bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zebrafish as an Animal Model for Ocular Toxicity Testing: A Review of Ocular Anatomy and Functional Assays
Authors: Cassar Steven , Dunn Christina , Ramos Meg Ferrell
Published: October 2020

Xenobiotics make their way into organisms from diverse sources including diet, medication, and pollution. Our understanding of ocular toxicities from xenobiotics in humans, livestock, and wildlife is growing thanks to laboratory animal models. Anatomy and physiology are conserved among vertebrate eyes, and studies with common mammalian preclinical species (rodent, dog) can predict human ocular toxicity. However, since the eye is susceptible to toxicities that may not involve a histological correlate, and these species rely heavily on smell and hearing to navigate their world, discovering visual deficits can be challenging with traditional animal models. Alternative models capable of identifying functional impacts on vision and requiring minimal amounts of chemical are valuable assets to toxicology. Human and zebrafish eyes are anatomically and functionally similar, and it has been reported that several common human ocular toxicants cause comparable toxicity in zebrafish. Vision develops rapidly in zebrafish; the tiny larvae rely on visual cues as early as 4 days, and behavioral responses to those cues can be monitored in high-throughput fashion. This article describes the comparative anatomy of the zebrafish eye, the notable differences from the mammalian eye, and presents practical applications of this underutilized model for assessment of ocular toxicity.
Understanding of Health-related Decision-making Terminology Among Cancer Caregivers
Authors: Moss Karen O. , Douglas Sara L. , Lipson Amy R. , Blackstone Eric , Williams Dionne , Aaron Siobhan , Wills Celia E.
Published: October 2020

Research on understanding health-related decision-making terminology among family caregivers of adults living with advanced cancer is lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine interpretations of the meaning of health-related decision-making terminology such as quality-of-life and end-of-life among caregivers of adults living with advanced cancer as a basis for improved understanding of caregiver decision support needs. Interviews were conducted with a purposive sub-sample of 10 caregivers of adults diagnosed with advanced cancer who completed a longitudinal, descriptive study (NRO14856) of factors influencing cancer care decisions. Audio transcripts were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods. Caregivers described interpretations of the meaning and process of decision-making and decision-related distress. Caregivers were uncertain about the meaning of end-of-life-related terminology, and a placed high value on quality-of-life and faith/spirituality in the decision-making process. Improvements in information and decision support interventions are needed to better support caregivers and subsequently patients towards informed cancer care decisions.
Book review: Abdou Maliq Simone, Improvised Lives: Rhythms of Endurance in an Urban South
Authors: Menski Werner
Published: October 2020

Abdou Maliq Simone, Improvised Lives: Rhythms of Endurance in an Urban South (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2019), vii + 151 pp.
How can I thank you? Highlighting the benefactor’s responsiveness or costs when expressing gratitude
Authors: Park Yoobin , Visserman Mariko L. , Sisson Natalie M. , Le Bonnie M. , Stellar Jennifer E. , Impett Emily A.
Published: October 2020

Despite growing evidence that showing gratitude plays a powerful role in building social connections, little is known about how to best express gratitude to maximize its relational benefits. In this research, we examined how two key ways of expressing gratitude—conveying that the benefactor’s kind action met one’s needs (responsiveness-highlighting) and acknowledging how costly the action was (cost-highlighting)—impact benefactors’ reactions to the gratitude and feelings about their relationship. Using observer ratings of gratitude expressions during couples’ live interactions ( N = 111 couples), and benefactors’ self-reports across a 14-day experience sampling study ( N = 463 daily reports), we found that responsiveness-highlighting was associated with benefactors’ positive feelings about the gratitude expression and the relationship. In contrast, cost-highlighting had no such effect. These findings suggest that expressing gratitude in a way that highlights how responsive benefactors were may be critical to reaping the relational benefits of gratitude and have practical implications for improving couples’ well-being.
Policing Practices as a Vehicle for Brutalization: The Case of Spain’s Civil Guard, 1934–1936
Authors: Chamberlin Foster
Published: October 2020

This article offers a new explanation for why brutalization occurred in only some parts of Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. The presence of veterans hardened by war was not enough for a broader brutalization of society to take place; the presence of pre-existing institutions with experience repressing civilian populations was also necessary so that their methods could then be applied more broadly by those in favour of employing brutality in political contestation and warfare. This article examines the repression of the rebellion of October 1934 in the Asturias region and the beginning of the Spanish Civil War as examples of this chain of events. Spain’s militarized police force, the Civil Guard, had a long history of dealing harshly with those who challenged the liberal regimes of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the suppression of the Asturias revolt, colonial officers were able to apply the Civil Guard’s pre-existing methods on a wider scale in their effort to cleanse Spanish society of radical elements. In the Civil War, they extended a similar pattern of repression across the entire country.
House-Destruction as a Ritual of Punishment in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Friedrichs Christopher R.
Published: October 2020

The public execution of criminals was a familiar ritual of early modern European society. This article, however, examines the less frequent practice of ordering that a criminal’s house be ritually demolished following the execution. In many cases, the destroyed house was then replaced by a monument which was intended to simultaneously obliterate and perpetuate the criminal’s memory. Rare as it was, ritual house-destruction was a surprisingly widespread practice, undertaken at various times between 1520 and 1760 in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. Though punitive house-destructions had been undertaken in medieval Europe, the practice acquired new overtones in the early modern era. This article examines how and when this striking form of punishment was applied in early modern Europe and considers why authorities would order the destruction of property in order to enshrine the memory of particularly serious crimes.
Physicians’ predictions of long-term survival and functional outcomes do not influence the decision to admit patients with advanced disease to intensive care: A prospective study
Authors: Escher Monica , Nendaz Mathieu , Scherer Fabienne , Cullati Stéphane , Perneger Thomas
Published: October 2020

Background:

Long-term survival and functional outcomes should influence admission decisions to intensive care, especially for patients with advanced disease.

Aim:

To determine whether physicians’ predictions of long-term prognosis influenced admission decisions for patients with and without advanced disease.

Design:

A prospective study was conducted. Physicians estimated patient survival with intensive care and with care on the ward, and the probability of 4 long-term outcomes: leaving hospital alive, survival at 6 months, recovery of functional status, and recovery of cognitive status. Patient mortality at 28 days was recorded. We built multivariate logistic regression models using admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) as the dependent variable.

Setting/participants:

ICU consultations for medical inpatients at a Swiss tertiary care hospital were included.

Results:

Of 201 evaluated patients, 105 (52.2%) had an advanced disease and 140 (69.7%) were admitted to the ICU. The probability of admission was strongly associated with the expected short-term survival benefit for patients with or without advanced disease. In contrast, the predicted likelihood that the patient would leave the hospital alive, would be alive 6 months later, would recover functional status, and would recover initial cognitive capacity was not associated with the decision to admit a patient to the ICU. Even for patients with advanced disease, none of these estimated outcomes influenced the admission decision.

Conclusions:

ICU admissions of patients with advanced disease were determined by short-term survival benefit, and not by long-term prognosis. Advance care planning and developing decision-aid tools for triage could help limit potentially inappropriate admissions to intensive care.
Orexin-1 receptor signaling within the lateral hypothalamus, but not bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, mediates context-induced relapse to alcohol seeking
Authors: Campbell Erin J , Hill Mitchell KRI , Maddern Xavier J , Jin Shubo , Pang Terence Y , Lawrence Andrew J
Published: October 2020

Background:

The lateral hypothalamic orexin (hypocretin) system has a well-established role in the motivation for reward. This has particular relevance to substance use disorders since orexin-1 receptors play a critical role in alcohol-seeking behavior, acting at multiple nodes in relapse-associated networks.

Aims:

This study aimed to further our understanding of the role of orexin-1 receptor signaling within the lateral hypothalamus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, specifically in context-induced relapse to alcohol-seeking following punishment-imposed abstinence.

Methods:

We trained inbred male alcohol-preferring rats to self-administer alcohol in one environment or context (Context A) and subsequently punished their alcohol-reinforced lever presses in a different environment (Context B) using contingent foot shock punishment. Finally, we tested rats for relapse-like behavior in either context following systemic, intra-lateral hypothalamus or intra-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis orexin-1 receptor antagonism with SB-334867.

Results/outcomes:

We found that systemic orexin-1 receptor antagonism significantly reduced alcohol-seeking in both contexts. Intra-lateral hypothalamus orexin-1 receptor antagonism significantly reduced alcohol-seeking in Context A whereas intra-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis orexin-1 receptor antagonism had no effect on alcohol-seeking behavior.

Conclusions/interpretation:

Our results suggest a role for the orexin-1 receptor system in context-induced relapse to alcohol-seeking. Specifically, intra-lateral hypothalamus orexin microcircuits contribute to alcohol-seeking.
The Future of Macromarketing: Recommendations Based on a Content Analysis of the Past Twelve Years of the Journal of Macromarketing
Authors: Ekici Ahmet , Genc Tugce Ozgen , Celik Hafize
Published: October 2020

In their essays published in the Silver Anniversary Issue (SAI) of the Journal of Macromarketing (2006), George Fisk and Mark Peterson independently outlined the current state of the discipline and made a list of visionary recommendations that would help macromarketers adapt and respond to the changing markets, marketing, and societies. These recommendations ranged from repositioning the discipline around the ideas of societal development to leading the way across disciplines toward achieving a sustainable world. Based on a thorough content analysis of the articles published in the Journal of Macromarketing since the SAI, we aim to report the extent to which macromarketing scholarship has responded to the recommendations of Fisk and Peterson. Utilizing the findings, we make a list of new recommendations that can assist macromarketers in fulfilling their mission of ‘saving the world’.
Functional reconstruction of severe hand injuries using allogeneic tendons: a retrospective study
Authors: Wang Gu Heng , Mao Tian , Xing Shu Guo , Chen Ya Lan , Zhang Yu Xuan , Xie Ren Guo , Zhou Xiao Zhong
Published: October 2020

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of allogeneic tendons for functional reconstruction of severe hand injuries.

Methods

From August 2007 to July 2014, we performed functional reconstruction with tendon allografts for severe hand injuries affecting two or more tendons. At the final follow-up, we assessed total active motion (TAM); pincer pinch strength; grip strength; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score; degree of satisfaction; and adhesion. We measured the white blood cell count, C-reactive protein concentration, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, total T-cell count, and CD4+T/CD8+T ratio to evaluate the immune response and check for infection.

Results

Ten patients received 26 allogeneic tendons to reconstruct hand function. The average follow-up period was 50.0 months (range, 24–82 months). The TAM was 126.4° (12°–253°), pincer pinch strength was 0.83 kg (0–4.5 kg), and grip strength was 13.69 kg (4–41.5 kg). The DASH score was 14.25 (3.3–30.8), and seven and three patients were satisfied and partially satisfied, respectively. One patient developed tendon adhesion. All immune and infectious parameters were within the reference range.

Conclusion

Functional reconstruction using allogeneic tendons for severe hand injuries with multiple tendon defects was effective and safe; however, more research is needed.
No additive effect of combining sumatriptan and olcegepant in the GTN mouse model of migraine
Authors: Ernstsen Charlotte , Christensen Sarah L , Olesen Jes , Kristensen David M
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Despite recent advances in migraine treatment there is a need for therapies with higher clinical efficacy and/or fewer side effects. Triptans (5-HT1B/1D/1F agonists) are essential in the present treatment regime and gepants (CGRP-receptor antagonists) are recognized as effective in acute migraine treatment. Triptans and gepants have different mechanisms of action and here we tested the hypothesis that a combination of these drugs (sumatriptan and olcegepant) would result in an additive effect.

Methods

Using the validated glyceryl trinitrate mouse model of migraine, we initially tested dose-response relationships of sumatriptan (0.1, 0.3, and 0.6 mg/kg IP) and olcegepant (0.25, 0.50, and 1.0 mg/kg IP) to find suitable high and low doses. Subsequently, we performed a combination study of the two drugs with a low and a high dose. All experiments were vehicle (placebo) controlled and blinded.

Results

Sumatriptan significantly reduced glyceryl trinitrate-induced allodynia (F(4,54) = 13.51, p < 0.0001) at all doses. Olcegepant also reduced glyceryl trinitrate-induced allodynia (F(4,53) = 16.11, p < 0.0001) with the two higher doses being significantly effective. Combining 0.50 mg/kg olcegepant with 0.1 or 0.6 mg/kg sumatriptan did not have any improved effect compared to either drug alone ( p > 0.50 on all days) in our mouse model.

Conclusion

Combining olcegepant and sumatriptan did not have an additive effect compared to single-drug treatment in this study. Triptan-gepant combinations will therefore most likely not improve migraine treatment. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary, and combinations should also be examined in patients with migraine.
Innovative Approach to Repair Corroded Steel Piles using Ultra-High Performance Concrete
Authors: Shrestha Binod , Gheni Ahmed , Abdulazeez Mohanad M. , ElGawady Mohamed A.
Published: October 2020

Steel H-piles are a common structural system in existing bridges. Many steel H-piles have been corroded as a result of severe weather and acid/alkaline salt exposures, causing a reduction in the axial load capacity. This paper experimentally investigates the use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) encasement as a novel repair method for corroded steel H-pile. UHPC displays better tensile strength, early compressive strength, workability, and durability compared with conventional concrete. The proposed repair is used to bridge the corroded section in H-pile using either a cast-in-place or precast UHPC elements. A series of push-out tests was conducted on eight full-scale piles to assess the axial force that can be transferred through shear studs and bond between the UHPC and steel piles. The test parameters include the type of casting of the UHPC, that is, cast-in-place versus precast elements, thickness and shape of the UHPC elements, an inclusion of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid, number and grade of bolts, an inclusion of washer, and applying torque on the bolts. The experimental work demonstrated that the UHPC precast repair can be easily implemented. Moreover, using 57 mm (2.25 in.) thick UHPC plates reinforced by two layers of the CFRP grid was capable of transferring up to 81% of the squash load of the H-pile.
Psychopathology in the Offspring of Indigenous Parents with Mental Health Challenges: A Systematic Review: Psychopathologie des descendants de parents autochtones ayant des problèmes de santé mentale: Une revue systématique
Authors: Owais Sawayra , Faltyn Mateusz , Zou Hanyan , Hill Troy , Kates Nick , Burack Jacob A. , Van Lieshout Ryan J.
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Parental psychopathology is a significant risk factor for mental health challenges in offspring, but the nature and magnitude of this link in Indigenous Peoples is not well understood. This systematic review examined the emotional and behavioral functioning of the offspring of Indigenous parents with mental health challenges.

Method:

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science from their inceptions until April 2020. Studies were included if they included assessments of emotional, behavioral, or other psychological outcomes in the offspring of Indigenous parents with a mental health challenge.

Results:

The 14 studies eligible for review were focused on parental substance misuse ( n = 8), maternal internalizing (i.e., depression, anxiety) issues ( n = 5), and poor overall parental mental health ( n = 4). In 11 studies, parental substance misuse, depression, and/or overall mental health challenges were associated with 2 to 4 times the odds of offspring externalizing and internalizing behaviors as compared to offspring of Indigenous parents without mental health challenges.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest higher risks of mental health challenges among offspring of Indigenous parents with psychiatric difficulties than among Indigenous children of parents without similar difficulties. Knowledge of these phenomena would be improved by the use of larger, more representative samples, culturally appropriate measures, and the engagement of Indigenous communities. Future studies should be focused on both risk and resilience mechanisms so that cycles of transmission can be interrupted and resources aimed at detection, prevention, and treatment optimally allocated.
The Warburg effect promoted the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome induced by Ni-refining fumes in BEAS-2B cells
Authors: Wang Rui , Wang Sheng-Yuan , Wang Yue , Xin Rui , Xia Bing , Xin Ye , Zhang Tong , Wu Yong-Hui
Published: October 2020

Nickel (Ni) is a known human carcinogen that has an adverse effect on various human organs in occupational workers during Ni refinement and smelting. In the present study, we used real-time polymerase chain reactions, Western blot analysis, and a lactate production assay to investigate whether an increase in the NLRP3 inflammasome induced by Ni-refining fumes was associated with the Warburg effect in BEAS-2B cells, a nonmalignant pulmonary epithelial line. Exposure to Ni-refining fumes suppressed cell proliferation and increased lactate production compared with those in an untreated control group in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Ni-refining fumes induced the Warburg effect, which was observed based on increases in the levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, hexokinase 2, pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2, and lactate dehydrogenase A. In addition, Ni-refining fumes promoted increased expression of NLRP3 at both the gene and protein levels. Furthermore, inhibition of the Warburg effect by 2-Deoxy-d-glucose reversed the increased expression of NLRP3 induced by Ni-refining fumes. Collectively, our data demonstrated that the Warburg effect can promote the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome induced by the Ni-refining fumes in BEAS-2B cells. This indicates a new phenomenon in which alterations in energy production in human cells induced by Ni-refining fumes regulate the inflammatory response.
Expectancy Violation Drives Memory Boost for Stressful Events
Authors: Kalbe Felix , Bange Stina , Lutz Annika , Schwabe Lars
Published: October 2020

Stressful events are often vividly remembered. Although generally adaptive to survival, this emotional-memory enhancement may contribute to stress-related disorders. We tested here whether the enhanced memory for stressful events is due to the expectancy violation evoked by these events. Ninety-four men and women underwent a stressful or control episode. Critically, to manipulate the degree of expectancy violation, we gave participants either detailed or minimal information about the stressor. Although the subjective and hormonal stress responses were comparable in informed and uninformed participants, prior information about the stressor abolished the memory advantage for core features of the stressful event, tested 7 days later. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we further linked the expectancy violation and memory formation under stress to the inferior temporal cortex. These data are the first to show that detailed information about an upcoming stressor and, by implication, a reduced expectancy violation attenuates the memory for stressful events.
Reduced-order resonant regulator-based position harmonic error suppression for sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor drives
Authors: Lu Qing , Wu Wenye , Zhang Tao , Mo Lihong
Published: October 2020

In this article, to improve the accuracy of rotor position estimation in sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor drives, a reduced-order resonant regulator for the rotor position sliding mode observer is proposed. Since fundamental back electromotive force can be utilized to calculate the rotor position, a mathematical model for the observer is first established based on the analysis of estimation fluctuation error, where a reduced-order resonant regulator is applied to extract the fundamental back electromotive force. Then, the phase-locked loop with back electromotive force normalization is used to compute the rotor position and speed. Finally, the experimental bench of permanent magnet synchronous motor driving system is built. The experimental results verify that the proposed strategy can effectively reduce the estimation error and meanwhile improve estimation accuracy.
Inference about age-standardized rates with sampling errors in the denominators
Authors: Jiang Jiming , Feuer Eric J , Li Yuanyuan , Nguyen Thuan , Yu Mandi
Published: October 2020

Cancer incidence and mortality are typically presented as age-standardized rates. Inference about these rates becomes complicated when denominators involve sampling errors. We propose a bias-corrected rate estimator as well as its corresponding variance estimator that take into account sampling errors in the denominators. Confidence intervals are derived based on the proposed estimators as well. Performance of the proposed methods is evaluated empirically based on simulation studies. More importantly, advantage of the proposed method is demonstrated and verified in a real-life study of cancer mortality disparity. A web-based, user-friendly computational tool is also being developed at the National Cancer Institute to accompany the new methods with the first application being calculating cancer mortality rates by US-born and foreign-born status. Finally, promise of proposed estimators to account for errors introduced by differential privacy procedures to the 2020 decennial census products is discussed.
A study on the viscoelastic behavior of chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol-graphene oxide nanocomposite films as a wound dressing
Authors: Saeedi Fariba , Montazeri Arash , Bahari Yaser , Pishvaei Malihe , Jannat Behrooz
Published: October 2020

The nanocomposites of Chitosan (CS)-poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) were fabricated by casting in a mold. The nanocomposite films were characterized by various techniques. The viscoelastic properties of the wound dressings were evaluated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) since the healing quality of a wound dressing depends on such properties. DMTA results also were modeled by the Cole-Cole diagram. Finally, the effects of GO on antimicrobial and biological properties of films were studied. It has been shown that nanocomposite films support the initial attachment, proliferation, and growth of mouse fibroblast cells.
Asymmetric awareness and heterogeneous agents
Authors: Dubus Antoine
Published: October 2020

We consider a principal-agent model with moral-hazard and asymmetric awareness and show how the heterogeneity of agents on their aversion to effort affects contract design. We discuss the optimal contract adopted when a principal is aware of all the impacts of an agent’s action, while agents ignore some of them. When a principal faces two types of agents, where one type is more effort-averse than the other, the equilibrium contract is shaped by agent proportions: it pools the agents, separates them, or excludes the more effort-averse agents from the contract. When efforts are observable, all the agents remain unaware, while when efforts are hidden, a principal increases the awareness of the agents to a level commensurate with the nature of the contract.

JEL Codes – D82; D83; D86
Mothers’ Reactions to Seeing Their Children With Cleft for the First Time: A Qualitative Study in Ghana
Authors: Dapaah Jonathan Mensah , Addo Bright , Effe Jones Phebe
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Studies on the etiology, treatment, and psychosocial effects of clefts among children born with the condition abound. Limited studies, however, have focused on the mothers of these children. This study aimed to explore the immediate reaction of mothers to seeing their children born with a cleft for the first time. Mothers’ knowledge of cleft and the support systems available to them were also explored.

Design:

Employing a qualitative description approach, data were collected through face-to-face individual in-depth interviews using a semistructured interview guide.

Participants and Research Context:

Using the purposive and snowballing sampling techniques, 12 mothers who sought treatment for their children with cleft at a Tertiary health facility in Ghana were selected. The ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki were followed during data collection. The data obtained were analyzed applying the technique of thematic analysis.

Results:

Mothers’ first time reaction to seeing their child born with a cleft was that of sadness, worry, and disappointment. Knowledge of cleft among the mothers was low with most of them knowing more about the condition only after the delivery of their child with a cleft. Mothers received support from family members, health care practitioners, nongovernmental organizations, and their partners.

Conclusion:

To reduce the psychosocial and emotional effects resulting from mothers giving birth to a child with a cleft, information on the condition should be made available to mothers and primary caregivers early enough.
Treatment Decision-Making of Secondary Prevention After Venous Thromboembolism: Data From the Real-Life START2-POST-VTE Register
Authors: Antonucci Emilia , Migliaccio Ludovica , Abbattista Maria , Caronna Antonella , De Marchi Sergio , Di Giorgio Angela , Di Giulio Rosella , Lerede Teresa , Garzia Maria Grazia , Martinelli Ida , Mastroiacovo Daniela , Marzolo Marco , Montevecchi Elisa , Pastori Daniele , Pignatelli Pasquale , Poli Daniela , Ria Luigi , Santoliquido Angelo , Testa Sophie , Palareti Gualtiero ,   START POST VTE Investigators
Published: October 2020

Patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) should receive a decision on the duration of anticoagulant treatment (AT) that is often not easy to make. Sixteen Italian clinical centers included patients with recent VTE in the START2-POST-VTE register and reported the decisions taken on duration of AT in each patient and the reasons for them. At the moment of this report, 472 (66.9%) of the 705 patients included in the registry were told to stop AT in 59.3% and to extend it in 40.7% of patients. Anticoagulant treatment lasted ≥3 months in >90% of patients and was extended in patients with proximal deep vein thrombosis because considered at high risk of recurrence or had thrombophilic abnormalities. d-dimer testing, assessment of residual thrombus, and patient preference were also indicated among the criteria influencing the decision. In conclusion, Italian doctors stuck to the minimum 3 months AT after VTE, while the secondary or unprovoked nature of the event was not seen as the prevalent factor influencing AT duration which instead was the result of a complex and multifactorial evaluation of each patient.
Implementing a Novel Workplace Smoking Cessation Intervention Targeting Hispanic/Latino Construction Workers: A Pilot Cluster Randomized Trial
Authors: Asfar Taghrid , Arheart Kristopher L. , McClure Laura A. , Ruano-Herreria Estefania C. , Dietz Noella A. , Ward Kenneth D. , Caban-Martinez Alberto J. , Samano Martin Del Campo Daniel , Lee David J.
Published: October 2020

Background

U.S. Hispanic/Latino construction workers constitute a large and historically underserved group in terms of smoking cessation services. Using formative research, we developed a worksite smoking cessation intervention tailored to the life/work circumstances of these workers.

Aims

This study aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of the developed intervention “Enhanced Care” (EC; one group behavioral counseling session provided around the food truck + fax referral to tobacco quitline [QL] + 8-week nicotine replacement treatment [NRT]) compared with “Standard Care” (SC; fax referral to tobacco QL + 8-week NRT) in a pilot, two-arm, cluster randomized controlled trial.

Method

In collaboration with construction site safety managers, a sample of 17 construction sites (EC: nine sites/65 smokers; SC: eight sites/69 smokers) was enrolled. Participants received two follow-ups at 3 and 6 months after enrollment. Feasibility outcomes were enrollment rate, adherence to treatment, and 6-month retention rates. The primary efficacy outcome was 6 months prolonged abstinence verified by expired carbon monoxide <10 ppm.

Results

Enrollment rate was high (85.9%). Six-month follow-up rates were acceptable (EC = 76.9%, SC = 66.6%). Adherence to treatment was better in the EC group (received worksite intervention: EC = 93.8%, SC = 88.4%; contacted by QL: EC = 49.2%, SC = 40.6%). Abstinence rates were 27.7% for the EC and 20.3% for the SC ( p = .315).

Discussion

The developed intervention was feasible and acceptable, and it substantially improved abstinence among Hispanic/Latino workers. The involvement of safety managers was essential to the implementation of the intervention. Training safety managers to deliver the intervention has great potential to implement a sustainable smoking cessation service in the construction sector.
Confounders and Pharmacological Characterization When Using the QT, JTp, and Tpe Intervals in Beagle Dogs
Authors: Boulay Emmanuel , Troncy Eric , Accardi Michael V. , Pugsley Michael K. , Downey Anne-Marie , Miraucourt Lois , Huang Hai , Menard Ariane , Tan Wendy , Dubuc-Mageau Michelle , Sanfacon Audrey , Guerrier Mireille , Authier Simon
Published: October 2020

Introduction:

Corrected QT (QTc) interval is an essential proarrhythmic risk biomarker, but recent data have identified limitations to its use. The J to T-peak (JTp) interval is an alternative biomarker for evaluating drug-induced proarrhythmic risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate pharmacological effects using spatial magnitude leads and DII electrocardiogram (ECG) leads and common ECG confounders (ie, stress and body temperature changes) on covariate adjusted QT (QTca), covariate adjusted JTp (JTpca), and covariate adjusted T-peak to T-end (Tpeca) intervals.

Methods:

Beagle dogs were exposed to body hyper- (42 °C) or hypothermic (33 °C) conditions or were administered epinephrine to assess confounding effects on heart rate corrected QTca, JTpca, and Tpeca intervals. Dofetilide (0.1, 0.3, 1.0 mg/kg), ranolazine (100, 140, 200 mg/kg), and verapamil (7, 15, 30, 43, 62.5 mg/kg) were administered to evaluate pharmacological effects.

Results:

Covariate adjusted QT (slope −12.57 ms/°C) and JTpca (−14.79 ms/°C) were negatively correlated with body temperature but Tpeca was minimally affected. Epinephrine was associated with QTca and JTpca shortening, which could be related to undercorrection in the presence of tachycardia, while minimal effects were observed for Tpeca. There were no significant ECG change following ranolazine administration. Verapamil decreased QTca and JTpca intervals and increased Tpeca, whereas dofetilide increased QTca and JTpca intervals but had inconsistent effects on Tpeca.

Conclusion:

Results highlight potential confounders on QTc interval, but also on JTpca and Tpeca intervals in nonclinical studies. These potential confounding effects may be relevant to the interpretation of ECG data obtained from nonclinical drug safety studies with Beagle dogs.
Facilitating collaboration and community participation in tourism development: The case of South-Eastern Nigeria
Authors: Eyisi Afamefuna , Lee Diane , Trees Kathryn
Published: October 2020

Collaboration and community participation are crucial for securing sustainable tourism and highlight the need to listen and respond to the broad range of stakeholders’ voices, opinions, and concerns. These concepts dominated the discourse of sustainable-responsible tourism and gave rise to collaboration theory as well as various types of community participation. Many scholars in both Western and emerging economies have employed these concepts; however, there is limited research on how they apply in the Nigerian tourism industry. Therefore, this exploratory research discusses collaboration and community participation in tourism development in Nigeria, using the Southeastern region as a case study. In this area, tourism is in the early phase of growth. The paper reports on interviews and focus group discussions used to interact with tourism stakeholders in the region (traditional rulers, men, women, and youth representatives, chief priests, security agents, and tourism officials). Results showed that while the stakeholders are willing to collaborate, challenges affecting their efforts include autocratic governance structures leading to mistrust, clash of responsibilities, inadequate funding for security, lack of tourism awareness and little respect for local culture. The paper concludes that to develop a resident-friendly tourism destination and sustain collaboration and community participation, stakeholders require education about tourism and opportunities to participate in planning.
Exogenous cognition and cognitive state theory: The plexus of consumer analytics and decision-making
Authors: Smith Andrew , Harvey John , Goulding James , Smith Gavin , Sparks Leigh
Published: October 2020

We develop the concept of exogenous cognition (ExC) as a specific manifestation of an external cognitive system. ExC describes the technological and algorithmic extension of (and annexation of) cognition in a consumption context. ExC provides a framework to enhance the understanding of the impact of pervasive computing and smart technology on consumer decision-making and the behavioural impacts of consumer analytics. To this end, the article provides commentary and structures to outline the impact of ExC and to elaborate the definition and reach of ExC. The logic of ExC culminates in a theory of cognitive states comprising of three potential decision states: endogenous cognition, symbiotic cognition and surrogate cognition. These states are posited as transient (consumers might move between them during a purchase episode) and determined by individual propensities and situational antecedents. The article latterly provides various potential empirical avenues and issues for consideration and debate.
Online Study-Aids to Stimulate Effective Learning in an Undergraduate Psychological Assessment Course
Authors: Poorthuis Astrid M. G. , Dijk Anouk van
Published: October 2020

Many students use ineffective learning strategies. They tend to start too late and learn in a superficial way, without integrating different parts of the study materials. To help students in Psychological Assessment in Youth overcome these problems, we designed online study-aids to spread their learning over the semester (distributed practice) and provide them with self-test questions (practice testing). Study-aids covered the last week’s course readings and consisted of 10 to 15 questions presented in several stimulating closed formats (e.g., connecting one theory with another, or filling out norm scores in a bell curve). Participation was voluntary and promoted using an incentive system. The study-aids were evaluated in two cohorts of students (2018: N = 94; 2019: N = 84). Participation was good: 79% of the students completed the study-aids (range 69–85%). Satisfaction was high: most students indicated that the study-aids supported their studies well (89%). Exam performance improved significantly upon introduction of the study-aids (comparison cohort 2017: N = 69), although more so for the midterm exam ( r = 0.47) than for the final exam ( r = 0.17). These findings suggest that online study-aids can stimulate effective learning by helping students distribute and self-test their learning.
Beyond Voice: Conceptualizing Children’s Agency in Domestic Violence Research Through a Dialogical Lens
Authors: Morris Anita , Humphreys Cathy , Hegarty Kelsey
Published: October 2020

Children who live in households where domestic violence is occurring have been variously described in the literature over time as silent witnesses, witnesses, a cohort who is “exposed” to the violence, and more recently, as individual victim survivors and active agents in their own right, each with their own lived experience of violence.

Research methodologies in this arena have shifted from adult-focused measurements of the impacts of domestic violence on children to more qualitative attempts to understand the experience from the child’s perspective. In doing so, there have been notions of giving “voice to the voiceless” and doing no further harm through a desire to protect children from exposure. However, the relational framing of children’s voices and recognition and enabling of children’s agency is less evolved in research and professional interventions.

A study undertaken in Australia researched with a primary care population of 23 children and 18 mothers, children’s experiences of safety and resiliency in the context of domestic violence. The findings of the research were realized using qualitative research methods with children and the analytical framing of hermeneutical phenomenology, ethics of care and in particular dialogical ethics, to draw practical understanding and application in health care settings.

This article aims to demonstrate how the analytical methodology chosen was applied in the research process and reveals the elements required for children to experience agency in navigating their relationships in an unsafe world, while learning about themselves. It draws upon understandings of the child’s relational context and introduces a model of children’s agency, which may have applicability for domestic violence policy and practice settings.
Driver gene alterations in lung adenocarcinoma: Demographic features of 2544 Chinese cases
Authors: Hu Mingming , Zhang Tongmei , Yang Yuan , Che Nanying , Li Jie , Liu Zichen , Li Baolan
Published: October 2020

Background:

To understand the association between driver gene variations and age and gender in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, we investigated mutations of the three most important driver genes—epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion genes and c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1)—in this retrospective cohort study.

Methods:

Patients newly diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma who received EGFR and ALK/ROS1 gene tests at our hospital from September 2014 to May 2019 were enrolled. EGFR mutations and ROS1 fusions were examined by ARMS-PCR and ALK fusions by Ventana-D5F3 IHC assay and ARMS-PCR.

Results:

Of 2544 eligible subjects, 2539 accomplished EGFR mutation tests. The prevalence of EGFR mutations was 62.1% in females, higher than that of 45.1% in males. In females, the EGFR mutation rate remained relatively stable at 60%–65% across the six age groups. Females showed an increased distribution of EGFR L858R and a decreased distribution of exon 19 deletion (19Del) by age. The incidence of ALK/ROS-1 rearrangements decreased significantly with age.

Conclusions:

EGFR 19Del mutation is more prevalent in younger males and females, while L858R mutation is prevalent in older females. Both ALK and ROS1 rearrangements are more common in younger lung adenocarcinoma. The young lung adenocarcinoma population is a distinct group rich in targetable genomic alterations, and more research is needed to understand the mechanism.
Visual salience of 3D and 2D spoons determines S-R mapping and flanker effects
Authors: Xiong Aiping , Proctor Robert W , Xu Yaqi , Zelaznik Howard N
Published: October 2020

This study tested the hypothesis that affordances for grasping with the corresponding hand are activated more strongly by three-dimensional (3D) real objects than by two-dimensional (2D) pictures of the objects. In Experiment 1, participants made left and right keypress responses to the handle or functional end (tip) of an eating utensil using compatible and incompatible mappings. In one session, stimuli were spoons mounted horizontally on a blackboard with the sides to which the handle and tip pointed varying randomly. In the other, stimuli were pictures of spoons displayed on a black computer screen. Three-dimensional and 2D sessions showed a similar benefit for compatible mapping when the tip was relevant and a small cost of compatible mapping when the handle was relevant. Experiment 2 used a flanker task in which participants responded compatibly to the location of the handle or the tip, and spoons located above and below the target spoon could have congruent or incongruent orientations. The difference between 3D and 2D displays was not obtained in the flanker effect for reaction time. There was little evidence that 3D objects activate grasping affordances that 2D images do not. Instead, we argue that visual salience of the tip is the critical factor determining these correspondence effects.
Treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage: From specific interventions to bundles of care
Authors: Parry-Jones Adrian R , Moullaali Tom J , Ziai Wendy C
Published: October 2020

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) represents a major, global, unmet health need with few treatments. A significant minority of ICH patients present taking an anticoagulant; both vitamin-K antagonists and increasingly direct oral anticoagulants. Anticoagulants are associated with an increased risk of hematoma expansion, and rapid reversal reduces this risk and may improve outcome. Vitamin-K antagonists are reversed with prothrombin complex concentrate, dabigatran with idarucizumab, and anti-Xa agents with PCC or andexanet alfa, where available. Blood pressure lowering may reduce hematoma growth and improve clinical outcomes and careful (avoiding reductions ≥60 mm Hg within 1 h), targeted (as low as 120–130 mm Hg), and sustained (minimizing variability) treatment during the first 24 h may be optimal for achieving better functional outcomes in mild-to-moderate severity acute ICH. Surgery for ICH may include hematoma evacuation and external ventricular drainage to treat hydrocephalus. No large, well-conducted phase III trial of surgery in ICH has so far shown overall benefit, but meta-analyses report an increased likelihood of good functional outcome and lower risk of death with surgery, compared to medical treatment only. Expert supportive care on a stroke unit or critical care unit improves outcomes. Early prognostication is difficult, and early do-not-resuscitate orders or withdrawal of active care should be used judiciously in the first 24–48 h of care. Implementation of acute ICH care can be challenging, and using a care bundle approach, with regular monitoring of data and improvement of care processes can ensure consistent and optimal care for all patients.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: Results of an Emergent Pilot Study
Authors: Sadhu Archana R. , Serrano Ivan Alexander , Xu Jiaqiong , Nisar Tariq , Lucier Jessica , Pandya Anjani R. , Patham Bhargavi
Published: October 2020

Background:

Amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has emerged as an alternative for inpatient point-of-care blood glucose (POC-BG) monitoring. We performed a feasibility pilot study using CGM in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods:

Single-center, retrospective study of glucose monitoring in critically ill patients with COVID-19 on insulin therapy using Medtronic Guardian Connect and Dexcom G6 CGM systems. Primary outcomes were feasibility and accuracy for trending POC-BG. Secondary outcomes included reliability and nurse acceptance. Sensor glucose (SG) was used for trends between POC-BG with nursing guidance to reduce POC-BG frequency from one to two hours to four hours when the SG was in the target range. Mean absolute relative difference (MARD), Clarke error grids analysis (EGA), and Bland-Altman (B&A) plots were calculated for accuracy of paired SG and POC-BG measurements.

Results:

CGM devices were placed on 11 patients: Medtronic ( n = 6) and Dexcom G6 ( n = 5). Both systems were feasible and reliable with good nurse acceptance. To determine accuracy, 437 paired SG and POC-BG readings were analyzed. For Medtronic, the MARD was 13.1% with 100% of readings in zones A and B on Clarke EGA. For Dexcom, MARD was 11.1% with 98% of readings in zones A and B. B&A plots had a mean bias of −17.76 mg/dL (Medtronic) and −1.94 mg/dL (Dexcom), with wide 95% limits of agreement.

Conclusions:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CGM is feasible in critically ill patients and has acceptable accuracy to identify trends and guide intermittent blood glucose monitoring with insulin therapy.
“D.C. is mambo sauce”: Black cultural production in a gentrifying city
Authors: Reese Ashanté M.
Published: October 2020

Centering mambo sauce as both a cultural staple and a metaphor for struggles over ownership in Washington, D.C., this article explores mambo sauce’s role in constructing a D.C. identity. Drawing on data from ethnographic interviews and newspaper headlines, I argue that, against the background of intense and consistent gentrification that has left the city’s population younger, whiter, and wealthier, mambo sauce becomes a lens through which to examine larger tensions related to race, class, and power. Specifically, I examine mambo sauce as a form of Black cultural production to explore the dialectical relationship between how mambo travels well beyond the carryout restaurants in Black working-class neighborhoods and the displacement of Black residents in the gentrifying city.