bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Giant Multilocular Prostatic Cystadenoma in a 14-Year-Old Male: A Case Report of a Pediatric Pelvic Mass
Authors: Quiring Mark , Berry Stacey , Uffman John , Pinto Kirk , Kaye Jonathan
Published: January 2022

Giant multilocular prostatic cystadenoma (GMC) is an extremely rare, benign tumor seen in both adult and pediatric males. The neoplasm originates from prostatic tissue and is typically found within the rectovesical pouch, varying in both size and morphology. Microscopically, GMC contains both glandular and cystic prostatic tissue lined by cuboidal and columnar epithelium. Symptoms often arise once the pelvic mass begins to obstruct the surrounding structures and organs, although invasion into surrounding tissue is unlikely. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, urinary retention, and dysuria. The standard treatment for GMC is surgical removal of the mass with good outcomes and only 1 known case of recurrence. Here we present the case of a 14-year-old male with GMC—the youngest patient reported to date—who presented with abdominal pain, difficulty voiding, and hydroureteronephrosis.
Predictive value of OCT and MRI for postoperative visual recovery in patients with chiasmal compressive lesions
Authors: Jeon Hyeshin , Suh Hie Bum , Kim Tae Yeon , Choi Hee-young
Published: January 2022

Purpose

We aimed to investigate the predictive value of retinal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and mass biometrics measured using magnetic resonance image (MRI) for visual recovery after surgery for removal of a mass compressing the optic chiasm.

Methods

Consecutive patients who showed typical temporal visual field defect (VFD) with respect to the vertical meridian due to a chiasmal compressive mass and who underwent mass removal surgery were recruited. Ophthalmic examination was performed preoperatively and postoperatively. Retinal thickness was measured by the Cirrus OCT. The height and size of the mass and suprasellar extension (SSE) in both the sagittal and coronal planes were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups based on the improvement in VFD (mean deviation [MD] change ≥ 5 dB: group R; others: group NR) and clinical characteristics were compared.

Results

Fifteen patients were included in the study. Eight (53.3%) patients were allocated into group R and others (7 patients, 46.7%) into group NR. Age, sex, initial visual acuity, initial MD was not different between the two groups. The retinal thicknesses were not different while tumor height, volume, and both sagittal and coronal SSE were significantly different between the two groups. (p = 0.029, 0.014, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively) All MRI parameters showed significant predictive value for the degree of MD recovery.

Conclusion

MRI showed better predictive value than OCT in predicting postoperative VFD recovery in patients with temporal VFDs due to chiasmal compressive disorder.
Long-term mortality and patency after drug-coated balloon angioplasty in the hemodialysis circuit: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Li Yunfeng , Shi Zhenwei , Zhao Yunyun , Cao Zhanjiang , Tan Zhengli
Published: January 2022

Purpose:

To compare all-cause mortality and primary patency with drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DCBA) compared with plain balloon angioplasty (PBA) in people with hemodialysis-related stenosis.

Materials and methods:

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from November 1966 to February 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the use of DCBA versus PBA for stenosis in hemodialysis circuits. Data extracted from the articles were integrated to determine all-cause mortality, target lesion primary patency (TLPP), circuit access primary patency (CAPP), 30-day adverse events, and technical success for the two approaches. We performed meta-analysis on these results using a fixed-effects model to evaluate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) where I2 < 50% in a test for heterogeneity, or a random-effect model if otherwise. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were also performed.

Results:

Sixteen RCTs of 1672 individuals were included in our meta-analysis, of which 839 individuals received DCBA and 833 received PBA. The pooled outcome showed no statistical difference between DCBA and PBA in all-cause mortality at 6 months (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.72–2.32, p = 0.39, I2 = 4%), 12 months (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.68–1.53, p = 0.91, I2 = 0%), and 24 months (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.87–2.57, p = 0.15, I2 = 0%), 30-day adverse events (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.30–3.98, p = 0.90, I2 = 66%), and technical success (OR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.02–1.92, p = 0.16, I2 = 65%). The DCBA had significantly better outcomes versus PBA in TLPP at 6 months (OR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.84–3.04, p < 0.001, I2 = 44%) and 12 months (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.22–2.56, p = 0.002, I2 = 56%), and CAPP at 6 months (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.21–3.54, p = 0.008, I2 = 67%) and 12 months (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.29–2.15, p < 0.001, I2 = 0%).

Conclusion:

In hemodialysis circuit stenosis, DCBA appears to have similar safety but greater efficacy than PBA.
Infectious outcomes of fibrin sheath disruption in tunneled dialysis catheters
Authors: Waters Mara , Huszti Ella , Ramirez Maria Erika , Lok Charmaine E.
Published: January 2022

Background and objectives:

Fibrin sheath (FS) formation around tunneled central venous catheters (CVC) increases the risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections due to bacterial adherence to a biofilm. We sought to investigate whether FS disruption (FSD) at the time of CVC removal or exchange affects infectious outcomes in patients with CVC-related infections.

Design, setting, participants, and measurements:

Retrospective cohort study of 307 adult maintenance hemodialysis patients aged 18 years or older at a single center academic-based hemodialysis program (UHN, Toronto) who developed CVC-related infections requiring CVC removal or exchange between January 2000 and January 2019. Exposure was FSD at the time of CVC removal or exchange. Outcomes were infectious metastatic complications, recurrent infection with the same organism within 1 year, or death due to infection. We created a Markov Multi-State Model (MMSM) to assess patients’ trajectories through time as they transitioned between states. A time-to-event analysis was performed, adjusted for clinically relevant factors.

Results:

There was no significant relationship between FSD status at the time of CVC removal, the development of infectious complications in the multivariable model (adjusted HR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.09−5.80, p = 0.76), or mortality from infection (HR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.34−2.11, p = 0.73).

Conclusions:

FSD at the time of CVC removal was not associated with increased risk of infectious complications or death due to infection. Further prospective study is needed to determine whether FSD contributes to reducing CVC infectious related complications.
A Case of Complex Pulmonary Hypertension: the Importance of Diagnostic Investigation
Authors: Saboe Aninka , Marindani Vani , Cool Charlotte Johanna , Syawaluddin Hilman , Kartamihardja Hussein S. , Santoso Prayudi , Akbar Mohammad Rizki
Published: January 2022

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) encompasses several heterogeneous groups of multiple diseases characterized by abnormal pulmonary arterial blood pressure elevation. Unrepaired atrial septal defect (ASD) may be associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), indicating pulmonary vascular remodeling. Furthermore, unrepaired ASD could also be associated with other conditions, such as left heart disease or thromboembolism, contributing to the disease progression. We present a case of a 61-years-old woman with complex PH comprising several etiologies, which are PAH due to unrepaired Secundum ASD, mitral regurgitation caused by mitral valve prolapse as a group 2 PH, pulmonary embolism (PE) which progress to chronic thromboembolism PH (CTEPH) and post-acute sequelae of SARS Cov-2. We highlighted the importance of diagnostic investigation in PH, which is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment that could be detrimental for the patient.
Sites of Violence, Sites of Peace, Sites of Justice: Transforming the Relational Landscape of Yogyakarta
Authors: Kusumaningrum Diah , Rahmawati Ayu Diasti , Balint Jennifer , McMillan Nesam
Published: January 2022

The collaborative “Sites of Violence, Sites of Peace” project seeks to transform the relational landscape of Yogyakarta by enabling new intergenerational conversations about the 1965 politicide in Indonesia and further injustices with other marginalized communities. This community-engaged project developed walking tours of (largely unacknowledged) sites of historic violence: a colonial fort turned national museum, a derelict office building, a refurbished bank. Through these tours, sites of past suffering are activated by unheard survivor testimonies, making visible historical injustice and its contemporary and enduring significance. Unsettling the dominant spatial arrangement of Yogyakarta, the tours rewrite the city as a space where injustice and persecution are experienced. Crucially, the tour is also a relational encounter, facilitating intergenerational conversations that challenge social and political exclusionary norms. It, thereby, enables a form of relational justice, which requires active involvement from fellow citizens, not solely redress from the state.
Performance of textured foil journal bearing considering the influence of relative texture depth
Authors: Zhang Guanghui , Xu Kefan , Han Jiazhen , Huang Yanzhong , Gong Wenjie , Guo Yang , Huang Zhongwen , Luo Xinyang , Liang Bo
Published: January 2022

Both foil structure and surface texturing have been widely used to improve bearing performance. However, there is little research on their combination, namely, textured gas foil bearing. This paper adopts the Reynolds equation as the pressure governing equation of bump-type foil journal bearing to study the influence of textures located on the top foil. The Newton-Raphson iterative method and the perturbation method are employed to obtain static and dynamic characteristics, respectively. Thereafter, based on three texture distribution types, further analysis about the effect of the relative texture depth and the textured portion is carried out. The results indicate that an appropriate arrangement of textures could improve the performance of gas foil bearing. For #1 texture distribution, the maximum increment of load capacity could exceed 10% when ω  =  1.4 × 105 r/min, ε  =  0.2.
Consider your companions carefully: How voters perceive (coalition) governments’ poor valence images
Authors: Liu Tzu-Ping
Published: January 2022

Numerous studies of comparative political behavior examine how voters perceive parties’ ideological positions on various policy issues, either in a standard uni-dimensional space or on single issues. These studies assume these ideological positions to be representative of the entire governing coalition, classifying the government as unitary. While a common assumption when assessing coalition governments’ ideological positions, it is unclear whether this logic of shared accountability holds for voters’ perceptions of valence. To fill this gap, I use a conjoint experiment to assess the perceptual influence of valence issues on coalitional accountability. Overall, my results show that unlike standard left-right ideological positions, voters project the prime minister’s and (junior) cabinet members’ low valence bidirectionally onto each other. This research has implications for the prime minister’s selection process for (junior) cabinet members and junior parties’ own calculus of whether to participate in a coalition or not.
“YouTube’s predator problem”: Platform moderation as governance-washing, and user resistance
Authors: Tarvin Emily , Stanfill Mel
Published: January 2022

YouTube experienced large-scale criticism in early 2019 for predatory behavior toward children on the platform. To address concerns about children’s safety, YouTube acted quickly by demonetizing and deactivating comments on videos featuring minors. In this paper, we analyze both the company’s response to this scandal and how users received that response. We argue that YouTube’s reaction was governance-washing, which presents the appearance of vigorous platform moderation and leverages popular perceptions of technology to create the look of authority while deflecting questions about substance. While YouTubers and users did not dispute that the pedophilic comments were heinous, they questioned the effectiveness of the company’s solutions, arguing that YouTube’s platform governance actions did not solve the problem. Ultimately, we show that users have cogent critiques of governance policies that pretend to be comprehensive but fail to solve what they purport to address, and offer up the term “governance-washing” as a useful framework to make sense of such cases.
Development of a new anchorage system for carbon fiber–reinforced polymer rods using extrusion process
Authors: Lian Shao , Jinping Ou , Zhi Zhou
Published: January 2022

Carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) rods have been considered as a candidate material for prestressed concrete applications because of their superior properties. For current applications, successful use of CFRP rods is linked to an efficient anchorage system design. This paper presents a newly developed anchorage system for CFRP rods and the design concept that the extrusion process is used to generate gripping force. The proposed anchorage system consists of a steel barrel and an aluminum sleeve, and an extrusion region is designed on the outside of barrel to generate a suitable contact pressure distribution on the CFRP rod. A mathematical model was proposed to estimate the contact pressure on the CFRP rod and the capacity of anchorage system. The simulation of extrusion and loading process was conducted with a three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) model. The key design parameters of anchorage system were analyzed to obtain an optimized parameter combination. The experimental validation showed that the new anchorage system is capable of allowing the CFRP rod to attain the ultimate tensile strength.
Does the socioeconomic positioned neighbourhood matter? Norwegian adolescents’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators for physical activity
Authors: Havdal Hanne Hennig , Fosse Elisabeth , Gebremariam MEkdes Kebede , Stronks Karien , Andersen Oddbjørn Klomsten , Lien Nanna
Published: January 2022

Background and aims:

A higher proportion of adolescents from lower socioeconomic position families tend to be less physically active than their counterparts from higher socioeconomic position families. More research is needed to understand the causes of these differences, particularly the influence of the neighbourhood environment. This qualitative study aims to explore how adolescents and their parents from higher and lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods perceive the social, organisational and physical environment influencing adolescents’ physical activity behaviours.

Method:

We conducted six semi-structured focus groups with 35 13–14-year-olds and eight interviews with some of their parents. The interviewees were recruited from one higher and two lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods in Oslo, Norway. Theme-based coding was used for analysis, and the results discussed in light of an ecological framework.

Results:

The results indicate that factors like social norms in a neighbourhood could shape adolescents’ physical activity behaviour, and a social norm of an active lifestyle seemed to be an essential facilitator in the higher socioeconomic neighbourhood. Higher availability of physical activity and high parental engagement seemed to facilitate higher physical activity in this neighbourhood. In the lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods, the availability of local organised physical activity and volunteer engagement from parents varied. Programmes from the municipality and volunteer organisations seemed to influence and be essential for adolescents’ physical activity behaviour in these neighbourhoods.

Conclusions:

The results illustrate the complexity of behaviour and environment interaction, and a limitation in explaining the phenomenon by focusing primarily on the individual level rather than an ecological perspective.
Mothering against motherhood: doula work, xenohospitality and the idea of the momrade
Authors: Lewis Sophie A.
Published: January 2022

Today, a new vein of queer Marxist-feminist family-abolitionist theorising is reviving contemporary feminists’ willingness to imagine, politically, what women's liberationists in the 1970s called ‘mothering against motherhood’. Concurrently, the jokey portmanteau ‘momrade’, i.e. mom  +  comrade, has circulated persistently in the twenty-first century on online forums maintained by communities of mothers and/or leftists. This article asks: what if, in the name of abolishing the family, we took the joke entirely seriously? What makes a ‘mom’ a ‘momrade’, or vice versa? In what ways does the work of reproduction, conceivably, actively participate in class struggles, producing new worlds (and un-producing others)? How do the collective arts of mothering unmake selves? And how does the verb ‘to mother’ work to abolish the present state of things? The chosen point of departure for exploring these questions is the concept of xenohospitality; a term I borrow from Helen Hester – one of the authors of the Xenofeminist Manifesto – who defines it as openness to the alien, a definition I link closely to ‘comradeliness’. Further, the meaning of the term ‘family abolition’, here, is aptly summed up by the formula ‘xenofam ≥ biofam’; to abolish the family is not to destroy relationships of care and nurturance, but on the contrary, to expand and proliferate them. Reflecting on the conditions of possibility for such universally xenofamilial – that is to say, comradely – kin relations, this article implicitly argues for utopia(nism) in feminist kinship studies. It grounds this utopianism, however, in first-hand experiences of informal ‘death doula’ labour. The labour of mothering one's mother is offered as a potential practice of un-mothering oneself and others. In fact, the argument pivots on these auto-ethnographic observations about maternal bereavement, because the event of the author's mother's death interrupted and intruded upon the feminist theorising involved.
Social media entrepreneurship as an opportunity for women: The case of Facebook-commerce
Authors: Brahem Meriam , Boussema Samira
Published: January 2022

This paper examines a new type of entrepreneurship conducted via social networking sites named as social media entrepreneurship. In Tunisia, the number of women entrepreneurs operating on social media platforms such as Facebook is noteworthy. Thus, in this study it is aimed to determine the factors that prompted women to develop businesses on Facebook, and how this social network is a venue for female entrepreneurship. Particular attention is paid to identify individual-related (push/pull entrepreneurial motivation), technology-related and institutional factors that bear on the use of social media. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 24 female entrepreneurs. The research findings provide relevant information and support the idea that social media has opened up new horizons and entrepreneurial opportunities for women to pursue their entrepreneurial intention. Pull motivations are really behind the decision to start up social commerce. Facebook advantageous features have empowered women to create customer networks, used nature marketing tool at no cost and acquire positive attitude towards entrepreneurship. Finally, although the informal nature of business on Facebook is attractive, formalization remains a challenge for the majority of women. It seems that ambition to grow their businesses brings them to formal economy.
What is the ‘public’ in public education? Mapping past, present and future educational imaginaries of Europe and beyond
Authors: Clarke Matthew , Mills Martin , Mockler Nicole , Singh Parlo
Published: January 2022

This special issue explores past, present and potential future imaginaries of ‘public’ education in Europe and beyond. The special issue is located in a contemporary context of political turmoil, in which one in four European voters allegedly supports populist political parties, with the largest support for far-right forms of populism; it is also set against a historical background of several decades of significant change in the social, political and economic contexts of education, whereby schools and universities have been reimagined and reorganized so as to conform to the marketized and managerialist contours of the neoliberal imaginary; and it is set against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to lockdowns and school closures in many countries and prompted many to question supposedly ‘normal’ ways of doing school and education in less turbulent times. For all these reasons, the special issue is topical and timely.
Seasonality of cruise ship activity in neighboring regions
Authors: Esteve-Perez Jeronimo , Garcia-Sanchez Antonio
Published: January 2022

The continuous growth of the cruise industry has brought with it a series of threats. Among them is the management of the seasonality of cruise activity in order to address its negative effects. This study examines the monthly cruise passenger movement distribution among a group of harbors located in the northeast sector of the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea with the aim of determining the existence of seasonality patterns in cruise traffic and their relationship between different regions. A database of cruise passenger movements during the period from 2007 to 2019 among 24 harbors forms the backbone of the empirical analysis. First, the seasonal variation index of each harbor was calculated to determine the seasonality pattern. Second, a cluster analysis was performed to classify harbors into clusters with analogous seasonality patterns. The results reveal that seasonality of cruise activity in a consolidated region is explained by own factors of the region, but also by an induced seasonality imported from neighboring cruise regions.
A Systematized Review of Professional Employment Following Thoracic Transplantation
Authors: Jobst Stefan , Schaefer Jonas , Kleiser Christina , Kugler Christiane
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Acknowledging the evolved landscape in thoracic transplantation, professional employment becomes an important outcome measure to quantify the success of this costly procedure.

Objective

We aimed to assess rates of and characterize factors associated with professional employment in patients following thoracic transplantation, and create an evidence-base on the relationship between professional employment and relevant outcome parameters.

Methods

We systematically searched Medline, Cinahl, and GoogleScholar to identify studies published between 1998 and 2021 reporting on professional employment following heart and lung transplantation.

Results

Twenty-two studies from 11 countries with varying sample sizes (N = 27; 10 066) were included. Employment rates ranged from 19.7% to 69.4% for heart, and from 7.4% to 50.8% for lung transplant recipients. Most frequently reported positively associated factors with employment after transplant were younger age, higher education, and history of pretransplant employment. Longer duration of unemployment prior to transplantation and Medicaid coverage were the most frequently reported negatively associated factors. Relationships between professional employment and clinical outcomes included lower rates of acute and chronic rejection, less infection episodes, and better quality of life among working patients; one study reported a lower 5-year-mortality rate. Reasons not to work were “physical or mental health-related,” “employment-related,” “financial reasons,” and “lifestyle choices.”

Discussion

Substantial proportions of patients following thoracic transplantation are not professionally employed, potentially diminishing the success of transplantation on individual and societal levels. Considering adverse clinical outcomes in employed transplant recipients were low, more efforts are needed to identify modifiable factors for employment in these populations.
Score for the Risk and Overall Survival of Lung Metastasis in Patients First Diagnosed With Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Novel Nomogram-Based Risk Assessment System
Authors: Fan Zhiyi , Chi Changxing , Tong Yuexin , Huang Zhangheng , Song Youxin , You Shengjie
Published: January 2022

Background: Metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients have a poor prognosis with a 3-year survival rate of 25%. About 30% of them present lung metastases (LM). This study aimed to construct 2 nomograms to predict the risk of LM and overall survival of STS patients with LM. Materials and Methods: The data of patients were derived from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database during the period of 2010 to 2015. Logistic and Cox analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors and prognostic factors of STS patients with LM, respectively. Afterward, 2 nomograms were, respectively, established based on these factors. The performance of the developed nomogram was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curves, area under the curve (AUC) calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: A total of 7643 patients with STS were included in this study. The independent predictors of LM in first-diagnosed STS patients were N stage, grade, histologic type, and tumor size. The independent prognostic factors for STS patients with LM were age, N stage, surgery, and chemotherapy. The AUCs of the diagnostic nomogram were 0.806 in the training set and 0.799 in the testing set. For the prognostic nomogram, the time-dependent AUC values of the training and testing set suggested a favorable performance and discrimination of the nomogram. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year AUC values were 0.698, 0.718, and 0.715 in the training set, and 0.669, 0.612, and 0717 in the testing set, respectively. Furthermore, for the 2 nomograms, calibration curves indicated satisfactory agreement between prediction and actual survival, and DCA indicated its clinical usefulness. Conclusion: In this study, grade, histology, N stage, and tumor size were identified as independent risk factors of LM in STS patients, age, chemotherapy surgery, and N stage were identified as independent prognostic factors of STS patients with LM, these developed nomograms may be an effective tool for accurately predicting the risk and prognosis of newly diagnosed patients with LM.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Standardized Postoperative Instructions in Hand Surgery
Authors: Novak Matthew , Blough Jordan , Falola Reuben , Czerwinski Wendy
Published: January 2022

Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a standardized approach to care of the surgical patient. Postoperative patient instructions, an aspect of ERAS protocols, are difficult to standardize in hand surgery because of the diversity of procedures. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of standardized hand surgery postoperative instructions on the number of unscheduled postoperative patient encounters. Methods: The study was an institutional review board-approved prospective cohort in which all hand surgery patients from 6 surgeons at a single, hospital-based academic institution were included. For a 6-month period, both before and after establishing a standardized postoperative instructional handout, data were collected on unscheduled postoperative encounters within 14 days of surgery. Results: There were 330 patients in the control group versus 282 who received standardized postoperative instructions. Trauma comprised 24.6% of cases in comparison to 75.4% elective. Individual surgeons did not significantly influence whether patients had an encounter. Overall, patients who received standardized instructions were just as likely as the control group to have unscheduled encounters (41.5% vs 43.9%, respectively). Notably, elective patients were significantly more likely to have encounters (46%) versus trauma patients (33.1%; P = .007); however, the standardized instructions did not influence the number of encounters for either group. Conclusions: This study did not demonstrate a difference in unscheduled postoperative encounters after initiation of standardized postoperative instructions for hand surgery patients. These findings may help providers save time and resources by tailoring the use of ERAS in this distinct patient population.
Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis: In-Vitro Comparative Evaluation of Anti-arthritic and Anti-inflammatory Potential of Some Traditionally Used Medicinal Plants
Authors: Farooq Sundas , Shaheen Ghazala , Asif Hafiz Muhammad , Aslam Muhammad Rahil , Zahid Rabia , Rajpoot Sehrish R. , Jabbar Sana , Zafar Farah
Published: January 2022

Background: Colchicum autumnale, Strychnous nux-vomica and Aloe barbadensis are the medicinal plants clinically utilized for the management of rhuematic disorders. Purpose: The present work was focused to evaluate the in-vitro anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory activities of Colchicum ( Colchicum autumnale), Nux-vomica ( Strychnous nux-vomica), and Aloe-vera ( Aloe barbadensis). Research Design: Primarily, the aqueous-ethanolic extracts of these medicinal plants were phytochemically screened followed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. Anti-arthritic activity by protein denaturation method and anti-inflammatory activity by human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization method at the concentration of 125, 250, and 500 µg/mL along with standard were performed. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed that alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, phenols, and anthraquinones were found in all the extracts, and organic acids, amine group, aromatic or aliphatic compounds, esters and halogens, and phenolics were identified by FTIR. Protein denaturation method revealed that colchicum, nux-vomica, and aloe-vera showed maximum 98.5%, 99.6%, and 72.3% of inhibition at 500 µg/mL compared with that of standard drug, that is, Diclofenac sodium. Membrane stabilization method showed that colchicum, nux-vomica, and aloe-vera showed maximum 40.20%, 35.67%, and 40.1% protection at 500 µg/mL when compared with standard drug. Conclusion: It is concluded from the current study that extracts of colchicum, nux-vomica, and aloe-vera showed more potent effect and thus can be used as alternative options for the management of inflammatory and arthritic ailments.
Task demands moderate the effect of emotion on attentional capture
Authors: Humphreys Louise , Higgins Sarah , Roberts Emma V
Published: January 2022

The current experiment examined the effect of task demands on attention to emotional images. Eighty participants viewed pairs of images, with each pair consisting of an emotional (negative or positive) and a neutral image, or two neutral images. Participants’ eye movements were recorded during picture viewing, and participants were either asked (1) which picture contains more colour? (colour task), (2) are the images equally pleasant? (pleasantness task), (3) which picture do you prefer? (preference task), or (4) were given no task instructions (control task). Although the results did not suggest that emotional images strongly captured attention, emotional images were looked at earlier than neutral images. Importantly, the pattern of results was dependent on the task instructions; while the preference and colour task conditions showed early attentional biases to emotional images, only positive images were looked at earlier in the pleasantness task condition, and no early attentional biases were observed in the control task. Moreover, total fixation duration was increased for positive images in the preference task condition, but not in the other task conditions. It was concluded that attention to emotional stimuli can be modified by the demands of the task during viewing. However, further research should consider additional factors, such as the cognitive load of the viewing tasks and the content of the images used.
Oliver’s four-factor model: Validation through causality
Authors: Cecchin Alessandro
Published: January 2022

While there has been a growing interest in sports analysis in recent years, much research first focused on a classical statistical approach and later on an artificial intelligence approach. This article aims instead to propose a causal inference approach to sports analysis. In particular, the present article intends to review the famous four-factor model proposed by Dean Oliver for assessing the winning ability of National Basketball Association (NBA) teams through a causal inference approach. A structural equation model is used to validate Oliver’s model. The present paper considers the winning percentage and the factors’ statistics over entire seasons from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. The statistics for the [Formula: see text] season are considered only on a subset of the games. This is because the games played in the Orlando bubble under the particular COVID-19 situation have been regarded as outliers compared to the games played in the other NBA seasons, hence they have not been taken into account. The second goal of the article is to analyse if the fitting ability of the four-factor model changes when it is fitted over the pre[Formula: see text] and post[Formula: see text] basketball eras datasets, considering the year [Formula: see text] as the turning point for the NBA playing style.
Understanding the pedagogical practice in futsal teaching and learning process based on the TGfU approach
Authors: Ginciene Guy , Amato Camila , Rodrigues de Oliveira Eduardo , Oliveira dos Santos Ivan , Dell Osbel Eduardo , Leonardi Thiago José
Published: January 2022

The aim of the current study is to understand the pedagogical practice of coaches of youth futsal players based on the TGfU approach. Action Research (AR) approach, developed according to the planning, teaching, observing and reflecting spiral steps, was applied for the teaching of futsal for 12 children aged 9–11 years. An eight-member research group (five student coaches, one research coach and two university professors) was subjected to the same practice. Information was collected from class planning meetings, diagnostic assessment and field diaries of participant and non-participant observers. Based on results, changes in the pedagogical practice were aimed at helping players understanding and using actions to support futsal improvements. AR application also highlighted the emerging understanding about student-coach practices, the influence of coaches who adopt reflective practices or not; and the relevance of using critical player observation at the time of reflecting on how to develop supportive pedagogical practices. Results have shown that the pedagogical practice of coaches has changed over time. The researcher-coach practice and the assistant coach (student-coach 1) was influenced by the perceptions of student-coaches and reflections made in meetings.
CORONA (COre ultRasOund of covid in iNtensive care and Acute medicine) study: National service evaluation of lung and heart ultrasound in intensive care patients with suspected or proven COVID-19
Authors: Parulekar Prashant , Powys-Lybbe James , Knight Thomas , Smallwood Nicholas , Lasserson Daniel , Rudge Gavin , Miller Ashley , Peck Marcus , Aron Jonathon
Published: January 2022

Background

Combined Lung Ultrasound (LUS) and Focused UltraSound for Intensive Care heart (FUSIC Heart - formerly Focused Intensive Care Echocardiography, FICE) can aid diagnosis, risk stratification and management in COVID-19. However, data on its application and results are limited to small studies in varying countries and hospitals. This United Kingdom (UK) national service evaluation study assessed how combined LUS and FUSIC Heart were used in COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients during the first wave of the pandemic.

Method

Twelve trusts across the UK registered for this prospective study. LUS and FUSIC Heart data were obtained, using a standardised data set including scoring of abnormalities, between 1st February 2020 to 30th July 2020. The scans were performed by intensivists with FUSIC Lung and Heart competency as a minimum standard. Data was anonymised locally prior to transfer to a central database.

Results

372 studies were performed on 265 patients. There was a small but significant relationship between LUS score >8 and 30-day mortality (OR 1.8). Progression of score was associated with an increase in 30-day mortality (OR 1.2). 30-day mortality was increased in patients with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction (49.4% vs 29.2%). Severity of LUS score correlated with RV dysfunction ( p < 0.05). Change in management occurred in 65% of patients following a combined scan.

Conclusions

In COVID-19 patients, there is an association between lung ultrasound score severity, RV dysfunction and mortality identifiable by combined LUS and FUSIC Heart. The use of 12-point LUS scanning resulted in similar risk score to 6-point imaging in the majority of cases. Our findings suggest that serial combined LUS and FUSIC Heart on COVID-19 ICU patients may aid in clinical decision making and prognostication.
Myasthenia gravis in pregnancy: Systematic review and case series
Authors: Banner Harrison , Niles Kirsten M , Ryu Michelle , Sermer Mathew , Bril Vera , Murphy Kellie E
Published: January 2022

Background

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease which can impact pregnancy.

Methods

Six databases were systematically searched for studies with at least five subjects reporting pregnancy outcomes for women with myasthenia gravis in pregnancy. Assessment of bias was performed for all included studies. Forty-eight cases from our own centre were also included in the analysis.

Results

In total, 32 publications met inclusion criteria for systematic review, for a total of 33 unique data sets including 48 cases from our institution. Outcome data was available for 824 pregnancies. Spontaneous vaginal delivery occurred in 56.3% of pregnancies. Overall risk of myasthenia gravis exacerbation was 33.8% with a 6.4% risk of myasthenic crisis in pregnancy and 8.2% postpartum. The incidence risk of transient neonatal myasthenia gravis was 13.0%.

Conclusions

The current systematic review provides the best estimates of risk currently available to aid in counselling women with myasthenia gravis in pregnancy.
Lymphoma for GPs across the cancer continuum
Authors: Merriel Samuel W D
Published: January 2022

Lymphomas are a diverse and relatively common cancer type in the UK. Early diagnosis of lymphoma is vital for improving patient outcomes. The majority of patients diagnosed with lymphoma have a life expectancy of more than 5 years. Lymphoma treatments can have long-term health consequences, and patients with a history of lymphoma have a higher risk of subsequently developing other cancers. More robust evidence for the early diagnosis of lymphoma in primary care has been published in recent years, and the classification of lymphoma has recently been updated by the World Health Organisation. This article focuses on the diagnosis of lymphoma in adolescents and adults and the on-going care needs of patients who are being treated for lymphoma or have survived a diagnosis of lymphoma. Further information about lymphoma and other cancers in children can be found in the InnovAiT article by Dr Jennifer Kelly published in 2017.
Quantifying the Opportunity Cost of Resident Involvement in Academic Orthopedic Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Matched – Pair Analysis
Authors: Swindell Hasani W , deMeireles Alirio J , Zhong Jack R , Bixby Elise C , Saltzman Bryan M , Jobin Charles M , Levine William N , Trofa David P
Published: January 2022

Background

There is minimal work defining the economic impact of resident participation in shoulder arthroplasty. Thus, this study quantified the opportunity cost of resident participation in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA) by determining differences in operative time, relative value units (RVUs)/hour, and RVUs/case.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of shoulder arthroplasty procedures were identified from the ACS-NSQIP database from 2006 to 2014 using CPT codes. Demographic, comorbidity, preoperative laboratory data and surgical procedure were used to develop matched cohorts. Mean differences in operative time, RVUs/case and RVUs/hour between attending-only (AO) cases and cases with resident involvement (RI) were examined. Cost analysis was performed to identify differences in RVUs generated per hour in dollars/case.

Results

A total of 1786 AO and 1102 RI cases were identified. With the exception of PGY-3 and PGY-4 cases, RI cases had lower mean operative times compared to AO cases. The cost of RI was highest for PGY-3 ($199.87 per case) and PGY-4 ($9 .2 9) residents with all other postgraduate years providing a cost reduction.

Discussion

Involvement of residents was associated with shorter operative times leading to a savings of $29.64 per case. Involvement of intermediate-level (PGY-3) residents were associated with increased costs that ultimately decreased as residents became more senior.
Current and future landscape of targeted therapy in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: redrawing the lines
Authors: Simmons Christine , Rayson Daniel , Joy Anil Abraham , Henning Jan-Willem , Lemieux Julie , McArthur Heather , Card Paul B. , Dent Rebecca , Brezden-Masley Christine
Published: January 2022

Background:

Evidence to date supports continued human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) suppression beyond progression on HER2-directed therapy for advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. Data from several phase II and III trials evaluating HER2-directed therapy following second-line T-DM1 have recently become available.

Methods:

We performed a systematic search of the published and presented literature to identify phase II and phase III trials assessing novel HER2-targeted agents as third-line therapy or beyond for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer using search terms ‘breast cancer’ AND ‘HER2’ AND ‘advanced’ AND (‘phase II’ OR ‘phase III’).

Results:

Eight clinical trials reporting efficacy outcomes on third-line or greater HER2-directed therapy for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer were identified. In phase III trials, margetuximab and neratinib combinations demonstrated significant 1.3-month (hazard ratio, HR = 0.71, p < 0.001) and 0.1-month (HR = 0.76, p = 0.006) net improvements in median progression-free survival (PFS), respectively, with no significant improvements in overall survival (OS). Tucatinib added to trastuzumab and capecitabine demonstrated a significant 2.7-month improvement in median PFS (HR = 0.57, p < 0.00001) and a 5.5-month improvement in median OS (HR = 0.73, p = 0.004) in a randomized phase II trial, including significant clinical benefit for patients with brain metastases. Finally, trastuzumab-deruxtecan, zenocutuzumab, and poziotinib demonstrated benefit in phase II trials with the most robust overall response rate (62.0%) and median duration of response (18.2 months) observed for trastuzumab-deruxtecan among heavily pretreated patients.

Conclusion:

Tucatinib plus trastuzumab and capecitabine significantly prolongs OS, and promising preliminary response outcomes for trastuzumab-deruxtecan suggest that sequencing of these regimens following second-line therapy is reasonable.
Predicting treatment outcomes using 18F-FDG PET biomarkers in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer receiving chemoimmunotherapy
Authors: Kim Chang Gon , Hwang Sang Hyun , Kim Kyung Hwan , Yoon Hong In , Shim Hyo Sup , Lee Ji Hyun , Han Yejeong , Ahn Beung-Chul , Hong Min Hee , Kim Hye Ryun , Cho Byoung Chul , Cho Arthur , Lim Sun Min
Published: January 2022

Background:

Predictive markers for treatment response and survival outcome have not been identified in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving chemoimmunotherapy. We aimed to evaluate whether imaging biomarkers of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and routinely assessed clinico-laboratory values were associated with clinical outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving pembrolizumab plus platinum-doublet chemotherapy as a first-line treatment.

Methods:

We retrospectively enrolled 52 patients with advanced NSCLC who underwent baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT before treatment initiation. PET/CT parameters and clinico-laboratory variables, constituting the prognostic immunotherapy scoring system, were collected. Optimal cut-off values for PET/CT parameters were determined using the maximized log-rank test for progression-free survival (PFS). A multivariate prediction model was developed based on Cox models for PFS, and a scoring system was established based on hazard ratios of the predictive factors.

Results:

During the median follow-up period of 16.7 months (95% confidence interval: 15.7–17.7 months), 43 (82.7%) and 31 (59.6%) patients experienced disease progression and death, respectively. Objective response was observed in 23 (44.2%) patients. In the multivariate analysis, maximum standardized uptake value, metabolic tumour volume2.5, total lesion glycolysis2.5, and bone marrow-to-liver uptake ratio from the PET/CT variables and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) from the clinico-laboratory variables were independently associated with PFS. The scoring system based on these independent predictive variables significantly predicted the treatment response, PFS, and overall survival.

Conclusion:

PET/CT variables and NLR were useful biomarkers for predicting outcomes of patients with NSCLC receiving pembrolizumab and chemotherapy as a first-line treatment, suggesting their potential as effective markers for combined PD-1 blockade and chemotherapy.
Reactive and Asymmetric Communication Flows: Social Media Discourse and Partisan News Framing in the Wake of Mass Shootings
Authors: Zhang Yini , Shah Dhavan , Pevehouse Jon , Valenzuela Sebastián
Published: January 2022

Marked by both deep interconnectedness and polarization, the contemporary media system in the United States features news outlets and social media that are bound together, yet deeply divided along partisan lines. This article formally analyzes communication flows surrounding mass shootings in the hybrid and polarized U.S. media system. We begin by integrating media system literature with agenda setting and news framing theories and then conduct automated text analysis and time series modeling. After accounting for exogenous event characteristics, results show that (a) sympathy and gun control discourses on Twitter preceded news framing of gun policy more than the other way around, and (b) conservatives on Twitter and conservative media reacted to progressive discourse on Twitter, without their progressive counterparts exhibiting a similar reactiveness. Such results shed light on the influence of social media on political communication flows and confirm an asymmetry in the ways partisan media ecosystems respond to social events.