bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID and the Risky Immigrant Workplace: How Declining Employment Standards Socialized Risk and Made the COVID-19 Pandemic Worse
Authors: Wolf Andrew B.
Published: July 2022

This article investigates the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC as they were concentrated on immigrant workers and their communities, studying one group of immigrant workers, namely taxi drivers. Based on two years of ethnographic research with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a union of 24,000 taxi and app-based drivers in NYC, conducted before and during the pandemic, as well as formal interviews and an original survey of 1,002 union members, my research shows how drivers’ precarious existence in the work–citizenship nexus informed their experiences of sustaining their families during the pandemic. COVID highlighted how the welfare state’s increasing privatization of risk, the fissuring of the workplace, and the rise in employment precarity have generated an immigrant underclass. This manifested in immigrant drivers experiencing the pandemic through the lens of specific uncertainties—health, economic, bureaucratic, and immigration—that shaped their unequal access to pandemic support. This process in turn produced a boomerang effect, as immigrant drivers’ weaker connection to state and social institutions made it harder to contain the virus in their communities, a development which ultimately puts society writ large at greater risk. This article advances our knowledge of precious employment by introducing the concept of uncertainties to explain the socio-cultural aspects of how crises of social reproduction are generated. It also extends our understanding of the decline of the welfare and regulatory state by showing how this process interacts with immigrant status.
Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme (SMEP): A Circular Economy Experiment in the Global South
Authors: Hira Anil , Pacini Henrique , Attafuah-Wadee Kweku , Hassall Jonathan
Published: July 2022

The circular economy (CE) is a topic of growing interest, spurred by climate change and increasing recognition of the considerable costs of energy and materials waste, that reflect increasing stress on global environmental systems. Those costs range from physical landfill expenses to effects on human and natural world health. While there are a growing number of articles about the CE, there remains a great deal of ambiguity around pathways to implement it, and even fewer practical examples. Lieder and Rashid (2016) conclude in their overarching examination of CE research that while it is broad and multidisciplinary it is also fragmented, highly granular, and “rarely touching implementation.” In this article, we review recent efforts to identify models for scaling up circular economy practices in specific sectors of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia economies, based on information produced by the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) program. The SMEP program has been established by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). SMEP seeks to reduce pollution in manufacturing in the Global South. After a brief discussion of the CE concept, this article focuses on the innovative features of the SMEP program, its preliminary findings and lessons for the transition to circularity.
Does methylprednisolone provide protective effect in total aortic arch replacement requiring hypothermia circulatory arrest and selective cerebral perfusion?
Authors: Yan Shujie , Gao Sizhe , Lou Song , Yu Cuntao , Sun Xiaogang , Qian Xiangyang , Ji Bingyang
Published: July 2022

Background

Glucocorticoids (GC)were applied in total aortic arch replacement (TAAR) at various dosages in many centers, but with limited evidence.

Methods

The retrospective study was aimed to evaluate whether methylprednisolone was associated with better postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing TAAR. Patients undergoing TAAR with moderate hypothermia and selective cerebral perfusion between 2017.1 to 2018.12 in Fuwai hospital were classified into three groups according to doses of methylprednisolone given in the surgery: large-GC group (1500–3000 mg); medium-GC group (500–1000 mg) and no-GC group (0 mg). Postoperative outcomes were compared among three groups. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify the association of methylprednisolone with outcomes.

Results

Three hundred twenty-eight patients were enrolled. Two hundred twenty-eight were in the large-GC group, 34 were in the medium-GC group, and 66 were in the no-GC group. The incidences of major adverse outcomes in large-GC, medium-GC and no-GC groups were 22.8%, 17.6% and 18.2%, respectively, with no statistical difference. A significant difference was observed in post-cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion ( p < .001) and chest drainage volume ( p < .001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that methylprednisolone was not associated with better outcomes ( p = .455), while large doses of methylprednisolone were significantly associated with excessive chest drainage (over 2000 mL) [OR (99% CI) 4.282 (1.66–11.044), p < .001] and excessive post-CPB FFP transfusion (over 400 mL) [OR (99% CI) 2.208 (1.027–4.747), p = .008].

Conclusions

Large doses of methylprednisolone (1500–3000 mg) did not show a protective effect in TAAR with moderate hypothermia arrest plus selective cerebral perfusion and might increase postoperative bleeding and FFP transfusion.
‘Prepped for prison’? Experiences of exclusionary school practices and involvement with the justice system
Authors: Liston Lindsey
Published: July 2022

Internationally, the link between punitive school disciplinary practices and increased risk of contact with the justice system has been chronicled via a substantial body of research on the school-to-prison pipeline. This research highlights some of the harmful effects of exclusionary school discipline for some students, including lower educational achievement, lower school completion rates and future contact with the justice system. Drawing on some of the findings from 50 in-depth interviews with former prisoners, educators, parents, and a range of key stakeholders, this paper builds on that research by identifying the informal ways that some groups of students are subjected to exclusion in schools. The findings suggest that to fully understand the factors that impact the path from school to involvement with the justice system, greater attention should be paid to the experience of informal school-based exclusionary practices.
Pre-Existing Right Ventricular Dysfunction as an Independent Risk Factor for Post Intubation Cardiac Arrest and Hemodynamic Instability in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Al-Saadi Mukhtar A , Heidari Behnam , Donahue Kevin R , Shipman Emily M , Kinariwala Kush N , Masud Faisal N
Published: July 2022

Background

Post intubation cardiac arrest and hemodynamic instability are serious adverse events encountered in critically ill patients. The association of pre-existing right ventricular (RV) dysfunction with post intubation cardiac arrest and hemodynamic instability in critically ill patients is unknown.

Methods

This is a retrospective matched cohort study of adult critically ill patients who underwent intubation from July 2016 to December 2019. The study was conducted at a quaternary medical center in Houston, Texas. A total of 340 critically ill patients who underwent intubation in the intensive care units, wards, and the emergency room were included. The study cohort was categorized into 4 groups based on the pre-existing RV function: normal function, mild dysfunction, moderate dysfunction, and severe dysfunction. Cardiac arrest and/or hemodynamic instability within one hour post intubation were the primary study outcomes. Secondary outcomes included in hospital and 60-day mortality.

Results

Study patients were of mean age of 61.95 ± 14.28 years, including 132 (39%) females and 208 (61%) males. The primary outcomes were significantly worse in mild, moderate, and severe RV dysfunction groups compared to the normal RV function group (34.12%-P = 0.014, 47.06%-P < 0.001, 51.67%-P < 0.001, vs. 17.56%). In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, pre-existing moderate (OR = 2.65, P = 0.013) and severe RV dysfunction groups (OR = 2.66, P = 0.015) were associated with statistically significant higher cardiac arrest and hemodynamic instability post intubation. Pre-existing severe RV dysfunction was associated with statistically significant higher in hospital mortality (62.35%-P < 0.001). The multivariable Cox-regression analysis showed that pre-existing severe RV dysfunction was associated with a statistically significant higher 60-day mortality (HR = 2.57, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Pre-existing moderate and severe RV dysfunctions were independently associated with significantly higher cardiac arrest and/or hemodynamic instability post intubation in critically ill patients. Pre-existing RV function may serve as a mortality predictor in critically ill patients undergoing endotracheal intubation.
Breastfeeding Perceptions and Behavior Among Postpartum Women Initiating Different Hormonally Systemic Contraceptive Methods
Authors: Wilson Susan Frances , Ponzini Matthew , Wilson Machelle , Holton Siri , Antell Karen , Medaglio Dominique
Published: July 2022

Background:

There continues to be controversy regarding the simultaneous encouragement of both breastfeeding and immediate postpartum contraception.

Research Aim:

To explore postpartum women’s perspectives about breastfeeding and their breastfeeding behaviors, while using one of three different hormonally systemic contraceptive methods immediately postpartum over a 6 month period of time.

Methods:

This was a retrospective, longitudinal, three group comparative, secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study ( N = 471) of immediate postpartum contraception. Breastfeeding, for this study, was defined as providing any human milk to the infant. Participants who chose one of three different hormonally systemic forms of contraception immediately postpartum (a long-acting hormonal reversible contraceptive ( n = 200), depot medroxyprogesterone acetate 150 mg ( n = 98), or a non-hormonal method ( n = 173)) were compared at hospital discharge, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. The primary outcome was any breastfeeding at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included any and exclusive breastfeeding, concerns about breastfeeding while using contraception, and reasons for breastfeeding discontinuation.

Results:

There was no significant difference in the rate of any breastfeeding between the two hormonal and the non-hormonal contraceptive groups at 6 months postpartum (long-acting hormonal 20.1%, non-hormonal 21.7%, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate 13.9%, p = .77, 0.28, respectively). The number of participants who reported stopping breastfeeding due to decreased milk supply was not significantly different between any groups at all time points (total number who discontinued at 6 months postpartum was long-acting hormonal 24.7%, non-hormonal 25.1%, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate 19.3%, p = .30).

Conclusions:

Breastfeeding perspectives and behavioral outcomes over the first 6 months postpartum were not influenced by participants chosen form of immediate postpartum contraception.
Is Rising Self-Employment Associated with Material Deprivation in the UK?
Authors: Henley Andrew
Published: July 2022

Rising self-employment may indicate growing precarity. This article investigates poverty in self-employment in the UK using a large-scale official household survey for 2010 to 2019 through a focus on material deprivation. The principal finding is that, after controlling for the selective nature of self-employment, self-employed households may experience higher levels of material deprivation than employed ones. This is particularly so for those without children and access to welfare and other support that children may bring. This finding is consistent with previous research on the reliability of self-employment earnings data. It also may highlight the impact of precarious self-employment on low earning households. This is apparent in detailed analysis of earnings and material deprivation gaps at different points of the distribution, where self-employed households rely more on the income of one self-employed earner.
Novel and Creative Ways to Use Case Studies to Teach Entrepreneurship
Authors: Fisher Greg
Published: July 2022

Case study teaching is important in entrepreneurship classrooms. The typical way to use a case study to teach is to require students to read a written case study before class and then facilitate a discussion in class about the issues in the case study. However, there are innovative means beyond using case studies in this traditional way. An entrepreneurship classroom is the ideal setting to experiment with such innovations. Entrepreneurship educators can innovate by using novel and creative delivery modes to facilitate case study discussions in class. They can also apply new case study formats so that students learn from case study teaching in different ways from the traditional written approach. This article describes innovative case study delivery modes and formats in detail and outlines what can be done to effectively implement them when teaching entrepreneurship.
Early High School Graduation: Policy Support for Secondary Acceleration
Authors: Plucker Jonathan A. , Healey Grace , Meyer Melanie S. , Roberts Julia L.
Published: July 2022

In recent years, state and local support for academic acceleration has created opportunities for students with advanced learning needs to move through their education at a pace that matches their abilities and may be faster than their same-age peers. As a result, it is not uncommon for exceptionally bright students to complete their high school graduation requirements early. These students have the option to stay in high school and complete additional coursework or move on to postsecondary settings to continue their academic talent development. This article explores state and local policies on early graduation and highlights supportive policies and potential barriers to this type of acceleration.
Understanding the differences in outcome between CART studies as second-line treatment in aggressive lymphoma
Authors: Dada Reyad
Published: July 2022

Patients with refractory/early relapsed aggressive lymphomas belong to the most difficult-to-treat patients with hematological neoplasia. The prognosis of such patients is poor and novel treatment approches are urgently needed. Autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is a promising new therapy option that is approved after the failure of two lines of chemotherapy. Recently, the results of three different CART studies (ZUMA-7, TRANSFORM, and BELINDA) were published. Two of them were positive and one was negative, which created a mix of disappointment, confusion, and irritation. In this article, we are analyzing the data of all three trials and shed light on the differences between the studies which may facilitate an easier understanding of the results and relevance of CART in aggressive large B-cell lymphoma.
The consequences of the television closet: It’s a Sin (Red Production Company for Channel 4/HBO Max, 2021) as a meditation on the presence and absence of queer lives on British television
Authors: Wheatley Helen
Published: July 2022

This short article teases out some of the ways that It’s a Sin ((Red Production Company for Channel 4/HBO Max, 2021) engages with television history. It explores how the series figures television viewing and television production in its diegesis, and makes some suggestions about the way that it represents some of the consequences of what we might call the ‘television closet’. This term refers to the relative absence of explicitly queer representations on British TV leading up to, and during, the period in which the series is set. The article proposes that It’s a Sin is acutely aware of the role that television played in the continuing stigmatisation of LGBT people in Britain well into the 1980s and the lack of information and scaremongering that characterised the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, revealing the acute consequences of the television closet which Russell T. Davies’ work more widely has sought to counteract.
Impacts of building envelope design on indoor ozone exposures and health risks in urban environments
Authors: Ma Nan , Hakkarainen Max , Hou Miaomiao , Aviv Dorit , Braham William W.
Published: July 2022

Much of human exposure to ozone takes place indoors. However, few studies have focused on human ozone exposures in normally occupied residential houses in the U.S. urban environments. Only rare studies have explored the implication of building envelope design variables on outdoor ozone penetration. Our study reveals the extent to which outdoor ozone penetrates and persists in the occupied houses in one of the most ozone-polluted cities, as influenced by building characteristics, building geometry, envelope design variables, window conditions and urban meteorology conditions. Through a set of analysis and variable regressions, we found that (1) the ratios of indoor to outdoor ozone concentration (I/O) were higher with windows open (0.700 ± 0.13) than with the windows closed (0.53 ± 0.22); (2) the indoor ozone concentration is typically elevated when the outdoor ozone concentration is high; and (3) design variables such as exterior envelope finishes, wall surface area and window-to-wall ratio are reasonably effective predictors. Our results of health risk evaluation suggest that the observed levels of indoor ozone exposure could pose a considerable risk to human health. Further work is needed to discover how building envelopes can be designed, constructed and maintained to support occupant health.
Identifying and ranking employer brand improvement strategies in post-COVID 19 tourism and hospitality
Authors: Bagheri Moslem , Baum Tom , Mobasheri Ali Asghar , Nikbakht Amin
Published: July 2022

This study aims to identified and ranked employer brand strategies in post-COVID-19 tourism and hospitality, considering the significance of employer branding as one of the most important elements for attracting and retaining key employees.In this study, we initially develop a model by systematically reviewing the literature. And in the subsequent quantitative analysis, the strategies identified are tested through a questionnaire survey and ranked by a panel of industry experts and analyzed data using the R-SWARA method.Results show that the most important employer brand strategies in post-COVID-19 tourism and hospitality were “paying increased attention to social responsibility”, “developing reliable and sustainable internal/external relationships” and “assessing the effect of brand re-building measures on the social image of the organization”. The analysis of the studies conducted dealing with post-COVID-19 employer branding demonstrates that none of these investigations proposed a comprehensive framework of strategies for employer brand promotion. Exploring the literature also revealed that, despite the significance of employer brand in times of economic crisis, this topic has been ignored by researchers although it points to an obvious gap in the literature on employer brand in tourism and hospitality.
Redo Aortic Valve Replacement With Perceval Prosthesis via Minithoracotomy in a Patient With Permanent Tracheostoma and Tracheoesophageal Shunt
Authors: Matsunaga Shogo , Ushijima Tomoki , Sonoda Hiromichi , Shiose Akira
Published: July 2022

A 76-year-old male patient had undergone aortic valve replacement with a 19-mm Carpentier–Edwards Perimount valve 12 years prior and underwent laryngopharyngo-esophagectomy for hypopharyngeal carcinoma followed by permanent tracheostomy and tracheoesophageal shunt creation 2 years later. Echocardiography showed exacerbated structural valve deterioration of the bioprosthesis, necessitating redo surgery. A permanent tracheostoma, located just above the upper edge of the sternum, seemed to be at high risk of serious infections when median resternotomy was performed. To minimize the risk of infection, we performed implantation of a Perceval prosthesis via the right anterior minithoracotomy after sufficient anatomical assessments. There was no evidence of mediastinitis or wound infection during the follow-up period. This report highlights that the less invasive Perceval implantation strategically allowed reduction in the resternotomy-associated infection risks in this patient.
Acute ischemic strokes in patients with developmental disabilities: A cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Lui Aiden , Feldstein Eric , Clare Kevin , Dicpinigaitis Alis J , Reddy Medha , Khan Farzana , Semaan Rosa , Galluzzo Daniela , Shapiro Steve , Kamal Haris , Yaghi Shadi , Pisapia Jared , Muh Carrie , Nuoman Rolla , Overby Philip , Etienne Mill , Chong Ji , Mayer Stephan , Gandhi Chirag D , Al-Mufti Fawaz
Published: July 2022

Objective

Patients with developmental disabilities (DD) are frequently excluded from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) randomized control trials. We sought to evaluate the impact of having DD on this patient cohort

Methods

The National Inpatient Sample was analyzed to explore the impact of AIS and treatment on discharge dispositions in patients with DD. Clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were compared to fully-abled patients with AIS.

Results

1,605,723 patients with AIS were identified from 2010–2019, of whom 4094 (0.30%) had a DD. AIS patients with DD were younger (60.31 vs 70.93 years, p < 0.01), less likely to be Caucasian (66.37%vs 68.09%, p = 0.01), and had higher AIS severity (0.63 vs 0.58, p < 0.01). Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was administered in 99,739 (6.2%) fully-abled patients and 196 (4.79%) of patients with DD (p < 0.01). Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) was performed in 21,066 (1.31%) of fully-abled patients and 35 (0.85%) of patients with DD (p < 0.01). The presence of developmental disabilities were predictive of lower rates of tPA (OR:0.71,CI:0.56–0.87,p < 0.01) and EVT (OR:0.24,CI:0.16–0.36,p < 0.01). In a propensity score-matched cohort of all AIS patients who underwent EVT, there was no difference in functional outcome (p = 0.41), in-hospital mortality (0.10), and LOS (p = 0.79).

Conclusion

AIS patients with DD were less likely to receive tPA and EVT compared to fully-abled patients. Individuals with DD had higher mortality and worse discharge disposition. There was no significant difference in post-EVT outcomes between fully-abled patients and patients with developmental disabilities. In the absence of prospective clinical trials, population based cross-sectional analyses such as the present study provide valuable clinical insight.
Exploring the feasibility of a constraints-based curriculum with British diving coaches
Authors: Hydes Sam , Rothwell Martyn
Published: July 2022

Contemporary coaching practices such as the Constraint-Led Approach (CLA) have gained traction in recent years within academic literature and applied practice. However, despite the growing popularity of the CLA there remains challenges with the successful implementation across applied settings. Formal education that adopts top-down hierarchical approaches and is decontextualised from coaches’ sociocultural contexts has been attributed to this challenge. To investigate this problem further, the purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of implementing a CLA curriculum within British Diving’s Learn to Dive programme. Twenty-one British Diving coaches (10 male and 11 female) were interviewed for this study. The coaches’ insights indicated that a new model of coaching was needed to improve the learning and development experiences of the Learn to Dive participants; however, factors such as opposing philosophies about learners and the learning process, path dependency, and operational priorities were identified as potential barriers to implementation. These findings suggest that the implementation of alternative coaching methods should be considered in the context of the sport and the coaches’ needs, experience, and sociocultural–historical biases. Documenting context-specific learning experiences through qualitative research designs can start to address the challenges and provide potential solutions to successfully implementing contemporary learning designs.
The Importance of History in an MPH Program: A Qualitative Evaluation of an Applied History of Public Health Course
Authors: Talley Colin L. , Comeau Dawn L. , German Taylor , Boykin Briana , Walker Elizabeth Reisinger
Published: July 2022

Historical analysis is a vital but underutilized tool for analyzing and teaching public health and health promotion. An applied history of public health course, designed to meet a Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) competency and learning objective, was qualitatively evaluated to determine the extent to which the course shaped students’ and alumni’s views on public health values, identities, and practices. A second aim examined the course’s impact on students’ and alumni’s public health work and their ability to discuss structural biases, inequities, and racism and health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 alumni and 11 students. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The four main themes were the importance of history as foundational knowledge and for the development of professional identities; history as a means to understand race, racism, and the social determinants of health; self-reflection and critical thinking as public health practices and the relevance of history to community health promotion; and the effectiveness of multiple pedagogical techniques. Findings suggest that a course including the history of public health institutions, concepts, practices, and health equity can be a valuable tool to teach students about the social determinants of health, health equity, and racism and health, gain perspective on current health problems, improve critical thinking skills and self-reflection as public health practices, and develop a professional identity. We recommend that MPH programs include a history of public health course and/or incorporate historical perspectives in existing courses. This training is increasingly important to prepare students to promote health equity.
Marked crosswalks in US transit-oriented station areas, 2007–2020: A computer vision approach using street view imagery
Authors: Li Meiqing , Sheng Hao , Irvin Jeremy , Chung Heejung , Ying Andrew , Sun Tiger , Ng Andrew Y , Rodriguez Daniel A
Published: July 2022

Improving the built environment to support walking is a popular strategy to increase urban sustainability and walkability. In the past decade alone, many US cities have implemented crosswalk visibility enhancement programs as part of road safety improvements and active transportation plans. However, there are no systematic ways of measuring and monitoring the presence of key built environment attributes that influence the safety and walkability of an area, such as marked crosswalks. Furthermore, little is known about how these attributes change over time at a national scale. In this paper, we introduce an innovative approach using a deep learning-based computer vision model on Street View images to identify changes in intersection-level marked crosswalks around more than 4,000 US transit stations over a 14-year period. We found an increase in the overall number of marked crosswalks at intersections. Furthermore, high-visibility crosswalks became more common, as they replaced existing parallel-line crosswalks. We further examine crosswalks around transit stations in New York City and San Francisco to illustrate geographic variations and compare associations with other characteristics of the built environment as reported in the Smart Location Database. Areas with increases in high-visibility crosswalks focused on high density residential areas and areas with a higher percent of zero-vehicle households. However, geographic variations exist. For example, in San Francisco, transit station areas outside downtown or major corridors (South and Southwest of the city) had the lower prevalence of marked crosswalks. This analysis confirms important gaps in crosswalk visibility that call for safety enhancements and opens the door for additional research involving these data. We conclude by discussing the limitations and future research opportunities using computer vision to automatically detect large-scale transportation infrastructure changes at a relatively low cost.
Distinguishing conceptions of multiplicative reasoning in Chinese elementary students: What sense correct and incorrect solutions might make to them?
Authors: Ding Rui , Tzur Ron , Davis Alan , Wei Bingqian , Jin Xuanzhu , Jin Xianyan
Published: July 2022

We address the question: What may be the conceptual sources of Chinese elementary students’ correct and incorrect solutions to multiplicative problem situations? We focus on situations for eliciting evidence about their ability to add and subtract sets of composite units—mental structures that underlie conceiving of whole numbers as a single entity composed of smaller units (e.g., “3” is composed of three “1s”). A conception postulated to underlie this ability is termed Same-Unit Coordination (SUC). We attribute student errors to reasonable-to-them spontaneous use of a previously established, repetitively practiced way of operating on 1s (“Ones”) contained within composite units—a conception we term Totaling. We analyze qualitative data to illuminate this phenomenon and quantitative data to depict its scope. These analyses support our claim that student solutions, seen by an observer as correct or erroneous, can be explained as (a) reasonable from the students’ frame of reference and (b) possibly arising from instructional focus on mastering multiplication facts to find totals of 1s in equal-size sets.
Tracking pesticide residues and risk levels in individual samples—insights and applications
Authors: Benbrook Charles
Published: July 2022

Background

A method is now available to quantify the number of pesticide residues and relative pesticide dietary risks in individual servings of food. The Dietary Risk Index (DRI) system combines the results of United States and United Kingdom pesticide residue testing programs with data on food serving sizes and each pesticide’s chronic Reference Dose or Acceptable Daily Intake. Chronic DRI values are a ratio: the amount of residue in a serving of food relative to the maximum amount allowed by regulators.

Results

The DRI system generates individual sample tables reporting the number of residues detected and individual pesticide and aggregate-pesticide DRI values in specific, individual samples of food. It is the first such system to do so worldwide. Output tables produce accurate estimates of real-world dietary risks based on current toxicology data and exposure benchmarks set by regulators. System outputs allow assessment of the distribution of pesticide-dietary risks across foods and pesticides and demonstrate that dietary risk levels are highly skewed. A large number of samples pose moderate, low, or very-low risks, and relatively few samples pose high or very-high risks.

Conclusions

The DRI system provides the food industry, regulators and analysts with a simple, accessible online tool to assess pesticide dietary-risk levels by food, by pesticide, as a function of country of origin, and on food grown on conventional versus organic farms. DRI system output tables show that the number of residues in a sample of food is a consistently poor indicator of dietary risk levels. By identifying the relatively small number of high-risk samples, efforts to mitigate pesticide dietary risks can be targeted where the most worrisome risks are.
SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in a US university setting, Fall 2020 to Spring 2021
Authors: Rosenberg Molly , Chen Chen , Golzarri-Arroyo Lilian , Carroll Aaron , Menachemi Nir , Ludema Christina
Published: July 2022

Background

SARS-CoV-2 reinfections are a public health concern because of the potential for transmission and clinical disease, and because of our limited understanding of whether and how well an infection confers protection against subsequent infections. Despite the public health importance, few studies have reported rigorous estimates of reinfection risk.

Methods

Leveraging Indiana University’s comprehensive testing program to identify both asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases, we estimated the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among students, faculty, and staff across the 2020–2021 academic year. We contextualized the reinfection data with information on key covariates: age, sex, Greek organization membership, student vs faculty/staff affiliation, and testing type.

Results

Among 12,272 people with primary infections, we found a low level of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections (0.6%; 0.4 per 10,000 person-days). We observed higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in Greek-affiliated students.

Conclusions

We found evidence for low levels of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in a large multi-campus university population during a time-period prior to widespread COVID-19 vaccination.
The feasibility investigation of AI -assisted compressed sensing in kidney MR imaging: an ultra-fast T2WI imaging technology
Authors: Zhao Yanjie , Peng Chengdong , Wang Shaofang , Liang Xinyue , Meng Xiaoyan
Published: July 2022

Object

To explore the feasibility and clinical application of AI -assisted compressed sensing (ACS) technology in kidney MR imaging.

Methods

33 patients were enrolled in this study, affiliated to our hospital from September 2020 to April 2021. The patients underwent T2-weighed sequences of both the ACS scan and the conventional respiratory navigator (NAVI) scan. We evaluated the subjective image quality scores, including the sharpness of image edge, artifact and the overall image quality, and compared the objective image quality indicators such as scanning time, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast signal-to-noise ratio (CNR). The Wilcoxon’s rank sum test and the paired t test were used to compare the image quality between ACS and NAVI groups. The p-value less than 0.05 indicated a statistically significant difference.

Results

The edge sharpness of the ACS group was significant lower than that of the NAVI group (p < 0.01), however, there were no significant differences in the artifact and the overall rating of image quality between the two groups (p > 0.05). In terms of the objective image quality scores, the scanning time of the ACS group is significantly lower than that of control group. The SNR and CNR of ACS group were significantly higher than those of NAVI group (SNR:3.63 ± 0.76 vs 3.04 ± 0.44, p < 0.001; CNR: 14.44 ± 4.53 vs 12.05 ± 3.32, p < 0.001). In addition, the subjective and objective measurement results of the two radiologists were in good agreement (ICC = 0.61–0.88).

Conclusion

ACS technology has obvious advantages when applied to kidney MR imaging, which can realize ultra-fast MR imaging. The images can be acquired with a single breath-hold (17 s), which greatly shortens the scanning time. Moreover, the image quality is equal to or better than the conventional technology, which can meet the diagnostic requirements. Thus, it has obvious advantages in diagnosis for kidney disease patients with different tolerance levels for the clinical promotion.
Predicting risk of severe neonatal outcomes in preterm infants born from mother with prelabor rupture of membranes
Authors: Zhuang Lu , Li Zhan-Kui , Zhu Yuan-Fang , Ju Rong , Hua Shao-Dong , Yu Chun-Zhi , Li Xing , Zhang Yan-Ping , Li Lei , Yu Yan , Zeng Wen , Cui Jie , Chen Xin-Yu , Peng Jing-Ya , Li Ting , Feng Zhi-Chun
Published: July 2022

Background

Perinatal complications are common burdens for neonates born from mother with pPROM. Physicians and parents sometimes need to make critical decisions about neonatal care with short- and long-term implications on infant’s health and families and it is important to predict severe neonatal outcomes with high accuracy.

Methods

The study was based on our prospective study on 1001 preterm infants born from mother with pPROM from August 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018 in three hospitals in China. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to build a predicting model incorporating obstetric and neonatal characteristics available within the first day of NICU admission. We used enhanced bootstrap resampling for internal validation.

Results

One thousand one-hundred pregnancies with PROM at preterm with a single fetus were included in our study. SNO was diagnosed in 180 (17.98%) neonates. On multivariate analysis of the primary cohort, independent factors for SNO were respiratory support on the first day,, surfactant on day 1, and birth weight, which were selected into the nomogram. The model displayed good discrimination with a C-index of 0.838 (95%CI, 0.802–0.874) and good calibration performance. High C-index value of 0.835 could still be reached in the internal validation and the calibration curve showed good agreement. Decision curve analysis showed if the threshold is > 15%, using our model would achieve higher net benefit than model with birthweight as the only one predictor.

Conclusion

Variables available on the first day in NICU including respiratory support on the first day, the use of surfactant on the first day and birthweight could be used to predict the risk of SNO in infants born from mother with pPROM with good discrimination and calibration performance.
Bullying and other risk factors related to adolescent suicidal behaviours in the Philippines: a look into the 2011 GSHS Survey
Authors: Chiu Hsuan , Vargo Elisabeth Julie
Published: July 2022

Backgrounds

The present study retrospectively examined gender differences in bullying and suicidal behaviour (ideation, plan, and attempts) as well as associations between selected risk factors and suicidal behaviour among secondary school Filipino students.

Methods

The study used a secondary data set from the GSHS developed by the World Health Organization, which was conducted in the Philippines in 2011. Participants included 5290 Filipino students (male N = 2279, female N = 2986). A two-tailed Chi-square of independence was used to test for gender differences and a multivariate logistic regression model explored statistical associations between risk factors and outcome variables.

Results

Chi-square results suggested that gender differences were statistically significant for being bullied χ2 (1, N = 2384) = 10.6, p = .001, experiencing suicidal ideation χ2 (1, N = 857) = 61.7, p = .000, making suicide plans χ2 (1, N = 590) = 10.2, p = .001, and suicide attempts χ2 (1, N = 674) = 8.4, p = .004, with females showing higher vulnerability to examined risk factors. The logistic regression model also suggested that adolescents claiming to have no close friends were three to four times more likely to attempt suicide. Other strong predictors of suicidal behaviours were loneliness and getting in trouble due to alcohol consumption.

Conclusions

Bullying is an independent yet, not the strongest predictor associated with adolescents’ suicidal behaviour in the present study. The strongest predictors of Filipino adolescents’ suicidal behaviours in the 2011 cohort included having no close friends, loneliness, anxiety and getting in trouble due to alcohol use among both genders. Peer and mental health support programmes need to be made available and accessible for adolescents in the Philippines. Considering the increase in suicide rates in 2020/2021 among Filipino young adults due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it is suggested that preventing suicidal vulnerability in adolescence can hinder this occurrence later on in the lifetime.
Trends in avoidable hospitalizations in a developed City in eastern China: 2015 to 2018
Authors: Chen Siyuan , Fu Hongqiao , Jian Weiyan
Published: July 2022

Objective

This study aimed to measure the avoidable hospitalization rate and the treatment cost per hospitalization in large cities of eastern China.

Methods

In this study, the hospital discharge data of all inpatients in the city from 2015 to 2018 were collected. In accordance with the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) definition of avoidable hospitalizations, five diseases were selected as the measurement objects, including hypertension, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as congestive heart failure (CHF). We described the avoidable hospitalization rate, average cost and length of stay for avoidable hospitalization cases. Linear probability model and log-linear model were used to control the basic characteristics and disease severity of patients, and to measure the trend of the avoidable hospitalization rate and expenditure of avoidable hospitalizations.

Results

From 2015 to 2018, the absolute number of avoidable hospitalizations in the city increased while fluctuating, which reached 125,372 in 2018. Among the five avoidable hospitalizations, the number of hospitalizations for diabetes increased continuously in the 4-year period. Congestive heart failure showed the most significant increase over the four years. Avoidable hospitalizations in the city have remained at a high level, while avoidable hospitalizations of hypertension and asthma fell to levels lower than those in 2015 in 2017 and 2018 after rising in 2016. The cost per hospitalization and length of stay per hospitalization decreased.

Conclusions

Avoidable hospitalizations in the city remain at a high level, and more effective policies should be formulated to guide patients with avoidable hospitalizations, so as to more effectively exploit outpatient services and continuously improve the quality of primary health care services.
Refining bulk segregant analyses: ontology-mediated discovery of flowering time genes in Brassica oleracea
Authors: Vos Rutger A. , van der Veen-van Wijk Catharina A. M. , Schranz M. Eric , Vrieling Klaas , Klinkhamer Peter G. L. , Lens Frederic
Published: July 2022

Background

Bulk segregant analysis (BSA) can help identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs), but this may result in substantial bycatch of functionally irrelevant genes.

Results

Here we develop a Gene Ontology-mediated approach to zoom in on specific genes located inside QTLs identified by BSA as implicated in a continuous trait. We apply this to a novel experimental system: flowering time in the giant woody Jersey kale, which we phenotyped in four bulks of flowering onset. Our inferred QTLs yielded tens of thousands of candidate genes. We reduced this by two orders of magnitude by focusing on genes annotated with terms contained within relevant subgraphs of the Gene Ontology. A pathway enrichment test then led to the circadian rhythm pathway. The genes that enriched this pathway are attested from previous research as regulating flowering time. Within that pathway, the genesCCA1,FT, andTSFwere identified as having functionally significant variation compared toArabidopsis. We validated and confirmed our ontology-mediated results through genome sequencing and homology-based SNP analysis. However, our ontology-mediated approach produced additional genes of putative importance, showing that the approach aids in exploration and discovery.

Conclusions

Our method is potentially applicable to the study of other complex traits and we therefore make our workflows available as open-source code and a reusable Docker container.
A novel pathogenetic factor of laryngeal attack in hereditary angioedema? Involvement of protease activated receptor 1
Authors: Farkas Henriette , Máj Csilla , Kenessey István , Sebestyén Anna , Krencz Ildikó , Pápay Judit , Cervenak László
Published: July 2022

Background

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare, life-threatening disease. The knowledge about the molecular pathogenesis of HAE has derived mainly from investigating blood samples. However, limited data are available on the role of the molecular mechanisms in the affected tissues during HAE attack.

Objective

The aim of our study was to explore the histological changes occurring in HAE attacks.

Methods

Post mortem macro-, microscopic and immunohistological assessment of upper airway tissues of a patient with HAE due to C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) type 2 who died from laryngeal HAE attack was compared with a non-HAE patient who died from other condition without any signs of angioedema.

Results

Compared to the control patient, we demonstrated stronger T cell/monocyte infiltration and a more intense C1-INH staining in the C1-INH-HAE patient. The expression of both bradykinin receptors (B1/B2) was observed with a slightly lower level in the C1-INH-HAE patient than in the control patient. PAR1 expression was strongly reduced in the C1-INH-HAE patient suggesting overactivation of this hyperpermeability inducing receptor.

Conclusion

Our unique case and novel results correspond to the knowledge about C1-INH and BDKRs observed in plasma; however, it revealed new information about the pathomechanism of HAE attack focusing on the potential involvement of PAR1 in edema formation. This observation, if it is verified by subcutaneous biopsy studies, may designate a new therapeutic target in HAE.
Ocean-wave phenomenon around Japan due to the 2022 Tonga eruption observed by the wide and dense ocean-bottom pressure gauge networks
Authors: Kubo Hisahiko , Kubota Tatsuya , Suzuki Wataru , Aoi Shin , Sandanbata Osamu , Chikasada Naotaka , Ueda Hideki
Published: July 2022

Ocean-bottom pressure gauges of wide and dense ocean-bottom observation networks around Japan, S-net and DONET, observed ocean waves caused by the Tonga eruption that started at approximately 13:00 JST (UTC + 0900) on January 15, 2022. We scrutinized the waveform records of the arriving ocean waves to evaluate their nature and found two significant disturbances between 20:00 and 21:00 and after 22:00. The first disturbance with a positive-polarity pulse dominated by long-period components (1000–3000 s) arrived at S-net and DONET stations between 20:00 and 21:00 from the southeast, corresponding to the direction of the short great circle between Tonga and Japan. This arrival was much earlier than expected for a direct tsunami from the volcano and can be explained by assuming that the waves propagated along the short great circle path at a velocity of approximately 300 m/s. After 22:00, significant phases dominated by relatively shorter period components (< 1000 s) arrived from the southeast direction in both observation networks. In DONET, another phase arrived from the south–southeast direction at approximately 23:30 with shorter period components (approximately 500 s). Most of the near-trench S-net stations recorded the peak amplitude during the first disturbance, whereas the near-coast S-net stations and DONET stations observed their peak after 22:00. The amplitudes of ocean-bottom pressure changes in both networks increased as the water depth decreases. This amplification behavior differed between the first and second disturbances, which is attributed to the differences in the natures of the arriving ocean and air waves. This study also found several arrivals of air-wave disturbances to be correlated with the ocean-wave phases, which implies that multiple disturbances of ocean-bottom pressures were generated by the interactions of several disturbances of air waves following the 2022 Tonga eruption with ocean waves.

Graphical abstract