bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Citizenship Violence and the Afterlives of Dutch Colonialism
Authors: Jones Guno
Published: June 2023

Through a close reading of Anton de Kom’s Wij slaven van Suriname (We Slaves of Suriname), this essay explores the complex legal, symbolic, social, and political lives of differentially positioned humans in the Dutch colonial and postindependent context. Firstly, De Kom’s 1934 book reveals the fundamental dualism between legal subjects and rightless bodies in the Dutch colonial context and how European law and the rights of citizens enabled the maximum exploitation of colonized and enslaved bodies. Contrary to universalist-inclusive and progressive notions of legal citizenship and the law, the concept of what the author terms “citizenship violence” seems appropriate to appreciate the dynamics revealed in Wij slaven. However, as De Kom demonstrates, the colonized were not passive subjects; they resisted citizenship violence in multiple ways. Secondly, in discussing the racialization of citizenship and belonging in contemporary Dutch society as part of broader European patterns, the essay highlights some ominous colonial afterlives.
Economic policy in DSGE models
Authors: Κανιγαρίδης Νικόλαος
Published: June 2023

H διδακτορική αυτή εργασία αφορά τον ρόλο της χρηματοοικονομικών τριβών και των αλληλεπιδράσεων δημοσιονομικής και νομισματικής πολιτικής σε ένα μοντέλο DSGE. Το Κεφάλαιο 2 παρουσιάζει το μοντέλο DSGE, που χαρακτηρίζεται από χρηματοοικονομικές τριβες τύπου Gertler-Karadi και μη στρεβλωτικής δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής. Το Κεφάλαιο 3 εισάγει το μοντέλο με στρεβλωτική δημοσιονομική πολιτική και παρουσιάζει ορισμένα αποτελέσματα που σχετίζονται με την περιοχή προσδιορισμού του μοντέλου. Το Κεφάλαιο 4 δείχνει πώς η χρηματοοικονομική τριβή επηρεάζει τον μηχανισμό μετάδοσης διαφόρων σοκ στα δύο καθεστώτα δημοσιονομικής-νομισματικής πολιτικής. Στο Κεφάλαιο 5 αναλύεται ο ρόλος των αλληλεπιδράσεων δημοσιονομικής και νομισματικής πολιτικής στη μετάδοση διαφόρων σοκ. Αυτή η ανάλυση περιλαμβάνει τόσο το ρόλο των συντελεστών δημοσιονομικών και νομισματικών κανόνων όσο και συγκρίσεις μεταξύ των δύο διακριτών καθεστώτων νομισματικής-δημοσιονομικής πολιτικής.
The West Africa Lassa fever Consortium pre-positioned protocol for a Phase II/III adaptive, randomised, controlled, platform trial to evaluate multiple Lassa fever therapeutics
Authors: Bourner Josephine , Salam Alex Paddy , Jaspard Marie , Olayinka Adebola , Fritzell Camille , Goncalves Bronner , Vaillant Michel , Edwards Tansy , Erameh Cyril , Ajayi Nnennaya , Ramharter Michael , Olliaro Piero ,   The WALC Work Package 2 Working Group
Published: June 2023

Background: This is a standardized, pre-positioned protocol for the coordinated evaluation of Lassa fever therapeutics. The protocol is the product of discussions that took place in 2021 and 2022 among international investigators from a wide range of scientific and medical disciplines working together within the West Africa Lassa fever Consortium (WALC).

Methods: This is a clinical Phase II/III multicentre randomised controlled platform trial using a superiority framework with an equal allocation ratio and a composite primary endpoint of all-cause mortality OR new onset of i) acute kidney failure (AKF), OR ii) acute respiratory failure (ARF), OR iii) shock assessed from enrolment (D0) to D28.

Discussion: This pre-positioned protocol was developed by the WALC and made available for adaptation and implementation by the wider Lassa fever research community in order to generate efficient, reliable, and comparable evidence for Lassa fever therapeutics.
Governance of research involving people with psychosocial disabilities
Authors: Wickremsinhe Marisha , Carrecedo Sarah , Yakubu Aminu , Yusof Aimi Nadia Mohd , Kaur Sharon
Published: June 2023

Health-related research with human participants is governed by research ethics regulations in most jurisdictions. Globally, the 2016 International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research Involving Humans, published by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), are especially influential and widely held as an international standard. The CIOMS guidelines support the inclusion of people with psychosocial disabilities in research and offer clear guidance to promote their recruitment, including by outlining provisions for substitute decision-making. The CIOMS guidelines sit alongside the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Adopted in 2006 and ratified in 2008, the CRPD offers a robust framework for recognizing the rights of persons with disabilities, including individuals with psychosocial disabilities. Though the CRPD does not explicitly reference research inclusion, its core principles—especially pertaining to the right to universal legal capacity—have clear implications for research ethics governance, specifically with respect to the use of substitute decision-making for research participation. In this paper, we review the extent to which existing research ethics regulations across selected jurisdictions concord with each of these two frameworks, offering first a broad analysis of regulations across 26 African countries, and then exploring two country-specific case studies from Malaysia and Peru. We find that, while many countries’ research ethics regulations align with key aspects of the CIOMS guidelines, core principles of the CRPD are absent. Given the shortcomings of existing regulations, we analyse a key point of tension between CIOMS and the CRPD—the right to participate in research—and offer a proposal for revised regulations that aims to bridge this tension and meet the standards of both frameworks.
Determinants of sleep disturbances in chronically-ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Łuc Mateusz , Pawłowski Marcin , Fila-Pawłowska Karolina , Kamińska Dorota , Poznański Paweł Ireneusz , Rymaszewska Julia Ewa , Krajewski Piotr , Szcześniak Dorota , Rymaszewska Joanna
Published: June 2023

Aim of the study

Rapid emergence and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 significantly impacted mental health. Restrictions, lockdowns and quarantines issued during the wait for vaccines resulted in additional psychological distress in most populations. We aim to describe the impact of perceived stress related to the pandemic and sociodemographic determinants on sleep disturbances in the population of patients with chronic medical conditions, such as psoriasis, kidney transplant recipients and undergoing dialysis.

Subject or material and methods

During the cross-sectional survey conducted between May and October 2020, we enrolled 270 patients with three different chronic medical conditions. Study sample was examined regarding the reported sleep complaints (Insomnia Severity Index), occurrence of psychopathological symptoms (General Health Questionnaire 28) and their perceived levels of stress related to pandemic (Perceived Stress Scale).

Results

We observed 25,2% prevalence of ISI scores indicative of clinical insomnia in the group of chronically-ill patients during the first phase of the pandemic. ISI scores were found to be strongly correlated with GHQ28 and moderately correlated with PSS-10 scores. The profiles of reported complaints varied significantly between groups.

Discussion

There are varied outcomes related to sleep disturbances measured with ISI in the general population depending on the country and phase of pandemic with most of them ranging from 11.5 to 20% .

Conclusions

Findings of our study suggest that population of patients with chronic conditions, with special emphasis on those who have a simultaneous history of psychiatric or psychological treatment, requires additional attention in order to objectivize and maintain sleep disorders during occurrence of severe stress conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Young Lady in Pink. New Light on the Life and Afterlife of an Ancient Portrait
Authors: Daal Jan M. van , Oppen de Ruiter Branko F. van
Published: June 2023

A Roman-Egyptian mummy portrait of a young woman in a pink tunic is part of the Allard Pierson collection in Amsterdam. The portrait is well-known and a key piece of the collection, but has received little scholarly attention so far. The life and the afterlife of the portrait are therefore poorly understood. The authors approach the portrait from different perspectives: its provenance and acquisition, the artist’s materials and techniques, the dating conventions surrounding mummy portraits and their cultural context. The authors advocate for this in-depth multidisciplinary approach primarily because it spotlights specific areas in mummy portraits (in this case, the pearl earrings) where iconography, materials and techniques and ancient socio-economic developments converge. Provenance research proved important not only for securing the object’s bona fide acquisition, but also for tracing its second-life biography. These converging perspectives effectively cast light on research areas where more work remains desirable. In lieu of secure documentation of the archaeological findspot (which is the case with most mummy portraits) this approach is a powerful tool to nonetheless compose histories that help to understand the meaning of mummy portraits in the past and in the present and provide a durable framework for future research.
The Foundation Scene on Roman Colonial Coins from the Near East in the 3rd Century CE
Authors: Jellonek Szymon
Published: June 2023

One of the most common iconographic motifs of Roman colonial coinage is the ‘foundation scene’. Colonies modelled on Rome were established according to the aratrum ritual, in imitation of the manner in which, according to myths, Romulus founded Rome. Veteran colonies, established between the 1st century BCE and the 2nd century CE, gladly exploited that motif to commemorate the colonial foundation and to manifest their bond with Rome. However, colonies set up under Septimius Severus and later were considered as purely titular foundations. Nevertheless, they also occasionally presented the foundation scene on civic coins. If they were not colonists, the question arises as to the message that such coins conveyed. In this paper, the author makes an attempt to examine the foundation scene on Roman colonial coins from the Near East in the 3rd century CE. The concepts of veteran and titular colonies are contrasted. It is a noteworthy that while the colonies in northern Syria and Mesopotamia (except Rhesaena) never introduced the foundation scene on their coinages, the southern colonies (except Philippopolis) proudly manifested their connections with Rome. Eventually, the foundation scene disappeared from colonial coins of the Near East in the mid-3rd century.
Assortment Optimization for a Multistage Choice Model
Authors: Xu Yunzong , Wang Zizhuo
Published: June 2023

Problem definition: Motivated by several practical selling scenarios that require previous purchases to unlock future options, we consider a multistage assortment optimization problem, where the seller makes sequential assortment decisions with commitment and the customer makes sequential choices to maximize her expected utility. Methodology/results: We start with the two-stage problem and formulate it as a dynamic combinatorial optimization problem. We show that this problem is polynomial-time solvable when the customer is fully myopic or fully forward-looking. In particular, when the customer is fully forward-looking, the optimal policy entails that the assortment in each stage is revenue-ordered, and a product with higher revenue always leads to a wider range of future options. Moreover, we find that the optimal assortment in the first stage must be smaller than the optimal assortment when there is no second stage and the optimal assortment in the second stage must be larger than the optimal assortment when there is no first stage. When the customer is partially forward-looking, we show that the problem is NP-hard in general. In this case, we establish the polynomial-time solvability under certain conditions. In addition, we propose a 2-approximation algorithm in the general setting. We further extend these results to the multistage problem with an arbitrary number of stages, for which we derive generalized structural properties and efficient algorithms. Managerial implications: Firms can benefit from our study and improve their sequential assortment strategies when their interaction with each customer consists of multiple stages.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China [Grant 72150002] and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mathematical Foundations for Artificial Intelligence.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.1224 .
Analysing the ‘follow the science’ rhetoric of government responses to COVID-19
Authors: MacAulay Margaret , Fafard Patrick , Cassola Adèle , Palkovits Michèle
Published: June 2023

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many leaders claimed that their public health policy decisions were ‘following the science’; however, the literature on evidence-based policy problematises the idea that this is a realistic or desirable form of governance. This article examines why leaders make such claims using Christopher Hood’s (2011) blame avoidance theory. Based on a qualitative content analysis of two national newspapers in each of Australia, Canada and the UK, we gathered and focused on unique moments when leaders claimed to ‘follow the science’ in the first six months of the pandemic. We applied Hood’s theory to identify the types of blame avoidance strategies used for issues such as mass event cancellation, border closures, face masks, and in-person learning. Politicians most commonly used ‘follow the science’ to deflect blame onto processes and people. When leaders’ claims to ‘follow the science’ confuse the public as to who chooses and who should be held accountable for those decisions, this slogan risks undermining trust in science, scientific advisors, and, at its most extreme, representative government. This article addresses a gap in the literature on blame avoidance and the relationship between scientific evidence and public policy by demonstrating how governments’ claims to ‘follow the science’ mitigated blame by abdicating responsibility, thus risking undermining the use of scientific advice in policymaking.
In the business of gendered violence: the private shelter discourse in Sweden
Authors: Lauri Marcus , Lauri Johanna
Published: June 2023

For-profit companies have begun competing with women’s shelters for ‘clients’ trying to escape violence. Using discourse theory, this study examines how 20 private shelters describe their business. The analysis shows that private shelters describe themselves as: (1) having a broad expertise and target group: (2) being able to tend to the individual needs of any client; and (3) being highly available and flexible. We understand this as an expression of a neoliberal market discourse and as a way to differentiate themselves from women’s shelters. This may put pressure on women’s shelters to provide similar ‘inclusion’, availability and flexibility. Furthermore: (4) private shelters contribute to shaping a desirable neoliberal subject, that is, a self-reliant woman; and (5), by articulating needs as individual and inherently mundane, they lean more towards ‘providing accommodation’ than addressing the particularities of (gendered) violence.
Dialectic icons: controversial public figures as emotional catalysts in contentious political discourse
Authors: Bittner Vanessa K.
Published: June 2023

This article introduces the concept of dialectic icons: public figures who feature in contentious and polarising political discourse. The inflammatory quality of dialectic icons and their role as highly mediated symbols of conflict creates long-lasting emotional energy among audiences, who cluster in ideological camps as a response. However, these audiences can also actively and directly engage in and shape these discourses, particularly through social media. Examples of the public discourse about quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protests illustrate how the controversiality, newsworthiness, interactivity and visibility of dialectic icons ultimately contribute to social polarisation. By focusing on dialectic icons as proxy battlegrounds for public audiences, this article establishes a useful concept for gaining fresh insights into collective meaning- and truth-making processes.
POF Smart Pants: a fully portable optical fiber-integrated smart textile for remote monitoring of lower limb biomechanics
Authors: Avellar Leticia , Frizera Anselmo , Leal-Junior Arnaldo
Published: June 2023

This paper presents the development of an optical fiber-integrated smart textile used as an instrumented pants for biomechanical and activity recognition. The optical fiber sensor is based on the multiplexed intensity variation technique in which a side coupling between a polymer optical fiber (POF) and light sources with controlled modulation is developed. In addition, the sensor system is integrated into pants, where two POFs with 30 sensors each are placed on the left and right legs of the proposed POF Smart Pants. After the device’s fabrication and assembly, the 60 optical fiber sensors are characterized as a function of the transverse displacement on the sensor’s region. In this case, each sensor presented its sensitivities (108.03 ± 100 mV/mm), which are used on the sensor normalization prior to the data analysis. Then, the tests with volunteer performing different daily activities indicated the suitability of the proposed device on the assessment of biomechanics of human movement in different activities as well as the spatio-temporal parameters of the gait in different velocity conditions. For activity recognition, a neural network is applied and presented 100% accuracy on the activity recognition. Then, to provide an optimization of the number of sensors, the principal components analysis is applied and indicated a threefold reduction of the number of sensors with an accuracy of 99%. Thus, the proposed POF Smart Pants is a feasible alternative for a low-cost and highly reliable sensor system for remote monitoring of different patients, with the possibility of customizing the device for different users.
Nonlinear optical phase shift in blood plasmas for neoplasia diagnosis
Authors: Hoque Md. Enamul , Biswas Manash Kanti , Hossain Md. Maruf , Bhattacharja Susmita , Hasan Khan Md. Enamul , Sharafuddin Sharif Md. , Das Susanta Kumar , Haque Yasmeen
Published: June 2023

Detecting cancer at an early stage is crucial for timely treatment and better chances of survival. This research focuses on a scanning method for detecting cancer by examining the nonlinear optical characteristics of blood plasma samples. The study used both cancerous and noncancerous plasma samples and presented the results statistically by utilizing an incident laser power-dependent nonlinear optical phase shift variable called ζ in the Z-scan technique. The results showed a clear difference between the cancerous and non-cancerous samples with an accuracy of 92%. Furthermore, the study suggests the potential for measuring the cancer staging from the cancerous plasma. The study also confirmed a significant difference in ζ for plasma samples undergoing chemotherapy. A red laser with high power (above 18mW) was used to avoid the involvement of fluorophores or other chemical reagents in the plasma samples during the measurement.
Low-loss multi-mode anti-resonant hollow-core fibers
Authors: Wu Dakun , Yu Fei , Wu Cheng , Zhao Meng , Zheng Jinhu , Hu Lili , Knight Jonathan
Published: June 2023

In this work, multi-mode anti-resonant hollow-core fiber (AR-HCF) with 18 fan-shaped resonators is fabricated and characterized. The ratio of core diameter over transmitted wavelengths in the lowest transmission band is up to 85. The measured attenuation at 1 µm wavelength is below 0.1 dB/m and the bend loss below 0.2 dB/m at a bend radius smaller than 8 cm. Modal content of the multi-mode AR-HCF is characterized using the S2 imaging technique and seven LP-like modes in total are identified using a 23.6 meter fiber length. Multi-mode AR-HCFs for longer wavelengths are fabricated by scaling up the same design, extending the transmission window beyond 4 µm wavelength. Low-loss multi-mode AR-HCF could find applications in the delivery of high-power laser light with a medium beam quality, where higher coupling efficiency and laser damage threshold are expected.
Using medicare claims to estimate risk-adjusted performance of Pennsylvania trauma centers
Authors: Zebrowski Alexis M. , Loher Phillipe , Buckler David G. , Rigoutsos Isidore , Carr Brendan G. , Wiebe Douglas J.
Published: June 2023

Trauma centers use registry data to benchmark performance using a standardized risk adjustment model. Our objective was to utilize national claims to develop a risk adjustment model applicable across all hospitals, regardless of designation or registry participation. Patients from 2013–14 Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study (PTOS) registry data were probabilistically matched to Medicare claims using demographic and injury characteristics. Pairwise comparisons established facility linkages and matching was then repeated within facilities to link records. Registry models were estimated using GLM and compared with five claims-based LASSO models: demographics, clinical characteristics, diagnosis codes, procedures codes, and combined demographics/clinical characteristics. Area under the curve and correlation with registry model probability of death were calculated for each linked and out-of-sample cohort. From 29 facilities, a cohort comprising 16,418 patients were linked between datasets. Patients were similarly distributed: median age 82 (PTOS IQR: 74–87 vs. Medicare IQR: 75–88); non-white 6.2% (PTOS) vs. 5.8% (Medicare). The registry model AUC was 0.86 (0.84–0.87). Diagnosis and procedure codes models performed poorest. The demographics/clinical characteristics model achieved an AUC = 0.84 (0.83–0.86) and Spearman = 0.62 with registry data. Claims data can be leveraged to create models that accurately measure the performance of hospitals that treat trauma patients.
A surge in respiratory syncytial virus infection-related hospitalizations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study at pediatric emergency referral hospitals in Tokushima Prefecture
Authors: Shichijo Koichi , Fukura Shoko , Takeuchi Shunsuke , Tayama Takahiro , Ono Akemi , Ichihara Yuko , Suga Kenichi , Sato Hiroki , Takechi Atsumi , Matsumoto Sonomi , Fujino Shuji , Taniguchi Takako , Takahashi Akiyoshi , Watanabe Tsutomu , Kondo Shuji
Published: June 2023

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulted in implementation of social distancing and other public health measures to control the spread of infection and improve prevention, resulting in a decrease in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pediatric respiratory tract infection rates. However, there was a rapid and large re-emergence of RSV infection in Japan. Notably, we were faced with a difficult situation wherein there was a shortage of hospital beds. This study aimed to examine the epidemiological patterns of RSV-related hospitalizations among children before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset at two pediatric emergency referral hospitals covering the entire Tokushima Prefecture. Data were extracted from electronic medical records of children hospitalized with RSV infection between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021. All patients meeting the eligibility criteria were included in this study. The rates of study outcomes were documented annually during 2018–2021 and compared between the 2018–2020 and 2021 periods. In 2020, there was no RSV infection outbreak. Hospitalizations at the peak week in 2021 were 2.2- and 2.8-fold higher than those in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Hospitalizations in 2021 were concentrated within a short period. In addition, there was a significant increase in hospitalizations among children aged 3–5 months and those older than 24 months. The high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) use rate nearly doubled in 2021. A new pandemic in the future may cause an outbreak of RSV infection that can result in an intensive increase in the number of hospitalizations of pediatric patients requiring respiratory support, especially in infants aged <6 months. There is an urgent need to improve the preparedness of medical systems, particularly in terms of the number of inpatient beds and the immediate availability of HFNC.
Silencing of the 20S proteasomal subunit-α6 triggers full oogenesis arrest and increased mRNA levels of the selective autophagy adaptor protein p62/SQSTM1 in the ovary of the vector Rhodnius prolixus
Authors: Faria-Reis Allana , Santos-Araújo Samara , Pereira Jéssica , Rios Thamara , Majerowicz David , Gondim Katia C. , Ramos Isabela
Published: June 2023

The high reproductive rates of insects contribute significantly to their ability to act as vectors of a variety of vector-borne diseases. Therefore, it is strategically critical to find molecular targets with biotechnological potential through the functional study of genes essential for insect reproduction. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is a vital degradative pathway that contributes to the maintenance of regular eukaryotic cell proteostasis. This mechanism involves the action of enzymes to covalently link ubiquitin to proteins that are meant to be delivered to the 26S proteasome and broken down. The 26S proteasome is a large protease complex (including the 20S and 19S subcomplexes) that binds, deubiquitylates, unfolds, and degrades its substrates. Here, we used bioinformatics to identify the genes that encode the seven α and β subunits of the 20S proteasome in the genome of R. prolixus and learned that those transcripts are accumulated into mature oocytes. To access proteasome function during oogenesis, we conducted RNAi functional tests employing one of the 20S proteasome subunits (Prosα6) as a tool to suppress 20S proteasomal activity. We found that Prosα6 silencing resulted in no changes in TAG buildup in the fat body and unaffected availability of yolk proteins in the hemolymph of vitellogenic females. Despite this, the silencing of Prosα6 culminated in the impairment of oocyte maturation at the early stages of oogenesis. Overall, we discovered that proteasome activity is especially important for the signals that initiate oogenesis in R. prolixus and discuss in what manner further investigations on the regulation of proteasome assembly and activity might contribute to the unraveling of oogenesis molecular mechanisms and oocyte maturation in this vector.
Environmental characterization of the estuarine zone of the Gulf of Montijo, province of Veraguas, Panama
Authors: García Ana Luisa , Araúz Diana , Martínez Eridna , Molino Jay
Published: June 2023

The study was performed in the Republic of Panama. Panama has a coastline of 2,988.3 km, of which 1,700.6 km corresponds to the Pacific coast. Most of the coast is flat, and several geomorphological features characterize the Panamanian coastal sector, such as the Gulf of Montijo, which is located towards the west of the Panamanian Pacific coast in the province of Veraguas. The Gulf is a remarkable ecosystem of mangroves well preserved and internationally recognized as a Ramsar area. It represents the buffer zone of Coiba Island (Coiba National Park). Sixteen sampling stations were established along the coast to analyze the vertical and spatial variability of physical and chemical parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity). The quality of unexposed marine sediment was evaluated in four samples from the western sector of the Gulf of Montijo. The marine sediment samples were collected with a Dietz-LaFond Snapper dredge, between 1.5 and 3.0 m depth. Physical and chemical observations and marine sediment sampling were carried out during high tide +4 to low tide +3, in negative syzygy phase tide. The analysis of the oceanographic conditions, especially the physical and chemical properties of the water along with the longitudinal profile, showed a conservative distribution increasing gradually towards the outer region in an approximately linear way due to the dilution and mixing processes, both in the surface layer and at the bottom, and a not very developed vertical gradient, with slight stratification. The results of heavy metal analyses in marine sediments report high cadmium concentrations along the west coast, with concentrations above the limit levels of the Canadian marine sediment quality guidelines. The study area requires continuous monitoring that is representative of seasonality (dry, intermediate, and rainy periods), including a more significant number of stations since it is evidence of an affectation of the environmental quality of the marine ecosystem due to possible anthropogenic activities.
Lumbar multifidus muscle morphology is associated with low back-related pain duration, disability, and leg pain: A cross-sectional study in secondary care
Authors: Cooley Jeffrey R. , Kjaer Per , Jensen Tue S. , Jacques Angela , Theroux Jean , Hebert Jeffrey J.
Published: June 2023

Background

Systematic reviews and studies exploring associations between morphologic change of paraspinal muscles and low back pain or related outcomes such as disability, radiculopathy, and physical workload, have reported conflicting results. This study explores the associations between lumbar multifidus muscle quality and clinical outcomes relating to low back pain.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of spinal clinic outpatients presenting with a primary complaint of low back and/or leg symptoms. Univariable and multivariable regression models were used to investigate associations between MRI-based multifidus muscle cross-sectional area at L4 and L5 and clinical outcomes for low back pain, leg pain, disability, restricted motion, and strenuous nature of work. Results were reported with β-coefficients, odds ratios (OR), or incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals, based on a 10% difference in muscle quality for each clinical variable. Multivariable analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and BMI.

Results

875 patients [487 females; mean (SD) age: 43.6 (10.2) years] were included. In the multivariable analyses, muscle quality was significantly associated with disability (0–23 scale) [β: -0.74, 95% CI: -1.14, -0.34], leg pain intensity (0–10 scale) [β: -0.25, 95% CI: -0.46, -0.03], and current pain duration of more than 12 months [OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.55]. No associations were found for low back pain intensity, morning stiffness, painful active range of motion, or work nature.

Conclusions

Patients with higher lumbar multifidus muscle quality reported lower levels of low back pain-related disability and leg pain intensity, indicating that muscle quality may play a role in the etiology of lumbar spine disorders. However, the clinical importance of these associations is uncertain due to the low magnitude of identified associations. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand the effect of lumbar multifidus muscle quality on lumbar-related pain and disability.
The role of uncertainty intolerance in adjusting to long-term physical health conditions: A systematic review
Authors: Gibson Benjamin , Rosser Benjamin A. , Schneider Jekaterina , Forshaw Mark J.
Published: June 2023

Long-term physical health conditions (LTPHCs) are associated with poorer psychological well-being, quality of life, and longevity. Additionally, individuals with LTPHCs report uncertainty in terms of condition aetiology, course, treatment, and ability to engage in life. An individual’s dispositional ability to tolerate uncertainty—or difficulty to endure the unknown—is termed intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and may play a pivotal role in their adjustment to a LTPHC. Consequently, the current review sought to investigate the relationship between IU and health-related outcomes, including physical symptoms, psychological ramifications, self-management, and treatment adherence in individuals with LTPHCs. A systematic search was conducted for papers published from inception until 27 May 2022 using the databases PsycINFO, PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL Plus, PsycARTICLES, and Web of Science. Thirty-one studies (N= 6,201) met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that higher levels of IU were associated with worse psychological well-being outcomes and poorer quality of life, though impacts on self-management were less clear. With the exception of one study (which looked at IU in children), no differences in IU were observed between patients and healthy controls. Although findings highlight the importance of investigating IU related to LTPHCs, the heterogeneity and limitations of the existing literature preclude definite conclusions. Future longitudinal and experimental research is required to investigate how IU interacts with additional psychological constructs and disease variables to predict individuals’ adjustment to living with a LTPHC.
A plausible identifiable model of the canonical NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Jaruszewicz-Błońska Joanna , Kosiuk Ilona , Prus Wiktor , Lipniacki Tomasz
Published: June 2023

An overwhelming majority of mathematical models of regulatory pathways, including the intensively studied NF-κB pathway, remains non-identifiable, meaning that their parameters may not be determined by existing data. The existing NF-κB models that are capable of reproducing experimental data contain non-identifiable parameters, whereas simplified models with a smaller number of parameters exhibit dynamics that differs from that observed in experiments. Here, we reduced an existing model of the canonical NF-κB pathway by decreasing the number of equations from 15 to 6. The reduced model retains two negative feedback loops mediated by IκBα and A20, and in response to both tonic and pulsatile TNF stimulation exhibits dynamics that closely follow that of the original model. We carried out the sensitivity-based linear analysis and Monte Carlo-based analysis to demonstrate that the resulting model is both structurally and practically identifiable given measurements of 5 model variables from a simple TNF stimulation protocol. The reduced model is capable of reproducing different types of responses that are characteristic to regulatory motifs controlled by negative feedback loops: nearly-perfect adaptation as well as damped and sustained oscillations. It can serve as a building block of more comprehensive models of the immune response and cancer, where NF-κB plays a decisive role. Our approach, although may not be automatically generalized, suggests that models of other regulatory pathways can be transformed to identifiable, while retaining their dynamical features.
Postoperative effects of laparoscopic Hartmann reversal: A multicenter propensity score matched study
Authors: Lee Kil-yong , Lee Jaeim , Oh Seong Taek , Lee Chul Seung , Kim Nam Suk , Song Ju Myung , Yoo Ri-Na , Choi Byung Jo
Published: June 2023

Background

Although the advantages of laparoscopic Hartmann reversal (LHR) compared to open Hartmann reversal (OHR) have been reported in the literature, the number of multicenter studies with good matching investigating this topic is rare. In the present study, we aimed to confirm the advantages of LHR in terms of short-term outcomes through propensity score matching of LHR and OHR groups, using data collected from multiple institutions.

Methods

Patients who underwent Hartmann reversal at six institutions under the Catholic Medical Center of the Catholic University of Korea between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2021, were included. The patients were divided into the LHR and OHR groups based on the technique used. The two groups were matched using propensity score matching (1:1 ratio, logistic regression with the nearest-neighbor method). The primary outcome was postoperative ileus (POI) frequency, and secondary outcomes were time to solid diet (days) and length of stay (days).

Results

Among 337 patients, propensity score matching was performed on 322, after excluding 15 who had undergone open conversion. Of these, 63 patients were assigned to each group through propensity score matching. There was no difference in the frequency of adhesiolysis (77.8% vs. 82.5%, p = 0.503) or the operation time. (210 (IQR 159–290) vs. 233 (IQR 160–280), p = 0.718) between the two groups. As the primary outcome, the LHR group showed significantly lower POI frequency than the OHR group. (4.8% vs. 22.2%, p = 0.0041) Regarding the secondary outcomes, the LHR group showed a shorter period to solid diet than the OHR group. The length of hospital stay was also significantly shorter in the LHR group (4 vs. 6, p < 0.0001; 9 vs. 12, p<0.0001).

Conclusion

LHR is an effective method to ensure faster recovery of patients after surgery compared to OHR.
Intraoperative intravenous low-dose esketamine improves quality of early recovery after laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer: A prospective, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Xu Ying , He Long , Liu Shaoxuan , Zhang Chaofan , Ai Yanqiu
Published: June 2023

Background

Esketamine has higher potency, stronger receptor affinity, a stronger analgesic effect, a higher in vivo clearance rate, and a lower incidence of adverse reactions when compared to ketamine. However, there have been few ketamine studies to assess patient-centered, overall recovery outcomes from the perspective of patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods

This was a prospective, randomized controlled trial. Ninety-two patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer were randomly assigned to either the esketamine (K group) or non-eskatamine (C group) group. After anesthesia induction, a loading dose of 0.25 mg/kg was administered, followed by continuous infusion at a rate of 0.12 mg.kg-1.h-1 until closure of surgical incisions in the K group. In the C group, an equivalent volume of normal saline was infused. The primary outcome was quality of recovery at 24 h after surgery, as measured by the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scale. The QoR-15 was evaluated at three timepoints: before (Tbefore), 24 h (T24h) and 72 h (T72h) after surgery.

Main results

A total of 88 patients completed this study. The total QoR-15 scores in K group (n = 45) were higher than in the C group (n = 43) at 24 h: 112.33 ± 8.79 vs. 103.93 ± 9.03 (P = 0.000) and at 72 h: 118.73 ± 7.82 vs. 114.79 ± 7.98 (P = 0.022). However, the differences between the two groups only had clinical significance at 24 h after surgery. Among the five dimensions of the QoR-15, physical comfort (P = 0.003), emotional state (P = 0.000), and physical independence (P = 0.000) were significantly higher at 24 h in the K group, and physical comfort (P = 0.048) was higher at 72 h in the K group.

Conclusions

This study found that intraoperative intravenous low-dose esketamine could improve the early postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer from the perspective of patients.
Comparison of intrinsic foot muscle morphology and isometric strength among runners with different strike patterns
Authors: Wei Zhen , Liao Jingjing , Hu Xiaomei , Li Pan , Wang Lin
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to compare the intrinsic foot muscle (IFM) morphology and isometric strength among runners with habitual rearfoot strike (RFS) and non-rearfoot strike (NRFS) patterns. A total of 70 recreational male runners were included in this study (32 RFS and 38 NRFS), an ultrasound device and hand-held dynamometry were used to measure IFM morphology and isometric strength. Results indicated that the RFS runners had significantly thicker tibialis anterior (P = 0.01, ES = 0.64, 95% CI [0.01–0.07]) in IFMs morphology and higher Toe2345 flexion strength in IFMs strength (P = 0.04, ES = 0.50, 95% CI [0.01–0.27]) than NRFS runners, the cross-sectional area of flexor digitorum brevis was positively correlated with T2345 flexion strength (r = 0.33, p = 0.04), T12345 (r = 0.37, p = 0.02) and Doming (r = 0.36, p = 0.03) for runners with NRFS. IFMs morphology and isometric strength were associated with foot strike pattern, preliminary findings provide new perspectives for NRFS runners through the simple measurement of IFMs morphological characteristics predicting IFMs strength, future studies could adopt IFMs training to compensate the muscle strength defects and prevent foot-related injuries.
The prediction of market-level food choices by the neural valuation signal
Authors: Kislov Andrew , Shestakova Anna , Ushakov Vadim , Martinez-Saito Mario , Beliaeva Valeria , Savelo Olga , Vasilchuk Aleksey , Klucharev Vasily
Published: June 2023

Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the ability to use the brain activity of a group of individuals to forecast the behavior of an independent group. In the current study, we attempted to forecast aggregate choices in a popular restaurant chain. During our functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, 22 participants were exposed to 78 photos of dishes from a new menu of a popular restaurant chain. In addition to self-reported preferences, fMRI data was extracted from an a priori domain-general and task-specific region of interest—the ventral striatum. We investigated the relationship between the neural activity and real one-year sales provided by the restaurant chain. Activity in the ventral striatum, which was defined using the task-specific region of interest, significantly correlated (r = 0.28, p = 0.01) with one-year sales. A regression analysis, which included ventral striatum activity together with the objective characteristics of the products (price and weight), behavioral, and survey data, showed R2 values of 0.33. Overall, our results confirm prior studies, which have suggested, that brain activity in the reward system of a relatively small number of individuals can forecast the aggregate choice of a larger independent group of people.
Preliminary Rasch analysis of the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness in adults with stroke
Authors: Blackwood Jena , Carpentier Sydney , Deng Wei , Van de Winckel Ann
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) measures interoceptive body awareness, which includes aspects such as attention regulation, self-regulation, and body listening. Our purpose was to perform a preliminary validation of the MAIA in adults with stroke using Rasch Measurement Theory.

Methods

The original MAIA has 32 items that measure interoceptive sensibility, which is an aspect of body awareness. We performed a preliminary analysis with Rasch Measurement Theory to evaluate the unidimensionality and structural validity of the scale. We investigated overall fit to assess unidimensionality, person and item fit, person separation reliability, targeting, local item dependence, and principal components analysis of residuals.

Results

Forty-one adults with chronic stroke (average 3.8 years post-stroke, 13 women, average age 57±13 years) participated in the study. Overall fit (χ2= 62.26, p = 0.26) and item fit were obtained after deleting 3 items and rescoring 26 items. One participant did not fit the model (2.44%). There were no floor (0.00%) or ceiling effects (0.00%). Local item dependence was found in 42 pairs. The person separation reliability was 0.91, and the person mean location was 0.06±1.12 logits.

Conclusions

The preliminary structural validity of the MAIA demonstrated good targeting and reliability, as well as unidimensionality, and good item and person fit in adults with chronic stroke. A study with a larger sample size is needed to validate our findings.
Design and synthesis of novel anti-urease imidazothiazole derivatives with promising antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Shahin Afnan I. , Zaib Sumera , Zaraei Seyed-Omar , Kedia Reena A. , Anbar Hanan S. , Younas Muhammad Tayyab , Al-Tel Taleb H. , Khoder Ghalia , El-Gamal Mohammed I.
Published: June 2023

Urease enzyme is a known therapeutic drug target for treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection due to its role in settlement and growth in gastric mucosa. In this study, we designed a new series of sulfonates and sulfamates bearing imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole scaffold that exhibit a potent inhibitory activity of urease enzyme. The most potent compound 2c inhibited urease with an IC50 value of 2.94 ± 0.05 μM, which is 8-fold more potent than the thiourea positive control (IC50 = 22.3 ± 0.031 μM). Enzyme kinetics study showed that compound 2c is a competitive inhibitor of urease. Molecular modeling studies of the most potent inhibitors in the urease active site suggested multiple binding interactions with different amino acid residues. Phenotypic screening of the developed compounds against H. pylori delivered molecules of that possess high potency (1a, 1d, 1h, 2d, and 2f) in comparison to the positive control, acetohydroxamic acid. Additional studies to investigate the selectivity of these compounds against AGS gastric cell line and E. coli were performed. Permeability of the most promising derivatives (1a, 1d, 1h, 2d, and 2f) in Caco-2 cell line, was investigated. As a result, compound 1d presented itself as a lead drug candidate since it exhibited a promising inhibition against urease with an IC50 of 3.09 ± 0.07 μM, MIC value against H. pylori of 0.031 ± 0.011 mM, and SI against AGS of 6.05. Interestingly, compound 1d did not show activity against urease-negative E. coli and exhibited a low permeability in Caco-2 cells which supports the potential use of this compound for GIT infection without systemic effect.
“How can you kiss and touch this child and show affection towards her? What kind of woman are you?”: Provider perspectives on stigma towards native and ethnic minority street-connected youth in the Republic of Georgia
Authors: Sadzaglishvili Shorena , Gotsiridze Teona , Lekishvili Ketevan , Flores Rey , Hereth Jane , Bouris Alida
Published: June 2023

The Republic of Georgia has experienced a rapid growth in the number of youth working and/or living on the street (YWLS). Although research indicates that YWLS are highly stigmatized, few studies have examined perceptions of stigma among Georgian social service providers who serve YWLS. We conducted in-person in-depth interviews with key informants recruited from governmental institutions and social service organizations in Tbilisi and Rustavi, two large urban areas. A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore provider perspectives on the social contexts surrounding the delivery of services to YWLS. Trained coders conducted a thematic analysis of the data in Dedoose. Twenty-two providers (68% female; 32% male) were interviewed, representing diverse professional roles. Providers perceived that YWLS are subjected to strong public stigma and social exclusion at multiple social-ecological levels, with Roma and Kurdish-Azeri youth experiencing the strongest levels of social hostility, discrimination, and exclusion. Providers perceive that these dynamics prevent YWLS from developing trusting relationships with social service, health and educational institutions. Furthermore, we find that providers report encounters with courtesy stigma, i.e., stigma directed towards the people who serve or are associated with a stigmatized group, when working with YWLS, especially those from ethnic minority groups, which they characterize as a stressor. At the same time, we find that some providers reported negative stereotypes about ethnic minority YWLS. While campaigns have targeted public awareness on the plight of YWLS, study findings suggest that additional efforts are needed to address stigma directed towards YWLS, with a specific need to address stigma directed towards ethnic minority young people who work and/or live on the street.