bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alternative Splicing of the Inhibitory Immune Checkpoint Receptor SLAMF6 Generates a Dominant Positive Form, Boosting T-cell Effector Functions
Authors: Hajaj Emma , Zisman Elad , Tzaban Shay , Merims Sharon , Cohen Jonathan , Klein Shiri , Frankenburg Shoshana , Sade-Feldman Moshe , Tabach Yuval , Yizhak Keren , Navon Ami , Stepensky Polina , Hacohen Nir , Peretz Tamar , Veillette André , Karni Rotem , Eisenberg Galit , Lotem Michal
Published: March 2021

SLAMF6 is a homotypic receptor of the Ig-superfamily associated with progenitor-exhausted T cells. Here we show that in humans, SLAMF6 has three splice isoforms involving its V-domain. Although the canonical receptor inhibited T-cell activation through SAP recruitment, the short isoform SLAMF6Δ17–65 had a strong agonistic effect. The costimulatory action depended on protein phosphatase SHP1 and led to a cytotoxic molecular profile mediated by the expression of TBX21 and RUNX3. Patients treated with immune checkpoint blockade showed a shift toward SLAMF6Δ17–65 in peripheral blood T cells. We developed splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) designed to target the relevant SLAMF6 splice junction. Our ASOs enhanced SLAMF6Δ17–65 expression in human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improved their capacity to inhibit human melanoma in mice. The yin-yang relationship of SLAMF6 splice isoforms may represent a balancing mechanism that could be exploited to improve cancer immunotherapy.
Os cultos de mistério no Protréptico de Clemente de Alexandria
Authors: Maciel Sami de Figueiredo
Published: March 2021

Além dos variados cultos existentes no Império Romano, os antigos cultos de mistérios gregos se popularizaram e foram se ressignificando à medida em que entravam em contato com outras tradições religiosas. Com o advento do Cristianismo e o fortalecimento da Fé seguido de uma crescente literatura de teor apologético, os autores cristãos viram nas cerimônias executadas pelos seus adeptos toda a representação do Mal existente no universo politeísta, propondo-se a combatê-las. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir quais as interpretações intrínsecas aos antigos cultos de mistérios e analisar os principais pontos destacados por Clemente de Alexandria nas representações que faz na sua obra Protréptico (Exortação aos gregos).
Religião popular no Egito Greco-Romano: o culto de Serápis
Authors: Fonseca Danillo Melo da
Published: March 2021

Serápis foi um deus criado por Ptolomeu I Sóter, primeiro faraó da dinastia lágida (305-30 a.C.) como deus guardião dos novos soberanos e da cidade de Alexandria. A representação iconográfica de Serápis seguia os moldes das divindades gregas. Mas também é resultado de um elemento propriamente egípcio no nome. Com base na cultura material feita de terracota, proveniente do Egito greco-romano e representando Serápis, pretendemos analisar as práticas religiosas e a religião popular associadas ao deus. Partimos da hipótese de que Serápis é resultado do contato e emaranhamento da religião egípcia e grega, fruto de um ambiente marcado pela miscigenação e por um estreito contato cultural.
Association of Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Responses to Submaximal Exercise With Incident Heart Failure: The Framingham Heart Study
Authors: Carneiro Herman A. , Song Rebecca J. , Lee Joowon , Schwartz Brian , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Xanthakis Vanessa
Published: March 2021

Background

Exercise stress tests are conventionally performed to assess risk of coronary artery disease. Using the FHS (Framingham Heart Study) Offspring cohort, we related blood pressure (BP) and heart rate responses during and after submaximal exercise to the incidence of heart failure (HF).

Methods and Results

We evaluated Framingham Offspring Study participants (n=2066; mean age, 58 years; 53% women) who completed 2 stages of an exercise test (Bruce protocol) at their seventh examination (1998–2002). We measured pulse pressure, systolic BP, diastolic BP, and heart rate responses during stage 2 exercise (2.5 mph at 12% grade). We calculated the changes in systolic BP, diastolic BP, and heart rate from stage 2 to recovery 3 minutes after exercise. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to relate each standardized exercise variable (during stage 2, and at 3 minutes of recovery) individually to HF incidence, adjusting for standard risk factors. On follow‐up (median, 16.8 years), 85 participants developed new‐onset HF. Higher exercise diastolic BP was associated with higher HF with reduced ejection fraction (ejection fraction <50%) risk (hazard ratio [HR] per SD increment, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.01–1.59). Lower stage 2 pulse pressure and rapid postexercise recovery of heart rate and systolic BP were associated with higher HF with reduced ejection fraction risk (HR per SD increment, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.57–0.94]; 0.52 [95% CI, 0.35–0.76]; and 0.63 [95% CI, 0.47–0.84], respectively). BP and heart rate responses to submaximal exercise were not associated with risk of HF with preserved ejection fraction (ejection fraction ≥50%).

Conclusions

Accentuated diastolic BP during exercise with slower systolic BP and heart rate recovery after exercise are markers of HF with reduced ejection fraction risk.
The Microstructure of Attentional Control in the Dorsal Attention Network
Authors: Rajan Abhijit , Meyyappan Sreenivasan , Liu Yuelu , Samuel Immanuel Babu Henry , Nandi Bijurika , Mangun George R. , Ding Mingzhou
Published: March 2021

The top–down control of attention involves command signals arising chiefly in the dorsal attention network (DAN) in frontal and parietal cortex and propagating to sensory cortex to enable the selective processing of incoming stimuli based on their behavioral relevance. Consistent with this view, the DAN is active during preparatory (anticipatory) attention for relevant events and objects, which, in vision, may be defined by different stimulus attributes including their spatial location, color, motion, or form. How this network is organized to support different forms of preparatory attention to different stimulus attributes remains unclear. We propose that, within the DAN, there exist functional microstructures (patterns of activity) specific for controlling attention based on the specific information to be attended. To test this, we contrasted preparatory attention to stimulus location (spatial attention) and to stimulus color (feature attention), and used multivoxel pattern analysis to characterize the corresponding patterns of activity within the DAN. We observed different multivoxel patterns of BOLD activation within the DAN for the control of spatial attention (attending left vs. right) and feature attention (attending red vs. green). These patterns of activity for spatial and feature attentional control showed limited overlap with each other within the DAN. Our findings thus support a model in which the DAN has different functional microstructures for distinctive forms of top–down control of visual attention.
Visual Predictions Operate on Different Timescales
Authors: Darriba Álvaro , Van Ommen Sandrien , Hsu Yi-Fang , Waszak Florian
Published: March 2021

Humans live in a volatile environment, subject to changes occurring at different timescales. The ability to adjust internal predictions accordingly is critical for perception and action. We studied this ability with two EEG experiments in which participants were presented with sequences of four Gabor patches, simulating a rotation, and instructed to respond to the last stimulus (target) to indicate whether or not it continued the direction of the first three stimuli. Each experiment included a short-term learning phase in which the probabilities of these two options were very different (p = .2 vs. p = .8, Rules A and B, respectively), followed by a neutral test phase in which both probabilities were equal. In addition, in one of the experiments, prior to the short-term phase, participants performed a much longer long-term learning phase where the relative probabilities of the rules predicting targets were opposite to those of the short-term phase. Analyses of the RTs and P3 amplitudes showed that, in the neutral test phase, participants initially predicted targets according to the probabilities learned in the short-term phase. However, whereas participants not pre-exposed to the long-term learning phase gradually adjusted their predictions to the neutral probabilities, for those who performed the long-term phase, the short-term associations were spontaneously replaced by those learned in that phase. This indicates that the long-term associations remained intact whereas the short-term associations were learned, transiently used, and abandoned when the context changed. The spontaneous recovery suggests independent storage and control of long-term and short-term associations.
Which Ethics for Essex? Elizabeth Gaskell, Salem Witchcraft,
and the Problem of Forgiveness
Authors: Everton Michael
Published: March 2021

Hawthorne notwithstanding, the nineteenth-century literary response to the Salem witch hunt was not unilaterally unforgiving. There was an equally dominant response of compassion and forgiveness. A moral rationalization of resentment, Elizabeth Gaskell’s Lois the Witch articulates this debate and anticipates contemporary questions about the efficacy of forgiving crimes against humanity.
Peacemaking in Africa and Nobel Peace Prize 2019: The Role of Ahmed Abiy Ali in resolving the Ethiopia–Eritrea Cross-Border Conflict
Authors: Oando Samwel Odhiambo , Achieng’ Shirley Gabriella
Published: March 2021

Conflicts globally have reportedly declined even though the number of African countries plagued by internal cross border strife has increased. Given this trend, the African peace and security architecture has evolved considerably over the past decade, culminating in the award of the Nobel Peace Prize – to one of the key actors in peace-making process, Ahmed Abiy Ali. Hence, this paper explores how the inter-state conflicts in Africa, such as the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict, reflect some colonial continuities of violence. We, therefore, stipulate the justification for the Nobel Peace Prize to illustrate how norms evolve, and further, how identities are constituted in peace-making. This, we argue, is parallel to other situations in African countries as manifested through identity, legitimacy, and authority in shaping political decisions, within the mutually constitutive relationships between agents and political structures. The paper, therefore, situates the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea into the African context using a model of the decisive action by Abiy, with limited Western influence towards peace, hence providing rationale for subaltern voices and indigenous peace processes in Africa.
Between “Free Use” and Denial of Access: A Critical Analysis of the Copyright Licensing Scheme for Scholarly Materials in Higher Education in Tanzania
Authors: Makulilo Alex B.
Published: March 2021

Over the past ten years universities in Tanzania through the Committee of Vice Chancellors, Principals of Public and Private Universities in Tanzania (CVCPT), have been in dispute with the Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA) over the exploitation of literary copyright protected works. This long-standing dispute has centered on a controversial copyright licensing of reproduction and rental rights scheme issued by COSOTA. On the one hand, universities claim reproduction and rental rights for educational purposes are exempted from the requirement of license under the doctrine of “free use” while the licensing body refutes such claim. This article is set to critically discuss this tension and suggest how the dispute may be resolved. The present analysis is governed by the international and national legal framework on copyright exemptions and limitations.
A Wrong Sound in the Quest for a Symphony? The WTO and the Impact of EU’s Common Agricultural Policy on Africa: Insight from Senegal
Authors: Ufomba Henry
Published: March 2021

This paper is situated within the growing debate on how the domestic economic policies of developed countries condition that of the developing countries through the mechanism of international trade relations under the auspices of the WTO. Using the framework of the dependency theory I shall examine the economic impact of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on Africa with critical attention on the agricultural sector of the former, drawing empirical evidence from the present situation in Senegal. This answered the overarching question: How does the EU CAP affect the economies of Africa in general and Senegal in particular? The empirical evidence from Senegal’s experience presented in this paper revealed that CAP negatively affects the economic growth of Africa through the suffocation of its agricultural sector as a result of its distortion of the domestic price and the inability of local farmers to produce at a price that can compete equally with the heavily subsidized imported alternatives from the EU.
Three new species and four new species records of earthworms of the genus Moniligaster Perrier, 1872 (Clitellata: Moniligastridae) from Kerala region of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India
Authors: NARAYANAN S. PRASANTH , SATHRUMITHRA S. , ANUJA R. , CHRISTOPHER G. , THOMAS A.P. , JULKA J.M.
Published: March 2021

Three new species of Moniligaster Perrier, 1872, namely M. bahli Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov., M. blakemorei Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov. and M. keralensis Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov. are described from materials collected from the Indian state of Kerala. Moniligaster cernosvitovi Gates, 1962, Moniligaster horsti Gates, 1940, Moniligaster michaelseni Gates, 1940 and Moniligaster stephensoni Gates, 1940 are recorded for the first time from the state. With the new findings, a total of 10 Moniligaster species are known from Kerala. Moniligaster species are restricted to southern peninsular India, except Moniligaster ivaniosi Manazhy, 2011, decribed from the Andaman Islands, outside the currently known distributional range of the genus. Hence we critically reviewed the original description and reinvestigated the holotype. As a result, Moniligaster ivaniosi is considered a junior synonym of Drawida nepalensis Michaelsen, 1907.
A note on Muraena alba Zuiew, 1793 (Teleostei: Synbranchidae)
Authors: BRITZ RALF , KOTTELAT MAURICE , KULLANDER SVEN
Published: March 2021

Originally described as Muraena alba by the Russian ichthyologist Basilius Zuiew (1793) [Vasilij Fyodorovich Zuev’], the name Monopterus albus has long been used for a species of swamp eel (Synbranchidae) with a reportedly widespread occurrence in Asia (Rosen & Greenwood 1976, Kottelat 2013). In recent years molecular studies have shown that Monopterus albus of authors is a species complex and several authors have recommended that up to three (Collins et al. 2002, Matsumoto et al. 2010, Kottelat 2013, Nico et al. 2019) or even five (Arisuryanti 2016) different species can be recognized. Kottelat (2013) referred to the eastern Asian clade of Matsumoto et al. (2010) as Monopterus albus and the Southeast Asian clade as Monopterus javanensis La Cepède, 1800, noting that no name is available for the clade on the Ryukyu Islands.
Two new species and a new record of Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till (Acari: Laelapidae) from Altai Mountains, Russia
Authors: JOHARCHI OMID , DÖKER ISMAIL , KHAUSTOV VLADIMIR A.
Published: March 2021

This paper reports on three species of mites of the genus Gaeolaelaps from Altai Mountains, Russia. Gaeolaelaps altaiensis sp. nov., G. lenis Vatankhah & Nemati were collected from nests of Lasius sp. and Formica sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), respectively, and G. euparadactylifer sp. nov. from moss on the shore of the Teletskoye Lake. The new species have the unusual character state of short peritremes, ending near the middle of coxae II. In G. euparadactylifer sp. nov., the pretarsal paradactyli on legs II–IV are strongly elongated, apically pointed and with their tips projecting well beyond the claws. Both new species are described based on morphological characters of the adults. In addition, the male of Gaeolaelaps lenis is described for the first time.
A checklist of Acari type specimens deposited in the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum, Karaj, Iran
Authors: SABOORI ALIREZA , SHIRVANI ZEINAB
Published: March 2021

A checklist of the Acari type specimens deposited in the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum (JAZM), Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran is given. From a total of 451 type specimens (which comprises 166 valid species names) cited in the list, 164 are available and two are lost. Based on the comparison of these type specimens, the following taxonomic change is proposed in this paper: Erythraeus (Zaracarus) ueckermanni is considered as a valid species and is not a junior synonym of Erythraeus (Zaracarus) budapestensis.
Hydrothermal Growth of Nano-Hydroxyapatite Coating Formed on Fluorinated Magnesium Alloy and Its Corrosion Behaviour
Authors: Zhang Chun-Yan , Fang Hao-Lan , Liu Xin-Peng , Meng Fan-Cheng , Tian Zhong-Qing , Liu Hui-Nan
Published: March 2021

In order to explore the hydrothermal growth mechanism of hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on fluorinated magnesium alloy, the changes of morphology, composition and crystal phase of the calcium phosphate coating during the hydrothermal treatment were studied. And the change of electrochemical
impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the coating specimen of different hydrothermal treatment time was discussed to further understanding the change of the coating structure. The results demonstrated that calcium phosphate could rapidly nucleate on fluorinated AZ31 magnesium alloy. The crystal
phase of calcium phosphate coating was mainly octacalcium phosphate (OCP) at the early stage of hydrothermal treatment. Then the content of OCP decreased and the content of HA increased with hydrothermal time. The coating consisted of only HA after hydrothermal treatment for about 4h. The
HA coating composed of rod-like crystals exhibited an obvious double layer structure. The rod-like crystals of inner layer arranged into dense bundles and the rod-like crystals of outer layer arranged into loose chrysanthemum-like clusters. Fluoride conversion layer acted as an intermediate
transition layer to connect magnesium alloy and HA coating into a whole. The results of immersion test in simulated body fluid demonstrated that HA crystals dissolved slowly. No peeling occurred of HA coating during the 12 days' immersion. Pitting corrosion was still the mainly corrosion mode
of magnesium alloy substrate due to the electrolyte infiltration during the immersion.
Preparation of Chitosan Paclitaxel Nanospheres and Its Use in In-Stent Restenosis After Lower Extremity Angioplasty Stenting
Authors: Wei Lichun , Guo Jianming , Hou Peiyong , Gu Yongquan
Published: March 2021

The efficacy and safety of paclitaxel (Pac) coated capsules in the treatment of lower extremity lesions in stent after lower extremity angioplasty stenting are concerned. In order to achieve this goal, Pac is used as the model drug, and it is adsorbed into chitosan hollow nanospheres
(Chi-HN) by adsorption equilibrium method, so as to obtain drug loaded nanospheres (Pac-Chi). The results of Chi-HN are observed by TEM and SEM. The solid state of PAC is characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Fourier transform infrared
spectrometer (FT-IR). The release properties of drug loaded nanospheres are tested. The biocompatibility of nanospheres is tested by cytotoxicity test. The inhibitory effect of PAC nanospheres on cancer cells before and after treatment is compared. In the treatment trial of LEAS patients,
the pharmacokinetics of drug loaded nanospheres is analyzed, the blood glucose metabolism in patients is tested, and the preoperative and postoperative vascular stenosis degree, minimum diameter and other data are compared. In the experiment, the release rate of Pac in Pac-Chi is slow. The
characterization of drug loaded nanospheres confirms that Pac exists in amorphous state in Chi-HN. Meanwhile, Pac-Chi can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. The pharmacokinetic test shows that Pac-Chi can improve the efficacy of Pac in patients, and the blood glucose concentration
of patients remains relatively stable. In the experimental observation of in-stent restenosis (ISR), the immediate success rate of patients using Pac-Chi nanospheres with interventional procedures is as high as 100%, and there is no adverse cardiovascular phenomenon during the treatment.
How Are Forcibly Displaced People Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak? Evidence From Brazil
Authors: Martuscelli Patrícia Nabuco
Published: March 2021

Refugees tend to be a neglected population during health emergencies. This article studies how the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Brazil affected forcibly displaced people considering their intersectional multiple identities. I conducted 29 semistructured phenomenological interviews with refugees living in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro between March 27 and April 06, 2020. These states’ governors closed nonessential services and schools. The results indicate that refugees face three challenges connected to this pandemic: (a) same challenges as Brazilians due to their labor vulnerability social identity, (b) challenges aggravated by the pandemic due to their identity of nonnationals including access to information and services, and (c) new challenges due to their social identity of forced displaced nonnationals including closing of migration services and borders and the feeling of “living the pandemic twice.” This research contributes to the literature of intersectionality and asylum by understanding how refugees in the Global South are affected by pandemics and responses to them, considering their own lived experiences and multiple social identities.
Regulating for gender-equitable decent work in social and community services: Bringing the state back in
Authors: Macdonald Fiona , Charlesworth Sara
Published: March 2021

This article explores the potential of regulatory and policy reform for gender-equitable decent work in social and community services, a rapidly growing sector of female employment in many Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Along with other feminised sectors, employment in this sector is marked by low rates of unionisation, poor pay and fragmented, insecure working hours. Internationally, gig economy work is now appearing in the sector. A distinguishing feature of the sector is employers’ reliance on government funding through contracted services or via direct payments to individuals. The distance of government from accountability for workers in publicly funded services directly contributes to gendered undervaluation and poor working conditions. However, the presence of the state also provides options for regulatory reform. This article considers the different roles played by government, as employment regulator, as funding and bargaining actor and as market manager and care regulator. Adopting a broad conception of regulation, it canvasses options for bringing the state back in to address gender inequality and precarious work. In the Australian context, it examines potential for rebuilding state accountability for gender-equitable decent work in individualised social care in which the gender inequalities and poor working conditions present in social and community services are amplified.
Vertebral Artery Compression by the Greater Cornu of the Thyroid Cartilage
Authors: Jongbloed Walter , Gertel Alexander , Kashat Lawrence , Singh Roshansa , Parham Kourosh
Published: March 2021

A case of symptomatic unilateral vertebral artery compression by the greater cornu of the thyroid cartilage is described. Imaging shows ossification of the greater cornu of the thyroid cartilage with compression of an aberrant vertebral artery that enters the transverse foramen at the level of C4. Diagnostic workup and surgical treatment are described. Laryngoplasty with a transverse cervical approach and resection of the greater cornu of the thyroid cartilage resulted in resolution of symptoms.
Prehospital Emergency Provider’s Knowledge of and Comfort With Pediatric and Special Needs Cases: A Cross-Sectional Study in Los Angeles County
Authors: Rogers Christopher J. , Gausche-Hill Marianne , Brown Laurie Lee , Burke Rita V.
Published: March 2021

The current study assesses the relationship between continuing education (CE) with a focus on pediatrics and children with special heath care needs and how CE influences the knowledge and comfort levels of prehospital providers who treat these cases. Data are survey responses provided by paramedic and emergency medical technician (EMT) level providers (N = 575) in Los Angeles County. Regression models assessed the relationship between pediatric-focused continuing education and EMTs’ knowledge of and comfort with pediatric cases, adjusting for relevant covariates. EMTs’ participation in continuing education focusing on pediatrics and special health care needs was significantly associated with an increase in perceived comfort and knowledge. Among EMTs who did not receive continuing education focused on either pediatrics or special health care needs, the most frequently reported barrier to education was a perceived lack of availability. The impact of continuing education on perceived comfort and knowledge was more pronounced than the effect of prior experience, especially considering the limited prevalence of provider exposure to pediatric and childhood special health care needs cases compared to adult cases. Expanding educational opportunities is a promising approach to increasing the comfort and knowledge of EMTs who transport and care for pediatric cases.
The effect of 4-h versus 6-h time restricted feeding on sleep quality, duration, insomnia severity and obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity
Authors: Cienfuegos Sofia , Gabel Kelsey , Kalam Faiza , Ezpeleta Mark , Pavlou Vicky , Lin Shuhao , Wiseman Eric , Varady Krista A
Published: March 2021

Background:

Time restricted feeding (TRF) involves deliberately restricting the times during which energy is ingested. Preliminary findings suggest that 8–10-h TRF improves sleep. However, the effects of shorter TRF windows (4–6 h) on sleep, remain unknown.

Aims:

This study compared the effects of 4-h versus 6-h TRF on sleep quality, duration, insomnia severity and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.

Methods:

Adults with obesity ( n = 49) were randomized into one of three groups: 4-h TRF (eating only between 3 and 7 p.m.), 6-h TRF (eating only between 1 and 7 p.m.), or a control group (no meal timing restrictions) for 8 weeks.

Results:

After 8 weeks, body weight decreased ( p < 0.001) similarly by 4-h TRF (–3.9 ± 0.4 kg) and 6-h TRF (–3.4 ± 0.4 kg), versus controls. Sleep quality, measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), did not change by 4-h TRF (baseline: 5.9 ± 0.7; week 8: 4.8 ± 0.6) or 6-h TRF (baseline: 6.4 ± 0.8; week 8: 5.3 ± 0.9), versus controls. Wake time, bedtime, sleep duration and sleep onset latency also remained unchanged. Insomnia severity did not change by 4-h TRF (baseline: 4.4 ± 1.0; week 8: 4.7 ± 0.9) or 6-h TRF (baseline: 8.3 ± 1.2; week 8: 5.5 ± 1.1), versus controls. Percent of participants reporting obstructive sleep apnea symptoms did not change by 4-h TRF (baseline: 44%; week 8: 25%) or 6-h TRF (baseline: 47%; week 8: 20%), versus controls.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that 4- and 6-h TRF have no effect on sleep quality, duration, insomnia severity, or the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.
Palliative care consultation in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia
Authors: Kobayashi Takaaki , Salinas Jorge L , Ten Eyck Patrick , Chen Benjamin , Ando Tomo , Inagaki Kengo , Alsuhaibani Mohammed , Auwaerter Paul G. , Molano Ilonka , Diekema Daniel J.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Palliative care consultation has shown benefits across a wide spectrum of diseases, but the utility in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia remains unclear despite its high mortality.

Aim:

To examine the frequency of palliative care consultation and factors associated with palliative care consult in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia patients in the United States.

Design:

A population-based retrospective analysis using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database in 2014, compiled by the Healthcare Costs and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Setting/subjects:

All inpatients with a discharge diagnosis of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (ICD-9-CM codes; 038.11 and 038.12).

Measurements:

Palliative care consultation was identified using ICD-9-CM code V66.7. Patients’ baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared between those with and without palliative care consult.

Results:

A total of 111,320 Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia admissions were identified in 2014. Palliative care consult was observed in 8140 admissions (7.3%). Palliative care consultation was associated with advanced age, white race, comorbidities, higher income, teaching/urban hospitals, Midwest region, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and the lack of echocardiogram. Palliative care consult was also associated with shorter but more expensive hospitalizations. Crude mortality was 53% (4314/8140) among admissions with palliative care consult and 8% (8357/10,3180) among those without palliative care consult ( p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Palliative care consultation was infrequent during the management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, and a substantial number of patients died during their hospitalizations without palliative care consult. Given the reported benefit in other medical conditions, palliative care consultation may have a role in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Selecting patients who may benefit the most should be explored.
Height Prediction Using the Knee Height Measurement Among Indonesian Children
Authors: Rumapea Fernando , Fadlyana Eddy , Dhamayanti Meita , Tarigan Rodman , Rahmayani Rahmayani , Rusmil Kusnandi
Published: March 2021

Background:

Height is essential for assessing growth and nutrition in children. Assessing height with appropriate measurement is important, although in certain physically disabled and hospitalized children direct height measurement is almost not possible. In these situations, segmental measurements can be used as proxy height. Knee height (KH) has been determined as the most reliable surrogate.

Objective:

This study aimed to establish a height-predicted equation using KH for use in both community and clinical practices.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study design that collected data from 1114 healthy children (596 boys and 518 girls) aged 7 to 12 years to develop the equations for predicting height from KH. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to develop the equations.

Results:

Two equations were established to predict height using KH: (1) for boys H = 29.895 + (0.081 × age [months] + (2.267 × KH)) and (2) for girls H = 26.297 + (0.110 × age [months] + (2.278 × KH)). The very high correlation between KH and actual height indicates a very strong agreement.

Conclusions:

Knee height can be used for prediction equations for height with a very good predictive power. The age variable using the month unit generates a more accurate equation.
A sustainable medical waste collection and transportation model for pandemics
Authors: Babaee Tirkolaee Erfan , Aydın Nadi Serhan
Published: March 2021

We are currently experiencing a critical period for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 related waste is a threat to global public environmental health. Medical waste management during this pandemic is one of the major issues facing public service organizations such as municipalities, which is of great importance in terms of logistics, environment and social aspects. The discussion of logistics operations is related to the collection, transportation and disposal of waste, which imposes high expenses. Many methods have been applied to develop and improve waste management policies in the literature. Apart from these studies, very few researchers have improved vehicle operations in waste management considering environmental aspects and the possibility of outsourcing. In this paper, by examining the gaps in the field, we try to explain and formulate the sustainable medical waste management problem for pandemics. Finally, by designing several practical examples with different scales, we solve the problem using CPLEX solver, compare different conditions and discuss the practical implications using the sensitivity analysis of demand parameter.
Trends in Therapy and Outcomes Associated With Respiratory Failure in Patients Admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Jentzer Jacob C. , Alviar Carlos L. , Miller P. Elliott , Metkus Thomas , Bennett Courtney E. , Morrow David A. , Barsness Gregory W. , Kashani Kianoush B. , Gajic Ognjen
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To describe the epidemiology, outcomes, and temporal trends of respiratory failure in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU).

Materials and Methods:

Retrospective cohort analysis of 2,986 unique Mayo Clinic CICU patients from 2007 to 2018 with respiratory failure. Temporal trends were analyzed, along with hospital and 1-year mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine adjusted hospital mortality trends.

Results:

The prevalence of respiratory failure in the CICU increased from 15% to 38% during the study period ( P < 0.001 for trend). Among patients with respiratory failure, the utilization of invasive ventilation decreased and noninvasive ventilation modalities increased over time. Hospital mortality and 1-year mortality were 24% and 54%, respectively, with variation according to the type of respiratory support (highest among patients receiving invasive ventilation alone: 35% and 46%, respectively). Hospital mortality was highest among patients with concomitant cardiac arrest and/or shock (52% for patients with both). Hospital mortality decreased in the overall population from 35% to 25% ( P < 0.001 for trend), but was unchanged among patients receiving positive-pressure ventilation.

Conclusions:

The prevalence of respiratory failure in CICU more than doubled during the last decade. The use of noninvasive respiratory support increased, while overall mortality declined over time. Cardiac arrest and shock accounted for the majority of deaths. Further research is needed to optimize the outcomes of high-risk CICU patients with respiratory failure.
Evaluation of the Accuracy and Practicability of Predicting Compression Garment Pressure Using Virtual Fit Technology
Authors: Brubacher Kristina , Tyler David , Apeagyei Phoebe , Venkatraman Prabhuraj , Brownridge Andrew Mark
Published: March 2021

In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using the virtual fit pressure map in a clothing-specific CAD program to predict pressures applied by sports compression garments by analyzing pressure prediction accuracy and process practicability. In wearer trials with whole-body compression sportswear, we measured in vivo pressures and compared them to virtual pressures recorded from the virtual fit pressure maps of the garments fitted to 13 participants’ body scan avatars. No clear correlations between virtual and in vivo pressures were identified and problems in the virtual fit process became apparent. The CAD software currently lacks a link to physical fabric, seam and component properties, which inhibits its use for predictions in new product development. By considering all simulation settings and assessing the numerical pressure prediction capability of a clothing-specific CAD program, this research provides a step forward in assessing the limitations of virtual fit for technical product development.
Exploring how educational leaders in England experience and promote their own well-being
Authors: Lindley Lucy
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to explore how educational leaders in England experience and promote their own well-being. To address this, five semi-structured interviews were carried out with educational leaders who expressed that they had personally experienced high levels of well-being. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), four themes were identified, which highlighted that well-being is a subjective experience (‘there’s no blueprint’); that high levels of well-being are commonly described as feeling balanced (‘maintain a balance’); that well-being is perceived as a personal responsibility (‘you’ve got to find ways to manage that’); and that participants were leading by example in relation to well-being (‘be a well-being supermodel’). Overall, this study emphasised that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to well-being, so educational leaders (and their colleagues) should be given space and personal autonomy to work out what works for them.
Impact of Clinical Pharmacy Services on Patient Management in the Chemotherapy Infusion Clinics: A 5-Year Study at a Comprehensive Cancer Center
Authors: Mashni Ola K. , Nazer Lama H. , Khalil Haya Z. , Dalbah Maha I. , Tuffaha Haitham W. , Rumman Asma T. , Jaddoua Saad M.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Chemotherapy requires careful dosing and monitoring and is associated with numerous adverse events. There is limited data describing the impact of clinical pharmacists in the chemotherapy ambulatory setting.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacy services on patient management in the adult chemotherapy infusion clinics.

Methods:

This was a 5-year retrospective study that utilized the pharmacy electronic documentation system to determine the type of interventions and adverse drug events (ADEs) reported by the clinical pharmacists in the chemotherapy infusion clinics. Interventions were described based on the type of intervention and medication involved. ADEs were evaluated based on the type of ADE, the suspected medication, and the required management.

Results:

During the study period, 3,279 interventions and 1,445 ADEs were reported. The most common interventions involved dose adjustments (51%), followed by addition (23%) or discontinuation (21%) of prescribed medications. Carboplatin (20%) and zoledronic acid (14%) were the most common medications that required pharmacist interventions. The most common types of ADEs were hematologic (22%) and infusion-related reactions (20%). Docetaxel was the most common medication associated with ADEs (20%). Among the reported ADEs, most required adding supportive care (44%), followed by adjusting chemotherapy doses (22%).

Conclusion:

Clinical pharmacy services at the chemotherapy infusion clinics play an important role in optimizing the chemotherapy regimens as well as identifying and managing ADEs. Future studies should be directed to measure the impact of these services on patient outcomes as well as, physicians and pharmacy operational workload and cost savings.
A robotic chewing simulator supplying six-axis mandibular motion, high occlusal force, and a saliva environment for denture tests
Authors: Qin Wenlong , Cong Ming , Liu Dong , Ren Xiang
Published: March 2021

Six-axis motion is essential for the evaluation of the wear failure modes of dental prostheses with complete teeth morphologies, and a high occlusal force capacity is vital for static clenching and dynamic bruxism. Additionally, the saliva environment influences abrasive particles and crack growth. The present research was aimed at the development of a six-axis masticatory and saliva simulator with these capacities. The masticatory simulator was designed based on a six-axis parallel mechanism, and the saliva simulator consisted of a saliva circuit and a temperature control loop. A control system of the masticatory and saliva simulators was constructed. The operating interface includes a centric occlusal position search, a static test, a dynamic test, a saliva supply, and data reporting. The motion and force performances of the masticatory simulator were evaluated. The flow rate and temperature change of the saliva simulator were calculated. For the occlusal position-searching, the driving amplitude is linear with the moving variables during minor one-axis motion. For the static tests, the force capacity of the driving chain is 3540 N, while for the dynamic tests, the force capacity is 1390 N. The flow rate of the saliva is 0.18–51.84 mL/min, and the saliva can effectively wet the prosthesis without the risk of overflow. Moreover, the saliva temperature can increase from room temperature (23°C) to body temperature (37°C) in about 6 min. The proposed DUT-2 simulator with six-axis motion, high force, and a salvia environment provides an in vitro testing approach to validate numerical simulation results and explain the clinical failure modes of prostheses. The centric occlusal position-searching, static tests, and dynamic tests could therefore be executed using a single testing machine. Moreover, the proposed device is more compact than previously reported six-axis masticatory simulators, including the Bristol simulator and DUT-1 simulator.
Epistemic competitions over Jewish Holocaust survivors’ stories in interviews
Authors: Schoofs Kim , Van De Mieroop Dorien
Published: March 2021

In this article, we scrutinise epistemic competitions in interviews about World War II. In particular, we analyse how the interlocutors draw on their epistemic authority concerning WWII to construct their interactional telling rights. On the one hand, the analyses illustrate how the interviewers rely on their historical expert status – as evidenced through their specialist knowledge and ventriloquisation of vicarious WWII narratives – in order to topicalise certain master narratives and thereby attempt to project particular identities upon the interviewees. On the other hand, the interviewees derive their epistemic authority from their first-hand experience as Jewish Holocaust survivors, on which they draw in order to counter these story projections, whilst constructing a more distinct self-positioning to protect their nuanced personal identity work. Overall, these epistemic competitions not only shaped the interviewees’ identity work, but they also made the link between storytelling and the social context more tangible as they brought – typically rather elusive – master narratives to the surface.
Forces of reproduction and change in collective bargaining: A social field perspective
Authors: Pernicka Susanne , Glassner Vera , Dittmar Nele , Neundlinger Klaus
Published: March 2021

The paper addresses the endurance of sector collective bargaining despite many announcements of its demise. Bourdieusian social theory is used to interpret collective bargaining as a dominated social field that is distinct and relatively autonomous from other economic, political and transnational fields. Empirically, we trace the trajectories of German and Italian metal sector’s collective bargaining fields. In Germany, field agents contributed to a continuing erosion of collective bargaining, regional differentiation of membership strategies, and a reorientation of dominated employers’ associations towards their members. In Italy, some field agents resisted supranational and national liberalization demands and contributed to the adaptation and innovation of bargaining practices and hence, to the preliminary re-stabilization and re-balancing of collective bargaining between industry and company level.
Thermal post buckling analysis of smart SMA hybrid sandwich composite plate
Authors: Lal Achchhe , Markad Kanif
Published: March 2021

Thermal post-buckling analysis of smart sandwich plates has been presented with the incorporation of shape memory alloy (SMA) and shape memory polymer (SMP) in laminated composite structure under uniform temperature distribution. Buckling analysis is based on higher order shear deformation theory (HSDT) with von Karman nonlinearity by finite element method (FEM). Evaluation of critical buckling temperature has been performed under the action of inplane uniform temperature distribution for different boundary conditions, plate’s aspect and thickness ratio, modulus ratio, ply orientations of smart SMA hybrid sandwich composite plate. Shape memory alloys itself acting uniquely under temperature variation and with SMA reinforced SMP laminated composite plate this phenomenon extended further under dynamic temperature condition for thermal buckling behavior. Also SMA with different strain rate and variation in SMA volume fraction is also presented to understand the cumulative buckling behavior.
Paddling with Maxine Sheets-Johnstone: Exploring the moving body in sport
Authors: Liu Lucen
Published: March 2021

This paper aims to contribute to the theoretical discussion and empirical application of phenomenology in the sociology of sport by drawing on Maxine Sheets-Johnstone’s theories. I propose that Sheets-Johnstone’s movement-focused phenomenology can be complementary to Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of the body in the analyses of sporting moves and the learning of new moves. I mainly applied two concepts from Sheets-Johnstone, tactile-kinesthetic/kinetic dynamics and emotion-motion dynamics, to explore the moving body in waka ama (outrigger canoe) paddling, based on my beginner’s and other competent paddlers’ experiences. Findings demonstrate that a moving/paddling body is spontaneously a tactile-kinesthetic/kinetic, emotion-motion and intercorporeal body. These bodily dimensions enrich our understandings of the ways of learning new movements, doing sport and doing sport together.
Oligopoly-driven development: The World Bank’s Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains in perspective
Authors: Selwyn Benjamin , Leyden Dara
Published: March 2021

The World Development Report 2020 (WDR2020) asserts that global value chains raise productivity and incomes, create better jobs and reduce poverty, and proposes state policies to facilitate global value chain-based development. We deploy an immanent critique of WDR2020 to interrogate its claims regarding wages and working conditions. Using the Report’s own evidence, we identify contradictions in its claims, which stem from its use of comparative advantage trade theory to reconceptualize global value chain relations. This perspective predicts mutual gains between trading partners, but its core assumptions are incompatible with the realities of global value chains, in which (mostly Northern) oligopolistic lead firms capture value from (mostly Southern) suppliers and workers. We show how WDR2020 conceals these contradictions by misconstruing, inverting and ignoring evidence (particularly of labour’s agency), whilst failing to recommend redistributive measures for the unequal outcomes that it recognizes. By redeploying heterodox conceptions of monopoly capital and by using a class-relational approach, we scrutinize WDR2020's overly positive portrayal of lead firms. We provide alternative theoretical foundations to better explain the evidence within the Report, which shows that global value chains concentrate wealth, exacerbate inequalities and constrain social upgrading – with negative consequences for supplier firm workers in developing countries.