandio , Carneiro Fernanda Martins , Silva Paula Simplício , Mazzoli‐Rocha Flavia , Silva Rudson Santos , Vieira Marcelo Carvalho , Costa Celson Júnio do Nascimento , de Sousa Andrea Silvestre , Rosalino Claudia Maria Valete , Nobre Patrícia Fernandes da Silva , de Holanda Marcelo Teixeira , Costa Henrique Silveira , Saraiva Roberto Magalhães , Hasslocher‐Moreno Alejandro Marcel , Castro Rodolfo , Mediano Mauro Felippe Felix
Published: May 2022

Objectives

The present study aimed to perform a cost‐effectiveness analysis of an exercise‐based cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) program in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC).

Methods

Cost‐effectiveness analysis alongside a randomised clinical trial evaluating the effects of a 6‐month exercise‐based CR program. The intervention group underwent 3 weekly exercise sessions. The variation of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) was used as a measurement of clinical outcome. Cost information from all healthcare expenses (examinations, healthcare visits, medication and hospitalisation) were obtained from the medical records in Brazilian reais (R$) and transformed into dollars using the purchasing power parity ($PPP). The longitudinal costs variation was evaluated through linear mixed models, represented by β coefficient, adjusted for the baseline values of the dependent variable. The cost‐effectiveness evaluation was determined through an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio using the HEABS package (Stata 15.0).

Results

The intervention group presented higher costs with healthcare visits (β = +3317.3; p < 0.001), hospitalisation (β = +2810.4; p = 0.02) and total cost (β = +6407.9; p < 0.001) after 3 months of follow‐up. Costs related to healthcare visits (β = +2455.8; p < 0.001) and total cost (β = +4711.4; p < 0.001) remained higher in the intervention group after 6 months. The CR program showed an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $PPP 1874.3 for each increase of 1.0 ml kg−1 min−1 of VO2peak.

Conclusions

The CR program can be considered a cost‐effective alternative and should be included as an intervention strategy in the care of patients with CCC.