bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Maternal Marginal Zinc Deficiency on Development, Redox Status, and Gene Expression Related to Oxidation and Apoptosis in an Avian Embryo Model
Authors: Gao Wei , Huang Liang , Zhang Xiufen , Ma Xinyan , Wang Wence , Zheng Yaohui , Geng Wei , Liu Chuang , Wei Shi , Yang Lin , Zhu Yongwen
Published: October 2021

Maternal severe zinc (Zn) deficiency resulted in growth retardation and high mortality during embryonic development in human. Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating the effect of maternal marginal Zn deficiency on the development and redox status to avoid severe Zn deficiency using an avian model. A total of 324 laying duck breeders at 214 days old were randomly allotted into 3 dietary Zn levels with 6 replicates of 18 ducks per replicate. The birds were fed experimental diets including 3 dietary supplemental Zn levels of 0 mg/kg (maternal Zn‐deficient group, 29.2 mg Zn/kg diet), 60 mg/kg (maternal Zn‐adequate group), and 120 mg/kg (maternal Zn‐high group) for 6 weeks. Dietary Zn levels had on effect on egg production and fertility (P > 0.05), whereas dietary Zn deficiency decreased breeder plasma Zn concentration and erythrocytic alkaline phosphatase activity at week 6 and inhibited erythrocytic 5 ′‐nucleotidase (5 ′‐NT) activity at weeks 2, 4, and 6 (P < 0.05), indicating that marginal Zn‐deficient status occurred after Zn depletion. Maternal marginal Zn deficiency increased embryonic mortality and contents of superoxide anion radical, MDA, and PPC and reduced MT content and CuZnSOD activity in duck embryonic livers on E29. The MDA content was positively correlated with embryonic mortality. Maternal marginal Zn deficiency increased BCL2-associated X protein and Caspase-9 mRNA expressions as well as decreased B-cell lymphoma-2 and MT1 mRNA and signal AKT1 and ERK1 protein expressions (P < 0.05). Breeder plasma Zn concentration and erythrocytic 5 ′‐NT activities at week 6 were positively correlated with GSH‐Px activity and GPx, MT1, and BCL2 mRNA expressions in embryonic livers on E29. In conclusion, erythrocytic 5 ′‐NT activity could be more rapid and reliable to monitor marginal Zn‐deficient status. Marginal Zn deficiency impaired hatchability and antioxidant defense system and then induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in the embryonic liver, contributing to the greater loss of duck embryonic death.
New Results on Perov-Interpolative Contractions of Suzuki Type Mappings
Authors: Karapınar Erdal , Fulga Andreea , Yesilkaya Seher Sultan
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we introduce some common fixed point theorems for interpolative contraction operators using Perov operator which satisfy Suzuki type mappings. Further, some results are given. These results generalize several new results present in the literature.
Linking Physical Activity to Breast Cancer via Sex Steroid Hormones, Part 2: The Effect of Sex Steroid Hormones on Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: Drummond Ann E. , Swain Christopher T.V. , Brown Kristy A. , Dixon-Suen Suzanne C. , Boing Leonessa , van Roekel Eline H. , Moore Melissa M. , Gaunt Tom R. , Milne Roger L. , English Dallas R. , Martin Richard M. , Lewis Sarah J. , Lynch Brigid M.
Published: October 2021

We undertook a systematic review and appraised the evidence for an effect of circulating sex steroid hormones and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) on breast cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women. Systematic searches identified prospective studies relevant to this review. Meta-analyses estimated breast cancer risk for women with the highest compared with the lowest level of sex hormones, and the DRMETA Stata package was used to graphically represent the shape of these associations. The ROBINS-E tool assessed risk of bias, and the GRADE system appraised the strength of evidence. In premenopausal women, there was little evidence that estrogens, progesterone, or SHBG were associated with breast cancer risk, whereas androgens showed a positive association. In postmenopausal women, higher estrogens and androgens were associated with an increase in breast cancer risk, whereas higher SHBG was inversely associated with risk. The strength of the evidence quality ranged from low to high for each hormone. Dose–response relationships between sex steroid hormone concentrations and breast cancer risk were most notable for postmenopausal women. These data support the plausibility of a role for sex steroid hormones in mediating the causal relationship between physical activity and the risk of breast cancer.

See related reviews by Lynch et al., p. 11 and Swain et al., p. 16
The Epithelial–Stromal Microenvironment in Early Colonic Neoplasia
Authors: Ideta Takayasu , Li Boyang , Flynn Christopher , Igarashi Yuichi , Lowman Geoffrey , Looney Tim , Devers Thomas J. , Birk John , Forouhar Faripour , Giardina Charles , Rosenberg Daniel W.
Published: October 2021

Stromal cells play a central role in promoting the progression of colorectal cancer. Here, we analyze molecular changes within the epithelial and stromal compartments of dysplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formed in the ascending colon, where rapidly developing interval cancers occur. We found strong activation of numerous neutrophil/monocyte chemokines, consistent with localized inflammation. The data also indicated a decrease in interferon signaling and cell-based immunity. The immune checkpoint and T-cell exhaustion gene PDCD1 was one of the most significantly upregulated genes, which was accompanied by a decrease in cytotoxic T-cell effector gene expression. In addition, CDKN2A expression was strongly upregulated in the stroma and downregulated in the epithelium, consistent with diverse changes in senescence-associated signaling on the two tissue compartments.

Implications:

Decreased CD8 T-cell infiltration within proximal colon ACF occurs within the context of a robust inflammatory response and potential stromal cell senescence, thus providing new insight into potential promotional drivers for tumors in the proximal colon.
Digital Communication in Visceral Medicine: Regulatory Framework for Digital Communication
Authors: Burg Florian , Pscherer Armin , Opitz Oliver G.
Published: October 2021

Background: Germany has seen rapid development in the digitization of medicine in recent years. Especially, the CO­VID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated this process. Nevertheless, it is accompanied by legal innovations that promote the application of digital tools as well as create respective remuneration options. Ultimately, this continued implementation of digital innovations and telemedicine approaches will lead to the improvement of care and the more efficient provision of medical services. Summary: The article primarily describes the development and current status of digitization using 2 key examples of telemedicine and digital innovations – video consultation and digital health applications. Starting with the liberalization of remote treatment options, video consultation gained many users, especially during the COVID pandemic. The introduction of digital health applications with the possibility of reimbursement by the statutory health insurance funds has put Germany in a leading position in international comparison in this respect. Key Messages: Digitization in healthcare offers enormous opportunities both to professionals working in the healthcare sector and to patients. However, in order to successfully use digital tools in practice, the legal, organizational, and financial framework must be clarified. All medical professionals are well advised to further qualify themselves in this area in order to keep pace with developments.
Boris Schnaiderman e o autocomentário de tradução
Authors: Costa Walter Carlos
Published: October 2021

Boris Schnaiderman se distingue por possuir um método peculiar de fazer e editar traduções. Ele costumava pedir a alguém para ler em voz alta suas traduções enquanto checava o original. Para cada tradução, ele costumava ler toda a obra do autor, bem como a crítica, russa e estrangeira. Essa leitura era a base do paratexto (prefácios, posfácios, notas de rodapé) que acompanhava suas traduções. Ele usava o mesmo método em cada nova edição das traduções, quando atualizava a bibliografia sobre o autor e sua vida e obra e fazia mudanças no paratexto. Ele empregava o mesmo método cada vez que suas traduções eram reeditadas. Em seus paratextos, examinava aspectos diferentes do autor e de sua obra, expressando uma visão pessoal, em geral, contra o consenso vigente, como quando considerava a relevância de uma parte da obra de Maksim Górki em uma época em que Górki era amplamente visto como um autor de segunda categoria. Schnaiderman, sempre que possível, tentava estabelecer vínculos do autor e do texto traduzido com a cultura brasileira. Em consequência, conseguiu dialogar com figuras importantes, como Dalton Trevisan e Rubem Fonseca, sobre autores que eles consideravam importantes para sua obra, como Anton Tchekhov e Isaac Bábel. Todos esses traços tornam as traduções e paratextos de Schnaiderman um rico corpus para pesquisadores, entre outros, das áreas de estudos de tradução, estudos russos, literatura brasileira, literatura comparada e estudos literários.
A tradução a partir do modelo funcionalista de Christiane Nord: perspectivas para o ensino de línguas estrangeiras
Authors: Pontes Valdecy de Oliveira , Pereira Livya Lea de Oliveira
Published: October 2021

Com os avanços da didática de ensino de línguas e da didática da tradução, foi possível uma articulação mútua entre estas áreas, o que proporcionou a reabilitação do uso da tradução em sala de aula, considerando as suas potencialidades como recurso didático para o ensino-aprendizado de línguas estrangeiras (LE) (ARRIBA GARCÍA 1996; HURTADO ALBIR 2011; etc). Nesse contexto, este trabalho busca refletir acerca das contribuições do modelo de tradução funcionalista de Christiane Nord para o ensino de LE, a partir do contexto atual do pós-metodo. Para tanto, caracterizamos o pós-método e suas macroestratégias, com base em Kumaravadivelu (2001) e Leffa (2012); pontuamos direcionamentos práticos sobre a Didática da Tradução Funcionalista, baseando-nos em Nord (1994, 1996, 2009, 2012), e elencamos os resultados de pesquisas, em nível nacional, que obtiveram resultados positivos ao adaptar os procedimentos da tradução funcionalista para o ensino-aprendizado de LE. Com base nas análises empreendidas, propomos que o uso da tradução, considerando o modelo funcionalista de Nord, pode contemplar as macroestratégias oriundas do ensino de LE na era pós-método, convertendo-se em um rico recurso didático.
New Cryptanthus species (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) from the State of Bahia, Brazil
Authors: DE SOUZA EVERTON HILO , LEME ELTON M.C.
Published: October 2021

The authors describe and illustrate four new species of Cryptanthus: C. flesherii, C. lutandensis, C. santosii, and C. solidadeanus. The affinities and distinctness of the new species are supported by the combination of geographical distribution, ecological preference, and morphological characters regarded as the most useful to distinguish taxa in “Cryptanthoid complex”. All described species were recovered as critically endangered. A distribution map as well as taxonomic comments are presented.
Outcomes of Team-Centered, Occupational Adaptation-Based Versus Traditional Dementia Workforce Training
Authors: McKay M. Heather , Pickens Noralyn D. , Medley Ann , Evetts Cynthia L.
Published: October 2021

Background. Dementia workforce training aligned with Occupational Adaptation (OA) theory may facilitate teams resolving challenges in the care environment more than traditional skills-based (SB) training, although comparisons are needed. Purpose. This pilot study compared effectiveness of an OA and SB program on relative mastery and team development for dementia care teams at a continuing care retirement community. Method. In a quasi-experimental study, employees underwent nine sessions in an OA or SB program. Relative Mastery Measurement Scale and Team Development Measure results were collected pre-, mid-, post-intervention. A 3 × 2 ANOVA determined differences in group score changes across time. Findings. Data from 28 employees (14/group) showed group-by-time interaction reached statistical significance for both relative mastery ( F = 3.17, df = 2, p = .05) and team development ( F = 8.38, df = 2, p = .001). Implications. OA-based training may improve dementia care teams’ collaborative mastery over real-world challenges. While preliminary findings inform program developers, further research must explore clinical effectiveness.
Nonviolent youth activism and symbolic violence: Some problems in Bourdieu’s notion of victim complicity
Authors: Lohmeyer Ben Arnold
Published: October 2021

The coupling of victim complicity with violence is intuitively objectionable, yet it is an underexamined aspect of Bourdieu’s ‘symbolic violence’. Within sociology, the nature of violence continues to be debated and refined with contested boundaries particularly concerning non-physical forms of violence. Symbolic violence offers an avenue to investigate this realm; however, it has been both employed and rejected without close examination of the issue of complicity. Moreover, the varying interpretations of Bourdieu’s use of the term ‘violence’ present problems for sustaining sociological distinctions between power and violence. This article examines these issues through the experiences of youth activists employing Nonviolent Direct Action with a focus on their reflexive self-awareness of participation in systems of violence. The author argues that complicity in symbolic violence presents epistemological and ontological problems for the sociology of violence that can be avoided by adopting viable alternative interpretations that emphasise the subject’s reflexivity and the systemic origins of violence.
Book review: Rajib Bhattacharyya (Ed.), The Gains and Pains of Financial Integration and Trade Liberalization: Lessons from Emerging Economies
Authors: Bhattacharyya Ranajoy
Published: October 2021

Rajib Bhattacharyya (Ed.), The Gains and Pains of Financial Integration and Trade Liberalization: Lessons from Emerging Economies. UK: Emerald Publishing, 2020, $105, 296 pp. ISBN: 9781838670047.
The Future of Work in America: Demise of Employer-Sponsored Insurance and What Should Replace it
Authors: Geyman John
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought fundamental changes in the US workplace, placing employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) in disarray. Before the pandemic, ESI was the single largest share of private health insurance in the country, including some 150 million Americans. Even before the pandemic, however, ESI had become increasingly volatile and more unaffordable for both employers and employees. During the pandemic, many workers found that they could work at home remotely. Job losses during the pandemic left many millions uninsured, with many jobs lost indefinitely. Today, many Americans are rethinking how and where they want to be involved in the workplace, while many businesses are considering a future when more people are working from home or being replaced by robots, placing ESI in further jeopardy. This article brings historical perspective to these problems, showing how the private health insurance industry has failed the public interest by being too fragmented and unreliable to be afforded or depended upon. Three major reform alternatives are described, only 1 of which—single-payer improved Medicare for All—can provide stable universal coverage that meets the needs of all Americans while being affordable for patients, families, and taxpayers.
Discourse analysis of conception of masculinity among Chinese male sexual abuse survivors
Authors: Simon Chan Tak-Mau , Esther Cho Yin-Nei
Published: October 2021

This study aims to explore the conception of masculinity in organizing the help-seeking behavior of Chinese males in Hong Kong. Twelve informants, who had experienced being abused in various relationships, participated in the in-depth interviews. Discourse analysis drawn from the analytical process per James Paul Gee is applied to examine the data. Six discourse positions are highlighted, including placating masculinity, counter-masculinity, fragmented identity, masculinity through sex, identity through gender, and finally, non-normative sexual identity. The complicity of the concept of masculinity in Chinese culture and implications for social workers are further discussed.
Comparison and political strategy: Internationalism, colonial rule and urban research after Fanon
Authors: Kipfer Stefan
Published: October 2021

Debates about comparative method have been at the forefront of English-language urban studies during the last two decades. In one sense, these debates simply derive from and help sustain the crucial labour process of urban research. In other respects, the rise of comparative method to foremost prominence has demonstrated theoretical differences in the field. The heat that some of these debates have occasionally generated (e.g. on scale, global cities, assemblage and planetary urbanisation) alerts us to the political stakes involved in comparison. These range from the micro-political dynamics of knowledge creation to various macrological considerations. In this paper, I deal not only with the political implications of comparative projects, I also raise the question: how do political strategies produce comparative perspectives? After a few observations about comparative debates in urban research and beyond, I zero in on Frantz Fanon’s tricontinental internationalism as a generator of a relational comparative outlook before discussing three intellectual engagements with Fanon’s legacy. These engagements are situated within the creole literary movement in Martinique, Indigenous radicalism in Canada and political anti-racism in mainland France. By highlighting the obstacles that stand in the way of translating Fanon’s internationalism, these engagements also underline the importance of understanding colonial rule and its legacies (including its urban dimension, which Fanon understood under the larger rubric of colonial compartmentalisation) in relationally comparative ways: historically and geographically distinct but inter-linked through broader processes, strategies and intellectual practices.
Motivation of Physicians to Use and Recommend Apps for the Treatment of Haemophilia
Authors: Alpar Paul , Driebe Thomas
Published: October 2021

Digitalization of health care and the availability of suitable end devices lead to an increase in the use of telehealth applications. Most research on telehealth focuses on patients or organizations (like hospitals), while the role of physicians in this context is often neglected. In case of serious and chronic diseases, they play two major roles in the use of telehealth. Firstly, they may influence the patient’s decision whether to use it at all (if more than one option is available, they may also influence the patient’s choice of software). Secondly, if there is a need for a physicians’ participation (eg, in telecare), an adoption decision by the physician to use the system is necessary. We develop a model to understand a physician’s motivations to recommend the use of telehealth software to patients and to adopt it himself. The results demonstrate that physicians recommend telehealth based on their own use intention and the perceived performance improvements in patient treatment. Further, their own use intention is dependent on the usefulness of the system for their work. Potential disadvantages like decreased patient autonomy or cost of the system use do not influence the physician’s decisions.
Trajectory of first-year students’ depressive mood after the transition to high school: The role of personality dimensions
Authors: Yu Wei , Cheng Gang , Huang Jiajia , Ding Fangyuan , Jia Yuncheng
Published: October 2021

This short-term longitudinal study investigated the developmental trajectory of first-year students’ depressive mood and the role of personality dimensions after the transition to high school. Chinese first-year high school students (251 males, 295 females) completed surveys to determine depressive mood and personality dimensions. The latent growth modeling results were as follows: participants’ depressive mood increased linearly after the transition to high school, and the intercept and slope of depressive mood were insignificantly correlated; neuroticism significantly and positively predicted the intercept and slope of depressive mood; extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness negatively and significantly predicted the intercept of depressive mood, but insignificantly predicted the slope; and agreeableness did not predict the intercept or slope of depressive mood. Overall, first-year students’ depressive mood increased linearly and personality dimensions differently predict depressive mood during this period.
Were Americans’ Political Attitudes Linked to Objective Threats From COVID-19? An Examination of Data From Project Implicit During Initial Months of the Pandemic
Authors: Stern Chadly , Axt Jordan
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has created objectively threatening situations in everyday life (e.g., unemployment, risk of infection), and researchers have begun to ask whether threats from the pandemic are linked to people’s political attitudes. However, scholars currently lack a systematic answer to this question. Here, we examined whether objective COVID-19 threats (cases, deaths, and government restrictions) occurring over the initial months of the pandemic (February–June 2020) were associated with seven different assessments of political attitudes among Project Implicit users in the United States ( N = 34,581). We did not consistently observe meaningful associations between COVID-19 threats and political attitudes. The lack of consistent meaningful associations emerged regardless of the level of analysis (country, state, and county) or participant’s self-identified ideology. Collectively, these findings failed to find evidence that political attitudes were tied to COVID-19 threats in a meaningful way during the initial months of the pandemic.
How Important is the Choice of Bandwidth in Kernel Equating?
Authors: Wallin Gabriel , Häggström Jenny , Wiberg Marie
Published: October 2021

Kernel equating uses kernel smoothing techniques to continuize the discrete score distributions when equating test scores from an assessment test. The degree of smoothness of the continuous approximations is determined by the bandwidth. Four bandwidth selection methods are currently available for kernel equating, but no thorough comparison has been made between these methods. The overall aim is to compare these four methods together with two additional methods based on cross-validation in a simulation study. Both equivalent and non-equivalent group designs are used and the number of test takers, test length, and score distributions are all varied. The results show that sample size and test length are important factors for equating accuracy and precision. However, all bandwidth selection methods perform similarly with regards to the mean squared error and the differences in terms of equated scores are small, suggesting that the choice of bandwidth is not critical. The different bandwidth selection methods are also illustrated using real testing data from a college admissions test. Practical implications of the results from the simulation study and the empirical study are discussed.
Partial Measurement Invariance: Extending and Evaluating the Cluster Approach for Identifying Anchor Items
Authors: Pohl Steffi , Schulze Daniel , Stets Eric
Published: October 2021

When measurement invariance does not hold, researchers aim for partial measurement invariance by identifying anchor items that are assumed to be measurement invariant. In this paper, we build on Bechger and Maris’s approach for identification of anchor items. Instead of identifying differential item functioning (DIF)-free items, they propose to identify different sets of items that are invariant in item parameters within the same item set. We extend their approach by an additional step in order to allow for identification of homogeneously functioning item sets. We evaluate the performance of the extended cluster approach under various conditions and compare its performance to that of previous approaches, that are the equal-mean difficulty (EMD) approach and the iterative forward approach. We show that the EMD and the iterative forward approaches perform well in conditions with balanced DIF or when DIF is small. In conditions with large and unbalanced DIF, they fail to recover the true group mean differences. With appropriate threshold settings, the cluster approach identified a cluster that resulted in unbiased mean difference estimates in all conditions. Compared to previous approaches, the cluster approach allows for a variety of different assumptions as well as for depicting the uncertainty in the results that stem from the choice of the assumption. Using a real data set, we illustrate how the assumptions of the previous approaches may be incorporated in the cluster approach and how the chosen assumption impacts the results.
Toward an Early Warning System for Monitoring Asylum-Related Migration Flows in Europe
Authors: Napierała Joanna , Hilton Jason , Forster Jonathan J. , Carammia Marcello , Bijak Jakub
Published: October 2021

Asylum-related migration is highly complex, uncertain, and volatile, which precludes using standard model-based predictions to inform policy and operational decisions. At the same time, asylum's potentially high societal impacts on receiving countries and the resource implications of asylum processes call for more proactive approaches for assessing current and future migration flows. In this article, we propose an alternative approach to asylum modeling, based on the detection of early warning signals by using models originating from statistical control theory. Our empirical analysis of several asylum flows into Europe in 2010–2016 demonstrates the approach's utility and potential in aiding the management of mixed migration flows, while also shedding more light on the work needed to make better use of the “big data” and scenario-based methods for comprehensive and systematic examination of risk, uncertainty, and emerging trends.
Unexplored Needs of the Older Adults: Experiences From Elders Helpline in Bengaluru
Authors: Murthy Radha , Sivaraman Sruthi , Chandra Anitha , Bhandary Swati , Harbishettar Vijaykumar
Published: October 2021

Elders Helpline has been operational in Bangalore by joint effort of the Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT) and the City Police since its inception in 2002. The Elders Helpline is unique as it is the first of its kind in India that offers services for the welfare of the older people in Bangalore city. The objectives of this article were to review the process of setting up of the helpline services, its evolution, range of services offered, to evaluate the services to ascertain the social difficulties with a focus on abuse experienced by the older people in Bangalore and find out the common themes. From the records, the Elders Helpline has responded to as many as 144058 calls between April 2009 and March 2020. This article reviewed functions of the Elders Helpline including supervision and training to its staff members, offering counselling to the Older adults by resolving family conflicts and other social issues by upholding and safeguarding their rights. The article highlights the need and impact of Elders Helpline suggesting the need to expand this type of Helpline to other Districts of the country. This study indicates that the Elders Helpline has become a platform for the elderly people to express their concerns and to make them feel secure. The Elders Helpline model is now launched nationally in October 2021 through the expansion of helpline services. There is a need to gather more comprehensive data and for ongoing research and training to reach out many needy older people.
The influences of college life adaptation and career decision self-efficacy on career achievement stress: Focus on students majoring in piano performance in South Korea
Authors: Lee Heeseung
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationships among college life adaptation, career decision self-efficacy, and career achievement stress regarding students majoring in piano performance. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationships between college life adaptation and career achievement stress, and career decision self-efficacy and career achievement stress. The findings of the study indicated that personal and emotional adaptation, goal selection, and job information variables had a significant impact on career achievement stress. The findings of this study can be theoretically and practically meaningful, providing opportunities for the development of efficient retention strategies for students majoring in piano performance in a competitive college market. Through this research, the result should be utilized for development of job-seeking, career-related programs, and curriculum.
Diet quality and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: McGarrity-Yoder Maureen E. , Insel Kathleen C. , Crane Tracy E. , Pace Thaddeus W.W.
Published: October 2021

Objective:This study examined associations between diet quality and disease activity in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Perceived stress was also compared to diet and disease activity. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 50 adults with RA were recruited. The Arizona Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to measure dietary intake (four weeks) and diet quality scores were calculated with the Healthy Eating Index – 2015. Perceived stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale. Disease activity was measured with the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index and Pain Scale, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and Disease Activity Score Including 28 Joints-ESR. Results: Diet quality (56; SD ± 12) in participants was lower than the national mean (59). Age ( p = 0.015) and gender ( p = 0.003) were associated with higher diet quality. The belief that diet affects RA disease activity was reported by 44% of the participants, and these participants were significantly more likely to report dietary changes ( p < 0.0001). Higher educational level (at least some college) was associated with this belief ( B = −1.535, p = 0.023). Participants with lower diet quality also had significantly higher pain ( B = −0.396, p = 0.022) and ESR scores ( p = 0.019). Women were more likely to have higher HAQ-DI scores ( B = 0.570, p = 0.001). Perceived stress was significantly associated with HAQ-DI and pain scores ( B = 0.445, p = 0.001 and B = 0.289, p = 0.042, respectively). Medical cannabis was reportedly used by 8% of participants. Conclusion: In RA patients, lower diet quality may be associated with more pain and inflammation, and perceived stress may be associated with higher disability and disease activity.
A survey of Egyptian physicians’ awareness and use of coronavirus-related mHealth applications
Authors: Mansour Essam
Published: October 2021

The key purpose of this study is to look into Egyptian physicians' knowledge and use of coronavirus-related mHealth apps. The study used a quantitative approach in the form of a self-administered questionnaire in January 2021.The population of the study included 203 Egyptian physicians, 56% of whom were males and 43.8% of whom were females, ranging in age from 36 to 55 years and with work experience ranging from 11 to 25 years. Many Egyptian physicians were described as advanced mobile phone users who were aware of the use of coronavirus-related mHealth apps and had used them for one to two hours per day for seven to twelve months. Many physicians first learned about these apps through social media, family, and the media. Physicians' homes were discovered to be the most popular location for accessing these apps. The most popular platforms for physicians were those based on Android. According to many physicians, the most frequently recommended apps are “coronavirus symptoms apps” and “coronavirus health monitoring apps”. Accessing coronavirus-related services, communicating with peers, and sharing data were among the most important tasks for physicians. Many physicians agreed that these apps provide a lot of information about the coronavirus, increase access to information, and allow them to communicate with one another, but they also agreed that they take a long time, violate privacy, and may even lead to social isolation. Many physicians have expressed trust in these applications. More than half of the physicians stated that they “usually” recommend these apps to their patients. The most significant barriers to using coronavirus-related mHealth apps identified by Egyptian physicians surveyed in this study are a lack of time and concerns about personal data privacy and security.
ILIVE Project Volunteer study. Developing international consensus for a European Core Curriculum for hospital end-of-life-care volunteer services, to train volunteers to support patients in the last weeks of life: A Delphi study
Authors: McGlinchey Tamsin , Mason Stephen R , Smeding Ruthmarijke , Goosensen Anne , Ruiz-Torreras Inmaculada , Haugen Dagny Faksvåg , Bakan Miša , Ellershaw John E
Published: October 2021

Background:

Volunteers make a huge contribution to the health and wellbeing of the population and can improve satisfaction with care especially in the hospice setting. However, palliative and end-of-life-care volunteer services in the hospital setting are relatively uncommon. The iLIVE Volunteer Study, one of eight work-packages within the iLIVE Project, was tasked with developing a European Core Curriculum for End-of-Life-Care Volunteers in hospital.

Aim:

Establish an international consensus on the content of a European Core Curriculum for hospital end-of-life-care volunteer services which support patients in the last weeks of life.

Design:

Delphi Process comprising the following three stages: 1. Scoping review of literature into palliative care volunteers. 2. Two rounds of Delphi Questionnaire. 3. Nominal Group Meeting.

Setting/participants:

Sixty-six participants completed the Round 1 Delphi questionnaire; 75% (50/66) took part in Round 2. Seventeen participants attended the Nominal Group Meeting representing an international and multi-professional group including, clinicians, researchers and volunteer coordinators from the participating countries.

Results:

The scoping review identified 88 items for the Delphi questionnaire. Items encompassed organisational issues for implementation and topics for volunteer training. Three items were combined and one item added in Round 2. Following the Nominal Group Meeting 53/87 items reached consensus.

Conclusion:

Key items for volunteer training were agreed alongside items for implementation to embed the end-of-life-care volunteer service within the hospital. Recommendations for further research included in-depth assessment of the implementation and experiences of end-of-life-care volunteer services. The developed European Core Curriculum can be adapted to fit local cultural and organisational contexts.
Missing the Forest for the Trees: Marketing Systems Approach to Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing Practices
Authors: Jayanti Rama K.
Published: October 2021

The overall aim of this study is to examine firm strategic choices that trigger negative externalities culminating in market failure, system crisis, and public harm. A conceptual framework of marketing system crisis rooted in conflict of interests (COI) theory is used to make the following arguments: (1) marketing strategies emulated by the industry actors at micro level set lock in through path dependencies, (2) such path dependencies may be associated with negative externalities in the form of reduced quality of life of downstream stakeholders in adjacent systems, (3) back lash by system actors precipitates market failure inviting regulatory oversight in the form of fines that tarnish trust and firm reputation, (4) with implications for system crisis and public welfare. A systematic analysis of court documents pertaining to pharmaceutical industry settlements bolstered by sales data from the company reports and Medicaid reimbursement data indicate that, for the case examined, diverse marketing practices are systematically developed with the strategic intent to insert external incentives that influence physician judgment and trigger market failure through negative externalities. Implications for marketing for a better world, systems health, pharmaceutical marketing, and suggestions for incorporating COI principles into theories of marketing for a better world conclude the paper.
The development of musculoskeletal radiology for 100 years as presented in the pages of Acta Radiologica
Authors: Geijer Mats , Inci Fatih , Solidakis Nektarios , Szaro Pawel , Al-Amiry Bariq
Published: October 2021

During the last 100 years, musculoskeletal radiology has developed from bone-only radiography performed by everyone to a dedicated subspecialty, still secure in its origins in radiography but having expanded into all modalities of imaging. Like other subspecialties in radiology, it has become heavily dependent on cross-sectional and functional imaging, and musculoskeletal interventions play an important role in tumor diagnosis and treatment and in joint diseases. All these developments are reflected in the pages in Acta Radiologica, as shown in this review.
Calibration of Dynamic Volume-Delay Functions: A Rolling Horizon-Based Parsimonious Modeling Perspective
Authors: Pan Yuyan , Guo Jifu , Chen Yanyan
Published: October 2021

Volume-delay functions (VDF) are the critical building block in static traffic assignment and general demand-supply analysis. This paper aims to provide a rolling horizon-based modeling framework to establish and further calibrate dynamic VDF (DVDF) for a corridor. The development and application of classic VDF in recent traffic planning studies are first reviewed. Analytical formulas based on a rolling horizon framework are then developed to redefine critical elements in the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) function to capture the time-dependent volume–delay relationship. Time-dependent average demand and discharge rate are used in a real-world bottleneck in oversaturated conditions. By constructing an estimate or approximate for the dynamic degree of saturation, the proposed method could (i) better interpret the underlying mechanism of the time-dependent demand–delay function; (ii) provide a valuable tool to estimate the speed for a time rolling horizon with given real-time data in practice, and (iii) analyze the correlation between a bottleneck and upstream or downstream on a road network to acquire accurate discharge rates for different situations. Experiments using corridors in Beijing and Los Angeles demonstrate that the proposed dynamic analytical methods can outperform the traditional BPR function in dynamic congestion cases. The results improve the DVDF goodness-of-fit from [Formula: see text] of 44% to 87% under different conditions, which sheds more light on future online traffic simulation applications.
Clinical Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Patients With a Concomitant Segond Fracture: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nagai Kanto , Kamada Kohei , Kay Jeffrey , Hoshino Yuichi , Matsushita Takehiko , Kuroda Ryosuke , de SA Darren
Published: October 2021

Background:

The Segond fracture can be observed in patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. It is unclear whether the Segond fracture affects clinical outcomes after ACL reconstruction.

Purpose:

To investigate whether the presence of a concomitant Segond fracture affects clinical outcomes after ACL reconstruction and to compare clinical outcomes when a Segond fracture is repaired surgically or left unrepaired.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Three databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library) were searched in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines on July 27, 2020. Relevant studies regarding ACL injury with concomitant Segond fracture treated by primary ACL reconstruction were screened in duplicate. Data regarding patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were extracted. Descriptive data are presented, and a random-effects model was used to pool amenable data.

Results:

A total of 5 studies examining 2418 patients (987 female; 40.8%), mean age 25.4 years, were included in this study. There were 304 patients with a Segond fracture (mean age, 28.1 years; 35.9% female) and 2114 patients without a Segond fracture (mean age, 25.1 years; 41.5% female). Four studies directly compared outcomes between patients with an unrepaired Segond fracture and no Segond fracture. One study reported 12 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction and repair of a Segond fracture. Among 4 studies, 11 of 292 (3.8%) graft failures/revision surgeries were reported in the groups that had Segond fracture, whereas 145 of 2114 (6.9%) graft failures/revision surgeries were reported in groups that did not have Segond fracture. No significant difference was observed in the risk of graft failure between the 2 groups, with a pooled risk ratio of 0.59 (95% CI, 0.32-1.07; P = .08; I2 = 0%). No clinically significant differences were observed with regard to International Knee Document Committee score, Lysholm score, Tegner activity scale, and postoperative knee laxity between the group with Segond fracture and those without.

Conclusion:

An unrepaired Segond fracture does not appear to have any significant negative effect on postoperative stability or risk of graft failure or revision surgery after ACL reconstruction. Future prospective studies may be warranted to confirm the finding that patients with combined ACL injury and Segond fracture may have outcomes comparable with those of ACL-injured patients without a Segond fracture when isolated ACL reconstruction is performed.
Colonial Roots of the Aryan Invasion/Migration Theory and the Contemporary Archaeological Evidence in Western Sources
Authors: Singh Kundan
Published: October 2021

William Jones, famously, by identifying close linkages between Sanskrit and European languages, gave birth to research into the common ancestry between Indians and Europeans. In the earlier years of contention on the matter, India was considered the cradle of civilisation and Sanskrit as the mother of all Indo-European languages. With the rise in the imperial power of Europe over India, the cradle of civilisation began to shift outside India and ultimately landed in Europe. Simultaneously, the idea of invasion of India by the ‘Aryan race’, or the Aryan invasion theory (AIT), was promoted. Since then, however, one archaeological find over another have consistently refuted the AIT, proving it as false. As flawed as it remains, this theory has, nonetheless, persisted and morphed in its current form as the Aryan migration theory (AMT) and continues to find mention and favour in contemporary academic discourse. In mainstream academia, today, whether in grade-school texts or in texts meant for undergraduate and graduate study, whenever India and Hinduism are mentioned, the coming of Aryans from outside of India and establishing Hinduism and civilisation in India are discussed as veritable facts. By examining the theory in anticolonial and postcolonial contexts, we show that despite considerable archaeological evidence refuting the theories of the invasion or migration of Aryans into India, its colonial embeddedness in the notion of the racial superiority of the Europeans or people with European ancestry that the theory does not fade into oblivion.
Estimating the compressive strength of rectangular fiber reinforced polymer–confined columns using multilayer perceptron, radial basis function, and support vector regression methods
Authors: Moodi Yaser , Ghasemi Mohammad , Mousavi Seyed Roohollah
Published: October 2021

Recently, there has been a tendency to use machine learning (ML)–based methods, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), for more accurate estimates. This paper investigates the effectiveness of three different machine learning methods including radial basis function neural network (RBNN), multi-layer perceptron (MLP), and support vector regression (SVR), for predicting the ultimate strength of square and rectangular columns confined by various FRP sheets. So far, in the previous study, several experiments have been conducted on concrete columns confined by fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets with the results suggesting that the use of FRP sheets enhances the compressive strength of concrete columns effectively. Also, a wide range of experimental data (including 463 specimens) has been collected in this study for square and rectangular columns, confined by various FRP sheets. The comparison of ML-derived results with the experimental findings, which were in a very good agreement, demonstrated the ability of ML to estimate the compressive strength of concrete confined by FRP; the correlation coefficient (R2) for MLP, RBFNN, and SVR methods was equal to 0.97, 0.97, and 0.90, respectively. Similar accuracy was obtained by MLP and RBFNN, and they provided better estimates for determining the compressive strength of concrete confined by FRP. Also, the results showed that the difference between statistical indicators for training and testing specimens in the RBFNN method was greater than the MLP method, and this difference indicated the poor performance of RBFNN.
Is There a Difference in Unmet Supportive Care Needs Between Older and Younger Outpatients Receiving Chemotherapy?
Authors: Ayvat İrem , Atli Ozbas Azize
Published: October 2021

Objective: This study investigated whether there was a difference in unmet supportive care needs between older and younger cancer patients who receive chemotherapy. Background: Physiological, physical, cognitive, and social functions, which play a key role in coping with cancer, are impaired due to aging. Age-related physiological changes and psychosocial factors and comorbid medical conditions make some of the needs of older cancer patients unique and complex. At the heart of meeting these needs lies the concept of supportive care. First step of meeting their needs is to determine these needs. Study Design and Methods: The study was conducted in the Daytime Treatment Unit of the oncology hospital of a university in Ankara, Turkey. The study sample consisted of 93 patients aged 65 years or older and 93 patients under 65 years of age. Both groups were similar in terms of sex, cancer type, and chemotherapy protocols. Data were collected using a Patient Information Form and Supportive Care Needs Scale-Short Turkish Version and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis H test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: Participants had a median total score of 1.92. Their “daily life needs” and “sexuality needs” subscale scores were highest and lowest, respectively. Older patients had lower median total scores than younger patients. Younger patients had higher median “health care and information needs” and “sexuality needs” subscale scores than older patients. Conclusion: Elderly patients reported fewer unmet needs than younger patients. This may be due to age-related cultural factors as they may have difficulty expressing their needs. Implications: Results suggest to focus on the fact that patients' needs change with age and that they have difficulty expressing their needs.