bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical study on the activation of nucleation sites and bubble interactions in twin-bubble nucleate boiling
Authors: Pan Feng , Mu Lizhong , He Ying , Wang Chaojie
Published: February 2022

The present study aims to investigate the interplay between the activation behavior of neighboring nucleation sites and the corresponding bubble dynamics in twin-bubble nucleate boiling. For this purpose, boiling of water on a copper heater with two nucleation sites is simulated by using a thermal-hydrodynamic coupling method. This method treats active nucleation sites as vapor sources, and the vapor generation rates from the nucleation sites are incorporated into the two-phase flow simulation as the inlet boundary conditions at the corresponding sites, which are computed via a dynamic model of microlayer evaporation. Various sizes and arrays of cavities are considered to investigate the activation timing of the nucleation sites, temperature fluctuations of the heated surface, and dynamics of the two bubbles. The simulated results show that the hydrodynamic interaction between the adjacent bubbles can cause the alternative activation of the nucleation sites and lead to irregular fluctuations to the temperature of the heated surface. The difference of the critical activation superheats between the neighboring nucleation sites can induce intermittent activation of the nucleation sites accompanied with a waiting time of the activation for the smaller-size cavity. The smaller the cavity is, the longer the waiting time of the activation becomes. The two bubbles growing from different nucleation sites are observed to approach each other, which stem from the wake flow left by the neighboring rising bubbles.
Protective effect of rosuvastatin pretreatment against acute myocardial injury by regulating Nrf2, Bcl-2/Bax, iNOS, and TNF-α expressions affecting oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammation
Authors: Sultan Faheem , Kaur Rajdeep , Tarfain Najeeb U , Mir Arshad H , Dumka Vinod K , Sharma Suresh K , Singh Saini Simrat P
Published: February 2022

Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of death globally. Rosuvastatin is a member of statins (inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase) with many pleiotropic properties. This study investigated cardioprotective effects of rosuvastatin in isoprenaline-induced myocardial injury. Male rats were given rosuvastatin (1, 5, or 10 mg/kg, oral) daily for 1 week and on seventh and eighth day isoprenaline (150 mg/kg, subcutaneous) was given to induce cardiac injury. On ninth day, rats were euthanized and different samples were harvested for analysis. Isoprenaline administration resulted in increased cardiac mass, increased cardiac injury marker levels (cTnI, CK-MB, ALT, and AST), increased lipid/protein oxidation, and increased cardiac nitrite levels. It also decreased superoxide dismutase, CAT, GST, and glutathione reductase activities, and total antioxidant activity. Isoprenaline also increased TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Decreased mRNA expression of Nrf2 and Bcl-2 along with increased mRNA expression of Bax, eNOS and iNOS genes was observed in isoprenaline treated animals. Histopathological evaluations of rosuvastatin pre-treated groups showed reduction of myocardial necrosis. Pretreatment with rosuvastatin (5 and 10 mg/kg) reduced many of these pathological changes. The current study showed that rosuvastatin significantly reduces myocardial injury induced by isoprenaline.
Induced pathophysiological alterations by the venoms of the most dangerous Moroccan scorpions Androctonus mauretanicus and Buthus occitanus: A comparative pathophysiological and toxic-symptoms study
Authors: Darkaoui Bouchra , Lafnoune Ayoub , Chgoury Fatima , Daoudi Khadija , Chakir Salma , Mounaji Khadija , Karkouri Mehdi , Cadi Rachida , Naoual Oukkache
Published: February 2022

Scorpion envenomation is a serious public health issue.  Androctonus mauretanicus ( Am) and  Buthus occitanus ( Bo) are the most dangerous scorpions in Morocco. Despite their medical relevance, no study has yet related their kinetics of symptom apparition and the consequent tissue disorders at the same interval post-injection. This work achieved the first comparative pathophysiological and toxic-symptoms study between the  Am and  Bo venoms from a biochemical, toxicological and physiopathological standpoint. The activity of venoms and their subletal dose were determined by administration of increasing concentrations of the venoms. 30, 60 and 120 min following the experimental envenomation in mice, the profile of clinical symptoms was underlined and the main organs: brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys were removed for histological examination. The  Am venom is a rich source of proteins and three-times more toxic than the  Bo. The most observed clinical symptoms are neurological and cardiopulmonary. The  Am venom caused histopathological alterations at 30, 60, and 120 min which were more important than the  Bo. This study highlighted that both venoms exhibited a strong toxicity with variable intensities. Moreover, we showed the presence of correlation between the level of histopathological disorders observed and the intensity of signs appeared at the same time following venom inoculation.
Corruption, Chinese Investment, and Trade: Evidence from Africa
Authors: Tawiah Vincent , Kebede Jeleta , Kyiu Anthony
Published: February 2022

We investigate whether corruption in host countries drives the different routes of Chinese economic engagement with Africa. Using data from 49 African countries for 2000–2018, we find that corruption affects each route of China’s engagement with Africa differently. Corruption in Africa is significantly negatively associated with FDI from China, but significantly positive with both trade and construction. These relationships are moderated by the availability of natural resources but do not change after the implementation of the Xi Jinping anti-corruption campaign. By disaggregating China–Africa financial engagement into its different routes, we demonstrate that the relationship between corruption and China’s presence in Africa varies with the nature of the engagement.

JEL Codes: F21, F23
The Indian Growth Acceleration: A Brazilian Demand-led Insight
Authors: Gonzalo Manuel
Published: February 2022

With an average GDP growth rate of more than 6% India was one of the most dynamic economies in the twenty-first century. The conventional narrative stresses on the success of the New Economic Policy (NEP) implementation since 1990s as a process of liberalization and global insertion of Indian economy that caused growth. Introducing some nuance on this conceptualization, the main objective of this article is to discuss on the drivers of the Indian GDP growth between 1990 and 2015 from a Brazilian demand-led approach, paying main attention on the role of autonomous expenditures. Particularly, after clustering some Indian growth interpretations and data, the Brazilian debate between Furtado and Tavares is used to discuss the Indian growth acceleration. This blend of Brazilian and Indian authors and conceptual contributions is original in nature. Without ignoring the export contribution, we point out the relevance of upper class/cast ‘autonomous’ consumption (fueled by credit boom and real wage smooth increase), residential and government gross domestic capital formation (GDCF) and anticyclical fiscal policies.
Weight Changes With Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor Therapy in the Management of HIV Infection: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hester E.Kelly , Greenlee Sage , Durham Spencer H.
Published: February 2022

Objective:

To describe weight changes with integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) therapy.

Data Sources:

A literature search was performed (through December 15, 2021) using the PubMed and CINAHL databases using the search terms: “integrase inhibitors,” “integrase strand transfer inhibitors,” and “weight.”

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Studies were included that provided relevant information on weight or body mass index (BMI) changes on INSTI therapy. Controlled or observational studies comparing different INSTI therapies or compared INSTI therapy to another class of antiretroviral therapy were included.

Data Synthesis:

Forty-three articles met criteria for inclusion, and data are presented. Although some trials have observed similar weight gains between INSTI, protease inhibitor, and non-nucleoside inhibitor therapies, the increase appears to be greater with INSTI therapy, particularly during initiation of therapy. Risk factors for weight gain with INSTI therapy include female gender, lower CD4 count, and combined use of tenofovir alafenamide. Within the INSTI class, dolutegravir and bictegravir appear to have the greatest propensity for weight gain.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice:

INSTI-based therapies are the preferred initial management of HIV infection. Discerning the factors contributing to weight changes on INSTI therapy and risks of associated health-related outcomes is important to both the management of weight gain and HIV medical management.

Conclusions:

Within the INSTI class, dolutegravir and bictegravir may be associated with the greatest risk for weight gain particularly when combined with tenofovir alafenamide. Further research is needed to determine mechanisms for observed weight changes and any contributions to clinically significant metabolic and cardiovascular adverse outcomes associated with INSTI therapy.
Evidence for “Pushed Out” and “Opt Out” Factors in Women’s Career Inclusion Across the World of Work in the United States
Authors: Glosenberg Alex , Behrend Tara S. , Tracey Terence J. G. , Blustein David L. , McChesney Jenna , Foster Lori L.
Published: February 2022

There is an ongoing debate over the extent to which women “opt out” and/or are “pushed out” of various occupations ( Kossek et al., 2017 ). To advance this debate, we explore the correspondence of women’s interests in stereotypically masculine work activities with the work activities of their occupations/occupational-aspirations. We examine 42,631 responses to a survey of employed and unemployed persons in the United States and analyze associations along all six of Holland’s ( 1997 ) interest/work-activity dimensions. Overall, we find support for a “pushed out” perspective as women’s interests in hands-on/practical, analytic/scientific, and managerial/sales-related work activities are less strongly associated with being employed in occupations with those activities – in comparison to similarly interested men. However, these effect sizes are small and we find support for “opt out” dynamics in relation to hands-on/practical occupations. Altogether, our results indicate the need to continue looking beyond women’s vocational interests as explanations of their underrepresentation.
Multiple-input multiple-output robust vibration control for constrained gyroelastic solar panel considering parametric and un-modeled dynamic uncertainties
Authors: Bin E , Xiaogang Wang , Jinjun Shan , Khushnood Muhammad A , Naigang Cui
Published: February 2022

Gyroelastic solar panel is a kind of flexible solar panel structure with variable-speed control moment gyroscopes distributed inside. The torque generated by these variable-speed control moment gyroscopes can be used for active vibration suppression. This paper addresses the vibration suppression problem of gyroelastic solar panel in the presence of parametric uncertainties and un-modeled dynamic uncertainties. A novel μ-synthesis method based on analytical multiple-input multiple-output weights design is proposed, which relates 2-norm of the vector of regulated outputs, closed-loop modal damping, and relative control ability of actuators to each mode to the weights. Based on the idea of collocated control, the full order state-space model of the constrained gyroelastic plate with angle gyros as measuring devices is derived. After model reduction, modeling of un-modeled dynamic, and designing the multiple-input multiple-output weights, μ-controller is solved by the DK-iteration method. Furthermore, a comparative study of the μ-controller designed by the proposed procedure and the Positive Position Feedback (PPF) controller designed by the non-smooth H∞ synthesis method is also presented. The control methods are compared for their vibration attenuation, energy utilization, robustness performance characteristics, and robustness stability characteristics. Results for both time domain and frequency domain simulations are presented. Simulation results show that the designed μ-controller has better vibration attenuation effect and robustness performance characteristics than the PPF controller, and can achieve a better robust vibration suppression of the constrained gyroelastic solar panel in presence of parametric and un-modeled dynamic uncertainties.
Toxicity profile, adverse drug reactions and drug-drug interactions among geriatric cancer patients under metronomic chemotherapy in a South Indian tertiary care hospital
Authors: Sureshkumar Kaoshik , Srinivasan Kaviya , Lingeshwaran Gingee Prabu , Durairaj Mahesh , Thiruvengadam Gayathri , Mary Martin Daniel Priya Jovita , Muhasaparur Ganesan Rajanandh
Published: February 2022

Objective

The study aims to examine the toxicity profile, pattern of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in geriatric cancer patients receiving metronomic chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods

Patients were followed after each cycle till 12 weeks. Haematological parameters such as complete blood count, liver function test and renal function test were recorded from the baseline to the final visit. The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) scale was used to characterise the toxicity profile. ADRs that the patients had were documented and assessed for its causality, severity and preventability. The Lexicomp drug interaction checker was used to grade DDIs.

Results

Of 129 patients, according to CTCAE grading, haemoglobin indicated grade 1 toxicity, while other haematological parameters revealed no toxicity. Although there was a statistically significant difference in ALT, alkaline phosphate, serum creatinine and potassium ( p < 0.05), it was not clinically significant. A total of 226 ADRs were documented. Anaemia was the most frequently occurred ADR (14%) and Capecitabine caused the highest number of ADRs. Assessments of causality showed that the majority of cases are “possible” (63%). In evaluating the severity of ADRs, 99% ADRs were “mild” and 61% of ADRs were “probably” preventable. Upon assessing the DDIs, 82% of the prescriptions had “no known interaction”.

Conclusion

Metronomic chemotherapy in geriatric cancer patients exhibited grade 1 toxicity for haemoglobin. Anemia was the most common ADRs. The majority of cases were “possible” in causality, “mild” in severity, and “probably” preventable. The majority of the prescriptions have no known DDIs.
Text Analysis of Suicide Risk in Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Guo Jia-Wen , Kimmel Julianne , Linder Lauri A.
Published: February 2022

OBJECTIVE:

Suicide is of primary public concern for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who commonly use social media platforms to express their suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Understanding how AYAs communicate their suicide-related thoughts and behaviors in texts can support early detection of suicide risk from their social media posts. Therefore, this study sought to identify themes relevant to suicide risk in AYAs and explore words or terms used by AYAs when they described suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

METHOD:

This secondary data analysis utilized an existing data set collected from 255 AYAs between 12 and 25 years of age, who provided brief descriptions of how they and their peers expressed their experiences of self-harm, suicidal thinking, and attempts. Text analysis was conducted using KH Coder software. Three-step theory of suicide was used to guide a content analysis to explore the key themes from the narratives.

RESULTS:

A word co-occurrence network with 24 clusters of words was generated from the text analysis. These word clusters were further grouped into pain or hopelessness, connectedness, and capacity to attempt suicide in the content analysis. Six subthemes corresponding to these three themes were identified to provide detailed information: psychological or physical pain, hopelessness, relationship, help seeking, methods, and outcomes. Moreover, several slang terms and acronyms (e.g., Kermit Sewage Slide, KMS) were also identified.

CONCLUSIONS:

The findings of this study, including themes and slang terms and acronyms, are valuable to facilitate the use of terms or phrases within social media texts to identify suicide risk in AYAs.
Meeting the Needs of a Rural Community: A BSN Home-Visit Program Integrating Classroom and Clinical Skills
Authors: Daniel Jackie S. , Little Kimberly T.
Published: February 2022

To conduct a home-visit program for nursing students, to improve student confidence and comfort completing home visits in the underserved region of Southside, Virginia. The project was conducted in a rural community, where 24 nursing students and 1 family nurse practitioner made home visits once a week from September to December 2020. Students were evaluated on both their understanding of community health nursing and home-visit comfort levels via an anonymous pre- and post-home-visit assessment. Thirteen of the twenty-four students (54%) completed both the pre- and post-surveys. Results of the paired sample t-tests showed a significant increase in students’ comfort level from before the visit (3.0769) to after the visit (3.3077, p = .005). Students’ confidence levels also increased from before the visit (2.6923) to after the visit (3.3846, p = .006). Nursing educators are challenged to provide nursing students with the knowledge and skills needed to provide competent and compassionate evidence-based care in the field. Nursing student reported confidence in their nursing skills in the field after completing the home visit. Future research is needed on the benefit of completing home visits in nursing education programs.
Role of Value-Added Care by Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Impact on Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Ariyo Promise , Abernathy James H , Hensley Nadia B
Published: February 2022

The medical community is increasingly aware of the need for high-quality and high-value patient care. Anesthesiologists in particular have long demonstrated leadership in the field of quality and safety. Cardiothoracic anesthesiologists can improve the quality of care delivered to cardiac patients both with anesthesia-specific practices and in a team-based approach with other perioperative care providers. Collecting large volumes of multicentered data to study, measure, and improve anesthesia care is one of the many commitments of cardiothoracic anesthesiologists to this cause. This article reviews this and other aspects of the work of cardiothoracic anesthesiologists to improve value-added care to cardiac patients.
International functionalism and democracy
Authors: Theiler Tobias
Published: February 2022

International functionalism as proposed by David Mitrany envisions non-territorial functional agencies to supplant the states system. Mitrany makes no provision for democracy in functional agencies. Instead, he assumes that the policies of international technocrats would be ‘technically self-determined’ and uncontested – a stance several critics deem antidemocratic and naive. A second, related criticism holds that even if functional agencies were formally democratic, democracy could not operate effectively since functional polities would be too ‘thin’ and fragmented to sustain democratic commitments among their members. The article qualifies the first charge and rejects the second. First, defined as an institutional decision-making principle, ‘technical self-determination’ is Mitrany’s add-on to the underlying functionalist logic, not an inseparable part of it. That logic instead holds that institutions work best if their form and scope of authority follow their function and that function-specific agencies therefore could meet some needs better than the state. Contra Mitrany, this does not privilege technocratic over democratic decision-making and it does not imply that functional agencies would be free from political conflict. Nor, second, would functional agencies necessarily be unsuitable for democracy in practice. Several strands of democratic theory suggest that even people who do not share a ‘thick’ communal identity can develop a commitment to meet shared needs democratically. If one accepts this, it loosens functionalism’s technocratic stigma, highlights its potential as a democratically viable alternative to both state-centric and supranational models of international order and broadens our conception of possible democratic futures.
Investigating the contribution of L1 fluency, L2 initial fluency, working memory and phonological memory to L2 fluency development
Authors: Gagné Nancy , French Leif M. , Hummel Kirsten M.
Published: February 2022

Within the same learning context, learners’ outcomes in terms of oral fluency vary greatly. This study tracked the relative contributions that first language (L1) and initial second language (L2) fluency skill and working memory (WM) made to L2 fluency development. We assessed the performance of French-speaking Grade 6 learners’ ( n = 47, mean age: 11) in a 10-month intensive English program in Quebec, Canada using a picture-cue monologic task based on The Suitcase Story and a semi-structured interview based on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Working memory was assessed using a backward digit span task and phonological memory (PM) via non-word repetition and serial non-word recognition tasks. Overall, results suggest that L1 fluency, WM and PM played only a minor role in learners’ L2 fluency outcomes, whereas learners’ pre-program levels of L2 fluency constituted an important predictor of L2 fluency development regardless of the speech task used to index fluency.
Lifestyle factors and obesity in young adults – changes in the 2000s in Finland
Authors: Jääskeläinen Tuija , Koponen Päivikki , Lundqvist Annamari , Koskinen Seppo
Published: February 2022

Aims:

Young adulthood is a life stage that is vulnerable to detrimental lifestyle changes and excessive weight gain, which may have major effects on health later in life. This study aimed to examine the changes in lifestyle-related factors in the 2000s and sociodemographic differences in lifestyle in Finnish young adults.

Methods:

The study was based on the cross-sectional data from two representative samples of Finnish young adults aged 18−29 years from the Health 2000 Survey ( n = 1894; 90% participated) and the FinHealth 2017 Study ( n = 1162; 54% participated). Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle choices (smoking, alcohol consumption, intake of vegetables, physical activity), and anthropometrics were self-reported. Weighted prevalence based on predictive margins and odds ratios were analyzed using logistic regression, taking into account the sampling design and non-response.

Results:

The prevalence of daily cigarette smoking decreased between the years 2000 and 2017 from 34% to 12% ( p < 0.01) and from 23% to 11% ( p < 0.01) in men and women, respectively. There was a decline in the prevalence of daily intake of fresh vegetables, especially in men. The prevalence of obesity (BMI ⩾ 30 kg/m2) doubled being 15% in men and 18% in women in 2017. Health-endangering lifestyles, measured by a lifestyle sum score, were more common among young adults with lower education compared to those with higher.

Conclusions:

This study showed both favorable and unfavorable changes in the lifestyles of Finnish young adults in the 2000s. Health-endangering lifestyles were more common among young adults with lower education, suggesting the need for tailored health-promoting actions. Special attention should be given to obesity prevention.
Towards a pragmatist anthropology: Objectivity, relativism, ethnocentrism, and intropathy
Authors: Figueiredo Guilherme
Published: February 2022

In this article, I discuss central concerns that have run throughout the history of anthropology since the beginning of the twentieth century, culminating in the recent ontological turn. These are relativism, incommensurability, ethnocentrism, and what I call intropathy. I also explore how the epistemic principles of ‘objectivity’ and ‘relativism’ share the same representationalist foundations, and argue how the ontological turn, despite the claims of its proponents, still reproduces some representationalist ideals of inquiry. Based mainly on the ideas of Richard Rorty, I propose a fully antirepresentationalist, antiessentialist alternative for anthropology that effectively avoids the traps of traditional epistemology and thus disengages the very terms that engender the relativism/objectivism dichotomy.
Emotion work and feeling rules: Coping strategies of family caregivers of people with end stage dementia in Israel—A qualitative study
Authors: Halevi Hochwald Inbal , Arieli Daniella , Radomyslsky Zorian , Danon Yehuda , Nissanholtz-Gannot Rachel
Published: February 2022

Background

End stage dementia is an inevitable phase following a prolonged deterioration. Family caregivers for people with end stage dementia who live in their home can experience an emotional burden. Emotion work and “feeling-rules” refers to socially shared norms and self-management of feelings, as well as projecting emotions appropriate for the situation, aiming at achieving a positive environment as a resource for supporting others’ wellbeing.

Objectives

Exploring and describing the experience of family caregivers of people with end stage dementia at home, in Israel, unpacking their emotional coping and the emotional-strategies they use, and placing family caregivers' emotion work in a cultural context.

Method

We conducted fifty qualitative interviews using semi structured interviews analyzed through a thematic content analysis approach.

Findings

Four characteristics of emotion work were identified: (1) sliding between detachment and engagement, (2) separating the person from their condition (3), adoption of caregiving as a social role and a type of social reinforcement, and (4) using the caregiving role in coping with loneliness and emptiness. The emotional coping strategies are culturally contextualized, since they are influenced by the participants’ cultural background.

Discussion

This article’s focus is transparent family caregivers' emotion work, a topic which has rarely been discussed in the literature is the context of caring for a family member with dementia at home. In our study, emotion work appears as a twofold concept: the emotion work by itself contributed to the burden, since family caregivers' burden experience can evolve from the dissonance between their “true” feelings of anger and frustration and their expected “acceptable” feelings (“feeling-rules”) formed by cultural norms. However, emotion work was also a major source of coping and finding strength and self-meaning. Understanding and recognizing the emotion work and the cultural and religious influence in this coping mechanism can help professionals who treat people with end stage dementia to better support family-caregivers.
“Part of the Conversation”: A Qualitative Study of Oncology Healthcare Professionals’ Experiences of Integrating Standardized Assessment and Documentation of Complementary Medicine
Authors: Balneaves Lynda G. , Watling Cody Z.
Published: February 2022

Introduction:

The use of complementary medicine (CM) among individuals with cancer is common, however, it is infrequently assessed or documented by oncology healthcare professionals (HCPs). A study implementing standardized assessment and documentation of CM was conducted at a provincial cancer agency. The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives and experience of oncology HCPs who took part in the study, as well as withdrew, regarding the feasibility and the challenges associated with assessment and documentation of CM use.

Methods:

An interpretive descriptive study methodology was used. A total of 20 HCPs who participated, managed staff, or withdrew from the study were interviewed. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic, inductive analysis was used to code and analyse themes from the data.

Results:

Oncology HCPs who participated in the study felt that CM use was common among patients and recognized it went underreported and was poorly documented. Facilitating factors for the implementation of standardized assessment and documentation of CM use included having a standard assessment form, embedding assessment within existing screening processes, and leveraging self-report by patients. Barriers included limited time, perceived lack of knowledge regarding CM, hesitancy to engage patients in discussion about CM, and lack of institutional support and resources. Recommendations for future implementation included having explicit policies related to addressing CM at point-of-care, leveraging existing electronic patient reporting systems, including the electronic health record, and developing information resources and training for HCPs.

Conclusions:

With the high prevalence of CM use among individuals with cancer, oncology HCPs perceive addressing CM use to be feasible and an essential part of high-quality, person-centered cancer care. Institutional and professional challenges, however, must be overcome to support the assessment, documentation and discussion of CM in patient-HCP consultations.
Digital Nerve Management and Neuroma Prevention in Hand Amputations
Authors: Maslow Jed I. , LeMone Alexis , Scarola Gregory T. , Loeffler Bryan J. , Gaston R. Glenn
Published: February 2022

Background:

Hand and digit amputations represent a relatively common injury affecting an active patient population. Neuroma formation following amputation at the level of the digital nerve can cause significant disability and lead to revision surgery. One method for managing digital nerves in primary and revision partial hand amputations is to perform interdigital end-to-end nerve coaptations to prevent neuroma formation.

Methods:

All patients with an amputation at the level of the common or proper digital nerves that had appropriate follow-up at our institution from 2010 to 2020 were included. Common or proper digital nerves were managed with either traction neurectomy or digital end-to-end neurorrhaphy. The primary outcome was the development of a neuroma. Secondary outcomes included revision surgery, complications, and visual analog pain scores.

Results:

A total of 289 nerves in 54 patients underwent hand or digital amputation in the study period. Thirteen hands with 78 nerves (27%) underwent direct end-to-end coaptation with a postoperative neuroma incidence of 12.8% compared with 22.7% in the 211 nerves that did not have a coaptation performed. Significantly fewer patients reported persistent pain if an end-to-end coaptation was performed (0% vs. 11.8%, P < .01). The prevalence of depression and workers compensation status was significantly higher in in patients with symptomatic neuromas than in patients without symptomatic neuromas ( P < .01).

Conclusions:

Digital nerve end-to-end neurorrhaphy is a method for neuroma prevention in partial hand amputations that results in decreased residual hand pain without increase complications. Depression and worker’s compensations status were significantly associated with symptomatic neuroma formation.
Leadership Trends at Hand Surgery Fellowships
Authors: Schiller Nicholas C. , Spielman Amanda F. , Sama Andrew J. , Schachner Benjamin I. , Donnally Chester J. , Dodds Seth D.
Published: February 2022

Background:

Fellowship directors (FDs) influence the future of trainees in the field of hand surgery. Currently, there are no studies that analyze the demographic background, institutional training, and academic experience of hand surgery FDs. This study aims to serve as a framework to understand the landscape of current leadership positions in hand surgery education and to identify opportunities to improve FD diversity.

Methods:

The American Society for Surgery of the Hand Fellowship Directory was reviewed to include all hand surgery fellowships in the United States. Collected demographic information regarding FDs included age, sex, ethnicity, residency/fellowship training, residency/fellowship graduation year, year hired by current institution, time since training completion until FD appointment, length in FD role, and H-index.

Results:

Of the 90 FDs included, 86.7% were men and 71.4% self-reported as Caucasian. The average H-index was 13.98 and significantly correlated with age and duration as FD; 71.1% of FDs were trained in orthopedic surgery. The most attended residency program was the University of Pennsylvania; Mayo Clinic and Harvard University were the most represented fellowship programs.

Conclusion:

This review reveals specific trends in demographic backgrounds, institutional training, and academic experiences among current FDs in hand surgery. Our observations, such as racial/ethnic and sex disparities, may offer opportunities to improve the representation of the communities these physicians serve. In addition, the trends described in this study provide objective data among current hand surgery FDs and could serve as a guide for individuals who desire academic leadership roles.
Synthesis of asymmetric parallel mechanism with multiple 3-DOF motion modes
Authors: Liu Wei , Liu Hongzhao
Published: February 2022

A method for designing asymmetric multi-mode parallel mechanism is proposed. Parallel mechanisms with 2R1T and 2T1R motion modes are synthesized by using displacement manifold theory. Based on the parallel mechanism, a kind of mechanism with hybrid variable DOF kinematic chain is proposed. The DOF characteristics of the mechanism in the process of motion mode transformation are analyzed by using screw theory, and the rationality of the selection of driving pairs in different motion modes is verified. The results show that the mechanism with hybrid variable DOF kinematic chain has 3R, 2T1R, and 2R1T motion modes. When the mechanism is in the general configuration of the four motion modes mentioned above, three driving pairs can control the mechanism. When the mechanism is in the transformation configuration having 2R2T or 3R1T instantaneous DOF, an additional auxiliary driving pair is needed to control the mechanism. The mechanism can realize multiple motion modes by using fewer driving pairs. It does not need to reassemble the mechanism when the motion mode is changed.
Obstinate memory: Working-class politics and neoliberal forgetting in the United Kingdom and Chile
Authors: Watkins Heather , Urbina-Montana Maria
Published: February 2022

In the 40 years since Chile and the United Kingdom became the crucibles of neoliberalization, working-class agency has been transformed, its institutions systematically dismantled and its politics, after the continuity neoliberalism of both the UK Blair government and the Chilean Concertación, in a crisis of legitimacy. In the process, memories of struggle have been captured within narratives of ‘capitalist realism’ (Fisher) – the present, past and future collapsed into Walter Benjamin’s ‘empty homogeneous time’. This article explores ways in which two traumatic moments of working-class struggle have been narrativized by the media in the service of this ‘presentism’: the 1973 coup in Chile and the 1984–1985 Miners’ Strike in the United Kingdom. We argue that the use of ‘living history’ or bottom-up approaches to memory provides an urgently needed recovery of disruptive narratives of class identity and offers a way of reclaiming alternative futures from the grip of reductive economic nationalism.
Preservation of the naïve features of mesenchymal stromal cells in vitro: Comparison of cell- and bone-derived decellularized extracellular matrix
Authors: Pereira Ana Rita , Trivanović Drenka , Stahlhut Philipp , Rudert Maximilian , Groll Jürgen , Herrmann Marietta
Published: February 2022

The fate and behavior of bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSC) is bidirectionally influenced by their microenvironment, the stem cell niche, where a magnitude of biochemical and physical cues communicate in an extremely orchestrated way. It is known that simplified 2D in vitro systems for BM-MSC culture do not represent their naïve physiological environment. Here, we developed four different 2D cell-based decellularized matrices (dECM) and a 3D decellularized human trabecular-bone scaffold (dBone) to evaluate BM-MSC behavior. The obtained cell-derived matrices provided a reliable tool for cell shape-based analyses of typical features associated with osteogenic differentiation at high-throughput level. On the other hand, exploratory proteomics analysis identified native bone-specific proteins selectively expressed in dBone but not in dECM models. Together with its architectural complexity, the physico-chemical properties of dBone triggered the upregulation of stemness associated genes and niche-related protein expression, proving in vitro conservation of the naïve features of BM-MSC.
Do We Know Politicians’ True Selves From the Media? Exploring the Relationship Between Political Media Exposure and Perceived Political Authenticity
Authors: Luebke Simon M. , Engelmann Ines
Published: February 2022

Authenticity is an increasingly important factor in citizens’ evaluations of political candidates and their voting decisions. As citizens value political authenticity, politicians attempt to appear true to themselves in the public eye. However, little research has examined how these perceptions of politicians as more or less authentic are constructed. This study examines how citizens form perceptions of politicians’ authenticity and particularly sheds light on the relationship between political media exposure and perceived political authenticity. Drawing on the literature on performed authenticity in social media, personalized media coverage, and information processing, we examine the effects of exposure to political information in different media on perceptions of political authenticity and its subdimensions. Results from an online quota survey in Germany ( N = 1,210) show that differences in perceived political authenticity are not simply determined by citizens’ political attitudes but can also be explained by their frequency of exposure to political information in different media types. When citizens use private TV news, political accounts on social media, and follow candidate profiles, they perceive politicians as more authentic. Our analyses also suggest that some effects of media exposure on perceived political authenticity are conditioned by citizens’ party identification and their tendency to select ideologically congruent political information.
The prognostic value of extracranial vascular characteristics on procedural duration and revascularization success in endovascularly treated acute ischemic stroke patients
Authors: Holswilder Ghislaine , Stuart Maaike PME , Dompeling Tine , Kruyt Nyika D , Goeman Jelle J , van der Lugt Aad , Schonewille Wouter J , Lycklama à Nijeholt Geert J , Majoie Charles BLM , Yo Lonneke SF , Meijer Frederick JA , Marquering Henk A , Wermer Marieke JH , van Walderveen Marianne AA ,   on behalf of the MR CLEAN Registry investigators
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Vascular anatomy might affect endovascular treatment success in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. We investigated the prognostic value of extracranial vascular characteristics on procedural time and revascularization success in patients with large vessel occlusion in the anterior cerebral circulation.

Patients and methods

We included 828 patients endovascularly treated within 6.5 hours of symptom onset from the Dutch MR CLEAN-Registry. We evaluated aortic arch configuration, stenosis and tortuosity of supra-aortic arteries, and internal carotid arteries (ICAs) on pre-intervention CTA. We constructed logistic prediction models for outcome variables procedural duration (≥60 minutes) and non-successful revascularization (extended thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (eTICI) of 0–2A) using baseline characteristics and assessed the effect of extracranial vascular characteristics on model performance.

Results

Cervical ICA tortuosity and stenosis ≥99% improved prediction of long procedural duration compared with baseline characteristics from area under the curve of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.57–0.65) to 0.66 (95% CI: 0.62–0.70) ( P < 0.001). Cervical ICA tortuosity was significantly associated with non-successful recanalization. Prediction of non-successful revascularization did not improve after including aortic arch elongation, acute take-off angle, aortic variant, origin stenosis of supra-aortic arteries, and cervical ICA tortuosity, with an area under the curve of 0.63 (95% CI: 0.59–0.67) compared with 0.59 (95% CI: 0.55–0.63) ( P = 0.11).

Conclusion

Extracranial vascular characteristics have additional prognostic value for procedural duration, but not for revascularization success, compared with baseline characteristics. Performance of both prediction models is limited in patients treated for large vessel occlusion.
Mini-Invasive Approach and Minor Amputation in the Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Retrospective Study of 110 Cases
Authors: Marzano Fabrizio , Ceccarini Paolo , Petruccelli Rosario , di Giacomo Lorenzo , Rinonapoli Giuseppe , Caraffa Auro
Published: February 2022

Category:

Diabetes; Other

Introduction/Purpose:

The diabetic foot is an increasing issue over the last years. The 25% of diabetic patients have a risk to develop a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in their lifetime, among these, the 28% of patients will result in an amputation. The amputation is associated with a high rate of complications. Therefore, percutaneous mini-invasive (PMI) approaches and minor amputations (MA) have a widespread use in the last years. The aim of our work is to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of PMI and MA in the treatment of recurrences and unhealed DFU after conservative treatment.

Methods:

We retrospectively enrolled 110 patients treated in our orthopedic department in Perugia between January 2012 and October 2019. Included were the patients underwent to a PMI or MA treatment after failed conservative treatment for 12 weeks. The PMI technique consist of flexor tenotomy, metatarsal osteotomy and resection arthroplasty sec. Kessler. DFU were classified according to the Texas Foot Ulcer Classification. Exclusion criteria were: patient affected by peripheral vasculopathy disease, previous major amputation, psychiatric disease. The patients were divided in 2 groups. The group A included 57 patients treated with PMI, mean age 62.8 y.o. (range 50-80). The group B included 53 patients treated with MI, mean age 66.2 y.o. (range 53-85). The mean follow up was 18 months (range 4-40 months). Clinical outcomes, complication's rate, functional scores (FFI and VAS- FA) were assessed. The statistical analysis was performed with the t-student test, the significativity value was set p<0.05.

Results:

In the group A, the patients had a healing's rate in 90,7 % of cases, the ulcer was healed in average in 5.77 weeks ( range 4-8.1). The postoperative complications accounts 35% of cases, including 2 cases of osteomyelitis, 1 acute Charcot foot, 1 case of acute renal insufficiency and pneumonia. Transfer ulcer occurred in 12.96%. Overall a reintervention with a mini-invasive approach was performed in 2 cases. Group B healed in 77% of cases, in a mean time of 9.11 weeks (range 8-13.3), no postoperative complication occurred. In 23% of patients occurred a transfer ulcer after an average time of 30 months, in 1 case a major amputation was mandatory. The mean value at postoperative follow-up was 78 for VAS-FA for group A and 72.2 for group B, the FFIindex was 70% for group A and 68% for group B.

Conclusion:

The PMI and AM are effective procedures for the treatment of DFU, associated with low complications rate, fast recovery and ulcer's healing process, low rate of recurrences and ulcer transfer. Overall the percutaneous technique show encouraging results, however, these procedures must be addressed to the patient's feature. As prospective, in the future percutaneous treatments might play a role in prevention's strategy.
Targeting macrophages for enhancing CD47 blockade–elicited lymphoma clearance and overcoming tumor-induced immunosuppression
Authors: Cao Xu , Wang Yingyu , Zhang Wencan , Zhong Xiancai , Gunes E. Gulsen , Dang Jessica , Wang Jinhui , Epstein Alan L. , Querfeld Christiane , Sun Zuoming , Rosen Steven T. , Feng Mingye
Published: February 2022

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are often the most abundant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Strategies targeting TAMs to enable tumor cell killing through cellular phagocytosis have emerged as promising cancer immunotherapy. Although several phagocytosis checkpoints have been identified, the desired efficacy has not yet been achieved by blocking such checkpoints in preclinical models or clinical trials. Here, we showed that late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) was resistant to therapy targeting phagocytosis checkpoint CD47 due to the compromised capacity of TAMs to phagocytose lymphoma cells. Via a high-throughput screening of the US Food and Drug Administration–approved anticancer small molecule compounds, we identified paclitaxel as a potentiator that promoted the clearance of lymphoma by directly evoking phagocytic capability of macrophages, independently of paclitaxel’s chemotherapeutic cytotoxicity toward NHL cells. A combination with paclitaxel dramatically enhanced the anticancer efficacy of CD47-targeted therapy toward late-stage NHL. Analysis of TME by single-cell RNA sequencing identified paclitaxel-induced TAM populations with an upregulation of genes for tyrosine kinase signaling. The activation of Src family tyrosine kinases signaling in macrophages by paclitaxel promoted phagocytosis against NHL cells. In addition, we identified a role of paclitaxel in modifying the TME by preventing the accumulation of a TAM subpopulation that was only present in late-stage lymphoma resistant to CD47-targeted therapy. Our findings identify a novel and effective strategy for NHL treatment by remodeling TME to enable the tumoricidal roles of TAMs. Furthermore, we characterize TAM subgroups that determine the efficiency of lymphoma phagocytosis in the TME and can be potential therapeutic targets to unleash the antitumor activities of macrophages.
Unbiased cell surface proteomics identifies SEMA4A as an effective immunotherapy target for myeloma
Authors: Anderson Georgina S. F. , Ballester-Beltran Jose , Giotopoulos George , Guerrero Jose A. , Surget Sylvanie , Williamson James C. , So Tsz , Bloxham David , Aubareda Anna , Asby Ryan , Walker Ieuan , Jenkinson Lesley , Soilleux Elizabeth J. , Roy James P. , Teodósio Ana , Ficken Catherine , Officer-Jones Leah , Nasser Sara , Skerget Sheri , Keats Jonathan J. , Greaves Peter , Tai Yu-Tzu , Anderson Kenneth C. , MacFarlane Marion , Thaventhiran James E. , Huntly Brian J. P. , Lehner Paul J. , Chapman Michael A.
Published: February 2022

The accessibility of cell surface proteins makes them tractable for targeting by cancer immunotherapy, but identifying suitable targets remains challenging. Here we describe plasma membrane profiling of primary human myeloma cells to identify an unprecedented number of cell surface proteins of a primary cancer. We used a novel approach to prioritize immunotherapy targets and identified a cell surface protein not previously implicated in myeloma, semaphorin-4A (SEMA4A). Using knock-down by short-hairpin RNA and CRISPR/nuclease-dead Cas9 (dCas9), we show that expression of SEMA4A is essential for normal myeloma cell growth in vitro, indicating that myeloma cells cannot downregulate the protein to avoid detection. We further show that SEMA4A would not be identified as a myeloma therapeutic target by standard CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens because of exon skipping. Finally, we potently and selectively targeted SEMA4A with a novel antibody–drug conjugate in vitro and in vivo.