bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The correlation between lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 and central overweight status
Authors: Chen Yi-Hsuan , Li Wen-Cheng , Chen Yi-Chuan , Yeh Wei-Chung , Yu Wei , Hung Hsiung Ying , Jie Xiong-Xue , Chen Jau-Yuan
Published: November 2021

Objective: Being overweight is associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) can independently predict the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study is aimed to investigate whether Lp-PLA2 was associated with an overweight status. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 3760 Chinese adults (age, 18–50 years) who underwent medical examination department of Xiamen Chang-Gung Hospital (XCGH) from 2018 to 2020. To explore the distribution of overweight classifications in the Chinese population, we evaluated the correlation of the overweight status with Lp-PLA2, after correcting for possible influencing factors. Results: The Lp-PLA2 level was greater in male than in female subjects ( p < 0.001). Subjects with a central overweight status had a greater Lp-PLA2 level than those with normal weight and a peripheral overweight status, in both male and female cohorts. The Lp-PLA2 level was significantly greater in those with additional comorbidities (namely diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), overweight, and metabolic syndrome (MetS)). The age-adjusted and LDL-adjusted Lp-PLA2 level also was significantly higher in the DM (+) and HTN (−) subgroups than in the DM (−), HTN (−), DM (−), and HTN (+) subgroups. Conclusion: Lp-PLA2 is associated with sex, central overweight status, diabetes, hypertension, and MetS in adults aged < 50 years and the age-adjusted and LDL-adjusted Lp-PLA2 was significantly higher in the DM (+) and HTN (−) subgroups than in the DM (−) and HTN (−) and DM (−) and HTN (+) subgroups.
Awareness About Breast Cancer Among Adult Women in Jordan
Authors: Al-Najar Mahasen S. , Nsairat Arwa , Nababteh Bushra , Essam Dania , Tarawneh Dhelal , Alrabadi Nasr , Alzoubi Karem H.
Published: November 2021

The incidence of breast cancer among females is increasing and early detection greatly improves patient prognosis and reduces mortality rates. This study aims at evaluating the awareness of these screening measures among adult females in Jordan. A questionnaire was administered to 400 adult women October to December 2018. The majority of women (64.5%) were within the age range 18 to 40 years. Almost all women had ever heard about breast cancer (99.50%) and 86.51% wanted to know more about it. Family history was the most frequently perceived risk factor for breast cancer (45.75%), with lack of awareness regarding other factors. Most participants were aware about breast self-examination (90.50%), but only half of them practiced it (52.75%). Regarding clinical breast examination, 76.0% of the participants have heard about it and a similar proportion recognized it as a method for early detection of breast cancer. However, only 26.33% were aware of the correct frequency of this examination. Screening mammography was acknowledged by 73.75% of participants but was performed by only 14.50%. Most of participants (70%) got their information about breast cancer from media, while only 8.34% got their information from the health centers. Awareness about breast cancer month in Jordan was significantly less among women with less than a university education, married women, and housewives ( p < .043, <.007, and <.019, respectively). In conclusion, suboptimal awareness of breast cancer and its screening methods was found among the Jordanian women, despite an over 11-year-old national screening program. This should prompt more innovative strategies to disseminate more effective awareness across the country.
Sports Newsrooms Versus In-House Media: Cheerleading and Critical Reporting in News and Match Coverage
Authors: English Peter
Published: November 2021

The mediatization of sport has created a rise in sports organisations expanding their media presence through digital platforms. However, the often-opposing ambitions of in-house media and sports journalism newsrooms highlight a contest over boundaries. This article examines how the mediatization of sport has impacted on content in in-house and traditional newsrooms and whether it is more aligned with journalism or public relations. The study analyses the coverage of both news and match reporting in six newspaper websites and five national sports organisation websites in Australia. The qualitative analysis is based on a sample of 466 text-based stories and focuses predominantly on elements of critical reporting and cheerleading. The findings outline how mediatization of sport through in-house publications is changing the boundaries of sports media and sports journalism. There were often strong divisions between the coverage in the sports organisations and news publications, with the in-house titles usually the more promotional, positive and less critical.
Quantification of Acetabular Coverage on 3-Dimensional Reconstructed Computed Tomography Scan Bone Models in Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Descriptive Study
Authors: DeFroda Steven F. , Alter Thomas D. , Lambers Floor , Malloy Philip , Clapp Ian M. , Chahla Jorge , Nho Shane J.
Published: November 2021

Background:

Accurate assessment of osseous morphology is imperative in the evaluation of patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and hip dysplasia. Through use of computed tomography (CT), 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructed hip models may provide a more precise measurement for overcoverage and undercoverage and aid in the interpretation of 2-dimensional radiographs obtained in the clinical setting.

Purpose:

To describe new measures of acetabular coverage based on 3D-reconstructed CT scan bone models.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Preoperative CT scans were acquired on the bilateral hips and pelvises of 30 patients before arthroscopic surgical intervention for FAIS. Custom software was used for semiautomated segmentation to generate 3D osseous models of the femur and acetabulum that were aligned to a standard coordinate system. This software calculated percentage of total acetabular coverage, which was defined as the surface area projected onto the superior aspect of the femoral head. The percentage of coverage was also quantified regionally in the anteromedial, anterolateral, posteromedial, and posterolateral quadrants of the femoral head. The acetabular clockface was established by defining 6 o’clock as the inferior aspect of the acetabular notch. Radial coverage was then calculated along the clockface from the 9-o’clock to 5-o’clock positions.

Results:

The study included 20 female and 10 male patients with a mean age of 33.6 ± 11.7 years and mean body mass index of 27.8 ± 6.3. The average percentage of total acetabular coverage for the sample was 57% ± 6%. Acetabular coverages by region were as follows: anteromedial, 78% ± 7%; anterolateral, 18% ± 7%, posterolateral, 33% ± 13%, and posteromedial, 99% ± 1%. The acetabular coverage ranged from 23% to 69% along the radial clockface from 9 to 5 o’clock.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrated new 3D measurements to characterize acetabular coverage in patients with FAIS and elucidated the distribution of acetabular coverage according to these measurements.
How rebel groups form in genocide: The Warsaw Ghetto fighters
Authors: Reilly Julia
Published: November 2021

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is emblematic of armed Jewish resistance to the Holocaust; it should also be emblematic of rebel organization formation and capacity building in the most extreme power asymmetry. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising happened because civilians who were directly experiencing a genocide formed rebel organizations that gained the capacity to hold territory. Drawing from video testimonies and memoirs of survivors, diaries of witnesses, and the work of historians, this study analyzes the formation and evolution of the Jewish Fighting Organization (ŻOB) to create and begin to validate a generalizable theory on how rebel organizations form in genocide, and how they create the capacity to hold territory from the genocidal opponent. The ŻOB evolved from a violent resistance organization to a rebel organization with a military infrastructure that could hold territory against the Nazis; further, it was this capacity to hold territory that allowed the ŻOB to win the survival of many Jews. These findings offer important insights on the possibility of rebel group mobilization against genocidal persecution, and can be used to understand contemporary genocide resisters.
Risk Factors Associated With Nephrotoxicity During Outpatient Intravenous Vancomycin Administration
Authors: Krueger Karen M. , LaCloche Lisa , Buros Stein Amy , Kates Ryan , Murray Milena , Angarone Michael P.
Published: November 2021

Background: Many studies have described an association between intravenous vancomycin and nephrotoxicity; however, the majority have evaluated incidence and risk factors among hospitalized patients. Outpatient administration of intravenous antibiotics is a growing practice and presents its own set of unique challenges. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity in the outpatient setting. Methods: A case-control study of patients who received intravenous vancomycin through an Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) program was conducted. Patients were identified who developed an acute kidney injury (AKI) during treatment. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI during treatment. Results: A total of 37 out of 130 patients (28.5%) met the criteria for AKI. AKI was more likely to occur in patients with a longer duration of therapy, higher maximum trough concentration, co-administration of a fluoroquinolone or metronidazole, and those who received another potentially nephrotoxic medication. Co-administration of a fluoroquinolone (OR = 5.96, P = 0.009, [CI: 1.59, 24.38]), any nephrotoxic medication (OR = 11.17, P < 0.001, [CI 3.14, 51.23]), and a higher maximum vancomycin trough (OR = 1.29, P < 0.001, [CI 1.17, 1.44]) were all indicative of a higher odds of an AKI. Conclusion: In this cohort, vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity was common during outpatient intravenous antibiotic therapy. Co-administration of a fluoroquinolone, any nephrotoxic medication, and a higher maximum vancomycin trough were associated with AKI development. Further study is needed to determine how this impacts long-term clinical outcomes and what measures can be taken to reduce nephrotoxicity risk.
Predicting factors for abnormal brain computed tomography in children with minor head trauma
Authors: Naghibi Taraneh , Rostami Mina , Jamali Behrad , Karimimoghaddam Zhaleh , Zeraatchi Alireza , Rouhi Asghar Jafari
Published: November 2021

Background

Deciding whether a cranial Computed Tomography (CT) scan in a patient with minor head trauma (MHT) is necessary or not has always been challenging. Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a fundamental part of MHT managing especially in children who are more vulnerable in terms of brain CT radiation consequences and TBI. Defining some indications to timely and efficiently predict the likelihood of TBI is necessary. Thus,we aimed to determine the impact of clinical findings to predict the need for brain CT in children with MHT.

Methods

In a prospective cohort study, 200 children (2 to 14 years) with MHT were included from 2019 to 2020. The data of MHT-related clinical findings were gathered. The primary and secondary outcomes were defined as a positive brain CT and any TBI requiring neurosurgery intervention, respectively. In statistical analysis, we performed Binary Logistic regression analysis, Fisher’s exact test and independent samples t-test using SPSS V.26.

Results

The mean age of participants was 6.5 ± 3.06 years. Ninety patients underwent brain CT. The most common clinical finding and injury mechanism were headache and falling from height, respectively. The results of brain CTs were positive in seven patients (3.5%). We identified three predicting factors for an abnormal brain CT including headache, decreased level of consciousness, and vomiting.

Conclusion

We showed that repetitive vomiting (≥2), headache, and decreased level of consciousness are predicting factors for an abnormal brain CT in children with MHT.
Effects of an interprofessional deprescribing intervention in Swiss nursing homes: the Individual Deprescribing Intervention (IDeI) randomised controlled trial
Authors: Cateau Damien , Ballabeni Pierluigi , Niquille Anne
Published: November 2021

Background

Deprescribing polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) has been shown to be beneficial to nursing home (NH) residents' health. Medication reviews are the most widely studied deprescribing intervention; in a previous trial, we showed that another intervention, a deprescribing-focused interprofessional quality circle, can reduce the use of inappropriate medications at the NH level.

However, this intervention cannot account for the variety of the residents’ clinical situations. Therefore, we trialled a subsequent intervention in NH that enacted the quality circle intervention in the previous year.

Methods

In 7 NHs, the most heavily medicated residents were recruited and randomised to receive usual care or the intervention. The intervention was a pharmacist-led, deprescribing-focused medication review, followed by the creation of an individualised treatment modification plan in collaboration with nurses and physicians.

Intervention’s effects were assessed after four months on the number and dose of PIMs used, quality of life, and safety outcomes (mortality, hospitalisations, falls, and use of physical restraints). Data were analysed using Poisson multivariate regression models.

Results

Sixty-two NH residents participated, falling short of the expected 100 participants; 4 died before initial data collection. Participants used a very high number of drugs (median 15, inter-quartile range [12-19]) and PIMs (median 5, IQR [3-7]) at baseline. The intervention did not reduce the number of PIMs prescribed to the participants; however, it significantly decreased their dose (incidence rate ratio 0.763, CI95 [0.594; 0.979]), in particular for chronic drugs (IRR 0.716, CI95 [0.546; 0.938]). No adverse effects were seen on mortality, hospitalisations, falls, and restraints use, but, in the intervention group, three participants experienced adverse events that required the reintroduction of withdrawn treatments, and a decrease in quality of life is possible.

Conclusions

As it did not reach its recruitment target, this trial should be seen as exploratory. Results indicate that, following a NH-level deprescribing intervention, a resident-level intervention can further reduce some aspects of PIMs use. Great attention must be paid to residents’ well-being when further developing such deprescribing interventions, as a possible reduction in quality of life was found in the intervention group, and some participants suffered adverse events following deprescribing.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03688542, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03688542), registered on 31.08.2018.
A portable isometric knee extensor strength testing device: test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change scores of the Q-Force ӀӀ in healthy adults
Authors: Hartog Johanneke , Dijkstra Sandra , Fleer Joke , van der Harst Pim , Mariani Massimo A. , van der Woude Lucas H. V.
Published: November 2021

Background

Although knee extensors are essential in daily activities (e.g. walking, climbing stairs), knee extensor strength is often not measured in clinical settings. Existing devices to test muscle strength are not always suitable to accurately measure the high forces of this muscle group. Therefore, a device to test muscle strength that is convenient, feasible, reliable, and valid in clinical settings is required. This study evaluated the reliability, responsiveness, and level of discomfort of the newly developed Q-Force ӀӀ (i.e. a portable device to measure isometric knee extensor strength) in healthy middle-aged and elderly adults.

Methods

Participants (n = 22) conducted two standardized test sessions on the Q-Force ӀӀ (five to ten days apart). Each session consisted of one familiarisation trial followed by three trials of peak isometric knee extension per each leg. Per trial, peak and mean knee extension force (N) and torque (Nm) were measured at 90° flexion. The level of discomfort was determined using a visual analog scale (VAS: 0-100). Intra Class Correlation (ICC, model: two-way mixed with absolute agreement), Standard Error of Measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) were determined. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine between-test variation.

Results

Excellent test-retest (ICC > 0.95) and inter-trial (ICC > 0.91) reliability for both legs were shown. No significant differences were found in peak and mean knee forces and torques between test and retest of both legs, indicating good test-retest reliability (P-value range: 0.360-0.538; F(1,21) range: 0.4-0.9). The SEM of the peak and mean forces and torques ranged from 28.0 to 30.4 N (6.0-6.8%) and from 9.2 to 10.4 Nm (6.4-7.7%), respectively. The MDC for these outcomes ranged respectively from 77.6 to 84.1 N (16.5-18.8%) and from 25.5 to 28.9 Nm (17.6-21.4%). The level of discomfort was low (median range: 7-10, IQR: 4-18).

Conclusion

The portable Q-Force ӀӀ is a comfortable, responsive, and relatively cheap device with excellent test-retest reliability. This device would be potentially suitable to measure isometric knee extensor strength in clinical settings.
The effect of thermocyclic aging on color stability of high translucency monolithic lithium disilicate and zirconia ceramics luted with different resin cements: an in vitro study
Authors: Ashy Linah M. , Al-Mutairi Adnan , Al-Otaibi Tariq , Al-Turki Lulwa
Published: November 2021

Background

High-translucency monolithic zirconia were developed to combine the esthetics of all ceramic restorations with the strength properties of zirconia. The purpose of this study was to compare the color stability of high-translucency monolithic zirconia ceramics with lithium disilicate luted using light-cure versus dual-cure resin cements following thermocyclic aging.

Methods

Forty specimens, each composed of 10 × 10 × 1 mm ceramic slice luted to dentin surface of an extracted tooth, were prepared and assigned into four groups (n = 10) as follows; LiDi/LC: lithium disilicate luted by light-cure resin cement; LiDi/DC: lithium disilicate luted by dual-cure resin cement; Zr/LC: zirconia luted by light-cure resin cement; and Zr/DC: zirconia luted by dual-cure resin cement. Color analysis of the specimens was performed before and after 3000 thermal cycles by means of spectrophotometry. The CIE L*a*b* values of the specimens were measured, and data were analyzed statistically at a significance value of p < 0.05.

Results

Thermocycling resulted in a significant change in color coordinates of specimens with an overall ΔE = 3.59 ± 1.60, but there was no statistically significant difference in the color change value among all tested groups (P = 0.756).

Conclusions

At 1 mm restoration thickness, the color stability of high-translucency monolithic lithium disilicate and zirconia ceramics were not significantly different irrespective of the cement type used.

Clinical implication Understanding the difference in color stability of dental ceramics may help in determining long-term esthetic result.
Medical students’ perception of simulation-based assessment in emergency and paediatric medicine: a focus group study
Authors: Philippon Anne-Laure , Truchot Jennifer , De Suremain Nathalie , Renaud Marie-Christine , Petit Arnaud , Baron Georges-Louis , Freund Yonathan
Published: November 2021

Background

Although simulation-based assessment (SBA) is being implemented in numerous medical education systems, it is still rarely used for undergraduate medical students in France. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) will be integrated into the national medical curriculum in 2021. In 2016 and 2017, we created a mannequin SBA to validate medical students’ technical and psychometric skills during their emergency medicine and paediatric placements. The aim of our study was to determine medical students’ perceptions of SBA.

Methods

We followed the grounded theory framework to conduct a qualitative study. A total of 215 students participated in either a paediatric or an emergency medicine simulation-based course with a final assessment. Among the 215 participants, we randomly selected forty students to constitute the focus groups. In the end, 30 students were interviewed. Data were coded and analysed by two independent investigators within the activity theory framework.

Results

The analyses found four consensual themes. First, the students perceived that success in the SBA provided them with self-confidence and willingness to participate in their hospital placements (1). They considered SBA to have high face validity (2), and they reported changes in their practice after its implementation (3). Nevertheless, they found that SBA did not help with their final high-stakes assessments (4). They discussed three other themes without reaching consensus: stress, equity, and the structure of SBA. After an analysis with activity theory, we found that students’ perceptions of SBA underlined the contradictions between two systems of training: hospital and medical. We hypothesise that a specific role and place for SBA should be defined between these two activity systems.

Conclusion

The students perceived that SBA would increase self-confidence in their hospital placements and emphasise the general skills required in their future professional environment. However, they also reported that the assessment method might be biased and stressful. Our results concerning a preimplementation mannequin SBA and OSCE could provide valuable insight for new programme design and aid in improving existing programmes. Indeed, SBA seems to have a role and place between hospital placements and medical schools.
Adipoclast: a multinucleated fat-eating macrophage
Authors: Olona Antoni , Mukhopadhyay Subhankar , Hateley Charlotte , Martinez Fernando O. , Gordon Siamon , Behmoaras Jacques
Published: November 2021

Cell membrane fusion and multinucleation in macrophages are associated with physiologic homeostasis as well as disease. Osteoclasts are multinucleated macrophages that resorb bone through increased metabolic activity resulting from cell fusion. Fusion of macrophages also generates multinucleated giant cells (MGCs) in white adipose tissue (WAT) of obese individuals. For years, our knowledge of MGCs in WAT has been limited to their description as part of crown-like structures (CLS) surrounding damaged adipocytes. However, recent evidence indicates that these cells can phagocytose oversized lipid remnants, suggesting that, as in osteoclasts, cell fusion and multinucleation are required for specialized catabolic functions. We thus reason that WAT MGCs can be viewed as functionally analogous to osteoclasts and refer to them in this article as adipoclasts. We first review current knowledge on adipoclasts and their described functions. In view of recent advances in single cell genomics, we describe WAT macrophages from a ‘fusion perspective’ and speculate on the ontogeny of adipoclasts. Specifically, we highlight the role of CD9 and TREM2, two plasma membrane markers of lipid-associated macrophages in WAT, which have been previously described as regulators of fusion and multinucleation in osteoclasts and MGCs. Finally, we consider whether strategies aiming to target WAT macrophages can be more selectively directed against adipoclasts.
SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawian blood donors: an analysis of seroprevalence and variant dynamics between January 2020 and July 2021
Authors: Mandolo Jonathan , Msefula Jacquline , Henrion Marc Y. R. , Brown Comfort , Moyo Brewster , Samon Aubrey , Moyo-Gwete Thandeka , Makhado Zanele , Ayres Frances , Motlou Thopisang , Mzindle Nonkululeko , Kalata Newton , Muula Adamson S. , Kwatra Gaurav , Nsamala Natasha , Likaka Andrew , Mfune Thom , Moore Penny L. , Mbaya Bridon , French Neil , Heyderman Robert S. , Swarthout Todd , Jambo Kondwani C.
Published: November 2021

Background

By August 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has been less severe in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere. In Malawi, there have been three subsequent epidemic waves. We therefore aimed to describe the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawi.

Methods

We measured the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies amongst randomly selected blood transfusion donor sera in Malawi from January 2020 to July 2021 using a cross-sectional study design. In a subset, we also assessed in vitro neutralisation against the original variant (D614G WT) and the Beta variant.

Results

A total of 5085 samples were selected from the blood donor database, of which 4075 (80.1%) were aged 20–49 years. Of the total, 1401 were seropositive. After adjustment for assay characteristics and applying population weights, seropositivity reached peaks in October 2020 (18.5%) and May 2021 (64.9%) reflecting the first two epidemic waves. Unlike the first wave, both urban and rural areas had high seropositivity in the second wave, Balaka (rural, 66.2%, April 2021), Blantyre (urban, 75.6%, May 2021), Lilongwe (urban, 78.0%, May 2021), and Mzuzu (urban, 74.6%, April 2021). Blantyre and Mzuzu also show indications of the start of a third pandemic wave with seroprevalence picking up again in July 2021 (Blantyre, 81.7%; Mzuzu, 71.0%). More first wave sera showed in vitro neutralisation activity against the original variant (78% [7/9]) than the beta variant (22% [2/9]), while more second wave sera showed neutralisation activity against the beta variant (75% [12/16]) than the original variant (63% [10/16]).

Conclusion

The findings confirm extensive SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawi over two epidemic waves with likely poor cross-protection to reinfection from the first on the second wave. The dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 exposure will therefore need to be taken into account in the formulation of the COVID-19 vaccination policy in Malawi and across the region. Future studies should use an adequate sample size for the assessment of neutralisation activity across a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern/interest to estimate community immunity.
Association between ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors with SARS-CoV-2 transmission and mortality in India: an exploratory study
Authors: Aggarwal Sumit , Balaji Sivaraman , Singh Tanvi , Menon Geetha R. , Mandal Sandip , Madhumathi Jayaprakasam , Mahajan Nupur , Kohli Simran , Kaur Jasmine , Singh Harpreet , Rade Kiran , Panda Samiran
Published: November 2021

Background

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a serious public health concern worldwide. Certain regions of the globe were severely affected in terms of prevalence and mortality than other. Although the cause for this pattern is not clearly understood, lessons learned from previous epidemics and emerging evidences suggest the major role of ecological factors like ambient air pollutants (AAP) and meteorological parameters in increased COVID-19 incidence. The present study aimed to understand the impact of these factors on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and their associated mortality in major cities of India.

Methods

This study used secondary AAP, meteorological and COVID-19 data from official websites for the period January-November 2020, which were divided into Pre-lockdown (January-March 2020), Phase I (April to June 2020) and Phase II (July to November 2020) in India. After comprehensive screening, five major cities that includes 48 CPCB monitoring stations collecting daily data of ambient temperature, particulate matter PM2.5 and 10 were analysed. Spearman and Kendall’s rank correlation test was performed to understand the association between SARS-CoV-2 transmission and AAP and, meteorological variables. Similarly, case fatality rate (CFR) was determined to compute the correlation between AAP and COVID-19 related morality.

Results

The level of air pollutants in major cities were significantly reduced during Phase I compared to Pre-lock down and increased upon Phase II in all the cities. During the Phase II in Delhi, the strong significant positive correlation was observed between the AAP and SARS-CoV-2 transmission. However, in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai AAP levels were moderate and no correlation was noticed. The relation between AT and SARS-CoV-2 transmission was inconclusive as both positive and negative correlation observed. In addition, Delhi and Kolkata showed a positive association between long-term exposure to the AAP and COVID-19 CFR.

Conclusion

Our findings support the hypothesis that the particulate matter upon exceeding the satisfactory level serves as an important cofactor in increasing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and related mortality. These findings would help public health experts to understand the SARS-CoV-2 transmission against ecological variables in India and provides supporting evidence to healthcare policymakers and government agencies for formulating strategies to combat the COVID-19.
α-Synuclein-mediated neurodegeneration in Dementia with Lewy bodies: the pathobiology of a paradox
Authors: Simon Christopher , Soga Tomoko , Okano Hirotaka James , Parhar Ishwar
Published: November 2021

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is epitomized by the pathognomonic manifestation of α-synuclein-laden Lewy bodies within selectively vulnerable neurons in the brain. By virtue of prion-like inheritance, the α-synuclein protein inexorably undergoes extensive conformational metamorphoses and culminate in the form of fibrillar polymorphs, instigating calamitous damage to the brain’s neuropsychological networks. This epiphenomenon is nebulous, however, by lingering uncertainty over the quasi “pathogenic” behavior of α-synuclein conformers in DLB pathobiology. Despite numerous attempts, a monolithic “α-synuclein” paradigm that is able to untangle the enigma enshrouding the clinicopathological spectrum of DLB has failed to emanate. In this article, we review conceptual frameworks of α-synuclein dependent cell-autonomous and non-autonomous mechanisms that are likely to facilitate the transneuronal spread of degeneration through the neuraxis. In particular, we describe how the progressive demise of susceptible neurons may evolve from cellular derangements perpetrated by α-synuclein misfolding and aggregation. Where pertinent, we show how these bona fide mechanisms may mutually accentuate α-synuclein-mediated neurodegeneration in the DLB brain.
Does microcredit use helps farmers win battle against food insecurity: evidence from Jimma zone of Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Berhanu Amanuel , Amare Abayineh , Gurmessa Birki , Bekele Yadeta , Chalchisa Tamiru
Published: November 2021

Background

Lack of access to credit precludes smallholder farmers from making investment that generates greater level of income, consumption and wealth. To reverse this limit, Oromia Credit and Saving Share Company has been providing microcredit for rural households for the last two decades in the study area. Yet, there is limited knowledge on the impact of this microcredit service on rural household food security in Jimma zone. Therefore, this research aims at generating location-specific data on the impact of microcredit utilization on household food security in the study area. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 360 sample households. Data were generated through household survey, focus group discussion and key informant interview. Both descriptive and econometric data analysis techniques (binary logit model and Propensity score matching) were used.

Results

The results reveal that educational level, family size; land size and non/off-farm income of the households influenced microcredit utilization positively, whereas livestock ownership and farm income negatively influenced it. The analysis of food security status indicate that large proportion of households are food secure. The Propensity score matching result expose that microcredit utilization has generated a positive and significant impact on household food security.

Conclusions

Efforts towards scaling out services of microcredit institutions should target improving financial literacy of the rural poor and their current financial need on the basis of other resources such as land and livestock they owned with the ultimate goal of ensuring household food security. It is also imperative to realize the labour force capacity of the households in the process of expanding credit service.
The effect of different soft-tissue management techniques for alveolar ridge preservation: a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Papace Colline , Büsch Christopher , Ristow Oliver , Keweloh Martin , Hoffmann Jürgen , Mertens Christian
Published: November 2021

Purpose

For alveolar ridge preservation, various treatment protocols have been described. While most studies focus on the effect of the bone graft material, the aim of this study was to analyze the influence of different soft-tissue management techniques on the soft and hard tissue.

Methods

A total of 20 maxillary extraction sockets were grafted with an anorganic xenogenic bone graft and then randomly treated with either a combined epithelialized-subepithelial connective tissue graft (CECG) or a porcine collagen matrix (CM) placed in labial and palatal tunnels. Measurements of soft-tissue thickness were performed at tooth extraction (T0), implant insertion (T1) and second stage surgery (T2).

Results

In the CECG group, gingival thickness was 1.18 ± 0.56 mm (T0), 1.29 ± 0.26 mm (T1) and 1.2 ± 0.32 mm (T3). In the CM group, the measurements were 1.24 ± 0.50 mm (T0), 1.6 ± 0.6 mm (T1) and 1.7 ± 1.06 mm. Thus, there was an overall increase in gingival thickness from T0 to T2 of 0.02 ± 0.66 mm (CECG) compared to 0.46 ± 0.89 mm (CM). The thickness of keratinized soft-tissue was 3.91 ± 1.11 mm (CECG) and 4.76 ± 1.48 mm (CM) before extraction and 3.93 ± 1.17 mm (CECG) and 4.22 mm ± 1.26 mm (CM) at implant follow-up. Mean peri-implant probing depths were 3.15 ± 1.39 mm (CECG) and 3.41 ± 0.99 mm (CM).

Conclusions

After ridge preservation, comparable soft-tissue parameters were observed in both groups, whether treated with a collagen matrix or a combined autologous connective tissue graft.
Transparency of peer review: a semi-structured interview study with chief editors from social sciences and humanities
Authors: Karhulahti Veli-Matti , Backe Hans-Joachim
Published: November 2021

Background

Open peer review practices are increasing in medicine and life sciences, but in social sciences and humanities (SSH) they are still rare. We aimed to map out how editors of respected SSH journals perceive open peer review, how they balance policy, ethics, and pragmatism in the review processes they oversee, and how they view their own power in the process.

Methods

We conducted 12 pre-registered semi-structured interviews with editors of respected SSH journals. Interviews consisted of 21 questions and lasted an average of 67 min. Interviews were transcribed, descriptively coded, and organized into code families.

Results

SSH editors saw anonymized peer review benefits to outweigh those of open peer review. They considered anonymized peer review the “gold standard” that authors and editors are expected to follow to respect institutional policies; moreover, anonymized review was also perceived as ethically superior due to the protection it provides, and more pragmatic due to eased seeking of reviewers. Finally, editors acknowledged their power in the publication process and reported strategies for keeping their work as unbiased as possible.

Conclusions

Editors of SSH journals preferred the benefits of anonymized peer review over open peer and acknowledged the power they hold in the publication process during which authors are almost completely disclosed to editorial bodies. We recommend journals to communicate the transparency elements of their manuscript review processes by listing all bodies who contributed to the decision on every review stage.
System bias correction of short-term hub-height wind forecasts using the Kalman filter
Authors: Xu Jingjing , Xiao Ziniu , Lin Zhaohui , Li Ming
Published: November 2021

Wind energy is a fluctuating source for power systems, which poses challenges to grid planning for the wind power industry. To improve the short-term wind forecasts at turbine height, the bias correction approach Kalman filter (KF) is applied to 72-h wind speed forecasts from the WRF model in Zhangbei wind farm for a period over two years. The KF approach shows a remarkable ability in improving the raw forecasts by decreasing the root-mean-square error by 16% from 3.58 to 3.01 m s−1, the mean absolute error by 14% from 2.71 to 2.34 m s−1, the bias from 0.22 to − 0.19 m s−1, and improving the correlation from 0.58 to 0.66. The KF significantly reduces random errors of the model, showing the capability to deal with the forecast errors associated with physical processes which cannot be accurately handled by the numerical model. In addition, the improvement of the bias correction is larger for wind speeds sensitive to wind power generation. So the KF approach is suitable for short-term wind power prediction.
Assessing the role of short-term weather forecasts in fire manager tactical decision-making: a choice experiment
Authors: Rapp Claire E. , Wilson Robyn S. , Toman Eric L. , Jolly W. Matt
Published: November 2021

Background

Weather plays an integral role in fire management due to the direct and indirect effects it has on fire behavior. However, fire managers may not use all information available to them during the decision-making process, instead utilizing mental shortcuts that can bias decision-making. Thus, it is important to evaluate if (and how) fire managers use information like weather forecasts when making tactical decisions. We explore USDA Forest Service fire manager confidence in relative humidity, precipitation, and wind models. We then use a choice experiment where key weather attributes were varied to explore how sensitive fire managers were to changes in specific weather variables when choosing to directly or indirectly attack a fire that is transitioning to extended attack.

Results

Respondents were less confident in the accuracy of wind and precipitation forecasts than relative humidity or weather forecasts more generally. The influence of weather information on the decision depended on the framing used in the choice experiment; specifically, whether respondents were told the initial strategy had been to directly or indirectly attack the fire. Across conditions, fire managers generally preferred to indirectly attack the fire. Decisions about the tactics to apply going forward were more sensitive to time in season when the fire was occurring and wind and precipitation forecasts than to other attributes.

Conclusions

The results have implications for the design of decision support tools developed to support fire management. Results suggest how fire managers’ use of fire weather information to evaluate forecast conditions and adjust future management decisions may vary depending on the management decision already in place. If fire weather-based decision support tools are to support the use of the best available information to make fire management decisions, careful attention may be needed to debias any effect of prior decisions. For example, decision support tools may encourage users to “consider the opposite,” i.e., consider if they would react differently if different initial decision with similar conditions were in place. The results also highlight the potential importance of either improving wind and precipitation forecast models or improving confidence in existing models.
Mediating role of avoidance of trauma disclosure and social disapproval in ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder: cross-sectional study in a Lithuanian clinical sample
Authors: Kvedaraite Monika , Gelezelyte Odeta , Karatzias Thanos , Roberts Neil P. , Kazlauskas Evaldas
Published: November 2021

Background

ICD-11 includes a new diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), resulting predominantly from reoccurring or prolonged trauma. Previous studies showed that lack of social support is among the strongest predictors of PTSD, but social factors have been sparsely studied in the context of the ICD-11 definition of PTSD and CPTSD.

Aims

To analyse the factor structure of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) in a Lithuanian clinical sample and to evaluate the mediating role of social and interpersonal factors in the relationship between trauma exposure and ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD.

Method

The sample comprised 280 adults from out-patient mental health centres (age, years: mean 39.48 (s.d. = 13.35); 77.5% female). Trauma-related stress symptoms were measured with the ITQ. Social disapproval was measured with the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire (SAQ) and trauma disclosure using the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ).

Results

ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD prevalence among the participants in this study was 13.9% and 10.0% respectively. Results indicated that avoidance of trauma disclosure mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD as well as CPTSD, whereas social disapproval mediated only the relationship between trauma exposure and CPTSD.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that disclosure of traumatic experiences and support from closest friends and family members might mitigate the effects of traumatic experiences, potentially reducing the risk of developing CPTSD.
“An Indigenous Sovereignty of the Imagination”: Reenvisioning the Great Australian Novel in Alexis Wright'sCarpentaria
Authors: Shek-Noble Liz
Published: November 2021

Alexis Wright's second novel, Carpentaria, received critical acclaim upon its publication by Giramondo in 2006. As the recipient of the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2007, Carpentaria cemented Wright's position as the country's foremost Indigenous novelist. This article places Carpentaria within contemporary discussions of “big, ambitious novels” by contemporary women novelists by examining the ways the novel simultaneously invites and resists its inclusion into an established canon of “great Australian novels” (GANs). While critics have been quick to celebrate the formal innovations of Carpentaria as what makes it worthy of GAN status, the novel nevertheless opposes the integrationist and homogenizing myths that accompany canonization. Therefore, the article finds that Wright's vision of a future Australia involves moments of antagonism and mutual understanding between white settler and Indigenous communities. This article uses the work of Homi Bhabha to argue that Carpentaria demonstrates the emergence of a third space wherein negotiation between these two cultures produces knowledge that is “new, neither the one nor the other.” In so doing, Wright shows the resilience of Indigenous knowledge even as it is subject to transformation upon contact with contradictory ideological and epistemological frameworks.
Madeleine Thien's Chinese Encyclopedia: Facts, Musics, Sympathies
Authors: Delazari Ivan
Published: November 2021

This article explores the “encyclopedic” properties of Madeleine Thien's Do Not Say We Have Nothing (2016), seeking to define the novel as inherently comparative—that is, providing, in Edward Said's words, “a comparative or, better, a contrapuntal perspective” on the world with no need for a second counterpart text to draw cross-literary parallels. Written from a transpacific narratorial stance of a millennial Vancouver-based daughter of Chinese immigrants, the narrative communicates her secondhand knowledge about the traumatic twentieth-century history of the People's Republic of China, accumulated in multiple alternating substories of ordinary individuals’ “practical past” as opposed to official historiography. The article likens Thien's patchwork storytelling to Jorge Luis Borges's apocryphal “Chinese” encyclopedia and novel, to the premodern equation between language and reality discussed in Michel Foucault's “archaeology of knowledge,” to classical Chinese novels as described by Goethe and Franco Moretti, and to J. S. Bach's polyphonic layout of the Goldberg Variations. Constructing sympathetic networks of music and literature, Do Not Say We Have Nothing facilitates readerly immersion, yet its fictional storyworld may not feel universally plausible. Sharing its writer's experience of teaching Thien in Hong Kong, the article suggests that a critique of the novel's Western, nearly Orientalist standpoint with respect to sensitive issues of recent Chinese history does not dismiss the contrapuntal outlook Thien's readers are invited to adopt beyond their experiential backgrounds. Reading Thien, one learns to hear the world's polyphony. That, and not a comprehensive multitude of facts summarizing a national mentality and coherent knowledge about the world, makes Do Not Say We Have Nothing encyclopedic.
The Mom and the Many: Animal Subplots and Vulnerable Characters in Ducks, Newburyport
Authors: De Bruyn Ben
Published: November 2021

This article examines Lucy Ellmann's encyclopedic novel Ducks, Newburyport (2019) in the context of debates on modernist legacies, animal characters, and climate fiction. It pays particular attention to the text's signature strategy of including anecdotes about nonhuman creatures exposed to distinct forms of violence, anecdotes that reveal the concerns of the human narrator and her daughter but also highlight other animals, their unfamiliar phenomenologies, and their cautious cross-species partnerships. More specifically, the article tracks individual animals across the novel's pages and reconstructs their semiautonomous subplots as they unfold in a world characterized by animal cruelty, species extinction, and industrial labor. By forcing us to consider the perspectives of creatures like Jim, Mishipeshu, Audrey, and Gracia, Ellmann's narrative reminds us that the climate emergency does not just destabilize a shared geological environment but also endangers multiple and heterogeneous biological worlds.
Neural basis of acoustic species recognition in a cryptic species complex
Authors: Gupta Saumya , Alluri Rishi K. , Rose Gary J. , Bee Mark A.
Published: November 2021

Sexual traits that promote species recognition are important drivers of reproductive isolation, especially among closely related species. Identifying neural processes that shape species differences in recognition is crucial for understanding the causal mechanisms of reproductive isolation. Temporal patterns are salient features of sexual signals that are widely used in species recognition by several taxa, including anurans. Recent advances in our understanding of temporal processing by the anuran auditory system provide an opportunity to investigate the neural basis of species-specific recognition. The anuran inferior colliculus consists of neurons that are selective for temporal features of calls. Of potential relevance are auditory neurons known as interval-counting neurons (ICNs) that are often selective for the pulse rate of conspecific advertisement calls. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ICNs mediate acoustic species recognition by exploiting the known differences in temporal selectivity in two cryptic species of gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis and Hyla versicolor). We examined the extent to which the threshold number of pulses required to elicit behavioral responses from females and neural responses from ICNs was similar within each species but potentially different between the two species. In support of our hypothesis, we found that a species difference in behavioral pulse number thresholds closely matched the species difference in neural pulse number thresholds. However, this relationship held only for ICNs that exhibited band-pass tuning for conspecific pulse rates. Together, these findings suggest that differences in temporal processing of a subset of ICNs provide a mechanistic explanation for reproductive isolation between two cryptic treefrog species.