bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guidelines for Effective Professional Development on Writing Instruction: Principals’ Voices
Authors: Traga Philippakos Zoi A.
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine principals’ perspectives on a model of professional development (PD) in writing. Participants were 14 principals and seven assistants from a rural district’s K to 12 school system who shared in an interview their challenges and advice for effective PD at a building and district level. Their comments demonstrate the continuous challenges with scale-up efforts and the need for systematic implementation of literacy initiatives. Principals were positive on the PD model and shared guidelines for other leaders’ future implementation of PD on writing. Future research and implications are further discussed.
COVID-19 as Eco-Pandemic Injustice: Opportunities for Collective and Antiracist Approaches to Environmental Health
Authors: Powers Martha , Brown Phil , Poudrier Grace , Ohayon Jennifer Liss , Cordner Alissa , Alder Cole , Atlas Marina Goreau
Published: April 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with a powerful upsurge in antiracist activism in the United States, linking many forms and consequences of racism to public and environmental health. This commentary develops the concept of eco-pandemic injustice to explain interrelationships between the pandemic and socioecological systems, demonstrating how COVID-19 both reveals and deepens structural inequalities that form along lines of environmental health. Using Pellow’s critical environmental justice theory, we examine how the crisis has made more visible and exacerbated links between racism, poverty, and health while providing opportunities to enact change through collective embodied health movements. We describe new collaborations and the potential for meaningful opportunities at the intersections between health, antiracist, environmental, and political movements that are advocating for the types of transformational change described by critical environmental justice.
The Australian labour market in 2020
Authors: Birch Elisa , Preston Alison
Published: April 2021

This article provides a review of the Australian labour market in 2020. It outlines the monetary and fiscal responses to COVID-19 (including JobKeeper, JobSeeker and JobMaker policies), describes trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment and summarises the Fair Work Commission’s 2020 minimum wage decision. Data show that in the year to September 2020, total monthly hours worked fell by 5.9% for males and 3.8% for females. Job loss was proportionately larger amongst young people (aged 20–29) and older people. It was also disproportionately higher in female-dominated sectors such as Accommodation and Food Services. Unlike the earlier recession (1991), when more than 90% of jobs lost were previously held by males, a significant share (around 40%) of the job loss in the 2020 recession (year to August 2020) were jobs previously held by females. Notwithstanding a pick-up in employment towards year’s end, the future remains uncertain.
Live Well, Die Well: The Development of an Online, Arts-Based Palliative Care Programme in the Shadow of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Roberts Amanda
Published: April 2021

The Covid-19 crisis led to an increase in the ‘total pain’ of many terminally ill patients who faced a reduction in support, due to the temporary closure of front-line palliative day therapy services. A hospice volunteer, I instigated an online day therapy programme for patients previously attending face-to-face day therapy. Participant feedback revealed the importance of providing a space for ongoing peer support for participants’ changing sense of identity, an issue for time-limited day therapy programmes. An exploration of key concepts associated with palliative care established the multiple connections between such changing identity and arts-based approaches to living well. This article charts how I used this understanding to develop an alternative, online arts-based support programme, Live well, die well. It explores the links between ongoing mutual support, arts-based activity and the reactions to a shifting identity in patients with a life-limiting illness.
Green biosynthesis and physicochemical characterization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles using Punica granatum L. fruit peel extract for optoelectronic applications
Authors: Bouafia Abderrhmane , Laouini Salah Eddine , Tedjani Mohammed Laid , Ali Gomaa AM , Barhoum Ahmed
Published: April 2021

Green biosynthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) using plant extract is desired, as the plant extract is safe for humans and the environment. In this study, magnetite Fe3O4 NPs were greenly prepared using Punica granatum L. fruit peel extract as a reducing and capping agent. The effect of iron precursor contraction (0.01–0.1 M, FeCl3) was studied. The Fe3O4 crystalline with an average crystallite size range from 21 to 23 nm was proven by X-ray powder diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the synthesized Fe3O4 NPs were mostly cubical. Ultraviolet-visible spectra showed that the prepared Fe3O4 NPs exhibit absorption at 270 nm related to the Fe3O4 NPs with a direct bandgap ranging from 1.87 to 2.26 eV and indirect bandgap of 2.16–2.48 eV. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed two characteristic absorption bands at 515 and 567 cm−1, which proved the successful formation of Fe3O4. The proposed method using Punica granatum L. fruit peel extract offers an economical and environmentally friendly route for synthesizing many other types of metal oxides.
Laccase-catalyzed enzymatic dyeing of cotton fabrics
Authors: Atav Rıza , Buğdaycı Bürhan , Bozkurt Ömer , Yıldız Aylin , Güneş Elçin , Yakın İsmail
Published: April 2021

As some synthetic dyes are regarded to be toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic, the search for eco-friendly alternatives for the synthesis of dyes and coloration has gained importance. For this reason, this study focused on finding new eco-friendly alternatives for coloring cotton. 100% cotton knitted fabrics were subjected to enzymatic coloration using a commercial laccase enzyme and various precursors. After determining the colors, the effect of pH on the enzymatic dyeing process was investigated. Then the optimization of reaction conditions was also realized statistically for the precursors giving the best results in terms of color. With the aim of obtaining further improvements in color-yield values obtained in enzymatic dyeings, the effect of the pretreatment process and the use of ultrasound were also investigated. Furthermore, the reaction pathways in enzymatic coloration were explained and results were confirmed by means of Fourier Transformed Infrared analysis. As a result of experimental studies, red and lilac colors could be successfully obtained on cotton for the first time in the literature. In this way, the theoretical basis of enzymatic dye synthesis and dyeing of cotton was clarified comprehensively. Furthermore, technical (color reproducibility; washing, rubbing, light and perspiration-fastness values; and UV protection factor), economical (chemical, energy and water consumption required for dyeing (including aftertreatments) of 1 kg fabric) and ecological aspects of enzymatic dyeings were compared with reactive dyeing. According to the experimental results it was found that biological treatment alone was enough for wastewater of enzymatic coloring, while chemical treatment will also be needed in reactive dyeing wastewater. Furthermore, color reproducibility, evenness and UV protection properties of dyed samples were comparable with that of reactive dyeings. However, in terms of the fastness levels achieved, the enzymatic coloring was far behind the reactive dyeing.
Influences of compression cycling skinsuit on energy consumption of amateur male cyclists
Authors: Shi Gaby QQ , Shin Kristina , Chow Daniel HK , Jiao Jiao , So BCL , Lau Newman , Chung Claire , Leung Kaoru
Published: April 2021

Energy consumption differences of two cycling garments during short-term cycling were studied. Eleven amateur male cyclists participated in two cycling sessions over two days while wearing a newly designed compression cycling skinsuit (CCS) with stripes simulating kinesio tape, and a conventional compression garment (CG) (control garment). In each session, the participants performed a set of 12 short-term cycling combinations of three workloads and four cadences with either the CCS or the CG. Each combination lasted for 30 s. Garment pressure values at the thigh, oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) were collected and analyzed. The CCS provided significantly different pressure values ( P < 0.05) at two front muscles (rectus femoris and vastus lateralis) and one back muscle (biceps femoris) during all three workloads, and at a front middle muscle (vastus medialis) only during low-workload cycling. There was a statistically significant interaction between garment and workload ( P < 0.05) on VO2 when cycling was done at 120 rpm. The CCS required low VO2 ( P < 0.05) when the cycling combination of workload and cadence were reversed: either low-workload and high-cadence or high-workload and low-cadence cycling. Simultaneously, the CCS had a significant impact on HR during high-workload cycling ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, the CCS’s higher compression power at the thigh muscles was found to be effective in energy consumption reduction during short-term cycling with low and high workload.
“Sumak Kawsay Is Harmful for All of Us”: Oil Roads and Well-being among the Waorani in Ecuadorian Amazonia
Authors: Bravo Díaz Andrea
Published: April 2021

Exploration of the notion of waponi kewemonipa (living well) among Waorani people living near oil camps suggests that the extractivist developmental model delivered by the Ecuadorian government in the name of buen vivir (living well) is harmful to their experience of well-being. For Waorani living well is related to peace, collective happiness, and certain ecological experiences. The forest, a socio-biological ecological milieu, is the ideal locus of the Waorani conception of living well, but environmental changes related to oil camps and roads challenge their health and vitality.

La exploración de la noción de waponi kewemonipa (o buen vivir) entre los waorani que viven cerca de los campamentos petroleros sugiere que el modelo de desarrollo extractivista fomentado por el gobierno ecuatoriano en nombre del “buen vivir” es perjudicial para la experiencia indígena del bienestar. Para los Waorani, vivir bien se relaciona con la paz, la felicidad colectiva y ciertas experiencias de índole ecológico. El bosque, un ambiente socio-biológico, es el locus ideal de la concepción waorani del buen vivir, pero los cambios ecológicos relacionados con los campos petroleros y las carreteras dificulta la experiencia de su salud y vitalidad.
The Buen vivir Postdevelopmentalist Paradigm under Ecuador’s Citizens’ Revolution Governments (2007–2017): An Appraisal
Authors: Benalcázar Patricio Carpio , de la Rosa Francisco Javier Ullán
Published: April 2021

Buen vivir (good living) is an alternative postcapitalist and postdevelopmentalist paradigm born in Latin America whose concepts were incorporated into the 2008 Ecuadorian Constitution. An appraisal of the divergence between the paradigm, its legal projection, and the public policies undertaken by the so-called Citizens’ Revolution governments (2007–2017) under President Rafael Correa concludes that the structural transformations in the economic, political, social, and cultural realms envisaged by the buen vivir paradigm never took place. What Ecuadorian governments implemented during the decade was actually a capitalist neo-developmentalist scheme with some social-welfare policies of a social-democratic nature.

El “buen vivir” es un paradigma postcapitalista y postdesarrollodista alternativo nacido en América Latina cuyos conceptos fueron incorporados a la Constitución ecuatoriana del 2008. Un análisis de la divergencia entre el paradigma, su proyección legal y las políticas públicas emprendidas por los llamados gobiernos de la Revolución Ciudadana (2007–2017) bajo el presidente Rafael Correa muestra que las transformaciones estructurales en los ámbitos económico, político, social y cultural previstas por el paradigma del buen vivir nunca se llevaron a cabo. Lo que implementaron los gobiernos ecuatorianos durante la década fue en realidad un esquema neo-desarrollista capitalista con algunas políticas de bienestar social de carácter socialdemócrata.
University Extension in Dispute: Neoliberal Counterreform and Alternatives in Latin American Universities
Authors: Menoni José Agustín Cano
Published: April 2021

The neoliberal university project contains a program aimed at terminating the critical traditions of Latin American university extension. The program combines two models introduced as the legitimate and dominant orientations of the current university-society relationship: linkage and university social responsibility. At the same time, alternatives of great academic and political power for university extension on the continent include integration of critical education into the curriculum, partnerships with social movements, popular cooperative enterprises, holistic programs, and repoliticization of the polis.

El proyecto universitario neoliberal contiene un programa destinado a poner fin a las tradiciones críticas de la extensión universitaria latinoamericana. El programa combina dos modelos que se presentan como las orientaciones legítimas y dominantes de la actual relación entre el espacio universitario y la sociedad: vinculación y responsabilidad social universitaria. Al mismo tiempo, las alternativas de gran poder académico y político para la extensión universitaria en el continente incluyen la integración de la educación crítica en el currículo, asociaciones con movimientos sociales, empresas cooperativas populares, programas holísticos y una repoliticización de la polis.
What is Sumak Kawsay? A Qualitative Study in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Authors: Coral-Guerrero Carmen Amelia , García-Quero Fernando , Guardiola Jorge
Published: April 2021

A qualitative study of the main characteristics of sumak kawsay ( buen vivir, living well/good life) in the Ecuadorian Amazon shows that it has four constitutive elements of which a multitude of interpretations coexist: an indigenous and nature-focused worldview, community, an economy based on solidarity, and ancestral knowledge. Understandings of sumak kawsay are rooted in the practices and beliefs of the communities interviewed rather than in theoretical constructions of idyllic community forms, and in this connection differences can be observed between the academic “indigenist” view of it and local discourses.

Una aproximación cualitativa a las características principales del sumak kawsay ( buen vivir, living well/good life) en la Amazonía ecuatoriana muestran la existencia de cuatro elementos constitutivos del sumak kawsay en los que colindan multitud de interpretaciones: cosmovisión indígena y naturaleza, comunidad, economía solidaria, y conocimiento ancestral. Las comprensiones del sumak kawsay enraízan con prácticas y creencias de las personas y no con construcciones teóricas de formas comunitarias idílicas, y al respecto, apreciamos diferencias entre la visión académica “indigenista” del sumak kawsay y los discursos locales.
¿La minería para el buen vivir? Large-scale Mining, Citizenship, and Development in Correa’s Ecuador
Authors: van Teijlingen Karolien , Fernández-Salvador Consuelo
Published: April 2021

Through a persuasive discourse on well-being and citizen “participation,” Ecuador Estratégico, a government agency tasked with implementing buen vivir (good living) in regions of resource extraction, plays a pivotal role in justifying and legitimizing resource extraction locally. An examination of the practices and discourses of this state institution and of the responses of community members and the ways they negotiate citizenship in the context of mining-based development calls into question the mobilization of buen vivir to govern local populations and push for a controversial mining project. These political strategies were key for the onset of large-scale mining under former president Correa, the effects of which may endure for decades.

A través de un discurso persuasivo sobre el bienestar y la “participación” ciudadana, Ecuador Estratégico, un organismo gubernamental encargado de implementar el “buen vivir” en las regiones sujetas a extracción de recursos, desempeña un papel fundamental en la justificación y legitimación de dicha extracción a nivel local. Un análisis de las prácticas y discursos de esta institución estatal, las respuestas de los miembros de la comunidad y las formas en que negocian la ciudadanía en el contexto de un desarrollo basado en la minería pone en entredicho el uso del buen vivir como herramienta para gobernar a las poblaciones locales e impulsar un polémico proyecto minero. Estas estrategias políticas jugaron un papel clave para el inicio de la minería a gran escala bajo el ex-presidente Correa; sus efectos han de perdurar durante décadas.
Buen vivir as an Alternative Development Model: Ecuador’s Bumpy Road toward a Postextractivist Society
Authors: Forero Jorge Enrique
Published: April 2021

The Rafael Correa administration, usually characterized as “neo-extractivist,” did in fact propose an alternative development model that, under a particular understanding of the notion of buen vivir, aimed to overcome the country’s economic dependence on extractive activities through its gradual replacement by a knowledge-intensive economic sector. An examination of this model, some of the main policies implemented in order to configure it, and the main obstacles encountered in the process confirms the classic intuition of so-called dependency theory: that the ability of peripheral countries to overcome their reliance on commodities exports is constrained by economic and institutional mechanisms that limit their room for maneuver.

La administración de Rafael Correa, generalmente caracterizada como “neoextractivista”, propuso un modelo de desarrollo alternativo que, bajo un entendimiento particular de la noción del buen vivir, tenía como objetivo superar la dependencia económica del país de las actividades extractivas a través de una sustitución gradual por un sector económico intensivo en conocimiento. Un análisis de este modelo, algunas de las principales políticas implementadas para configurarlo, y los principales obstáculos encontrados en el proceso confirman la clásica intuición de la llamada teoría de la dependencia: que la capacidad de los países periféricos para superar su dependencia de las exportaciones de productos básicos está limitada por mecanismos económicos e institucionales que limitan el margen de maniobra.
Buen vivir (Good Living): A “Glocal” Genealogy of a Latin American Utopia for the World
Authors: Beling Adrián E. , Cubillo-Guevara Ana Patricia , Vanhulst Julien , Hidalgo-Capitán Antonio Luis
Published: April 2021

Buen vivir (good living) discourse emerged at the turn of the century in the context of global political contestation around the prevailing development model at the intersection of multiple actors, discourses, and struggles. A genealogical reconstruction of this discourse disputes the ethnocentric character often attributed to it outside Latin America as an allegedly indigenous discursive product. Instead, buen vivir is a prime example of “glocal” discursive articulation in pursuit of alter- and postdevelopmentalist utopias—a cultural-political experiment that holds valuable lessons for global debates around alternative socio-ecological futures.

El discurso del “buen vivir” surgió a principios de siglo en el contexto de la contienda política global en torno al modelo de desarrollo prevaleciente en la intersección de múltiples actores, discursos y luchas. Una reconstrucción genealógica de dicho discurso cuestiona el carácter etnocéntrico que a menudo se le atribuye fuera de América Latina, donde se le mira como un producto discursivo supuestamente indígena. Sin embargo, el buen vivir es un excelente ejemplo de articulación discursiva “glocal” en busca de utopías alter-y postdesarrollistas, un experimento cultural-político que puede brindar valiosas lecciones a los debates globales en torno a futuros socioecológicos alternativos.
Robust control of a DC-DC three-port isolated converter
Authors: Rios Clauson SN , Nogueira Fabricio G , Torrico Bismark C , Junior Walter Barra
Published: April 2021

This work presents the design of state-feedback robust control law for a DC-DC three-port isolated converter, which interfaces a photovoltaic panel, a rechargeable battery, and an isolated output DC bus. First, the converter is represented through a state-space model that considers disturbances in both the photovoltaic and bidirectional (battery) input ports. The system is linearized around an average operational point, such that robust control techniques can be applied. Due to varying solar irradiation, battery charge, and load levels, the converter is subjected to step-like disturbances. The proposed controller is designed to maintain stabilization and voltage tracking performance in the presence of these disturbances. This approach is different from multiport control strategies usually employed in the literature, which are based on decentralized controllers that require the use of decoupling techniques that can lead to control problems. To ensure robustness, stabilization, and voltage tracking, an [Formula: see text] approach with pole placement restrictions and based on linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints is formulated and solved. Finally, the performance of the proposed controller has been verified via hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experiments and compared with a decentralized control strategy.
Road surface real-time detection based on Raspberry Pi and recurrent neural networks
Authors: Wang Junyi , Meng Qinggang , Shang Peng , Saada Mohamad
Published: April 2021

This paper focuses on road surface real-time detection by using tripod dolly equipped with Raspberry Pi 3 B+, MPU 9250, which is convenient to collect road surface data and realize real-time road surface detection. Firstly, six kinds of road surfaces data are collected by utilizing Raspberry Pi 3 B+ and MPU 9250. Secondly, the classifiers can be obtained by adopting several machine learning algorithms, recurrent neural networks (RNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks. Among the machine learning classifiers, gradient boosting decision tree has the highest accuracy rate of 97.92%, which improves by 29.52% compared with KNN with the lowest accuracy rate of 75.60%. The accuracy rate of LSTM neural networks is 95.31%, which improves by 2.79% compared with RNN with the accuracy rate of 92.52%. Finally, the classifiers are embedded into the Raspberry Pi to detect the road surface in real time, and the detection time is about one second. This road surface detection system could be used in wheeled robot-car and guiding the robot-car to move smoothly.
Using Wireless Technology to Support Social Connectedness in Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Focus Group Study
Authors: Paul Claire Donehower , Thomas Erin Vinoski , Doulin Allison M. , Hussain Sharish Z. , Jimenez Eliseo
Published: April 2021

Despite the pervasive use of wireless technology in today’s society, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have limited access to technology. Technology is underutilized by this population for a variety of reasons including cost-related barriers and cognitive inaccessibility of devices and software applications. The lack of accessibility of these technologies is concerning, as people with disabilities often rely on technology to enhance independence and social integration. In the present study, a series of focus groups were conducted to determine what technologies individuals with IDD were using to navigate social environments and how they were using these technologies to improve their access to meaningful social experiences. Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach and an iterative, multi-cycle coding process. Six major themes emerged from the data, including Hardware and Software, Accessibility Features, Reasons for Connecting Socially, Barriers to and Supports for Connectivity, Concerns or Fears about Connectivity, and Outcomes of Social Connectivity. Findings have the potential to inform best practices for educators, transition specialists, parents, individuals with disabilities, and other stakeholders to advocate for increased training around and access to web-based technologies.
Special Issue on Digital Pathology, Tissue Image Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning: Approximation of the Effect of Novel Technologies on Toxicologic Pathology
Authors: Aeffner Famke , Sing Tobias , Turner Oliver C.
Published: April 2021

For decades, it has been postulated that digital pathology is the future. By now it is safe to say that we are living that future. Digital pathology has expanded into all aspects of pathology, including human diagnostic pathology, veterinary diagnostics, research, drug development, regulatory toxicologic pathology primary reads, and peer review. Digital tissue image analysis has enabled users to extract quantitative and complex data from digitized whole-slide images. The following editorial provides an overview of the content of this special issue of Toxicologic Pathology to highlight the range of key topics that are included in this compilation. In addition, the editors provide a commentary on important current aspects to consider in this space, such as accessibility of publication content to the machine learning-novice pathologist, the importance of adequate test set selection, and allowing for data reproducibility.
Challenges of the Caregivers in Managing a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder— A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Tathgur Manmeet Kaur , Kang Harmeet Kaur
Published: April 2021

Background:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurological condition resulting in impaired social interaction and difficulty in understanding verbal and nonverbal communication. Caring for children with ASDs is challenging for both children and their caregivers. The child suffering from ASD starts to show the developmental outcome during early 2.5–3 years and continues thereafter till the child turns to an adult. Many caregivers face severe financial crises, high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, and unemployment. Previous studies have reported a plethora of psychosocial problems affecting caregivers of children with ASD, ranging from stress, depression, anxiety, restrictions of activities, strain in marital relationships, and diminished physical health.

Objective:

This article aims to explore the concerns of the caregivers of children suffering from ASD. Aggregate themes were prepared based upon Corley and Gioia’s method of data structuring.

Methods:

After development and validation of an interview schedule, verbatim of seven caregivers of children with ASD were imported on the Atlas.ti version 8. Initial coding and final coding were followed by extracting the aggregate themes. Lincoln and Guba’s framework was used to assess the quality criteria as a part of qualitative analysis.

Results:

Caregivers face various challenges while caring for a child with ASD, with a negative impact on physical health, psychological well-being, societal reactions, and financial balance. Caregivers reported concerns related to service availability for ASD, poorly coping with the diagnostics, and disease processes.

Conclusions:

Caregivers undergo a lot of problems while taking care of a child with ASD. Health professionals must have an understanding of these problems and must provide the education and information for a better management. Furthermore, the findings of this study have policy implications for the health authorities for providing better health services to children diagnosed with ASD.
Validation of an Ultrashort Screening Tool for Specific Learning Disorder Among School-Going Children.
Authors: Chacko Deenu , Karunakaran Vidhukumar , Rajan Jeevan Chakkadan
Published: April 2021

Background:

Specific learning disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in reading, written expression, and arithmetic. It can be identified during early school days itself. There is a lack of a screening tool for SLD that is properly validated and easy to administer. This study is an attempt to validate an ultrashort tool for screening SLD.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was done at Government Medical College Ernakulam, South India. Children aged 6–16 years attending Psychiatry Outpatient Department were recruited by consecutive sampling. The self-administered screening tool, known as Ernakulam Learning Disorder (ELD) tool, was given twice within a gap of 2 months, and the results were compared with the clinical diagnosis, which was taken as the gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and kappa of the screening tool were calculated.

Results:

The sample consisted of children aged 8–16 years. The sensitivity and specificity of the tool were found to be 98.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 90.4–100) and 87.5 (CI = 76.8–94.4), respectively. The positive predictive value was 87.3 (CI = 76.5–94.4) and the negative predictive value was 98.2 (CI = 90.6–100). The kappa value was 0.96 (CI = 0.92–1.01).

Conclusions:

ELD tool seems highly useful as a screening instrument for detecting SLD; it is simple, easy to remember, and easy to administer.
How will the way we live look different in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic? A nutrition survey in Greece
Authors: Panagiotakos Demosthenes , Kosti Rena I. , Pitsavos Christos
Published: April 2021

Background: As we move towards a post-pandemic society, a question arises: How will the way we live look different in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic? Aim: The aim of this survey was to evaluate changes in eating habits and other lifestyle behaviours (i.e., exercise and smoking) of people of almost all ages, who live in Greece, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A web-based survey using conventional sampling was conducted from during December 2020, in Greece. A total of 2258 individuals, aged 17 years and older voluntarily participated (912 (40%) men). Results: 89 (3.94%) of the participants reported that they had, or currently have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Moreover, 36.4% of the participants reported that they have changed their dietary habits during the pandemic towards a healthier diet – those participants had median age of 35 years, were of both sexes, 17% had co-morbidities and 69% with higher education level; moreover, 19% of those participants have started or increased the frequency of receiving dietary supplements that enhance the immune system, 34% of the participants reported that they gained weight during the pandemic period, whereas 19.8% reported that they have lost weight, and 37% of the participants reported that they have started or increased, as compared to the pre-pandemic time, their frequency of physical activities. Conclusions: The COVID-19_pandemic seems to have forced people to discover again habits and traditions towards a more natural and healthier way of living. Long-term consequences and the evolution of these lifestyle changes after the COVID-19 pandemic have to be evaluated relevant to their implications in public health.
Perceptions of interpersonal complementarity in late-middle-aged and older adults: The role of interpersonal traits and social context within an intensive ecological momentary assessment framework
Authors: Liu Huiying , Chen Beizhuo , Wang Yuyin , Lou Vivian W. Q.
Published: April 2021

Objectives:

Guided by interpersonal theory, this study examined the links between everyday perceptions of interpersonal dynamics, trait-level interpersonal styles, and time-varying social contexts (i.e., with spouses, family, non-family) as they unfold in older people’s everyday life.

Method:

A sample of 78 late-middle-aged and older adults completed 2,739 reports of their social interactions over a one-week period (average 5.02 per day, SD = 2.95). For each report, participants recorded their perceptions of their own agentic and communal behavior, as well as that of their partner.

Results:

Results from multilevel modeling revealed that the complementarity in agentic behaviors was stronger when people were interacting with spouses and family members, whereas such contextual differences were not found to influence the degree of communal complementarity. Individuals with higher level trait agency tended to view their partner as more agentic across interactions with different social partners. Individuals with higher level trait communion tended to view their partner as more communal during interactions; this tendency was more pronounced when interacting with non-family members.

Conclusions:

The differing degrees of perceived complementarity along the dimensions of agency and communion should be understood through varying social contexts. Participants’ trait interpersonal styles tended to affect how they viewed the agentic and communal behaviors of others.
Outcomes of a training video on the shared reading behaviours of caregivers and children
Authors: Coetzee Tarryn , Moonsamy Sharon , Neille Joanne
Published: April 2021

Despite evidence supporting the implementation of book sharing interventions, few studies have examined the value of providing caregiver training in these contexts. This study draws on the quantitative findings of a larger project that employed a non-randomized comparison group crossover repeated measures design as part of a mixed research approach. The goal of the study was to determine the outcome of a caregiver training video on the book sharing behaviours of 40 caregiver–child dyads in an impoverished peri-urban settlement in South Africa. Children in this study were aged 3 to 6 years of age. Caregivers included older siblings, parents, and other relatives. Findings revealed a significant improvement in caregiver shared reading behaviours in both experimental and comparison groups after viewing the caregiver training video, both within and between groups. The significant change in the shared reading behaviours of the caregivers and children, coupled with the positive impact observed in the children and the cost-effective nature of the intervention, suggest that training videos may constitute an effective intervention medium with the potential to promote children’s literacy as a population-based intervention in majority world settings.
Web and mobile-based symptom management interventions for physical symptoms of people with advanced cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Saeidzadeh Seyedehtanaz , Kamalumpundi Vijayvardhan , Chi Nai-Ching , Nair Rajeshwari , Gilbertson-White Stephanie
Published: April 2021

Background:

Symptom management is a critical aspect of comprehensive palliative care for people with advanced cancer. Web and mobile-based applications are promising e-Health modalities that can facilitate timely access to symptom management interventions for this population

Aim:

To evaluate the efficacy of web and mobile-based symptom management interventions in alleviating physical symptom burden in people with advanced cancer.

Design:

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. PROSPERO ID = CRD42020155295.

Data sources:

We searched databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL from 1991 until 2019. Inclusion criteria were: adults with advanced cancer, web or mobile-based interventions targeting symptom management, and report of physical symptom data. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I and RoB2. Using RevMan, standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. An assessment of interventions was conducted by evaluating the delivery mode, duration, and evaluation of application feature and theoretical elements.

Results:

A total of 19 studies are included in the systematic review and 18 in the meta-analysis. Majority of the studies were deemed to have high risk of bias. Most of the interventions used a web-application for delivering their education ( n = 17). While the interventions varied regarding duration and content, they were mainly guided by a symptom management theory. Web and mobile-based interventions significantly improved the overall physical symptom burden (SMD = −0.18; 95% CI = −0.28 to −0.09; I2 = 0%; p = 0.0002).

Conclusions:

Web and mobile-based intervention are efficacious in decreasing the overall physical symptom burden in people with advanced cancer.
Prevalence and Factors Associated With Alcohol Use in Selected Urban Communities in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Aremu Tolulope , Anibijuwon Ifeoluwa B. , John-Akinola Yetunde O. , Oluwasanu Mojisola , Oladepo Oladimeji
Published: April 2021

Nigeria is ranked high among African countries in the consumption of alcohol and the national adult per capita consumption was estimated at 12.3litres. Harmful alcohol use is the sixth leading cause of disability and deaths in Nigeria. This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with alcohol use in selected urban communities in Ibadan, Nigeria. This community-based cross sectional study was conducted among 500 respondents in two selected urban communities in Ibadan, Nigeria. The World Health Organization STEPS tool was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and the history of alcohol use. Alcohol users were categorized into ever consumed, current consumers, consumers within last 12 months, and frequent consumers within 30 days (low, medium, and high consumers).Chi-square analysis was used to identify factors associated with the different categories of alcohol consumption. The mean age of the respondents was 35.36 ± 12.24 years. Almost one third of the participants (29.0%) reported they had ever consumed alcohol and (13.6%) had consumed alcohol within 30 days prior to the study. Factors significantly associated with the ever-use of alcohol were gender ( p = 0.000), and income ( p = 0.000). Current use of alcohol had a statistically significant relationship with male gender ( p = 0.000). The prevalence of high alcohol use is low in the sample of urban communities studied, and factors influencing include sex, marital status, level of education, income. These results should inform policy decisions to address the alcohol use in urban communities in Southwest Nigeria.
MicroRNA-1297 suppressed the Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway and stimulated neural apoptosis in an in vivo sevoflurane exposure model
Authors: Wang Quan , Luo Jingcong , Sun Ruiqiang , Liu Jia
Published: April 2021

Objective

Common inhalation anesthetics used for clinical anesthesia (such as sevoflurane) may induce nerve cell apoptosis during central nervous system development. Furthermore, anesthetics can produce cognitive impairments, such as learning and memory impairments, that continue into adulthood. However, the precise mechanism remains largely undefined. We aimed to determine the function of microRNA-1297 (miR-1297) in sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity.

Methods

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays were used to analyze miR-1297 expression in sevoflurane-exposed mice. MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were used to measure cell growth, and neuronal apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry. Western blot analyses were used to measure PTEN, PI3K, Akt, and GSK3β protein expression.

Results

In sevoflurane-exposed mice, miR-1297 expression was up-regulated compared with the control group. MiR-1297 up-regulation led to neuronal apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, and increased LDH activity in the in vitro model of sevoflurane exposure. MiR-1297 up-regulation also suppressed the Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway and induced PTEN protein expression in the in vitro model. PTEN inhibition (VO-Ohpic trihydrate) reduced PTEN protein expression and decreased the effects of miR-1297 down-regulation on neuronal apoptosis in the in vitro model.

Conclusion

Collectively, the results indicated that miR-1297 stimulates sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity via the Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway by regulating PTEN expression.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome following complicated appendicitis in a child: what is the missing link?
Authors: Belgacem Alexis , Miane Hortense , Fillali Wasfi , Hangard Pauline , Ponthier Laure , Ballouhey Quentin
Published: April 2021

We herein describe an 18-month-old boy who underwent initially successful surgical and antibiotic treatment of complicated appendicitis with postoperative occurrence of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This complication was due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) found secondarily in rectal swabs but not in the peritoneal cavity. The literature indicates that a causal link may exist between these two entities, and HUS could be considered an iatrogenic complication of appendicitis management due to a multimodal stress effect in non-symptomatic STEC carriers.
Influence of Main Ocular Variables in #TheDress Perception: An Ophthalmic Survey
Authors: González-Martín-Moro Julio , Contreras Inés , Fuentes-Vega Irene , Prieto-Garrido Francisco , Castro-Rebollo María , González-Manrique Mar , Gómez-Sanz Fernando , Zamora Javier
Published: April 2021

The objective of this study is to study the influence of ocular variables in the perception of #thedress and to develop a logistic regression model that could help predict it. This is a cross-sectional study on 1,100 subjects. People who did not report one of the two main perceptions were excluded from the study. Dress perception was codified as 0 (white&gold) or 1 (black&blue). The association between dress perception and demographic and main ocular variables (age, gender, binocular visual acuity, grade of nuclear cataract, crystalline lens status [phakic/pseudophakic], spherical equivalent, and ocular health status) was tested using logistic regression. Receiver operation curves were used to test the predictive value of the model. Several variables were found to be related with dress perception. The best model included three variables—Age: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.02 (1.01–1.03), p = 0.08; ocular refraction: adjusted OR = 1.07 (1.02–1.12), p = 0.009; and nuclear cataract grade: adjusted OR = 1.45 (1.05–1.99), p = 0.026. The predictive value of the model was low (area under the curve = 0.62). Older age, nuclear cataract grade, and hyperopia were associated with black&blue perception. The predictive capacity of the developed model was poor. Only a small proportion of the variability in the #thedress perception can be explained by ocular examination.
Poor Validity of Functional Performance Tests to Predict Knee Injury in Female Soccer Players With or Without Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Fältström Anne , Hägglund Martin , Hedevik Henrik , Kvist Joanna
Published: April 2021

Background:

Various tests have been developed to evaluate athletes’ functional performance and for use as screening tools for injury prediction. Further validation of their accuracy to predict injury is needed.

Purpose:

To investigate the validity of predetermined cutoffs used to differentiate between high- and low-risk players in different functional performance tests to predict (1) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or (2) severe traumatic knee injury in a cohort of female soccer players with a primary unilateral ACL reconstruction and a cohort of knee-healthy players.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A total of 117 active female soccer players (mean age ± SD, 20 ± 2 years) an average of 19 ± 9 months after ACL reconstruction and 119 knee-healthy players (age, 19 ± 3 years) were prospectively followed up for 2 years for new knee injuries. At baseline, all players underwent tests to assess postural control (Star Excursion Balance Test), hop performance (single-leg hop for distance, side hop), and movement asymmetries in the lower limbs and trunk (drop vertical jump [DVJ], tuck jump). The predictive validity of the test cutoffs to identify players who would sustain an ACL injury or a severe traumatic knee injury (absence from soccer play, >28 days) was assessed. The risk ratio (RR), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated.

Results:

A total of 46 players (39%) with ACL reconstruction sustained 48 severe knee injuries, including 28 ACL ruptures. Of the knee-healthy players, 13 (11%) sustained 14 severe knee injuries, including 8 ACL ruptures. No association was found between the predetermined functional performance test cutoffs and the risk of a new ACL injury or severe knee injury in players with ACL reconstruction. In knee-healthy players, the only variable associated with future ACL injury was ≥6.5 cm knee valgus in the frontal plane (any knee) in the DVJ (RR, 4.93; 95% CI, 1.04-23.40; P = .045), but with only fair predictive validity (AUC, 0.7; sensitivity, 0.75; specificity, 0.65).

Conclusion:

In our cohorts of female soccer players, the validity of commonly used functional performance tests to predict new knee injuries was poor. Only knee valgus during the DVJ was associated with new ACL injuries in knee-healthy players, but with only fair predictive validity.
Arthroscopic Soft Tissue Stabilization With Selective Augmentations for Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability in Competitive Collision Athletes
Authors: Hoshika Shota , Sugaya Hiroyuki , Takahashi Norimasa , Matsuki Keisuke , Tokai Morihito , Morioka Takeshi , Ueda Yusuke , Hamada Hiroshige , Takeuchi Yasutaka
Published: April 2021

Background:

Many surgeons prefer bony stabilization including Bristow or Latarjet procedures for shoulder instability in collision athletes, even though several potential complications have been reported. There has been a limited number of studies on the midterm outcomes of arthroscopic soft tissue stabilization for anterior shoulder instability in competitive collision athletes.

Purpose:

To assess the outcomes of arthroscopic soft tissue stabilization in combination with selective augmentation procedures for collision athletes with traumatic anterior shoulder instability

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

We retrospectively assessed rugby or American football players (<40 years old) who underwent arthroscopic Bankart or bony Bankart repair with selective augmentations (rotator interval closure and/or Hill-Sachs remplissage) for traumatic anterior shoulder instability between January 2012 and March 2017. Shoulders that required other bony procedures were excluded. Recurrence, complications, return to sport, and functional scores (Rowe score and Subjective Shoulder Value sports score) were investigated.

Results:

This study included 113 shoulders in 100 patients with a mean age of 20 years (range, 15-36 years) at surgery. Rotator interval closure was performed on 36 shoulders in addition to Bankart repair, and rotator interval closure and Hill-Sachs remplissage were performed on 77 shoulders. The mean follow-up period was 44 months (range, 24-72 months). Of the 113 shoulders, 4 (3.5%) experienced postoperative dislocation, but there were no complications. A total of 93 athletes (93%) attained complete or near complete preinjury sports activity levels. The mean Rowe score significantly improved from 36 (range, 10-75) at presurgery to 96 (range, 35-100; P = .003) at postsurgery. The mean Subjective Shoulder Value sports score significantly improved after surgery, from a mean preoperative score of 22 (range, 0-50) to a postoperative score of 92 (range, 64-100; P = .002).

Conclusion:

Our treatment strategy, where arthroscopic soft tissue stabilization was combined with selected augmentations, provided good clinical outcomes for competitive collision athletes in terms of low rates of recurrence and complication, a high rate of return to sports, and good shoulder function.