bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher serum nerve growth factor levels are associated with major depressive disorder pathophysiology: a case–control study
Authors: Salsabil Lubaba , Shahriar Mohammad , Islam Sardar Mohammad Ashraful , Bhuiyan Mohiuddin Ahmed , Qusar MMA Shalahuddin , Islam Md. Rabiul
Published: April 2023

Objective

There is a lack of established biological, psychological, social, and digital markers for the prediction, identification, and stratification of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We therefore aimed to evaluate serum nerve growth factor (NGF) in MDD patients.

Methods

In this case–control study, we recruited MDD patients and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). A qualified psychiatrist evaluated study participants according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. Serum NGF levels were analyzed using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Results

We analyzed data from 106 MDD patients and 88 HCs. Mean serum NGF concentrations were significantly higher in MDD patients (104.70 ± 6.43 pg/mL) than in HCs (72.09 ± 7.69 pg/mL). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed the good diagnostic performance of serum NGF in MDD.

Conclusions

Higher serum NGF levels might be involved in MDD pathophysiology, and altered NGF levels may be an early warning sign of depression. The present findings will aid in the development of new and improved therapies for depressive patients. Further interventional studies are recommended to explore the underlying mechanisms, risk factors, disease course, and treatment responses of NGF in MDD.
Escherichia fergusonii bacteremia after esophagectomy: a case report and literature review
Authors: Jiang Yu-Yang , Zhang Yi , Hu Yang , Guo Yuan
Published: April 2023

We report the case of a 68-year-old man who experienced Escherichia fergusonii bacteremia after esophageal cancer surgery. The patient presented with complaints of abdominal pain persisting for 1 week. The patient was diagnosed with esophageal malignancy, which was confirmed by surgical exploration and pathological biopsy. The patient developed septic shock on postoperative day 12, and blood culture suggested the growth of E. fergusonii. After treatment with meropenem, the patient’s clinical symptoms improved significantly, and the second culture was negative. In this paper, we discuss the characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of E. fergusonii. E. fergusonii is rarely reported, and its pathogenesis, drug resistance, and potential effects have not been completely confirmed. Thus, this case report adds valuable knowledge to the literature on E. fergusonii.
Role of Andean tropical montane soil organic carbon in the deglacial carbon budget
Authors: Bill Nicholas S.
Published: April 2023

During the last deglaciation, atmospheric CO2 increased by about 75 ppm. The deep ocean is likely the dominant source of this atmospheric CO2 rise in the atmospheric pool; however, a consensus accounting for the entire 75 ppm remains elusive. Since the deep ocean cannot account for the entire 75 ppm, the terrestrial environment likely makes up the remainder. This paper provides a mechanism for an unaccounted-for portion of the source of this terrestrial carbon, that being soil organic carbon (SOC) from the tropical montane Andes, and with that, minimum constraints on the contribution of SOC to the total rise in atmospheric CO2 during the last deglaciation. Using numerical climate modeling input into an empirical model derived from tropical montane forests of the Andes Mountains in South America, this study finds that during the last deglaciation, the organic layer thickness was thinning from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present (pre-industrial) in the tropical montane Andes. This overall warming and organic layer thickness thinning may have led to a loss of available carbon storage space, causing a leak of CO2 into the atmosphere over this time scale. This study finds an estimate for the contribution of global atmospheric CO2 from SOC in tropical montane Andean soils is likely at least ∼1.4 ppm CO2 since the LGM.
Selfless Subjectivities that (Re)Build the Nation: Remaking the “Modern Turkish Woman” in the Early Republican Period in Türkiye
Authors: Yakalı Dikmen , Ataman Bora
Published: April 2023

This study explores the newly constructed female identities of the Early Republican Era in Türkiye (1923–1945). Through a thematic analysis of three contemporary women's magazines (Aile Dostu, Ev-İş, and Asrın Kadını) it aims to examine how conceptualizations of marriage and family were refashioned in the magazines to fit in the images within the newly constructed domestic ideologies of the state. We argue that the “selfless” subjectivities offered by the magazines point to dialogically constructed narrative identities which are not stable but fluid. The women's magazines of the Era aimed to reconstruct new identities by representing the Republic's ideas and official ideology to its people. Thus, they became one of the tools of social engineering in the way of “transforming the nation” into a “modern,” “Westernized” one. Analysing these magazines help us identify the repertoire of subjectivities and narrative identities from which women drew while making sense of their selves during an era of transformation.
Social-Emotional and Behavioral Functioning Profiles and Demographic Factors: A Latent Profile Analysis in Elementary Students
Authors: Jiang Ning , Gao Ruiqin , DiStefano Christine , Liu Jin , Weist Mark , Splett Joni Williams , Halliday-Boykins Colleen A
Published: April 2023

A growing interest has been given to examining the heterogeneity of children’s health to provide for their particular needs. This study examined subgroups of elementary school children’s social, emotional, and behavioral functioning (SEB) using teacher ratings of children with the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System. A Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was conducted with 5,150 students aged from kindergarten to fifth grade. Subscale scores in the areas of externalizing risk, internalizing risk, and adaptive skills risk were used to identify profiles. Students’ grade level, sex, race, and status of receiving special education services were added to investigate the impact of covariates on the classification of latent profiles. Four profiles of risk were identified: Well Development (60.5%), Normal Development (25.8%), Externalizing and Adaptive Skills Risk (9.1%), and Elevated Risk (4.6%). Significant differences of covariates including sex, race, and status of receiving special education services were identified. Specifically, males and African American students were more likely to be classified into the “Elevated Risk” profile than other profiles. Students who did not receive special education services were more in the “Well Development” profile. The results may have important implications for the stakeholders to allocate intervention and treatment resources effectively and accurately.
Neural network optimization algorithm based non-singular fast terminal sliding-mode control for an uncertain autonomous ground vehicle subjected to disturbances
Authors: Hajjami Lhoussain El , Mellouli El Mehdi , Žuraulis Vidas , Berrada Mohammed , Boumhidi Ismail
Published: April 2023

As computer computing capabilities increase, optimization algorithms are becoming more useful for solving engineering problems. Up to now, several metaheuristic algorithms have been exploited in control engineering. However, this effort remains weak in addressing the autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) trajectory tracking problem. This research presents a novel optimal approach merging the robust non-singular fast terminal sliding-mode control method (NFTSMC) and the neural network optimization algorithm (NNA) for automatic lane changing. First, a reference double lane-change path (DLC) is designed, and the robust non-singular fast terminal sliding-mode steering controller is developed, according to Lyapunov stability theory, to suppress the lateral deviation and ensure the yaw stability. Then, the control strategy is optimized by the NNA algorithm to adjust the steering controller optimally while avoiding local optimums. A comparison, under the same conditions, with the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) revealed the superiority of the control law resulting from the NNA-based optimization. Furthermore, the proposed approach shows its excellent tracking performance versus the integrated backstepping sliding-mode controller (IBSMC) and the adaptive sliding-mode control (ASMC) under severe conditions typical of real-world lane changes.
Just Dead, Not Alive: Reconsidering Belief in Contradictory Conspiracy Theories
Authors: van Prooijen Jan-Willem , Wahring Iris , Mausolf Laura , Mulas Nicole , Shwan Shayda
Published: April 2023

A well-established finding is that beliefs in contradictory conspiracy theories (e.g., Princess Diana was murdered vs. faked her own death) are positively correlated. This is commonly interpreted as evidence that people systematically believe blatant inconsistencies. Here, we propose that the field has insufficiently acknowledged a compelling alternative explanation: Disbelieving both conspiracy theories also yields a positive correlation. In four preregistered studies (total N = 7,641 adults), online participants evaluated 28 sets of contradictory conspiracy theories. Although the positive correlation was replicated in all cases, this was mostly due to participants who believed the official versions of these events (e.g., Princess Diana died in a car accident). Among participants who disbelieved these official stories, the correlation was inconsistent at best. A mini meta-analysis revealed a negative correlation among these participants, which was particularly due to the dead-or-alive cases. Apparently, researchers should reconsider the notion of systematic belief in contradictory conspiracy theories.
Modeling the moderating role of institutions on logistics–environment nexus in developed and developing economies
Authors: Shamout Mohamed Dawood , Hamouche Salima , Elayan Malek Bakheet , Rawashdeh Adnan M , Elrehail Hamzah , Alshwayat Dana
Published: April 2023

The primacy of logistics, environmental sustainability, and institutions for sustainable development has attracted the attention of researchers and policymakers. However, the role of institutions in the logistics–environment relationship has not been documented in the extant literature. Thus, this study examined the role of institutional (governance) quality on the logistics–environment nexus and compared the case of developed and developing economies using a state-of-the-art econometrics technique—Chudik-Pesaran (2022) Augmented Anderson–Hsiao two-step Generalized Method of Moment estimator for dynamic short-T panels, which is superior to previously used techniques in the extant literature. Key empirical findings outline a positive elasticity of environmental performance with respect to logistic performance and revealed that institutional factors play a significant role in the association between logistics performance and environmental sustainability in both developed and developing economies. The study results are useful for practitioners and key players and policymakers in the supply chain and logistics management industry in both developing and developed blocs. Thus, policies on green logistics and environmental sustainability should be pursued in both blocs are suggested in the concluding section of this study.
The Rise and Rise of Lupus
Authors: González Luis A. , Ugarte-Gil Manuel F , Pons-Estel Guillermo J , Alarcón Graciela S
Published: April 2023

Despite how difficult the early diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is, which is mainly due to the heterogeneity and non-specificity of its clinical manifestations, SLE is currently being diagnosed more frequently than in past decades. In fact, there has been an increase in the incidence and prevalence of SLE over the last four decades; this can be explained by a number of reasons including a better knowledge of the pathogenesis of the disease which allows its earlier diagnosis, the rising ethnic and racial diversity of the world population, the use of the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria that allows classifying patients earlier, and improvements in survival over the last decades, which results in an increase in the prevalent cases of SLE. In this article, we will also review the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, that are reported to increase the risk of developing SLE and how preventive strategies through a clinical care pathway may prevent or delay the development of SLE and improve these patients’ outcomes.
Minimally Invasive Sub-Retinal Transplantation of RPE-J Cells on a Biodegradable Composite PCL/Collagen Nanosheet
Authors: Yamashita Kazuya , Ostrovidov Serge , Raut Bibek , Hori Takeshi , Nashimoto Yuji , Nagai Nobuhiro , Abe Toshiaki , Kaji Hirokazu
Published: April 2023

Retinal cells are irreparably damaged by diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A promising method to restore partial or whole vision is through cell-based transplantation to the damaged location. However, cell transplantation using conventional vitreous surgery is an invasive procedure that may induce infections and has a high failure rate of cell engraftment. In this study, we describe the fabrication of a biodegradable composite nanosheet used as a substrate to support retinal pigment epithelial (RPE-J) cells, which can be grafted to the sub-retinal space using a minimally invasive approach. The nanosheet was fabricated using polycaprolactone (PCL) and collagen in 80:20 weight ratio, and had size of 200 µm in diameter and 300 nm in thickness. These PCL/collagen nanosheets showed excellent biocompatibility and mechanical strength in vitro. Using a custom designed 27-gauge glass needle, we successfully transplanted an RPE-J cell loaded nanosheet into the sub-retinal space of a rat model with damaged photoreceptors. The cell loaded nanosheet did not trigger immunological reaction within 2 weeks of implantation and restored the retinal environment. Thus, this composite PCL/collagen nanosheet holds great promise for organized cell transplantation, and the treatment of retinal diseases.
Suicide in Chinese myths and legends—Some familiar themes
Authors: Pridmore Saxby , English Helen J , Pridmore William , Naguy Ahmad
Published: April 2023

Aim

To expand our understanding of suicide by examining reports of this behavior from the Chinese mythical era (commencing circa 1200 BCE) and drawing comparisons with subsequent eras.

Method

Four hundred recently published accounts of Chinese myths and folk tales were examined, along with supplementary material. Lists were created including one focused on attempted suicide and another on completed suicide. Comparisons were drawn with the suicide of a later era China and the current west.

Results

No evidence was located of suicide resulting from mental disorder. Six accounts of attempted suicide and 13 of completed suicide were located. Triggers included the death of a loved one, the loss of a valued possession, complicated relationships, and the avoidance of guilt and disgrace. These accord with current western behavior.

Conclusion

There is at least fair agreement in the triggers of suicide in past eras in China and the current western era. This supports the view that suicide may be, in some instances, a customary response to circumstances.
Machine Learning and Risk Assessment: Random Forest Does Not Outperform Logistic Regression in the Prediction of Sexual Recidivism
Authors: Etzler Sonja , Schönbrodt Felix D. , Pargent Florian , Eher Reinhard , Rettenberger Martin
Published: April 2023

Although many studies supported the use of actuarial risk assessment instruments (ARAIs) because they outperformed unstructured judgments, it remains an ongoing challenge to seek potentials for improvement of their predictive performance. Machine learning (ML) algorithms, like random forests, are able to detect patterns in data useful for prediction purposes without explicitly programming them (e.g., by considering nonlinear effects between risk factors and the criterion). Therefore, the current study aims to compare conventional logistic regression analyses with the random forest algorithm on a sample of N = 511 adult male individuals convicted of sexual offenses. Data were collected at the Federal Evaluation Center for Violent and Sexual Offenders in Austria within a prospective-longitudinal research design and participants were followed-up for an average of M = 8.2 years. The Static-99, containing static risk factors, and the Stable-2007, containing stable dynamic risk factors, were included as predictors. The results demonstrated no superior predictive performance of the random forest compared with logistic regression; furthermore, methods of interpretable ML did not point to any robust nonlinear effects. Altogether, results supported the statistical use of logistic regression for the development and clinical application of ARAIs.
Differential Item Functioning in Reports of Delinquent Behavior Between Black and White Youth: Evidence of Measurement Bias in Self-Reports of Arrest in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study
Authors: Brislin Sarah J. , Clark D. Angus , Clark Duncan B. , Durbin C. Emily , Parr Ashley C. , Ahonen Lia , Anderson-Carpenter Kaston D. , Heitzeg Mary M. , Luna Beatriz , Sripada Chandra , Zucker Robert A. , Hicks Brian M.
Published: April 2023

Youth self-reports are a mainstay of delinquency assessment; however, making valid inferences about delinquency using these assessments requires equivalent measurement across groups of theoretical interest. We examined whether a brief 10-item delinquency measure exhibited measurement invariance across non-Hispanic White ( n = 6,064) and Black ( n = 1,666) youth (ages 10–11 years old) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Developmentsm Study (ABCD Study®). We detected differential item functioning (DIF) in two items. Black youth were more likely to report being arrested or picked up by police than White youth with the same score on the latent delinquency trait. Although multiple covariates (income, urgency, and callous–unemotional traits) reduced mean-level difference in overall delinquency, they were generally unrelated to the DIF in the Arrest item. However, the DIF in the Arrest item was reduced in size and no longer significant after adjusting for neighborhood safety. Results illustrate the importance of considering measurement invariance when using self-reported delinquency scores to draw inferences about group differences, and the utility of measurement invariance analyses for helping to identify mechanisms that contribute to group differences generally.
Teaching Emotional Intelligence for Enhancing Resilience in Journalism
Authors: Šimunjak Maja
Published: April 2023

The article outlines an evidence-informed approach for enhancing resilience, one of the key personal resources in labor, and explores the viability of this training for increasing journalists’ ability to manage everyday work-related stressors. The suggested pedagogy is in the form of a microintervention, informed by literature on psychological capital and primary research based on interviews with British journalists. The test of concept is based on 13 workshops carried out with journalism trainees and professionals. The postworkshop survey ( n = 80) suggests that the proposed pedagogy has the potential to contribute to development of participants’ resilience as well as their wider psychological capital.
Experiences of Sexual Assault and Financial Stability: Sense of Control as a Potential Mechanism
Authors: Furlong Courtney , Hinnant Ben
Published: April 2023

This investigation utilized the Midlife in the United States Survey ( N = 3,258) to assess the relationships between sexual assault, sense of control, and financial stability. Age of first sexual assault and sexual assault revictimization were also considered in analyses of sexual assault survivors’ data. Results revealed consistent associations between experiences of sexual assault and revictimization with lower financial stability and suggest that sense of control may be an indirect mechanism linking these variables. Findings have policy relevance and practical implications for practitioners. Restoring sexual assault victims’ internal loci of control may promote more positive financial outcomes.
Inclusion body myositis triggerred with long-term imatinib use
Authors: Deniz Rabia , Güzelbey Tevfik , Narinoğlu Sanem , Şirin Kalem Gizem , Ekmen Şevket Ali , Gündoğdu Ünverengil Gökçen , Karaali Zeynep
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Imatinib is an orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor with wide clinical use in different indications from solid tumors to hematologic malignancies. Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an acquired myopathy of both inflammatory and degenerative nature.

Case report

We present an 81 years old male with a history of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) operated 8 years ago and was evaluated for the progressive loss of weight and muscle strength leading to total immobilization in 6 months. He was under imatinib for 8 years despite the remission of GIST. Physical examination disclosed diffuse loss of muscle strength, most prominently involvement of distal upper and proximal lower extremity in an asymmetrical pattern with normal serum creatinine kinase level (CK). Further investigations including bilateral thigh MRI, electromyography (EMG), and PET/CT suggested myositis and degenerative myopathy and ruled out any malignancy. Quadriceps femoris biopsy proved the diagnosis of IBM and no trigger except for imatinib was displayed.

Management and outcome

Clinical improvement in terms of weight loss and muscle weakness was achieved after the discontinuation of imatinib.

Discussion

This is the first case of IBM associated with prolonged use of imatinib not reported in the literature so far. Since imatinib is widely used in different conditions, it is important to be aware of even its rare adverse effects. Poor response of IBM to conventional immunosuppressive agents enhances the value of etiology identification to relieve symptoms in addition to supportive care.
The Relation Between Classroom Setting and ADHD Behavior in Children With ADHD Compared to Typically Developing Peers
Authors: Staff Anouck I. , Oosterlaan Jaap , van der Oord Saskia , van den Hoofdakker Barbara J. , Luman Marjolein
Published: April 2023

Objective:

More knowledge on the impact of classroom setting on behavior of children with ADHD may help us to better adjust classroom settings to the needs of this group.

Method:

We observed ADHD behaviors of 55 children with ADHD and 34 typically developing peers (6–12 years) during classroom transitions, group lessons, and individual seatwork.

Results:

Multivariate analyses revealed that levels of motor and verbal hyperactivity increased during classroom transitions compared to group lessons and individual seatwork. Children in the ADHD group were more off-task, across settings. There were no interactions between group and setting.

Conclusions:

Children with ADHD were similarly affected by classroom setting compared to typically developing peers, despite being more off-task across settings. Further research into whether the observed increase in hyperactivity during classroom transitions may be problematic or possibly even beneficial for children with ADHD is recommended.
Medication Non-Adherence and Tolerance Breaks Among Adolescents and Young Adults With ADHD
Authors: Barnard-Brak Lucy , Marques Allie , Kudesey Carolina
Published: April 2023

Objective:

We examine what variables were associated with increased medication non-adherence for adolescents and young adults with ADHD.

Method:

These variables included sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, race, and ethnicity but also included self-reported reasons for medication non-adherence as well as the type of and degree of self-reported side effects or adverse events. Results: The following variables were statistically significant predictors of medication non-adherence: being White; forgetting to take the medication; not liking the feeling; and desiring a tolerance break from the medication.

Conclucion:

Tolerance breaks appear to be a novel, self-reported reason for medication non-adherence that emerged among adolescents and young adults with ADHD. Tolerance breaks appear to be relatively common, with one in five adolescents and young adults with ADHD reporting this reason for non-adherence. Future research should further investigate tolerance breaks as a reason for medication non-adherence among adolescents and young adults with ADHD.
Principal Risks Associated with Public-Private Partnership Projects in Uganda
Authors: Bagenda Bonny , Ndevu Zwelinzima
Published: April 2023

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been adopted globally to reduce funding gaps amidst an increasing need for public infrastructure. However, they are prone to several risks. Little attention has been paid to this crucial phenomenon in Uganda, despite the rising interest in the use of the PPP model. Through a questionnaire survey with PPP experts in Uganda, 34 principal risks were identified of which the top 10 are construction completion, government corruption, construction cost overrun, land acquisition, delay in project approval and permits, high financing cost, operation cost overrun, inadequate tender competition, procurement risk, and inability to service debt risk. Most of these were found to arise from inadequate experience in PPPs, the complexity of the PPP model, high levels of corruption and the immature domestic financial market. The knowledge of these risks can guide PPP contract negotiations and potential investors in their investment decisions, especially the objective assessment of PPP projects.
Abdominal Organ Transplantation: Noteworthy Literature in 2022
Authors: Nolasco Lyle , Igwe Divya , Smith Natalie K. , Sakai Tetsuro
Published: April 2023

This review highlights noteworthy literature published in 2022 pertinent to anesthesiologists and critical care physicians caring for patients undergoing abdominal organ transplantation. We begin by exploring the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had across the field of abdominal organ transplantation, including the successful use of grafts procured from COVID-19-infected donors. In pancreatic transplantation, we highlight several studies on dexmedetomidine and ischemia-reperfusion injury, equity in transplantation, and medical management, as well as studies comparing pancreatic transplantation to islet cell transplantation. In our section on intestinal transplantation, we explore donor selection. Kidney transplantation topics include cardiovascular risk management, obesity, and intraoperative management, including fluid resuscitation, dexmedetomidine, and sugammadex. The liver transplantation section focuses on clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published in 2022 and covers a wide range of topics, including machine perfusion, cardiovascular issues, renal issues, and coagulation/transfusion.
Talking Turtles With Tourists: Evaluating the Relative Conservation Impacts of Different Types of Sea Turtle Education Programs at Jekyll Island, GA, USA
Authors: Mascovich Katie A. , Larson Lincoln R. , Andrews Kimberly M.
Published: April 2023

We used a pre-post survey approach to compare learning and conservation-focused behavioral outcomes for tourists participating in two different types of field-based wildlife education programs at the Jekyll Island Authority Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on Jekyll Island, GA, USA: a low-interaction program ( n = 59) led by education guides that featured minimal direct contact between visitors and sea turtles, and a high-interaction program ( n = 42) led by turtle biologists that featured more intimate interactions between visitors and turtles. Both programs revealed comparable positive effects on participants’ knowledge of sea turtles and intent to engage in turtle advocacy behaviors, but neither type of program had a major influence on pro-turtle attitudes or participation in turtle-friendly beach behaviors (partly because scores for these variables were high entering the program). Results suggest managers and educators at wildlife tourism destinations could employ different program delivery methods while still achieving similar education and conservation goals.
Rethinking Interpretation to Support Sustainable Tourist Experiences in Protected Natural Areas
Authors: Moscardo Gianna , Hughes Karen
Published: April 2023

Interpretation in protected natural areas can minimize visitors’ negative environmental impacts and encourage them to adopt sustainable practices at and beyond tourist sites. Despite this, interpretation has typically focussed on showcasing the specific features of natural areas rather than using these features as a resource for sustainability education more broadly. We argue that designing effective interpretation for complex issues such as sustainability is challenging and that new approaches may be needed. This paper reports on a front-end evaluation study that used online archival analysis and participant observation to assess the viability of an interpretive approach that requires no additional site hardening, is widely accessible, and focuses on fungi as a topic that can be easily connected to sustainability action beyond the site. Guidelines for developing effective interpretation in natural areas and practical implications of using this approach to link local places to global sustainability are also discussed.
VEGF levels in the aqueous humor of patients with primary open angle glaucoma: A systematic review and a meta-analysis
Authors: Dimtsas Georgios S. , Tsiogka Anastasia , Moschos Marilita M.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To compare the VEGF levels in the aqueous humor of patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) and non-glaucomatous eyes and reveal any potential statistically significant correlations.

Methods

We searched PubMed, from inception to December 31, 2021. Key search terms included VEGF and Glaucoma. All relevant studies that evaluated the VEGF levels in patients with POAG and in the control group were included in this systematic review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies (PRISMA-DTA) guidelines were followed. Data were extracted independently by 2 authors. Heterogeneity was statistically quantified by Q, H, and I2 statistics, and a meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model.

Results

Seven cross-sectional studies were included in the meta-analysis. 144 eyes were enrolled in the POAG group and 162 eyes in the control group. The random effect model showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (SMD =0.284, 95% CI = -0.173 to 0.741; P = 0.223), but we noticed a trend towards elevated VEGF levels in the aqueous humor of POAG patients. Significant heterogeneity was detected ( I2 = 74.1%, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta-analysis indicates a trend towards elevated VEGF-A levels in the aqueous humor of patients with POAG and suggests a potential neuroprotective role of VEGF in patients with POAG. Future studies are required to evaluate the exact role of VEGF in POAG.
Incidence and its risk factors of high myopia in Chinese rural adults: A population-based six-year cohort study
Authors: Cao Kai , Hao Jie , Wang Ning-Li
Published: April 2023

Background

To investigate the incidence rate of high myopia and its risk factors in adults.

Methods

This was a population-based cohort study, 4582 adults aged ≥ 30 years from rural area of China were included. The follow-up duration was six years. Objective refraction (sphere, cylinder, and axis) was measured using an autorefractor. Multivariable Logistic regression was used to explore risk factors of high myopia, odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported.

Results

During the six-year follow-up, 25 participants developed high myopia. The incidence rate was 0.55% (95%CI: 0.44% to 0.66%), and were 0.54% (11/2035) in males and 0.55% (14/2547) in females. The age-gender standardized annual incidence rate was 0.11%. The median changes in spherical equivalent (SE) of all participants was 0.25D (IQR: −0.125 to 0.625). For the baseline myopic adults and non-myopic adults, the median changes in SE were 0.125D (IQR: −0.375 to 0.5), and 0.25D (IQR: −0.125 to 0.625). The difference was significant (p < 0.001). Of the two subgroups, 1.52% (21/1383) and 0.13% (4/3199) developed high myopia during six years. The risk of developing high myopia in baseline myopic adults was 11.7 times higher than that of the baseline non-myopic adults ( p < 0.001). Age (OR = 1.061, 95%CI: 1.022 to 1.103, p = 0.002), and baseline myopia (OR = 1.007, 95%CI: 1.001 to 1.012, p < 0.001) were risk factors for high myopia.

Conclusion

The age-gender standardized annual incidence rate of high myopia in Chinese rural adults is 0.11%. More than 30% of adults still have myopia progression. Myopia control is of great significance for high myopia prevention.
Clinical and multimodal imaging findings in a case of serous maculopathy with absence of retinal pigment epithelium (SMARPE)
Authors: Oribio-Quinto Carlos , Herranz-Heras Juan Carlos , Burgos-Blasco Bárbara , Alarcon-Garcia Antonio Domingo , Fernández-Vigo José Ignacio
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The differential diagnosis for serous SRF can involve diseases with widely different pathogenic mechanisms that can range from vascular ocular diseases to ocular tumours and paraneoplastic syndromes. Recently, van Dijk et al. have described in three patients a new entity which they have called serous maculopathy with an absence of retinal pigment epithelium (SMARPE). We hereby describe a case of this infrequent macular disease and report its characteristic findings on multimodal imaging.

Case description

We present the case of a 65-year-old hyperopic woman with a three-year history of visual acuity (VA) loss in her left eye. Prior optical coherence tomography (OCT) had revealed the presence of serous subretinal fluid that had shown no response to treatment with intravitreal injections. On swept source OCT angiography scan, no macular alterations in the retinal vascular plexus structure were noted and there was no evidence of choroidal neovascularization. Ultra-widefield fluorescence angiography of the left eye revealed an early hyperfluorescent macular spot corresponding to the area of absent RPE and late fluorescein pooling. On ultra-widefield indocyanine green angiography there were no central or peripheral abnormalities of choroidal vascularization.

Conclusion

This recently described entity should be considered as a differential diagnosis in persistent serous subretinal fluid. Multimodal imaging helps differentiate SMARPE from its main differential diagnoses, and care should be taken to identify and differentiate it from similar conditions to avoid unnecessary treatment with its possible side effects and complications.
The effectiveness of hydrotherapy on return to play in sports following hip arthroscopic surgery: a comparative study
Authors: Dimitrakopoulou Alexandra , English Bryan , Kartsonaki Christiana , Gledhill Adam , Schilders Ernest
Published: April 2023

Background:

The postoperative management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is variable with favourable surgical outcomes. Yet there is no evidence on the efficacy of hydrotherapy in athletes undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role and the impact of hydrotherapy on return to sports following hip arthroscopy for symptomatic FAI.

Methods:

2 cohorts of mixed level of athletes from various sports: a hydrotherapy group that followed land-based exercises in combination with hydrotherapy exercises and a control group that followed solely the same land-based exercises. Pre- and postoperative pain and hip-specific outcome scores were completed, and patient satisfaction was rated.

Results:

A total of 88 hip arthroscopies were included with a minimum of 2 years follow-up; the hydrotherapy group comprised of 36 hips and the control group, 52 hips. There was a significant improvement in time to return to previous performance (HR 1.91, 95% CI, 1.21–3.01; p = 0.005) in the hydrotherapy group compared with the control. The hip-specific scores and patient satisfaction were considerably improved in the hydrotherapy group.

Conclusions:

The analysis of our data indicates that the incorporation of hydrotherapy into postoperative rehabilitation for hip arthroscopy for FAI accelerates the return of athletes to their pre-injury performance, since recovery time decreased significantly.
The role of knowledge, primary care and community engagement to improve breast-screening access for Pakistani women in the United Kingdom: A secondary analysis of a qualitative study
Authors: Khattak Hooran M , Woof Victoria G , French David P , Donnelly Louise S , Ruane Helen , Ulph Fiona , Qureshi Nadeem , Khan Nasaim , Evans D Gareth , Robb Kathryn A
Published: April 2023

Objective

Breast cancer incidence is rising among Pakistani women in the United Kingdom. However, uptake of breast screening remains low. This study aimed to improve access to breast screening for British-Pakistani women by exploring their knowledge of breast cancer and the role of primary care and community networks to support screening access amongst British-Pakistani women.

Methods

We undertook a secondary qualitative analysis of 18 semi-structured interviews with British-Pakistani women from East Lancashire in the United Kingdom. Anonymized transcripts of the interviews were used for a thematic analysis.

Results

Three themes were identified in the interviewees’ responses: (i) ‘Women’s knowledge of breasts and breast cancer’, which described how a cultural taboo exists around Pakistani women’s bodies and around breast cancer; (ii) ‘Role of primary care’, which detailed how General Practitioners can support informed decisions and offer a trusted and valued information source; (iii) ‘Community engagement’, which described the potential to disseminate breast-screening information through the whole community, including primary care providers, all family members and mosques.

Conclusions

Our analysis suggested three main targets for future interventions to improve access to breast screening for British-Pakistani women: (i) co-produced strategies to increase knowledge of breasts and breast screening; (ii) greater collaboration with local General Practitioners to support women to make informed choices about screening; and (iii) community engagement involving General Practitioners and community leaders, to inform everyone – not just screening-age women – about breast cancer and screening.
Self-compassion and pain disability in adults with chronic pain: The mediating role of future self-identification and self-efficacy
Authors: Mistretta Erin G , Davis Mary C , Bartsch Eva M , Olah Meryl S
Published: April 2023

Pain disability is a primary target of treatment for chronic pain. Self-compassion shows promise as an intervention to reduce pain disability, but mechanisms linking self-compassion with less pain disability remain to be identified. This study examined two potential mechanisms, health self-efficacy and future self-identification (FSI), as parallel mediators of the relation between self-compassion and pain disability. Adults ( N = 188; Mage = 40.34, SD = 11.53; 70.9% female) screened for chronic pain were recruited through online convenience sampling. Participants completed self-report measures of demographics, health status, and primary study variables. Self-compassion was positively associated with FSI and self-efficacy, but only self-efficacy was found to mediate the negative relation between self-compassion and pain disability, such that self-compassion was associated with higher self-efficacy, which was associated with less pain disability. Future experimental and longitudinal studies can establish whether the negative relation between self-compassion and pain disability is causal and mediated via health self-efficacy.
Seeing teacher identity through teachers’ beliefs: Narratives of pre-service EFL teachers in China
Authors: Sang Yuan
Published: April 2023

In the field of foreign and second language (L2) teacher education, existing literature has emphasized the importance of examining language teacher identity in uncovering how L2 teachers grow professionally. However, there have been relatively few investigations into emerging pre-service L2 teachers’ language teacher identity at an early stage of professional development. Focusing on a group of pre-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in China who were in their first semester of study in English teacher education, the present research was set out to explore these emerging pre-service teachers’ beliefs and how their beliefs connected to teacher identities. Analyses of participants’ survey narratives showed that pre-service EFL teachers highlighted three significant aspects of their English language teacher identities, which were English teachers as ‘instructors’, as ‘individuals’, and as ‘English experts’. Results of three focal pre-service EFL teachers’ interviews provided further evidence to demonstrate how teachers’ beliefs linked to teacher identities. The significance of these findings and directions for future research were discussed. This study concluded with suggestions for supporting emerging pre-service L2 teachers’ professional growth in language teacher education.
Mobile intimacies? Uncertainty, ambivalence and fluidity in the intimate practices of dating app users in Germany and the UK
Authors: Newerla Andrea , van Hooff Jenny
Published: April 2023

Research on dating app practices has drawn on a dichotomous conception of love and sex, with users viewed as seeking either casual sex or a committed relationship. Drawing on qualitative interview data with dating app users in Germany and the UK, our analysis suggests the that the love/sex dichotomy fails to fully account for participants’ experiences. We argue that rather than imposing a normative framework, we should recognise the potentiality of movement and openness in app-based dating practices. We also challenge the critique of dating apps as entirely transactional, and instead argue that the emergence of what we identify as ‘mobile’ intimate practices demonstrate the diverse forms that intimacies can take within different relationships.
Interactions and intersections
Authors: Richardson Diane
Published: April 2023

This ‘thank you note’ pays tribute, albeit briefly, to the enormous contribution Ken Plummer’s work has made to sociology and to the study of sexualities in particular. He played a pioneering role in developing social understandings of sexuality, highlighting the importance of everyday interactions and social encounters. More specifically, over his career he addressed a range of important issues including, for example, sexuality and narrative analysis, generational sexualities, the significance of queer, sexual and intimate citizenship and the need for global critical sexualities studies. Along the way, it also sketches out some of the ways his work criss-crossed and informed my own research and scholarship in enriching and stimulating ways.
Chinese Wine Consumers’ Product Evaluation: Effects of Product Involvement, Ethnocentrism, Product Experience and Antecedents
Authors: Bruwer Johan , Cohen Justin , Driesener Carl , Corsi Armando , Lee Richard , Huang Ava , Lockshin Larry
Published: April 2023

This research provides nuanced insights from a consumer-centric behavioural psychology perspective, by developing a theoretically grounded motivational process model of product evaluation, viewed through a country-of-origin (COO) lens, incorporating the focal constructs of product involvement, product knowledge, consumer ethnocentrism (CET) and antecedents related to wine buying in China. An online survey of 934 consumers across China in a range of 12 tier-1 and tier-2 cities investigates the effects of several independent variables on COO product category evaluation. The findings provide valuable contrasting insights between evaluations of products originating from developed economies (France and Australia) and a transitional economy (China), the home country. We validate a 10-item version of the CETSCALE and apply multiple linear regression (MLR) modelling to test the hypothesised relationships. We further contribute by examining both main and interaction effects of the empirically enhanced model. We conclude that CET, product involvement, product purchase experience and, travel exposure significantly impact COO product evaluations, through actual product purchase experience, while product purchase frequency does not. CET also has a significant mediating effect on product evaluation through both involvement and actual product purchasing experience. Gender has direct effects on CET and product evaluation, as does household income on product evaluation.
Framing Effects on Willingness to Participate in Geolocation-Based Research
Authors: Ochoa Carlos , Revilla Melanie
Published: April 2023

The Internet’s widespread adoption and recent technological developments have provided researchers with the opportunity to capture new data types (e.g., images, passively collected data), which offer several advantages over conventional survey data. Nevertheless, the limited participation rate in projects requiring to share such data may limit their benefits, and even their feasibility. To estimate the willingness to participate in such projects in advance, researchers frequently rely on surveys. However, the way researchers describe what data should be shared and how, and the phrasing of questions asked to participants to obtain their agreement may result in different estimates. This study presents the results of a conjoint experiment that estimates the hypothetical willingness of participants to engage in two research activities that require sharing geolocation data. Three different descriptions of the activities were presented to participants: a neutral one, one emphasizing the necessity to commit to participate, and one emphasizing safe handling of shared data. The three descriptions elicited different levels of willingness, with a maximum effect of 7.0 percentage points (statistically significant). Additionally, the importance given by participants to the attributes of the activities (e.g., project duration or incentives) differed depending on the description. Notably, the description that emphasized data safety produced lower levels of willingness compared to the neutral one. This suggests that researchers should avoid overly emphasizing safety assurances when requesting the sharing of sensitive data, beyond the necessary information required for obtaining informed consent from participants.