bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Round and flat zygomatic implants: effectiveness after a 1-year follow-up non-interventional study
Authors: Aparicio Carlos , Polido Waldemar D. , Chow James , Davó Rubén , Al-Nawas Bilal
Published: April 2022

Introduction

There are few zygomatic implants (ZI) designs available. The objective of this non-interventional study was to report the effectiveness of two new site-specific ZI, selected and placed following the zygoma anatomy-guided approach (ZAGA).

Materials and methods

Consecutive patients presenting indications for rehabilitation using ZI were treated according to ZAGA Concept recommendations. Implants were immediately loaded following the manufacturer’s instructions. Success criteria regarding prosthetic offset, rhino-sinus status, soft tissue condition, and implant stability were additionally used as outcome parameters.

Results

Twenty patients were followed for a period of 12 to 28 months (average 18.8 months). Ten received 2 ZI plus regular anterior implants; One received 3 ZI plus regular implants and nine received 4 ZI. In total, 59 ZI were placed, 34 (58%) Straumann ZAGA-Flat design, and 25 (42%) ZAGA-Round. Forty-nine percent of the sites were classified as ZAGA-4 type and 27% as ZAGA-2. Four patients (20%) presented discontinuities of the sinus–nose floor before surgery and 15 patients (75%) presented previous sinus opacities. All implants bar one reached more than 45 N.cm of insertion torque. No surgical complications were observed. After 1 year, the modified Lund–Mackay score was negative in 17 patients. Seventeen sites in 11 patients exhibited decreased opacity when pre-surgical imaging was compared to 1-year post-surgical CBCT. All implants and prostheses remained stable and in function.

Conclusions

The study concluded 100% implant/prosthesis survival rates and low complication levels. Within the limitations of the sample and observation period, results suggest that even in cases of extremely resorbed maxillae (as per cases in this study), ZAGA-Flat and ZAGA-Round ZI are viable treatment options when restoring atrophic maxillae following the ZAGA protocol.
Successful conversion surgery for stage IV gastric cancer with liver metastases after second-line chemotherapy with ramucirumab and paclitaxel: a case report
Authors: Fukuda Kosuke , Arigami Takaaki , Tokuda Koki , Yanagita Shigehiro , Matsushita Daisuke , Kawasaki Yota , Iino Satoshi , Sasaki Ken , Nakajo Akihiro , Kirishima Mari , Tanimoto Akihide , Tsubouchi Hitoshi , Kurahara Hiroshi , Ohtsuka Takao
Published: April 2022

Background

In recent years, conversion surgery after chemotherapy has been considered a promising strategy for improving the prognosis of patients with stage IV gastric cancer. However, there are few reports on conversion gastrectomy after second-line chemotherapy. Here, we report a case of long-term survival of a patient with liver metastases from gastric cancer who underwent conversion surgery after second-line chemotherapy with ramucirumab and paclitaxel.

Case presentation

A 77-year-old man complaining of weight loss was diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases. Although the patient initially received trastuzumab-based chemotherapy, it was discontinued, because he experienced trastuzumab-induced infusion reactions. Thereafter, he was treated with six courses of S-1 plus cisplatin and six courses of ramucirumab plus paclitaxel as the first- and second-line regimens, respectively. The primary tumor and liver metastases remarkably shrank, and the reduction rate of the measurable metastatic liver lesions was 81.1%. According to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, the patient responded partially. Therefore, he underwent total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and partial hepatectomy of segments 3 and 4. Pathological examination revealed tumor invasion into the muscularis propria, a grade 1a histological response, and no lymph node metastases. No viable cancer cells were identified in the specimens resected from liver segments 3 and 4. Accordingly, the patient was pathologically diagnosed with stage IB (ypT2N0M0). Postoperatively, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 for 6 months, and he survived without recurrence for 42 months after conversion surgery.

Conclusions

Conversion surgery might be clinically useful for improving survival in certain patients with gastric cancer, including those who previously received second-line chemotherapy.
The Training Characteristics of World-Class Distance Runners: An Integration of Scientific Literature and Results-Proven Practice
Authors: Haugen Thomas , Sandbakk Øyvind , Seiler Stephen , Tønnessen Espen
Published: April 2022

In this review we integrate the scientific literature and results-proven practice and outline a novel framework for understanding the training and development of elite long-distance performance. Herein, we describe how fundamental training characteristics and well-known training principles are applied. World-leading track runners (i.e., 5000 and 10,000 m) and marathon specialists participate in 9 ± 3 and 6 ± 2 (mean ± SD) annual competitions, respectively. The weekly running distance in the mid-preparation period is in the range 160–220 km for marathoners and 130–190 km for track runners. These differences are mainly explained by more running kilometers on each session for marathon runners. Both groups perform 11–14 sessions per week, and ≥ 80% of the total running volume is performed at low intensity throughout the training year. The training intensity distribution vary across mesocycles and differ between marathon and track runners, but common for both groups is that volume of race-pace running increases as the main competition approaches. The tapering process starts 7–10 days prior to the main competition. While the African runners live and train at high altitude (2000–2500 m above sea level) most of the year, most lowland athletes apply relatively long altitude camps during the preparation period. Overall, this review offers unique insights into the training characteristics of world-class distance runners by integrating scientific literature and results-proven practice, providing a point of departure for future studies related to the training and development in the Olympic long-distance events.
Clinical characteristics of renal transplant recipients who developed de novo donor-specific antigen in Kyoto University Hospital: a case series
Authors: Nakamura Kenji , Sawada Atsuro , Kita Yuki , Kono Jin , Masui Kimihiko , Sato Takuma , Sano Takeshi , Goto Takayuki , Akamatsu Shusuke , Ogawa Osamu , Kobayashi Takashi
Published: April 2022

Background

The clinical significance of de novo donor-specific antigen (DSA) in renal transplant recipients is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to report the prevalence of de novo DSA detected in antihuman leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibody testing and to evaluate the association between de novo DSA and renal transplant prognosis in living-donor renal transplant recipients at our hospital.

Methods

Of the 110 patients who underwent living-donor renal transplantation from 1980 to 2019, 80 patients who underwent anti-HLA antibody screening tests were retrospectively reviewed for the development of de novo DSA and outcomes regarding graft function.

Results

The mean age at transplantation was 43.2 ± 14.6 years. Of the 80 patients, 43 (53.8%) were men and 68 (85.0%) underwent ABO-compatible transplantation. Anti-HLA antibody was detected in 14 patients (17.5%), including eight (10.0%) with de novo DSA. Graft loss occurred in two (25%) of the eight patients with de novo DSA, none of the six patients with non-DSA anti-HLA antibody and no anti-HLA antibody (P = 0.0419, log-rank test). The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate at the time of the anti-HLA antibody test was 45.1 ± 14.4 mL/min/1.73m2 in the 66 patients with no anti-HLA antibody, while it was 35.0 ± 11.5 mL/min/1.73m2 in the eight patients with de novo DSA (P = 0.0702) and 39.3 ± 15.3 mL/min/1.73m2 in the six patients with non-DSA anti-HLA antibody (P = 0.3921). The mean monthly cyclosporin A trough concentration for the past year from the anti-HLA antibody test was 59.2 ± 24.8 ng/ml in the seven patients with no anti-HLA antibody, while it was 61.9 ± 12.5 ng/ml in the five patients with de novo DSA (P = 0.5670) and 36.3 ± 9.0 ng/ml in a patient with non-DSA anti-HLA antibody (P = 0.3921). The mean monthly tacrolimus trough concentration for the past year from the anti-HLA antibody test was 4.62 ± 1.20 ng/ml in the 55 patients with no anti-HLA antibody, while it was 4.09 ± 1.10 ng/ml in the three patients with de novo DSA (P = 0.0027) and 4.21 ± 1.14 ng/ml in the four patients with non-DSA anti-HLA antibody (P = 0.0722).

Conclusions

The optimal treatment for patients with de novo DSA has not been established, and immunosuppressive management that suppresses the development of de novo DSA is essential.
Imported malaria in adults: about a case of cerebral malaria
Authors: Ben Abderrahim Sarra , Gharsallaoui Sarra , Ben Daly Amal , Mosbahi Amal , Chaieb Selma , Nfikha Zeineb , Ismaïl Samar , Makni Chahnez , Mokni Moncef , Fathallah-Mili Akila , Jedidi Maher , Ben Dhiab Mohamed
Published: April 2022

Background

Malaria is the first parasitic infection endemic in the world caused by parasites species of Plasmodium. Cerebral malaria (CM) is a rapidly progressive and severe form of Plasmodium falciparum infection, characterized by a greater accumulation of red blood cells parasitized by Plasmodium falciparum in the brain. The diagnosis of malaria is usually made in living patients from a blood sample taken in the course of a fever on return from an endemic country, whereas CM, often associated with fatal outcomes even in treated subjects, is usually diagnosed at autopsy.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 36-year-old man who died a few days after returning from a business trip to the Ivory Coast. As a result of an unclear cause of death, a medicolegal autopsy was ordered. Autopsy findings revealed massive congestion and edema of the brain with no other macroscopic abnormalities at organ gross examination. Histology and laboratory tests were conducted revealing a Plasmodium falciparum infection, with numerous parasitized erythrocytes containing dots of hemozoin pigment (malaria pigment) in all examined brain sections and all other organs. Death was attributed to cerebral malaria with multiple organ failure.

Conclusions

This report summarizes several features for the diagnosis of malaria and how postmortem investigations, as well as histology and laboratory diagnosis, may lead to a retrospective diagnosis of a fatal complicated form with cerebral involvement.
Isolated pneumomediastinum in severe category COVID-19 patients admitted in ICU: a case series
Authors: Nazir Nazia , Saxena Anupriya
Published: April 2022

Background

Pneumomediastinum is a rare complication associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to other viral pneumonias. However, it has been on a rise in COVID-19 patients with severe disease.

Case presentation

We present three cases to highlight that isolated pneumomediastinum can complicate the course of illness in patients on non-invasive ventilation. In our case series, two COVID-19 diagnosed cases with no previous history of intubation developed pneumomediastinum. They were managed conservatively with a successful outcome. The third patient developed PM with subcutaneous emphysema post-intubation, although managed conservatively succumbed to the disease.

Conclusions

Clinicians need to be alert to the development of such a complication in the event of sudden onset dyspnoea with chest pain. Conservative management, with low pressure settings on the ventilator results in gradual improvement of patient.
Machine learning techniques for arrhythmic risk stratification: a review of the literature
Authors: Chung Cheuk To , Bazoukis George , Lee Sharen , Liu Ying , Liu Tong , Letsas Konstantinos P. , Armoundas Antonis A. , Tse Gary
Published: April 2022

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are significant adverse events that affect the morbidity and mortality of both the general population and patients with predisposing cardiovascular risk factors. Currently, conventional disease-specific scores are used for risk stratification purposes. However, these risk scores have several limitations, including variations among validation cohorts, the inclusion of a limited number of predictors while omitting important variables, as well as hidden relationships between predictors. Machine learning (ML) techniques are based on algorithms that describe intervariable relationships. Recent studies have implemented ML techniques to construct models for the prediction of fatal VAs. However, the application of ML study findings is limited by the absence of established frameworks for its implementation, in addition to clinicians’ unfamiliarity with ML techniques. This review, therefore, aims to provide an accessible and easy-to-understand summary of the existing evidence about the use of ML techniques in the prediction of VAs. Our findings suggest that ML algorithms improve arrhythmic prediction performance in different clinical settings. However, it should be emphasized that prospective studies comparing ML algorithms to conventional risk models are needed while a regulatory framework is required prior to their implementation in clinical practice.
Role of proton pump inhibitor in healing after choanal atresia repair: a randomized control trial
Authors: ElSalmawy Ahmed , Abdelfattah Gamal , Farag Tasneem , Farahat Ahmed
Published: April 2022

Background

Choanal atresia (CA), defined as the anatomical closure of the choanae in the nasal cavity, is relatively uncommon disease entity with an estimated incidence of 1:5000–7000 births. Post-operative restenosis remains a common complication of the endoscopic CA repair. Risk factors for restenosis include nasopharyngeal reflux and gastroesophageal reflux.

Results

Forty patients who underwent choanal atresia repair were divided randomly into 2 groups. Group A patients received postoperative PPI medication compared to group B patients who acted as control who underwent the same operation without receiving postoperative proton pump inhibitor medication.

Only 2 patients (10%) in group A experienced restenosis compared to 8 patients (40%) in the control group B.

Conclusion

The use of esomeprazole which is a proton pump inhibitor acting as an antireflux should be considered, in postoperative treatment, to decrease the rate of choanal restenosis by preventing inflammation on choanal mucosa which can enhance good healing mechanism.
Middle ear tumors rather than inflammatory and infective lesion: retrospective histopathological evaluation of eleven cases
Authors: Akyol Sevda , Saraydaroglu Ozlem , Ozmen Omer Afsin
Published: April 2022

Background

Middle ear tumors are a rare group of neoplasia due to their location. In this study, we analyzed our archives of the Department of Pathology for the middle ear tumor cases diagnosed between 2010 and 2019.

Results

Within the mentioned period, 591 cases were operated on for middle ear tumors. Eleven of these cases were diagnosed as middle ear tumors other than cholesteatoma. Considering the distribution of the cases according to histopathological diagnoses, 5 (45.4%) paragangliomas, 4 (36.3%) schwannomas, and 2 (18.2%) meningiomas were detected. No recurrence was observed in the clinical follow-up of the patients after excision.

Conclusions

Although tumors located in the middle ear, which generally cause similar clinical complaints, are rarely seen, the tissue should be evaluated histopathologically because it will affect the treatment and prognosis of the patients.
Introduction to this special section: The North Sea
Authors: MacBeth Colin , Mitchell Paul , Corzo Margarita
Published: April 2022

The North Sea is a shallow, northeastern arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The region is bounded by the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and France. The UK and Norwegian sectors, in particular, have experienced a long history of offshore oil and gas since production started in 1967. The UK and Norwegian sectors boast a high average oil recovery factor of 46% ( Shepherd, 2017 ). Key to the success of industry has been the consistent application of new technologies such as 3D seismic, horizontal drilling, 3D reservoir simulation, enhanced oil recovery, and 4D seismic, the lattermost of which, in particular, has experienced more than 30 years of application on the UK and Norwegian continental shelves. As companies embrace the energy transition and the United Kingdom and Norway set their net-zero targets toward 2050, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is growing as a key technology in promoting a low-carbon solution to boost the economic future for the region (alongside hydrogen, wind power, and tidal). Importantly, the recent North Sea Transition Deal ( OGUK, 2021 ) announced by the UK government aims to harness the technological power of the oil and gas sector and anchor it to the energy transition. This deal aims to drive continued growth in the innovation and creativity for which the region is renowned. Abandoned reservoirs will be repurposed, new saline aquifers are being found, and renewables will coexist alongside CCS solutions. We envisage that a key component of this technology growth is the use of geophysics, specifically seismic data.
Mental health responses in countries hosting refugees from Ukraine
Authors: Kaufman Kenneth R. , Bhui Kamaldeep , Katona Cornelius
Published: April 2022

The Ukrainian refugee crisis highlights the many issues associated with trauma, distress, mental and physical health, culturally competent assessments, and meaningful support and interventions. This crisis requires international support and a global response, as hosting countries have specific competencies and capacities. The authors hope that the groundswell of international concern over the crisis in Ukraine will lead not only to a comprehensive response to the needs of refugees from that country but also to a recognition of the needs of other asylum seekers and refugees and to our collective moral obligation to address those needs equitably.
Anacaona Writes Back: The Columbus Statue in Santo Domingo as a Site of Erasure
Authors: Baez Jennifer
Published: April 2022

When Christopher Columbus’s human remains were discovered in a lead box inside Santo Domingo’s Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in 1877, Santo Domingo City Hall proposed commissioning a statue and a mausoleum. The Columbus statue featured an india, or a Native woman, presumably Taino chieftain Anacaona, on the pedestal base, writing words of praise to the admiral, who stood atop the monument. This essay explores how Anacaona’s racialized and gendered body symbolically validated a public nationalist discourse, while arguably erasing the roles that Blacks and Indigenous peoples had played in shaping island life since 1492.
The Politics of Style in “Caribbean Man in Space and Time”
Authors: Edwards Nadi
Published: April 2022

This essay reads Kamau Brathwaite’s seminal 1975 essay “Caribbean Man in Space and Time” in terms of its rhetorical politics. Conceptually, the essay’s hybrid and heterogeneous discourses and registers are theorized in terms drawn from Clifford Geertz, Leah Rosenberg, and Mandy Bloomfield. Brathwaite’s style effectively instantiates “Caribbean Man” as an exemplary model of the practice of Caribbean studies. The essay is posited as a palimpsestic text, haunted by Brathwaite’s prior creative and critical texts as well as the work of other Caribbean writers and intellectuals and animated by metaphors of creolization that derive from the archipelago’s geology, geography, and history. Ultimately, “Caribbean Man,” while immured in the nationalist sensibility of the 1970s, eschews a reductive nationalist politics for a more expansive notion of nation and community akin to Wilson Harris’s shamanic espousal of Indigenous and ancestral presences in the Caribbean imaginary.
“The Antilles for the Sons of the Antilles”: On Translating Ramón Emeterio Betances
Authors: Chaar-Pérez Khalila
Published: April 2022

In sharing the original French version as well as Spanish and (first-ever) English translations of “Speech at the Masonic Lodge of Port-au-Prince” (ca. 1870–71), the author argues for the importance of the work of Afro–Puerto Rican activist Ramón Emeterio Betances in the history of Caribbean decolonization. This speech represents a unique inter-Caribbean intervention in the anti-imperial struggle of the time. With the Cuban Ten Years’ War against Spain in the background, Betances, in contrast to his fellow Cuban and Puerto Rican activists, advocates a vision of Caribbean sovereignty that is inclusive of Haiti. Although the limitations of revolutionary masculinity and regional sameness are evident in the text, Betances proposes a politics of unity beyond nationhood that interconnects with later decolonial projects of coliberation.
The Specificity of the Ordinary
Authors: Beckett Greg
Published: April 2022

In this essay, anthropologist Greg Beckett responds to Rivke Jaffe’s, Nadège T. Clitandre’s, and Jhon Picard Byron’s critical engagements with his 2019 ethnography, There Is No More Haiti: Between Life and Death in Port-au-Prince. Beckett discusses issues of representation and form, how gender and age shape people’s experience of crisis, the discourse of Haitian exceptionalism, and the need to rethink crisis in Haiti from the standpoint of the conceptual categories and lived experiences of those who most directly feel the brunt of the destructive forces of predatory capitalism, political instability, and foreign intervention.
Agricultural Diversity, Structural Change, and Long-Run Development: Evidence from the United States
Authors: Fiszbein Martin
Published: April 2022

This paper examines the role of agricultural diversity in the process of development. Using data from US counties and exploiting climate-induced variation in agricultural production patterns, I show that mid-nineteenth-century agricultural diversity had positive long-run effects on population density and income per capita. During the Second Industrial Revolution, agricultural diversity fostered industrialization, diversification within manufacturing, patent activity, formation of new labor skills, and the expansion of knowledge- and skill-intensive industries. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that diversity spurs the acquisition of new ideas and new skills because of the presence of cross-sector spillovers and complementarities. (JEL N31, N32, N51, N52, N91, N92, Q10)
Pigouvian Cycles
Authors: Faccini Renato , Melosi Leonardo
Published: April 2022

Current and expected unemployment rates contain information that is highly useful to estimate the effect of news about TFP and to allow a general equilibrium rational expectations model to generate Pigouvian cycles: a large fraction of the comovement of output, consumption, investment, employment, and real wages is explained by noise about TFP. These results emerge because of the low-frequency negative relationship between unemployment and TFP growth. The model predicts that the start (end ) of most US recessions is associated with agents realizing that previous enthusiastic (lukewarm) expectations about future TFP would not be met. (JEL E21, E22, E23, E24, E32, E43, E52)
Το εκπαιδευτικό ντοκιμαντέρ «Έλληνες Εκπρόσωποι της Σχολής του Μονάχου» ως διδακτικό εργαλείο αισθητικού γραμματισμού.
Authors: Ρωμοσιού Αρτεμις , Σιαφάκα Ελένη , Σιγούνη Ελένη , Σιμιτσή Κυριακή Βαλεντίνη , Σοφός Αλιβίζος (Λοΐζος)
Published: April 2022

«Οι Έλληνες εκπρόσωποι της Σχολής του Μονάχου» είναι ένα εκπαιδευτικό ντοκιμαντέρ που επιχειρεί να παρουσιάσει την πορεία και το έργο τους με όχημα τις ήδη υπάρχουσες προσλαμβάνουσες των μαθητών από έργα των καλλιτεχνών που έχουν ασχοληθεί με την ηθογραφία και την παιδική ηλικία.  Κεντρικός άξονας είναι τα έργα του Νικηφόρου Λύτρα, Νικολάου Γύζη, Γεώργιου Ιακωβίδη που φιλοξενούνται στην Εθνική Πινακοθήκη όπου και πραγματοποιήθηκε το γύρισμα, ενώ βασικός στόχος που δεν θα μπορούσε να περιοριστεί αποκλειστικά και μόνο στα στενά μαθησιακά όρια, είναι ο αισθητικός γραμματισμός και μια πρόταση μίας πιο ενδιαφέρουσας εμβάθυνσης στα ηχηρά ονόματα της ελληνικής τέχνης του 19ου αι. αλλά και σε βασικά καλλιτεχνικά ρεύματα και τάσεις της περιόδου.
Association of ARRDC3 and NFIA variants with bovine congestive heart failure in feedlot cattle
Authors: Heaton Michael P. , Harhay Gregory P. , Bassett Adam S. , Clark Halden J. , Carlson Jaden M. , Jobman Erin E. , Sadd Helen R. , Pelster Madeline C. , Workman Aspen M. , Kuehn Larry A. , Kalbfleisch Theodore S. , Piscatelli Heather , Carrie Michael , Krafsur Greta M. , Grotelueschen Dale M. , Vander Ley Brian L.
Published: April 2022

Background:   Bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) has become increasingly prevalent among feedlot cattle in the Western Great Plains of North America with up to 7% mortality in affected herds.  BCHF is an untreatable complex condition involving pulmonary hypertension that culminates in right ventricular failure and death. Genes associated with BCHF in feedlot cattle have not been previously identified.  Our aim was to search for genomic regions associated with this disease.

Methods:  A retrospective, matched case-control design with 102 clinical BCHF cases and their unaffected pen mates was used in a genome-wide association study.  Paired nominal data from approximately 560,000 filtered single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed with McNemar’s test.

Results:  The most significant genome-wide association was in the arrestin domain-containing protein 3 gene (ARRDC3), followed by the nuclear factor IA gene (NFIA, mid-p-values, 1x10-8 and 2x10-7, respectively).  Animals with homozygous risk alleles at either gene were approximately eight-fold more likely to have BCHF than their matched pen mates without those risk alleles (CI95 = 3-17).  Animals with homozygous risk alleles at both genes were 28-fold more likely to have BCHF than all others (p-value = 1x10-7, CI95 = 4-206).  A linked missense variant in ARRDC3 (C182Y) represents a potential functional variant as the C182 codon is conserved among all other jawed vertebrate species observed.  A DNA test with two markers showed 29% of 273 BCHF cases had homozygous risk alleles in both genes, compared to 2.5% in 198 similar unaffected feedlot cattle. This DNA test may be useful for identifying feedlot animals with the highest risk for BCHF in the environments described here.

Conclusions: Although pathogenic roles for ARRDC3 and NFIA variants associated with BCHF are unknown, their discovery facilitates classifying animals by genetic risk and allows cattle producers to make informed decisions for selective breeding and animal health management.
Translation, validity and reliability of the Danish version of the Adolescent Insomnia Questionnaire
Authors: Andreucci Alessandro , Lund Straszek Christian , Skovdal Rathleff Michael , Guldhammer Clara , de la Vega Rocio , Palermo Tonya M.
Published: April 2022

Background: The Adolescent Insomnia Questionnaire (AIQ), English version, is the only validated screening measure developed specifically to identify insomnia symptoms in adolescents. To date, no specific screening tool for adolescent insomnia is present in Danish language. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the AIQ in a sample of Danish adolescents.

Methods: The AIQ underwent a process of forward-backward translation and pilot testing. Subsequently, data were collected at baseline and two-week follow-up from adolescents aged 11-19, who completed both the AIQ and an available adult measure of insomnia (the Athens Insomnia Scale, AIS). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability and convergent validity were assessed. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the latent factors underlying the questionnaire.

Results: At baseline 185 adolescents (18% males and 82% females, mean age 16.0 years) and 102 (55.1%) at two-week follow-up completed the questionnaires. The AIQ showed excellent internal consistency for the total score (Cronbach's a: 0.88) and good convergent validity with the AIS total score (Pearson’s correlation value= 0.86, P<0.001). The test-retest reliability at two weeks was very satisfactory (ICC coefficient = 0.89; 95% CI 0.84, 0.92). Results from the exploratory factor analysis identified a three-model solution corresponding to the same three-model solution identified within the original development sample.

Conclusions: The Danish version of the AIQ demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity, which supports its use as a screening tool for the identification of insomnia symptoms in adolescents, including Danish-speaking adolescents.
The management of tubo-ovarian abscess - A retrospective analysis of a centre offering outpatient intravenous antibiotic therapy
Authors: Teh Jhia Jiat , Wali Sarah , Mollier Josephine , Gilchrist Mark , Miskry Tariq
Published: April 2022

Background 

Tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) carries long-term sequale in women of reproductive age. Consensus of the optimal treatment of tubo-ovarian abscess remains lacking. The aims of this study are to identify risk factors predicting the need for early drainage and compare clinical outcomes of current management practices of TOA.

Methods 

From 2015 to 2019, a retrospective cohort study of 92 women admitted to a tertiary centre for gynaecological surgery was performed. Patients with diagnosed TOA were classified into two groups: treatment with antibiotics only, and those receiving additional drainage. Primary outcomes included length of hospital stay (LoS), length of antibiotic treatment (LoA) and need for re-intervention.  

Results 

In this study, 52 women (56.5%) were successfully treated with first line intravenous antibiotics; 40 (43.5%) received surgical drainage. Significant predictors for successful medical treatment only include age < 35 (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.97) and abscess size < 6cm (OR: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04-0.64), using multivariate analysis. Pyrexia ≥ 38°C predicted a need for drainage (OR: 3.82, 95% CI: 1.01-8.12). Patients who received additional drainage had significantly longer LoA, LoS and higher rates of re-intervention. Within this group, drainage within 72 hours of admission resulted in a trend towards shorter LoA and LoS than drainage after 72 hours, albeit not statistically significant.  

Conclusions 

Parameters include age > 35 years, pyrexia ≥ 38°C and a TOA size > 6cm may independently predict the need for drainage of TOA. Early identification of these patients is imperative for timely surgical intervention to avoid prolonged hospitalisation, antibiotic usage, and patient morbidity. More work is required to identify whether early drainage may reduce length of hospital stay and antibiotic treatment, including identifying certain patient groups who most likely to benefit from outpatient antibiotic intravenous therapy.
An evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in a sample of help-seeking men
Authors: Rice Simon , Trail Katherine , Walton Courtney , Kealy David , Seidler Zac , Wilson Michael , Oliffe John , Ogrodniczuk John
Published: April 2022

Aim of the study

The Fear of COVID-19 Scale is a widely used measurement tool for related anxieties, however previous studies validating the scale report varying fit indices, often below accepted cut-off points. This suggests re-specification of the scale may be required. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the English-version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in a population of help-seeking males using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Subject or material and methods

Data from 621 males aged 18-80 years (mean=38.23, SD=13.59) was collected via a cross-sectional open online survey. Along with the 7-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the PHQ-4 and PROMIS Anger Short Form were used to measure probable anxiety, depression and anger. Data were randomly partitioned into two subsamples and separate factor analyses were conducted with robust CFA corrections applied for non-normality.

Results

A 4-item single-factor version of the scale was identified reporting excellent model fit (R-RMSEA=.033, R-CFI=.998, R-TFI=.997, SRMR=.012) and good internal consistency (α=.86). Age and probable anxiety effects were observed.

Discussion

Relative to existing validation studies of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the present study provides improved psychometrics of the 4-item version of the scale, while scale means observed were comparable to other studies.

Conclusions

This study validates a 4-item version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale to assess related anxieties in a help seeking male population. Future research should seek to validate the 4-item version in other subpopulations.
The preliminary efficacy and clinical applicability of Brainspotting among Filipino women with severe posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: PALSIMON JR. TEOFILO
Published: April 2022

Aim of the study

This paper aims to examine the efficacy of Brainspotting in ameliorating PTSD symptoms among female residential patients across three-time points.

Subject or material and methods

This study employed a one-group pretest-posttest with delayed posttest quasi-experimental design to establish and determine causal change among different conditions. Different versions of gold-standard measures were administered to individuals with trauma exposure; the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale 5 (CAPS-5) and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist 5 (PCL-5). The sample comprised 13 participants at the Marillac Hills Alabang who incurred severe interpersonal trauma and suffered markedly elevated PTSD symptoms for at least two years. They received three sessions of BSP guided by a therapist's manual and were assessed at three-time points – pretreatment, posttreatment, and two weeks after the treatment completion. Primary data include self-report posttraumatic stress symptoms, which were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction and post-hoc test with a Bonferroni correction.

Results

Results showed significant improvements in both measures with large effect sizes from 0.859 to 0.979.

Discussion

Some of the few rigorous studies that have been conducted also demonstrated similar findings indicating discharge of trauma sequelae manifested by amelioration of intrusion, low level of subjective units of distress, and regulated sensorimotor reactions

Conclusions

At α0.01 (99%) confidence interval, the results suggest that BSP has significant efficacy in decreasing posttraumatic stress symptoms. After the three BSP sessions, all participants were assessed with absent to mild PTSD symptoms. The effects of the program persisted during the short-term follow-up evaluation.
A bank’s intellectual capital and its importance in building competitiveness on the example of Polish listed banks
Authors: Anielak-Sobczak Karolina
Published: April 2022

Motivation: Contemporary banks operating in the knowledge-based economy are constantly looking for sources of improving their competitiveness and attractiveness compared to the banking sector. Therefore, the ability to flexibly respond to changes taking place in the market environment and use the resources and experience in a creative way becomes essential. Intellectual capital is a source of the bank’s intangible resources, such as knowledge, employee skills, service quality, social relations and image, and innovations. The present study focuses on the structure of intellectual capital, which has been long discussed for a long time and became a subject of numerous studies. The concept of division of the bank’s intellectual capital into three subsystems was herein presented: organizational capital (KORG), innovative capital (KINN) and institutional capital (KINS). These subsystems will be included in the creation of a synthetic measure defining the bank’s competitiveness.

Aim: The objective of this study is to present a method enabling the assessment of the competitiveness of listed banks in Poland with the use of multidimensional statistical methods, taking into account diagnostic variables that determine the economic and intellectual capital of banks, including its subsystems.

Results: The article systematizes the concept of the division of intellectual capital. Thanks to the aggregate measure of the bank’s competitiveness, the author presented a ranking of banks, indicating the leader among the 11 banks listed on the stock exchange in Poland in 2009–2019. The proposed multidimensional analysis of the bank considers its financial and intellectual resources, which means that stakeholders can evaluate the bank’s data and its long-term development strategies. The long-term leadership position may indicate the bank’s condition and its intensified activities in intellectual capital development, which may be important information for stakeholders.
The analysis of human capital in the context of local economic development
Authors: Knapińska Magdalena , Siński Wojciech
Published: April 2022

Motivation: The study of local economies has become a significant part of the theoretical and practical approach to economic research. It is important to define variables used for modeling, so the aim of this paper is to identify human capital as the determinant of local economic development. While studies are often conducted on the basis of research material describing a given unit of territorial self-government, the methodology can be applied more broadly.

Aim: The aim of the paper is to define the key elements of human capital, which can be used for modeling economic development in the local context. Local development is influenced by a number of factors, such as physical capital, human capital and natural resources, but in this paper we focus both on the analysis of the variables describing human capital both at the moment of examination and of those which will affect its quality in the future.

Results: The research findings reveal that human capital in Ustka was subject to significant changes in the period under study and its quality is determined by the economic development of this commune. What is also important is the fact that the variables describing human capital indicate the improvement in the quality of this capital in this territorial unit. Further research into local development should thus take into consideration this significant aspect of economy.
The role of intangible resources in shaping the financial potential of high technology enterprises on the example of CD Projekt SA
Authors: Perło Dorota , Arszułowicz Norbert
Published: April 2022

Motivation: As a result of economic changes over the last few decades, the structure of enterprise resources has changed significantly. Therefore, their development potential is concentrated on intangible resources. A reflection of these changes is the emergence of the Resource-Based View of the Firm (RBV) which has its roots in the works of scientists such as: J.A. Schumpeter, A. Marshall, or E.H. Chamberlin. The importance of the resource theory is mainly based on the technological potential, people’s knowledge or the improvement of management techniques.

Aim: The aim of the article is to propose a method for assessing the strength and direction of the impact of intangible resources on the financial potential of high-tech enterprises. In the article, as a case study, the impact of intangible resources on the financial potential of CD Projekt SA was presented. from the high-technology industry (Section C, subclass 26.20.) in 2011–2019. The choice of the company as the research object was primarily determined by the type of business activity, the high position of the enterprise among the fastest growing companies and a significant share of intangible resources.

Results: To achieve the aim of the article, the soft modeling method was used which allows to study the relationship between directly unobservable variables. In the constructed soft model, two unobservable (hidden) variables constituting the internal model were adopted: intangible resources (IR) and financial potential (FP). Hidden variables were defined based on the potential set of indicators (observable variables). Specification of the model of the soft impact of intangible resources on the financial result of high-tech enterprises based on the concept of the resource theory. Identification of the most important variables shaping the intangible resources of high technology enterprises, their impact on the financial potential of enterprises, together with the analysis of the dynamics of changes. Defining proposals for recommendations for high-tech companies based on the results of empirical research.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with KMT2A gene rearrangement in infants - characteristic clinical picture based on a case report
Authors: Kowalczuk Maria , Lipińska Justyna , Lipiński Łukasz , Lejman Monika , Zawitkowska Joanna
Published: April 2022

The most common malignancy affecting children is leukemia, which in infants refers to be diagnosed before 1 year of age and is relatively rare, but remains a problem for clinicians due to its aggressive clinical presentation, poor response to current treatments, and molecular biology. Infants with acute leukemia tend to present with aggressive features, including hyperleukocytosis, hepatosplenomegaly, central nervous system (CNS) involvement, and cutaneous infiltration. In infant leukemia, the KMT2A gene rearrangement at chromosome 11q23 is quite common. Infants diagnosed with acute leukemia harboring a 11q23 rearrangement have a particularly poor prognosis when compared to other children with acute leukemia.

A 10-month-old girl was admitted in December 2017 to the Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Transplantology in Lublin with the suspicion of leukemia. One week before hospitalization minor bruises began to appear on the skin, unrelated to an injury. The child was admitted to the hospital, and there a complete blood count showed anemia, hiperleukocytosis and thorombocytopenia. On the admission to the Clinic: the severe general condition of the patient, with features of cardiopulmonary insufficiency were confirmed. Due to the patient's age and the presence of the KMT2A/MLLT3-t(9;11) (p22;q23) gene rearrangement, the infant was stratified as a high-risk group (HRG) and chemotherapy was started in accordance with the therapeutic program.

Infant leukemia is one of the most difficult clinical situations encountered in pediatric oncology. Given the infant’s vulnerability and unique genetic rearrangements, there is a need to develop new protocols and therapies for infants.
Neuro-endocrine mechanism of specific balneoeffects of sulfate-chloride sodium-magnesium mineral waters
Authors: Hrytsak Myroslava , Popovych Dariya , Ruzhylo Sofiya , Zakalyak Nataliya , Zukow Walery
Published: April 2022

Background. Earlier we showed that the newly created sulfate-chloride sodium-magnesium drinking mineral waters “Myroslava” (5 g/L) and “Khrystyna” (10 g/L) have favorable effects on neuroendocrine-immune complex and metabolism of patients with their violations. At the same time, the influence of both waters on one constellation of parameters is similar, despite the twofold difference in mineralization, while on the other constellation it is different. The aim of this study was to elucidate the neuroendocrine mechanism of specific effects. Materials and Methods. The object of clinical-physiological observation were 22 men aged 23-70 years, who underwent rehabilitation treatment of chronic pyelonephritis and cholecystitis in remission in the Truskavets’ spa. The examination was performed twice, before and after a 7-10-day course of balneotherapy. All patients received bioactive water Naftussya, however, 11 men additionally drank water "Khrystyna", and the other 11 men - water "Myroslava". The subject of the study were the parameters of the neuroendocrine-immune complex and metabolism. Results. The method of canonical analysis shows that the changes in neuroendocrine factors (LF and VLF bands HRV; beta- and delta-rhythm-generating nerve structures, cortisol and aldosterone determine changes in the parameters of immunity, microbiota, metabolism and cholekinetics by 99,5-98,6%. Conclusion. The primary effects of mineral waters are the modulation of the activity of the structures of the central and autonomic nervous and endocrine systems, which, in turn, have a regulatory modulating effect on the immune system, microbiota, metabolism, cholekinetics and blood pressure.
Impact of Autonomous Vehicle Assisted Last-Mile Delivery in Urban to Rural Settings
Authors: Reed Sara , Campbell Ann Melissa , Thomas Barrett W.
Published: April 2022

We seek to determine in what geographies autonomous vehicle assisted delivery is most valuable for last-mile delivery. To build insights across urban-to-rural settings, we conduct a case study by generating test instances that reflect real-world geographies. We integrate real-world data for these instances, including driving and walking times, as well as obstacles, such as one-way streets, and their impact on last-mile delivery. We model the capacitated autonomous vehicle assisted delivery problem as an integer program on a general graph. To solve this model on realistically sized instances, we exploit the structure of the optimal solution to develop a number of preprocessing techniques to reduce the large number of variables present in the generic problem. We also introduce valid inequalities that raise the lower bound and reduce the size of the branch-and-bound tree. Autonomous vehicle assisted delivery reduces the completion time of the delivery tour and provides the most cost-effective business model in all customer geographies. In particular, a delivery person saves more time in urban environments than in rural environments. These savings are the result of both a reduction in the time to park but also in the amount of walking that the delivery person does. This increased productivity could reduce fleet size and ultimately the number of vehicles on the road. These conclusions support businesses with urban deliveries considering investment in this technology. However, higher savings in rural environments may be achieved by reducing the loading time.
Dermal filler re-contouring of the aged jawline: a useful non-surgical modality in facial rejuvenation
Authors: Ugarte Angela , Blevins Larry W , Wills-Kofford Jeannine C , Soares Danny J
Published: April 2022

Dermal filler-based enhancement of the jawline has become a popular method of non-surgical facial rejuvenation. This relatively novel application of fillers has the ability to camouflage the early senescence of the lower face caused by bony erosion, soft tissue ptosis, and volumetric changes in the periphery of the cervico-mandibular region. In this article, the authors review the age-related shifts that contribute to the loss of youthfulness of the lower face and outline the relevant neurovascular anatomy, regional aesthetic analysis and proper patient selection criteria that govern the successful delivery of high-quality results in this novel application of dermal fillers.
Spring is the theme for the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses
Authors: Baker Anna
Published: April 2022

Anna Baker provides an update on some upcoming events and gives an insight into her talk at the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses Spring Symposium in April
The importance of robust education in general practice
Authors: Oldman Crystal
Published: April 2022

Crystal Oldman explains why the QNI is developing national standards for Practice Teacher Education and Practice