bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Polymyxin B Hemoperfusion on Septic Shock Patients Requiring Noradrenaline: Analysis of a Nationwide Administrative Database in Japan
Authors: Fujimori Kenji , Tarasawa Kunio , Fushimi Kiyohide
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Polymyxin B hemoperfusion (PMX) reduces endotoxin in septic shock patients’ blood and can improve hemodynamics and organ functions. However, its effects on the reduction of septic shock mortality are controversial. Methods: Using the Japanese diagnosis procedure combination database from April 2016 to March 2019, we identified adult septic shock patients treated with noradrenaline. This study used propensity score matching to compare the outcome between PMX-treated and non-treated patients. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality, counting from the day of noradrenaline initiation. The secondary endpoints were noradrenaline-, ventilator-, and continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF)-free days at day 28. Results: Of 30,731 eligible patients, 4,766 received PMX. Propensity score matching produced a matched cohort of 4,141 pairs with well-balanced patient backgrounds. The 28-day survival rate was 77.9% in the PMX group and 71.1% in the control group (p < 0.0001). Median days of noradrenalin-, CHDF-, and ventilator-free days were 2 days (p < 0.0001), 2 days (p < 0.0001), and 6 days (p < 0.0001) longer in the PMX group than in the control group, respectively. When stratified with the maximum daily dose of noradrenaline, the PMX group showed a statistically significant survival benefit in the groups with noradrenaline dose <20 mg/day but not in the noradrenaline group dose ≥20 mg/day. Conclusion: Analysis of large Japanese databases showed that septic shock patients who received noradrenaline might benefit from PMX treatment.
Krebsbedingte Müdigkeit: Einfluss von Vitamin D auf dem Prüfstand
Authors: Dauelsberg Timm
Published: February 2021

Background: Cancer-related fatigue represents one major cause of reduced quality of life in cancer patients and can seriously affect the physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning impeding coping with the disease. Options for effective treatment of cancer-related fatigue are limited, consisting only of non-pharmacologic interventions like physical activity, psychosocial, and mind-body interventions. Recent evidence suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation might alleviate cancer-related fatigue. However, confirmation in a randomized controlled trial is needed. Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 456 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients aged 18 years and older are being recruited in three German rehabilitation clinics. Study inclusion requires hospitalization of at least 3 weeks at such a clinic, a diagnosis of non-metastatic CRC (stage I-III), surgical removal of the tumor within the past 9 months, and season-adapted vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency. Eligible patients are randomly assigned to a personalized regimen of vitamin D3 or placebo for 12 weeks. In the intervention group, a loading dose of 20,000 or 40,000 IU vitamin D3 will be administered daily during the first 11 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 2000 IU daily. Patients will complete questionnaires for secondary outcomes (fatigue subdomains, quality of life and subdomains, depression, functional well-being, and infection frequency). Blood and urine samples will be collected for analyses of safety parameters (hypervitaminosis D, hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and renal impairment) and efficacy biomarkers (25-hydroxyvitamin D, HbA1c, white blood cell count, leukocyte subtype counts, serum C-reactive protein, uric acid, creatinine, triglycerides, total, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Discussion: This trial tests whether a personalized vitamin D3 dosing regimen reduces or prevents fatigue among non-metastatic CRC patients by treating the underlying vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency. If efficacy can be confirmed, personalized vitamin D3 supplementation could be used as a tertiary prevention measure in addition to non-pharmacological treatments of cancer-related fatigue in CRC patients. We expect to detect an effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on secondary outcomes like quality of life, depression, functional well-being, infections, inflammatory biomarkers, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Trial registration: European Clinical Trials Database: EudraCT-No: 2019–000502–30, January 21, 2019; German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00019907, April 30, 2019.
Erratum: “BLiMP: The Benchmark of Linguistic Minimal Pairs for English”
Authors: Warstadt Alex , Parrish Alicia , Liu Haokun , Mohananey Anhad , Peng Wei , Wang Sheng-Fu , Bowman Samuel R.
Published: February 2021

We correct wrongly reported results on BLiMP.
Proton Pump Inhibitors, Associated Complications, and Alternative Therapies: A Shifting Risk Benefit Ratio
Authors: Friedman Alexander J , Elseth Anna J , Brockmeyer Joel R
Published: February 2021

Objective

Our goal was to compile the most recent and accurate data on the side effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPI). We also compared the efficacy of PPI to the efficacy of different surgical options for acid reflux control.

Background

Proton pump inhibitors are the primary therapy for chronic control of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but newer studies demonstrate deleterious side effects. Collating this information and contrasting it with surgical therapy for GERD provides evidence for possible practice changes in treatment.

Methods

A literature search utilizing PubMed was performed evaluating for PPI and anti-reflux surgery (ARS), focusing on articles that reflected information regarding the usage and efficacy of symptom control of both PPI and ARS. Search terms included “ARS, fundoplication, MSA, acute interstitial nephritis, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, meta-analysis, PPI, H2 blocker, cardiovascular risk, and gut dysbiosis.” We evaluated 271 articles by title, abstract, and data for relevance and included 70.

Results

Long-term control of GERD with PPI may have a greater than expected side effect profile than initially thought. Surgical options may provide greater symptom control than PPI without the side effects of long-term medical therapy.

Conclusions

Anti-reflux control can be safely achieved with either PPI or surgical options; however, the long-term side effects noted in the review such as increased risk of cardiovascular events, renal disease, and gut dysbiosis may suggest surgical anti-reflux control as a better long-term option.
The Assessment of Ventricular Arrhythmia Indicators Based on Electrocardiography in Patients With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Followed Up With Levothyroxine Suppression
Authors: Hepsen Sema , Sakiz Davut , Pamukcu Hilal Erken , Arslan Ismail Emre , Duger Hakan , Akhanli Pinar , Sencar Muhammed Erkam , Unsal Ilknur Ozturk , Ucan Bekir , Kizilgul Muhammed , Cakal Erman
Published: February 2021

Levothyroxine suppression therapy (LST) can cause some unfavorable effects on the cardiovascular system in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The aim of this study was to evaluate ventricular arrhythmia predictors based on electrocardiography (ECG) in patients with DTC with LST. The ECG parameters including QT, corrected QT (QTc), Tp-e intervals, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QTC ratios of 265 patients with DTC who met the inclusion criteria were compared with 100 controls. No difference was observed in the number of patients with DTC and controls with prolonged and borderline QTc interval ( P = .273). Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QTc ratios were significantly higher in patients ( P = .002, P = .02, P = .003; respectively). Linear regression analysis suggested that male gender was a predictor of higher Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QTc ratios (β = 4.322, R 2 = 0.024, P = .042; β = 0.016, R 2 = 0.048, P = .005; β = 0.015, R 2 = 0.044, P = .006, respectively). A higher serum fT4 level was found to be associated with a higher Tp-e/QT ratio (β = 0.018, R 2 = 0.089, P = .007). Ventricular arrhythmia indicators were found to be higher in patients with DTC with LST. Defining ventricular arrhythmia predictors through ECG, an easily accessible cardiac diagnostic tool, can be potentially useful in raising awareness of the possible cardiac harm of LST.
Laser Reduction Glottoplasty for Voice Feminization: Experience on 28 Patients
Authors: Yılmaz Taner , Özer Furkan , Aydınlı Fatma Esen
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

Laser reduction glottoplasty is a relatively new surgical procedure for voice feminization on transgender women. This study aims to determine long-term voice results of glottoplasty on transwomen.

Methods:

Nonrandomized, retrospective, cohort. Tertiary referral center. Endoscopic laser reduction glottoplasty was performed on 28 transwomen. Voice Handicap Index (VHI-30), Transsexual Voice Questionnaire (TVQ), acoustic analysis with /a/ for F0, jitter, shimmer, noise to harmonic ratio and acoustic analysis for speaking F0 were measured before and after surgery. Patients self-evaluated their postoperative voices and medical students and 2 voice experts scored patients’ pre- and postsurgery voice samples as masculine, feminine or neither.

Results:

Mean total VHI and TVQ scores improved significantly postoperatively ( P < .001). Pre- and postsurgery mean F0 were 132 and 198 Hz and mean speaking F0 were 123 and 194 Hz, respectively; these variations were found statistically significant ( P < .001). Postoperative mean jitter, shimmer and NHR increased significantly compared to preoperative values ( P < .05). Nine patients (32%) were not happy with their postsurgery voice result and were offered anterior glottic web formation as secondary procedure. MFT women’s self-ratings of their postsurgery voices showed 3 masculine, 19 feminine and 6 neither outcomes, leading to patient gratification score of 68%. Medical students evaluated 79% of postsurgery voice specimens as feminine. Voice experts evaluated 75% of postsurgery voice specimens as feminine.

Conclusions:

Laser reduction glottoplasty is an accomplished and satisfying operation for feminizing voice of transwomen. Its voice outcome appears to be durable for 5 years. However, secondary operation may be needed to further gratify transwomen.
From rain as risk to rain as resource: Professional and organizational changes in urban rainwater management
Authors: Meilvang Marie Leth
Published: February 2021

This article analyzes the recent changes in urban rainwater management practices by analyzing the work of urban rainwater professionals. As a result of climate change, cities are experiencing more frequent and heavier rainfall events. The article shows how professional work on new infrastructures for managing urban climate rain contributes to the transformation of organizational practices. The article shows how a professional group within the engineering profession – climate adaptation engineers – reconceptualize how rain in cities is valued from a risk into a resource. By reconceptualizing urban rain, climate adaptation engineers contribute to the transformation of organizational practices in the emerging field of climate adaptation. Empirically, the article analyses interviews, documents, and fieldnotes from three urban rainwater management projects in Denmark which all deal with excess rainwater resulting from climate change.
Social exclusion, mental health, and social well-being among African immigrants in the United States
Authors: Saasa Sherinah , Okech David , Choi Yoon Joon , Nackerud Larry , Littleton Tenesha
Published: February 2021

This study examined the effects of social exclusion (socio-cultural and structural-economic exclusion) on the mental health and social well-being of African immigrants in the United States ( N = 409). We found that social exclusion increased depression and anxiety symptoms, decreased societal trust, increased subjective isolation, and increased worries about one’s safety among African immigrants. The results further indicated strong negative effects of discrimination on mental health and social well-being. The findings highlight the need for social work interventions that target discrimination and structural exclusionary mechanisms in efforts to improve the mental health and social well-being of African immigrants in the United States.
Ephemerides in high medieval Europe: The textual evidence
Authors: Nothaft C. Philipp E.
Published: February 2021

A common aspect of the practice-oriented side of pre- and early modern mathematical astronomy was the computation of ephemerides, that is, tables that displayed the daily positions of the planets in a synoptic and calendrical format. Even though medieval Europe was no exception in this regard, the existence of ephemerides in this period and region has gone largely unnoticed, owing both to terminological difficulties and the low survival rate of actual specimens. What exists in significant numbers, however, are texts describing different approaches to constructing ephemerides and computing their various entries. The article demonstrates this by discussing ten such texts dating from approximately the middle of the 12th century to just after 1300. Taken in its entirety, this hitherto neglected corpus provides conclusive evidence against a view according to which ephemerides entered European astronomical practice only in the 15th century.
Brexit and British Business Elites: Business Power and Noisy Politics
Authors: Feldmann Magnus , Morgan Glenn
Published: February 2021

This article analyzes business power in the context of noisy politics by comparing business involvement in two British referendum campaigns: one about membership in the European Communities in 1975, and the Brexit referendum about European Union membership in 2016. By exploring these two contexts, the article seeks to identify the conditions under which business elites can and cannot be effective in a context of noisy politics. Three key factors are identified as determinants of business influence during periods of noisy politics: the incentives to get directly involved in noisy politics; the legitimacy of business involvement; and, finally, the capacity to act in a cohesive way. The article shows that these factors have changed substantially over the last four decades because of wider changes in the nature of capitalism, and their impact on business power in the United Kingdom and more generally is discussed.
From Quiet to Noisy Politics: Transformations of Swiss Business Elites’ Power
Authors: Mach André , David Thomas , Ginalski Stéphanie , Bühlmann Felix
Published: February 2021

During most of the twentieth century, it was possible to consider Switzerland a coordinated market economy, characterized by dense interfirm networks and the strong role of business associations. Thanks to their cohesion and collective organization, in a context of quiet politics and informal institutions, business elites could largely self-regulate major socioeconomic issues in the shadow of politics. However, since the end of the twentieth century, Swiss business elites have undergone profound changes not only in their composition, but also in their coordinating capacity, their growing political divisions, and their connections to politics. This growing sociological and political fragmentation, combined with changes in the way of doing politics, through noisier and more formal politics, has weakened the instrumental power of Swiss business elites. To compensate for this loss of direct influence, business elites of the largest Swiss companies have developed new political strategies, relying on their growing structural power in a context of global and financial capitalism.
The Comparative Political Economy of Growth Models: Explaining the Continuity of FDI-Led Growth in Ireland and Hungary
Authors: Bohle Dorothee , Regan Aidan
Published: February 2021

This article argues that the quiet politics of informal business-state interaction explains the political determinants of growth regimes. Building on the business power literature within the study of comparative capitalism, it shows that the noisy politics of elections often leads to changes of government but rarely to fundamental changes in the growth regime. Rather, growth models can be traced to the interactions and interests of dominant corporations within a country and its policymaking elites. The argument is developed through a comparative case study research design, using the case of foreign direct investment–led (FDI-led) growth in Ireland and Hungary. FDI-led growth regimes are a universe of cases that rely on state-led industrial and enterprise policies targeting the capital investment of foreign-owned multinational firms. Despite periods of noisy electoral politics challenging basic tenets of the FDI-led growth model in both Hungary and Ireland, the continuity of FDI-oriented growth is traced to the corporate politics of business-state elite deals.
A Correctional–Public Health Collaboration for Colorectal Cancer Screening in a State Prison System
Authors: Dumont Dora M. , Davis Deborah , Sadacharan Radha , Lamy Eric , Clarke Jennifer G.
Published: February 2021

Correctional facilities provide health care to large numbers of medically underserved people. As such, preventive health in correctional settings is an important yet underused investment in public health. Because they often have histories of poor access to health care, the justice-involved population is more likely than the general population to be diagnosed with advanced-stage cancers. We report on the first 2 years of an ongoing collaboration between a state correctional system and state health department to implement annual colorectal cancer screening for sentenced people using fecal immunochemical testing (FIT). Preparation for the annual iterations begins in January, and patient engagement begins in March. In the first year of implementation (2018), 1396 of 1856 (75.2%) sentenced people completed an eligibility screen, and 254 of 321 (79.1%) eligible patients completed a FIT (eligible patients were aged ≥50 [≥45 if Black] in year 1 [lowered to ≥45 in year 2] and reported no previous relevant medical or family history of colorectal cancer); 54 (21.3%) completed FITs were positive. Of the 54 patients with positive FITS, 33 (61.1%) completed follow-up colonoscopies resulting in the identification of polyps in 26 (48.1%) patients with a positive FIT. We found invasive adenocarcinoma for 2 (3.7%) of the positive FITs (6.1% of colonoscopies performed). In the second year (2019), after a conversion from paper to tablet-based eligibility screening, 1707 of 2059 (82.9%) sentenced people completed an eligibility screen, and 200 of 285 (70.2%) eligible patients completed a FIT, 27 (13.5%) of whom had a positive result. We share lessons learned about implementing mass screening to encourage further communication among departments of health and corrections to advance preventive health.
Temporal structures of the poor: Social mobility and the struggle for the future in Chile
Authors: Güell Pedro , Yopo Díaz Martina
Published: February 2021

Since the ‘culture of poverty’ studies in the 1960s, temporal structures have become essential for understanding poverty and its reproduction. Most studies in this field have characterised poverty by a strong presentism, a neglect of the future, and a lack of agency in shaping the course of life. This article provides a novel approach to make sense of the intersection between time and poverty by empirically analysing the work that the poor perform to distinguish, link and valuate their past, present and future and make sense of their lives as stories of social mobility. Drawing on the biographical narratives of poor men and women from urban Santiago and rural Maule in Chile, we argue that the temporal structures of the poor intertwine a pragmatic presentism with the aspiration of social mobility through the sacrificial structure of an extended self. These findings reveal that the poor are not passive subjects of destiny but agents of a dynamic and open-ended story, and that their biographies are structured not only by the fatalism of the repetition of the past but also by a dramatic struggle for the future.
The Responsibilised ‘Agent’ and Other Statuses
Authors: McNulty Norton Denise
Published: February 2021

Conceptualisations of agency that incorporate notions of individuals all independently following or resisting rules cast actors as either passive or resistant, and yet (either way) both free and responsible. This article argues that Barry Barnes’ fundamentally social model of agency deserves greater attention for the possibility it offers of moving beyond neoliberal narratives and their individualistic foundations. It advances theoretical understandings of agency by suggesting that, within the framework offered by Barnes’ model, unequal burdens are created by local constructions of the responsibilised individual. Rather than being equally and a priori empowered with agency, individuals are revealed to be unequally impeded in fulfilling current local status expectations of a responsibilised ‘agent’. This article explores the implications of Barnes’ conceptualisation by indicating areas where giving attention to everyday discourses of choice and responsibility opens space to explore how the interplay of status expectations operates to enable or disable social membership.
Accuracy of Age-Based Formula to Predict the Size and Depth of Cuffed Oral Preformed Endotracheal Tubes in Children Undergoing Tonsillectomy
Authors: Tareerath Matula , Mangmeesri Peerachatra
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

To retrospectively investigate the reliability of the age-based formula, year/4 + 3.5 mm in predicting size and year/2 + 12 cm in predicting insertion depth of preformed endotracheal tubes in children and correlate these data with the body mass index.

Patients and Methods:

Patients were classified into 4 groups according to their nutritional status: thinness, normal weight, overweight, and obesity; we then retrospectively compared the actual size of endotracheal tube and insertion depth to the predicting age-based formula and to the respective bend-to-tip distance of the used preformed tubes.

Results:

Altogether, 300 patients were included. The actual endotracheal tube size corresponded with the Motoyama formula (64.7%, 90% CI: 60.0-69.1), except for thin patients, where the calculated size was too large (0.5 mm). The insertion depth could be predicted within the range of the bend-to-tip distance and age-based formula in 85.0% (90% CI: 81.3-88.0) of patients.

Conclusion:

Prediction of the size of cuffed preformed endotracheal tubes using the formula of Motoyama was accurate in most patients, except in thin patients (body mass index < −2 SD). The insertion depth of the tubes was mostly in the range of the age-based-formula to the bend-to-tip distance.
An Unusual Case of Extranodal Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma, Nasal Type Masquerading as Dacryocystitis and Sinusitis
Authors: Eze Anthony N. , Kalejaiye Adedoyin O.
Published: February 2021

Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (NNKTL) is a rare and highly aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma originating from NK or γδ T cells infected by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In the United States, NNKTL is usually noted in people of Asian or Hispanic descent. Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type commonly involves the upper aerodigestive tract, including the nasopharynx, nasal cavity, Waldeyer’s ring, and oropharynx. Extensive local destruction and invasion has been noted, especially of the paranasal sinuses, hard palate, and central nervous system; involvement of the nasolacrimal duct with dacryocystitis is yet to be reported. We report a rare case of a Hispanic man with extranodal NNKTL masquerading as persistent dacryocystitis and necrotizing sinusitis unresponsive to antibiotics and surgical intervention. An extensive background of necrosis and inflammation was noted on pathology, and additional analysis with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization after repeat biopsy were necessary for accurate diagnosis.
Inferior Surface Leukoplakia of Vocal Folds: Risk of Recurrence: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Hasegawa Hisashi , Matsuzaki Hiroumi , Makiyama Kiyoshi , Oshima Takeshi
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

This study aimed to identify vocal fold leukoplakia (VFL) lesions on the inferior surface as a risk factor for recurrence.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study with data collected from 2001 to 2018. The study comprised 37 patients with VFL, divided into the nonrecurrent and recurrent groups. We examined the clinicopathological characteristics and the surgical procedures performed in each patient.

Results:

Among the 37 patients, 15 (40.5%) had residual (3) or recurrent (12) VFL. Of those patients with and without recurrence, 8 of 12 (66.7%) and 6 of 22 (27.3%), respectively, had inferior surface lesions of the vocal fold at the initial operation ( P = .036). Recurrences were significantly higher in patients with inferior surface lesions. Other evaluated factors did not show significance for recurrence.

Conclusion:

The presence of VFL lesions on the inferior surface is a significant risk factor for recurrence.
Primary Nonselective Laryngeal Reinnervation in Iatrogenic Acute Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury: Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Mansor Wan Nabila Wan , Azman Mawaddah , Remli Rabani , Yunus Mohd Razif Mohamad , Baki Marina Mat
Published: February 2021

Treating an acutely injured recurrent laryngeal nerve by primary nonselective laryngeal reinnervation (LR) during thyroidectomy is encouraged to minimize postoperative morbidity. Performing a concurrent transoral temporary injection laryngoplasty (IL) may improve the patient’s voice while waiting for the effect of successful reinnervation. Chronological multidimensional voice outcomes (qualitative and quantitative) and combination of the primary nonselective LR with concurrent transoral IL were not explicitly demonstrated in previous cases that published the literature. In this study, the authors presented the multidimensional voice parameters of 3 patients undergoing primary nonselective LR with concurrent IL during thyroidectomy. The parameters were measured at different time points (2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months) following the surgery. Laryngeal electromyography was done at 1 to 2 months and 12 months postsurgery. The results showed that the voices, qualitatively and quantitatively, were within normal range at within 3 months postintervention. The parameters were slightly beyond the normal limit at 3 months and returned to normal at 6 months postintervention and beyond. The LEMG depicted evidence of successful reinnervation in which the motor unit was normal comparable to the opposite normal vocal fold.
Patents as Vehicles of Social and Moral Concerns: The Case of Johnson & Johnson Disposable Feminine Hygiene Products (1925–2012)
Authors: Cochoy Franck
Published: February 2021

This paper is about disposability as a technological concern and about how to trace the related issues through the analysis of patents. It examines how moral and social concerns happened to be embedded (or not) in technology, based on the case of disposable feminine hygiene products. The focus is placed on what “disposable” means and on exploring relative notions as well as their dynamic and consequences. To conduct such analysis, the paper proposes to perform a classic and computer-assisted analysis of the patents published by Johnson & Johnson over almost a century (1925–2012). Tracing social and moral concerns in patents challenges the existing literature in law, which tends to envision patents as legal assets deprived of moral considerations. The paper shows how hygiene products addressed women, how these products were made disposable, and how what disposability means evolved, both in the heart of technology and in the wider space of “concerned” markets.
Development of the Teaching Interpersonal Skills for Telehealth Checklist
Authors: Henry Beverly W. , Billingsly Danica , Block Derryl E. , Ehrmann Joseph
Published: February 2021

While interpersonal skills in telehealth may positively impact clinical practice, patient engagement and outcomes, assessment strategies are lacking. We conducted a multi-stage iterative approach to develop and test validity and reliability of the Teaching Interpersonal Skills in Telehealth checklist (TIPS-TC). First, we identified observable communication behaviors from the literature. Second, we surveyed telehealth managers and researchers (N = 11) to rate appropriateness of potential checklist items. Level of agreement (35%–91%) and Kappa statistic (0.18–0.89) confirmed items to be retained and identified items to modify. Based on response patterns and comments, we reduced 44 items to 12 critical checklist behaviors. Third, student clinicians used the checklist with video telehealth consultations and provided feedback. Fourth, we conducted reliability testing with practitioners and administrators (N = 68) who completed the TIPS-TC for two versions of a telehealth scenario. Strong interrater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and test-retest reliability ICC (both p < .001), along with non-significant findings of order effects supported the checklist as an acceptable instrument to differentiate high skill from low skill telehealth sessions. The TIPS-TC offers an evidence-based approach to assessing interpersonal skills in telehealth to help evaluate clinician competence and tailor learning activities across disciplinary roles.
“There’s Not One Way to Do It:”: Latina Mothers’ Discipline Techniques
Authors: Navarro-Cruz Giselle , Kouyoumdjian Claudia , Arias Lorena
Published: February 2021

Discipline is one of the most challenging tasks for parents of young children. Parental choices of discipline can vary greatly by race and ethnicity (Coley et al., 2014). Research on Latino families’ choices of discipline has been inconsistent and from a deficit lens (Rodriguez, 2008). The current qualitative study uses a Funds of Knowledge framework to understand how Latina mothers from the Western United States with young children make decisions about disciplining their children. A thematic analysis of 42 interviews revealed that discipline choices were grounded in the mothers’ upbringing, education, and work history. The results of this study can inform parent educators, family therapists, and pediatricians to recognize that Latina mothers are not a homogeneous group and understand the underlying factors that determine their disciplinary strategies to better support their effort to discipline their children.
Sport for Sustainability? The Extractives Industry, Sport, and Sustainable Development
Authors: Millington Rob , Giles Audrey R. , van Luijk Nicolien , Hayhurst Lyndsay M. C.
Published: February 2021

This article investigates the intersection of three interrelated trends: first, the positioning of sport as a contributor to sustainable development, particularly in regard to the increasing corporatization of sport for development (SFD); second, the trend toward sustainable development in the extractives industry, as taken up within a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach; and third, the intersection of SFD and CSR when mobilized in pursuit of sustainable development in Indigenous communities in Canada. To do so, we examined the sustainability documents of Rio Tinto, the largest mining and metals company in Canada, with a focus on its operations in the Canadian North that are near Indigenous communities. Based on our results, we argue that SFD programming and the CSR approaches of Rio Tinto promote forms of sustainable development that capitalize on broadened (and emptied) definitions of sustainability, which may ultimately contribute to greater forms of unsustainability.
Clinical Profile of Patients With Unilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Correlation With Hearing Prognosis
Authors: Perez Ferreira Neto Adriana , da Costa Monsanto Rafael , Dore Saint Jean Line , Sonzzini Ribeiro de Souza Lucas , de Oliveira Penido Norma
Published: February 2021

Objective

To characterize, with a standard systematic protocol, the clinical and audiometric profile of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) and to correlate the findings with hearing recovery prognosis.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort of patients with ISSNHL.

Setting

Outpatients of a tertiary referral center followed for 20 years.

Methods

We collected clinical information, including the presence of tinnitus, vertigo, and comorbidities, as well as initial pure tone averages, degree of hearing loss, audiogram curves, and time between hearing loss onset and treatment. These variables were statistically analyzed for their impact on hearing recovery prognosis. All patients were treated with oral corticosteroids, following a standard treatment protocol. Hearing recovery was defined according to the criteria of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, and hearing outcomes were reported via a standardized method (scattergrams).

Results

Our final study group comprised 186 patients. Most patients were between 41 and 60 years of age. Univariate analysis revealed that vertigo; presence of severe or profound initial hearing loss; flat, U‐shaped, and descending audiogram curves; and initiating treatment ≥15 days were correlated with worse hearing recovery. However, the multivariate logistic model revealed that only the presence of severe or profound hearing loss (odds ratio, 6.634; 95% CI, 2.714‐16.216; P <. 001) and initiating treatment ≥15 days (odds ratio, 0.250; 95% CI, 0.102‐0.610; P =. 008) were independent risk factors for worse hearing recovery prognosis.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that the presence of severe or profound hearing loss at the first audiogram and initiating treatment after 14 days from ISSNHL onset were independent risk factors associated with a worse hearing recovery prognosis.
Factors Affecting Central Node Metastasis and Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio in Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Seok Jungirl , Ryu Chang Hwan , Park Seog Yun , Lee Chang Yoon , Lee Young Ki , Hwangbo Yul , Lee Eun Kyung , Lee You Jin , Kim Tae Sung , Kim Seok‐ki , Jung Yuh‐Seog , Ryu Junsun
Published: February 2021

Objective

Despite the growing evidence that metastatic lymph node ratio (MLNR) is a valuable predictor for the prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma, it has not yet been fully determined which factors give the ratio predictive value independent of the number of metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs).

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A comprehensive cancer center.

Methods

Recurrence and clinicopathologic factors were analyzed in 2409 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent total thyroidectomy and central node dissection.

Results

Cutoff values of MLNs ≥2 and MLNR ≥28.2% increased the recurrence risk (hazard ratio [95% CI], 9.97 [4.73‐21.0] and 11.4 [5.53‐23.3], respectively). Younger age, male sex, multifocality, tumor size, lymphatic and vascular invasion, and gross extrathyroidal extension positively correlated with MLN and MLNR (all P <. 05). Meanwhile, lymphocytic thyroiditis negatively correlated with MLNR in female patients (P <. 001), by increasing total lymph node yields as compared with papillary thyroid carcinoma without lymphocytic thyroiditis. In multivariate analysis, younger age, tumor size, and lymphatic invasion remained significant in male and female patients for MLN and MLNR; lymphocytic thyroiditis was also significantly correlated with MLNR in female patients.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that MLN and MLNR are independently observed prognostic markers for tumor recurrence. However, lymphocytic thyroiditis in female patients seems to have lower MLNR by increasing total lymph node yields. In light of their association, a different cutoff for MLNR needs to be applied according to the presence or absence of underlying lymphocytic thyroiditis in the use of MLNR for predicting the recurrence.

Level of Evidence:

4.
Exploring the influence of reading medium on braille learning outcomes: A case series of six working-age and older adults
Authors: Martiniello Natalina , Wittich Walter
Published: February 2021

Tactile sensitivity is known to decline with age. Braille provides a vital method of reading and writing for working-age and older adults with acquired visual impairment. The proliferation of low-cost braille displays raises new possibilities for adult braille learners, with dots of greater height than standard paper braille, potentially benefitting older adults with reduced tactile sensitivity. This study explored the influence of reading medium (paper vs braille display) on the accuracy and speed of six working-age and older adult braille learners and examined differences when transitioning from one reading medium to another. Findings indicate that (1) learning letters on a braille display resulted in better speed and accuracy (time: M = 44.2, SD = 37.3, accuracy: M = 83%, SD = 24.8%) than on paper (time: M = 54.3, SD = 40.4, accuracy: M = 80.6%, SD = 28.1%); (2) transitioning from one medium to another generally resulted in the same or better performance (reading times decreased by 11.2% and accuracy improved by 2.4%); and (3) the advantage of the braille display appears to be greatest when reading letters in combination (reading times decreased by 26.8% and accuracy improved by 6.5% for letter-pairs vs a 1.9% reduction in speed and a 2% improvement in accuracy for single letters). The benefit of the braille display condition was most pronounced for participants with reduced tactile sensitivity. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that the use of braille displays in early braille instruction may decrease frustration for those with reduced tactile sensitivity and should not adversely affect the ability for learners to transition to standard paper braille, assuming that both formats are introduced and reinforced throughout training.
The Value of Triage during Periods of Intense COVID-19 Demand: Simulation Modeling Study
Authors: Wood Richard M. , Pratt Adrian C. , Kenward Charlie , McWilliams Christopher J. , Booton Ross D. , Thomas Matthew J. , Bourdeaux Christopher P. , Vasilakis Christos
Published: February 2021

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many intensive care units have been overwhelmed by unprecedented levels of demand. Notwithstanding ethical considerations, the prioritization of patients with better prognoses may support a more effective use of available capacity in maximizing aggregate outcomes. This has prompted various proposed triage criteria, although in none of these has an objective assessment been made in terms of impact on number of lives and life-years saved.

Design

An open-source computer simulation model was constructed for approximating the intensive care admission and discharge dynamics under triage. The model was calibrated from observational data for 9505 patient admissions to UK intensive care units. To explore triage efficacy under various conditions, scenario analysis was performed using a range of demand trajectories corresponding to differing nonpharmaceutical interventions.

Results

Triaging patients at the point of expressed demand had negligible effect on deaths but reduces life-years lost by up to 8.4% (95% confidence interval: 2.6% to 18.7%). Greater value may be possible through “reverse triage”, that is, promptly discharging any patient not meeting the criteria if admission cannot otherwise be guaranteed for one who does. Under such policy, life-years lost can be reduced by 11.7% (2.8% to 25.8%), which represents 23.0% (5.4% to 50.1%) of what is operationally feasible with no limit on capacity and in the absence of improved clinical treatments.

Conclusions

The effect of simple triage is limited by a tradeoff between reduced deaths within intensive care (due to improved outcomes) and increased deaths resulting from declined admission (due to lower throughput given the longer lengths of stay of survivors). Improvements can be found through reverse triage, at the expense of potentially complex ethical considerations.
Foldable capsular vitreous body implantation for treatment of traumatic retinal detachment: two case reports
Authors: Zeng Baihui , Wang Qian , Sui Guiqin , Wang Mingxuan , Xie Wei , Fu Jinling
Published: February 2021

Retinal detachment caused by severe ocular trauma is a type of refractory vitreoretinal disease. Current treatment methods include vitrectomy combined with silicone oil tamponade. However, long-term use of silicone oil tamponade has various complications, including a risk of silicone oil dependence that eventually leads to eyeball atrophy and enucleation. Foldable capsular vitreous bodies (FCVBs) offer a good solution for these problems. However, FCVBs have not been used in large-scale clinical applications and few cases have been reported in the published literature. The main use of FCVBs, based on current evidence, is in the treatment of the relatively few (but important) patients whose eyes have no visual potential; the aim of treatment in these patients is globe preservation, rather than restoration of vision. Here, we describe two patients who underwent FCVB implantation. The findings in these patients indicated that FCVBs can effectively support the vitreous cavity and detached retina. FCVB implantation may thus offer a safe and effective method for treatment of severe retinal detachment, avoiding the inconvenience caused by silicone oil dependence and enucleation. To confirm its long-term usefulness in clinical applications, many additional case reports are needed.
Infrastructure and non-human life: A wider ontology
Authors: Barua Maan
Published: February 2021

This article develops a wider ontology of infrastructure. It argues that infrastructures not only hasten the flow of materials but produce non-human mobilities and immobilities that radically alter the dynamics of life. Infrastructures become a medium of life as natural and infrastructural ecologies meld, reorienting notions of design, architecture, planning and governance. Non-human life itself can be cast as infrastructure, with biopolitical implications for anticipating and managing the future. An infrastructural ontology moving beyond anthropocentric familiars generates new analytics and critical openings for the politics of governing human and non-human life.
Real-Time Vehicle Trajectory Estimation Based on Lane Change Detection using Smartphone Sensors
Authors: Islam Zubayer , Abdel-Aty Mohamed
Published: February 2021

As technology is moving rapidly toward automation and connectivity, it is of paramount importance to predict vehicle trajectories ahead of time. This not only enhances safety but also ensures mobility in a connected and automated environment. Previous studies have shown that, given the previous trajectory, the future trajectory can be estimated. But this method suffers from considerable drawbacks in the case of intersections as it cannot predict turning movements. It also requires advanced sensors that are not readily available in most vehicles. A smartphone device can also be used in such scenarios, bringing partial automation to vehicles without these sensors. This paper presents an integrated method of estimating vehicle trajectories for both general roadway segments and intersections by using a smartphone. A lane change detection system is taken as an indicator of intersection turning movement estimation and corresponding vehicle trajectories are estimated accordingly. The system can achieve high penetration rates and can be used to replicate onboard units. Sensor readings are taken periodically which are first filtered with a low-pass filter to zero out any high-frequency noise and then fed into a machine learning model to detect lane changes. The model can successfully capture lane changes with smartphone data with high accuracy (95%). Finally, vehicle trajectory is estimated using Chebyshev’s polynomial. This type of estimation system can find applications in collision prediction at intersections between a turning vehicle and a pedestrian on a crosswalk.
Assessment of Discretionary Lane-Changing Decisions using a Random Parameters Approach with Heterogeneity in Means and Variances
Authors: Li Qianwen , Li Xiaopeng , Mannering Fred
Published: February 2021

Lane-changing maneuvers on highways may cause capacity drops, create shock waves, and potentially increase collision risks. Properly managing lane-changing behavior to reduce these adverse impacts requires an understanding of their determinants. This paper investigates the determinants of lane changing in congested traffic using a next generation simulation dataset. A random parameters binary logit model with heterogeneity in means and variances was estimated to account for unobserved heterogeneity in lane-changing behavior across vehicles. Estimation results show that average headway, the original lane of the vehicle, driver acceleration/deceleration behavior, and vehicle size all significantly influence lane-changing probabilities. It was further found that the effect of vehicle size varied significantly across observations, that the mean of this variation decreased with increasing average headway, and the variance increased with increasing driver acceleration/deceleration. These empirical findings provide interesting new evidence on the determinants of lane changing, which can be used in traffic flow models to better replicate and predict traffic flow.
Introducing a New Apparatus for Designating Two-Lane Highway Passing and No-Passing Zones
Authors: Farid Ahmed , Connell Zephaniah , Mock James , Muknahallipatna Suresh , Ksaibati Khaled
Published: February 2021

Two-lane highways constitute a large proportion of the U.S. highways. An essential component needed in the design of safe two-lane highways is the passing sight distance (PSD). Otherwise, insufficient PSDs lead to passing-related crashes and, therefore, no-passing zones ought to be marked. This research involves the development of a new apparatus of the two-vehicle method, which is used for measuring the PSD in the field. That is to replace the defunct apparatus used by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the introduced apparatus is the most up-to-date system and addresses shortcomings of previous research. The two-vehicle method involves two successive vehicles spaced at a gap, equivalent to PSD, and both vehicles travel at the speed limit. The driver of the rear vehicle operates a switch when the lead vehicle becomes invisible because of sight obstructions, such as vegetation, signaling the beginning point of the no-passing zone. Similarly, the switch is operated when the lead vehicle returns to view to designate the endpoint of the no-passing zone. The apparatus is composed of vehicle-to-vehicle radio communication devices, global positioning system devices, the switch and computers with graphical user interfaces to record and display the data. Testing was conducted on two two-lane highway segments. As per the results, overall discrepancies between WYDOT’s no-passing zone markings and those designated by the apparatus, developed, ranged from 1% to 7%. This research lays the foundation for a future study involving the development of a cutting-edge prototype.