bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lateral eyelid island flap for reconstruction of large central and medial full-thickness defects of the lower eyelid
Authors: Galindo-Ferreiro Alicia , Akaishi Patricia M , Bermudez-Castellanos Irene , Cruz Augusto Velasco
Published: December 2022

Introduction

To report our experience with lateral eyelid island flaps for reconstruction of large central and medial full-thickness defects of lower eyelid.

Methods

Retrospective case series of patients with large central and medial full-thickness lower lid defects repaired with medial transposition of the lateral lower lid combined with a temporal myocutaneous flap. Preoperatively the authors collected demographic data, etiology and percentage of the defects. Postoperatively the lids were assessed for flap viability and lower eyelid margin position and contour.

Results

The sample was comprised of 10 patients (5 females) with a mean of age 60.10 (SD 13.75) years. The defects ranging from 50% to 75% of the lid width resulted from excision of eight basal cell carcinomas, one (10%) malignant schwannoma and one (10%) squamous cell carcinoma. The median follow-up was 1.58 years (IQR 2.58). Flap ischemia was not observed in any eyelid. One mild ectropion was observed in just one lid. All patients were satisfied with the esthetic results.

Conclusions

Medial transposition of the lateral lower lid island flap combined with horizontal myocutaneous advancement flap is an excellent one-stage procedure that avoids the drawbacks of the two-stages procedures
Tönnis angle and acetabular depth ratio: predictors of dislocation following hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture
Authors: Yassin Mohamed , Gupta Vatsal , Ramoutar Darryl , Hunter Thomas
Published: December 2022

Background

Despite efforts to mitigate possible modifiable risk factors, dislocations following hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture still occur, with reported incidence rates ranging from 1.5 to 11%. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acetabular dysplasia is a significant contributing factor to dislocation, and since non-modifiable, whether it should affect patient selection for this treatment option.

Methods

This is a multicentre nested case-control study of patients treated at 2 separate centres over a 10-year period from January 2011 to December 2020. All cases of hemiarthroplasty dislocation following hip fracture were identified from local databases, and 4 random controls were selected for every case. Tönnis angle (TA) and Acetabular-depth-ratio (ADR) was measured on the injured side using AP pelvis radiographs. Patients with TA > 10° and/or ADR < 250 were considered to have abnormal acetabular morphology.

Results

35 cases of dislocation were identified and 140 random controls were selected. Cases of dislocation had a larger mean TA (8.8° vs. 5.5°, p < 0.001) and lower mean ADR (254 vs. 289, p < 0.001) than controls. 20 out of 35 (57%) cases were considered to have abnormal acetabular morphology, compared to 19 out of 140 (14%) controls. The odds of dislocation is 8.5 times greater (odds ratio = 8.49, 95%CI = 3.73, 19.39) in patients with abnormal TA and/or ADR.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that TA > 10° and ADR < 250 are useful criteria to identify patients at greater risk of hip hemiarthroplasty dislocation due to acetabular dysplasia. Special consideration to preoperative planning should be taken in these patients. Future research should focus on methods to minimise risk in this subset of patients, including evaluating total hip arthroplasty with dual mobility component vs hemiarthroplasty.
Drug and Anti-Viral Peptide Design to Inhibit the Monkeypox Virus by Restricting A36R Protein
Authors: Miah Mohammad Mohasin , Tabassum Nuzhat , Afroj Zinnia Maliha , Islam Abul Bashar Mir Md. Khademul
Published: December 2022

Most recently, monkeypox virus (MPXV) has emanated as a global public health threat. Unavailability of effective medicament against MPXV escalates demand for new therapeutic agent. In this study, in silico strategies were conducted to identify novel drug against the A36R protein of MPXV. The A36R protein of MPXV is responsible for the viral migration, adhesion, and vesicle trafficking to the host cell. To block the A36R protein, 4893 potential antiviral peptides (AVPs) were retrieved from DRAMP and SATPdb databases. Finally, 57 sequences were screened based on peptide filtering criteria, which were then modeled. Likewise, 31 monkeypox virus A36R protein sequences were collected from NCBI protein database to find consensus sequence and to predict 3D protein model. The refined and validated models of the A36R protein and AVP peptides were used to predict receptor-ligand interactions using DINC 2 server. Three peptides that showed best interactions were SATPdb10193, SATPdb21850, and SATPdb26811 with binding energies −6.10, −6.10, and −6.30 kcal/mol, respectively. Small molecules from drug databases were also used to perform virtual screening against the A36R protein. Among databases, Enamine-HTSC showed strong affinity with docking scores ranging from −8.8 to 9.8 kcal/mol. Interaction of target protein A36R with the top 3 peptides and the most probable drug (Z55287118) examined by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. Trajectory analyses (RMSD, RMSF, SASA, and Rg) confirmed the stable nature of protein-ligand and protein-peptide complexes. This work suggests that identified top AVPs and small molecules might interfere with the function of the A36R protein of MPXV.
Industry-specific upskilling of seasonal tourism workers: Does occupational gender inequality matter?
Authors: Fasone Vincenzo , Pedrini Giulio
Published: December 2022

Due to technological change and growing digitalization of the workplaces, the post-pandemic economic recovery offers opportunities for workers to upgrade their industry-specific skills in different sectors, including tourism, where an increasing shortage in the seasonal tier of the labor market is emerging. Various barriers have been identified as key factors preventing both tourism firms from implementing skill development interventions, and workers from co-investing in training. An under-investigated possible barrier is women’s occupational segregation, both horizontal and vertical. This paper looks at the former type of segregation, the most frequent in the tourism industry, by showing that this condition penalizes women’s willingness to invest in specific training. Data come from a dedicated survey administered to a sample of seasonal employees who worked in the Rimini Province (Italy) during the summer of 2019 and applies a twofold regression analysis followed by an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition. Our findings contribute to the debate on gender equality in the tourism industry and on the gendered impact of COVID-19 on workers’ careers.
Patterns of service provision in child and adolescent mental health care in Australia
Authors: Salvador-Carulla Luis , Furst Mary Anne , Tabatabaei-Jafari Hossein , Mendoza John , Riordan Denise , Moore Elizabeth , Rock Daniel , Anthes Lauren , Bagheri Nasser , Salinas-Perez Jose A.
Published: December 2022

Standard description of local care provision is essential for evidence-informed planning. This study aimed to map and compare the availability and diversity of current mental health service provision for children and adolescents in Australia. We used a standardised service classification instrument, the Description and Evaluation of Services and DirectoriEs (DESDE) tool, to describe service availability in eight urban and two rural health districts in Australia. The pattern of care was compared with that available for other age groups in Australia. Outpatient care was found to be the most common type of service provision, comprising 212 (81.2%) of all services identified. Hospital care (acute and non-acute) was more available in urban than in rural areas (20 services [9.7%] vs 1 [1.8%]). The level of diversity in the types of care available for children and adolescents was lower than that for the general adult population, but slightly higher than that for older people in the same areas. Standardised comparison of the pattern of care across regions reduces ambiguity in service description and classification, enables gap analysis and can inform policy and planning.
Territories of migrancy and meaning: The emotional politics of borderscapes in the lives of deported Mexican men in Tijuana
Authors: Galhardi Renato de Almeida Arao
Published: December 2022

This article discusses how Mexican deportees find meaning and negotiate their agency in the borderscape and borderland of Tijuana, Mexico. Established through vice tourism, Tijuana has figured prominently as a site for expressions of migrancy. Within the expressions of migrancy, deported migrants find themselves in constant states of in-betweenness in systems of mediation. Through in-depth interviews with deported Mexican men living in temporary male-centric shelters, I identify and examine the issues of mobility ‘through the body’ of deported migrants, highlighting the politics of emotions, of being, and of seeing. Through analysis of the phenomenology of migration through Tijuana, I highlight the overreaching situated positions of permanent temporality mediating the lives of deported Mexican men. This perspective, therefore, sheds a necessary light on an often overlooked and marginalized condition of the migrant population.
Organizational metadehumanization and mechanistic self-dehumanization: The role of surface acting
Authors: Nguyen Nathan , Maurage Pierre , Stinglhamber Florence
Published: December 2022

This research examines the relationship between metadehumanization, that is, perceiving dehumanizing treatments, and self-dehumanization, that is, perceiving oneself as less than human. We argue that, in work settings, this relationship can be explained through a behavioral mechanism. Specifically, organizational metadehumanization would drive employees to engage in more emotional labor (i.e., surface acting), which, in turn, would generate mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions. Our hypothesized mediation model is tested across three studies. First, a cross-sectional field study shows that organizational metadehumanization is positively related to surface acting, which is in turn positively associated with mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions. Second, an experimental study, manipulating the level of organizational metadehumanization through vignettes, confirms that the more employees feel dehumanized by their organization, the more they engage in surface acting, which, in turn, leads to mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions. Third, a longitudinal field study with repeated measures corroborates that the use of surface acting conducts employees to perceive mechanistic self-dehumanization. Overall, these findings highlight that metadehumanization in the workplace is critical in the way employees manage their emotions, which is determinant in the development of mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions.
Villains or vermin? The differential effects of criminal and animal rhetoric on immigrant cardiovascular responses
Authors: El-Hout Mona , Salomon Kristen
Published: December 2022

Prejudicial stressors are well documented and have been shown to elicit both cardiovascular threat responses as well as poor poststressor cardiovascular recovery among targets of prejudice, but these responses may be even stronger if those prejudicial stressors involve dehumanizing, animalistic content. We predicted that immigrant participants who are exposed to animal metaphors in an attempt to elicit feelings of dehumanization (i.e., metadehumanization) would exhibit both larger cardiovascular threat responses and poorer poststressor recovery, as mediated by the presence of state-rumination, than participants exposed to criminal metaphors. We examined the cardiovascular reactivity and recovery of 150 first- and second-generation U.S. immigrants during nonimmigration and immigration speech tasks. For the immigration speech, participants were randomly assigned to read a fabricated article that either primed prejudicial attitudes via animal metaphors or via criminal metaphors about immigrants. Controlling for nonimmigration speech reactivity, results showed that threat responses were significantly greater among those primed with animal metaphors compared to those primed with criminal metaphors. These effects were prolonged, such that participants in the animal condition displayed poorer recovery after the task compared to those in the criminal condition. Participants with greater levels of state-rumination also exhibited poorer recovery than those who ruminated less. These results showcase the more insidious cardiovascular stress responses to dehumanizing prejudice compared with nondehumanizing rhetoric. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The role of metadehumanization in explaining sacred conflict
Authors: Hartley Starlett , Percaya Asteya , Fincher Katrina
Published: December 2022

Four studies examine the social cognitive mechanisms through which sacred values produce social schisms, focusing on the role of metadehumanization. Using hypothetical scenarios, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that violators of sacred values feel dehumanized by value holders and reciprocate this dehumanization. Using real sacred values, Studies 3 and 4 show similar effects. Study 3 further controls for the effects of mere disagreement and finds participants felt more dehumanized when family members disagreed with them in discussions of sacred values compared to preferences. Study 4 examined the sacralization of mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that the inflammatory effect of sacralization on hostility was in part explained by metadehumanization, leading to greater reciprocal dehumanization, thus fueling conflict. In conclusion, results suggest metadehumanization may underlie the often explosive nature of sacred conflict.
When a request turn is segmented: Managing the deontic authority via early compliance
Authors: Kuroshima Satomi
Published: December 2022

By drawing on service encounter data in Japanese, this paper analyzes a previously undocumented request action initiated by a service provider to a client as a necessary step to provide the service. The service provider and their client, both exercising respective deontic rights, collaboratively construct a request turn in particular ways. In this case, due to the Japanese SOV word order, the service provider takes advantage of segmenting their request turn to allow the recipient clients to begin compliance, who thereby acquiesce to the service provider’s deontic authority at the earliest point. By bringing the request turn to completion after the client’s compliance while reflexively showing their deontic and beneficiary stances in the turn final component, the service provider displays commitment to balancing out their relative deontic status to the client.
Experimental and numerical investigation of the influence of multiaxial loading conditions on the failure behavior of clinched joints
Authors: Böhnke Max , Bielak Christian Roman , Klassen Erich , Bobbert Mathias , Meschut Gerson
Published: December 2022

Destructive testing methods are used to determine the joint characteristics of mechanical joining technologies by testing the joints under different types of loads. In real load cases, however, combined loading conditions arise in complex structures that cannot be investigated experimentally at present. The objective of this study is to adapt a so-called L-specimen geometry for mechanical joints to introduce combined peel and shear tensile loading, taking into account plastic pre-deformation of the joined parts. A new specimen geometry is presented to investigate three different clinched joints using different materials, namely HCT590X as well as EN AW-6014 T4. The load capacity behavior, as well as the failure behavior, is analyzed based on failure modes for pure shear, pure peel, and combined loading. Furthermore, the L-specimen is investigated by numerical simulation and compared with the experimental results.
Online workouts and fitness instructors’ physical autonomy in times of the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Czarnecka Dominika
Published: December 2022

This paper adds to the limited number of studies about physical autonomy and practice shifts among fitness instructors who responded to the change brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and moved their professional activity online. I conceptualize physical autonomy as the ability of moving unrestrained and unhindered. I apply the online–offline ethnography to explore the interdependencies between digital media/technologies and the embodied practices of fitness instructors in online workouts. I also pay attention to fitness instructors’ perception of their physical autonomy in the world of online training during the pandemic. This article shows that instructors’ capacity for action has become more and more dependent on new technology.
Optimising filler dosage to balance rolling resistance and grip properties tyre tread compound
Authors: Sailaja R , Arun Kumar M , Das Tanumoy , Rath Jyoti P , Ghosh Sarat , Jayakumari LS
Published: December 2022

Silica is a reinforcing filler which is known for its ability to improve wet/snow grip and rolling resistance in tyres. However, incorporating Silica in high quantities impairs other significant features like physical properties and processing behaviour of the compounds. In this study, the focus was on balancing rolling resistance and grip properties while attempting to nullify the negative effects of Silica, by arriving at an optimum ratio of combination of Carbon Black and Silica. Three different compounds were prepared – COMP_1 had CB:Silica in 2:1 ratio, whereas COMP_2 and COMP_3 had CB:Silica in the ratios 1:1 and 1:2 respectively. The impact of their dosage on various properties were investigated. Taking into consideration abrasion loss and grip properties, 1:1 ratio was deemed to possess the optimized ratio.
External Validation of the United Kingdom Transplant Benefit Score in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Lee Eunice G. , Perini Marcos V. , Makalic Enes , Oniscu Gabriel C. , Fink Michael A.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: In Australia and New Zealand, liver allocation is needs based (based on model for end-stage liver disease score). An alternative allocation system is a transplant benefit-based model. Transplant benefit is quantified by complex waitlist and transplant survival prediction models. Research Questions: To validate the UK transplant benefit score in an Australia and New Zealand population. Design: This study analyzed data on listings and transplants for chronic liver disease between 2009 and 2018, using the Australia and New Zealand Liver and Intestinal Transplant Registry. Excluded were variant syndromes, hepatocellular cancer, urgent listings, pediatric, living donor, and multi-organ listings and transplants. UK transplant benefit waitlist and transplant benefit score were calculated for listings and transplants, respectively. Outcomes were time to waitlist death and time to transplant failure. Calibration and discrimination were assessed with Kaplan–Meier analysis and C-statistics. Results: There were differences in the UK and Australia and New Zealand listing, transplant, and donor populations including older recipient age, higher recipient and donor body mass index, and higher incidence of hepatitis C in the Australia and New Zealand population. Waitlist scores were calculated for 2241 patients and transplant scores were calculated for 1755 patients. The waitlist model C-statistic at 5 years was 0.70 and the transplant model C-statistic was 0.56, with poor calibration of both models. Conclusion: The UK transplant benefit score model performed poorly, suggesting that UK benefit-based allocation would not improve overall outcomes in Australia and New Zealand. Generalizability of survival prediction models was limited by differences in transplant populations and practices.
Comprehensive Analysis of Circular RNA Expression Profiles in Gefitinib-Resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients
Authors: Zou Junyong , Lan Huiyin , Li Wei , Xie Shuanshuan , Tong Zhongkai , Song Xiaolian , Wang Changhui
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Gefitinib is a selective epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) widely used in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients harboring sensitive EGFR mutations. Although it has a good initial efficacy, acquired resistance to gefitinib is eventually inevitable. Studies have shown that circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the development of acquired resistance to different anti-cancer drugs, but the comprehensive analysis of its expression profile and functions on acquired gefitinib resistance remains poor. Methods: To explore the aberrant circRNAs expression profiles, we collected peripheral plasma samples from 4 gefitinib-sensitive and 4 gefitinib-resistant patients for performing microarray analysis. Candidates of differentially expressed circRNAs were used and analyzed by bioinformatics modalities including gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and a constructed circRNA-microRNA RNA network. The differential expression of selected circRNAs was verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: A total of 2571 circRNAs with significantly different expression between the groups were identified by microarray analysis. GO, KEGG, and pathway enrichment analyses reveal that these differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were complicated in many biological pathways that may be related to EGFR-TKI resistance such as ABC transporter and PI3K-Akt pathways. A circRNA-microRNA network was constructed by 10 circRNAs potentially involved in EGFR-TKI resistance togethering with their corresponding microRNAs (miRNAs). Consistent with the results of microarray assay, hsa_circ_0030591 and hsa_circ_0040348 were validated to be upregulated in gefitinib-resistant patients by qRT-PCR. Conclusions: Our study provides valuable data on circRNAs expression profiles detected in liquid biopsy for LUAD patients with acquired gefitinib resistance, and we validate that upregulations of hsa_circ_0030591 and hsa_circ_0040348 may play key roles in EGFR-TKI resistance and thus serving as candidates for biomarker.
Analysis of Energy and Density in Treating Hypertrophic Scar After Burn in Children with CO2 Dot Matrix Laser
Authors: Zhang Zhi-bo , Zhou Zhu-liang , Xing Fu-xi , Li Yong , Sun Xing-chen , Zhao Yu-ting , Zhang Xiang-zhou , Liu Ji-song
Published: December 2022

Objective: To analyze and compare the effect of the combination of energy and density parameters of CO2 dot matrix laser in the hyperplastic stage of pediatric burn. Materials and Methods: A total of 160 pediatric patients with hypertrophic scar after limb burn from 2017 to 2020 were randomly divided into four parameter groups (n = 40). The patients were treated with ablative fraction carbon dioxide laser, once every 10 weeks. During the interval of laser treatment, Compound Heparin Sodium and Allantoin Gel (Contractubex) was applied externally, tid, and elastic cover or elastic bandage is attached to the affected limb. Scoring based on the Vancouver Scar Scale is performed before each laser treatment, The score before the first treatment was the initial score, which was scored by two people separately, and the average score was calculated. Subsequently, the patients were treated four times and scored. The differences between each treatment and the first score of each parameter group were compared. Under the same energy and different treatment density, the scores after each treatment were compared. Under the same density and different energy, the scores after each treatment were compared. The bleeding and pigmentation of each parameter group were compared. Results: The increase of density can show the therapeutic effect earlier than the increase of energy, and 25mj energy and 10% density have better intervention effect. With the course of disease and the progress of treatment, the correlation between intervention effect and parameters tends to weaken. Comparing the number of cases with different scores between each treatment and the first time, the score in the 5% density group was lower than that in the 10% density group, but there was no significant difference between the 25mj and 17.5mj energy levels in the same density group. The intervention effect of the increase of density on scar was better than that of energy, and the increase of energy and density could aggravate the pain. Conclusion: In pediatric burn hypertrophic scars treated by CO2 dot matrix laser in exfoliation mode, the intervention effect of increasing density is better than that of energy. When setting laser treatment parameters, we should give priority to increasing density and adjust energy according to the effect of treatment and the condition of pain, bleeding and color precipitation. In this study, the best combination of parameters is 17.5mj/10%.
Books, History, and Black Lives
Authors: Rojas Fabio , Kirchoff Alisha
Published: December 2022

Khalil Gibran Muhammad is the Ford Foundation Professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. He directs the Institutional Antiracism and Account- ability Project and is the former Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a division of the New York Public Library and the world’s leading library and archive of global black history. Before leading the Schomburg Center, Khalil was an associate professor at Indiana University. He recently sat down with Contexts Co-Editor Fabio Rojas and Production Manager Alisha Kirchoff to discuss his career and research.
Public Sociology, Public Science, and the Pandemic
Authors: Prener Christopher G.
Published: December 2022

Public sociology has typically focused on translating sociological research into op-eds, for example, or deep engagement with community organizations. In contrast, public science represents research conducted not for scientific discourse but for public benefit. Instead of beginning as an academic exercise and then seeking an interested audience elsewhere, public science begins outside the academy. From March 2020 until April 2022, I ran a COVID-19 tracking website for Missouri. This work was not just the most meaningful of my academic career but a concrete example of research not for academic consumption but for my neighbors’ benefit.
After COVID, a New “New Economy”
Authors: Chen Katherine K. , Tan Chen Victor
Published: December 2022

With COVID, employees are questioning their exploitative workplace conditions, providing opportunities to rethink conventional arrangements. How might we reorganize economies so that they actually support the vast majority of people? How might we create stronger institutions to protect us against the array of existential threats we now face—which would include not just another pandemic, but also ongoing political instability, growing economic inequality, and the impending climate catastrophe? Besides introducing policies that guarantee a certain standard of living, people could explore cooperatives and other participatory organizations where members exercise a greater say in how to run their groups.
Pairing Sociology with Design
Authors: Collins-Dogrul Julie , Herrick Jenny
Published: December 2022

Students designed posters for the sociology course Crime, Justice, and Rebellion and the design course Experimental Typography. The sociology class situated crime and criminal justice reform in relation to family, peers, community, and institutions. In the design course, students looked to historical examples of protest art and were challenged to communicate issues of social, cultural, and political relevance through poster design. Students considered the promise and limitations of sociology and design through reflections. Some posters engage with ideas from assigned readings while other posters represent original student research. Student poster designs advocate for social justice and criminal justice reform.
Gender Disparities in the Real World
Authors: Geist Claudia , Diamond Lisa
Published: December 2022

Our essay addresses the real-life difficulties of discussing and describing gender inequalities. We acknowledge that, at times, falling back on binary heuristics might be necessary to communicate findings, but that this needs to happen in the context of a both/and approach. We argue that quantitative social science can be inclusive, even if there are limits to what data can be analyzed in depth. We conclude that a deep engagement with the complexity of sex, gender, race, nationality, sexuality, etc. remains an urgent, ongoing need across all disciplines.
An Analysis of Malpractice Litigation of Vascular Surgeons in Cases Involving Aortic Pathologies
Authors: Sen Indrani , Choudhry Asad , Cherukuri Sai Kiran , Mendes Bernardo C. , Colglazier Jill J. , Shuja Fahad , DeMartino Randall R. , Rasmussen Todd E. , Kalra Manju
Published: December 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyze malpractice claims for aortic pathologies and to assess if there has been a change in rate of malpractice lawsuits with evolution of endovascular therapy.

Methods

Malpractice lawsuits were individually screened and compiled from the Westlaw database from 2000 to 2017 through use of relevant search terms. Data were collected of allegations, diagnoses, and outcomes of each case and compared.

Results

268 unique cases were included in this study, with aneurysms (54%, n = 145) and dissection (35%, n = 94) making up the majority. There was a defendant verdict in 53% (n = 141), plaintiff verdict in 24% (n = 65), and settlements in 23% (n = 62) of lawsuits. Litigation was higher in the Midwest and Northeast. There was a gradual decline in litigation overall, however endovascular case numbers remained constant. There was negligible difference in the primary allegation underlying the litigation for various aortic pathologies, time to litigation and award between open and endovascular procedures.

Conclusion

The proportion of litigation for clinical negligence in endovascular cases amongst all vascular surgical lawsuits is increasing. As novel methods of endovascular therapy emerge, it is imperative that physicians remain vigilant to legal considerations to minimize malpractice risk.
Considerations for Developing a Mental Health Emergency Action Plan for High School Football Programs and Athletic Departments
Authors: Lawrence Nohelani M. , Gunter Kensa
Published: December 2022

High school students in the United States are being educated during an unprecedented time of social unrest, public health concerns, and gun violence. High school student athletes can be further challenged by sports-related stressors that may lead to anxiety, burnout, depression, disordered eating, sleep difficulty, performance-based identity concerns, and substance use. High school football players, in particular, are at higher risk of concussion, musculoskeletal injury, and may feel excess pressure to compete from coaches, parents, and peers. One way to address these stressors among high school student athletes is to increase athletic department staff members’ awareness of the symptoms of mental health disorders. Increased awareness helps staff members recognize when an athlete is in crisis, as well as respond with an established mental health emergency action plan as needed. In this review article, the authors provide a blueprint by which high school personnel can more readily identify and respond to mental health emergencies among student athletes.
Mechanical mechanism and removal effect of efficient vortexing cuttings removal tool
Authors: Chen Feng , Liu Zhihu , Huo Yonghao , Liu Ya , Di Qinfeng , Wang Wenchang
Published: December 2022

In the drilling process of horizontal and highly deviated well sections, cuttings are deposited on the lower side of annulus under the action of gravity during its transport, which affects the normal drilling operation. A variety of cuttings removal tools have emerged and achieved good results, but they are only effective when the drill string is rotating, while it is difficult to ensure the removal effect of cuttings in sliding drilling. In the drilling process of directional well and horizontal well, rotary drilling is sometimes difficult to meet the requirements of wellbore control, and sliding drilling is often used at this time. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a tool that can effectively remove cuttings in sliding drilling. In the present work, an efficient vortexing cuttings removal tool (VCRT) has been developed and the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation technology was used to study the cuttings removal mechanism of VCRT. The cuttings removal effect under the action of VCRT was compared with that of the conventional cuttings removal tool (CCRT) and the conventional drill pipe. The results show that VCRT has good cuttings removal effect in both sliding and rotary drilling conditions. The average cuttings volume fraction under the action of VCRT during sliding drilling is 59% lower than that of the conventional drill pipe, and 26% lower than that of CCRT. The average cuttings volume fraction under the action of VCRT during rotary drilling is 78% lower than that of the conventional drill pipe, the removal efficiency is similar to CCRT, but VCRT can send more cuttings into the annulus. The research reveals the mechanical mechanism of VCRT which provides a scientific basis for the cuttings removal mechanism of VCRT.
Outcomes of ureteroscopy for management of stone disease in early and late childhood over a 15-year period
Authors: Sinha Mriganka , Pietropaolo Amelia , Quiroz Madarriaga Yesica , de Knecht Erika Llorens , Bujons Tur Anna , Griffin Stephen , Somani Bhaskar K
Published: December 2022

Background:

Although paediatric ureteroscopy is widely performed, there is still a lack of data and outcomes in early childhood. In this two-centre study, we compared the outcomes of ureteroscopy for stone disease management in early and late childhood and provide outcomes for the same.

Methods:

Data was retrospectively collected on consecutive patients from two tertiary paediatric endo-urology European centres over a 15-year period (2006–2021). Patients were split into two groups, namely, early childhood (age ⩽ 9 years) and late childhood (age 9 to ⩽16 years). Outcomes including stone-free rate (SFR) and complications were compared between these two groups.

Results:

A total of 148 patients underwent 184 procedures (1.2 procedure/patient) during the study period (66 in early childhood and 82 in late childhood). The mean age in early and late childhood groups were 5.6 and 13.3 years, and a male: female ratio of 1.6:1 and 1.1:1, respectively. The SFR and complications in early and late childhood groups were 87.8% and 90.2% ( p = 0.64) and 5.7% and 4.1%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Paediatric ureteroscopy and laser stone fragmentation achieves good results in both early and late childhood with comparable SFRs, although the complications and need for second procedure were marginally higher in the early childhood group. Our study would set up a new benchmark for patient counselling in future, and perhaps this needs to be reflected in the paediatric urolithiasis guidelines.
Diagnosis and treatment of 10 cases of idiopathic chondrolysis of the hip
Authors: Guan Tianan , Zhao Dun , Xiong Hao , Fang Bin , Li Yue
Published: December 2022

Objective:

To analyze the clinical characteristics, X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging manifestations, and treatment efficacy of idiopathic chondrolysis of the hip.

Methods:

Ten patients with idiopathic chondrolysis of the hip treated at our hospital from September 2013 to April 2022 were collected, and their clinical features, X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging manifestations, and treatment outcomes were analyzed.

Results:

Their main clinical features included single hip pain, claudication gait, and pelvic tilt, without specific clinical symptoms and signs. Laboratory tests such as blood analysis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, autoimmune test, coagulation function, interferon release test for tuberculosis infection, and tuberculosis antibody test were normal. In the late stage, the imaging shows degeneration or ankylosis of the joint. The disease progresses rapidly, and joint degeneration can occur in adolescence without effective treatment. Herein, seven patients were treated with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor–antibody type II fusion protein. Among them, four (according to Camarnat magnetic resonance imaging classification, three were Stage I and one was Stage II) showed improved symptoms and function, while two (Stage III) had progressed. One patient (Stage I) who received recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor had no significant relief of symptoms, for whom anterior capsular release surgery significantly improved the hip joint motion. Of the four patients who underwent hip release surgery, three showed progression.

Conclusion:

Idiopathic chondrolysis of the hip has no specific clinical and laboratory tests and a high misdiagnosis rate. Thus, early magnetic resonance imaging is a critical reference for diagnosis. We recommend that patients with magnetic resonance imaging Stage II or earlier be actively treated with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor and start treatment as early as possible. In the third stage, the treatment effect is mediocre, and the narrowed hip space is difficult to change.
Activation of the Nrf2 Antioxidant Pathway by Longjing Green Tea Polyphenols in Mice Livers
Authors: Lv Le , Shu Haoyue , Mo Xiaoye , Tian Yongjing , Guo Hui , Sun Hai-Yan
Published: December 2022

Previous studies have revealed that green tea polyphenol (GTP) could protect against liver injury due to oxidative stress. However, the mechanism underlying the bioactive actions of GTP in the liver has not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of GTP on the activation of the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (keap1) pathway, using in silico and in vivo methods. Furthermore, the regulation of Nrf2 downstream target antioxidant response element (ARE) was also evaluated. The high-performance liquid chromatography analysis indicated that GTP includes 9 major compounds, and molecule docking analysis demonstrated that most of these polyphenols have a strong binding affinity with the keap1 Kelch domain, where keap1 binds to the Neh2 domain of Nrf2. Remarkably, the predominant compound of GTP, that is, epigallocatechin gallate, displayed the best binding affinity score, which can fully occupy all 3 polar subpockets of the keap1 Kelch domain. The Nrf2, keap1, and Nrf2 downstream target gene expression levels were changed in the livers compared to the control group. It showed that the Nrf2 expression level was significantly upregulated in GTP-induced mice liver across most treatments, while the keap1 expression level remained unchanged. Subsequently, we observed a significant increasing trend in the expression of the downstream ARE, including antioxidative enzymes, liver phase II enzymes, and liver efflux transporters in mice livers. The present study demonstrated that GTP could activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway by interrupting the Nrf2-keap1 protein–protein interaction
Norwood Aneurysm: Report of a Rare Phenomenon
Authors: Aljohani Othman A. , Hasan Ahmad , Byrne Francesca , Lamberti John , Murthy Raghav
Published: December 2022

An 18-year-old male with complex single-ventricle physiology status post-3-stage palliation developed a large Norwood aneurysm (77 × 67 mm). The patient underwent a successful surgical reconstruction. Care providers must be aware of this rare complication and provide appropriate surveillance.
Developing an Item Bank of Computerized Adaptive Testing for Eating Disorders in Chinese University Students
Authors: Liu Kai , Zhang Longfei , Tu Dongbo , Cai Yan
Published: December 2022

We aimed to develop an item bank of computerized adaptive testing for eating disorders (CAT-ED) in Chinese university students to increase measurement precision and improve test efficiency. A total of 1,025 Chinese undergraduate respondents answered a series of questions about eating disorders in a paper-pencil test. A total of 133 items from four well-validated Chinese-version scales of eating disorders were used to construct the item bank of CAT-ED with the following analysis. First, unidimensionality, model fit, local independence, item ﬁt, discrimination and differential item functioning (DIF) were tested. Then, two simulation studies were applied to test the CAT-ED’s effectivity and rationality by calculating concurrent criterion-related validity, sensitivity and speciﬁcity. The ﬁnal item bank comprised 77 items, which met the requirements of local independence, item ﬁt, high discrimination and no differential item functioning in CAT. The mean number of administered items in CAT with the stopping rule fixed at SE ≤ 0.3 was 11 items. The obtained results showed that CAT-ED had acceptable reliability, validity, sensitivity and speciﬁcity.
The link Between Stock Exchange Sectors and Indices: Implications During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Boldeanu Florin-Teodor , Litră Adriana Veronica , Clemente-Almendros José Antonio , Tache Ileana
Published: December 2022

The paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, using the event study approach for the Bucharest Stock Exchange, by which Bucharest Stock Indices and listed firms grouped by sectors were analyzed. The paper uses three important event days, 20 January 2020, 11 March 2020, and 15 March 2020. The findings demonstrate that initially investors were not concerned about the pandemic, showing that they did not realize the extent of globalization and transmission of events on financial markets. Both after 11 March and after 15 March 2020, stock indices have declined, investors becoming worried about the prospects of their dividends and the stock liquidity. The most affected sectors were those related to metallurgical industry, IT&C. After the lockdown, there was a reversal for some sectors like pharmaceutical and biotechnology, electricity production, transportation and distribution, and IT&C. Understanding the intensity and direction of the link between some sectors and indices may influence investment strategies and help in hedging, especially in times of pandemics.
Using Health Care Professionals’ Perspectives to Refine a Clinical Decision Support Implementation Strategy for Increasing the Prescribing of HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Alabama
Authors: Humphries Debbie L. , Rhodes Elizabeth C. , Simon Christine L. , Wang Victor , Spiegelman Donna , Ott Corilyn , Hicks David , Marcus Julia L. , Krakower Doug , Rana Aadia
Published: December 2022

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is underused in the southern United States (US), a region with high HIV incidence. Clinical decision support (CDS) tools could increase PrEP prescriptions. We explored barriers to PrEP delivery and views of CDS tools to identify refinements for implementation strategies for PrEP prescribing and PrEP CDS tools. We conducted focus groups with health care providers from two federally qualified health centers in Alabama and analyzed the results using rapid qualitative methods. Barriers to PrEP included providers’ lack of training in PrEP, competing priorities and time constraints during clinical visits, concerns about side effects, and intensive workload. We identified refinements to the planned implementation strategies to address the barriers, including training all clinic staff in PrEP and having CDS PrEP alerts in electronic health records sent to all staff. Development and deployment of CDS tools in collaboration with providers has potential to increase PrEP prescribing in high-priority jurisdictions.
A rare case of severe hyperphosphatemia
Authors: Bonilla Marco , Pariswala Tanazul , Ali Mahmoud , Corona Antonio D
Published: December 2022

Hyperphosphatemia is commonly associated with kidney failure. However, many other etiologies should be considered, and include increase tubular reabsorption of phosphate, endogenous or exogenous phosphate loads and transcellular shift. We present a case of a 71-year-old male with a medical history of anemia and constipation who presented to our hospital for abdominal pain. Initial Laboratory evaluation demonstrated a severely elevated serum phosphate level, calcium level within the normal limit, and a mild elevation of serum creatinine. He underwent a bone marrow biopsy confirming a diagnosis of IgG-kappa-type Multiple Myeloma (MM). There is an established association between electrolyte abnormalities in patients with hematological malignancies, however, MM is rarely associated with hyperphosphatemia. Spurious electrolyte abnormalities present a challenge for clinicians, pseudo-hyperphosphatemia in patients with MM has been associated with laboratory artifacts. Our patient did not have clinical characteristics of hyperphosphatemia, after the new diagnosis of multiple myeloma and ruling out other etiologies leading to hyperphosphatemia, the elevated phosphorous level was attributed to a spurious etiology.
Sliding Oblique Metatarsal Osteotomy Fixated With K-Wires Without Cheilectomy for All Grades of Hallux Rigidus: A Case Series of 76 Patients
Authors: Nakajima Kenichiro
Published: December 2022

Background:

Studies on decompression metatarsal osteotomy without cheilectomy for hallux rigidus are limited. This study aimed to review the data of patients who underwent this surgery for all grades of hallux rigidus.

Methods:

The medical records of patients who underwent this surgery between August 2017 and January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The outcomes were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) score, and the hallux dorsiflexion angle. Patients who were followed up for more than 2 years were included. The plantar shift of the first metatarsal head (PS) and the shortening of the first metatarsal (SH) were measured to supplementally investigate the associations with other measurements.

Results:

A total of 76 patients (female, 42; male, 34; mean age, 60.3 years; mean body mass index, 23.1) with 80 feet were enrolled. Six patients (7.5%) were grade 1, 20 (25.0%) were grade 2, 30 (37.5%) were grade 3, and 24 (30.0%) were grade 4. The mean follow-up duration was 3.5 years. Overall, the mean VAS score improved from 63.2 to 6.2, the mean JSSF score from 59.0 to 82.6, and the mean dorsiflexion angle from 37.3 to 56.3 degrees. These measures improved for all grades, but the dorsiflexion angles and JSSF scores decreased as the grade advanced. No clear associations were found between the postoperative VAS and the PS and SH. Eight patients (10.5%) had complications: 4 (5.2%) had occasional plantar discomfort under the metatarsal head, 2 (2.6%) required shoe modification, 1 (1.3%) had wound pain, and 1 (1.3%) experienced breakage of a K-wire.

Conclusion:

The VAS scores, dorsiflexion angles, and JSSF scores improved for all grades of hallux rigidus within a relatively short period of follow-up; however, the dorsiflexion angles and JSSF scores decreased as the grade advanced.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.