bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hispanic/Latino Ethnic Identity and Diabetes: An Examination of Underlying Acculturation Processes and the Hispanic/Latino Health Advantage
Authors: Concha Jeannie B. , Kelly Kristen , Mezuk Briana
Published: June 2021

Background. Hispanics/Latinos in the United States experience both a health advantage and disadvantage in developing diabetes. Ethnic identity, a predictor of psychological well-being, has not been widely applied to physical health outcomes. The objective of this study is to apply what is known regarding ethnic identity and psychological health to physical health outcomes (diabetes) and to explore the moderating effect of education as a possible underlying mechanism of the Hispanic Health Advantage/Disadvantage. Specifically, this study examines (a) the association between ethnic identity and diabetes prevalence among adult Hispanics/Latinos and (b) determines whether education modifies this relationship. Method. Data come from the nationally representative adult U.S. household study, National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), collected in 2001 to 2003 ( N = 1,746). Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between ethnic identity, education, and their interaction with likelihood of diabetes. Results. Hispanics/Latinos with high ethnic identity have a higher odds of reporting diabetes among those with 13 to 15 years of education (odds ratio: 1.84; 95% confidence interval: 1.16–2.92) and a lower odds among those with 16+ years of education (odds ratio: 0.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.84). Ethnic identity is associated with diabetes prevalence and the relationship is moderated by educational attainment. Conclusion. Given the growth, diversity, and diabetes disparities among Hispanics/Latinos, our buffering and exacerbating findings exemplify the complexity and fluidity of theory in understanding psychological/behavioral processes. The findings highlight the importance of designing targeted health interventions that take into account the diverse psychosocial and educational experiences of Hispanics/Latinos.
Intergroup attitudes between meat-eaters and meat-avoiders: The role of dietary ingroup identification
Authors: Bagci Sabahat Cigdem , Rosenfeld Daniel L. , Uslu Dilek
Published: June 2021

Why might some meat-eaters and meat-avoiders express negative attitudes toward each other? We investigated intergroup attitudes and potential underpinnings of these attitudes across three different dietary groups—veg*ans (vegetarians and vegans), flexitarians (people who restrict their meat intake partially), and meat-eaters—in Turkey ( NStudy 1 = 366; NStudy 2 = 450). In both studies, veg*ans showed the greatest ingroup favouritism and reported the highest ingroup identification and perceived discrimination. Meat enjoyment, moral consideration, and perceived veg*an threat (among meat-eaters) predicted dietary ingroup identification in Study 1, whereas perceived discrimination towards one’s dietary group was the strongest predictor of identification among all dietary groups in Study 2. Among meat-avoiders, but not among meat-eaters, stronger dietary ingroup identification was associated with more negative outgroup attitudes. Findings are discussed in light of social identity theories and intergroup perspectives.
Hospitality and hostility: The dilemmas of intimate life and refugee hosting
Authors: Farahani Fataneh
Published: June 2021

Until recently, studies of hospitality have been less prominent within the broader context of studies of global mobilities. Yet, both are entangled. In this special section of the Journal of Sociology, we explore the effects of narratives of ‘migration crisis’ or ‘refugee crisis’ in contemporary, intersected global and local politics and studies of hospitality. In doing so, contributors bring hospitality and mobility studies into closer dialogue by turning their attention to the dilemmas of intimate life and refugee hosting.
Does the shoe-lace technique aid direct closure of fasciotomy wounds after acute compartment syndrome of the lower leg? A retrospective case-control study
Authors: Suomalainen Piia , Pakarinen Toni-Karri , Pajamäki Ilari , Laitinen Minna K. , Laine Heikki-Jussi , Repo Jussi P. , Mattila Ville M.
Published: June 2021

Background and objective:

Tibia fractures are relatively common injuries that are accompanied with acute compartment syndrome in approximately 2% to 20% of cases. Although the shoe-lace technique, where vessel loops are threaded in a crisscross fashion and tightened daily, has been widely used, no studies have compared the shoe-lace technique with the conventional one. The aim of this study was to compare the shoe-lace technique with the conventional technique.

Methods:

We identified 359 consecutive patients with intramedullary nailed tibia fracture and complete medical records including outpatient data between April 2007 and April 2015 from electronic patient database of our institute. The use of the shoe-lace technique was compared to conventional one (in which wounds were first left open with moist dressings). Main outcome measurement is direct closure of fasciotomy wounds.

Results:

From 359 consecutive patients with intramedullary nailed tibia fracture, fasciotomy was performed on 68 (19%) patients. Of these, the shoe-lace technique was used in 47 (69%) patients while in 21 (31%) patients, the shoe-lace technique was not applied. Side-to-side approximation was successful in 36 patients (77%) in the shoe-lace+ group and 7 patients (33%) in the shoe-lace– group (p = 0.002).

Conclusions:

The main finding of our comparative study was that the shoe-lace technique seems to ease direct closure of lower leg fasciotomy wounds, and thus reduces the frequency of free skin grafts. Our finding needs to be confirmed in a high-quality randomized controlled trial.
Condition identification of bolted connections using a virtual viscous damper
Authors: Biswal Suryakanta , Chryssanthopoulos Marios K , Wang Ying
Published: June 2021

Vibration-based condition identification of bolted connections can benefit the effective maintenance and operation of steel structures. Existing studies show that modal parameters are not sensitive to such damage as loss of preload. In contrast, structural responses in the time domain contain all the information regarding a structural system. Therefore, this study aims to exploit time-domain data directly for condition identification of bolted connection. Finite element model updating is carried out based on the vibration test data of a steel frame, with various combinations of bolts with loss of preload, representing different damage scenarios. It is shown that the match between the numerically simulated and measured acceleration responses of the steel frame cannot be achieved. The reason is that time-dependent nonlinearity is generated in bolted connections during dynamic excitation of the steel frame. To capture the nonlinearity, a virtual viscous damper is proposed. By using the proposed damper alongside the updated system matrices of the finite element model, the time-domain acceleration responses are estimated with great consistency with the measured responses. The results demonstrate that the proposed virtual damper is not only effective in estimating the time-domain acceleration responses in each damage case, but also has the potential for condition identification of bolted connections with such small damage as just one bolt with loss of preload. It can also be applied to other challenging scenarios of condition identification, where modal parameters are not sensitive to the damage.
Acoustic emission source characterisation of chloride-induced corrosion damage in reinforced concrete
Authors: Van Steen Charlotte , Nasser Hussein , Verstrynge Els , Wevers Martine
Published: June 2021

Worldwide, asset managers are struggling with the management of ageing infrastructure in reinforced concrete. Early detection of reinforcement corrosion, which is generally considered as the major problem, can help to perform dedicated maintenance and repair. The acoustic emission technique is promising to reach this goal. However, research on the characterisation of the different damage sources during corrosion in reinforced concrete remains scarce. In this article, the characterisation of damage processes is investigated on small reinforced concrete prisms and upscaled to reinforced concrete beams under accelerated conditions in a laboratory environment. Damage sources are assigned based on careful validation with crack width measurements and dummy samples. Signals originating from different acoustic emission sources are compared in the time and frequency domain. Moreover, the continuous wavelet transform is applied to provide information on time–frequency characteristics. The results show that the moment of concrete macro-cracking can be derived from a sudden increase of the cumulative acoustic emission events and cumulative acoustic emission energy. However, validation with crack measurements is required. The shift in both peak and centre frequency of the acoustic emission signals is found to be a better indicator. Wavelet transform allows to distinguish acoustic emission sources when frequency ranges are overlapping. Possible acoustic emission sources such as the corrosion process and concrete cover cracking, are successfully assigned. The major contributions of this article are the characterisation of acoustic emission sources from corrosion damage in reinforced concrete, validation with crack measurements and dummy samples, as well as a dedicated wavelet analysis.
Hemodynamic Comparison of Stent-Grafts for the Treatment of Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease
Authors: Chong Albert , Mirgolbabaee Hadi , Sun Zhonghua , van de Velde Lennart , Jansen Shirley , Doyle Barry , Versluis Michel , Reijnen Michel M. P. J. , Groot Jebbink Erik
Published: June 2021

Purpose:

To compare the flow patterns and hemodynamics of the AFX stent-graft and the covered endovascular reconstruction of aortic bifurcation (CERAB) configuration using laser particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments.

Materials and Methods:

Two anatomically realistic aortoiliac phantoms were constructed using polydimethylsiloxane polymer. An AFX stent-graft with a transparent cover made with a new method was inserted into one phantom. A CERAB configuration using Atrium’s Avanta V12 with transparent covers made with a previously established method was inserted into the other phantom, both modified stent-grafts were suitable for laser PIV, enabling visualization of the flow fields and quantification of time average wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and relative residence time (RRT).

Results:

Disturbed flow was observed at the bifurcation region of the AFX, especially at the end systolic velocity (ESV) time-point where recirculation was noticeable due to vortical flow. In contrast, predominantly unidirectional flow was observed at the CERAB bifurcation. These observations were confirmed by the quantified hemodynamic results from PIV analysis where mean TAWSS of 0.078 Pa (range: 0.009–0.242 Pa) was significantly lower in AFX as compared with 0.229 Pa (range: 0.013–0.906 Pa) for CERAB (p<0.001). Mean OSI of 0.318 (range: 0.123–0.496) in AFX was significantly higher than 0.252 (range: 0.055–0.472) in CERAB (p<0.001). Likewise, mean RRT of 180 Pa−1 (range: 9–3603 Pa−1) in AFX was also significantly higher than 88 Pa−1 (range: 2–840 Pa−1) in CERAB (p=0.0086).

Conclusion:

In this in vitro study, the flow pattern of a modified AFX stent-graft was found to be more disturbed especially at the end systolic phase, its hemodynamic outcomes less desirable than CERAB configuration.

Clinical Relevance:

While the AFX stent-graft has an advantage over the CERAB configuration in eliminating radial mismatch, and maintaining the anatomical bifurcation for future endovascular intervention, this in vitro study revealed that the associated lower TAWSS, higher OSI and RRT may predispose to thrombosis and are, thus, less desirable as compared to a CERAB configuration. Further investigation is warranted to confirm whether these findings translate into the clinical setting.
Contesting “Authenticity” in Authentic Leadership through a Mad Studies Lens
Authors: Procknow Greg , Rocco Tonette S.
Published: June 2021

A Mad Studies/social model of mental distress lens was used to critique authentic leadership. We deconstructed the dilemma of authenticity and leadership by exploring how authentic leadership (dis)allows the inclusion of people with mental illness. We found that their minds are treated as disruptive and rarely ever read as authentic. For followers to view “mentally ill” leaders as authentic requires candidness, disability disclosure, and emulating norms typical to their ingroup membership. We conclude this paper by challenging HRD to rethink its stance on disruptive leadership as symptomatic of mental illness. Employees with mental health marginality can develop an authentic identity in the workplace through authenticity building experiences such as connecting mad leaders to peer-support training, offering specialized leadership development, and co-producing a mental health awareness curriculum that challenges unhealthy workplace discourses that stigmatize mad leaders and workers.
Curation as methodological enhancement in researching production cultures behind screen content about displaced children in Europe
Authors: Sakr Naomi , Steemers Jeanette
Published: June 2021

This paper starts from the premise that research into how producers negotiate issues of diversity and multicultural content in Europe is rare and mostly relies on interviews and documents, and furthermore work on understanding those negotiation processes in relation to children’s screen content is even rarer. The article seeks to reflect critically on an alternative hybrid research method, which aims to open up a space for dialogue about production processes and was applied in three workshops about children’s content and forced migration that the authors ran with content creators and broadcasters of children’s screen content in 2017–2018.
Non-violent revolutions are believed to take place: A Discourse-Historical analysis of the Armenian Velvet Revolution in Armenian news media
Authors: Azatyan Shushan , Ebrahimi Zeinab Mohammad , Mansouri Yadollah
Published: June 2021

The Velvet Revolution of Armenia, which took place in 2018, was an important event in the history of Armenia and changed the government peacefully by means of large demonstrations, rallies and marches. This historic event was covered by Armenian news media. Our goal here was to do a Discourse-Historical Analysis of the Armenian Velvet Revolution as covered by two Armenian websites: armenpress.am-the governmental website and 168.am-the non-governmental website. In our analysis we identified how the lexicon related to the Armenian Velvet Revolution was negotiated and legitimized by these media, and which discursive strategies were applied. We concluded that ‘Armenpress’ paid more attention to the government’s speeches, discussions, meetings and tried to impose the opinion of the government upon the people. In contrast, ‘168’ tried to present itself as an independent website with a neutral attitude toward the Velvet Revolution but, in reality, as we can conclude from the negative opinions about the Velvet Revolution in the coverage of ‘168’, it also represented the government’s interests. There was also a discursive struggle over the exact meaning of ‘revolution’ and the sense of ‘velvet’ in politics and the academic field that was to some extent introduced by these media.
Approaching the boundary problem: Self-determination, inclusion, and the unpuzzling of transboundary conflicts
Authors: Spitzer Aaron John
Published: June 2021

In recent decades, decisionmakers have increasingly faced conflicts juxtaposing demands for self-determination and inclusion. Political theorists term this juxtaposition “the boundary problem.” They have offered normative solutions, especially for “just inclusion,” proposing what states owe to exogenous individuals like migrants and refugees. Meanwhile, as I show, legal scholars have developed parallel observations regarding what I term “just exclusion,” concerning how self-determination by sub-state collectives, such as minority nations, interacts with the inclusion rights of members of the majority. I make, first, a descriptive contribution, showing decisionmakers how political theories of “just inclusion” and legal theories of “just exclusion” are complementary, uniting to frame the boundary problem. Second, I make a prescriptive contribution, deploying this frame to lay out a stepwise approach so decisionmakers can more logically work through boundary-problem conflicts.
Low-Wage Women’s Experiences of Workplace Incivilities
Authors: Tindell Katherine , Padavic Irene
Published: June 2021

Workplace incivility, also called bullying, mobbing, and harassment, is pervasive and takes a high toll on employees. This study draws on 18 in-depth interviews with women in the precarious, low-wage, service sector in jobs such as customer service representative, retail sales, food service, pharmacy technician, and bank teller. Women service workers are a particularly vulnerable group, and yet most research on workplace problems of this type focus on professional women’s experience. We find that in this sample, most incivilities came from supervisors, followed by customers and then coworkers. Among supervisors, women were the most common perpetrators, while customer and coworker perpetrators were largely men. The type of incivility varied depending on role: Disparagement was common on the part of supervisors and customers, while coworkers were far more likely to engage in sexual harassment, which was virtually nonexistent among supervisors. Consequences for targets of these incivilities included anxiety, which most had experienced, and income loss. We offer suggestions for future research and policy.
Do Not Blame the Media! The Role of Politicians and Parties in Fragmenting Online Political Debate
Authors: Heiberger Raphael , Majó-Vázquez Silvia , Castro Herrero Laia , Nielsen Rasmus K. , Esser Frank
Published: June 2021

Democratic politics builds on both clear differences and shared common ground. While the rise of digital media may have enabled more differences to be articulated, common ground is often seen as threatened by fragmentation of political debate, which some see as driven by news media. The relative importance of political actors (parties and politicians) in driving fragmentation has received less attention. In this paper, we compare how news media and political actors contribute to the fragmentation of online political debate on the basis of analysis of almost half a million election-related tweets collected during the 2017 French, German, and U.K. national elections. We employ a structural topic model to reduce online political debate to networks of topic overlap. Across the three countries with different political and media systems, we find news media are by far the most important actors in terms of creating and maintaining a common space of online political debate on Twitter. Our results also show that political actors, with some variation from country to country, contribute more to fragmentation as they focus on different topics while articulating clear differences. These findings underline the importance of complementing structural analysis of the rise of digital and social media with analysis of how important elite actors like news media and political parties/candidates use these media in different ways. Overall, we show how at least on Twitter, across three different countries with different media systems and political systems, news media create connection that contributes to commonality while political actors lay out clear differences that drive fragmentation.
The Strategic Bias: How Journalists Respond to Antimedia Populism
Authors: Panievsky Ayala
Published: June 2021

As populist campaigns against the media become increasingly common around the world, it is ever more urgent to explore how journalists adopt and respond to them. Which strategies have journalists developed to maintain the public's trust, and what may be the implications for democracy? These questions are addressed using a thematic analysis of forty-five semistructured interviews with leading Israeli journalists who have been publicly targeted by Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The article suggests that while most interviewees asserted that adherence to objective reporting was the best response to antimedia populism, many of them have in fact applied a “strategic bias” to their reporting, intentionally leaning to the Right in an attempt to refute the accusations of media bias to the Left. This strategy was shaped by interviewees' perceived helplessness versus Israel's Prime Minister and his extensive use of social media, a phenomenon called here “the influence of presumed media impotence.” Finally, this article points at the potential ramifications of strategic bias for journalism and democracy. Drawing on Hallin's Spheres theory, it claims that the strategic bias might advance Right-wing populism at present, while also narrowing the sphere of legitimate controversy—thus further restricting press freedom—in the future.
The fear of COVID-19 outbreak among health care professionals in Gaza Strip, Palestine
Authors: Shehada Ameer Khalil , Albelbeisi Ahmed Hassan , Albelbeisi Ali , El Bilbeisi Abdel Hamid , El Afifi Amany
Published: June 2021

Introduction:

The emergence of the COVID-19 and its consequences has led to fears, worries, and anxiety among individuals, particularly among healthcare professionals. The present study aimed to assess the fear of COVID-19 among different healthcare professionals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, snowball sampling technique and an online questionnaire were employed among healthcare professionals. A total of 300 participants completed the questionnaire. The validated fear of COVID-19 Scale Arabic version was used. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.

Results:

The sample fear mean score was 17.53 ± 5.78; more than half of the study participants (54.3%) consider it as low levels of fear and 45.7% of the participants consider it as high levels of fear. Statistically significant differences were found between males and females, and different healthcare professional’s disciplines. Females have a higher mean score compared to males. The highest fear mean scores were found among Lab-Technicians (20.19 ± 7.42), followed by X-ray-Technicians (17.95 ± 3.96), Nurses (17.1 ± 5.55), and Physicians (16.25 ± 4.66).

Conclusion:

The fear of COVID-19 was high among female healthcare professionals compared to males, as well as, among Lab-Technicians compared to Physicians and Nurses. There is a need to establish a strategy to continues measuring the psychological effect of COVID-19 among healthcare professionals especially females.
U.S. student pharmacist perceptions of the pharmacist’s role in methadone for opioid use disorder: A qualitative study
Authors: Hohmeier Kenneth C , Cernasev Alina , Sensmeier Megan , Hall Elizabeth , Webb Katie , Barenie Rachel , Cochran Gerald
Published: June 2021

Background:

Of the over 20 million Americans reporting an opioid use disorder, only around 3 million report receiving treatment of any kind. The gold standard for opioid use disorder treatment is medication in combination with psychosocial support, but despite robust evidence supporting treatment, barriers are substantial and include limited insurance coverage, patient beliefs, ease of access, regulatory hurdles, and stigma. Although trained as medication experts, U.S. pharmacists are not routinely involved in opioid use disorder treatment and may represent an underutilized care team member.

Objective:

To explore U.S. pharmacy students’ perspectives on pharmacists as providers of methadone-based medications for opioid use disorder treatment.

Methods:

A qualitative design with focus groups of student pharmacists in a U.S. college of pharmacy in the Southeastern United States.

Results:

Over 2 months in 2020, three focus groups were conducted with 15 students in each group participating, and including second-, third-, and fourth-year student pharmacists. Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) student pharmacists desire exposure to therapeutic knowledge and lived experiences related to opioid use disorder and methadone treatment, (2) students perceive stigmatizing views held by practicing pharmacists toward opioid use disorder and methadone treatment, (3) pharmacists should play a role in methadone treatment.

Conclusion:

Student pharmacists desire an active and larger role in the care of patients managing opioid use disorder. Findings indicate these students perceive less stigma toward opioid use disorder than currently practicing pharmacists. Pharmacy curricula should emphasize stories of lived experiences of patients with opioid use disorder, therapeutic knowledge and guidelines related to medications for opioid use disorder, and the regulatory environment surrounding opioid use disorder treatment.
An Unusual Case of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Presentation in Acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Authors: Jariwal Roopam , Jaber Fouad S. , Ipalawatte Harendra , Petersen Greti
Published: June 2021

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients has been scarcely reported in the English literature. To the best of our knowledge, only 12 cases have been described. We present a case of a 27-year-old male with no past medical history who was admitted with a new-onset headache, fever, night sweats, and chills. Further laboratory tests revealed transaminitis, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, positive HIV antigen/antibody test, and markedly elevated ferritin levels, which promoted our suspicion of HLH. This case demonstrates HLH as an unusual presentation of HIV during its seroconversion stage. This report adds a rare disease process to the available literature, and we emphasize that markedly elevated ferritin levels in acute HIV patients should raise suspicion toward a diagnosis of HLH.
Instructor Evaluation of Business Student Writing: Does Language Play a Role?
Authors: McDonough Kim , Uludag Pakize , Neumann Heike
Published: June 2021

Because few studies of disciplinary business writing have examined whether language features play a role in instructor assessment of student writing, this study explored the relationship between student language use and instructor essay scores. Undergraduate business students wrote a case study critique as part of their final exam, and their critiques were evaluated by their instructors for theory integration and essay structure. Student language use was analyzed in terms of error rate, lexical sophistication, lexical diversity, and phrasal complexity. Whereas lexical sophistication positively predicted instructor scores, error rate was a negative predictor of their assessment of business student writing.
Measuring McCities: Landscapes of chain and independent restaurants in the United States
Authors: Liang Xiaofan , Andris Clio
Published: June 2021

Urban planners have a stake in preserving restaurants that are unique to local areas in order to cultivate a distinctive, authentic landscape. Yet, over time, chain restaurants (i.e. franchises) have largely replaced independently owned restaurants, creating a landscape of placelessness. In this research, we explored which (types of) locales have an independent food culture and which resemble McCities: foodscapes where the food offerings can be found just as easily in one place as in many other (often distant) places. We used a dataset of nearly 800,000 independent and chain restaurants for the Continental United States and defined a chain restaurant using multiple methods. We performed a descriptive analysis of chainness (a value indicating the likelihood of finding the same venue elsewhere) prevalence at the urban area and metropolitan area levels. We identified socioeconomic and infrastructural factors that correlate with high or low chainness using random forest and linear regression models. We found that car-dependency, low walkability, high percentage voters for Donald Trump (2016), concentrations of college-age students, and nearness to highways were associated with high rates of chainness. These high chainness McCities are prevalent in the Midwestern and the Southeastern United States. Independent restaurants were associated with dense pedestrian-friendly environments, highly educated populations, wealthy populations, racially diverse neighborhoods, and tourist areas. Low chainness was also associated with East and West Coast cities. These findings, paired with the contribution of methods that quantify chainness, open new pathways for measuring landscapes through the lens of unique services and retail offerings.
Characterisation of elderly daily travel behaviour in Tianjin using a space–time cube
Authors: Sen Zhang , Ke Zhang , Xiaoyang Liu , Jian Zeng , Yan Liu , Lian Zhao
Published: June 2021

The elderly may have unique, daily travel behaviour characteristics compared to other age groups, associated with age and physical ability. Defining these characteristics can inform urban infrastructure construction and planning. In this study, 20 elders aged between 60 and 70 years, living in the city centre of Tianjin, were selected to complete the survey. A total of 2232 hours of participant travel behaviour were collected via GPS equipment from July to August 2019. Data were used to create a space–time cube. Based on a statistical analysis of the GPS data, results indicated that the elderly mainly had six kinds of daily travel behaviours: visiting, shopping, outdoor exercise, eating out, going to the hospital and picking up and dropping off grandchildren. The main activity time was from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Their travel mode was mostly pedestrian-based, with an average single travel distance of about 1.01 km, and an average single travel time of about 0.5 hours. Using the space–time cube, characteristics of elderly daily travel behaviour were visualised. In addition, a typical space–time cube was summarised and presented. Data and methods from this study can provide reference and support for future-related research.
Nymphomania Associated With Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Case Report
Authors: Mujawar Swaleha , Chaudhury Suprakash , Saldanha Daniel , Jafar Aslam Khan
Published: June 2021

Defining and classifying nymphomania has been a challenge for clinicians. It is characterized by an unquenchable urge to engage in repeated sexual contact with many partners without a deep emotional involvement. The sexual drive is unvarying, voracious, impetuous, and unrestrained. The case report describes a young female who presented with increased sexual desires and engaging in excessive sexual activity leading to divorce and marital disharmony in her second marriage. There was a history of childhood sexual abuse. Women developed nymphomania out of engagement in the behavior due to a genetic predisposition or from an environmental stressor such as trauma or sexual abuse. Since sex addiction is not a recognized disorder in DSM-5 or ICD-11, women who have this disorder have difficulty receiving treatment. Proper diagnosis and treatment of such patients will lead to better functioning and quality of life.
Oncogene-induced maladaptive activation of trained immunity in the pathogenesis and treatment of Erdheim-Chester disease
Authors: Molteni Raffaella , Biavasco Riccardo , Stefanoni Davide , Nemkov Travis , Domínguez-Andrés Jorge , Arts Rob J. , Merelli Ivan , Mazza Davide , Zambrano Samuel , Panigada Maddalena , Cantoni Eleonora , Tengesdal Isak W. , Maksud Philippe , Piras Francesco , Cesana Daniela , Cassina Laura , Distefano Gianfranco , Loffreda Alessia , Gnani Daniela , De Luca Giacomo , Tomelleri Alessandro , Campochiaro Corrado , Joosten Leo A. B. , Dinarello Charles A. , Kajaste-Rudnitski Anna , Haroche Julien , Cardaci Simone , Cenci Simone , Dagna Lorenzo , Doglioni Claudio , Ferrarini Marina , Ferrero Elisabetta , Boletta Alessandra , D’Alessandro Angelo , Montini Eugenio , Netea Mihai G. , Cavalli Giulio
Published: June 2021

Trained immunity (TI) is a proinflammatory program induced in monocyte/macrophages upon sensing of specific pathogens and is characterized by immunometabolic and epigenetic changes that enhance cytokine production. Maladaptive activation of TI (ie, in the absence of infection) may result in detrimental inflammation and development of disease; however, the exact role and extent of inappropriate activation of TI in the pathogenesis of human diseases is undetermined. In this study, we uncovered the oncogene-induced, maladaptive induction of TI in the pathogenesis of a human inflammatory myeloid neoplasm (Erdheim-Chester disease, [ECD]), characterized by the BRAFV600E oncogenic mutation in monocyte/macrophages and excess cytokine production. Mechanistically, myeloid cells expressing BRAFV600E exhibit all molecular features of TI: activation of the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling axis; increased glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and cholesterol synthesis; epigenetic changes on promoters of genes encoding cytokines; and enhanced cytokine production leading to hyperinflammatory responses. In patients with ECD, effective therapeutic strategies combat this maladaptive TI phenotype; in addition, pharmacologic inhibition of immunometabolic changes underlying TI (ie, glycolysis) effectively dampens cytokine production by myeloid cells. This study revealed the deleterious potential of inappropriate activation of TI in the pathogenesis of human inflammatory myeloid neoplasms and the opportunity for inhibition of TI in conditions characterized by maladaptive myeloid-driven inflammation.
Clinical and research priorities for children and young people with bronchiectasis: an international roadmap
Authors: Chang Anne B. , Boyd Jeanette , Bell Leanne , Goyal Vikas , Masters I. Brent , Powell Zena , Wilson Christine , Zacharasiewicz Angela , Alexopoulou Efthymia , Bush Andrew , Chalmers James D. , Fortescue Rebecca , Hill Adam T. , Karadag Bulent , Midulla Fabio , McCallum Gabrielle B. , Snijders Deborah , Song Woo-Jung , Tonia Thomy , Grimwood Keith , Kantar Ahmad
Published: June 2021

The global burden of children and young people (CYP) with bronchiectasis is being recognised increasingly. They experience a poor quality of life and recurrent respiratory exacerbations requiring additional treatment, including hospitalisation. However, there are no published data on patient-driven clinical needs and/or research priorities for paediatric bronchiectasis.

Parent/patient-driven views are required to understand the clinical needs and research priorities to inform changes that benefit CYP with bronchiectasis and reduce their disease burden. The European Lung Foundation and the European Respiratory Society Task Force for paediatric bronchiectasis created an international roadmap of clinical and research priorities to guide, and as an extension of, the clinical practice guideline.

This roadmap was based on two global web-based surveys. The first survey (10 languages) was completed by 225 respondents (parents of CYP with bronchiectasis and adults with bronchiectasis diagnosed in childhood) from 21 countries. The parent/patient survey encompassed both clinical and research priorities. The second survey, completed by 258 health practitioners from 54 countries, was limited to research priorities.

The two highest clinical needs expressed by parents/patients were: having an action management plan for flare-ups/exacerbations and access to physiotherapists. The two highest health practitioners’ research priorities related to eradication of airway pathogens and optimal airway clearance techniques. Based on both surveys, the top 10 research priorities were derived, and unanimous consensus statements were formulated from these priorities.

This document addresses parents'/patients' clinical and research priorities from both the parents'/patients' and clinicians' perspectives and will help guide research and clinical efforts to improve the lives of people with bronchiectasis.
An example for transatlantic hitchhiking by macrozoobenthic organisms with a research vessel
Authors: Zettler Michael L.
Published: June 2021

In 2019 the RV Meteor cruised from Guadalupe in April/May to Cape Verde in June/July and to Namibia in August/September. The distance is about 10,000 km. The ship has a moon pool for installation of instruments. In Cape Verde we had a first glimpse of the already sparsely populated moon pool. We reached Namibian waters in mid-August. In mid-September, 47 days later and 6000 km south, the ship's moon pool was sampled in the port of Walvis Bay. 13 different taxa could be identified belonging to two phyla, four classes, six orders and 10 families. Most of these species have not yet been observed in the port or in the adjacent areas and are new records for the entire Namibian coast. The goose barnaclesConchoderma auritum(Linnaeus, 1767),Conchoderma virgatumSpengler, 1789 andLepas anatiferaLinnaeus, 1758 were particularly noticeable. They were only surpassed by the large number of amphipods. The speciesEricthonius brasiliensis(Dana, 1853),Jassa marmorataHolmes, 1905,Stenothoe senegalensisKrapp-Schickel, 2015 andParacaprella pusillaMayer, 1890 are particularly noteworthy here. In addition, the pycnogonid speciesEndeis straughaniClark, 1970 and the titan acorn barnacleMegabalanus coccopoma(Darwin, 1854) should be mentioned, which occurred very frequently as well. The present study shows, on the one hand, an example of the transatlantic spread of bioinvasive species by ships as vectors and, on the other hand, a convenient method for sampling ship hulls.
Medical and surgical interventions to improve the quality of life for endometriosis patients: a systematic review
Authors: D’Alterio Maurizio Nicola , Saponara Stefania , Agus Mirian , Laganà Antonio Simone , Noventa Marco , Loi Emanuela Stochino , Feki Anis , Angioni Stefano
Published: June 2021

Endometriosis impairs the quality of life (QoL) of many women, including their social relationships, daily activity, productivity at work, and family planning. The aim of this review was to determine the instruments used to examine QoL in previous clinical studies of endometriosis and to evaluate the effect of medical and surgical interventions for endometriosis on QoL. We conducted a systematic search and review of studies published between January 2010 and December 2020 using MEDLINE. Search terms included “endometriosis” and “quality of life.” We only selected studies that used a standardized questionnaire to evaluate QoL before and after medical or surgical interventions. Only articles in the English language were examined. The initial search identified 720 results. After excluding duplicates and applying inclusion criteria, 37 studies were selected for analysis. We found that the two scales most frequently used to measure QoL were the Short Form-36 health survey questionnaire (SF-36) and the Endometriosis Health Profile-30 (EHP-30). Many medical and surgical treatments demonstrated comparable benefits in pain control and QoL improvement. There is no clear answer as to what is the best treatment for improving QoL because each therapy must be personalized for the patient and depends on the woman’s goals. In conclusion, women must be informed about endometriosis and given easily accessible information to improve treatment adherence and their QoL.
Post-diapause transcriptomic restarts: insight from a high-latitude copepod
Authors: Roncalli Vittoria , Cieslak Matthew C. , Castelfranco Ann M. , Hopcroft Russell R. , Hartline Daniel K. , Lenz Petra H.
Published: June 2021

Background

Diapause is a seasonal dormancy that allows organisms to survive unfavorable conditions and optimizes the timing of reproduction and growth. Emergence from diapause reverses the state of arrested development and metabolic suppression returning the organism to an active state. The physiological mechanisms that regulate the transition from diapause to post-diapause are still unknown. In this study, this transition has been characterized for the sub-arctic calanoid copepodNeocalanus flemingeri, a key crustacean zooplankter that supports the highly productive North Pacific fisheries. Transcriptional profiling of females, determined over a two-week time series starting with diapausing females collected from > 400 m depth, characterized the molecular mechanisms that regulate the post-diapause trajectory.

Results

A complex set of transitions in relative gene expression defined the transcriptomic changes from diapause to post-diapause. Despite low temperatures (5–6 °C), the switch from a “diapause” to a “post-diapause” transcriptional profile occurred within 12 h of the termination stimulus. Transcriptional changes signaling the end of diapause were activated within one-hour post collection and included the up-regulation of genes involved in the 20E cascade pathway, the TCA cycle and RNA metabolism in combination with the down-regulation of genes associated with chromatin silencing. By 12 h, females exhibited a post-diapause phenotype characterized by the up-regulation of genes involved in cell division, cell differentiation and multiple developmental processes. By seven days post collection, the reproductive program was fully activated as indicated by up-regulation of genes involved in oogenesis and energy metabolism, processes that were enriched among the differentially expressed genes.

Conclusions

The analysis revealed a finely structured, precisely orchestrated sequence of transcriptional changes that led to rapid changes in the activation of biological processes paving the way to the successful completion of the reproductive program. Our findings lead to new hypotheses related to potentially universal mechanisms that terminate diapause before an organism can resume its developmental program.
Distinctive gene expression patterns and imprinting signatures revealed in reciprocal crosses between cattle sub-species
Authors: Liu Ruijie , Tearle Rick , Low Wai Yee , Chen Tong , Thomsen Dana , Smith Timothy P. L. , Hiendleder Stefan , Williams John L.
Published: June 2021

Background

There are two genetically distinct subspecies of cattle, Bos taurus taurus and Bos taurus indicus, which arose from independent domestication events. The two types of cattle show substantial phenotypic differences, some of which emerge during fetal development and are reflected in birth outcomes, including birth weight. We explored gene expression profiles in the placenta and four fetal tissues at mid-gestation from one taurine (Bos taurus taurus; Angus) and one indicine (Bos taurus indicus; Brahman) breed and their reciprocal crosses.

Results

In total 120 samples were analysed from a pure taurine breed, an indicine breed and their reciprocal cross fetuses, which identified 6456 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two pure breeds in at least one fetal tissue of which 110 genes were differentially expressed in all five tissues examined. DEGs shared across tissues were enriched for pathways related to immune and stress response functions. Only the liver had a substantial number of DEGs when reciprocal crossed were compared among which 310 DEGs were found to be in common with DEGs identified between purebred livers; these DEGs were significantly enriched for metabolic process GO terms. Analysis of DEGs across purebred and crossbred tissues suggested an additive expression pattern for most genes, where both paternal and maternal alleles contributed to variation in gene expression levels. However, expression of 5% of DEGs in each tissue was consistent with parent of origin effects, with both paternal and maternal dominance effects identified.

Conclusions

These data identify candidate genes potentially driving the tissue-specific differences between these taurine and indicine breeds and provide a biological insight into parental genome effects underlying phenotypic differences in bovine fetal development.
Transcriptional dynamics of transposable elements when converting fibroblast cells of Macaca mulatta to neuroepithelial stem cells
Authors: Liu Dahai , Liu Li , Duan Kui , Guo Junqiang , Li Shipeng , Zhao Zhigang , Zhang Xiaotuo , Zhou Nan , Zheng Yun
Published: June 2021

Background

Transposable elements (TE) account for more than 50% of human genome. It has been reported that some types of TEs are dynamically regulated in the reprogramming of human cell lines. However, it is largely unknown whether some TEs inMacaca mulattaare also regulated during the reprogramming of cell lines of monkey.

Results

Here, we systematically examined the transcriptional activities of TEs during the conversion ofMacaca mulattafibroblast cells to neuroepithelial stem cells (NESCs). Hundreds of TEs were dynamically regulated during the reprogramming ofMacaca mulattafibroblast cells. Furthermore, 48 Long Terminal Repeats (LTRs), as well as some integrase elements, ofMacacaendogenous retrovirus 3 (MacERV3) were transiently activated during the early stages of the conversion process, some of which were further confirmed with PCR experiments. These LTRs were potentially bound by critical transcription factors for reprogramming, such as KLF4 and ETV5.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the transcription of TEs are delicately regulated during the reprogramming ofMacaca mulattafibroblast cells. Although the family of ERVs activated during the reprogramming of fibroblast cells inMacaca mulattais different from those in the reprogramming of human fibroblast cells, our results suggest that the activation of some ERVs is a conserved mechanism in primates for converting fibroblast cells to stem cells.
Rapid decline in cardiac function in diabetic patients with calcified coronary artery disease undergoing hemodialysis: two case reports
Authors: Yamaoka Hironobu , Yamamoto Taira , Endo Daisuke , Shimada Akie , Matsushita Satoshi , Asai Tohru , Amano Atsushi
Published: June 2021

Background

Clinical symptoms of patients on dialysis do not match the signs of coronary disease progression, making the prediction of the true progression of their medical condition in clinical settings difficult. Emergency and concomitant surgeries are significant risk factors of mortality following open-heart surgery in patients on hemodialysis.

Case presentation

We report two cases of successful coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients on dialysis with a history of cardiac surgery. The first case describes a 65-year-old woman who had undergone aortic valve replacement 2 years ago and was hospitalized urgently, because of a sudden decline in heart function and hypotension. She had moderate mitral regurgitation with right ventricular pressure of 66 mmHg and poor left ventricular function [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), 40%]. Cineangiography revealed an increase in the rate of stenosis in the left main trunk, from 25 to 99% at admission, in addition to 100% occlusion in proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) and 99% stenosis in the proximal left circumflex artery (LCX). We inserted an intra-aortic balloon pump preoperatively and performed emergency surgery (Euro II risk score, 61.7%; Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk score, 56.3%). The second case described a 78-year-old man who had undergone surgery for left atrial myxoma 4 years ago and was hospitalized urgently due to dyspnea, chest discomfort, and an LVEF of 44% (Euro II risk score, 40.7%; STS risk score, 33.2%). Cineangiography revealed an increase in the rate of stenosis in the proximal LAD, from 25% (4 years ago) to 90% at admission, in addition to 99% stenosis in proximal LCX and 95% stenosis in the posterolateral branch of LCX. Both patients underwent emergency CABG due to unstable hemodynamics and decreased left ventricular function despite regular dialysis. The surgeries were successful, and the patients were discharged without any complications.

Conclusions

In patients with multiple comorbidities and those who undergo dialysis treatment, calcified lesions in coronary arteries can progress severely and rapidly without any symptoms, including chest pain. Close outpatient management involving nephrologists and the cardiovascular team is necessary for patients on dialysis.