bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Language Attitudes in a Lingua Franca: The Case of Black South African College Students
Authors: Álvarez-Mosquera Pedro , Marín-Gutiérrez Alejandro
Published: August 2020

In a context of transformation where South African students have started to confront issues of alienation and access to higher education institutions, the role of language is not a minor issue. This study explores the implicit language attitudes of a sample of 80 young L1 South African indigenous language speakers toward Standard South African English and black accented English in a university context. In using a mixed-methodological approach that investigates the interrelation between participants’ Implicit Association Test (IAT) results toward the two selected accents and their linguistic background, language exposure, and social distance levels, this study found mixed results with important sociolinguistic implications. More specifically, the notion of intersectionality (race and gender), the relevant role of the language of instruction in the development of language attitudes, and further correlations between the above-mentioned sociolinguistic variables provided valuable insight with significant social implications as well as methodological considerations.
Destination marriage? The diagnostic role of rituals in dating relationships
Authors: Maniotes Christopher R. , Ogolsky Brian G. , Hardesty Jennifer L.
Published: August 2020

The decision to marry is complex, often with seemingly innocuous events impacting a partner’s marriage eligibility. Engaging in rituals is one area where couples have the opportunity to see their partners in a new light as well as assess commitment. Although rituals have impactful roles in married couples, there is a dearth of research on ritual activity in dating couples. A qualitative approach was used to explore how rituals act as facilitators or barriers to commitment to wed using data from a random sample of dating couples in a diverse Southwestern region of the U.S. Results showed that celebration and tradition rituals played a contextual role in magnifying the importance of three normative relationship features: family interactions, relationship awareness, and conflict management. Experiencing these relationship features during a ritual time highlighted the uncertainty inherent in determining marriage eligibility with a current partner and enhanced the information gathering process.
In the post-crisis world, did debt and equity markets respond differently to high-tech industries and innovative firms?
Authors: Cowling Marc , Liu Weixi , Zhang Ning
Published: August 2020

The belief that more general capital constraints are exacerbated and magnified in innovative and technology-based firms has provided justification for policy intervention, across the range of equity and debt-based financial instruments. In this article, we tackle the question as to whether smaller innovative firms, both in and outside of high-tech industry sectors, do indeed face greater constraints when seeking to access capital from external markets. Our results show that both high-tech and innovation are important determinants of the firms’ demand for external finance, but these effects are more pronounced in equity markets than debt markets. On the supply side of capital markets, being in a high-tech industry sector was relatively unimportant from the point of view of financiers. Rather, being involved in innovative activity was associated with a greater incidence of absolute and partial rationing and also in terms of the general process of applying for finance being substantially more difficult. These findings were more acute for firms in high-tech industry sectors that were also engaged in innovative activity. Our findings also suggest that policy makers need greater clarity and nuance when developing policy responses around high-tech and broader innovation activity which, although they have significant overlap, should not be conflated.
An acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil, increases anxiety and cortisol levels in adult zebrafish
Authors: Giacomini Ana CVV , Bueno Barbara W , Marcon Leticia , Scolari Naiara , Genario Rafael , Demin Konstantin A , Kolesnikova Tatyana O , Kalueff Allan V , de Abreu Murilo S
Published: August 2020

Background:

A potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil is a cognitive enhancer clinically used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. However, its complete pharmacological profile beyond cognition remains unclear. The zebrafish ( Danio rerio) is rapidly becoming a powerful novel model organism in neuroscience and central nervous system drug screening.

Aim:

Here, we characterize the effects of 24-h donepezil administration on anxiety-like behavioral and endocrine responses in adult zebrafish.

Methods:

We evaluated zebrafish anxiety-like behaviors in the novel tank, the light-dark and the shoaling tests, paralleled by assessing brain acetylcholinesterase activity and whole-body cortisol levels.

Results:

Overall, donepezil dose-dependently decreased zebrafish locomotor activity in the novel tank test and reduced time in light in the light-dark test, likely representing hypolocomotion and anxiety-like behaviors. Donepezil predictably decreased brain acetylcholinesterase activity, also increasing whole-body cortisol levels, thus further linking acetylcholinesterase inhibition to anxiety-like behavioral and endocrine responses.

Conclusion:

Collectively, these findings suggest negative modulation of zebrafish affective behavior by donepezil, support the key role of cholinergic mechanisms in behavioral regulation in zebrafish, and reinforce the growing utility of zebrafish models for studying complex behavioral processess and their neuroendocrine and neurochemical regulation.
The role of the mTOR pathway in models of drug-induced reward and the behavioural constituents of addiction
Authors: Ucha Marcos , Roura-Martínez David , Ambrosio Emilio , Higuera-Matas Alejandro
Published: August 2020

Background:

Exposure to drugs of abuse induces neuroadaptations in critical nodes of the so-called reward systems that are thought to mediate the transition from controlled drug use to the compulsive drug-seeking that characterizes addictive disorders. These neural adaptations are likely to require protein synthesis, which is regulated, among others, by the mechanistic target of the rapamycin kinase (mTOR) signalling cascade.

Methods:

We have performed a narrative review of the literature available in PubMed about the involvement of the mTOR pathway in drug-reward and addiction-related phenomena.

Aims:

The aim of this study was to review the underlying architecture of this complex intracellular network and to discuss the alterations of its components that are evident after exposure to drugs of abuse. The aim was also to delineate the effects that manipulations of the mTOR network have on models of drug reward and on paradigms that recapitulate some of the psychological components of addiction.

Results:

There is evidence for the involvement of the mTOR pathway in the acute and rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, especially psychostimulants. However, the data regarding opiates are scarce. There is a need to use sophisticated animal models of addiction to ascertain the real role of the mTOR pathway in this pathology and not just in drug-mediated reward. The involvement of this pathway in behavioural addictions and impulsivity should also be studied in detail in the future.

Conclusions:

Although there is a plethora of data about the modulation of mTOR by drugs of abuse, the involvement of this signalling pathway in addictive disorders requires further research.
Retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics of 405 patients with COVID-19
Authors: Zhan Ting , Liu Meng , Tang Yalin , Han Zheng , Cheng Xueting , Deng Junsheng , Chen Xiaoli , Tian Xia , Huang Xiaodong
Published: August 2020

Objective

This study was performed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Methods

We analyzed the electronic medical records of 405 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in the Third Hospital of Wuhan.

Results

The patients’ median age was 56 years, 54.1% were female, 11.4% had a history of smoking, and 10.6% had a history of drinking. All cases of COVID-19 were community-acquired. Fever (76.8%) and cough (53.3%) were the most common clinical manifestations, and circulatory system diseases were the most common comorbidities. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 61.2% of the patients, and 2.9% of the patients were asymptomatic. Computed tomography showed ground-glass opacities in most patients (72.6%) and consolidation in 30.9%. Lymphopenia (72.3%) and hypoproteinemia (71.6%) were observed in most patients. About 20% of patients had abnormal liver function. Patients with severe disease had significantly more prominent laboratory abnormalities, including an abnormal lymphocyte count and abnormal C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, D-dimer, and albumin levels.

Conclusion

SARS-CoV-2 causes a variety of severe respiratory illnesses similar to those caused by SARS-CoV-1. Older age, chronic comorbidities, and laboratory abnormalities are associated with disease severity.
Antioxidant effect of acetyl-l-carnitine against cisplatin-induced cardiotoxicity
Authors: Bayrak Serdar , Aktaş Safiye , Altun Zekiye , Çakir Yasemin , Tütüncü Merve , Kum Özşengezer Selen , Yilmaz Osman , Olgun Nur
Published: August 2020

Objective

Cisplatin (CDDP) toxicity is a dose-limiting clinical problem in clinical practice, mainly because of nephrotoxicity or ototoxicity. However, the mechanism of CDDP-induced cardiotoxicity is poorly understood. Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR) is an antioxidant agent with protective effects against the side effects of various chemotherapeutics. CDDP-induced cardiotoxicity and the protective role of ALCAR were evaluated in this study.

Methods

Morphological changes were evaluated in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections, and immunohistochemistry for caspase-3, superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD-2), inducible nitrite oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2, and Bcl-2 was performed using the hearts of athymic nude mice carrying xenograft neuroblastoma tumors. Mice were randomized (six/group) to the control, CDDP (16 mg/kg), and ALCAR (200 mg/kg)+CDDP (16 mg/kg) groups. Results were analyzed using nonparametric tests.

Results

No difference was observed in the rates of cardiac necrosis, dilated/congested blood vessels, hemorrhage, polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration, edema, and pyknotic nuclei among the groups. SOD-2 expression was increased in the CDDP group but not in the ALCAR+CDDP group. iNOS, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 levels were not significantly different among the groups.

Conclusions

ALCAR might be a candidate protective agent for CDDP-induced cardiotoxicity. SOD-2, as a member of the oxidant system, should be evaluated in further studies as a biomarker of cardiotoxicity.
Cognitive functions of children with brain tumor in the treatment process
Authors: Önal Gözde , Huri Meral
Published: August 2020

Introduction

This study assesses the cognitive functions of children with brain tumor, including orientation, spatial perception, praxis, visuomotor constructions and thinking operations. The aim of the study was to assess the cognitive functions of children with brain tumor in the treatment process and the effects of different treatments on cognitive functionality.

Method

Cognitive functions of children with brain tumor ( n = 102) and children with typical development ( n = 90) were assessed with the Dynamic Occupational Therapy Assessment for Children. Children with brain tumor were divided into four subgroups according to the treatment they received. Multiple comparisons were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test and binary comparisons were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test.

Results

Cognitive functions of children with brain tumor were weaker than children with typical development. Children who received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and both chemotherapy and radiotherapy had weaker cognitive functions.

Conclusions

Children with brain tumor whose treatment process is continuing are cognitively affected and their occupational performance in daily living tasks is weakened. In these children, cognitive- and occupation-based early intervention approaches should be developed and implemented. Especially when children start receiving radiotherapy, it may also be useful to start cognitive occupational therapy programs simultaneously for preserving children’s cognitive functionality.
Professions and their expertise: Charting the spaces of ‘elite’ occupations
Authors: Kuus Merje
Published: August 2020

This paper argues for a sustained study of knowledge-intensive or liberal professions in geography. I review existing work in political geography and related fields to identify a gap in the study of knowledge-intensive professions, especially those that are popularly associated with elites. I draw from sociology, anthropology, and international relations to explain why we need to better understand such professions. By the geographical study of professions and their expertise I mean the examination of the places, spatial networks, and travels of ideas that shape these professions and the expertise created therein.
Privacy literacy instruction practices in academic libraries: Past, present, and possibilities
Authors: Hartman-Caverly Sarah , Chisholm Alexandria
Published: August 2020

This article explores the past, present, and possibilities of privacy and privacy literacy (PL) instruction in academic libraries. It surveys the scholarship on privacy and privacy literacy from the domains of philosophy, anthropology, history, law, education, and LIS. A privacy conceptual model is proposed demonstrating the zones of informational agency that privacy preserves, and a timeline of privacy and libraries documents key developments in privacy culture in the US. Findings from an original exploratory survey of privacy literacy instruction practices in academic libraries are discussed. The survey identifies the rationales, topics, contexts, methods, and assessments academic librarians use in delivering privacy literacy instruction, as well as barriers against privacy literacy that they encounter. The article concludes with a case study explicating the authors’ own privacy literacy instruction experiences, and specific recommendations for overcoming the barriers to delivering privacy literacy instruction in academic libraries identified in the survey findings.
Prevalence and Predictors of Reincarceration after Correctional Center Release: A Population-based Comparison of Individuals with and without Schizophrenia in Ontario, Canada: Prévalence et prédicteurs de la réincarcération après la libération d’un centre correctionnel : une comparaison dans la population-de personnes souffrant ou non de schizophrénie en Ontario, Canada
Authors: Mahentharan Mayuri , Kouyoumdjian Fiona G. , de Oliveira Claire , Iwajomo Tomisin , Simpson Alexander I. F. , Jones Roland , Kurdyak Paul
Published: August 2020

Objectives:

Individuals with schizophrenia are overrepresented in correctional facilities relative to their population-based prevalence. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate and predictors of reincarceration of individuals with schizophrenia after release from correctional facilities.

Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study that included all people released from Ontario’s provincial correctional facilities from January 1 to December 31, 2010. Individuals with schizophrenia were identified using a population-based algorithm. The primary outcome was time to reincarceration. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, neighborhood income quintile, urban/rural residence), health service utilization (primary care physician visits, psychiatrist visits, psychiatric and nonpsychiatric hospitalizations, emergency department visits), and other clinical comorbidity. Survival analysis was used to examine the association between schizophrenia and reincarceration.

Results:

Among 46,928 individuals, N = 3,237 (7%) had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Approximately 67.5% of these individuals were reincarcerated within 5 years following their first release in 2010, compared to 58.8% of individuals without schizophrenia. Individuals with schizophrenia were 40% (HR = 1.39, 95% CI, 1.33 to 1.45) more likely to be reincarcerated following release than the control group after adjusting for demographic characteristics. This association reduced to 8% (HR = 1.08, 95% CI,1.03 to 1.14) after adjusting for prior health service utilization, prior correctional involvement, and comorbidities.

Conclusion:

Individuals with schizophrenia were more likely to experience reincarceration after release from correctional facilities. This risk is partly explained by prior correctional involvement, health service utilization, and comorbidities. Future research should focus on risk factors predicting the higher reincarceration rate and interventions to reduce correctional involvement.
Predictors of Family Caregiver Burden in Shanghai
Authors: Li Jun
Published: August 2020

This study explored predictors of family caregiver burden against the backdrop of the rapidly aging population and gradually weakening family care in urban China. It used a unique sample from the 2017 survey on older adults with functional disability and their family caregivers in Shanghai, China. A multi-pronged approach and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression were employed to identify predictors of family caregiver burden. Statistical analysis revealed that approximately 25% of caregivers felt stressed. Many independent variables related to caregivers, care recipients, their relationship, and social support had statistically significant impacts on caregiver burden. This study also found that caregiver educational level, caregiver family economic status, and the number of other caregivers had significant moderating effects on the correlation between older people’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and family caregiver burden. Policy implications derived from those findings were also discussed.
Probable Genitourinary Adverse Events Associated With Atomoxetine in an Adult Male: A Case Report
Authors: McGrane Ian R. , Campbell Trevor J.
Published: August 2020

Atomoxetine is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor used for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Prescribing information from the manufacturer lists genitourinary-related adverse events such as urinary hesitancy/retention and priapism as precautions for atomoxetine. We report a case of urinary hesitancy with milky, white-colored discharge associated with atomoxetine use in a 42-year-old male. The onset of genitourinary symptoms occurred within 2 days of atomoxetine 40 mg daily initiation. Laboratories, urinalysis, sexually transmitted infection analysis, and genital examinations were all unremarkable. Within 2 days of atomoxetine discontinuation, the genitourinary symptoms were no longer present. We calculated a Naranjo adverse event score of 5, indicating atomoxetine probably caused the genitourinary adverse events. A review of literature suggests that urine outflow obstruction-related adverse events occur more commonly in men compared to women. Discontinuation of atomoxetine appears to lead to rapid resolution of the adverse events. Additionally, spontaneous ejaculation and sexual side effects rarely occur with atomoxetine. Clinicians should educate and monitor patients explicitly for genitourinary-related adverse events, as they may not be spontaneously reported.
Successful Use of MTA Fillapex as a Sealant for Feline Root Canal Therapy of 50 Canines in 37 Cats
Authors: Thorne Susan , Johnston Norman , Adams Vicki J.
Published: August 2020

Intentional or unintentional pulp exposure of cat canines can lead to periapical disease, osteomyelitis, and oral pain. Root canal therapy (RCT) allows the retention of cat canines with pulp exposure by removing the infected pulp and replacing it with an inert material. This study used MTA Fillapex™ as a root canal sealant with gutta percha single cone obturation in 37 cats (50 canine teeth). Roots were classified as “successful,” “no evidence of failure (NEF),” or “failed” at 6-month radiographic reviews. Therapy was considered “successful” if a preoperative periapical lucency had healed or not formed after treatment and any preoperative external inflammatory root resorption (EIRR) had stabilized without progression. Therapy was categorized as “NEF” if a periapical lucency had remained the same or decreased in size but not completely resolved and any preoperative EIRR had stabilized without progression. “Failed” if a periapical lucency had occurred or increased in size posttreatment or if EIRR had developed or progressed posttreatment. Thirty-two canine teeth (64%) were classified as “successful,” 14 canine teeth (28%) were classified as “NEF,” and 4 canine teeth (8%) were classified as “failed”. The study concluded that RCT using MTA Fillapex as a root canal sealant is a suitable endodontic treatment for fractured cat canines, especially those that are periodontally or endodontically challenged.
Design of a disk-mandrel assembly for achieving rotational autofrettage in the disk
Authors: Kamal SM , Dixit US
Published: August 2020

Rotational autofrettage is a recently proposed method to induce beneficial residual stresses in axisymmetric hollow cylindrical bodies. The feasibility of the process has been studied for both disks and cylinders used in many engineering applications. The earlier analyses of rotational autofrettage of disks are based on certain assumptions. One of the crucial assumptions is the free rotation of the disk. However, the free rotation of the disk is practically difficult. In practice, it is feasible to rotate the disk by shrink-fitting it over a solid cylindrical mandrel. In view of this, a design of a disk-mandrel assembly for achieving rotational autofrettage in disks is proposed in this article. The main aim of the design is to obtain appropriate values of the disk-mandrel interference and the rotational speed of the assembly to prevent the loss of contact of the disk with the mandrel during rotation. The critical speeds corresponding to the yield onset, contact separation and the full plastic deformation of the disk are obtained as a function of shrink interference. The safe operating design parameters can be decided by plotting the critical speeds with varying interference values. A detailed stress analysis during elastic-plastic loading of the assembly followed by the analysis of residual stresses in the assembly after unloading is presented. The analysis is based on the plane stress assumption, Tresca yield criterion and elastic unloading. The analysis is validated with a finite element method model in ABAQUS. The proposed design is illustrated through the numerical example of an ASTM A723 disk-mandrel assembly to achieve rotational autofrettage in the disk. With a small overstrain level of 17.5% in the disk, a large magnitude of compressive residual stress, viz., 0.52 times the yield stress, is induced.
Active vibration control of automobile drivetrain with backlash considering time-varying long control period
Authors: Yonezawa Heisei , Kajiwara Itsuro , Nishidome Chiaki , Hatano Takashi , Sakata Masato , Hiramatsu Shigeki
Published: August 2020

Active vibration control of automotive drivetrains must be developed to compensate for the backlash of gears because it causes undesired responses. In addition, an engine used as an actuator has a constraint which makes the control periods longer and time-varying, resulting in deterioration of the control performance. The contribution of this study is to cope with all the issues described above, backlash and the control period constraint, simultaneously. First, a basic experimental device, which simplifies an actual vehicle to focus on the effect due to backlash, is demonstrated. In the device, the control period constraint, which is equivalent to that of an engine, is reproduced by a digital signal processor. To reduce an adverse effect due to the extension of the control period, the sampled-data controller, which does not require discretization in its implementation, is employed. In this paper, predictive processing using the servo-type sampled-data controller is proposed to compensate for the phase delay of the control input caused by the time-varying control period. In addition, a control mode switching technique included in the prediction suppresses undesired responses due to backlash. Finally, control experiments verify the effectiveness of the control system.
Improving CO2 emission assessment of diesel-based powertrains in dynamic driving cycles by data fusion techniques
Authors: Guardiola Carlos , Pla Benjamín , Bares Pau , Chappell Edward , Burke Richard
Published: August 2020

This article proposes a method based on the Kalman filter to improve the accuracy of the CO2 measurement in driving cycles such as worldwide harmonized light vehicles test cycles or real driving cycles which are inherently subject to a loss in accuracy due to the dynamic limitations of the CO2 analysers. The information from the analyser is combined with the electronic control unit estimation of the fuel injection. The characteristics of diesel engines and, in particular, the high efficiency of the combustion process and the diesel oxidation catalyst allows to compute the CO2 emissions from the fuel consumption estimation of the electronic control unit by applying the carbon balance method assuming negligible HC and CO emissions. Then, the assessment of the CO2 analyser response time and accuracy allows to pose an estimation problem that can be solved by a Kalman filter. The application of the method to different driving cycles shows that analyser dynamic limitations may lead to an overestimation of the CO2 figures that can reach 4% in highly dynamic tests such as the worldwide harmonized light vehicles test cycles. The technique thus has further potential application to replicating real driving cycles on the chassis dynamometer for real driving emission testing.
Head kinematics study of E-bicycle rider in car to E-bicycle side collisions
Authors: Hu Shuaishuai , Lv Xiaojiang , Zhang Haiyang , Wang Pengxiang , Gu Pengyun
Published: August 2020

In recent years, car to bicycle collisions take place more and more frequently, which have attracted the attention of some organizations and engineers. They are trying to make some rules for cars to realize better bicyclist protection, including defining new head impact location area and head impact velocity in pedestrian protection tests. However, car to E-bicycle collisions occur more than car to bicycle collisions in China. Therefore, vehicle to E-bicycle collisions should be researched to define appropriate head impact location area and head impact velocity in pedestrian protection tests for cars in Chinese market. In this article, the head kinematics of E-bicycle riders in car to E-bicycle side collisions are studied. First, through analyzing data from China In-Depth Accident Study Database (which conducts field investigation, analysis, and research on traffic accidents in China), some representative conditions and key parameters in car to E-bicycle collisions are extracted. Second, a condition of car to E-bicycle side collision from above analysis is simulated. Third, an experiment according to the above condition is performed and the finite element models in the above simulation are validated. Then, a series of conditions are simulated by using the validated models, and some factors affecting head impact locations and head impact velocities in car to E-bicycle side collisions are studied. Finally, some factors that affect the head kinematics of E-bicycle riders in car to E-bicycle collisions are identified and some results of head movement in these collisions are concluded, such as head impact locations and head impact velocities.
Adaptive fault-tolerant control for hybrid attitude tracking control system with quantized control torque and measurement
Authors: Li Min , Zhang Yingchun , Geng Yunhai
Published: August 2020

In this paper, the problem of fault tolerant control for spacecraft attitude tracking control system in the presence of actuator faults/failures, quantized control torque and measurement, uncertain inertial matrix and external disturbances is taken into account. The dynamical uniform quantizers are developed to quantize the signals of control torque and measurement, which can reduce the data transmission rate. In combination with the CA and FTC technique, a robust adaptive fault tolerant control scheme is proposed to cope with the effects of quantization errors in control torque and measurement, the unknown actuator faults/failures, uncertain inertial matrix and external disturbances. The developed control strategy combined with quantized control torque and measurement can guarantee the stability of overall closed-loop system and achieve satisfactory attitude tracking performance. Finally, simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
The multi-targets mechanism of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus based on network pharmacology
Authors: Xie Bo , Geng Qingwei , Xu Jinhui , Lu Haojie , Luo Haixin , Hu Yebei , Song Xiuzu
Published: August 2020

Background

Network pharmacology is used with bioinformatic tools to broaden the understanding of drugs’ potential targets and the intersections with key genes of particular disease. Here we applied network pharmacology to collect testable hypotheses about the multi-targets mechanism of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) against systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Firstly, we predicted the potential targets of HCQ. Secondly, we got the related genes of SLE returned from databases. Thirdly, the intersections of the potential targets (HCQ) and related genes (SLE) were analyzed with gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Finally, we validated our predictions of the potential targets by performing docking studies with HCQ.

Results

The results suggest that the efficacy of HCQ against SLE is mainly associated with the targets of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and CDK1, which regulate PI3K/Akt/GSK3β as well as interferon (IFN) signaling pathway. Biological process of the network associated with the three targets is concentrated in the inhibition of immune response, negative regulation of gene expression and regulation of immune system process. Molecular docking analysis proves that hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking are the main forms of interaction.

Conclusions

Our research provides protein targets affected by HCQ in the treatment of SLE. Three key targets (CDK2, ESR1 and CDK1) involving 1766 proteins become the multi-targets mechanism of HCQ in the treatment of SLE. As well, the research also provides a new idea for introducing network pharmacology into the evaluation of the drugs with multi-targets in dermatology.
Clause complexing and characterisation: Joyce’s ‘Two Gallants’ revisited
Authors: Huang He
Published: August 2020

The application of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics to analyse literary texts has been a prevalent approach in the field of stylistics. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the three metafunctions, that is the experiential, the interpersonal and the textual metafunctions, on the level of the clause, ignoring the logical metafunction on the level of the clause complex. Therefore, the present study seeks to examine the composition of clause complexes and explicate how clause complexing is related to the reader’s interpretation of literary meaning, especially that of characterisation. To achieve this, a comparative method is adopted to explain in what sense the author’s actual choices of clause complexes differ from alternatives that could have been chosen and also in what sense the choices shape into a coherent pattern throughout the text. My case study is James Joyce’s short story ‘Two Gallants’, a text that has already been successfully investigated from the Hallidayan approach. My main findings suggest that the deceptively simple style of clause complexing in Joyce’s text is in fact loaded with semantic density and incongruity that serve the purpose of characterisation. The study aims to show that we would miss many subtle details in the text in terms of characterisation if we skip the construction of clause complexes. Accordingly, the reading of nuances between the clauses might offer us a new perspective not just to interpret Joyce’s short story and but also to better understand his writing style.
Estimating the natural progression of non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ breast cancer lesions using screening data
Authors: Weedon-Fekjær Harald , Li Xiaoxue , Lee Sandra
Published: August 2020

Objectives

In addition to invasive breast cancer, mammography screening often detects preinvasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions. The natural progression of DCIS is largely unknown, leading to uncertainty regarding treatment. The natural history of invasive breast cancer has been studied using screening data. DCIS modeling is more complicated because lesions might progress to clinical DCIS, preclinical invasive cancer, or may also regress to a state undetectable by screening. We have here developed a Markov model for DCIS progression, building on the established invasive breast cancer model.

Methods

We present formulas for the probability of DCIS detection by time since last screening under a Markov model of DCIS progression. Progression rates were estimated by maximum likelihood estimation using BreastScreen Norway data from 1995–2002 for 336,533 women (including 399 DCIS cases) aged 50–69. As DCIS incidence varies by age, county, and mammography modality (digital vs. analog film), a Poisson regression approach was used to align the input data.

Results

Estimated mean sojourn time in preclinical, screening-detectable DCIS phase was 3.1 years (95% confidence interval: 1.3, 7.6) with a screening sensitivity of 60% (95% confidence interval: 32%, 93%). No DCIS was estimated to be non-progressive.

Conclusion

Most preclinical DCIS lesions progress or regress with a moderate sojourn time in the screening-detectable phase. While DCIS mean sojourn time could be deduced from DCIS data, any estimate of preclinical DCIS progressing to invasive breast cancer must include data on invasive cancers to avoid strong, probably unrealistic, assumptions.
Nurses’ ethical challenges caring for people with COVID-19: A qualitative study
Authors: Jia Yuxiu , Chen Ou , Xiao Zhiying , Xiao Juan , Bian Junping , Jia Hongying
Published: August 2020

Background:

Ethical challenges are common in clinical nursing practice, and an infectious environment could put nurses under ethical challenges more easily, which may cause nurses to submit to negative emotions and psychological pressure, damaging their mental health.

Purpose:

To examine the ethical challenges encountered by nurses caring for patients with the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) and to provide nurses with suggestions and support regarding promotion of their mental health.

Research design and method:

A qualitative study was carried out using a qualitative content analysis. The participants were 18 nurses who agreed to attend an interview and describe their own experiences of providing care to COVID-19 patients in China. They were purposively sampled, and structured, in-depth interviews were performed. Data were iteratively collected and analyzed from February to March 2020.

Ethical considerations:

The proposal was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Shandong University, China.

Findings:

The findings revealed three main themes and 10 categories. The themes were the following: (1) ethical challenges (people with COVID-19, inequality, professional ethics, and job competency); (2) coping styles (active control and planning, seeking support as well as catharsis, and staying focused); and (3) impacts on career (specialized nursing skills, scientific research ability, and management skills).

Conclusion:

Nurses faced ethical challenges on multiple fronts in caring for COVID-19 patients. The results may help nurses with more safety, ethics, and humanistic care in nursing practice.
Labor Unions and Non-member Political Protest Mobilization in the United States
Authors: Lyon Gregory , Schaffner Brian F.
Published: August 2020

While political protest and labor unions are seen as important elements in democratic societies, systematic research on the relationship between the two is scarce. Past research finds that union members are more likely to engage in protest, but it is unclear whether unions increase protest among non-members. This study draws on two waves of data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study and examines two mechanisms through which labor unions facilitate political protest among non-members: social ties and aggregate strength. We provide evidence that labor unions mobilize non-members to engage in political protest. When non-members have a social tie to a union or live in a state where unions are more robust and widespread, they are more likely to engage in political protest, but no more likely to engage in non-collective forms of political participation such as donating to political causes or contacting officials. The findings extend our understanding of an important, but understudied, act of political behavior as well as the ways that societal institutions stimulate collective political mobilization.
The Political Significance of Luck: A Thucydidean Perspective
Authors: Schillinger Daniel
Published: August 2020

Contemporary authorities invoke luck to explain the arbitrariness of economic success, to emphasize our shared vulnerability to disaster, and to urge more generous policy, legislation, and governance. According to Robert Frank, Martha Nussbaum, and Ronald Dworkin, for example, extreme bad luck can befall individuals no matter what they know or do. By redefining luck as a psychological phenomenon (rather than as a constitutive principle of the world), this article challenges the contemporary consensus. My approach to luck arises out of my engagement with the political thought of Thucydides. Whereas influential interpreters present Thucydides as a witness to the crushing power of bad luck, and whereas they criticize Thucydides’ Pericles for being insufficiently deferential to luck, I revisit and defend Pericles’ skeptical and psychological approach to luck, and I argue that Thucydides shares this approach, at least in the main. The pathological intellectual and emotional responses to apparent good or bad luck diagnosed by Pericles in his final speech recur throughout the History and influence the evolution of the whole war. Going beyond Pericles, Thucydides shows that the appeal of luck arises out of a human need to explain, beautify, or lament what is merely natural necessity, haphazard coincidence, or awful suffering.
Sex Cord Tumor With Annular Tubules–Like Histologic Pattern in Adult Granulosa Cell Tumor: Case Report of a Hitherto Unreported Morphologic Variant
Authors: Chang Ruby J. , Reuther Jacquelyn , Gandhi Ilavarasi , Roy Angshumoy , Jain Shilpa , Masand Ramya P.
Published: August 2020

Adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) and sex cord tumor with annular tubules (SCTAT) are distinct sex cord stromal tumors with different molecular signatures. We present a unique case of an incidental ovarian tumor with mixed AGCT and SCTAT morphologic patterns. Due to the unusual co-occurrence, molecular testing was separately performed on both components. Despite minimal overlap in morphology, both the SCTAT and AGCT components were found to have an identical mutation profile, including the prototypical FOXL2 p.C134W mutation characteristic of AGCT. We thus present the first report of AGCT with SCTAT-like pattern.
Dexamethasone and Training-Induced Cardiac Remodeling Improve Cardiac Function and Arterial Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Duchatsch Francine , Tardelli Lidieli P. , Herrera Naiara A. , Ruiz Thalles F. R. , Vicentini Carlos A. , Okoshi Katashi , Santos Carlos F. , Amaral Sandra L.
Published: August 2020

Introduction:

Dexamethasone (DEX)-induced hypertension and cardiac remodeling are still unclear, especially in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). On the other side, exercise training is a good strategy to control hypertension. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of DEX treatment and physical training on arterial pressure and cardiac remodeling in SHR.

Material and Methods:

SHR underwent treadmill training (5 days/week, 1h/session, at 50-60% of maximal capacity, 0% degree, 75 days) and received low-dose of DEX (50µg/kg, s.c.) during the last 15 days. Sedentary Wistar rats (W) were used as control. Echocardiography and artery catheterization were performed for cardiac remodeling and function, arterial pressure and autonomic nervous system analyses. In addition, left ventricle (LV) capillary density, myocyte diameter and collagen deposition area were analyzed using specific histological staining.

Results:

Low-dose of DEX treatment did not exacerbate arterial pressure of SHR and trained groups had lower values, regardless of DEX. DEX and training decreased relative left ventricle wall thickness (RWT) and determined LV angiogenesis (+19%) and lower collagen deposition area (−22%). In addition, it determined increased left ventricular diastolic diameter. These changes were followed by improvements on systolic and diastolic function, since it was observed increased posterior wall shortening velocity (PWSV) and reduced isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this study is unique to indicate that low-dose of DEX treatment does not exacerbate arterial pressure in SHR and, when associated with training, it improves LV systolic and diastolic function, which may be due to LV angiogenesis and reduction of wall collagen deposition area.
Incidence and Risk Factors of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Yu Yuan , Tu Jie , Lei Bingxin , Shu Huaqing , Zou Xiaojing , Li Ruiting , Huang Chaolin , Qu Yali , Shang You
Published: August 2020

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is prevalent in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the risk factors and incidence rate of DVT remains elusive. Here, we aimed to assess the incidence rate and risk factors of DVT. All patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and performed venous ultrasound by ultrasound deparment between December 2019 and April 2020 in Wuhan Jin Yin-tan hospital were enrolled. Demographic information and clinical features were retrospectively collected. Notably, a comparison between the DVT and the non-DVT groups was explored. The incidence rate of venous thrombosis was 35.2% (50 patients out of 142). Moreover, the location of thrombus at the proximal extremity veins was 5.6% (n = 8), while at distal extremity veins was 35.2% (n = 50) of the patients. We also noted that patients with DVT exhibited a high level of D-dimer (OR 10.9 (95% CI, 3.3-36.0), P < 0.001), were admitted to the intensive care unit (OR 6.5 (95% CI, 2.1-20.3), P = 0.001), a lower usage of the anticoagulant drugs (OR 3.0 (95% CI, 1.1-7.8), P < 0.001). Finally, this study revealed that a high number of patients with COVID-19 developed DVT. This was observed particularly in critically ill patients with high D-dimer levels who required no anticoagulant medication.
Dental Workforce Trends: A National Study of Gender Diversity and Practice Patterns
Authors: Surdu Simona , Mertz Elizabeth , Langelier Margaret , Moore Jean
Published: August 2020

The dental workforce is increasingly gender diverse. This study analyzed gender differences in dental practice using the American Dental Association’s 2010-2016 Masterfile and the 2017 Survey of Dental Practice. Between 2010 and 2016, the proportion of women working in dentistry increased from 24.5% to 29.8%. Overall, female dentists were more racially/ethnically diverse, more likely to be foreign-trained, and more likely to work in pediatric dentistry than male dentists. The likelihood of female dentists working as employees, part-time, and/or in metropolitan areas was 1.2 to 4.2 times greater compared with male dentists. Female solo practitioners were 1.2 to 1.8 times more likely to provide services to children and patients covered by public insurance than male solo practitioners. Gender diversification in dentistry and other factors, including generational differences and changes in the dental service delivery system and public policy, will continue to reshape the delivery of oral health services.
Outcome of COVID-19 in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Başcı Semih , Ata Naim , Altuntaş Fevzi , Yiğenoğlu Tuğçe Nur , Dal Mehmet Sinan , Korkmaz Serdal , Namdaroğlu Sinem , Baştürk Abdülkadir , Hacıbekiroğlu Tuba , Doğu Mehmet Hilmi , Berber İlhami , Dal Kürşat , Erkurt Mehmet Ali , Turgut Burhan , Çağlayan Murat , Ayvalı Mustafa Okan , Çelik Osman , Ülgü Mustafa Mahir , Birinci Şuayip ,   on behalf of the Turkish Ministry of Health, Hematology Scientific Working Group
Published: August 2020

Introduction

In this study, we aim to report the outcome of COVID-19 in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).

Method

The data of 16 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients with CML receiving TKI and age, gender, and comorbid disease matched COVID-19 patients without cancer at a 3/1 ratio (n = 48), diagnosed between March 11, 2020 and May 22, 2020 and included in the Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health database, were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

The rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mechanical ventilation (MV) support were lower in CML patients compared to the control group, however, these differences did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.1, and p = 0.2, respectively). The length of hospital stay was shorter in CML patients compared with the control group; however, it was not statistically significant (p = 0.8). The case fatality rate (CFR) in COVID-19 patients with CML was 6.3%, and it was 12.8% in the control group. Although the CFR in CML patients with COVID-19 was lower compared to the control group, this difference did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.5). When CML patients were divided into 3 groups according to the TKI, no significant difference was observed regarding the rate of ICU admission, MV support, CFR, the length of stay in both hospital and ICU (all p > 0.05).

Conclusion

This study highlights that large scale prospective and randomized studies should be conducted in order to investigate the role of TKIs in the treatment of COVID-19.