bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Code Switching and Political Strategy: The Role of Racial Discourse in the Coalition-Building Efforts of Charter Management Organizations
Authors: Hernández Laura E.
Published: January 2022

With the pervasiveness of racism, some scholars have interrogated the role of discourse in perpetuating the racial status quo. While research has denoted how prominent leaders and policies advance deficit-laden characterizations of minoritized groups that reify racial hierarchies, how racial discourse is mobilized in day-to-day politics remains less understood. This study investigates this phenomenon by examining the racial appeals used by charter management organizations as they garner support. It finds that charter management organizations used color-evasive discourse and variable racial narratives to build the case for their organizations with funders, families, and school board members. This code-switching points to the strategic use of racial discourse in local politics while demonstrating how racial power can be manifested in the pursuit of resources.
Diagnostic accuracy of hysteroscopy vs dilation and curettage (D&C) for atypical endometrial hyperplasia in patients performing hysterectomy or serial follow-up
Authors: Nappi Luigi , Angioni Stefano , De Feo Vincenzo , Greco Pantaleo , Stabile Guglielmo , Greco Francesca , D'Alterio Maurizio Nicola , Sorrentino Felice
Published: January 2022

Background: Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is considered a heterogeneous pre-neoplastic clinical entity characterized by an abnormal glandular proliferation, with less than half of the tissue area occupied by the stroma. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the correlation between the histological diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) obtained through office hysteroscopy (OH) or uterine dilation and curettage (D&C) and the definitive histological evaluation after hysterectomy. Methods: Among 112 patients with atypical EH, 45 (40%) underwent hysteroscopy and 67 (60%) curettage. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of OH was very high: in particular, it showed a diagnostic coincidence in 87% of cases with the definitive histological diagnosis through hysteroscopy. The curettage, instead, had diagnostic coincidence only in 14% of cases. Conclusion: Office hysteroscopy is the ideal procedure for both diagnosis and follow-up of endometrial hyperplasia.
Knowledge and attitudes towards sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) among the general population of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Fageeh Wafa , Fakieh Bana , Addas Majda , Baghdadi Rana , Almokri Razan , Sait Salam , Fagih Samiha , Alahmadi Sereen
Published: January 2022

Background: We aim to determine the level of general knowledge and attitudes among the population of Saudi Arabia regarding sexually transmitted illnesses (STI). In addition, we aim to educate participants about the most common STIs, and explore how this influences the participants’ attitudes and perceptions. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional web-based survey of the general population of Saudi Arabia. The sample was enrolled randomly by distributing the survey through social media over a two-month period. 420 subjects between the ages of (15–60) participated in the study. Results: Among the 420 total responses, 405 (96%) participants were included based on the absence of missing data in their answers. Most of the participants (77%) were females. More than half of the respondents were single (59%), 24 years old or more (57%), Saudi (52%), and had a bachelor’s degree (65%). Forty-eight percent (48%) of the participants were related to the medical field. Only 11% knew someone previously diagnosed with STIs. The mean score of overall knowledge about STI was 8.79 ± 3.17 (median = 9) out of a maximum score of 20. The scores ranged from 2–16. A higher percentage of the participants (48.6%) had a low level of knowledge. Two-hundred eighty-one participants showed interest in viewing the attached educational material and subsequently completed questions on attitude regarding STI education. The mean score for attitude was 5.89 ± 1.52 out of a total of 7 (median = 6). Around 73% of all participants had a positive attitude towards STI education. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that targeting the younger population by incorporating STI-related educational material into school curricula would overcome the stigma associated with these illnesses by raising awareness and improving attitude towards them.
A novel, time-effective approach for capturing bacteria from contaminated urine samples
Authors: Ierardi Vincenzo , Domenichini Paolo , Vercellotti Domenico , Vercellotti Giuseppe
Published: January 2022

Background: A fundamental step in the race to design a rapid diagnostic test for antimicrobial resistance is the separation of bacteria from their matrix. Many recent studies have been focused on the development of systems capable of separating and capturing bacteria from liquid environments. Methods: Herein, we introduce a new approach to this issue by using the natural bacteria tendency to accumulate at naturally-occurring interfaces, such as liquid-gas and liquid-solid interfaces, where also organic molecules like lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides accumulate. This bacterial behavior leads to the formation of a superficial layer close to the interface rich in bacteria, from which it is possible to capture a consistent amount of bacteria by means of surfaces with high chemical affinity to the outer bacteria surface. Results: This paper demonstrates how to capture bacteria from contaminated urine samples, by means of commercial microscope slides coated with positively charged biomolecules, without the utilization of the bacterial culture step for multiplying the bacteria. Conclusions: This approach is an easy, quick and economical method to concentrate living bacteria in a well-defined position onto a microscope slide, thus making them easily available for further diagnostic investigations.
Increased expression of PD-L1 in endometrial cancer stem-like cells is regulated by hypoxia
Authors: Yin Shasha , Guo Yu’e , Wen Xinyue , Zeng Hongliang , Chen Guofang
Published: January 2022

Background: The expression levels of the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), known as an immune-inhibitory molecule, are closely associated with cancer stem cell (CSCs) immune escape. Recently, PD-L1 has also been reported to be able to regulate the self-renewal of cancer stem cells. However, The expression and intrinsic role of PD-L1 in endometrial cancer stem-like cell (ECSC) maintenance and its underlying mechanism of action remain unclear. Methods: Using flow cytometry and western blot assays, we have demonstrated that PD-L1 expression is higher in ECSCs derived from endometrial cancer than in nonstem-like cancer cells. Using mouse xenograft assays for ECSC tumorigenicity. Using gene reporter assay for uncovering the regulation mechanism of PD-L1 in the hypoxia. Results: We revealed the high expression levels of PD-L1 in ECSCs and its correlation with self-renewal. We further found that PD-L1 knockdown reduced expression of several pluripotency-related genes (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), CD133, OCT4, SOX2, NANOG), impaired ECSC proliferation and undifferentiated colonies and decreased the number of CD133 positive ECSCs and the number of stem-like spheres. Furthermore, we found that PD-L1 knockdown inhibited ECSC tumorigenicity and the PD-L1 induced self-renewal capability of ECSCs was dependent upon hypoxia HIF-1α and HIF-2α activation. Conclusions: These data link ECSC maintenance to PD-L1 expression through hypoxia and suggest a promising target for PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy.
Ischemic index and distribution of retinal capillary non-perfusion in neovascular glaucoma
Authors: DeBoer Charles , Wong Brandon , Ameri Hossein
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Neovascular Glaucoma (NVG) is a condition normally caused by hypoxic posterior ocular disease, which produces angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that stimulate new vessel proliferation of the anterior segment and angle, eventually leading to angle closure, reduced outflow of aqueous humor and increased intraocular pressure. Without treatment elevated intraocular pressure can rapidly progress to loss of vision. Treatment includes addressing the intraocular pressure and reducing the ischemic drive with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) of the ischemic retina. Recent imaging advancements allow for ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFA) which expand the amount of peripheral retina that can be evaluated for non-perfusion. Here we aim to study patterns of non-perfusion in NVG using a group of PRP naïve patients with recent onset NVG. Methods: This study is a retrospective single-center cross-sectional study of patients seen at LAC + USC Medical Center from January 2015 to April 2020 with new onset NVG, without PRP and with UWFA completed. The percentage of ischemic index of the retina was calculated from the UWFA and evaluated in three distinct zones centered on the fovea: the posterior pole, the mid periphery, and far periphery. To increase sample size, a confirmatory group was included, with PRP allowed prior to UWFA but not before diagnosis. In addition, the time between diagnosis and UWFA was increased to 6 months. Results: A total of 11 eyes met inclusion criteria for the primary group. Ischemic index was found to be 91% in the far periphery, 77% in the mid periphery, and 42% at the posterior pole. The total average ischemic index was 76%. There was a statistically significant difference between the far periphery and posterior pole and mid periphery and posterior pole. A total of 24 eyes met criteria for the confirmatory group. Ischemic index for the confirmatory group was found to be 93% in the far periphery, 75% in the mid periphery, and 35% at the posterior pole. There was a statistically significant difference between the far periphery, posterior pole and mid-periphery. Conclusion: This knowledge can be used to further guide treatment and understand risk for NVG.
Penetrating cardiac injuries: literature review and analysis of the forensic approach
Authors: Ferrara Michela , Baldari Benedetta , Vittorio Simona , Bertozzi Giuseppe , Cipolloni Luigi , De Simone Stefania
Published: January 2022

Penetrating cardiac injuries represent an increasingly frequent type of trauma in clinical and autopsy practice. The present study aims to review the specialist literature of the last decade (2010–2020) to assess whether the main features of these lesions have changed compared to previous years. The following characteristics were considered: sex, age, cardiac structure involved, execution or not of surgery and postoperative survival, hemodynamic stability, circumstances and mechanism of production, injury and cause of death. Furthermore, the authors propose a practical appraisal of penetrating heart injury in which death was due to a delay in rescue. In line with the data obtained from the practical case, the review showed that compared to the past, the differences concern especially the mortality rate. This paper highlights that the forensic pathologist who approaches a case of transcardiac injury must consider that the circumstances of death are not always attributable to accidental events, attacks or suicides, but may also be due to clinical malpractice or failure to rescue.
Isoform-specific and cell/tissue-dependent effects of p38 MAPKs in regulating inflammation and inflammation-associated oncogenesis
Authors: Qin Jian-Zhong , Xin Hong , Qi Xiao-Mei , Chen Guan
Published: January 2022

p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinases) family proteins (α, β, γ and δ) are key inflammatory kinases and play an important role in relaying and processing intrinsic and extrinsic signals in response to inflammation, stress, and oncogene to regulate cell growth, cell death and cell transformation. Recent studies in genetic mouse models revealed that p38α in epithelial cells mostly suppresses whereas in immune cells it promotes inflammation and inflammation-associated oncogenesis. On the contrary, p38γ and p38δ signaling in immune and epithelial cells is both pro-inflammatory and oncogenic. This review summarizes recent discoveries in this field, discusses possible associated mechanisms, and highlights potentials of systemically targeting isoform-specific p38 MAPKs. Understanding of p38 MAPK isoform-specific and cell/tissue- and perhaps stage-dependent effects and their integrated regulated activity in inflammation and in inflammation-associated oncogenesis is essential for effectively targeting this group of kinases for therapeutic intervention.
Airway local endoscopic pharmacological treatment; current applications and future concepts
Authors: Zarogoulidis Paul , Kosmidis Christoforos , Sapalidis Konstantinos , Hohenforst-Schmidt Wolfgang , Matthaios Dimitris , Tsakiridis Kosmas , Lallas Aimilios , Bai Chong , Huang Haidong , Arnaoutoglou Christos , Ioannidis Aris , Sardeli Chrysanthi
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Local treatment of the airways and lung parenchyma has been used in clinical practice for several years for a variety of diseases. Methods: A variety of endoscopic tools for local treatment exist, especially for treating malignancies. Using these endoscopic tools, one can administer drugs specifically designed for the airways. Discussion: This article presents all locally administered treatment options and provides useful insights for future local endoscopically applied treatments.
Treatment of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: promise, disappointment, and hope
Authors: He Jingzhou , Bellenger Nick G , Ludman Andrew J , Shore Angela C , Strain W David
Published: January 2022

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Timely reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) remains the gold standard in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), limiting infarct size, preserving left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and improving clinical outcomes. Despite this, a significant proportion of STEMI patients develop post-infarct heart failure. We review the current understanding and up-to-date evidence base for therapeutic intervention of ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), a combination of myocardial ischaemia secondary to acute coronary occlusion and reperfusion injury leading to further myocardial injury and cell death. Multiple treatment modalities have been shown to be cardioprotective and reduce IRI in experimental animal models. Recent phase II/III randomised controlled trials (RCT) have assessed multiple cardioprotective strategies ranging from ischaemic conditioning, therapeutic hypothermia and hyperoxaemia to pharmacological therapies. While several therapies have been shown to reduce infarct size in animal models or proof-of-concept studies, many larger scale trial results have proven inconsistent and disappointing. Hard clinical outcomes remain elusive. We discuss potential reasons for the difficulties in translation to clinical practice.
Heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction: emerging frontiers in clinical characteristics, prognosis, and treatment
Authors: Shang Zhi , Wang Xinyu , Gao Wei
Published: January 2022

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome resulting from the impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood or both, leading to considerable morbidity and mortality. Based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the 2016 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guideline firstly classified patients with LVEF in the range of 40% to 49% into heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction. Since then, more and more clinical studies targeting HF with mid-range ejection fraction emerged, indicating that they may benefit from similar therapies to those with LVEF ≤40%. So the latest ESC guideline of HF changed the term ‘heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction’ to ‘heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction’ (HFmrEF). Simultaneously, burgeoning evidence indicating the emergence of novel technologies (such as speckle tracking echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance quantitative imaging), and new biomarkers were conducive to evaluating HF from different perspectives. In this review, we summarized the research progress of HFmrEF in clinical characteristics, prognosis, and treatment, hoping to help cardiologists better evaluate and treat patients of HFmrEF.
Identification and treatment of the vulnerable coronary plaque
Authors: van Veelen Anna , van der Sangen Niels M.R. , Henriques José P.S. , Claessen Bimmer E.P.M.
Published: January 2022

Acute coronary syndrome mostly arises from rupture or erosion of a vulnerable plaque. Vulnerable plaques typically appear as lipid-rich plaques with a thin cap, called thin-cap fibroatheromas. Various intracoronary imaging techniques can be used to detect vulnerable plaques, such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), each visualizing different high-risk plaque characteristics. IVUS and its post-processing techniques, such as virtual histology IVUS, can primarily be used to identify calcified and soft plaques, while OCT is also able to quantitatively measure the cap thickness. The addition of NIRS allows the exact measurement of lipid content in the plaque. Non-invasive imaging techniques to identify vulnerable plaques, such as computed tomography, are less often used but are evolving and may be of additional diagnostic use, especially when prophylactic treatments for vulnerable plaques are further established. Pharmacological treatment with lipid-lowering or anti-inflammatory medication leads to plaque stabilization and reduction of cardiovascular events. Moreover, the implantation of a stent or scaffold for the local treatment of vulnerable plaques has been found to be safe and to stabilize high-risk plaque features. The use of drug-coated balloons to treat vulnerable plaques is the subject of ongoing research. Future studies should focus on non-invasive imaging techniques to adequately identify vulnerable plaques and further randomized clinical studies are necessary to find the most appropriate treatment strategy for vulnerable plaques.
Emotional granularity is associated with daily experiential diversity
Authors: Hoemann Katie , Lee Yeasle , Kuppens Peter , Gendron Maria , Boyd Ryan L.
Published: January 2022

Emotional granularity is the ability to create differentiated and nuanced emotional experiences and is associated with positive health outcomes. Individual differences in granularity are hypothesized to reflect differences in emotion concepts, which are informed by prior experience and impact current and future experience. Greater variation in experience, then, should be related to the rich and diverse emotion concepts that support higher granularity. Using natural language processing methods, we analyzed descriptions of everyday events to estimate the diversity of contexts and activities encountered by participants. Across three studies varying in language (English versus Dutch) and modality (written versus spoken), we found that participants who referred to a more varied and balanced set of contexts and activities reported more differentiated and nuanced negative emotions. Experiential diversity was not associated with granularity for positive emotions. We discuss the contents of daily life as a potential source and outcome of individual differences in emotion.
Comparing Analysis Blinding With Preregistration In The Many-Analysts Religion Project
Authors: Sarafoglou Alexandra , Hoogeveen Suzanne , Wagenmakers Eric-Jan
Published: January 2022

In psychology, preregistration is the most widely used method to ensure the confirmatory status of analyses. However, the method has disadvantages: not only is it perceived as effortful and time consuming, but reasonable deviations from the analysis plan demote the status of the study to exploratory. An alternative to preregistration is analysis blinding, where researchers develop their analysis on an altered version of the data. In this experimental study, we compare the reported efficiency and convenience of the two methods in the context of the Many-Analysts Religion Project. In this project, 120 teams answered the same research questions on the same dataset, either preregistering their analysis (n = 61) or using analysis blinding (n = 59). Our results provide strong evidence (BF = 71.40) for the hypothesis that analysis blinding leads to fewer deviations from the analysis plan and if teams deviated they did so on fewer aspects. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found strong evidence (BF = 13.19) that both methods required approximately the same amount of time. Finally, we found no and moderate evidence on whether analysis blinding was perceived as less effortful and frustrating, respectively. We conclude that analysis blinding does not mean less work, but researchers can still benefit from the method since they can plan more appropriate analyses from which they deviate less frequently.
Prospectively Predicting Adult Depressive Symptoms from Adolescent Peer Dysfunction: A Sibling Comparison Study
Authors: Funkhouser Carter J. , Ashaie Sameer , Gameroff Marc J. , Talati Ardesheer , Posner Jonathan , Weissman Myrna M. , Shankman Stewart
Published: January 2022

Previous studies have shown that peer dysfunction in adolescence predicts depression in adulthood, even when controlling for certain individual- and/or family-level characteristics. However, these studies have not controlled for numerous potential familial confounders, precluding causal inferences. The present study therefore used a sibling comparison design (i.e., comparing siblings within families) to test whether peer dysfunction (e.g., lack of friendships, victimization) in adolescence continues to predict depression in adulthood after accounting for unmeasured familial confounds and individual characteristics in adolescence. Participants’ (N=85) dysfunction with peers was assessed in adolescence (mean age=13.21, SD=3.47) by self- and parent-report, and adult depressive symptoms was assessed up to five times, up to 38 years later. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the effect of adolescent peer dysfunction on adult depressive symptoms after adjusting for familial confounds and/or individual characteristics in adolescence (e.g., baseline depressive symptoms, dysfunctional relations with siblings/parents). Both self-reported (b=1.28, p<.001) and parent-reported (b=0.56, p=.032) adolescent peer dysfunction were associated with greater depressive symptoms severity in adulthood in unadjusted models. Self-reported (but not parent-reported) adolescent peer dysfunction continued to predict adult depressive symptoms after controlling for familial confounding and measured covariates such as adolescent depressive symptoms and relations with siblings and parents (b=1.06, p=.035). Although confidence intervals were wide and the potentially confounding effects of numerous individual-level factors were not ruled out, these findings provide preliminary evidence that perceived peer dysfunction in adolescence may be an unconfounded risk factor for depressive symptoms in adulthood.
Vorteile kognitiver Homogenisierung? Replikation einer Studie von Hartmut Esser und Julian Seuring zu den Auswirkungen von strikter Leistungsdifferenzierung auf Schulleistungen und Bildungsungleichheit
Authors: Lorenz Georg , Lenz Sarah
Published: January 2022

Inwieweit Leistungsdifferenzierung (bzw. tracking) schulische Leistungen und Bildungsungleichheit beeinflusst, wird kontrovers diskutiert. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es, die Ergebnisse einer Arbeit von Hartmut Esser und Julian Seuring zu dieser Fragestellung anhand von Daten der IQB-Bildungstrendstudien zu replizieren. Theoretisch werden weiterführend nicht-intendierte Folgen von Leistungsdifferenzierung diskutiert. Empirisch bestätigt sich die Grundannahme einer stärkeren kognitiven Homogenität von Schulklassen in strikt differenzierenden Bundesländern nur teilweise. Außerdem lassen sich positive Zusammenhänge zwischen kognitiver Homogenität und schulischen Leistungen nicht replizieren. Vielmehr scheinen differenzielle Kompositionseffekte und Peerprozesse den positiven Effekten der Unterrichtstrukturierung in kognitiv homogenen Schulkontexten entgegenzuwirken. Wie in der Originalstudie variiert soziale Ungleichheit jedoch nicht zwischen den Systemen. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Leistungsunterschiede zwischen den Sekundarschulsystemen teilweise auf unbeobachtete Bundesländerunterschiede zurückgehen könnten.
Perspective of medical graduates from Patan Academy of Health Sciences on the management of COVID-19, during the initial phase of pandemic in Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Shrijana , Shrestha Ashis , Acharya Balakrishnan M
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Nepal, with a poor health infrastructure and resources, when hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the health system and the health workers were not well prepared to handle the crisis.
Method: A survey was conducted during the initial phase of the pandemic (July-October, 2020) to understand the perspective of PAHS medical graduates on the management of COVID-19. A survey questionnaire was prepared in Google Form and circulated through official group emails.
Result: A total of 80 graduates participated in the survey .Of the participants, 35(66%) reported that their health facility was only partially prepared and 8 (15.1%) reported that their site was not at all prepared to take care of COVID-19 patients. The local government and the community of their workplace were reported as supportive of the efforts of the pandemic management by 30(37.7%) and 33(41.5%) respondents respectively. The graduates working during the pandemic were involved in activities like swab collection (8), screening (30), critical care (37), patient education/counseling (41), managing non-COVID-19 patients (47), and administrative work (17). Inadequate planning of service delivery was identified as major lacking nationally while the human resources, logistics, PPE and lack of motivation were reported as the major lacking locally by the participating graduates.
Conclusion: The fresh PAHS graduates were found to be contributing at their respective workplaces fitting into both the clinical and non-clinical roles during the initial phase of the pandemic in Nepal. They reported that one or more of the components of PAHS training helped in the readiness to work in this pandemic.
Psychological distress during COVID-19 among pregnant women attending antenatal outpatient department at tertiary hospital
Authors: Agrawal Khatry Roshani , Ghimmire Nirmala , Maharjan Ratna Kumari , Shrestha Niran
Published: January 2022

Introduction: It is known that a pregnant person’s body is undergoing immune system changes and is not operating the same way as a non-pregnant person’s body, which threatens the emotional states of women trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The present study aimed to identify the psychological distress during COVID-19 among pregnant women.
Method: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at the antenatal outpatient department of Patan Hospital, Nepal. The non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select 457 samples. Ethical approval was obtained. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview using the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (5 items) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (10 items). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyzing the data.
Result: The average age of the respondents was 27 years. Results revealed that only 5(1.1%) pregnant women had anxiety, while 23(5.0%) had possible depression due to COVID-19. None of the sociodemographic variables were significantly associated with psychological distress (anxiety and depression) among pregnant women.
Conclusion: Psychological distress was found to be minimal among pregnant women attending antenatal OPD in Patan Hospital.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Social Work Practice in Canada
Authors: Baker Matthew , Berens Katie A. , Williams Shanna , Bruer Kaila C. , Evans Angela D. , Price Heather L.
Published: January 2022

Social workers involved in child maltreatment investigations faced considerable challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interactions with children and families carried new restrictions and risks, which resulted in changes in practice. We conducted a two-phase, mixed-methods study which examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social workers who work with maltreated children from both urban and rural areas across Canada. More specifically, we examined changes in service delivery, as well as perceptions of safety, stress, worry, and how support differed between urban and rural social workers. Fifty social workers (62% urban, 38% rural) responded to the Phase 1 survey, disseminated in May 2020, with 34 (76% urban, 24% rural) responding to the Phase 2 survey in November 2020. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that rural social workers reported more worry, stress and a greater need for mental health support, in addition to receiving less support than urban social workers during the first wave of COVID-19 cases. However, during the second wave of cases, urban social workers reported more stress, a greater need for mental health support, and receiving less support than rural social workers. Additional research is needed to further uncover the nature of the differences between rural and urban social workers, and to identify the prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on social workers.
Domesticating Technology in Pandemic Social Work
Authors: Aasback Anne Wullum , Røkkum Nina Helen Aas
Published: January 2022

On March 12th, 2020 the Norwegian government announced what later became known as ‘the lockdown’ of Norway due to the outbreak of Covid-19. This led to major changes in society where social distancing became the ‘new normal’ in everyday life. For social workers, it meant adapting to ‘new’ social problems among vulnerable groups as well as comprehensive changes in their working conditions and interactions with clients.

Many social workers communicated with clients on digital platforms before the pandemic, but Norway’s Covid-19 social distancing policies changed the terms for using these platforms. This article investigates the impact of the pandemic on the ways Norwegian social workers involve themselves with digital technology in their interactions with clients. We employ domestication theory to investigate how social workers shape and navigate these new circumstances triggered by the pandemic using a three-dimensional model that includes practical, symbolic, and cognitive levels of analysis.

The data underlying this article consist of 16 semi-structured interviews with social workers from seven different social services in Norway. The interviews were conducted approximately one month after the lockdown. The digital transformation within Norwegian social services, together with the changes related to the pandemic, have created new ways of practicing social work. We turn our attention to the following research questions: What characterized social workers’ digital interactions with clients during the first months of the pandemic? What can be learned from their experiences with domesticating technology? How has digital technology supported, challenged, and changed professional values in practice?
LGBTQ+ parents’ experiences talking with their children about sex and sexuality
Authors: Easterbrook Riley , van Rhijn Tricia , Neustifter Ruth
Published: January 2022

Parents are key stakeholders in their children’s sex education, but previous research has predominantly focused on heterosexual parents’ experiences discussing sex and sexuality with their children, resulting in a lack of information on LGBTQ+ parents and their children. This project examined open-ended responses to an online survey from 45 LGBTQ+ parents discussing their experiences talking with their children about sex and sexuality. LGBTQ+ parents focused on open and honest discussions, normalizing sexuality for their children, and emphasizing consent. Parents also discussed who initiated conversations, the impact of their own sex education experiences, and preparing for these conversations in a variety of ways.
“All I do is present what is given to us as the facts”: Progressive sex education and the reproduction of inequality in public school classrooms
Authors: Albert Katelin
Published: January 2022

In the context of controversial sex education curriculum, this research uncovers complexities of teaching sex education in Ontario, Canada. Based on ethnographic observations of four public school sex education classes and interviews with teachers, I show that these sex-ed teachers tend to engage several strategies or key dimensions of “progressiveness” in order to navigate the difficult work of teaching this curriculum. They use facts, teach choice, and promote diversity. I also show how systems of gender, sexual, class, racial, and ethnic inequalities are reproduced alongside their progressive efforts. This research highlights educators’ strategies for teaching this content as well as the taken-for-granted inequalities that persist in education, despite best intentions.
Epidemiology and Survival after Spinal Meningioma Surgery: A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Authors: Jecko Vincent , Weller Joconde , Houston Deborah , Champeaux-Depond Charles
Published: January 2022

Study Design: This is a cross-sectional nationwide descriptive observational and analytic retrospective study.Purpose: This study aims to describe and assess survival after spinal meningioma (SM) surgery.Overview of Literature: A few studies report a reduced survival after SM surgery.Methods: The current study processed the Système National des Données de Santé (SNDS), the French national administrative medical database, to retrieve appropriate cases.Results: This study identified 2,844 patients (79.1% females) between 2008 and 2017. The median age at surgery was 66 years (interquartile range [IQR], 56–75 years). Moreover, 95.9% of SMs were removed through posterior or posterolateral approaches, and 6.9% were epidural and 0.7% needed an associated spine stabilization. Benign meningioma represented 92.9%, with 5% and 2.1% atypical and malignant, respectively. The median follow-up was 3.3 years (IQR, 3.1–3.5 years). Of the patients, 0.25% and 1.2% expired within a month and a year of surgery, respectively. At data collection, 225 patients (7.9%) expired. The 5-year overall survival (OS) probability was 90.1% (95% CI, 88.6%–91.7%). However, absolute excess risk of mortality after SM surgery was null, and the related standardized mortality ratio was 1 (95% CI, 0.9–1.2; p =0.565). In the adjusted regression, age at surgery (hazard ratio [HR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04–1.07; p <0.001), level of comorbidities (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.34–1.54; p <0.001), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2; HR, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.28–10.39; p =0.0152), epidural SM (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.09–2.75; p =0.0206), and malignant meningioma (HR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.51–4.61; p <0.001) remained significantly associated to a reduced OS.Conclusions: The SNDS is of great value in assessing SM incidence, associated mortality, and its predictors. OS after meningioma surgery is favorable but may be impaired for NF2 or older patients with a high level of comorbidities, epidural tumor, and malignant histopathology. SM surgery is not associated with an increased absolute excess mortality risk despite being performed on even more senior patients compared with intracranial meningioma.
Surgical approaches to refractory central lobule epilepsy: a systematic review on the role of resection, ablation, and stimulation in the contemporary era
Authors: Kerezoudis Panagiotis , Lundstrom Brian N. , Meyer Fredric B. , Worrell Gregory A. , Van Gompel Jamie J.
Published: January 2022

OBJECTIVE

Epilepsy originating from the central lobule (i.e., the primary sensorimotor cortex) is a challenging entity to treat given its involvement of eloquent cortex. The objective of this study was to review available evidence on treatment options for central lobule epilepsy.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search (PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and Scopus) was conducted for studies (1990 to date) investigating postoperative outcomes for central lobule epilepsy. The primary and secondary endpoints were seizure freedom at last follow-up and postoperative neurological deficit, respectively. The following procedures were included: open resection, multiple subpial transections (MSTs), laser and radiofrequency ablation, deep brain stimulation (DBS), responsive neurostimulation (RNS), and continuous subthreshold cortical stimulation (CSCS).

RESULTS

A total of 52 studies and 504 patients were analyzed. Most evidence was based on open resection, yielding a total of 400 patients (24 studies), of whom 62% achieved seizure freedom at a mean follow-up of 48 months. A new or worsened motor deficit occurred in 44% (permanent in 19%). Forty-six patients underwent MSTs, of whom 16% achieved seizure freedom and 30% had a neurological deficit (permanent in 12%). There were 6 laser ablation cases (cavernomas in 50%) with seizure freedom in 4 patients and 1 patient with temporary motor deficit. There were 5 radiofrequency ablation cases, with 1 patient achieving seizure freedom, 2 patients each with Engel class III and IV outcomes, and 2 patients with motor deficit. The mean seizure frequency reduction at the last follow-up was 79% for RNS (28 patients), 90% for CSCS (15 patients), and 73% for DBS (4 patients). There were no cases of temporary or permanent neurological deficit in the CSCS or DBS group.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlights the safety and efficacy profile of resection, ablation, and stimulation for refractory central lobe epilepsy. Resection of localized regions of epilepsy onset zones results in good rates of seizure freedom (62%); however, nearly 20% of patients had permanent motor deficits. The authors hope that this review will be useful to providers and patients when tailoring decision-making for this intricate pathology.
Effect of facility volume on giant pituitary adenoma neurosurgical outcomes
Authors: Chalif Eric J. , Couldwell William T. , Aghi Manish K.
Published: January 2022

OBJECTIVE

Giant pituitary adenomas (PAs), defined as 4 cm or greater at their maximum diameter, are commonly treated with neurosurgical intervention as the first-line therapy. However, existing studies are from high-volume institutions whose outcomes may not be representative of many cancer centers. In the present study, the authors use a large cancer registry to evaluate demographics, national treatment trends, and outcomes by facility volume to address knowledge gaps for this uncommon tumor.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried for adult patients with PAs who had undergone resection from 2004 to 2016. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to evaluate the prognostic impact of covariates on short-term outcomes including 30-day readmission (30R), 30-day mortality (30M), 90-day mortality (90M), and prolonged length of inpatient hospital stay (LOS). Propensity score matching was used for validation.

RESULTS

Among the 39,030 patients who met the study inclusion criteria, 3696 giant PAs were identified. These tumors had higher rates of subtotal resection (55% vs 24%, p < 0.001), adjunctive radiotherapy (15% vs 5%, p < 0.001), and hormonal therapy (8% vs 4%, p < 0.001) than nongiant PAs. The giant PAs also had worse 30M (0.6% vs 3.1%, p < 0.001), 90M (1.0% vs 5.0%, p < 0.001), 30R (4.0% vs 6.3%, p < 0.001), and LOS (22.2% vs 42.1%, p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis for giant PA, decreased tumor size, younger age, race other than African American, lower comorbidity score, and high-volume facility (HVF; defined as ≥ 2.5 giant PA cases per year) were statistically significant predictors of favorable outcomes. Specifically, 30M, 90M, 30R, and LOS were decreased by 50%, 43%, 55%, and 32%, respectively, when giant PAs were treated at HVFs (each p < 0.05). HVFs more often used the endoscopic approach (71% vs 46%, p < 0.001) and less adjuvant radiotherapy (11% vs 16%, p < 0.001). Propensity score matching validated 30M, 30R, and LOS outcome differences in a cohort of 1056 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence of superior outcomes when giant PAs are treated at HVFs. These results likely reflect the relation between physician experience and outcomes for these uncommon tumors, which suggests the need for institutional collaboration as a potential goal in their surgical management.
Uso de la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) como estrategia en la educación superior
Authors: Cotrina-Aliaga Juan Carlos , Vera-Flores Miguel Ángel , Ortiz-Cotrina Willinton Chiliman , Sosa-Celi Paul
Published: January 2022

Los nuevos retos de la universidad en la sociedad de la información requieren un cambio importante en sus canales de formación rígidos. Los formatos de inteligencia artificial prometen una importante mejora en el aprendizaje a todos los niveles de formas cualitativas incomparables: permiten al docente personalizar la educación de acuerdo con las necesidades del alumno, así como integrar las diversas formas de interacción humana y IA. en el nuevo milenio. En que el director de la nueva universidad tiene el reto de planificar, diseñar, desarrollar y aplicar urgentemente habilidades digitales para formar unos profesionales que sean capaces de comprender y desarrollar el entorno tecnológico según sus necesidades.
Content Estimation of Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Waters and Soils of the Unal Tailings Pond
Authors: Ermakov Vadim , Degtyarev Alexander , Safonov Vladimir , Gulyaeva Uliana , Tyutikov Sergey , Danilova Valentina
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study is to estimate the migration of heavy metals (HMs) and As into the water of the Ardon river, and their content in the soils of the areas adjacent to the Unal Tailings Pond (UTP) caused due to the industrial waste of the Mizur Ore Mining and Processing Enterprise (OMPE) (North Ossetia). The main survey loops for experimental research and collection of biogeochemical materials are located in the Ardon river basin where the major abandoned polymetallic fields of the Republic are located. Soil samples were taken from 20 sites throughout the Ardon river and within the UTP. HMs and As levels in the water, alluvium, soils samples were determined using the atomic-absorption spectroscopy (AAS) in its flame version and/or electrothermal atomisation. We have determined that UTP wastewater discharge into the Ardon river along with Me introduction with waters of the Unaldon river, as well as the dust/pulp coming from UTP followed by the formation of bottom polymetallic anomalies provide a significant contribution to the Me pollution of the Ardon. High Me content in soil and slurry as a result of its deflation and in UTP effluents may lead to Me absorption by plants and other organisms. The data obtained reflect the processes of modern transformation of mountain taxa of the biosphere with a technogenic component and can be used for remediation of contaminated areas.
Reverse Micellar Extraction of Copper Ions from Wastewater: Modelling and Simulation
Authors: Chaturvedi Tarun Kumar , Pandit Prabhat , Upadhyaya Sushant , Vashishtha Manish
Published: January 2022

The waste streams from various agencies like textile, leather, electroplating, and process industries are generating pollutants in the form of effluents or by products. These waste streams consist of various carcinogenic pollutants such as dyes and heavy metals above the permissible limits. Numerous effluent treatment techniques have been implemented for the removal of these pollutants before their discharge into the water body. In this work, reverse micellar extraction was used for the removal of copper ions (heavy metal ions) from the waste stream. Mathematical models namely, the ion exchange reaction model and electrostatic model were developed in order to compare the experimental data with model predictions with regard to the effect of process parameters such as initial metal ion concentration, sodium bis-2-ethyl hexyl sulphosuccinate (AOT) concentration, and organic to aqueous phase volume ratio on final copper ion concentration in the aqueous phase. The ion exchange reaction model was based on chemical and electrostatic interactions between heavy metal ions and the surfactant head groups at the reverse micellar interface, whereas the electrostatic model was based on the adsorption of metal ions on the reverse micellar interface due to electrostatic force of attraction with no chemical bonding. The developed mathematical models were found in close agreement with the experimental data. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to measure the metal ion concentration in the aqueous phase.
Implementation of Renewable Energy Indicators to Manage Water Supply Resources
Authors: Husein Ismail , Surendar A. , Kadyrov Marsel , Heidary Alireza , Mortazavi Mohsen , Elveny Marischa
Published: January 2022

Water management policies are considered critical issues in various industries to provide relevant demand for urban areas. In this study, renewable energy indicators are used to determine the efficiency of each indicator on water management issues. Therefore, it is evident that these indicators would enable policymakers to make proper decisions and propose novel methods to manage water resources in developed areas. The implementation of harnessing technologies would be the most influential index in developing indicators in the water management system. It is crucial to rebuild and innovate new technologies to eliminate the unnecessary expenses of water treatment virtually.
Evaluation and Correlation Analysis of Surface Water In and Around Mangalore Coastal Belt, Karnataka, India
Authors: Kiran D.A. , Ramaraju H.K.
Published: January 2022

Urbanisation, industrialisation, population growth and various agricultural activities in and around coastal areas have led to a significant amount of pollutants into the surrounding aquatic ecosystem such as estuary, river, sea, seashore and coastal wetlands. This causes ecological degradation. Pollution is one of the major challenges to the sustainability of coastal areas. In the study area, major industries are located on the Gurupur river bank which joins the Nethravati river to form a common estuary before entering the Arabian sea. The major activities that are responsible for coastal pollution in the study area are discharge and disposal of untreated domestic and industrial wastes to estuaries, rivers, nearshore waters and harbour activities. Gurupura and Nethravthi are two west flowing rivers of the Mangaluru coastal region. They receive a large amount of pollution load from the nearby industries causing the deterioration of the water quality. In this study, 10 surface water samples which include stream water, river water and sea water, were collected during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon and analysed for various water quality parameters by adopting standard methods. The study reveals that the electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and chlorides concentration of most of the surface water samples were met above the standard limits in both seasons. From the correlation analysis, it was found that a very strong correlation was observed between chlorides and hardness (0.9691), TDS and conductivity (0.9227) during post-monsoon season of 2018 and TDS and conductivity (1.00), COD and chlorides (0.8922), DO and chlorides (0.8810) during pre-monsoon of 2019.