bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sociology of Vibe: Blackness, Felt Criminality, and Emotional Epistemology
Authors: Miles Corey J.
Published: December 2022

The opacity and mundaneness of racism often allows it to slip through our traditional systems of accounting and measuring. The study of racialized emotions has been an important intervention in sociology to understand the intimate nature of racialized social structures. There still is a need to understand the language Black communities use to communicate their complex emotional worlds and the nuanced ways abusive power systems are felt in everyday life. Using 24 months of ethnographic fieldwork in northeast North Carolina and data from 23 in-depth interviews, the author examines the relationship between Black people’s emotional habitus and racial structures. The results indicate that Black people developed vibe as a rhetorical tool to articulate their complex emotional economy and it is regularly used to make sense of racialize experiences. Vibe is not limited to racial understanding as it works to name the often unsayable and perceptive ways people know, feel, and respond to the opacity and non-quantifiable dimensions of social experience. This paper focuses on the ways Black community members used vibe to articulate feeling the criminalization of Blackness or what this research refers to as ‘felt criminality.’ Despite facing emotional subjugation Black community members were still invested in emotive projects and used their felt experience as an epistemological resource to make sense of racial processes in a supposedly colorblind society.
Improving Image Quality by Deconvolution Recovery Filter in Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Pan Jingwen , Peng Hu , Han Zhihui , Hu Dan , Wang Yadan , Wang Yuanguo
Published: December 2022

Due to the advantages of non-radiation and real-time performance, ultrasound imaging is essential in medical imaging. Image quality is affected by the performance of the transducer in an ultrasound imaging system. For example, the bandwidth controls the pulse length, resulting in different axial resolutions. Therefore, a transducer with a large bandwidth helps to improve imaging quality. However, large bandwidths lead to increased system cost and sometimes a loss of sensitivity and lateral resolution in attenuating media. In this paper, a deconvolution recovery method combined with a frequency-domain filtering technique (DRF) is proposed to improve the imaging quality, especially for the axial resolution. In this method, the received low-bandwidth echo signals are converted into high-bandwidth signals, which is similar to the echo signals produced by a high-bandwidth transducer, and the imaging quality is improved. Simulation and experiment results show that, compared with Delay-and-sum (DAS) method, the DRF method improved axial resolution from 0.60 to 0.41 mm in simulation and from 0.62 to 0.47 mm in the tissue-mimicking phantom experiment. The contrast ratio performance is improved to some extent compared with the DAS in experimental and in-vivo images. Besides, the proposed method has the potential to further improve image quality by combining it with adaptive weightings, such as the minimum variance method.
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and vascular function in Hispanic and non-Hispanic males
Authors: Piero Rachel , Papastratakos Eleni , Castellanos Diana Cuy , Crecelius Anne R
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Hispanic men have one of the highest consumptions of sugar-sweetened beverages in the United States. Frequent sugar-sweetened beverage consumption has been associated with higher incidence of cardiovascular disease through altered vascular function. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in the Hispanic population. The purpose of this study is to assess the difference in vascular function between Hispanic men and non-Hispanic men and whether this difference is attributed to ethnic predisposition (i.e. ethnicity) or other risk factors, such as sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Method: Reactive hyperemia forearm blood flow of 11 Hispanic males and 11 non-Hispanic males was measured via venous occlusion plethysmography. Interview-administered questionnaires gathered anthropometric, medical, dietary, and physical activity data for participants. Results: No significant differences were found in peak or total reactive hyperemia forearm blood flow between matched pairs ( p = 0.924). Significant differences were also not observed in dietary factors, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption ( p = 0.693), or physical activity (0.720). Conclusion: No statistical differences in body composition, dietary intake, physical activity, and vascular function were observed between Hispanic and non-Hispanic males. Environmental and lifestyle factors may play a larger role than ethnicity in the development of cardiovascular disease. Recruitment based on ethnicity alone yielded a population that was similar regarding SSB consumption and vascular function.
The use of ‘ecommerce’ and ‘social commerce in emerging markets’: Omani female millennials’ experiences
Authors: Al Jamil Arafat Awadh , Ahmed Ismail Abdulraoof
Published: December 2022

Commercial social media (social commerce in emerging market) have increasingly been used in many emerging markets as an evolutionary form of ecommerce. While this trend has recently been examined from an e-vender's perspective, little is known about how customers, specifically female millennials, perceive of their shopping experiences with commercial social media in relation to ecommerce. Thus, this study explores the underlying motivations for using one e-retailing type over the other. We consider the social constructs of trust, customer service quality and web design in the study. Drawing data from 20 in-depth interviews with young Omani women, the study revealed that ecommerce is most preferred to commercial social media. It highlights the role of unethical marketing practices; unsystematic delivery costs; unprofessional customer service quality; underdeveloped local market and uneasiness of commercial social media in influencing the decision-making of the customers to shift to ecommerce. The study further points to the intersection between product's price, quality and information in building trust; the role of professionalism, responsiveness and empathy in enhancing customer service quality; the importance of product quality and variety in the local market; and the easy navigation and online payment of e-retailing platforms. The study bears implications on enhancing the features and services of commercial social media. It also calls for transforming the local market to meet the customers’ needs.
Correlation between reflux time and venous clinical severity score in patients undergoing saphenous vein ablation: A prospective study
Authors: Kokkinidis Damianos G , Ochoa Chaar Cassius I , Mena-Hurtado Carlos I , Attaran Robert R
Published: December 2022

Objectives

It is unclear whether reflux time independently correlates with severity of symptoms in patients with great saphenous vein reflux.

Methods

Eighty patients (mean age 64+/−12.7 years, 56% female) undergoing great saphenous vein (GSV) ablation for symptomatic reflux were assessed prospectively. Fifty-seven underwent ablation with radiofrequency, 23 with cyanoacrylate adhesive. Venous clinical severity score (VCSS) was assessed at, or prior to the time of ablation. The highest reflux time in the GSV was selected.

Results

VCSS values ranged from 2 to 20 (median 7). Mean reflux time was 5.3 s (+/−3.3). The Spearman rank correlation yielded a value of rs = −0.123, p (2-tailed) = .279, which was not significant. The patients with concomitant deep vein reflux had higher VCSS ( p < .05). Analysis of patients with only superficial vein reflux ( n = 45) also demonstrated a poor correlation between VCSS and reflux time (rs = −0.051, p (2-tailed) = .741).

Conclusion

This prospective study did not demonstrate a correlation between reflux time and VCSS.
High-flow nasal oxygen for suspension laryngoscopy: a multicenter open-label study
Authors: Saad Mary , Albi-Feldzer Aline , Taouachi Rabah , Wagner Isabelle , Fischler Marc , Squara Pierre , Le Guen Morgan
Published: December 2022

In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy of high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) to maintain blood peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) in patients undergoing suspension laryngoscopy under general anesthesia. Adult patients were included in this bicenter study. After face-mask oxygenation, HFNO at a flow rate of 70 L min−1 and fraction of inspired oxygen 100% was initiated at loss of consciousness. At the end of HFNO, blood gas analysis was performed. Of the 29 included patients, five (17.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.6–34.5) presented SpO2 <95% during the first 15 minutes of the procedure and eight patients (27.6%; 95% CI: 14.7–45.7) presented SpO2 <95% throughout the procedure. Six patients (20.7%; 95% CI: 9.8–38.4) required rescue jet ventilation. Median apnea time before SpO2 <95% was 13.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 10–17.7) minutes. Arterial carbon dioxide tension at the end of the procedure or at the time of study discontinuation was 9.73 (IQR: 8.8–10.9) kPa and was higher than 8 kPa in 88.9% (95% CI: 71.9–96.1) of patients. HFNO was associated with a relatively high incidence of suboptimal oxygen saturation and hypercapnia during suspension laryngoscopy under general anesthesia and may not be considered the reference technique.
Pull and Push: The Effect of Social Support and Professional Resilience on the Relationship Between Correctional Officers’ Cynicism and Service Impact
Authors: Wang Yean , Xu Shuge , Zhang Xinyi
Published: December 2022

This research examines the protective influences of social support and professional resilience to probation officers’ cynicism and service impact simultaneously. Data on psychological characteristics of a sample of 382 forensic social workers in Chinese legal systems were collected. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and multiple-group analyses were used in a three-step analysis process to test our research model. Results identified that cynicism was negatively associated with probation officers’ service impact, ascertained that social support functioned as an extrinsic pull mediating the relationship between probation officers’ cynicism and service impact, and determined that professional resilience served as an intrinsic push moderating the impact of cynicism and social support on service impact, respectively. This research proposed a push and pull mechanism by which probation officers’ service impact is increased and their work pressure is alleviated, providing tentative recommendations for the alleviation of probation officers’ job pressure and improvement of their service impact.
Anaesthetic considerations for the surgical management of ocular hypotony in adults
Authors: Chua Alfred WY , Kumar Chandra M , Harrisberg Brian P , Eke Tom
Published: December 2022

Ocular hypotony can occur from many causes, including eye trauma, ophthalmic surgery and ophthalmic regional anaesthesia–related complications. Some of these patients require surgical intervention(s) necessitating repeat anaesthesia. While surgical management of these patients is well described in the literature, the anaesthetic management is seldom discussed. The hypotonous eye may also have altered globe anatomy, meaning that the usual ocular proprioceptive feedbacks during regional ophthalmic block may be altered or lost, leading to higher risk of inadvertent globe injury. In an ‘open globe’ there is a risk of sight-threatening expulsive choroidal haemorrhage as a consequence of ophthalmic block or general anaesthesia. This narrative review describes the physiology of aqueous humour, the risk factors associated with ophthalmic regional anaesthesia–related ocular hypotony, the surgical management, and a special emphasis on anaesthetic management. Traumatic hypotony usually requires urgent surgical repair, whereas iatrogenic hypotony may be less urgent, with many cases scheduled as elective procedures. There is no universal best anaesthetic technique. Topical anaesthesia and regional ophthalmic block, with some technique modifications, are suitable in many mild-to-moderate cases, whilst general anaesthesia may be required for complex and longer procedures, and severely distorted globes.
What are States Doing to Encourage Safe Routes to School Programming in Disadvantaged Communities? Findings From a U.S. Mixed-Methods Survey
Authors: Elliott Lucas D. , Lieberman Michelle , Rovniak Liza S. , Bose Mallika , Holmes Louisa M. , Bopp Melissa
Published: December 2022

Active transportation (AT), walking/bicycling for transportation, in school-aged children (K-12) provides a variety of health benefits for those who participate. One state-funded initiative which attempts to increase AT among schoolchildren are Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. These programs implement education and encouragement projects, as well as infrastructure-related construction. Although these programs have shown significant success in increasing AT behavior and safety throughout many communities in the United States, various demographic populations continue to see disparities in AT participation and injuries/death (e.g., low-income, communities of color, disabled individuals, non-English speakers, etc.). Additionally, there is a lack of literature (academic and technical) concerning strategies to reaching disadvantaged populations. This mixed-methods study attempted to understand the common barriers, best practices, and desired resources to providing equitable programming to disadvantaged populations. Surveys were sent to state SRTS representatives ( n = 59), and 22 states completed the survey and these were analyzed. Results suggested that there were many barriers seen when attempting to reaching disadvantaged communities, including within leadership, grant application process, and community implementation. There were various barriers seen throughout states in the U.S.; however, incorporating training/education materials concerning how to successfully reach disadvantaged populations, creating strategies to improve overall funding mechanisms toward these initiatives, and bringing in individuals with public health backgrounds may help initiate equitable and sustainable SRTS programs throughout disadvantaged populations in the U.S.
The Effect of State Minimum Wage Increases on Nonprofit Organizations
Authors: Balsam Steven , Mao Connie X. , Xu Min , Zhang Yinge (Jack)
Published: December 2022

The impact of minimum wage increases on employment has been extensively examined with mixed results. We extend the literature by hypothesizing and showing a differential impact of state-level minimum wage increases on nonprofit organizations as opposed to for-profit organizations. While we find that increases in minimum wages reduce employment growth in both types of organizations, this decrease is substantially larger for nonprofit organizations. We also find that investment in automation, that is, information technology, rises in nonprofits postminimum wage increase, consistent with the substitution of capital for labor. Minimum wage increases also increase the likelihood of nonprofit exit.

JEL: J38, J68, L
Age-of-consent requirements and adolescent HIV testing in low-and middle-income countries: multinational insights from 51 population-based surveys
Authors: Rosen Joseph G , Stone Elizabeth M , Mbizvo Michael T
Published: December 2022

Background

Pervasive social and structural barriers—including national policies—inhibit HIV testing uptake among priority populations, including adolescents. We assessed the relationship between age-of-consent policies for HIV testing and adolescent HIV testing coverage in 51 low- and middle-income countries.

Methods

We pooled data from household surveys (2010–2020) and calculated the weighted country-level prevalence of lifetime HIV testing separately for adolescent girls and boys (ages 15–19). We then abstracted age-of-consent requirements for HIV testing across countries. Using multivariable linear regression, we estimated the average difference in national HIV testing coverage estimates for adolescent girls and boys by age-of-consent restrictions for HIV testing.

Results

National HIV testing coverage estimates ranged from 0.7% to 72.5% among girls (median: 18.0%) and 0% to 73.2% among boys (median: 7.5%) in Pakistan and Lesotho, respectively. In adjusted models, HIV testing coverage in countries requiring parental consent for individuals <18 years was, on average, 9.4 percentage-points (pp) lower (95% confidence interval [95%CI] −17.9pp to −0.9pp) among girls and 9.3pp lower (95%CI: −17.3pp to −1.2pp) among boys, relative to countries with less restrictive policies (age-of-consent: ≤16 years). Compared to countries with less restrictive (age-of-consent: ≤14 years) policies, HIV testing prevalence was significantly lower among girls ( β −10.5pp, 95%CI: −19.7pp to −1.3pp) and boys ( β −10.5pp, 95%CI –19.2pp to −1.8pp) in countries with more restrictive (age-of-consent: 18 years) parental consent requirements.

Conclusions

Age-of-consent policies are persistent obstacles to adolescent HIV testing. Repealing parental consent requirements for HIV testing is needed to expand coverage and accelerate progress towards global HIV treatment and prevention targets.
The anti-city: Representing La Défense in recent French fiction and film
Authors: Lane Jeremy F.
Published: December 2022

This article begins with the 2009 documentary, La Dépossession, by filmmaker Jean-Robert Viallet, suggesting that La Défense is depicted as an anti-city. It seeks to anatomise this trope and chronotope, examining the manner in which a range of recent novels and feature films similarly lament the destructive effects of globalised finance on French society, polity and nation. They figure spatiotemporal relationships between France's present and its historical past, between the anonymity of La Défense and certain unmistakably French locations, between a supposedly ‘Anglo-Saxon’ mode of capital accumulation and the French nation this is held to threaten. Having identified the characteristic features of this trope and chronotope, the article then turns to consider some of their inherent paradoxes, ironies and contradictions. It points out that the historic centre of Haussmann's Paris is itself the product of an earlier process of violent restructuring and dispossession driven by powerful financial forces and undertaken at the behest of a highly conservative political regime. It is ironic that Haussmann's cityscape should now be presented as a symbol of stable, traditional, if now embattled, French national identity. Perhaps, La Défense should be imagined less as an anti-city than as a location deeply embedded in the complexities, contradictions and conflicts of French history.
MiR-362-5p inhibits cartilage repair in osteoarthritis via targeting plexin B1
Authors: Li Qian , Xu Ping , Zhang Chi , Gao Yang
Published: December 2022

Background and objectives

Chondrogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) exerts great function during the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Studies have reported the association of plexin B1 (PLXNB1) with OA pathogenesis. In this study, the upstream mechanism and function of PLXNB1 in this disease were explored.

Methods

Flow cytometry was applied to test BMSC characterization. Chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs was evaluated by Alcian blue staining. The expression of PLXNB1, miR-362-5p, miR-501-5p, miR-1827, miR-500-5p was measured using RT-qPCR analysis. The protein levels of PLXNB1, Aggrecan, and Silent information regulator factor 2-related enzyme 1 (SIRT1) were determined by western blotting. Binding relationship between miR-362-5p and PLXNB1 was confirmed using bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay. The in vivo model of OA was established in Sprague-Dawley rats which received medial meniscus instability surgery. For histopathological examination, cartilage tissues in the knee joint of rats were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Micro-CT analysis was employed to observe the changes of morphometric indices including average trabecular separation, average trabecular thickness, and bone volume fraction.

Results

BMSCs were identified to possess the characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells. PLXNB1 was observed to be highly expressed during chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs and PLXNB1 overexpression promoted BMSC chondrogenic differentiation. Mechanically, PLXNB1 was targeted by miR-362-5p. In rescue assays, miR-362-5p reversed the effects of PLXNB1 on chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs. In the in vivo experiments, upregulated PLXNB1 expression alleviated joint injury of OA rats. Additionally, overexpressed miR-362-5p and downregulated PLXNB1 expression levels were detected in OA rats.

Conclusion

MiR-362-5p promotes OA progression by suppressing PLXNB1.
The Long-Term Outcomes of Surgery Versus Endoscopic Treatment in Patients With Siewert Type II T1M0N0 Adenocarcinoma of the Esophagogastric Junction
Authors: Chen Han , Yu Xin , Yang Ruoyun , Li Shuo , Zhang Guoxin , Si Xinmin , Zhou Xiaoying
Published: December 2022

Objective

We compared the long-term prognosis of surgery and endoscopic treatment (ET) in patients diagnosed with Siewert Type II pT1N0M0 adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG).

Methods

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we performed a real-world retrospective cohort study and enrolled patients with Siewert Type II pT1N0M0 AEG who underwent surgery or endoscopic treatment (ET) from 2010 to 2018. Matched cohorts were generated using propensity score matching Competing-risk analysis was applied. The cumulative incidence function was used to calculate cancer-specific death and other causes of death (OCD) at different time points. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant prognostic factors by using the subdistribution hazard ratio

Results

We enrolled 725 patients: 462 underwent surgery and 263 received ET. The 5 year cumulative CSD incidence significantly differed between surgery and ET cohorts (16.87% vs 11.08%, P = .01). Following PSM, 2 balanced groups (n = 219 patients each) were analyzed. No significant difference in the 5 year cumulative incidences of CSD was noted between cohorts (17.61% vs. 12.16%, P = .14). In multivariable analysis, the CSD incidence was high among patients with aged ≥65 (SHR 2.29, 95%CI 0.99-5.33, P = .05) and T1b-stage (SHR 1.92, 95%CI 1.03-3.57, P = .04); treatment (surgery or ET) was not significantly associated with cancer survival (SHR 1.51, 95% CI 0.81-2.81, P = .20).

Conclusion

Long-term survival did not significantly differ among patients with Siewert Type II pT1N0M0 AEG adenocarcinoma undergoing surgery or ET. ET may be considered in patients >65 years old or those with submucosal (T1b-stage) cancer of AEG.
Effectiveness and Safety of DOACs in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Undergoing Catheter Ablation: Results from the China Atrial Fibrillation (China-AF) Registry
Authors: Dong Zhimin , Hou Xiaoxia , Du Xin , He Liu , Dong Jianzeng , Ma Changsheng
Published: December 2022

Background

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have increasingly become an alternative to warfarin in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Nonetheless, data on the effectiveness and safety of DOACs in periprocedural of catheter ablation (CA) in real-world practice was relatively rare.

Methods and Results

3385 AF patients underwent initial CA and never used oral anticoagulant before enrollment between April 2013 and December 2018 were involved from China Atrial Fibrillation (China-AF) Registry. Warfarin, rivaroxaban and dabigatran were used in 1896 (56.0%), 718 (21.2%), and 771 (22.8%) patients, respectively. Propensity score matching was used to balance covariates across study groups. No significant differences were observed in rivaroxaban-warfarin, dabigatran-warfarin and dabigatran-rivaroxaban cohort for thromboembolic (TE) and major bleeding (MB) incidence. Similar results were also revealed in low-dose rivaroxaban (RLD)-warfarin, low-dose dabigatran (DLD)-warfarin and DLD-RLD cohort. However, the risk of non-MB was higher not only on standard-dose of rivaroxaban but also on RLD when compared with warfarin and with DLD, respectively.

Conclusions

In this study, the incidence of TE and MB were both comparable in standard- or low-dose DOACs versus warfarin and between the two DOACs, whereas the risk of non-MB was higher in rivaroxaban than in warfarin and in RLD than in DLD.
Comparison of Rat Hepatocyte 2D-Monocultures and Hepatocytes Non-Parenchymal Cell Co-Cultures for Assessing Chemical Toxicity
Authors: Stefanowicz Amy J , Recio Leslie , Black Michael B , Beames Tyler , Andersen Melvin E , Stern R Allysa , Clewell Rebecca A , McMullen Patrick D , Hartman Jessica K , Ranade Aarati
Published: December 2022

Liver responses are the most common endpoints used as the basis for setting exposure standards. Liver hepatocytes play a vital role in biotransformation of xenobiotics, but non-parenchymal cells (NPCs) in the liver are also involved in certain liver responses. Development of in vitro systems that more faithfully capture liver responses to reduce reliance on animals is a major focus of New Approach Methodology (NAMs). Since rodent regulatory studies are frequently the sole source safety assessment data, mode-of-action data, and used for risk assessments, in vitro rodent models that reflect in vivo responses need to be developed to reduce reliance on animal models. In the work presented in this paper, we developed a 2-D hepatocyte monoculture and 2-D liver cell co-culture system using rat liver cells. These models were assessed for conditions for short-term stability of the cultures and phenotypic and transcriptomic responses of 2 prototypic hepatotoxicants compounds – acetaminophen and phenobarbital. The optimized multi-cellular 2-D culture required use of freshly prepared hepatocytes and NPCs from a single rat, a 3:1 ratio of hepatocytes to NPCs and growth medium using 50% Complete Williams E medium (WEM) and 50% Endothelial Cell Medium (ECM). The transcriptomic responses of the 2 model systems to PB were compared to previous studies from TG-Gates on the gene expression changes in intact rats and the co-culture model responses were more representative of the in vivo responses. Transcriptomic read-outs promise to move beyond conventional phenotypic evaluations with these in vitro NAMs and provide insights about modes of action.
Fovea sparing internal limiting membrane peeling for idiopathic macular holes—Report of unfavourable outcomes of a surgical technique
Authors: Tyagi Mudit , Sahoo Niroj Kumar , Belenje Akash S , Desai Arjun
Published: December 2022

Purpose

To describe the outcomes of fovea-sparing internal limiting membrane peeling for idiopathic macular holes.

Method

This was a prospective, interventional case series in patients with idiopathic macular holes. Patients underwent fovea-sparing internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling with the help of a finesse loop. The primary outcome measure was successful anatomical closure. Secondary outcome measures were postoperative improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) or any surgical complications.

Results

The study included 22 eyes of 22 patients (median age of 61 (IQR 58 to 66) years). The median basal diameter of the holes was 1054 (IQR 961.5 to 1278) microns, while the median minimal linear diameter was 697 (IQR 461.5 to 786) microns. Successful anatomic closure was achieved in nine cases out of 22 (40.9%). BCVA improved from 20/125 preoperatively to 20/80 at the end of the follow-up. There was no difference in baseline parameters between eyes with closure, versus eyes with an open hole. One eye had an iatrogenic break in an attempt to reinitiate peeling and create a fovea-sparing flap. One of the eyes had an ERM formation at end of 3 months.

Conclusion

Our outcomes of fovea-sparing ILM peeling in idiopathic macular holes were unfavourable. The residual ILM could be causing tangential traction resulting in non-closure.
Complicated Case of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis with Multiple Comorbidities, Successfully Treated After Several Treatment Modifications
Authors: Leo Benedreky , Retnowulan Heni
Published: December 2022

A 59-year-old man with relapsed pulmonary TB developed rifampin resistance. He presented with chronic untreated hepatitis B, which developed into liver cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes with diabetic retinopathy, and osteoarthritis of right knee. His initial MDR regimen included levofloxacin, cycloserine, bedaquiline, linezolid, and high-dose isoniazid. He developed episodes of linezolid-induced myelosuppression, resulting in temporary discontinuation and dose reduction, and ultimately, substitution of linezolid. On the seventh month of treatment, he developed severe depression with visual hallucination, resulting in cycloserine dose reduction. We maintained the principle of at least 4 active drugs throughout his treatment. He was considered cured after 26 months of treatment.
Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale in Iranian Adolescents
Authors: Hoseini Sepideh , Sadeghi Meysam , Qaderi Bagajan Kaveh , Soleimani Zahra Asl , Jafari Mahdi , Zolfaghari Shadi
Published: December 2022

The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is a tool for measuring anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. In this study, the psychometric properties of the Persian version of SCAS were investigated in an Iranian adolescents. This study was conducted on a sample of 684 adolescents. For standardization of SCAS, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses wereperformed. Also, to evaluate convergent and divergent validity, Fornell and Larcker criteria (1994), along with the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS)and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), was used. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was also performedto determine the cut-off point. The model fit of the correlated six-factor model was good however, a second-order model provided a statistically superior fit to the data. The reliability coefficients for the total scale and its dimensions were satisfactory (α > 0.7). Therefore, it can be concluded that the Persian version of SCAS has acceptable reliability and validity and can be used as a useful tool for early screening of anxiety in Iranian adolescents due to its easy use and specific design for children and adolescents.
Exploring the implementation of child life services with facility dogs
Authors: Goldstein Emily , Burns-Nader Sherwood , Casper Deborah , Parker Julie
Published: December 2022

Many children’s hospitals around the United States have programs in which a trained facility dog goes to work daily with a psychosocial healthcare worker, typically a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). CCLSs help children and their families cope with the stress of a healthcare experience by utilizing evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore how CCLSs incorporate facility dogs into their treatments and gain their perspectives on handling a facility dog. Participants, four CCLSs, completed a checklist, which assessed patients seen by facility dogs for 10 workdays, and a semi-structured interview. Participants primarily saw patients of ages three to five years and aided with general anxiety and coping support. Findings indicated the dog’s specific training, therapeutic value, and ability to bond with patients allowed these interactions to be successful and impactful. This study provides information about the benefits of facility dogs for child life programs and presents data for programs that are considering incorporating this therapeutic modality into their services offered.
Tales from the (disrupted) field: Contemplating interruptions, disruptions, and ethnography amidst a pandemic
Authors: Leonard Samantha , Ward Ann
Published: December 2022

Many ethnographers had to reconceptualize or withdraw from their fieldwork due to COVID-19. While the process of exiting the field has always interested ethnographers, the pandemic has spurred further thinking about the complexity of this element of the research process. This paper adds to the conversations around leaving a field site by unpacking the different situations that can trigger departure. Using data from our experience conducting ethnographic fieldwork before and during the pandemic to further our understanding of the complexity of exiting the field, we explore the concept of field collapsing events by elaborating on the differences between interruptions and disruptions. It is not the case that one form of stoppage has more weight, merit, or impact on an ethnographic project. Instead, we argue that to parse out the complexities of exiting the field, we must create more clarity around the kinds of exits that ethnographers experience.
Where are the Women? Gendered Indian Digital Production Cultures Post #metoo
Authors: Mehta Smith
Published: December 2022

My article examines the influence of platformization in labor exchanges to assess how gendered expectations impact digital production cultures. It investigates the socio-cultural transactions that marginalized communities, especially women, from above-the-line professions have to navigate as they seek work opportunities on streaming services. Drawing on feminist production studies and media studies scholarships, the article discusses how gendered expectations become the norm in hiring creator labor. Through analysis of the data-set on the gender representation of key creative professionals in the Indian web series produced between 2014 and 2020, semi-structured interviews with creative professionals, and trade press literature, this research offers a nuanced understanding of how and why Indian on-screen dynamic representations and democratic entrepreneurial working structures do not eradicate gendered production norms. On the contrary, gendered interpretation of algorithmic data, the #metoo movement, and newer forms of sexism emerge alongside existing gendered production cultures to hamper the participation of women and minorities.
Four-dimensional digital subtraction angiography for the vascular anatomical diagnosis of dural arteriovenous malformation: Comparison with the conventional method
Authors: Ishikawa Kojiro , Nishihori Masahiro , Izumi Takashi , Oshima Ryosuke , Uemura Takeshi , Kanamori Fumiaki , Uda Kenji , Yokoyama Kinya , Araki Yoshio , Saito Ryuta
Published: December 2022

Background

Two-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (2D-DSA) and conventional three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (3D-DSA) are used for the detailed analysis of dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). Recently, four-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (4D-DSA), a novel technology, has been attracting attention. The current study aimed to evaluate the capability of 4D-DSA in assessing anatomical angioarchitecture in DAVF.

Methods

In total, 10 consecutive patients with DAVF who underwent 3D-DSA and 4D-DSA at a single institution were included in the analysis. Initially, one-slice multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) images obtained via 4D-DSA and 3D-DSA were compared to investigate the visibility of the feeding artery, fistulous point, and draining vein. Next, 4D-DSA images alone were compared and evaluated with and the MPR images of conventional 3D-DSA in terms of diagnosis of the angioarchitecture.

Results

In total, six men and four women (with a mean age of 65.6 ± 10.0 years) were included in the study. The MPR image obtained via 3D-DSA had a significantly better visibility of the feeding artery and fistulous point than that acquired via 4D-DSA ( p < 0.05). As for the draining vein, the score was equivalent and not significant. The diagnosis of the vascular architecture of only 4D-DSA images was nearly equivalent to that of MPR images of 3D-DSA. There were no inter-rater differences.

Conclusion

The MPR images obtained via 4D-DSA may be slightly inferior to those acquired via 3D-DSA in identifying fine angioarchitecture in DAVF. However, they were comparable in terms of diagnostic accuracy.
Diagnosis, management and outcomes of primary hypokalemic periodic paralysis during pregnancy
Authors: Jha Nivedita , Balachandran Divya Mecheril , Thabah Molly Mary , Jha Ajay Kumar
Published: December 2022

Primary hypokalaemic periodic paralysis during pregnancy has been rarely reported. Four pregnant women with the acute onset of flaccid paralysis presented between January 2018 and December 2021. Focussed history and physical examination helped an appropriate radiological and laboratory investigation plan to be made. All women recovered within 4–7 days of potassium supplementation. Supplemental potassium continued until delivery. A pain management plan with continuous epidural infusion helped in avoiding stress-induced hypokalaemia. None of the women developed an episode of muscle weakness during the intervening period. In conclusion, a focussed history and targeted laboratory investigation are needed to diagnose primary hypokalaemic periodic paralysis. Early administration of oral or intravenous potassium is crucial in improving fetomaternal outcomes.
Reliability of two devices for shoulder strength assessment: Wii Fit Balance Board and hand-held dynamometer
Authors: Intelangelo Leonardo , Elias Gonzalo , Lassaga Ignacio , Bustos Cristian , Jerez-Mayorga Daniel
Published: December 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the reliability and agreement between two devices – Wii Fit Balance Board (WBB) versus Hand-Held Dynamometer (HHD) to measure isometric strength during the athletic shoulder (ASH) test in healthy amateur rugby players.

Methods

Fifteen males (23.73 ± 2.8 years) completed two testing sessions. Maximal isometric contractions using the dominant arm (D) and non-dominant arm (ND) against a WBB and HHD were assessed at three angles of abduction (180°, ‘I’; 135°, ‘Y’ and 90°, ‘T’), in a prone lying position.

Results

The results indicate a very large correlation between the HHD and the WBB. WBB provides acceptable reliability at I-Test D (CV = 9.97%, ICC = 0.88) and HHD in the I-Test D (CV = 8.90%, ICC = 0.94), I-Test ND (CV = 8.60%, ICC = 0.95) in peak strength values. The HHD is most reliable in D ASH I-Y-T (CV = 10.94%) and WBB (CV = 11.05%). In the ND ASH I-Y-T test, the HHD is the most reliable (CV = 12.5%) compared to the WBB (CV = 14.43%).

Conclusions

These results suggest that WBB is a reliable device to assess strength in the ASH test with a very large correlation with the HHD. WBB and HHD are two affordable devices to assess isometric shoulder strength.
Do Sheriff-Coroners Underreport Officer-Involved Homicides?
Authors: Prados María J. , Baker Thomas , Beck Audrey N. , Burghart D. Brian , Johnson Richard R. , Klinger David , Thomas Kyla , Finch Brian Karl
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

In the United States, each state sets its own standards for its death investigation system. These may require independent medical examiners and coroners or allow for the sheriff to assume the role of coroner. Motivated by the well-established fact that counts of officer-involved homicides in official data sets grossly undercount the number of these incidents, we examine the possibility that different death investigation systems may lead to different death classification outcomes.

Methods:

To examine the potential differences in officer-involved homicide underreporting by presence of sheriff-coroner and violent death type (gunshot, intentional use of force, pursuit, or other vehicle accident), we compare ratios of incidents from both the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Supplementary Homicide Reports and the restricted Multiple-Cause of Death files from the National Vital Statistics System to the Fatal Encounters data across coroner contexts in California between 2000 and 2018; we quantify differences descriptively and examine bivariate tests of means.

Results:

We find significantly greater underreporting of officer-involved deaths in sheriff-coroner counties in both official data sets for all incidents compared with non-sheriff-coroner counties, independently of the period considered. These underreporting differences in the National Vital Statistics System are robust to restricting to gunshot and intentional use of force deaths, the type of incident expected to be less prone to misclassification in that data set.

Conclusions:

Officer-involved death underreporting in sheriff-coroner counties necessitates further scrutiny. Disparities in officer-involved death reporting suggest political pressure may play a role in classifying deaths.
Increase Access, Reduce Disparities: Recommendations for Modifying Medicaid CGM Coverage Eligibility Criteria
Authors: Galindo Rodolfo J. , Aleppo Grazia , Parkin Christopher G. , Baidal David A. , Carlson Anders L. , Cengiz Eda , Forlenza Gregory P. , Kruger Davida F. , Levy Carol , McGill Janet B. , Umpierrez Guillermo E.
Published: December 2022

Numerous studies have demonstrated the clinical value of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) populations. However, the eligibility criteria for CGM coverage required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ignore the conclusive evidence that supports CGM use in various diabetes populations that are currently deemed ineligible. In an earlier article, we discussed the limitations and inconsistencies of the agency’s CGM eligibility criteria relative to current scientific evidence and proposed practice solutions to address this issue and improve the safety and care of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. Although Medicaid is administered through CMS, there is no consistent Medicaid policy for CGM coverage in the United States. This article presents a rationale for modifying and standardizing Medicaid CGM coverage eligibility across the United States.
Monitoring working time and Working Time Directive 2003/88/EC: A purposive approach
Authors: Leccese Vito S.
Published: December 2022

The Court of Justice of the European Union's (CJEU) decision of 14 May 2019 in Case C-55/18, CCOO represents an important milestone in the Court's case law on working time. This decision raises specific questions about the adequacy of national laws and offers interpreters an opportunity to reflect on certain challenges related to the measurement of working time. The aim of this contribution is to highlight the significance of the CJEU's decision and its implications for national legislative frameworks. After providing a brief analysis of the ruling, the article focuses on the following aspects: how to ensure that working time is accurately recorded for the purpose of enforcing the Working Time Directive, and in the light of lessons learnt from some national experiences (section 2); the usefulness of the obligation to measure working time within the context of the burden of proof in individual disputes (section 3); under which conditions Member States can take advantage of the leeway provided by the Court in the implementation of the principle of compulsory monitoring of working time, especially for activities for which working time is not measured and/or can be (pre)determined by the workers themselves (section 4); and the challenges posed by teleworking and agile work (section 5).
Comparison of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology and Histopathology in the diagnosis of lymph node pathologies at health facilities located in Hawassa: A 5-year retrospective study
Authors: Taye Endeshaw , Ali Musa Mohammed , Toma Alemayehu , Teklehaimanot Alemwosen
Published: December 2022

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the diagnosis of lymph node pathologies in comparison with Histopathologic examination.

Methods:

A retrospective health facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out at health facilities located in Hawassa city among 101 patients who had both Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology and Histopathologic examination on the same site from 13 September 2016 to 30 August 2021. Background data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS version 20.

Results:

A total of 3892 patients had Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology for lymphadenopathies within a specified 5-year span, out of which 101 cases had both Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology and Histopathologic examination. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology for the diagnosis of lymphoma were 88.2%, 92%, 91.8%, 88.5%, and 90.1%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology can be recommended for clinically significant lymphadenopathy as a first-line diagnostic test since it is fast, safe, cost-effective, reasonably sensitive, and specific with significant positive and negative predictive values and diagnostic accuracy.
Antimicrobial use-related drug therapy problems and associated factors among patients in the medical ward of Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Adere Arega , Edao Amin , Tesfaye Melaku , Petros Zelalem
Published: December 2022

Objective:

This study assessed the antimicrobial use-related drug therapy problems (DTPs) among patients admitted to the medical ward of Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (WCUNEMMCSH), Southwest Ethiopia.

Methods:

A hospital-based prospective observational study design was used to assess antimicrobial use-related DTPs among patients admitted to the medical ward of WCUNEMMCSH from June to August 2021. Data were collected using a structured data abstraction format.

Results:

In all, 128 patients admitted to the medical ward were enrolled. Among the study participants, at least one form of antimicrobial DTP occurred in 98 (76.6%) of them. The most prevalent DTPs were unnecessary drug treatment in 42 (32.8%), the need for additional drug treatment in 36 (28.1%), and non-adherence in 30 (23.4%) of the patients. There were a total of 288 antimicrobial drug orders. Ceftriaxone 120 (41.7%) and azithromycin 69 (24.0%) were the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial drugs. In multivariate logistic analysis, the length of hospital stay (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06–8.32; p = 0.04) and the number of diagnosed diseases (AOR = 3.10, 95% CI: 1.12–8.15, p = 0.02) were predictors of antimicrobial use-related DTPs.

Conclusion:

Antimicrobial use-related DTPs are common among patients admitted to the medical ward of WCUNEMMCSH. Health professionals should work together to reduce the high prevalence of DTPs among medical ward admitted patients in this hospital.