bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Opportunities for Oral Antibiotic Therapy in Bone and Joint Infections
Authors: Bhagat Hita , Sikka Monica K. , Sukerman Ellie S. , Makadia Jina , Lewis James S. , Streifel Amber C.
Published: June 2022

Background:

The OVIVA trial suggests oral antibiotics are an alternative to intravenous antibiotics to treat bone and joint infections (BJI). A shift in practice to treatment with oral antibiotics would eliminate the need for central vascular access, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce overall healthcare costs.

Objective:

The primary objective was to identify the proportion of patients treated for BJIs with outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) who would have qualified for oral antibiotics based on microbiological data. The secondary objective was to conduct a cost-analysis to estimate potential cost-savings had eligible patients been treated with oral antibiotics.

Methods:

This was a single-center, retrospective study of adult patients in the United States treated with intravenous antibiotics for BJIs from January 2018 to April 2020. Inclusion and exclusion criteria matched the OVIVA trial. Patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, endocarditis, or other high-risk features were excluded.

Results:

281 patients met the inclusion criteria. Most had prosthetic joint infections (56%). Infections caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci (25%) were most common, followed by S. aureus (23%) and polymicrobial infections (22%). 69 (25%) patients required a switch during their OPAT course to an alternate antibiotic agent. Thirteen patients (5%) experienced vascular access complications, and 6 patients (2%) developed Clostridiodes difficile infections. Oral therapy could have resulted in an estimated average savings per patient of $3,270.69 USD.

Conclusion and Relevance:

Most patients treated with OPAT for BJIs were candidates for oral antibiotics. A change in practice would result in cost-savings to the U.S. healthcare system.
Couple Relationship Education: Before and During COVID-19
Authors: Turner Joshua J. , Bradford Kay , Higginbotham Brian , Juhasz Elisabeth
Published: June 2022

The restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have required program planners to re-evaluate the provision of relationship education (RE). The current mixed-methods study focuses on the Healthy Relationships [State] initiative's transition from in-person to virtual online RE programing, measuring program impact and comparing the outcomes between the two delivery methods for individuals participating in Couple LINKS, a curriculum designed for adults in committed relationships. Comparisons between delivery methods revealed that in-person participants showed greater gains than virtual participants on key program measures; however, the outcomes were positive for all. Qualitative responses of virtual participants revealed what they liked most and liked least about the virtual format, citing their appreciation for the curriculum, the opportunity to develop new skills, facilitator quality, online accessibility, and couple time. Schedule conflicts and uneven course pacing, reference materials, technology, and sharing personal information were listed as things participants liked least about the virtual program. Implications for the future delivery of RE programs are discussed.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia in a patient with long-term carbamazepine exposure: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia that develops in a patient who has been using carbamazepine for a long time
Authors: Sayin Serhat , Bagci Metin
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Carbamazepine is an antiepileptic drug used in the treatment of epilepsy, trigeminal neuralgia, and bipolar disorder. Hematological effects that may develop with this anticonvulsant; agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, aplastic anemia, eosinophilia, or pancytopenia.

Case report

In this article, we wanted to present a case diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after long-term use of carbamazepine because of epilepsy.

Management and outcome

Bone marrow smear was evaluated and blastic cell infiltration was observed. The carbamazepine treatment was discontinued and standard chemotherapy was started for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (CALGB protocol). Levetiracetam was started for epilepsy.

Discussion

Carbamazepine is an iminostilbene derivative. Carbamazepine is an antiepileptic drug that exhibits a number of side effects such as headache, abdominal pain, high blood pressure, as well as hematological disorders. In addition to causing thrombocytopenia, hypogammaglobulinemia, leukopenia, and neutropenia, it can have serious effects such as agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, leukemia, or DRESS syndrome. The incidence of serious side effects from carbamazepine pharmacotherapy is low, and their exact mechanism of action is still unknown.
Heart Smart: A Virtual Self-Management Intervention for Homebound People With Heart Failure: A Pilot Study
Authors: Frye Sara Kate , Bell Alison
Published: June 2022

Heart failure is a chronic medical condition that requires lifelong self-management to optimize health. Self-management strategies include self-monitoring symptoms, managing medications, modifying the diet, and maintaining healthy activity levels. However, knowledge of self-management skills is insufficient; people with heart failure must develop self-efficacy in order to take action to improve their health. Self-management programs rely on group interaction to build self-efficacy, but specialized group interventions are inaccessible to individuals who are homebound. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of Heart Smart, a 5-week, virtual program to increase self-efficacy for heart failure self-management. Three participants were enrolled from a large academic home health system in the greater Philadelphia area. All 3 participants demonstrated improved scores on the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Diseases 6-Item Scale. Two out of the 3 participants had clinically important gains on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. All 3 participants made gains on the Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test. Participants were able to log in and access the virtual meeting platform effectively with minimal training. Participant satisfaction within the group was high. These pilot study results indicate the potential for positive self-management gains, and larger scale trials of the Heart Smart intervention are recommended.
Early Interventionists’ Knowledge of Evidence-Based Practices for Autism
Authors: Gevarter Cindy , Siciliano Mariah G. , Stone Erin
Published: June 2022

This online survey study examined early intervention providers’ knowledge and training needs surrounding evidence-based practices for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The researchers analyzed data from 87 early intervention providers (speech-language pathologists and developmental specialists) in a rural Southwestern U.S. state. The survey included both quantitative (i.e., rating and multiple-choice questions) and qualitative (open-ended) components. Survey sections included demographics, self-ratings of knowledge of evidence-based practices/self-reported training needs and barriers to working with children with ASD, and directly assessed knowledge of evidence-based practices. Findings support specific knowledge gaps and training needs (e.g., practices for addressing challenging behaviors, strategies for working with children with limited communication skills) and suggest developmental specialists who provided special instruction services may have greater training needs than speech-language pathologists. Findings have important implications for professional development and training programs for early intervention providers.
Accelerating physics simulations with tensor processing units: An inundation modeling example
Authors: Hu R Lily , Pierce Damien , Shafi Yusef , Boral Anudhyan , Anisimov Vladimir , Nevo Sella , Chen Yi-fan
Published: June 2022

Recent advancements in hardware accelerators such as Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) speed up computation time relative to Central Processing Units (CPUs) not only for machine learning but, as demonstrated here, also for scientific modeling and computer simulations. To study TPU hardware for distributed scientific computing, we solve partial differential equations (PDEs) for the physics simulation of fluids to model riverine floods. We demonstrate that TPUs achieve a two orders of magnitude speedup over CPUs. Running physics simulations on TPUs is publicly accessible via the Google Cloud Platform, and we release a Python interactive notebook version of the simulation.
Conscious Empathic AI in Service
Authors: Esmaeilzadeh Hadi , Vaezi Reza
Published: June 2022

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have achieved human-scale speed and accuracy for classification tasks. Current systems do not need to be conscious to recognize patterns and classify them. However, for AI to advance to the next level, it needs to develop capabilities such as metathinking, creativity, and empathy. We contend that such a paradigm shift is possible through a fundamental change in the state of artificial intelligence toward consciousness, similar to what took place for humans through the process of natural selection and evolution. To that end, we propose that consciousness in AI is an emergent phenomenon that primordially appears when two machines cocreate their own language through which they can recall and communicate their internal state of time-varying symbol manipulation. Because, in our view, consciousness arises from the communication of inner states, it leads to empathy. We then provide a link between the empathic quality of machines and better service outcomes associated with empathic human agents that can also lead to accountability in AI services.
Effects of circadian rhythm disruption on retinal physiopathology: Considerations from a consensus of experts
Authors: Parravano M , Eandi CM , Figus M , Lupidi M , Menchini F , Nicolo M , Parisi V , Toto L , Viola F , Vujosevic S , Querques G
Published: June 2022

The circadian rhythms originate within the organism and synchronize with cyclic fluctuations in the external environment. It has been demonstrated that part of the human genome is under control of the circadian clock and that a synchronizer that helps to maintain daily rhythms is Melatonin, a neuro-hormone primarily synthesized by the pineal gland during the night. The chronic disruption of circadian rhythm has been linked to many conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Studies in the mice showed that the disruption of the retinal circadian rhythm increases the decline during the aging of photoreceptors, accelerating age-related disruption of cone cell structure, function, and viability and that the melatonin receptor deletion seems to influence the health of retinal cells, speeding up their aging. In conclusion, preserving the circadian rhythms could be to add to the prevention and treatment of age-related degenerative retinal diseases, and although additional studies are needed, melatonin could be a valid support to favor this “chronoprotection action”.
Promotion of Smoking Cessation Using the Transtheoretical Model: Short-Term and Long-Term Effectiveness for Workers in Coastal Central Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Ming-Feng , Huang Chia-Chen , Tsai Stella Chin-Shaw , Tsay Ming-Daw , Chang Yu-Kang , Juan Chun-Lin , Hsu Fang-Chi , Wong Ruey-Hong
Published: June 2022

Background

Smoking cessation reduces the risk of severe illnesses in the long run and contributes to improving health. This study evaluated the short-term and long-term effectiveness of workplace smoking cessation intervention implemented using the transtheoretical model.

Methods

Participants were assessed at baseline before the intervention and after 6 months and 4 years of follow-ups. Data on changes in participants’ perception of smoking prohibition in the workplace, knowledge of the hazards of smoking, attitude towards quitting smoking, and behavior related to tobacco harm prevention were collected.

Results

Results showed the prevalence of smoking cessation was 31.5% (95% CI: 25.4-38.1%) after 6 months and 10.7% (95% CI: 6.9-15.6%) after 4 years. At the abovementioned time points, the prevalence of second-hand smoke exposure, and the proportion of people who demonstrated correct knowledge of smoke hazards initially decreased and then increased. The proportion of participants who had seen or received information about tobacco harm prevention provided in the workplace increased from 75.6% at baseline to 95.6% (increased by 20.0%) after 6 months and finally to 97.2% (increased by 21.6%) after 4 years ( P < .001). However, the percentage of participants who hoped their workplace continued to provide smoking cessation services rose from 80.0% at baseline to 93.6% (increased by 13.6%) after 6 months and then fell to 78.0% (decreased by 2.0%) after 4 years ( P < .001).

Conclusion

The short-term effectiveness of the transtheoretical model in promoting workplace smoking cessation is substantial, but in the long-term, effectiveness weakens.
Correlation between country-level numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortalities, and country-level characteristics: A global study
Authors: Okoli George N. , Neilson Christine J. , Abou-Setta Ahmed M.
Published: June 2022

Background: Not much is known about correlations between country-level characteristics and country-level numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortalities. Methods: Using data from the World Health Organization and other international organisations, we summarised country-level COVID-19 case and mortality counts per 100,000 population, and COVID-19 case fatality rate from January 2020 to August 2021. We conducted adjusted linear regression analysis to assess relationships between these counts/rate and certain country-level characteristics. We reported adjusted regression coefficients, β and associated 95% confidence intervals. Results: There was a positive correlation between the number of cases and country-level male/female ratio, and positive correlations between the numbers of cases and mortalities and country-level proportion of 60+-year-olds, universal health coverage index of service coverage (UHC) and tourism. Country economic status correlated negatively with the numbers of cases and mortalities. COVID-19 case fatality rate was highest in Peru, South American region (9.2%), and lowest in Singapore, Western Pacific region (0.1%). A negative correlation was observed between case fatality rate and country-level male/female ratio, population density and economic status. These observations remained mostly among mid-/low-income countries, particularly a positive correlation between the number of cases and male/female ratio and proportion of 60+-year-olds. Conclusions: Various country-level characteristics such as male/female ratio, proportion of older adults, country economic status, UHC and tourism appear to be correlated with the country-level number of COVID-19 cases and/or mortalities. Consideration of these characteristics may be necessary when designing country-level COVID-19 epidemiological studies and in comparing COVID-19 data between countries.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Sweden and Italy: The role of trust in authorities
Authors: Raffetti Elena , Mondino Elena , Di Baldassarre Giuliano
Published: June 2022

Background:

The success of vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 infection is vital for moving from a COVID-19 pandemic to an endemic scenario. We aimed to unravel the influence of the risk perception of epidemics along with individual and contextual factors on adherence to COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Italy and Sweden.

Methods:

We compared the results of two nationwide surveys carried out in August 2021 across four domains of epidemic risk perception: perceived likelihood, perceived impact on the individual and perceived individual and authority knowledge. The roles of individual and contextual determinants were also explored.

Results:

The survey included 2144 participants in Sweden (52.3% women) and 2010 in Italy (52.6% women). In both countries, we found that trust in authorities was one of the main drivers of this process, with two-fold increased odds of being vaccinated. Being highly educated and having a higher relative income were associated with a higher adherence to the vaccination campaign (for relative income OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.23–1.67 in Sweden and OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.04–1.34 in Italy; for education OR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.30–2.77 in Sweden and OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.09–1.97 in Italy), whereas a right and centre-right compared with a left and centre-left political orientation was negatively related to vaccination adherence (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.25–0.67 in Sweden and OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.33–0.68 in Italy).

Conclusions:

Increasing trust in authorities, along with an equal global distribution of vaccine doses, can contribute to accelerating vaccination campaigns around the world and, in turn, to move towards an endemic scenario.
Recognize the bias? News media partisanship shapes the coverage of facial recognition technology in the United States
Authors: Shaikh Sonia Jawaid , Moran Rachel E.
Published: June 2022

Media exists as the primary route through which the public learns about new technologies and thus plays an important role in shaping public sentiments. This article examines the influence of news media partisanship on the coverage of the controversial artificial intelligence (AI) technology facial recognition. A mixed-methods content analysis of news articles ( N = 451) from 23 US-based news outlets highlights the emergence of several frames in coverage of facial recognition pertaining to issues of privacy and surveillance, bias, technology’s ability to provide solutions, and its problematic development and implementation. Coverage was differentiated by partisanship, whereby left-leaning media focused more on ethical problems associated with the technology compared to their right-leaning peers who highlighted its abuses by foreign governments. Right-leaning media also referred more to technology’s positive uses, such as helping law enforcement, compared to left-leaning media. Finally, AI companies were the most dominant suppliers of information to the media regarding the technology.
Supporting students’ active learning with a computer based tool
Authors: Opre Dana , Șerban Camelia , Veșcan Andreea , Iucu Romiță
Published: June 2022

In recent years, the use of information technology to promote active learning in higher education has raised great interest. Teachers are continuously challenged to identify new research-informed approaches and educational practices for supporting students to actively learn and apply their knowledge. The present study tests the effects on students’ learning outcomes of an ad hoc developed learning tool (QLearn) which integrates three active learning strategies, previously empirically validated in face-to-face educational contexts. By using the QLearn software, students can generate questions, explain and develop answers, receive feedback from teacher and test their knowledge. Using a quasi-experimental design, we analyzed whether, in various course settings and instructional contexts, the students who use QLearn, as a support in their learning process, demonstrate a different learning performance compared to students who learn the same content by using their preferred learning strategies. The interventions were offered on a voluntary basis and implied participants from different fields (computer science, psychology) and different study levels (undergraduate and master’s level). The results showed that some groups of our participants significantly benefits from the use of QLearn platform. The outcomes of the present research advanced our understanding of the efficiency of technology-sustained learning in educational contexts and offer a promising strategy for facilitating the active involvement of students in the learning process.
Brand evaluations in sponsorship versus celebrity endorsement
Authors: Schnittka Oliver , Hofmann Julian , Johnen Marius , Erfgen Carsten , Rezvani Zeinab
Published: June 2022

Prior research conceptually assumes that sponsorships might have a stronger impact on brand attitude than do celebrity endorsements primarily due to the more indirect and less commercial intent to persuade. However, empirical evidence is lacking on why and under what conditions this assumed effect of sponsorships actually occurs. This paper empirically analyses potential mediating and moderating drivers of the effect of sponsorships compared with that of celebrity endorsements. The results reveal that higher level of perceived brand authenticity mediates the effect of sponsorships versus celebrity endorsement on brand attitude. Furthermore, the effect of sponsorships on brand authenticity is superior when (a) relative corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending in the industry is low and (b) the corporate reputation of the firm is good.
Lifestyle Medicine in Diabetes Care: The Lifedoc Health Model
Authors: Nieto-Martinez Ramfis , Neira Claudia , de Oliveira Diana , Velasquez-Rodriguez Andrés , Neira Andres , Velasquez-Rodriguez Pedro , Garcia Gabriela , González-Rivas Juan P. , Mechanick Jeffrey I. , Velasquez-Mieyer Pedro
Published: June 2022

Introduction

The relevance of lifestyle medicine in diabetes treatment is now incorporated in clinical practice guidelines but finding an exemplar for the creation of a Lifestyle Medicine Program (LMP) is a difficult task.

Aim

To use Lifedoc Health (LDH) as a LMP exemplar by describing their multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to diabetes care along with tactics to address sustainability challenges.

Results

The LDH model facilitates early activation of patients with diabetes and other cardiometabolic risk factors, MDT approaches, and protocols/policies that are able to overcome barriers to equitable healthcare in the community. Specific programmatic targets are clinical outcomes, effective dissemination, economic viability, and sustainability. Infrastructure centers on patient-driven problem-based visits, shared medical appointments, telemedicine, and patient tracking. Further discussions on program conceptualization and operationalization are provided.

Conclusion

Even though strategic plans for LMPs that specialize in diabetes care are well represented in the literature, implementation protocols, and performance metrics are lacking. The LDH experience provides a starting point for those healthcare professionals interested in translating ideas into action.
Agonistic homecomings: Holocaust postmemory, perspective and locality
Authors: Davoliūtė Violeta
Published: June 2022

This essay explores the relationship of trauma, memory and locality in works of autobiographical nonfiction by Daniel Mendelsohn, Rita Gabis and Julija Šukys. While the lineage of the first extends to historical victims of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe and the lineage of the latter extends (mainly) to historical perpetrators, their works are examined here as examples of third-generation Holocaust postmemory. Each reflects on the experience of war and displacement through the prism of the stories and silences that circulated in their families and émigré communities from Eastern Europe in North America. Each challenges the received family narrative, travels to the site of historical atrocity, and contemplates individual and collective implication in the Holocaust. These texts manifest an agonistic strategy of remembrance that reflects multiple, incommensurable subject-positions. As distinct from the nationalist utopia of antagonistic memory and the de-territorialized ethics of cosmopolitan memory, they highlight locality as the arena for an encounter with the other.
Non-memory: Remembering beyond the discursive and the symbolic
Authors: Sendyka Roma
Published: June 2022

Central and Eastern Europe—scenes of brutal genocides in the past century—are dotted with sites of trauma. Only some of those potential sites of memory are currently marked with plaques or memorials. Mnemonic responses to such sites do occur but are not part of an easily readable symbolic system within official culture. They are often contradictory: at once supporting and blocking memory about a given event. The concept of “non-memory” developed by Polish sociologists might be helpful in grasping vernacular memorial activities that do not privilege verbal contact as the norm in the transfer of memory. Non-memory tends to combine dismantled symbolic means and extra-symbolic embodied tools and performative acts. Non-memory therefore takes part in the transmission of an experience of the past in particular when the past turns out to be difficult or impossible to inscribe within available cognitive frameworks.
Transnational therapeutic memories: Remembering forced migration in documentary film
Authors: Tali Margaret
Published: June 2022

This article examines transnational memories of the Second World War by analysing two documentary films: Liebe Oma, Guten Tag! (2017) by Jūratė and Vilma Samulionytė and Memory Is Our Homeland (2018) by Jonathan Durand. Both films essayistic narratives deal with traumatic experiences and the particular ways of remembering and forgetting forced migration in the filmmakers’ families and communities. By comparing these two narratives realized by third generation filmmakers in Lithuania and Canada, respectively, allows me to articulate the contours of the silences in families on the two different sides of the Cold War in order to nuance understanding about different forms of postwar silences that sustained leaving the Soviet Union’s role in war unproblematized. I propose to understand the filmmakers’ searches to recover memories of these migrations in their families as transnational therapeutic memories.
Training intensity management during microcycles, mesocycles, and macrocycles in soccer: A systematic review
Authors: Ramos-Cano Javier , Martín-García Andrés , Rico-González Markel
Published: June 2022

Training intensity (TI) monitoring has become a necessary aspect of professional soccer training. This study systematically reviewed the original investigations that have reported values regarding TI across macrocycles, mesocycles, and one-, two-, and three-match day (MD) microcycles in professional soccer, to analyze TI variations among months, weeks, and training sessions, respectively. A systematic review of PubMed, and FECYT (Web of Sciences, CCC, DIIDW, KJD, MEDLINE, RSCI, and SCIELO) was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. The articles were included following these criteria: (i) professional soccer players, (ii) players monitored for TI values, (iii) TI distribution in, at least, 3 days, weeks, or months, (iv) variables related to TI (physical/physiological), and (v) original studies. The quality assessment of included articles was done using MINORS checklist. From the 473 studies initially identified, 19 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures were extracted and analyzed. In microcycles, most articles showed lower values in MD+1 and progressively incremented until MD-4 or MD-3. As the number of days between matches decreased, TI values decreased, with values in MD-1 lower than 50% of MD’s intensity, or even values <50% in all sessions between matches in 3 MD microcycles. The variability standard in mesocycles was less clear. In macrocycles, TI was greater in the preseason than the values in the last stages of the in-season period. In conclusion, coaches may design a post-match recovery strategy followed by an increase in intensity until MD-3. Regarding mesocycles, a week-to-week TI prescription was the most common due to the different demands that are experienced during a match with different contextual factors. Finally, despite slight variations in intensity/volume between preseason and in-season periods during macrocycles, overall TI is similar for both time periods. However, training volume is usually reduced while intensity is kept high.
Phil, Neil, the Production of Nature and me
Authors: O’Keefe Paul
Published: June 2022

The production of nature remains as a profoundly powerful framing of human–environment relations in capitalist society. It’s relevance is evidenced when thinking of vulnerability to natural hazards, adaptation to climate change, Anthropocene versus capitalocene debates, and the linkages between and beyond these. It forces us to confront the politician-economic-ecological issues of who gets to produce and reproduce nature, what drives this change, and for what ends.
Using the technology acceptance model to examine acceptance of telemedicine by cancer patients in an ambulatory care setting
Authors: Chan Zhi Yao , Lim Chen Fang , Leow Jo Lene , Chium Feng Yong , Lim Su Wen , Tong Charlotte Hui Min , Zhou Jessie Jie Xi , Tsi Moses Min Yuan , Tan Ryan Ying Cong , Chew Lita Sui Tjien
Published: June 2022

Background:

Telemedicine has demonstrated benefits for cancer patients including the potential to improve care coordination and patient outcomes. Since June 2020, teleconsultations have been implemented in the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Objectives:

This study aims to assess cancer patients acceptance of telemedicine as a complement to traditional in-person care and identify factors affecting their acceptance.

Methods:

An online self-administered questionnaire was designed using a modified technology acceptance model (TAM) previously validated to predict acceptance of telemedicine by patients and factors affecting acceptance. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise data on demographic factors and TAM construct scores. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine how demographics factors and TAM constructs influenced acceptance.

Results:

Respondents ( n = 278; mean age 59 years) were mostly female (67.6%), Chinese (86.3%) and received parenteral chemotherapy (72.6%). Technology access and confidence were generally moderate to high, while past telemedicine use was low (18%). Overall, more than half (59.7%) expressed acceptance. The odds of acceptance were significantly higher if respondents agreed that their healthcare access would improve by using telemedicine (OR 4.17, 95% CI 1.71–10.16) or they would have the necessary resources for using telemedicine (OR 4.54, 95% CI 2.30–8.97).

Conclusion:

Acceptance of telemedicine was high amongst respondents. Facilitating conditions such as having necessary resources and perceived improved access were identified as main predictors of high acceptance. Telemedicine services should work to improve these aspects, leverage on advantages and address disadvantages brought up by patients.
Effective protection of rights as a precondition to mutual recognition: Some thoughts on the CJEU’s Gavanozov II decision
Authors: Hernandez Weiss Alba
Published: June 2022

This contribution intends to analyze the ruling of the CJEU in the Gavanozov II case. The Court ruled that Member States that do not have legal remedies available against European Investigation Orders are precluded from issuing EIOs altogether. The Gavanozov II decision is the first time that the CJEU de facto suspends the use of a mutual recognition instrument in the field of cooperation in criminal matters due to noncompliance with EU fundamental rights. It deals with two issues that lie at the heart of criminal cooperation in the EU: On the one hand, the relationship between mutual recognition and mutual trust and on the other hand, the position of the individual in transnational proceedings and the effective protection of their rights.
Complex case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis involving the urethra and prostate causing outflow obstruction and ano-urethral fistula
Authors: Rashid Mustafa , Cox Adam
Published: June 2022

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is an autoimmune small to medium vessel inflammatory vasculitis that can affect multiple organ systems, with predominantly pulmonary, renal and musculoskeletal manifestations. Rarely, there have been cases involving the genitourinary system, particularly causing urethritis and prostatitis. In some incidences, this may mimic prostate abscess or malignancy. We present a case of a 36-year-old man with refractory urinary retention secondary to prostate abscess due to GPA. This case necessitated transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and supra-pubic catheterisation, later complicated by a peri-anal abscess and severe urethritis. A potential recto-urethral fistula was noted on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cystourethroscopy, which was managed conservatively with long-term catheter drainage until resolution. The patient ultimately displayed many severe clinical manifestations of a systemic vasculitis and this case report emphasises the importance of considering autoimmune vasculitis conditions as a differential diagnosis when managing inflammatory genitourinary conditions. This case report highlights the importance of obtaining sufficient tissue to make a timely diagnosis in order to initiate immunosuppressant therapy and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Shifting the Goalposts: Postcolonial Africa and the West in the Global “Two Publics” of the Development Paradigm
Authors: Olaiya Taiwo A.
Published: June 2022

Heretofore, development studies seldom focus on the systemic twists in the market functions and the structural contradictions of capital functionalities that appear to deny African states the opportunity to engage the world as global financial competitors. This article engages the nagging reconstruction of Africa’s development discourse, particularly the debate about the fallout of the global development paradigm that created “two publics” of the West and the “Others.” The classic works of African and Africana political thinkers are explored to thoughtfully situate the position of African states in the contemporary competitive market systems amidst the various distortions in the trade morality and fundamentals. Using a systematic approach and rigorous evidence-based review, the article combines materials and methods from sociological, economic, and political perspectives to scrupulously situate a perceptive case on the continued economic tension that Africa has had to grapple with from a conceivable past to the modern days. The article argued that the global economic order transformed from the mutuality interface that capitalism arguably represents into exploiter/subject relations. The aberration created by the scenario negates the freedom of all, including the impoverished, to trade on equal pedestals, and specifically, made Africa’s economic development forlornly challenging—not necessarily for being a poor player but for the constant shift in the goalposts.
Im/migrant Children’s Education Experiences and Families’ Sacrifices in a Global Pandemic
Authors: Oliveira Gabrielle , Segel Marisa
Published: June 2022

Family separation policies’ impacts on children’s education and well-being are critical issues of our time. This paper argues through ethnographic study that although im/migrant parents believed in the promise of a better life for their children as they migrated, COVID-19 and remote schooling contributed to a breakdown in structures of care once they were in the United States. Thus, the experience of remote schooling during 2020 was a difficult task for parents and children who were already dealing with the trauma of detention or separation at the border. Ultimately, we argue that to understand the educational experiences of im/migrant parents and children in the United States, we must consider a multiple disruptions framework. The findings in this article reveal the layered consequences that broader immigration policy has on the everyday educational lives of im/migrant children and their parents.
Use of Diaries for Family Members of Intensive Care Unit Patients to Reduce Long-Term PTSD: A Pilot Study
Authors: Rice Rebecca N , Qualls Brandon W , Carey Mary G
Published: June 2022

Many family members whose loved ones stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the hospitalization. A mixed-methods longitudinal randomized trial studying family members of medical ICU (MICU) patients was conducted. Participants were randomized into 2 groups (intervention and control). Post-traumatic stress symptoms checklist-14 scores for the intervention group trended downward over time, but no differences were detected in PTSD risk between the intervention and control groups. The ICU experience for family members is traumatizing. A simple gesture of providing ICU diaries for them to use during the ICU stay may help reduce their emotional burden and requires further investigation.
Preventing Bullying and Improving School Climate Through Integrating Youth Participatory Action Research Into School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: An Illustration Using a Multiple Case Study Approach
Authors: Abraczinskas Michelle , Kornbluh Mariah , Golden Alexandrea R. , Glende Jillian , Velez Valerie , Vines Erin , Ozer Emily J.
Published: June 2022

Bullying is a persistent problem in schools today, with developmental and socioemotional consequences. Multi-tiered interventions, such as School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS), have been developed to decrease bullying by improving school climate. However, effects of SW-PBIS are stronger in elementary school than middle and high school, and effects are weaker for marginalized student groups. Aligning SW-PBIS with adolescent developmental needs and promoting systems change through youth participatory action research (YPAR) may improve the developmental fit of SW-PBIS for middle and high school students and strengthen its equity impact. In YPAR, youth conduct research on areas that are important to them and take data-driven action to improve their lives. In this paper, we utilize a qualitative instrumental multiple case study approach to identify similarities between YPAR and SW-PBIS and the value added of YPAR to SW-PBIS implementation. The two cases are from school districts chosen for their unique implementation of YPAR with SW-PBIS in middle and high schools. We used a general inductive approach to analyze field notes, documents, and interviews with school and district staff. We found that YPAR enhanced SW-PBIS implementation at the middle and high school level through alignment with adolescent developmental needs. Youth participatory action research also promoted equity through youth-led or youth–adult partnered assessment and data-driven decision-making, providing YPAR with the opportunity to improve the challenges SW-PBIS faces in decreasing disproportionality in academic outcomes for marginalized students. We provided examples to integrate YPAR with SW-PBIS at Tiers One through three.
Celiac Disease and Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review of Current Literature
Authors: Richard Logan , Mocanu Valentin , Verhoeff Kevin , Cheung Ka Man , Kung Janice Y. , Birch Daniel W. , Switzer Noah J. , Karmali Shahzeer
Published: June 2022

Background:

Celiac disease (CD) is a clinical entity increasingly recognized in the severe obese population and its impact on outcomes following bariatric surgery is not currently understood. We aimed to systematically review the nutritional and clinical outcomes for patients with obesity and CD following bariatric surgery.

Methods:

Systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted in September 2021. Study followed PRISMA guidelines. Studies evaluating adult patients with CD undergoing bariatric surgery were included. Outcomes were descriptive due to limited studies.

Results:

Our literature review produced 9 studies with 152 patients. The weighted mean age of included patients was 44.2 years (±9.55 years) and 98% (n = 149) were female. Patients diagnosed with CD post-operatively appear to experience substantial perioperative and nutritional complications following bariatric surgery. However, pre-operative diagnosis may allow patient optimization and current studies suggest similar bariatric surgery outcomes can be achieved in these patients when the diagnosis is known. However, this study also highlights a scarcity of evidence evaluating the rate of CD and outcomes for these patients after bariatric surgery.

Conclusion:

Current literature lacks quality, comparative studies investigating the short- and long-term surgical complications and nutritional outcomes of bariatric surgery within patients who have co-diagnoses of obesity and CD. Despite these limitations, our group recommends pre-operative CD screening in patients experiencing either classical GI symptoms of CD including diarrhea, steatorrhea, bloating, or undifferentiated abdominal pain.
SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant isolates from vaccinated individuals
Authors: Brinkac Lauren , Diepold Sheila , Mitchell Shane , Sarnese Stephanie , Kolakowski Lee F. , Nelson William M. , Jennings Katharine
Published: June 2022

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant was first identified in the U.S. in March 2021 and has rapidly become the predominant lineage across the U.S. due to increased transmissibility, immune evasion and vaccine breakthrough. The aim of this study was to better understand the genetic diversity and the potential impact of mutations observed in SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the U.S. in vaccinated individuals.

Results

Whole genome sequencing was performed on thirty-four SARS-CoV-2 positive samples using the Oxford Nanopore MinION. Evolutionary genomic analysis revealed two novel mutations, ORF1b:V2354F and a premature stop codon, ORF7a:Q94*, identified in a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 Delta isolates collected from vaccinated individuals in Colorado. The ORF1b:V2354F mutation, corresponding to NSP15:V303F, may induce a conformational change and result in a disruption to a flanking beta-sheet structure. The premature stop codon, ORF7a:Q94*, truncates the transmembrane protein and cytosolic tail used to mediate protein transport. This may affect protein localization to the ER-Golgi. In addition to these novel mutations, the cluster of vaccinated isolates contain an additional mutation in the spike protein, at position 112, compared to the Delta variant defining mutations. This mutation, S112L, exists in isolates previously obtained in the U.S. The S112L mutation substitutes a bulky hydrophobic side chain for a polar side chain, which results in a non-conservative substitution within the protein that may affect antibody-binding affinity. Additionally, the vaccinated cluster of isolates contains non-synonymous mutations within ORF8 and NSPs which further distinguish this cluster from the respective ancestral Delta variant.

Conclusions

These results show there is an emerging sub-lineage of the ancestral Delta variant circulating in the U.S. As mutations emerge in constellations, those with a potentially beneficial advantage to the virus may continue to circulate while others will cease.
Immunological characteristics of MAV/06 strain of varicella-zoster virus vaccine in an animal model
Authors: Shin Duckhyang , Shin Younchul , Kim Eunmi , Nam Hyojung , Nan Haiyan , Lee Jaewoo
Published: June 2022

Background

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a pathogen that causes chickenpox and shingles in humans. Different types of the varicella vaccines derived from the Oka and MAV/06 strains are commercially available worldwide. Although the MAV/06 vaccine was introduced in 1990s, little was known about immunological characteristics.

Results

Here, we evaluated B and T cell immune response in animals inoculated with the Oka and MAV/06 vaccines as well as a new formulation of the MAV/06 vaccine. A variety of test methods were applied to evaluate T and B cell immune response. Plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (FAMA) assay were conducted to measure the MAV/06 vaccine-induced antibody activity against various VZVs. Glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (gpELISA) was used to compare the degree of the antibody responses induced by the two available commercial VZV vaccines and the MAV/06 vaccine. Interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (IFN-γ ELISpot) assays and cytokine bead array (CBA) assays were conducted to investigate T cell immune responses. Antibodies induced by MAV/06 vaccination showed immunogenicity against a variety of varicella-zoster virus and cross-reactivity among the virus clades.

Conclusions

It is indicating the similarity of the antibody responses induced by commercial varicella vaccines and the MAV/06 vaccine. Moreover, VZV-specific T cell immune response from MAV/06 vaccination was increased via Th1 cell response. MAV/06 varicella vaccine induced both humoral and cellular immune response via Th1 cell mediated response.
Applicability and effectiveness of ultrasound combined with nerve stimulator-guided lumbosacral plexus block in the supine versus lateral position during surgeries for lower limb fracture-a prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Xu Yuting , Song Jie , Xia Xiaoqiong , Hu Xianwen , Li Yawen , Yu Yongbo , Wang Liang , Tao Zhiguo
Published: June 2022

Background

Patients with lower limb fracture often have acute pain and discomfort from changes in position, and such pain affects early postoperative recovery. This study aimed to compare the applicability and effectiveness of ultrasound combined with nerve stimulator-guided lumbosacral plexus block (LSPB) in the supine versus lateral position during lower limb fracture surgery.

Methods

We included 126 patients who underwent elective internal fixation for lower limb fracture who were divided into the S group and the L group by the random number table method and underwent LSPB guided by ultrasound combined with a nerve stimulator in the supine and lateral positions, respectively. The primary outcome was the dose of sufentanil used in surgery. The secondary outcomes were the maximum VAS (visual analogue scale) pain score at position placing for LSPB, the time of position placing, the time for nerve block,the number of puncture attempts,the haemodynamic indicators, the VAS score at 1, 12, and 24 h following surgery, postoperative satisfactory degree to analgesia and adverse events related to nerve block.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in dose of sufentanil used between the two groups(P = 0.142). The maximum VAS pain score at position placing(P < 0.01), the time of position placement(P < 0.01), the time for lumbar plexus block and the time of puncture attempts were significantly lower in the S group than in the L group (P < 0.01). However, the time for sacral plexus block was higher in the S group than in the L group (P = 0.029). There was no significant difference in haemodynamic indicators,number of puncture attempts for the sacral plexus, postoperative VAS scores, postoperative satisfactory degree to analgesia or adverse events related to nerve block between the two groups (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Our study provides a more comfortable and better accepted anaesthetic regimen for patients undergoing lower limb fracture surgery. LSPB in the supine position is simple to apply and has definite anaesthetic effects. Additionally, it has a high level of postoperative analgesia and therefore should be widely applied.

Trial registration

The trial was registered prior to patient enrolment at the Chinese Clinical Trail Registry (Date:11/03/2021 Number: ChiCTR2100044117).