bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corruption and strengthening anti-corruption efforts in healthcare during the pandemic of Covid-19
Authors: Teremetskyi Vladyslav , Duliba Yevheniia , Kroitor Volodymyr , Korchak Nataliia , Makarenko Oleksandr
Published: December 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has created the opportunity for corruption to flourish in healthcare sectors around the world. Challenges include misuse and mismanagement of resources and corruption, which require scrutiny and attention. This article deals with such corruption during the pandemic, involving public procurement of goods and services for the treatment of diseases, falsification of public contracts and kickbacks, embezzlement of healthcare funds, opacity in governance, misuse of power, nepotism and favouritism in the management, petty corruption in the level of service, fraud and theft or embezzlement of medicines and medical devices.
Conspiracy Thinking in Europe and America: A Comparative Study
Authors: Walter Annemarie S , Drochon Hugo
Published: December 2020

What explains conspiracy thinking in Europe and America? This is the first and largest comparative study of conspiracy thinking to date, presenting findings using a representative sample of 11,523 respondents in nine countries. First, it shows that the overall level of conspiracy thinking in Europe is equal to or slightly lower than the United States, contradicting the notion that conspiracy theories is an especially American phenomenon. Second, people more inclined to conspiracy thinking position themselves towards the right of the political spectrum, engage in magical thinking, feel distrust towards public officials and reject the political system. Finally, we find that – surprisingly – the country context in which respondents reside has hardly any effect as predictor of levels of conspiracy thinking or as a moderator of individual-level determinants. Heterogeneity in conspiratorial thinking seems to be largely a function of individual traits.
Bernard Mandeville on the Use and Abuse of Hypocrisy
Authors: Douglass Robin
Published: December 2020

In The Fable of the Bees, Bernard Mandeville declared that ‘it is impossible we could be sociable Creatures without Hypocrisy’. Mandeville set out his ideas of sociability against Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of Shaftesbury, whose notions of virtue he dismissed as ‘a vast Inlet to Hypocrisy’. The main goal of this article is to reconstruct Mandeville’s account of hypocrisy, first by explaining why he accords it such a prominent role in understanding our moral and social norms, and, second, by piecing together his criticisms of Shaftesbury’s rival ethical theory. In doing so, the article outlines a more general Mandevillean framework for assessing when hypocrisy is likely to prove either socially beneficial or pernicious, while also examining what is at stake in choosing to expose rather than tolerate other people’s hypocrisy.
The Importance of What We Care About: A Solidarity Approach to Resource Allocation
Authors: Olson Kristi A
Published: December 2020

At some point in your life, you will need to allocate resources among individuals, but how should you do so? One prominent suggestion is the envy test: the envy test is satisfied when and only when no one prefers someone else’s bundle. In Part I, I explain and then reject Tom Parr’s recent attempt to justify the envy test. Yet, like Parr, I believe the envy test captures something important. Thus, in Part II, I distinguish two approaches to resource allocation. Parr’s defense of the envy test assumes what I will call an individualist approach: what matters are each individual’s preferences. In lieu of the individualist approach, I endorse the solidarity approach: what matters are everyone’s preferences. After explaining the distinction, I show that the envy test—or at least something like it—can be defended using the solidarity approach even if it cannot be defended using the individualist approach.
Party Linkage, Public Justification and Mixed Electoral Systems
Authors: Bonotti Matteo
Published: December 2020

In recent years, a number of political theorists have aimed to restore the central role of parties in democratic life. These theorists have especially highlighted two key normative functions of parties: linkage and public justification. In this article, I argue that these two functions are often in tension. First, I illustrate how this tension manifests itself in liberal democracies. Second, I explain that parties’ ability to fulfil each of the two functions is strongly affected by the electoral system under which they operate: while first-past-the-post encourages party linkage but hinders public justification, the opposite is true of proportional representation. Third, I argue that a mixed electoral system can best guarantee the balance between parties’ linkage and justificatory functions. Fourth, I suggest a number of proposals for party reforms that could help mixed electoral systems to balance party linkage and public justification while preventing the re-emergence of the tension between them within parties.
Strategy Use Mediates the Relation between Openness to Experience and Episodic Memory in Younger and Older Adults
Authors: Talpain Elisabeth , Soubelet Andrea
Published: December 2020

Previous research has shown that people with higher levels of Openness to Experience show higher levels of cognitive functioning. However, the mechanisms underlying this personality-cognition relation are not well understood. The goal of the current project was to examine whether strategy use mediates the relation between Openness to experience and retrospective memory, and whether the role of strategy use in the Openness-memory relation was the same in younger and older adults. Method: Two studies were conducted. In each of them, younger and older adults were administered a retrospective memory task (29 younger and 27 older in Study 1, 43 adults of all ages in Study 2). They were asked to report the strategies they used during the task, and to complete an Openness to Experience scale. Results: Consistent with previous reports, higher scores of Openness to experience and greater use of efficient memory strategies were associated with higher levels of memory performance. In addition, individual differences in memory strategy use mostly mediated the relation between Openness and memory performance. Results did not support a mediation model moderated by age. That is, the role of memory strategy use in the relation between Openness and memory was the same in younger and older adults. Conclusion: Higher levels of Openness are associated with better memory performance, mostly because people with higher levels of Openness use more efficient memory strategies.
On the Roles of Institutions and Agency in Nationalism and the Relations between Them: A Theoretical Enquiry into the Study of Nationalism, Its Present and Future
Authors: Brincker Benedikte
Published: December 2020

This article unfolds sociology’s contribution in helping to understand the emergence and development of nationalism. It engages with nationalism studies and identifies three debates that have significantly shaped this field of research. Against this background, the article explores the question of how sociology can contribute to an understanding of nationalism’s present and future. Using the most recent and ongoing debates in studies of nationalism, the article pinpoints three propositions that jointly form the core of an emerging analytical framework. This framework breaks with the civic–ethnic and primordial–constructivist distinctions that have held dominant positions within nationalism studies, and directs attention towards the roles of, and interactions between, institutions and agency in nationalism. The article explores the potential of this analytical framework by applying it to the arts. It highlights the roles of, and interactions between, institutions and agency in this area, focusing on the Nordic countries in Europe.
Left Behind in the Hungarian Rustbelt: The Cultural Political Economy of Working-Class Neo-Nationalism
Authors: Scheiring Gábor
Published: December 2020

Nationalism is back with a renewed force. Hungary is a virulent example of the new nationalist ascendancy. As the country was a former liberal star pupil, Hungary’s neo-nationalist turn has been puzzling researchers for years. This study goes beyond the entrenched polarisations in the literature by highlighting the dynamic interplay between culture, structure and identity. It proposes to conceptualise Hungary’s neo-nationalist turn as a Polanyian countermovement against commodification, globalisation and deindustrialisation. The article presents the results of a thematic analysis of 82 interviews with workers in four towns in Hungary’s rustbelt and highlights how the multiscalar lived experience of commodifying reforms violated an implicit social contract and changed workers’ narrative identities. In the absence of a class-based shared narrative and lacking a viable political tool to control their fate, working-class neo-nationalism emerged as a new narrative identity to express workers’ anger and outrage.
Mobile Nationalism: Parenting and Articulations of Belonging among Globally Mobile Professionals
Authors: Yemini Miri , Maxwell Claire , Koh Aaron , Tucker Khen , Barrenechea Ignacio , Beech Jason
Published: December 2020

This article examines whether and how globally mobile middle-class professional families engage in practices of nationalism through forging connections with a ‘home nation’ despite continuous relocations for work. Drawing on the concept of boundary objects which are used to facilitate frequent boundary crossings, we identify the promotion of language acquisition and cultural or national rituals and traditions as two central family practices that maintain strong connections to a form of national belonging despite being physically de-territorialised. We coin the term ‘mobile nationalism’ to make sense of the ways these globally mobile professional parents cultivate a sense of identity, coherence and the necessary resources for future mobility. We argue that these articulations of nationalism continue to be critical as we seek to understand subjecthood formation in the face of the imperatives of globalisation.
Beyond the Modern: Muslim Youth Imaginaries of Nation in Northern Nigeria
Authors: Dunne Máiréad , Crossouard Barbara , Agbaire Jennifer , Bakari Salihu
Published: December 2020

The rise of different nationalisms in an increasingly unequal and neoliberal world makes predictions about the dawn of a post-national, global society seem both incongruous and fraught with Eurocentric occlusions. In response, we present a postcolonial analysis of research into Muslim youth narratives of nation in Northern Nigeria. This highlights the continued significance of nation for youth as well as the historical fractures – both internal and external – that infused their identity narratives. We further show the entanglement of nation and religion in youth imaginaries, and their anti-colonial ambivalences, notably with respect to gender reforms. Our analysis calls for a sociology of nation that goes beyond a modern framing and instead attends to the agonistic affective relations through which national imaginaries are constructed; the historical sutures that were intrinsic to the creation of postcolonial nations and their enduring persistence as points of fracture.
Racing the Muslim: Strategies for Teaching Race and Ethnic Studies in the Education Curriculum
Authors: Thangaraj Stanley Ilango
Published: December 2020

In this paper, I insert the importance of teaching race through Middle Eastern America and Muslim America. By bringing in critical analysis of Middle Eastern America and Muslim America, I offer theoretical insights and pedagogical strategies in the education curriculum to teach race that will deconstruct, destabilize, and interrogate the dominant White-Black racial logic in the United States. While my theoretical engagement with Critical Race Theory complicates how we theorize race in the United States, I couple the theory with transhistorical, transnational, embodied, performative pedagogical strategies to enable a wide assortment of ways to engage with the dynamism, fluidity, and constantly shifting nature of race and Whiteness through an engagement with scholarship on Middle Eastern America and Muslim America. I present a way to teach race that enriches the curriculum on race in the education program while preparing future educators with resources to support students and expand the conversation on race and racism during this time of the “global war on terror” and rising Islamophobia.
‘It’s About the Way I’m Treated’: Afro-Latina Black Identity Development in the Third Space
Authors: Salas Pujols Jomaira
Published: December 2020

Through an ethnographic study of an afterschool program serving girls of color in the New York City metro area, this study examines how girls who are ethically Latina and racially Black embrace and articulate AfroLatinx identity. It asks, what are the contexts and institutional processes that facilitate the development of a Black identity among Latina youth? I find that while the Latinx home and school contexts produce a mestiza identity that erases and subjugates Blackness, study participants find viable and affirming representations of Afro-Latinidad through their participation in this afterschool program. Specifically, I argue that the programs’ Black staff members and social justice-centered curriculum produces an increased identification with Blackness among Latina youth. Understanding how Afro-Latina girls learn to embrace their Black identity challenges us to examine how to leverage curriculum and pedagogy to affirm the racial identities of all Black girls.
Paradox as Decolonization: Ali Shariati’s Islamic Lawgiver
Authors: Davari Arash
Published: December 2020

This article reevaluates the Iranian polymath Ali Shariati’s most controversial lectures. Scholarly consensus reads 1969’s Ummat va Imāmat as derivative, comprising an imitation of Sukarno’s guided democracy and hence an apology for postcolonial authoritarian rule. Shariati’s rhetorical performance suggests otherwise. The lectures address a postcolonial iteration of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s paradox of founding—a call for self-determination alongside the external intervention needed to prepare for it in the wake of moral dispositions accrued during colonization. Shariati proposes to resolve the problem of enduring colonial domination by citing a fabricated French professor, a foreigner, as an authoritative source. He practices a noble lie, believable because it draws from colonized sensibilities but laden with hints encouraging audiences to see past it. If audiences develop the requisite ability to decipher the lie, Shariati wagers, they at once develop the autonomy implied by self-determination. On these grounds, Shariati theorizes the paradox of politics as decolonization.
Making a People: Turkey’s “Democracy Watches” and Gezi-Envy
Authors: Konya Nazlı
Published: December 2020

This article investigates a surplus quality that a “politics out of doors” embodies. It argues that forms of mass appearance and protest manifest an aesthetic and affective making of a people—a people that enjoys its togetherness through visualized, vocalized, and performative expressions of its presence. Generating and generated by a collective desire, this figure of a people exceeds “the people” understood as a legally authorizing and legitimating entity. I contend that the excess of desire can make popular protest a source of “envy” for political authorities even at the height of their electoral power. In conversation with Melanie Klein and Joan Copjec’s accounts of “envy” and René Girard’s formulation of “mimetic desire,” I analyze the Turkish regime’s orchestration of the 2016 “Democracy Watches” as an attempt to create, harness, and appropriate a counter-equivalent desire to the 2013 antigovernment Gezi protests. In so doing, I reconceptualize peoplehood as the synergetic enjoyment of assembled collectivities.
The Effects of a Cross-Cultural Psychology Course on Perceived Intercultural Competence
Authors: Wei Yan , Spencer-Rodgers Julie , Anderson Elise , Peng Kaiping
Published: December 2020

Intercultural competence—the ability to successfully interact and communicate sensitively with members of other cultural groups—is an essential skill in multicultural societies and an increasingly globalized world. A quasi-experimental study revealed that completing a cross-cultural international psychology course increased college students’ perceived intercultural competence substantially, relative to students in a control (research methods) course. The curriculum included an extensive 10-week Cultural Immersion Project, conducted on campus and in the local community, and weekly experientially based group projects. The course may be especially effective for college students with less prior intercultural experience.
Building Multicultural Competence by Fostering Collaborative Skills
Authors: Borge Marcela , Soto José A. , Aldemir Tugce , Mena Jasmine A.
Published: December 2020

Introduction:

Developing greater multicultural competence is predicated on developing continual awareness and education about issues relevant to marginalized identities. One way to promote this competence is by engaging in productive intergroup dialogue with individuals representing a diversity of perspectives.

Statement of the Problem:

Intergroup dialogues can be difficult and require training and skill to keep them collaborative and not adversarial. The challenge for instructors is how to build in the kinds of activities necessary to help students become effective collaborators.

Literature Review:

We review the definition of multicultural competence and note the under-emphasis on developing culturally relevant skills. With that in mind, we discuss the importance of difficult dialogue in advancing multicultural competence and briefly discuss what effective collaboration entails.

Teaching Implications:

Finally, we discuss a model for building this type of skills training into psychology courses using an online, chat platform designed to help develop collaborative skills called CREATE.

Conclusion:

We provide recommendations for inclusion of the CREATE system in psychology courses as a strategy for facilitating multicultural awareness and skills.
Halfway to My Request Is Not Halfway to My Heart: Underestimating Appreciation for Partial Help
Authors: Wang Yilu , Xie Xiaofei
Published: December 2020

When being asked for help, people sometimes can only offer part of what is requested (i.e., partial help). The present research investigates whether helpers can accurately forecast how much help-seekers appreciate this understudied form of assistance. From multiple helping scenarios and a face-to-face interaction, we demonstrate an asymmetry in helpers’ and help-seeker’s appraisals of partial help: Helpers anticipated less appreciation for partial help than help-seekers felt in receiving it. This asymmetry arose from helpers’ greater valuation of helping outcomes over intentions to be helpful than help-seekers’. Accordingly, when helpers’ intentions were discounted, this asymmetry no longer persisted. Another account—helpers feel worse for breaking norms of helping than help-seekers—was not supported. We discuss several directions for future research on the psychology of partial prosocial behaviors.
Olympic Dam: BHP thinking big about the future
Authors: Cuthbert P.
Published: December 2020

Olympic Dam is one of the world’s most significant polymetallic orebodies producing copper, uranium, gold, and silver in remote South Australia. The polymetallic deposit is located 520 km north-northwest of Adelaide, South Australia and has an inferred resource of 2660 Mt at 1.2% Cu, 1.4 kg t−1 U3Os, and 0.5 g t−1 Au. Ore is mined from the underground operation at a rate of approximately 10 mt year−1, and is processed on site through a concentrator and hydrometallurgical facility, smelter, and electrolytic refinery. Olympic Dam is one of the only sites in the world to claim the ‘mine to market’ title. Protection of the workforce and the environment has been a primary focus for the operations through its 30+ year life and will continue to be into the future. Broken Hill Propriety Company (BHP) believes that its most important asset is its people. With such a large orebody and a very long potential mine life, it is important to think strategically about the future to ensure the viability of the operation. This requires development of mine and surface processing facilities in a staged manner. Importantly, it also involves the development of people. This presentation provides an overview of BHP’s work at Olympic Dam and outlines development plans for Olympic Dam into the future.

© 2020 ICRP. Published by SAGE.
Reputation and Trust Within the Fair Trade Movement in Brazil
Authors: Da Re Riccardo , Pedini Sergio , Santucci Fabio Maria , Torquati Bianca Maria
Published: December 2020

This article illustrates the trust relationships among the members of the Brazilian Association of Fairtrade Farmers Organizations (BRFair), which is a second-level network of coffee-producing cooperatives. Representatives of 19 cooperatives were interviewed in 2018 to verify their opinions about the other associations regarding several aspects. Through software specific for social network analysis, the direction and level of trust among the various cooperatives were measured. One cooperative is recognized as the most active and trustworthy, while the other ones are followers and perform peripheric roles. Several improvements are possible, including improvement in the performance of this second-level network and strengthening of its bargaining role with the other actors of the value chain.
The Arkansas Active Kids Study: Identifying contributing factors to metabolic health and obesity status in prepubertal school-age children
Authors: Bai Shasha , Goudie Anthony , Børsheim Elisabet , Weber Judith L
Published: December 2020

Background:

We report the design, protocol and statistical analysis plan for the Arkansas Active Kids (AAK) Study. The study investigates the complex relationships between factors that contribute to metabolic health and obesity status in prepubertal school-age children in the state of Arkansas.

Aim:

We aim to identify modifiable behavioral and environmental factors and phenotypes related to metabolic health that are associated with obesity status that, if addressed effectively, can aid in designing effective intervention strategies to improve fitness and reduce obesity in children.

Methods:

We analyzed dietary and physical activity data from two national surveys (National Survey of Children’s Health and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System). We then conducted detailed surveys to collect dietary, physical activity, socio-demographic, and environmental data from a sample of 226 prepubertal Arkansas children. In the same sample of prepubertal children, we also collected extensive physiologic data to further study associations between physical activity and metabolic health.

Results:

All study visits included detailed measures of vital signs, energy expenditure, components of physical fitness, body composition and the collection of biological samples for determination of metabolic analytes.

Conclusion:

The observational, environmental and physiological results will be used to craft multivariate statistical models to identify which variables define ‘phenotype signatures’ that associate with fitness level and obesity status.
The short-term prognostic value of serum platelet to hemoglobin in patients with type A acute aortic dissection
Authors: Wang Yu , Qiao Tengfei , Zhou Jun
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

Type A acute aortic dissection (AAD) is an uncommon catastrophic cardiovascular disease with high pre-hospital mortality rate without timely and effectively treated. The aim of this study was to assess the value of serum platelet to hemoglobin (PHR) in predicting in-hospital mortality in type A AAD patients.

Methods:

A total of 183 type A AAD patients were included in this retrospective investigation from January 2017 to December 2019. Admission blood routine parameters were gathered and PHR was computed. The outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality within 30 days.

Results

The average levels of serum PHR were significant higher in survivor group than those in non-survivor group (1.14 ± 0.57 vs 0.87 ± 0.47, p = 0.006) and serum PHR was an independent factor associated with in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 2.831; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.108–7.231; p = 0.030). ROC noted that 0.8723 was chosen as the ideal cutoff value with a sensitivity of 64.3% and specificity of 72.5%. In addition, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.693 (95% CI 0.599–0.787, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Admission serum PHR can be used as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with type A AAD.
Role of the notched unipolar electrogram in guiding catheter ablation of frequent premature ventricular contractions originating from the ventricular outflow tract
Authors: Huang Li-Hong , Gao Ming-Yang , Zeng Li-Jun , Xie Bo-Qia , Shi Liang , Wang Yan-Jiang , Yin Xian-Dong , Wang Yu-Xing , Liu Xiao-Qing , Tian Ying , Yang Xin-Chun , Liu Xing-Peng
Published: December 2020

Objective

To investigate the value of a notched unipolar electrogram (N-uniEGM) in confirming the origin of premature ventricular contractions originating from the ventricular outflow tract (VOT-PVC) during mapping and ablation procedures.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients with symptomatic idiopathic frequent VOT-PVCs that underwent radiofrequency ablation. The characteristics of the uniEGM of the successful ablation targets were analysed. N-uniEGM was defined as the uniEGM presenting a QS morphology with ≥1 steep notches on the downstroke deflection. All patients were followed-up for 3 months post-ablation.

Results

The study enrolled 190 patients with a mean ± SD age of 49.0 ± 15.3 years. N-uniEGMs were recorded in 124 of 190 (65.3%) patients. The N-uniEGM distribution area was limited to a mean ± SD of 0.8 ± 0.4 cm2. N-uniEGM showed consistency with the outcomes of activation mapping and pace mapping. Patients with an N-uniEGM had an ablation success rate of 98.4% (122 of 124) and their ablation times were significantly shorter than those without an N-uniEGM (7.6 ± 3.8 s versus 15.8 ± 8.8 s, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of N-uniEGM in predicting successful ablation of VOT-PVCs were 72.6% and 91.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

N-uniEGM was a highly specific and moderately sensitive predictor of successful radiofrequency ablation in patients with VOT-PVCs.
Using intestinal flora to distinguish non-alcoholic steatohepatitis from non-alcoholic fatty liver
Authors: Li Chao , Cui Lihong , Wang Xiaohui , Yan Zhihui , Wang Shaoxin , Zheng Yan
Published: December 2020

Objective

To explore specific flora in mouse models of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to improve NASH diagnostic protocols.

Methods

Sixty mice were divided into normal diet (ND, 20 mice) and high-fat/high-sugar diet (HFSD) groups (40 mice). After 8 weeks of feeding, 10 mice in the ND group and 20 mice in the HFSD group were sacrificed to create the short-term ND and non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) groups, respectively. After 16 weeks of feeding, the remaining mice were sacrificed to create the long-term ND and NASH groups, respectively. We then examined fecal flora, serum biochemical indices, and lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor-α levels and analyzed liver tissue.

Results

The relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Desulfovibrio, Ruminiclostridium 9, and Turicibacter differed between NASH and NAFL mice, and the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the four genera for diagnosing NASH were 0.705, 0.734, 0.737, and 0.937. The non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score was positively correlated with the relative abundance of Desulfovibrio (r = 0.353), Ruminiclostridium 9 (r = 0.431), and Turicibacter (r = 0.688).

Conclusions

The relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Desulfovibrio, Ruminiclostridium, and Turicibacter may help distinguish NASH from NAFL.
Transformation of advanced lung adenocarcinoma to acquired T790M resistance mutation adenosquamous carcinoma following tyrosine kinase inhibitor: a case report
Authors: Liu Qinghan , Wu Lin , Zhang Suning
Published: December 2020

Background:

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are recommended for patients with non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations. However, acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs seems inevitable and the mechanism of drug resistance has not been fully defined. There is no effective treatment for patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma who are resistant to TKIs owing to pathologic type conversion.

Case presentation:

We report a patient who was initially diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. At first, she was sensitive to the first-generation TKI icotinib. After 17 months of treatment, the patient acquired resistance to icotinib. Moreover, after tumor resection, immunohistochemical analysis showed pathologic change from adenocarcinoma to adenosquamous carcinoma, and next-generation sequencing technology discovered EGFR exon19 p.745-750 del, exon20 p.T790M, and KMT2C exon 18 p.R973G mutations. After video-assisted tumor resection, the patient is receiving osimertinib (AZD 9291). Current overall survival is 60 months.

Conclusions:

Surgical intervention may prolong survival time in patients with acquired TKI resistance, especially when there is no evidence of metastasis.
COVID-19 impact in radiotherapy practice in an oncology hub: a screenshot from Lombardy, Italy
Authors: Corrao Giulia , Bergamaschi Luca , Zaffaroni Mattia , Sarra Fiore Massimo , Bufi Giammaria , Leonardi Maria Cristina , Lazzari Roberta , Alterio Daniela , Cattani Federica , Pravettoni Gabriella , Mastrilli Fabrizio , Orecchia Roberto , Marvaso Giulia , Jereczek-Fossa Barbara Alicja
Published: December 2020

Objective:

During 2020, medical clinical activities were dramatically modified by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency. We aim to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on radiotherapy (RT) practice in a hub cancer center.

Methods:

Retrospective data collection of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection, identified by pathognomonic symptoms feedback at triage realized at the entrance to RT division. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of oncologic disease, COVID-19–related symptoms, and signed written informed consent.

Results:

Between 1 March and 30 June 2020, 1,006 patients accessed our RT division for RT simulation or treatment. Forty-four patients matched inclusion criteria (4.4% of all patients): 29 women and 15 men. Seventeen patients had metastatic disease. Twenty-one patients reported fever, 6 presented dyspnea, 4 complained of ageusia and anosmia, and 3 developed conjunctivitis. Thirty-six patients underwent nasal swab, with 7 positive results. From our cohort, 4 cases of pneumonia were diagnosed with computed tomography scan imaging: 3 were related to COVID-19 infection, while the fourth was evaluated as an RT adverse event. From the entire series, 4 patients died: 3 during hospitalization in intensive care unit of complications of COVID-19 and 1 of other causes neither COVID-19 nor cancer-related.

Conclusions:

Cancer hub allows for safe RT practice continuation while minimizing the spread of contagion in this frail patient population. A challenge for the future will be to understand pandemic consequences in cancer natural history and manage its clinical impact.
Challenges and Opportunities for the Veterinary Pathologist in Biomedical Research
Authors: Hoenerhoff Mark James , Meyerholz David K. , Brayton Cory , Beck Amanda P.
Published: December 2020

Animal models have critical roles in biomedical research in promoting understanding of human disease and facilitating development of new therapies and diagnostic techniques to improve human and animal health. In the study of myriad human conditions, each model requires in-depth characterization of its assets and limitations in order for it to be used to greatest advantage. Veterinary pathology expertise is critical in understanding the relevance and translational validity of animal models to conditions under study, assessing morbidity and mortality, and validating outcomes as relevant or not to the study interventions. Clear communication with investigators and education of research personnel on the use and interpretation of pathology endpoints in animal models are critical to the success of any research program. The veterinary pathologist is underutilized in biomedical research due to many factors including misconceptions about high fiscal costs, lack of perceived value, limited recognition of their expertise, and the generally low number of veterinary pathologists currently employed in biomedical research. As members of the multidisciplinary research team, veterinary pathologists have an important role to educate scientists, ensure accurate interpretation of pathology data, maximize rigor, and ensure reproducibility to provide the most reliable data for animal models in biomedical research.
Intrahistiocytic Storage of Clofazimine Crystals in a Cat
Authors: Helgert Nathan D. , Miller Debra L. , Whittemore Jacqueline C. , Sula Mee-Ja M.
Published: December 2020

A 13-year-old castrated male Maine coon cat with a 5-year history of atypical mycobacteriosis was euthanized and submitted for necropsy. The cat had been kept in clinical remission since diagnosis using a combination of the antimycobacterial drug clofazimine and additional multimodal antimicrobial therapy. Grossly, tissues were diffusely discolored red-brown to yellow. Histologically, the myocardial interstitum was expanded by numerous, often multinucleated cells, which were distended by uniformly shaped acicular cytoplasmic spaces. These cells were immunopositive for CD18 and immunonegative for desmin, suggesting a histiocytic rather than muscular origin. Macrophages in other tissues contained similar acicular spaces. Ultrastructurally, the spaces were surrounded by 2 lipid membranes, resembling an autophagosome. Based on the clinical history and histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural data, we diagnosed clofazimine crystal storage. To our knowledge, this is the first report of clofazimine storage in a cat or within myocardial interstitial macrophages.
A Comparison of Clients in a Differentiated Batterer Intervention Treatment Program: The Importance of Treatment Level Matching by Referral Sources
Authors: Claxton Taylor L. , Richards Tara N.
Published: December 2020

Recent research has emphasized the applicability of the Principles of Effective Intervention for batterer intervention treatment programs (BIPs), including using differentiated treatment models for first-time offenders compared to repeat offenders. The current study seeks to examine treatment matching across clients in two such differentiated BIPs from a mid-Atlantic state—one short-term program aimed at first-time IPV offenders ( n = 121) and one program implementing BIP “as usual” ( n = 125)—regarding client characteristics and recidivism. Findings indicate that clients in the short-term program were not significantly different than those referred to BIP “as usual” regarding common risk factors such as substance use, education, or employment, and while clients in the short-term program had fewer criminal history offenses, participants were rarely first-time criminal offenders. Further analyses showed no impact of the short-term program completion on client recidivism, while completion of BIP as usual was related to lower rates of reoffending among the program’s clients. Findings suggest the importance of how clients are matched to their level of treatment and more education and monitoring of referral agencies regarding differentiated BIP models. Further research is needed to assess whether short-term BIP programs are associated with recidivism reduction.
Adoption of sustainable solid waste management and treatment approaches: A case study of Iran
Authors: Jalalipour Haniyeh , Jaafarzadeh Neematollah , Morscheck Gert , Narra Satyanarayana , Nelles Michael
Published: December 2020

Developing countries face serious environmental, social and economic challenges when it comes to managing different kinds of solid waste. Iran, as one such country, is forced to deal with many difficulties including the absence of a comprehensive policy framework, a lack of technical know-how, insufficient financial resources and lack of proper disposal facilities. This study attempts to suggest ways to overcome those problems by providing applicable waste management solutions to the local conditions. The research was performed in four structured phases: diagnosis of the existing solid waste management system practised, identification of areas of weakness in the waste management frameworks, bridging the gaps to ensure the sustainability of the concepts offered, and finally the provision of affordable solutions. A source-separated collection system for wet and dry fractions was drawn up. Establishment of a mechanical biological treatment facility and the introduction of biological treatment technology were considered as the main treatment options. From the economic point of view, the extended producer responsibility concept was provided as a resource management tool. The involvement of the stakeholders, as well as the public–private partnership model, was identified as the cornerstone in the planning and implementing of the new approaches. A roadmap was consequently designed aimed at gradually introducing a waste management system in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner.
The impact of pyrolysis conditions on orange peel biochar physicochemical properties for sandy soil
Authors: Abdelaal Ali , Pradhan Snigdhendubala , AlNouss Ahmed , Tong Yongfeng , Al-Ansari Tareq , McKay Gordon , Mackey Hamish R
Published: December 2020

The citrus industry is considered one of the main contributors to agricultural waste. Peels are commonly used in the food industry or as feedstock in biorefining. In this study, the potential of waste orange peel biochar for agricultural applications in sandy soil was investigated. This will not only increase the percentage of agricultural waste recycling, but also lead to more sustainable agriculture with environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration. Biochar was produced through slow pyrolysis in the temperature range 300–600°C and at two holding durations (10 min and 60 min). Both factors had a significant impact on the physicochemical characteristics of biochar in the heating region 300–450°C. However, varying the holding time for pyrolysis temperatures beyond 450°C had a diminishing effect on biochar properties compared with the impact of increasing pyrolysis temperature. The study also looked at certain properties that are specific to agricultural application not previously reported for orange peel. Very high cation exchange capacities of 70 cmol kg−1 were achieved at 300°C, whereas water holding capacity was not strongly influenced by pyrolysis conditions. Preliminary planting tests indicate potential for improving agricultural sustainability in sandy soils. The technoeconomic analysis of biochar showed that the pyrolysis process can be profitable with sufficient plant capacity.
Authentic and ethical leadership during a crisis
Authors: Keselman David , Saxe-Braithwaite Marcy
Published: December 2020

In today’s climate and environment, the conventional relationship between caring, economic, and leadership practices may no longer meet the needs of patients, clinicians, providers, or systems. It is asserted that in the current complicated and complex healthcare environment challenged by a multitude of issues, a shift toward human caring values and an ethic of authentic healing relationships is required, especially in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The costs of unethical behaviour can be even greater for followers. When we assume the benefits of leadership, we also assume ethical burdens. It is the assertion and experience of the authors that the triangle of ethics and ethical behaviour, followers, and patient outcomes is closely interrelated and affects each other in a very intimate and direct way. Unethical leadership may lead to follower disappointment and distrust, leading to lack of interest and commitment, consequently negatively impacting patient outcomes and organizational effectiveness.
Development of an electrospun polycaprolactone/silk scaffold for potential vascular tissue engineering applications
Authors: Liu Xin , Chen Bo , Li Yan , Kong Yan , Gao Ming , Zhang Lu Zhong , Gu Ning
Published: December 2020

Long-distance (⩾10 mm) arterial vascular defect injury was a massive challenge affecting human health. Compared with autologous transplantation, tissue-engineered scaffolds such as biocompatible silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds have been developed because they exhibit equivalent functional repair effects without adverse reactions. However, its mechanical strength and structural stability needed to be further improved to match the longer repair cycle of blood vessels while maintaining the original biological safety. Hence, we designed and prepared SF and hydrophobic polycaprolactone (PCL) composite microfibers by an improving electrospinning method. It was found that when the weight ratio of PCL to SF was 1: 1, a microfiber scaffold with high strength (6.16 N) and minimum degradability can be obtained. More importantly, compared with natural silk fibroin, the novel composite microfiber scaffolds can slightly inhibit cell infiltration and inflammation through co-culture with HUVECs in vitro and rabbit back transplantation in vivo. Furthermore, the fabricated scaffolds also demonstrated excellent structural stability in vivo because of the well-organized PCL doping in the structure. All these results indicated that the novel PCL/SF composite microfiber scaffolds were promising candidates for vascular tissue engineering applications.
Attachment, Trauma, and Mentalization in Intimate Partner Violence: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Condino Valeria , Giovanardi Guido , Vagni Monia , Lingiardi Vittorio , Pajardi Daniela , Colli Antonello
Published: December 2020

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been examined from a range of theoretical perspectives, including attachment theory, with the aim of assessing psychosocial risk factors. Previous research has shown that a child’s exposure to violence in the family is a major predictor of IPV victimization later in life. Furthermore, research on abused and traumatized adult samples has shown high frequencies of unresolved/disorganized attachment styles. In particular, disorganized attachment is associated with major problems of affect regulation and deficits in mentalizing ability. The present research had three aims: (a) to assess the childhood traumatic experiences of female victims of IPV; (b) to investigate and identify the attachment patterns of female victims of IPV; and (c) to examine reflective functioning and prementalistic modes in female victims of IPV, in relation to attachment and trauma. A sample of 31 women, recruited through anti-violence centers, were administered the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire. The Complex Trauma Questionnaire and the Reflective Functioning Scale (RFS) were also applied to the AAI transcripts. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Coding was conducted by two trained coders and certified as reliable for the AAI and RFS. Clinicians completed the Modes of Mentalization Scale (MMS) to assess participants’ mentalization style. The data showed a high percentage of women with insecure attachment and lower reflective functioning. The results are discussed in terms of their clinical and theoretical implications—particularly their application to psycho-forensics, through the development of preventive programs and interventions for IPV. Efforts to understand the etiology of IPV and to intervene to prevent recidivism are fundamental in reducing this public health threat.
Efficacy of Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ibrahim Shorouk , Habiballah Mohamed , Sayed Iman El
Published: December 2020

Objective:

to synthesize evidence about the efficacy of electronic cigarettes versus Nicotine Replacement Therapy and placebo to quit smoking.

Data sources:

We searched for clinical trials with no publication date restriction until December 2019. The search included CENTRAL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Science Direct, Center for reviews and dissemination and HTA database and Trip database, clinical trials registries, gray literature and examined the references of relevant articles.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria:

Two review authors independently checked the titles and abstracts then the full text of initial hits. Main outcomes were sustained continuous abstinence rate, 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate, sustained reduction of 50% or greater in baseline cigarette consumption and adverse effects.

Data extraction and synthesis:

Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. We conducted a random-effects model through the Mantel-Haenszel method.

Results:

We retrieved 12 trials involving 9863 participants. CO- validated 1-month continuous abstinence rate improved by 33% in the e-cigarettes group (range 6-66%, moderate evidence). We are uncertain if e-cigarettess influence continuous abstinence rate at 3-, 6- and 12 months as well as sustained reduction of 50% or greater in baseline cigarette consumption at different follow-up periods. One study of 884 participants displayed improved 12-month 7-day point abstinence by 46% (range 17%-82%). E-cigarettes may increase or do not affect the proportion of serious adverse effect at 6 and 12 months follow up.

Conclusion:

Very low certainty evidence supported e-cigarettess to help quit smoking in the short term. There is not enough evidence to determine if e-cigarettess are a safe and efficacious means of smoking cessation in the long term (12+ months).
How do patients and their family members experience the transition from peritoneal dialysis to incentre haemodialysis? A multisite qualitative study in England and Australia
Authors: Allen Kerry , Damery Sarah L , Sein Kim , Johnson David W , Davies Simon J , Lambie Mark , Holvoet Els , Combes Gill M
Published: December 2020

Background:

While numerous studies have explored the patient experience of dialysis or other end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) treatments, few have explored the process of transitioning between dialysis modalities. This study aimed to develop an in-depth understanding of patient and caregiver perceptions and experiences of the transition from peritoneal to haemodialysis (HD) and to identify ways in which transitions can be optimised.

Methods:

Fifty-four in-depth, semi-structured interviews were undertaken at six study sites across the West Midlands, UK ( n = 23), and Queensland, Australia ( n = 31). Thirty-nine participants were patients with ESKD; the remainder were family members. An inductive analytical approach was employed, with findings synthesised across sites to identify themes that transcended country differences.

Results:

Of the 39 patient transitions, only 4 patients reported a wholly negative transition experience. Three cross-cutting themes identified common transition experiences and areas perceived to make a difference to the treatment transition: resistance to change and fear of HD; transition experience shared with family; and bodily adjustment and sense of self.

Conclusion:

Although each transition is unique to the individual and their circumstances, kidney care services could optimise the process by recognising these patient-led themes and developing strategies that engage with them. Kidney care services should consider ways to keep patients aware of potential future treatment options and present them objectively. There is potential value in integrating expert support before and during treatment transitions to identify and address patient and family concerns.