bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Le drame du migrant dans Cannibales de Mahi Binebine : anthropophagie, anthropémie et autophagie
Authors: Semlali Mohamed
Published: September 2024

Mahi Binebine se veut un veilleur de mémoire qui consacre ses oeuvres aux laissés pour compte, aux victimes de l’innommable. Son roman Cannibales (1999) s’inscrit dans la mouvance d’une littérature qui interroge le drame de l’émigration clandestine et son cortège de cadavres et de rêves brisés. Attirés par le chant des sirènes de l’Eldorado européen, les candidats à l’émigration illégale, gavés d’illusions par les rabatteurs, se lancent à l’assaut de la Méditerranée sur des barques de fortune. Ceux qui ne périssent pas noyés, doivent affronter une amère désillusion et subir, comme Momo, une dévoration qui les vide de leur substance sans pour autant assurer leur intégration aux sociétés d’accueil où ils deviennent les proies favorites des mafias de la traite des êtres humains. Sur les deux bords, les clandestins doivent affronter une indifférence meurtrière qui les renvoie à leur condition d’invisibles, à leur vie de cafards.
Decision making methods used for improving power quality to meet the sustainable energy targets
Authors: Eroğlu Hasan , Kurtuluş Osman , Can Ozay
Published: September 2024

A higher quality energy demand in line with sustainable goals has led researchers to new studies. The concept of power quality has become very popular in this direction in the last decade. Decision making concept, which is another important and popular concept, has become an indispensable tool in solving difficult decision making problems in many areas. The main starting point of this study was to unearth the crucial studies on “decision making for a better power quality,” which is at the intersection of these two important issues. In this direction, the deficiency in the literature was noticed, the related studies were examined, and the methodological features and prominent aspects of the studies in different categories were examined. The active use of many decision-making methods in the search for solutions to different power quality problems has been demonstrated. The conclusion that decision-making mechanisms offer effective solutions in solving power quality problems has been more clearly emphasized in this study. This review furnishes researchers with crucial insights into current trends in power quality and multi-criteria decision-making research. It also delineates potential avenues for additional research in this increasingly popular field.
Job quality and institutional investors: Evidence in 17 OECD countries, 1993-2017
Authors: Darcillon Thibault , Mohamed Yasmine
Published: September 2024

This article investigates the relationship between the share of assets held by different institutional investors as a proportion of GDP and a synthetic index of job quality in 17 OECD countries from 1993 to 2017. Our first contribution is to provide a new, multidimensional composite indicator of job quality based only on objective dimensions. According to this measure, a continuous decline in job quality is observed in many OECD countries. Second, the emergence of institutional investors as central financial actors since the 1980s has significantly affected labour relations. In this regard, we argue that the increasing influence of institutional investors through their effects on wages and jobs is associated with a lower level of job quality. Using fixed-effects OLS and IV regressions, we find little support that the share of asset holdings by institutional investors is correlated with a lower level of job quality, mainly due to the small magnitude of the coefficient estimates. Finally, we find that the job quality-reducing effect of the share of assets held by institutional investors is more pronounced in countries that have experienced a decline in union bargaining power, again with a small magnitude of our different estimates.
CircRNA_001373 promotes liver fibrosis by regulating autophagy activation in hepatic stellate cells via the miR-142a-5p/Becn1 axis
Authors: Cao Ying , Yang Huan , Wang Bingying
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulatory role and underlying mechanisms of circRNA_001373 in the hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of circRNA_001373, miR-142a-5p and Becn1. The viability of JS-1 cells was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8. The targeting relationship between miR-142a-5p and CircRNA_001373, as well as between miR-142a-5p and Becn1 was predicted using CircInteractome and TargetScan databases, respectively, and validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was utilized to determine the expression levels of proteins related to autophagy and the activation if HSCs in JS-1 cells. After activation by platelet-derived growth factor-BB, an increase was observed in the expression of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin proteins. The expression of CircRNA_001373 was up-regulated in the activated HSCs. Knockdown of CircRNA_001373 significantly inhibited cell viability and activation of JS-1 cells, as well as autophagy in the activated HSCs. CircRNA_001373 could sponge miR-142a-5p in the activated HSCs, which in turn elevated the Becn1 expression. Concurrent knockdown of both CircRNA_001373 and miR-142a-5p reversed the inhibitory effects of the knockdown of CircRNA_001373 alone on cell viability and autophagy in activated JS-1 cells. CircRNA_ 001373 promotes cell viability and autophagy as well as the activation of JS-1 cells by regulating the miR-142a-5p/Becn1 axis.
Sulforaphane triggers Sirtuin 3-mediated ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells via activating the adenosine 5‘-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase/ mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway
Authors: Hu Bo , Cao Ping , Wang Jing-hui , Feng Wei , Zhang Yang , Yang Hui
Published: September 2024

Objective

This study aimed to explore the expression and biological functions of SIRT3 in colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116), the impacts of sulforaphane on the ferroptosis of HCT-116 cells and the involvement of the SIRT3/AMPK/mTOR axis in those effects.

Methods

SIRT3-overexpressing (OE) and SIRT3-knockout (KO) cell lines were treated with different concentrations of sulforaphane, RSL-3, and IKE. Cell viability, intracellular ROS, MDA, iron levels, as well as mRNA and protein expressions of target genes were measured.

Results

SIRT3 expression in HCT-116 cells was increased by ferroptosis inducers and decreased by ferroptosis inhibitors. SIRT3 overexpression reduced cell viability and increased intracellular levels of ROS, MDA, and iron, whereas SIRT3 knockdown achieved the opposite effects. SIRT3 overexpression suppressed SLC7A11 expression and promoted the activation of AMPK/mTOR pathway. Restoration of SLC7A11 expression blocked the effects of SIRT3 on ferroptosis induction and cell viability inhibition. SIRT3 effects on cell viability and ferroptosis were antagonized by inhibitors of AMPK or mTOR. Moreover, sulforaphane triggered the ferroptosis of HCT-116 cells by activating the SIRT3/AMPK/mTOR axis.

Conclusions

SIRT3 triggered SLC7A11-mediated ferroptosis in HCT-116 cells, reducing cell viability by activating the AMPK/mTOR pathway, and sulforaphane targets it to inhibit colorectal cancer.
A Closer Look at Antipsychotic Adverse Effects: Investigating Anticholinergic Toxidrome Induced by Olanzapine Overdose
Authors: Hakeem Afeefa M. , Vijay Kumar S. S.  , Ananth Prasad Rao HT
Published: September 2024

Background and Aims:

Antipsychotic drugs are critical in managing psychosis but they also carry risks when misused, leading to toxicity.

Case Presentation:

A patient overdosed on olanzapine, resulting in anticholinergic toxidrome with symptoms like tachycardia and altered mental status. Immediate recognition and management of antipsychotic toxicity-induced toxidromes in emergency settings are crucial. Treatment strategy includes maintaining airway, breathing and circulation along with decontamination. There is no specific antidote.

Conclusion:

This case underscores the need for emergency physicians to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and addressing such toxicity by identification of toxidromes to prevent complications and missed diagnosis in emergency department.
Antecedents of Life Satisfaction Among Women in Kashmir: An Empirical Study From India
Authors: Shahzadi Snober , Khan Waheeda
Published: September 2024

Psychologists believe that life satisfaction is a crucial indicator of an individual's overall health and happiness, regardless of their work or culture. This topic has been extensively researched, with the authors identifying novel antecedents of life happiness. Life satisfaction and health are strongly related, and enhancing one area can improve the other. Frequent shifts in life satisfaction can be harmful to overall health and life expectancy. However, there is still potential to investigate life satisfaction from a fresh perspective, particularly in the Indian context. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing people's levels of pleasure in life, focusing on three categories of women in the Kashmir region: single women, married women, and widowed women. The study used a quantitative research design, including all three types of women: married, unmarried, and widowed. The research objectives were to study optimism, spirituality, resilience, and social support as predictors of life satisfaction among unmarried, married, and widowed women in Kashmir. The findings showed that optimism, spirituality, resilience, and perceived social support all have a beneficial impact on one's level of life satisfaction. Self-confidence under pressure has the biggest impact on life satisfaction, while optimism has the lowest effect amongst all variables.
The 21st Century Cures Act: More Harm Than Good for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence?
Authors: Thomas Kristie A. , Bailey Courtney
Published: September 2024

The 21st Century Cures Act requires that health organizations make all medical records rapidly available to patients through secure online portals. Referred to as “open notes,” this approach is intended to improve health outcomes by facilitating easier and more transparent communication between patients and providers. For patients experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), however, open notes can create serious safety risks to their physical and mental health when not handled carefully. This clinical note aims to raise awareness of how open notes can be harmful in IPV situations, provide a set of evidence-informed recommendations on how healthcare providers and institutions can help to mitigate this harm, and outline areas for future research.
Negotiating autonomy, community, and divinity in urban Filipino young adults’ moral reasoning
Authors: Ochoa Danielle P. , Dela Cruz Tracey
Published: September 2024

Cultural approaches to examining the development of moral reasoning have been influential for decades. Still, gaps remain in understanding how individuals actively construct their moral reasoning within different sociocultural contexts and the period of young adulthood in the Filipino setting. Thus, this study examined the discourses used by urban Filipino young adults in reasoning about their moral conflicts and the ways they adopted and adapted these discourses in their reasoning. The study used a social constructionist perspective, informed by Shweder and colleagues’ ethics of Autonomy, Community, and Divinity and Jensen’s cultural-developmental approach. We conducted thematic analysis with attention to discourse on interviews with 12 urban young adults aged 21 to 29, producing three major discursive themes: harm and welfare, rules and roles, and liberal principles. The specific appropriation of these discourses suggests the dominance of the ethic of Autonomy. However, this often co-occurred with expressions of Community and Divinity, and the extent and manner of appropriation of these discourses varied according to individuals’ characteristics and experiences. By examining young adults’ negotiation of moral discourses in the Philippines, this research enriches understanding of moral reasoning in a sociohistorical context where young people increasingly contend with conflicts between traditional and global values.
Narrative construction of vocational identity in university students: The role of influential experiences and significant others in the framework of cultural psychology
Authors: Beltrán-Jaimes Javier O , Esteban-Guitart Moisés
Published: September 2024

This study sought to understand the process of construction of the vocational identity of university students. Assuming cultural psychology as a theoretical reference, a qualitative methodology was adopted, with a narrative perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 participants, male and female engineering, and psychology students from two universities in Colombia about their exploration process, choice, commitment, and reconsideration to the career. In the findings the vocational identity emerges as a product of the negotiation of meanings between the personal dimension and the social dimension of individuals, which allows them to intentionally orient their actions towards the achievement of their life goals. In turn, the negotiation between these two dimensions occurs through psychosocial processes derived from the influential experiences and interactions with significant others. These processes facilitate the appropriation of the folk psychology of a socio-cultural context, a background of meanings about occupational and/or educational practices on which the vocational identity is configured. It is concluded that vocational identity is a process in constant formation shaped by a social scaffolding mechanism; namely, support structures that provided by the relational resource in the context of everyday interactions and that assist in the configuration of vocational identity of young people. It has an important organizing function of experiences, emotions, cognitions, and actions in the occupational and educational spheres. The conceptual model validated by the findings allows understanding the process of negotiation of identity meanings and the construction of possible vocational worlds.
Managing the visibility of dissent: Stigma, social media, and family relationships among Azerbaijani activists
Authors: Pearce Katy E
Published: September 2024

This study examines the strategies young Azerbaijani activists use to manage the visibility of their stigmatized political identities, particularly in relation to their families. Drawing on concepts of socially mediated visibility, stigma, and honor culture, we analyze interviews with 29 activists to explore how they navigate the complex trade-offs between visibility and concealment in an authoritarian context. Our findings highlight the central role of courtesy stigma and relational repression in shaping activists’ decisions, as they seek to balance their desire for political expression with the potential risks to their families. We also show how social media platforms both enable and complicate activists’ visibility management strategies. The study contributes to understanding the dynamics of activism and resistance in honor culture and authoritarian contexts.
A qualitative analysis of parents’ beliefs about portable pool safety behaviours
Authors: Hamilton Kyra , Dunn Kim , Keech Jacob J , Peden Amy E
Published: September 2024

The aim of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the beliefs parents hold regarding portable pool safety behaviours using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents ( N = 15) of children aged 5 years and younger who owned a portable pool. Interviews examined three key safety behaviours: supervising within arms’ reach, fencing portable pools deeper than 30 cm, and emptying and storing portable pools safely after use. Parents identified a range of advantages, disadvantages, normative influences, and facilitators and barriers towards the three behaviours. The identification of these salient behavioural, normative, and control beliefs enrich limited understandings of portable pool safety behaviours of parents with young children. Current findings fill a knowledge gap in portable pool safety and provide potential targets for messages to improve parents’ behaviours for their young children around portable pools in the hope of preventing loss of life.
Can Servicification Benefit Manufacturing Exports? Empirical Results for India
Authors: Pant Sonia , Chakraborty Debashis
Published: September 2024

To enhance manufacturing exports, India, a major player in the services segment, has recently created an enabling environment through the launch of several programmes, for example, the ‘Make-in-India’ and the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes. As the firm-level evidence on the synergies between services input use (i.e., servicification) and manufacturing exports in the country is relatively scarce, the current analysis studies the relationship between them by using the CMIE-Prowess dataset over a period of 2000–2019, for both new and existing exporting firms. At the firm level, the article uses a two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator for studying the impact on export intensity, while a dynamic panel probit model is used to study the impacts on the decision to export. Apart from the analysis at the aggregate level, the influence of servicification is also judged for the low-tech and mid-to-hi-tech sectors separately and the disaggregated industry level. The observed positive relationship between servicification and manufacturing exports implies that the integration of competitiveness in the field of services with hi-tech manufacturing sectors can enhance India’s exports on the one hand and deepen firm-level global value chains participation on the other hand.

JEL Codes: C23, F12, F14, F23, L25, L80
Self-reported body function and daily life activities 18 months after Covid-19: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Seljelid Johanna , Palstam Annie , Sunnerhagen Katharina S. , Persson Hanna C.
Published: September 2024

Aims:

This study aimed to investigate body function and daily life activities 18 months after Covid-19 infection, depending on the initial severity of disease and according to sex.

Methods:

All 11,955 individuals on sick leave due to Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic in Sweden were invited to answer a questionnaire regarding experiencing negative changes in body function and daily life activities approximately 18 months after the start of sick leave. The analysis of data included descriptive statistics, group comparisons and multivariable binary logistic regressions (two groups).

Results:

Of 5464 responders (45.7%), 4676 (85.6%) reported experiencing at least one problem with body function, and the reported prevalence of problems with daily life activities was 46%. The most frequently reported problems were fatigue (66.3%), cognition, sleep and movement. In general, women and those initially hospitalised reported more problems. In the regression analyses, problems with body function could partly explain whether individuals experienced problems with daily life activities. However, only fatigue and movement significantly contributed throughout all groups ( p<0.001). Furthermore, the odds ratios for fatigue were larger in regressions for women than for men.

Conclusions:

In this nationwide study, more than 8 out of 10 individuals experienced problems with body function 18 months after being on sick leave due to Covid-19, with women and those initially hospitalised reporting more problems. Problems with body function, such as fatigue, could partly explain problems with daily life activities. However, the mechanisms behind the consequences are not yet clear and need to be further investigated.
Strict Danes or relaxed Swedes? Comparing health and daily activities in Sweden and Denmark during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Scheel-Hincke Lasse L. , Connolly Filip Fors , Olofsson Jenny , Andersen-Ranberg Karen
Published: September 2024

Aims:

Amidst the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, Denmark and Sweden adopted contrasting strategies despite their many cultural similarities. Denmark swiftly imposed strict governmental restrictions, while Sweden favoured a more gradual, voluntary approach. This study aims to analyse the disparities between the two nations in mental health indicators (depressive symptoms, sleep problems and loneliness), daily activities (shopping, going for a walk, visiting family and meeting other people) and medical care after the Covid-19 outbreak.

Methods:

Data from adults aged ⩾50 years in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) wave 8 (2019/2020) and the two SHARE Covid-19 surveys (summer 2020/2021) were utilised. Multilevel logistic regression models assessed longitudinal and cross-sectional changes in Sweden and Denmark.

Results:

Both countries witnessed reduced risk of depressive symptoms and sleep problems during summer 2020, albeit with a more significant decline in depressive symptoms observed in Denmark: 17.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 15.0–20.6) vs. 12.5% (95% CI 9.0–15.9). Swedish respondents were more likely to reduce their daily activities in the summer of 2020 (shopping: odds ratio (OR)=0.45, 95% CI 0.36–0.55; visit family: OR=0.76, 95% CI 0.60–0.97) and less likely to have medical appointments postponed (OR=1.83, 95% CI 1.46–2.28).

Conclusions:

Minimal differences were observed between Sweden and Denmark in mental health and daily activities during the pandemic. Despite significant disruption to their daily routines, Scandinavians aged ⩾50 years old demonstrate remarkable resilience.
Model generation and parametric study of stick-slip induced vibration for mechanics under friction
Authors: Yadav Jitendra , Kumar Roushan , Kumar Adesh , Gangil Brijesh , Ranakoti Lalit , Sharma Shubham , Sharma Kuldeep , Kumar Rakesh , Rajkumar S , Ramaswamy Krishnaraj
Published: September 2024

As friction is inherently nonlinear, simulating its dynamics in a system is never an easy process. The study suggests a novel friction model that mimics the stiction friction model using sigmoid and exponential functions. The friction force value at 0.01 m/s, or just 1% of the whole velocity range, is precisely provided by the suggested model. The model is found to be more appropriate for linearizing the friction force and is less complex than the comparable friction model that is currently available in literature. The accuracy of computer simulation in proposed friction modeling is contingent upon the value of the sigmoid index. The sigmoid index value of n = 5000 validates the accuracy of the modeling. The simulation results produced by the current LuGre friction model are used to validate the suggested model responses. To comprehend the qualitative and quantitative impact of system factors on its stick-slip behavior under friction, additional interventions are made to the suggested model. It is discovered that the damping ratio (ζ) has the least effect on sticking time, and the static friction to kinetic friction ratio ([Formula: see text]/ [Formula: see text]) has the largest impact. The novelty of the work is the faster dynamic responses in computer simulation and the correlation between the sticking time and other influencing parameters.
Be there or share: Emplacement and embodied protest in Facebook Live videos
Authors: Schlussel Hadas
Published: September 2024

Live video is often used by protesters and political activists while broadcasting from conflict arenas since it gives the viewers a sense of “how it feels to be here.” This qualitative study suggests that digital “broadcast” technologies such as livestreaming can construct new forms of place-bound media events which intertwine “liveness” and “emplacement.” The article examines 97 Facebook Live videos uploaded during the May 2021 escalation of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict from varied sites of struggle and detects three main practices among live streamers: constructing “on-location” presence, performing sensuous place-making, and producing connectivity. It proposes the concept of “networked emplacement”: a combination of social media connectivity with streamers’ techniques of embodied presence that “emplaces” viewers in a rolling event with political significance.
Scrambling for power or cooperation for stability: A case study of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship in China
Authors: Chai Ting , Hou Junxia
Published: September 2024

The mother/daughter-in-law relationship is considered as the tensest in-law relationships in Chinese society. This study adopted retrospective interviews, observations and instant talks with two dyads of mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law to explore the nature of their relationships, language use and strategies employed in their daily discourse to scramble for power. The findings indicated that both mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law applied politeness and impoliteness strategies to save the face or manipulate power within a family. In addition, they reconstructed mother identities to make their own uterine family stable. This study is expected to make contributions to the understanding of the dynamicity and complexity of the mother/daughter-in-law relationships in China.
A conceptual model of authentic leadership in cross-cultural context
Authors: Yang Yung-Kai
Published: September 2024

The objective of this research paper is to present a conceptual model of authentic leadership in a cross-cultural context, aimed at exploring how cultural elements influence the development and perception of leaders’ authenticity. This model draws upon authentic leadership development model and incorporates a followership perspective to study authentic leadership. It posits that culture assumes three critical roles within this framework: expanding, enabling, and encoding. In the expanding role, the concept of authentic leadership is broadened in scope due to varying self-concepts across cultures as individuals from different cultural backgrounds express diverse expectations of what an authentic leader should be. In the enabling role, exposure to different cultures through international experiences enable leaders to enhance their cross-cultural psychological capital and cultural intelligence, allowing them to navigate variations in authenticity effectively. Finally, for the encoding role, the perception of leader’s authenticity, which is related to behavioral integrity, value congruence, and emotional authenticity, becomes intricate as the three factors are encoded due to the differences between leader’s and follower’s cultural norms and values.
E-guanxi: Theoretical underpinnings and scale development
Authors: Zhou Wenkai , Hyman Michael R. , Liu Ran , Wang Dongming
Published: September 2024

China is now a world-leading e-commerce market. As a result, studies to deconstruct online relationships in China can inform marketing scholarship and practice. Hence, our primary goal is to create an improved e-tailing-centric e-guanxi scale to assess guanxi in online B2C and C2C commerce contexts. We also explore and confirm the factors contributing to and stemming from e-guanxi. Two survey-based online studies of Chinese university students were used to test a PLS-SEM model with e-guanxi as the central construct, online communication as the antecedent, and buyer satisfaction, word-of-mouth, and repurchase intention as the consequents. By informing e-guanxi-enhancing strategies, this research can provide insights into e-guanxi’s effect on Chinese e-tail markets and help identify the best e-guanxi-enhancing practices.
A comprehensive literature review and bibliometric analysis on shape grammar theory and applications in architecture
Authors: A Linas Fathima , K Chithra
Published: September 2024

Shape Grammar is a systematic tool used in the logical argumentive method in research for interpreting spatial design and activities. Shape grammar applies a group of shape rules in stages to create a set or a language of design. Researchers worldwide have used this method in various fields including architecture, arts, graphical design, and pattern recognition. Even in the case of architecture, researchers worldwide have implemented the shape grammar method to analyze patterns in various architectural fields. This study analyzed publication trends in the shape grammar domain using “Bibliometrix”, an open-source tool that uses the R package. Research papers from the Web of Science and Scopus (WoS) database were identified and assessed in terms of annual publication trends, contributions of various authors, countries, citation counts of authors, universities, popular keywords, journal trends, etc. A comprehensive literature review of all relevant research papers available in the WoS and Scopus academic databases on shape grammar and its application in architecture was also conducted as part of this study. The research paper concludes with the possible research opportunities in the domain of shape grammar.
Persistent Sciatic Artery Aneurysm With Distal Embolization Treated Endovascular - A Case Report
Authors: Rasmussen An T. N. , Duvnjak Stevo
Published: September 2024

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rare embryologic remnant of the internal iliac artery variant with an estimated incidence of 0.03-0.06 %. Aneurysmatic formation can give rise to neurological sciatic nerve compression symptoms or thromboembolic and ischemic symptoms. The present is a case with recurrent thromboembolic symptoms and PSA aneurysm, successfully treated endovascularly.
Clinical application of ultrasound in thoracic medial branch block and thoracic cooled-radiofrequency ablation: Case report and literature review
Authors: Yang Kevin J , Mistry Porus D , Spalding William F
Published: September 2024

Introduction:

Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure used to alleviate pain by destroying nerves with by radiofrequency-generated heat. Traditionally, radiofrequency ablation is preceded by diagnostic medial branch block injections, both guided by fluoroscopy. Fluoroscopic visualization of the superolateral aspect of the thoracic transverse process, where thoracic medial branch nerves occur, can be challenging due to anatomical complexities, especially in obese patients. We present a novel technique in which ultrasound was utilized in conjunction with fluoroscopy to perform medial branch block and radiofrequency ablation of the thoracic medial branch nerves.

Case Report:

First, two diagnostic thoracic medial branch nerve blocks were performed under ultrasound guidance. For the subsequent radiofrequency ablation, spinal needles were first advanced under ultrasound guidance to the target thoracic medial branch nerves. The position of those spinal needles was then used to guide the placement of cooled radiofrequency ablation probes using fluoroscopy. The patient reported 100% pain relief following the procedures.

Discussion:

We found that the addition of ultrasound allowed us to overcome the challenge of visualizing the superolateral aspect of thoracic transverse process under fluoroscopy alone. Direct ultrasound visualization allowed us to accurately and safely perform a thoracic medial branch block and radiofrequency ablation in a patient with poor fluoroscopic anatomy, as demonstrated by the patient’s complete pain relief after both medial branch block and radiofrequency ablation. We also theorize that our novel technique allows the provider to directly visualize the pleura, which could reduce the risk of severe pneumothorax associated with thoracic medial branch block and cooled radiofrequency ablation.
Fighting for menstrual equity through period product pantries
Authors: Glayzer Edward J , Jennings Claire T , Schlaeger Judith M , Watkins Brynn , Rieseler Annabelle , Ray Melissa , Lee Adrienne , Glayzer Jennifer E
Published: September 2024

Background:

Menstruators facing period poverty often struggle with menstrual hygiene and waste management, which can result in harmful short- and long-term health outcomes such as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and vulvar contact dermatitis. Research indicates that 42% of menstruators in the United States have difficulty affording period products. Traditional methods of distributing period products through social services may unintentionally undermine menstruators’ agency, leading to disempowerment and inefficient resource allocation. Period product pantries are a novel approach aimed at addressing period poverty, inequity, and inadequate menstrual health education in the United States.

Objectives:

This paper aims to examine the development, organization, and implementation of two distinct period product pantry networks in Ohio and New York. It seeks to compare the advantages and challenges of grassroots versus nonprofit-led models and to provide practical insights for future pantry operators.

Design:

The study examines two models of period product pantries: a grassroots effort led by three local residents in Ohio and an initiative spearheaded by a nonprofit organization in New York. The design includes a comparative analysis of both models’ organization, funding methods, and operational structures.

Methods:

The authors gathered data on the construction, operation, and usage of two pantry networks, focusing on factors such as accessibility, community engagement, and sustainability. The study employed a combination of qualitative methods, including interviews with organizers, and a review of organizational documents to analyze the effectiveness and scalability of each model.

Results:

Both pantry networks increased accessibility to period products in low socioeconomic neighborhoods, which are disproportionately affected by period poverty. The grassroots model, while resource-limited, fostered strong community ties and local engagement. The nonprofit-led model benefited from dedicated staff and a more stable funding structure but faced bureaucratic challenges. Despite their differences, both models demonstrated the potential to empower menstruators by preserving their dignity and autonomy.

Conclusions:

Period product pantries represent an innovative and equitable approach to addressing period poverty and inequity. The analysis of the two models offers valuable insights for organizations and individuals interested in establishing similar initiatives. While each model has its unique benefits and challenges, both are effective in empowering menstruators and providing accessible menstrual hygiene products to those in need.

Registration:

Not applicable.
Integrated testability modeling method of complex systems for fault feature selection and diagnosis strategy optimization
Authors: Zhu Xinyun , Sun Jianzhong , Yan Zichen , Xu Yutong
Published: September 2024

The efficacy of system fault diagnosis is intricately linked with the testability design of the system, particularly in intricate systems encompassing numerous components exhibiting diverse failure modes. However, current research shows a dearth of effective testability models and algorithms for generating diagnostic strategies in multi-valued attribute systems (MVAS) with uncertainty. To address this, the present paper introduces a novel method for testability modeling for complex systems. This approach incorporates signal features in lieu of raw sensor signals within the testability modeling process and accounts for the uncertainties surrounding test outcomes. The context of complex MVAS, characterized by inherent uncertainty, the paper proposes a novel method for constructing a four-value dependency matrix (D-matrix). Furthermore, the paper presents a novel sequential diagnosis strategy optimization approach based on a heuristic evaluation function for the multivalued D-matrix with uncertainty. The proposed methodology has been rigorously validated using a real-world case study involving an aero-engine fuel metering device system. Comparative experiments show that the proposed method can achieve better diagnostic performance in the shortest time.
Gunshot Injury With Bone Defect of the First Metatarsal Bone A Presentation of 2 Cases Treated With an Iliac Crest Structural Graft, Internal Fixation, and Bone Morphogenic Protein 2
Authors: Husebye Elisabeth Ellingsen , Andreassen Geir Stray , Stødle Are Haukåen
Published: September 2024

Gunshot injuries to the foot with segmental bone defects can be challenging to treat. When the vascularity is intact and the soft tissues allows, the goal should be to reconstruct the bony defect. We present 2 cases of a gunshot injury to the foot with a defect of the first metatarsal bone. Both cases were treated, with favorable outcome, with a structural iliac crest graft, internal fixation, and bone morphogenic protein 2.

Level of Evidence: V, cases series, technical
Adding venetoclax or hypomethylating agents to induction chemotherapy as first-line treatment for adults with acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective case-cohort study
Authors: Xu Fangfei , Zhou Kuangguo , Gong Duanhao , Huang Wei
Published: September 2024

Background:

The response rate of traditional first-line induction chemotherapy (IC) for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia needs to be improved, but it is not clear whether adding venetoclax or hypomethylating agents (HMAs) to IC will improve the response rate.

Objective:

To determine whether venetoclax or HMAs could increase the response rate of IC in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Design:

A retrospective, propensity score matching analysis.

Methods:

Newly diagnosed AML patients at Tongji Hospital between 2021 and 2023 were included in this study. By matching cases and controls based on age, gender, baseline bone marrow blast cell proportion, type of AML, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk stratification group, we compared the response rate (CR, CR/CRi, ORR, and MRD negative) and hematological adverse events in newly diagnosed AML treated with IC plus venetoclax or HMAs versus IC alone after one cycle of IC.

Results:

The addition of venetoclax could improve CR/CRi of IC (83.8% for IC plus venetoclax vs 66.1% for IC alone, p = 0.029). The addition of venetoclax to IA regimen did not improve CR/CRi of IA regimen (76.9% for IA plus venetoclax vs 76.2% for IA alone, p = 0.986). The addition of HMAs could not only improves CR/CRi of IC (85.3%% for IC plus HMAs vs 65.4% for IC alone, p = 0.002) but also improves CR/CRi of IA regimen (91.3% for IA plus HMAs vs 70.0% for IA alone, p = 0.034). The addition of HMAs could improve CR/CRi of patients with adverse mutations (FLT3, IDH1/2, K/NRAS) after IC. The addition of venetoclax and HMAs both extended the duration of agranulocytosis and thrombocytopenia.

Conclusion:

Adding HMAs might improve CR/CRi of IC including IA. Adding venetoclax might not improve CR/CRi of IA. A well-designed prospective randomized controlled study is now warranted.
Impact of the completeness of revascularization and high bleeding risk status in acute coronary syndrome patients with multi-vessel disease: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Attachaipanich Tanawat , Putchagarn Phasakorn , Thonghong Tasalak , Leemasawat Krit , Pota Panupong , Phoksiri Aekapat , Kuanprasert Srun , Suwannasom Pannipa
Published: September 2024

Objectives

To investigate the long-term mortality of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with multivessel disease according to the level of completeness of revascularization (CR) and high-bleeding risk (HBR) status.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective study collected the data of ACS patients with multivessel disease who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention between May 2018 and February 2019. Complete to reasonable revascularization (CR) was defined by the residual Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery score (RSS) of 0 to ≤8. The HBR was defined by the PRECISE-DAPT score ≥25.

Main Outcome Measures

The all-cause death at 36 months according to the CR and HBR status.

Results

A total of 209 patients with 743 lesions were included in the analysis. The median follow-up was 3.6 years. Patients with CR had lower event rates than ICR (4.5 vs. 11.5 per 100 patient-year, HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.22–0.70), p = 0.002). Similar observations were noted when compared between non-HBR and HBR (3.9 vs. 11.1 per 100 patient-year, HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.18–0.64, p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that all-cause death was highest among those in the ICR/HBR (40.5%) followed by ICR/non-HBR (28.6%), CR/non-HBR (28.3%) and the lowest among the CR/HBR group (7.1%), log-rank p = <0.001. No significant interaction was observed between the two factors regarding all-cause death (p = 0.10 for interaction).

Conclusions

In ACS patients with MVD, the achievement of CR was associated with reducing mortality rates and consistency irrespective of the HBR status. (Trial Registration: TCTR20211222003)
Postaxial polydactyly: A case report highlighting genetic context, epidemiological trends, and management options
Authors: Yared Georges , Ghazal Kariman , Younis Ali , Alakrah Wardah , Massaad Christopher , Hajj Khodor Al , El Hajjar Charlotte , Matar Maroun
Published: September 2024

This case report examines a newborn with bilateral postaxial polydactyly type B, delivered by a 42-year-old mother with a history of third-degree consanguinity. The mother, having had no prior live births and one abortion, presented at 39 weeks gestation. The absence of prenatal care is noted, with its potential impact on prenatal diagnosis not assessed. The newborn, a healthy girl, weighed 3400 g with an Apgar score of 9/10. Radiographic and physical examination revealed vestigial sixth digits with rudimentary phalanges, influencing the surgical approach. This report underscores the importance of genetic counseling in cases of consanguinity and illustrates the multidisciplinary strategy necessary for managing polydactyly, from surgical considerations to genetic evaluation.
Exploring observed and instructed mHealth use in the middle-aged and elderly people (MAEP): A social learning perspective
Authors: Zeng Kai , Dong Lucong , Xu Yujing , Zheng Xiaofen
Published: September 2024

Objective

Based on social learning theory, this study aimed to explore the intention of middle-aged and elderly people (MAEP) to engage with mobile health (mHealth) and the underlying effects of usability and utility. The goal was to garner insights that could enhance the advancement of mHealth and improve the scope of benefits of mHealth use among MAEP in the future.

Methods

We employed a survey-based approach to delve into the mHealth use intentions among MAEP individuals aged 45 and above. A total of 371 valid survey responses were collected and analyzed using SmartPLS 3.0 for statistical examination and model verification.

Results

Our hypotheses tests revealed that vicarious utility fully mediated the relationship between observed use and direct use intention and both indirect use intentions. Instructed usability and instructed utility were found to fully and partially mediate the relationship between instructed use and indirect use intention, respectively.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the observed and instructed use behaviors of MAEP can promote their eventual intention to adopt mHealth through processes of observational and reinforcement learning. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the underlying effects of MAEP's intention to use mHealth is critical to increasing their adoption of mHealth, and thereby potentially improving their health outcomes.
An exploration of positive leisure activities in Batswana families
Authors: Tlou T. K. F. , Koen V. , Erasmus M.
Published: September 2024

This study’s aim was to explore and describe positive leisure activities in South African Batswana families. The research employed a qualitative, explorative-descriptive research design. The population included adult Tswana family members residing in Mafikeng in the North West Province of South Africa. Through the utilization of purposive sampling, the sample size (seven families consisting of 13 individual adult family members, three males and 10 females, mean age of 34) was determined through data saturation. Family semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect data and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings allude to five main themes: participants’ understanding of family leisure, positive leisure activities families engage in, leisure activities families enjoy the most, the role of positive leisure activities, and the role played by leisure activities during Covid-19 and lockdown in 2020.
Barriers and Facilitators for Implementing Shared Decision Making in Differentiated Antiretroviral Therapy Service in Northwest Ethiopia: Implications for Policy and Practice
Authors: Belay Yihalem Abebe , Yitayal Mezgebu , Atnafu Asmamaw , Taye Fitalew Agimass
Published: September 2024

Background. Shared decision making (SDM) for patients enrolling in differentiated antiretroviral therapy (DART) is crucial. Empirical evidence is lacking regarding factors promoting or hindering SDM implementation in DART provision in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to implementing SDM for patients enrolled in DART in Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews among 17 patients and 15 providers at health facilities providing DART service was conducted. The MAXQDA version 20 software was used for inductive coding. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results. Ten themes emerged at 4 levels related to SDM in the provision of DART: patient, provider, organizational, and health system. At the patient level, 1) trust in providers (facilitator) and 2) patient’s level of education (barrier) emerged as themes. At the provider level, 3) lack of familiarity with DART models (barrier) and 4) patient-provider relationship (barrier and facilitator) were emerged themes. At the organizational level, 5) workload (barrier) and 6) resources (barrier and facilitator) emerged as themes. At the health system level, 7) availability of DART models (facilitator), 8) not involving providers while initiating DART models (barrier), 9) other providers’ involvement (facilitator), and 10) presence of other implementing partners (barrier) emerged as themes. Conclusions. Numerous barriers and facilitators influence the implementation of SDM in the provision of DART. Based on these findings, the following steps are recommended. Providing access to patient decision aids shall be in place to assist patients in making decisions about their preferred DART models. Health care workers shall be trained, and patients shall be given education to enhance the SDM process. Policy makers and program managers shall consider the resource context (training and size of human resources and convenience of rooms) for the delivery of ART service to have an appropriate implementation of SDM in clinical practice.

Highlights

Shared decision making in DART is influenced by various barriers and facilitators present at the patient, provider, organizational, and health system levels. Patients need education, and health care staff need regular training to improve SDM in DART service provision. Patient access to decision support tools that aid in the selection of the preferred DART model in health facilities is critical. Policy makers and program managers shall consider the availability of adequate and trained human resources as well as provide adequate space and private rooms for SDM in the implementation of DART.