bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversity in National Culture and Financial Harvest Exit Strategy in New Technology Ventures
Authors: Elitzur Ramy , Gavious Ilanit , Milo Orit
Published: November 2023

We study the effects of diversity in national culture on new technology ventures’ founding teams on their financial harvest exit strategy. Exits represent a pivotal event in the entrepreneurial process that reflects the strategy and performance of technology startups. Following a quasi-replication of the seminal study of Chaganti and colleagues in 2008, aimed at generalizing their findings to different technologies and periods and assessing their robustness, we demonstrate that diverse founding teams are significantly more likely than non-diverse teams to exit via financial harvest. We add to the literature by identifying a novel contributing factor—diversity in national culture—in founding teams’ financial harvest strategies. The economic implications, both at the micro and macro levels, of the diversity factor are considerable. The contribution of this study thus extends beyond the academic literature.
Death Immortalized: The Phenomenology of Social Media Mourning Among Filipino Millennials
Authors: Dula Virlyn S. , Garay Merian Helena A. , Lumberio Roni Mae E. , Sioson Alaiza Mea S. , Laguilles-Villafuerte Salvacion
Published: November 2023

Grieving and mourning in death evolved from traditional to digital and in varying age-groups, the grieving process is expressed in diverse ways. The existing literature shows little digital mourning, especially in the Filipino culture context. Thus, this phenomenological study aims to describe digitalized mourning through social media platforms to process the grief of millennial participants (24–42 years old), from the Philippines. The narratives were analyzed through thematic analysis via a repertory grid and rendered the H.E.R.O. model of social media mourning ( Helping and Hurting, Enriching and Encroaching, Relieving and Reliving, and Obtaining and Obscuring) that characterizes online mourning demonstrated by Filipino millennials. The findings have important implications for individuals, families, and communities as they navigate the challenges of grief and loss in the digital age. This research contributes to the growing Filipino research on death and dying, specific in age groups, as most beneficial to gerontological psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology.
Vibration suppression of an armature assembly in hydraulic servo valve based on distributed parameters mathematical models
Authors: Lv Xinbei , Chen Baizhong , Zhang Yayun , Li Songjing
Published: November 2023

As a commonly used hydraulic control component, the nozzle-flapper servo valve has the advantages of small structure and sensitive dynamic response. Due to the small size and complex structure of the servo valve, the classical control methods based on various feedback information cannot effectively improve its performance. In order to effectively improve the performance of the servo valve, this paper implemented the feedforward control method to suppress the dynamic performance of the armature assembly of the servo valve. The distributed parameters mathematical models of the armature assembly are established and verified which can accurately predict the vibration of the armature assembly. With the mathematical model, the feedforward control signal is calculated based on the real-time velocity, acceleration, and deflection of the armature assembly, respectively. The applicability of different signals is analyzed and the signals calculated by velocity and deflection are verified which can effectively suppress the vibration amplitude of armature assembly. The numerical simulation and experimental methods are implemented to verify the performance of different control signals and the optimal feedforward control signal under different external loads is obtained.
‘I Never Got Out of that Locker Room’, an Autoethnography on Sexual Abuse in Organized Sports
Authors: Stevens Vidar
Published: November 2023

This autoethnography documents the emergence and persistence of the sexual abuse I experienced by multiple male peer athletes in a youth sports setting. The testimony signals how my presence in the locker room felt like a space invader for the group, resulting in numerous micro-behaviours, group formation processes, and shifting norms, which led to sexual abuse. Based on the notes and writings in my diary, a thick description is produced, to help facilitate an understanding of the culture in which the abuse took place. I offer my story as a pedagogical resource to incorporate in bystander education programs to teach trainers and coaches about the toxic and harmful interactions and dynamics that can emerge in male team sports because of a dominant, masculine, team culture.
Building professional resilience: School music teachers’ instructional practice development under curriculum reform
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhang Le-Xuan
Published: November 2023

This study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the characteristics and development of teachers’ resilience profiles during ongoing school music curriculum reforms in mainland China. During a 12-month voluntary teacher development project, seven mid-career schoolteachers based in Shenzhen City, South China, helped collect longitudinal data on their resilience profiles and instructional practices. Inspired by Mansfield’s resilience model, this study developed a model of the essential dynamics in the resilience development process of individual teachers. The working model mapped the identified factors of teachers’ resilience development into a coordinate system that incorporated two approaches (receptive and autonomous) to resilience building, with two scenarios (mandatory or conditional) in curriculum implementation. The findings suggested that (a) teachers exhibited different resilience properties shaped by both personal and contextual factors, as well as the connection pathways between factors, and (b) teachers used a variety of strategies to build resilience to policy and environmental constraints, including mentoring, peer support, problem-solving, relationship management, and pedagogy innovation. These strategies were mapped onto a functional model for resilience development in curriculum implementation, which further extended the application of Mansfield’s conceptual framework to teacher education programs. Although this study recognized the value of quantitative research instruments in capturing resilience profiles, the ecological validity and reliability concerns of these measurements were also discussed.
Straw craft, imperial education and ethnographic exhibitions as tightly braided sites of gender production in Haiti and Curaçao
Authors: Hammond Charlotte
Published: November 2023

Woven straw work produced in the Caribbean in the early twentieth century represented a small but sustainable percentage of the region's exports. Following the US occupation in Haiti (1915–1934), handicrafts were promoted as economic ‘development’: commodified folklore fashioned for the delight of visiting tourists. Up until 1946 in Curaçao, as a strategy of the Catholic church's civilising mission, young women trained to plait the so-called ‘Panama hat’ at technical schools (Römer, 1977); the products of their labour were often exhibited at international expositions and exported for sale in Europe and the United States. This article argues that missionary education that claimed to modernise, industrialise and revalue local handicraft skills to the benefit of local populations in Haiti and the Dutch Caribbean has instead perpetuated colonial gendered and racialised divisions of labour that prepare and discipline students for factory work in the global textile industries. I use straw artefacts and photographs from the collection of the Dutch National Museum of World Cultures as a starting point to trace the entanglements between imperial education and ethnographic exhibitions as sites of gender production. Drawing on Jean Casimir's concept of contre-plantation (2001), I explore how histories of indigenous craft knowledge during specific periods of resistance in Haiti have nurtured disidentification with a gendered logic of labour exploitation and racial capitalism.
#MournHub and @GrieveWatch: Mediating monarchy and mourning in the digital age
Authors: Clancy Laura
Published: November 2023

Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022 prompted a predictable saturation of representations across all UK media. A lot of ‘traditional’ media, like the BBC, largely assumed, and hence attempted to reproduce, a hegemonic and unified response of national mourning. But some social media representations exposed a struggle over meaning, displaying ambivalence or even outright negativity towards the British monarchy and ‘national’ mourning practices. This article uses #MournHub and @GrieveWatch as two critical case studies to explore the complex meanings of the Queen's death across different communities and spaces. Doing so, this article illuminates the ambivalences of ‘national’ mourning, the intersectionality of class, race and national identity in shaping the tenor of people's responses to the Queen's death, the commercialisation and corporatisation of memorialising death and nationhood, the changing forms of royal mediations, and the careful staging of royal events.
An application to formable transform: Novel numerical approach to study the nonlinear oscillator
Authors: Basit Muhammad Abdul , Tahir Madeeha , Shah Nehad Ali , Tag Sayed M , Imran Muhammad
Published: November 2023

Numerical methods in the area of nonlinear systems are extensively implemented for computing their approximate solutions because these systems are very difficult to tackle analytically. There are various numerical techniques available in the literature to find the solutions of nonlinear oscillators. Variational iteration method (VIM) is one of these approaches which is convenient to implement for these kinds of problems. In this work, our study aims to identify the numerical solution of nonlinear oscillator by making use of variational iteration method associated with Formable transformation. For the smooth utilization of this approach, we have to formulate the Lagrange multiplier through variational theory. Furthermore, we develop a new unified iterative scheme for the correction functional of VIM, considering the Formable transformation. Several new schemes of correction functional can be deduced from the newly proposed method considering the duality relation of Formable transform. In support of our primary finding, we discuss numerical example as application. A number of Physical applications of nonlinear oscillators are available in the field of vibrations and oscillations but in recent times nonlinear oscillators are used to describe complicated systems or to address mechanical, electrical, and other engineering phenomenon.
Intramolecular interactions and the neutral loss of ammonia from collisionally activated, protonated ω-aminoalkyl-3-hydroxyfurazans
Authors: Grossert J. Stuart , Boschi Donatella , Lolli Marco L. , White Robert L.
Published: November 2023

Gas phase fragmentation reactions of monoprotonated 4-(3-aminopropyl)- and 4-(4-aminobutyl)-3-hydroxyfurazan were investigated to examine potential interactions between functional groups. The two heterocyclic alkyl amines were ionized by electrospray ionization (ESI, positive mode) and fragmented using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The fragmentation pathways were characterized using pseudo MS3 experiments, precursor-ion scans, and density functional computations. For both heterocyclic ions, loss of ammonia was the only fragmentation process observed at low collision energies. Computational analysis indicated that the most feasible mechanism was intramolecular nucleophilic displacement of ammonia from the protonated ω-aminoalkyl side chain by N5 of the furazan ring. The alkylated nitrogen in the resulting bicyclic product ion facilitated N-O bond cleavage; subsequent neutral losses of nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) occurred by homolytic bond cleavages. Next in the multistep sequence, neutral loss of ethylene from a radical cation was observed. A less favorable, competing fragmentation pathway of protonated 4-(3-aminopropyl)-3-hydroxyfurazan was consistent with cleavage of the 3-hydroxyfurazan ring and losses of NO and CO. Overall, the similar fragmentation behavior found for protonated 4-(3-aminopropyl)- and 4-(4-aminobutyl)-3-hydroxyfurazan differed from that previously characterized for furazan analogs with shorter alkyl chains. These observations demonstrate that a small change in the structure of multifunctional, heterocyclic alkyl amines may significantly influence interactions between distinct functional groups and the nature of the fragmentation process.
Becoming god: Interpreting Pauline soteriology as deification
Authors: Reardon Michael M. C.
Published: November 2023

In the past five decades, the doctrine of deification has experienced a renaissance within the Protestant West. While biblical scholars have exhibited greater reticence to ascribe explicitly deiform intentions to Scripture than their theologian counterparts, this article traces the recent emergence of interest in interpreting Pauline soteriology as deification. Intriguingly, scholars within this burgeoning line of inquiry of scholarship represent a host of interpretative schools (e.g. apocalyptic, new perspective on Paul) and methodological approaches (exegetical, history-of-religion, reception history, theological interpretation), yet nevertheless affirm broadly similar portrayals of the deiform contours and content of Paul’s doctrine of salvation.
Weaving Layers of Learning: Multiplex Learning Networks in the Workplace
Authors: Yoo Sangok , Turner John , Nimon Kim , Adepoju Bisola
Published: November 2023

The multidimensional characteristic of learning has received little attention in the network literature, resulting in fragmented empirical evidence on learning networks. To address this gap, we introduce a framework that allows a better understanding of the multidimensionality of learning networks by employing the concept of multiplexity in the network literature. Our proposed conceptual framework for multiplex learning networks includes a 3-E typology (exploration, exploitation, and exaptation), which serve as distinct layers within the multiplex networks. We also provide a hypothetical scenario to demonstrate the potential of our multiplex learning networks framework for HRD scholars and practitioners. Moreover, we extend our framework to a multilevel model that connects individual-level learning relationships to team-level relationships. Our framework’s theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and future research directions are suggested.
Hybrid Clampless Anastomosis in Antegrade Aorto-Superior Mesenteric Artery Bypass
Authors: Tanda Elisabetta , Zappadu Sara , De Donno Gabriele , Dettori Salvatora , Ciccarello Sandro , Piredda Franco , Fadda Gian Franco
Published: November 2023

Background

Bypass surgery in severe aorto-iliac calcifications is a complex procedure. Aortic clamping can be highly risky and endovascular approach can be unsuccessful. We report our experience describing three cases of chronic mesenteric ischemia. In all three cases the preoperative computed tomography angiography revealed an ostial occlusion of the celiac trunk and of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), a coral reef abdominal aorta, and severe calcification of the iliac arteries. An antegrade aorto-mesenteric bypass using a hybrid clampless anastomosis on the supraceliac aorta was performed.

Results

The procedures were performed via laparotomy. We carried out the exposure of the anterior supraceliac aorta limited to the zone without major calcifications; then we performed a side-to-end media-adventitial anastomosis between the supraceliac aorta and a Dacron graft 7 mm without any arteriotomy or clamping. The proximal graft and the aortic anastomosis site were punctured using a 18 G needle. An introducer was then positioned over a wire through the prosthetic graft and pushed into the aorta. Balloon expandable covered stenting to open and stabilize the anastomosis site was performed. Finally, the graft was tunneled to the SMA, and an end-to-side anastomosis was performed. The postoperative courses were uneventful, and the patients were promptly discharged. The follow-up, which in the first case is 4 years, showed the complete patency of the graft in each of the cases treated.

Conclusions

The hybrid clampless anastomosis appears to be safe and useful in cases of severe aortic calcification.
Distal biceps tendon injuries treatment: A survey of orthopaedic surgeons’ current practice and preferences
Authors: Prada Carlos , Li Zhi , Sritharan Praveen , Khan Moin , Marcano-Fernández Francesc , Al Mana Latifah , Alolabi Bashar
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Distal biceps tendon (DBT) injuries are relatively uncommon. Controversies exist regarding the best approach, leading to variations in treatment. This study aims to understand the preferences and practices of orthopedic surgeons regarding management of DBT injuries, as well as assess the feasibility of a future pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of various surgical factors on patient outcomes.

Methods

A cross-sectional international survey was conducted amongst surgeons treating patients with DBT injuries. The survey included questions about treatment preferences, surgical techniques, case volumes, and interest in participating in a future RCT.

Results

Responses from 491 orthopedic surgeons from 26 countries/territories were obtained. Most surgeons had limited exposure to DBT ruptures. Variations were observed in the work-up process, with some relying solely on clinical examinations while others used diagnostic imaging. A single incision approach was the most common surgical technique, and tendon fixation with suspensory cortical buttons was frequently preferred. Most surgeons did not explore or repair the bicipital aponeurosis. Interest in participating in a future RCT varied for different surgical controversies.

Conclusion

This survey provides valuable insights into surgeons’ preferences and practices for DBT injury management. The study highlights the need for standardization in the work-up process and the use of evidence-based guidelines. Current practices may be influenced by factors such as training, implant availability, and costs. The survey also identified surgeons and centers interested in collaboration for future multicenter trials, allowing for equitable access to surgical collaboration opportunities and addressing the lack of evidence in DBT rupture treatment.

Level of Evidence

Level V, expert-opinion.
Lessons learned from “the great mimicker disease”: A retrospective study of 18 patients with scurvy
Authors: Miraj Faisal , Karda I Wayan Arya Mahendra , Abdullah Ali , Dionysios Eugene
Published: November 2023

Purpose:

Scurvy is an uncommon medical condition that affects children and is caused by an inadequate intake of vitamin C. This study presents the characteristics of patients with scurvy to raise awareness of the diagnostic process in developing countries where laboratory testing for vitamin C levels is often not available.

Methods:

A retrospective study was performed from period of 2018 to 2023. Data extraction includes patient age, sex, body mass index, constitutional symptoms, musculoskeletal, mucosal, cutaneous symptoms, other accompanying disorders, anemia, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, radiographic examination, vitamin C dose, and duration of treatment. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed in this study.

Results:

Eighteen cases (17 males, 1 female) of scurvy were referred to our institution. Thirteen of 18 patients were misdiagnosed before referral. The median age at presentation was 4.5 (range, 2–11) years. The average body mass index was 13.93 ± 0.63 kg/m2. Half of patients had healthy weight. All patients presented with lower limb pain and 17 of 18 with refusal to walk. The median onset of diagnosis was 11 (range 4–48) weeks. White line of Frankel was described in all patients. Seven had anemia and 6 of 18 had increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or C-reactive protein levels. Only one patient had ascorbic acid levels evaluation before treatment since it was not readily available in our country. Treatment length varied from 2 weeks to 6 months.

Conclusion:

The diagnosis of scurvy is frequently delayed due to its extreme rarity in modern society and its ability to mimic numerous other conditions. In children presenting with limb pain and/or reluctance to walk and pathognomonic radiological findings, physicians must prioritize scurvy as a differential diagnosis. In scurvy, vitamin C supplementation is curative.
Minimal Social Interactions and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Greeting, Thanking, and Conversing
Authors: Ascigil Esra , Gunaydin Gul , Selcuk Emre , Sandstrom Gillian M. , Aydin Erdal
Published: November 2023

Recent studies have highlighted the subjective well-being benefits of minimal social interactions (i.e., interactions with weak ties and strangers). However, the empirical work to date has primarily focused on minimal social interactions that involve conversations and relied on Western samples. In this research, we examined not only conversations but also momentary interactions (i.e., greeting and thanking) in a large, nationally representative, non-WEIRD sample from Turkey ( N = 3,266). We used an instrumental variable approach to provide evidence for the direction of the association between minimal social interactions and life satisfaction. We also investigated the robustness of this approach by replicating one of our key findings in a very large, English-speaking, convenience sample ( N = 60,141). Across the two samples, we found that having conversations with strangers and weak ties, as well as simply greeting and thanking weak ties, predicted greater life satisfaction.
Multiple fusiform and saccular aneurysms in a person living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Authors: Unice Talia , Naidoo Poobalan , Hiralal Pranav , Naidoo Yeshkhir , Pillay Somasundram
Published: November 2023

Cerebral aneurysms secondary to human immunodeficiency virus vasculopathy are a diagnosis by exclusion and its mechanism is unknown. We report on a 21-year-old male with human immunodeficiency virus infection and suboptimal virological control, despite highly active antiretroviral therapy. An incidental discovery of multiple cerebral aneurysms occurred in this patient, who initially presented with signs of disorientation, acute psychosis, and a history of blunt cranial trauma. A non-contrasted computerized tomography scan of the encephalon showed no intracranial hemorrhage but multiple cerebral (saccular and fusiform) aneurysms. Subsequently, a non-urgent computerized tomography angiogram of the cerebral vasculature corroborated the existence of multiple cerebral aneurysms. Despite investigation, no secondary etiological factors for the aneurysmal condition were identified. The multitude of cerebral aneurysms was consequently ascribed to human immunodeficiency virus-associated vasculopathy. The patient was managed conservatively. At discharge, he was lucid and apsychotic. A unique aspect of the case is the presence of both fusiform and saccular cerebral aneurysms.
Pluralising China as Method: Decolonising cultural mediations in the global South
Authors: Li Xiaotian , Tsang Ling Tung , Tse Tommy
Published: November 2023

The changing global landscape of imperialism, colonialism, and globalisation has urged scholars to reflect on and reexamine the lingering Eurocentric epistemology in media and cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, area studies, and other disciplines. The epistemological biases which currently exist in these academic disciplines hinder the development of a bottom-up theorisation and a thorough understanding of social and cultural phenomena. Recently, scholars in and beyond the global South have become more attentive to the inadequacy of a Eurocentric model of theorisation, and the idiosyncrasies of local societies. The rise of China, and its intensified international political, economic, and cultural exchanges with other Asian, middle-Eastern, and African countries, also make it imperative to move beyond a Eurocentric view in understanding the complexity of social and cultural dynamics within China and across the global South. Responding to this double inadequacy of Eurocentrism in terms of knowledge production in and for Asia, we build on the insightful arguments made, but also address their respective conceptual limits, in the “Asia as Method” and “trans-Asia as Method” approaches. While acknowledging Mizoguchi’s (2016) conception of “China as Method” which emphasises the empowerment of sinology, we seek to further rethink and pluralise such an existing epistemological approach to the study of media and culture in China. This double special issue brings together both reflective essays and empirical articles to examine the nuanced cross-border/cross-national cultural interactions and the intersectional dynamics of class, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity and national/local identities. It aims to rebuild the subjectivity and redefine the agency of Asia in the post-colonial and post-imperialist world order, using what we term as a “decolonial cultural perspective”, to understand the idiosyncrasies of local societies within a seemingly homogeneous Asian country. We propose China as Method as a useful approach for all humanities and social sciences researchers to critically rethink Eurocentrism and to avoid an essentialist form of Sinocentrism in the Asian context.
‘Scars: How Our Wounds Make Us Who We Are’: Improving appearance-based stigma, conceptualisation of beauty and body esteem through a documentary
Authors: Mathews Abigail , Costa Bruna , Mikkola Aida , Harcourt Diana
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Those with an altered appearance as a result of injury, health condition or treatment can face stigma, which may contribute to adverse psychosocial outcomes. However, current research tends to focus on supporting individuals themselves to cope, rather than targeting societal stigma. This study aimed to reduce societal stigma towards this group, through the use of a documentary about people with scars.

Methods

146 adults completed questionnaires before and after viewing the documentary.

Results

After viewing, participants had reduced self-reported intentions to behave in a stigmatising way towards those with visible differences, broader conceptualisation of beauty, and more positive body-esteem. Qualitative data also suggested further positive impacts.

Conclusion

Those with visible differences (for example scars) are subject to societal stigmatisation which perpetuates psychological and social problems. Therefore, alleviating social stigma through the media, as demonstrated through the documentary in this study, may improve the lives of those living with visible differences.

Lay Summary

People with an altered appearance or scars as a result of injury, health condition or treatment can face stigma, which may contribute to harmful psychological and social outcomes. However, current research tends to focus on supporting affected individuals themselves to cope, rather than targeting societal stigma. This study aimed to find out whether a documentary about people with scars was successful at reducing viewers’ stigma towards this group. A group of 146 adults completed questionnaires before and after viewing the documentary. After viewing, questionnaires indicated that participants had reduced intentions to behave in a stigmatising way towards those with visible differences. Furthermore, they also viewed a broader range of appearances as beautiful and felt more positive about their own bodies. Comments and feedback from participants also suggested further positive impacts. Those with visible differences (for example scars) are subject to societal stigmatisation which can cause and worsen mental health problems. Therefore, alleviating social stigma through the media, as demonstrated through the documentary in this study, may improve the lives of those living with visible differences.
Factors Influencing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Asian Immigrant College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Han ShinHi , Kang Hee Sun , Eum Koun , Seo Jin Young , Karsten Kathleen
Published: November 2023

Despite strenuous efforts to increase vaccination rates against human papillomavirus (HPV), the rate of vaccination remains low in the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic poses an additional challenge to HPV vaccination. This study aimed to explore the factors that contribute to HPV vaccination among Asian immigrant college students, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), with HPV vaccine literacy and HPV vaccine hesitancy as additional constructs. This cross-sectional survey used convenience sampling, with133 Asian immigrant college students from New York City as study participants. Data were collected online using self-reported measures of the following study variables: HPV vaccine literacy, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, vaccine hesitancy, vaccination intention, and HPV vaccination. The data were analyzed using path analysis. Vaccine literacy and vaccination intention directly affected HPV vaccination. Vaccine subjective norms and literacy directly affected vaccination intention. Moreover, vaccine attitudes and self-efficacy directly and negatively affected vaccine hesitancy. These results indicate the importance of developing a multifaceted intervention that considers vaccine literacy and subjective norms to promote HPV vaccination of Asian immigrant college students. Interventions to decrease vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic should focus on improving positive attitudes and self-efficacy toward HPV vaccination.
Mind, Body, and Pandemic: Understanding the Complex Relationships Between Subjective Well-Being, Physical Activity, and Perceived Multi-Dimensional COVID-19 Impact
Authors: Tsouloupas Costas N. , Kokkinos Constantinos M.
Published: November 2023

In response to the need for further research on factors influencing university students’ well-being during challenging circumstances, this study tests a potential mechanism to unravel the complex relationships between perceived impacts of COVID-19 on psychological health, academic performance, and financial status, subjective well-being, and physical activity. The main objective was to investigate these intricate associations among university students. A nationwide online survey involving 848 Greek-speaking university students (70.8% females, average age = 27.65) was conducted. The results revealed both direct effects of subjective well-being on participants’ perceptions of COVID-19 impact on their financial status and psychological health, as well as indirect effects mediated by physical activity. The study also examined gender and age effects. These findings emphasize the importance of empirically examining the outcomes linked to subjective well-being and provide supporting evidence that higher levels of subjective well-being can lead to positive consequences. By shedding light on the interplay between subjective well-being, perceived pandemic impact, and physical activity, this study enriches our understanding of how university students cope with adverse circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mass Casualty Incident Commander Decision-Making Models: Novice vs. Expert Decision Making
Authors: Perry Omer , Goldberg Avishay , Jaffe Eli , Bitan Yuval
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Managing a mass-casualty incident (MCI) challenges commanders in the pre-hospital phase. Exploring the differences between the decision-making processes of novice and expert commanders can reveal how to improve training. This study aims to compare the decision-making processes between paramedic students and veteran paramedics. Methods: Data from eight MCI field simulations of paramedic students with no experience, and one simulation of a veteran paramedic were collected. Results: In the first phase of the simulation, both the students and the veteran paramedic followed the MCI protocol. From the second phase, the paramedic students mostly responded to received cues, while the veteran paramedic initiated actions without preliminary cues. Discussion: The veteran paramedic initiates actions and utilizes "considered" decision-making process earlier than the students, that frequently acted in response to cues. Although these results are based on a small sample, this study indicates a difference between novice and expert commanders’ decision-making processes.
Hangman’s Fracture in Geriatric Population: A Nationwide Multicenter Study in Japan
Authors: Yunde Atsushi , Furuya Takeo , Orita Sumihisa , Ohtori Seiji , Yokogawa Noriaki , Nakashima Hiroaki , Segi Naoki , Funayama Toru , Ikegami Shota , Nakajima Hideaki , Watanabe Kota , Hasegawa Tomohiko , Tonomura Hitoshi , Terashima Yoshinori , Hashimoto Ko , Suzuki Nobuyuki , Uei Hiroshi , Kiyasu Katsuhito , Tominaga Hiroyuki , Sakai Daisuke , Kaito Takashi , Inoue Gen , Okada Seiji , Imagama Shiro , Kato Satoshi
Published: November 2023

Study Design

Retrospective multicenter study.

Objectives

To investigate the treatments of the geriatric population with hangman’s fractures using a multicenter database under the Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition (JASA).

Methods

The multicenter database included data from 1512 patients. We employed the Levine and Edwards classification for categorizing hangman’s fractures. The study incorporated epidemiological data, including the prevalence of hangman’s fractures, patient age, and follow-up duration. Bony fusion rates and length of hospitalization were recorded for Type I and Type II fractures, and the degree of neurological impairment was assessed.

Results

Hangman’s fractures represented 62 cases, accounting for 7.4% of all cervical spine injuries. The patients had an average age of 76.6 ± 6.5 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 21.5 ± 23.6 months. The study found that the bony fusion rate for hangman’s fractures in the geriatric population was 88.9%. Surgical treatment was associated with a shorter hospitalization period for Type II fractures compared to conservative treatment. Thirteen cases of hangman’s fractures in the geriatric population, accounting for 21%, were complicated by spinal cord injury.

Conclusions

This is the largest study to date on hangman’s fractures in geriatric population ≥65 years. Type I and Type II fractures, according to the Levine and Edwards classification, had a bony fusion rate of up to 90%. In patients with Type II fractures, surgical treatment led to a shorter initial hospital stay. Geriatric patients are at risk of spinal cord injury due to hangman’s fractures.
Oxygen gradient ektacytometry–derived biomarkers are associated with acute complications in sickle cell disease
Authors: Rab Minke A. E. , Kanne Celeste K. , Boisson Camille , Bos Jennifer , van Oirschot Brigitte A. , Houwing Maite E. , Renoux Céline , Bartels Marije , Rijneveld Anita W. , Nur Erfan , Cnossen Marjon H. , Joly Philippe , Nader Elie , Fort Romain , Connes Philippe , van Wijk Richard , Sheehan Vivien A. , van Beers Eduard J.
Published: November 2023

We investigated the potential of the point of sickling (PoS; the pO2 tension at which red cells start to sickle), determined by oxygen gradient ektacytometry to serve as a biomarker associated with the incidence of acute sickle cell disease–related complications in 177 children and 50 adults. In the pediatric cohort, for every 10 mmHg increase in PoS reflecting a greater likelihood of sickling, the likelihood of an individual experiencing >1 type of acute complication increased; the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 1.65. For every 0.1 increase in minimum elongation index (EImin; reflecting improved red blood cell deformability at hypoxia), the aOR was 0.50. In the adult cohort, for every 10 mmHg increase in PoS, we found an aOR of 3.00, although this was not significant after correcting for multiple testing. There was a trend for an association between higher PoS and greater likelihood of vaso-occlusive episodes (VOEs; children aOR, 1.35; adults aOR, 2.22). In children, only EImin was associated with VOEs (aOR, 0.68). When data of both cohorts were pooled, significant associations with PoS and/or EImin were found for all acute complications, independently and when >1 type of acute complication was assessed. These findings indicate that oxygen gradient ektacytometry generates novel biomarkers and provides a rationale for further development of these biomarkers in the assessment of clinical severity, evaluation of novel therapies, and as surrogate clinical trial end points. These biomarkers may be useful in assessing efficacy of novel therapies like pyruvate kinase activators, voxelotor, and L-glutamine.
Optimizations of exopolysaccharide production by Fusarium nygamai strain AJTYC1 and its potential applications as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and emulsifier
Authors: El-Mahdy Omima M. , Mohamed Heba I. , El-Ansary Abeer E.
Published: November 2023

Background

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by microbes are recognized as biomacromolecules of great significance. EPSs from fungi are widely used in a variety of biotechnological fields, including medicine, bioremediation, and agriculture.

Results

In this study, ten fungal isolates were isolated from Kafir El-Dair, Qalubia Governorate, Egypt. Isolate 5 produced more exopolysaccharides than the other examined fungi. According to microscopic morphological traits and genetic confirmation by the 18S rRNA gene, isolate 5 was identified as Fusarium nygamai strain AJTYC1. The present study showed that Czapek’s broth media, which contains 6 g/100 ml of sucrose, 10 g/100 ml of peptone, pH 6, and 1.8 × 105 CFU/ml of inoculum size and is incubated at 30 °C for 9 days, was suitable for the production of EPSs from Fusarium nygamai strain AJTYC1 by using static conditions. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) was employed in the characterization of EPSs, which exhibited the presence of carboxyl groups, hydroxyl groups, carbonyl groups, and glycosidic bonds. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detected that EPSs consist of sucrose and glucose. The scavenging activity indicates that EPSs have good antioxidant activity. The partially purified exopolysaccharides produced from F. nygamai strain AJTYC1 exhibited excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against gram positive, gram negative and fungal strains. The EPSs at a dose of 1000 µg/ml exhibited anticancer activity against colorectal colon cancer (HCT116), breast cancer (MCF7), and hepatocellular cancer cell lines. Moreover, EPSs is an effective emulsifier of a variety of vegetable oils, and the emulsion it produces is generally stable for up to 168 h.

Conclusions

The production of EPSs from F. nygamai strain AJTYC1 can be used as antioxidants, antimicrobials, anticancer, and emulsifiers.
Culture-dependent screening of endospore-forming clostridia in infant feces
Authors: Ingribelli Eugenio , Modrackova Nikol , Tejnecky Vaclav , Killer Jiri , Schwab Clarissa , Neuzil-Bunesova Vera
Published: November 2023

Background

Only a few studies dealt with the occurrence of endospore-forming clostridia in the microbiota of infants without obvious health complications.

Methods

A methodology pipeline was developed to determine the occurrence of endospore formers in infant feces. Twenty-four fecal samples (FS) were collected from one infant in monthly intervals and were subjected to variable chemical and heat treatment in combination with culture-dependent analysis. Isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and characterized with biochemical assays.

Results

More than 800 isolates were obtained, and a total of 21 Eubacteriales taxa belonging to the Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Oscillospiraceae, and Peptostreptococcaceae families were detected. Clostridium perfringens, C. paraputrificum, C. tertium, C. symbiosum, C. butyricum, and C. ramosum were the most frequently identified species compared to the rarely detected Enterocloster bolteae, C. baratii, and C. jeddahense. Furthermore, the methodology enabled the subsequent cultivation of less frequently detectable gut taxa such as Flavonifractor plautii, Intestinibacter bartlettii, Eisenbergiella tayi, and Eubacterium tenue. The isolates showed phenotypic variability regarding enzymatic activity, fermentation profiles, and butyrate production.

Conclusions

Taken together, this approach suggests and challenges a cultivation-based pipeline that allows the investigation of the population of endospore formers in complex ecosystems such as the human gastrointestinal tract.
Environmental sustainability from anesthesia providers’ perspective: a qualitative study
Authors: Gasciauskaite Greta , Lunkiewicz Justyna , Spahn Donat R. , Von Deschwanden Corinna , Nöthiger Christoph B. , Tscholl David W.
Published: November 2023

Background

The world faces a significant global health threat – climate change, which makes creating more environmentally sustainable healthcare systems necessary. As a resource-intensive specialty, anesthesiology contributes to a substantial fraction of healthcare’s environmental impact. This alarming situation invites us to reconsider the ecological health determinants and calls us to action.

Methods

We conducted a single-center qualitative study involving an online survey to explore the environmental sustainability from anesthesia providers’ perspectives in a center implementing internal environmentally-sustainable anesthesia guidelines. We asked care providers how they perceive the importance of environmental issues in their work; the adverse effects they see on ecological sustainability in anesthesia practice; what measures they take to make anesthesia more environmentally friendly; what barriers they face in trying to do so; and why they are unable to adopt ecologically friendly practices in some instances. Using a thematic analysis approach, we identified dominating themes in participants’ responses.

Results

A total of 62 anesthesia providers completed the online survey. 89% of the participants stated that environmental sustainability is essential in their work, and 95% reported that they implement measures to make their practice greener. A conscious choice of anesthetics was identified as the most common step the respondents take to reduce the environmental impact of anesthesia. Waste production and improper waste management was the most frequently mentioned anesthesia-associated threat to the environment. Lacking knowledge/teaching in sustainability themes was recognized as a crucial barrier to achieving ecology goals.

Conclusions

Sustainable anesthesia initiatives have the potential to both encourage engagement among anesthesia providers and raise awareness of this global issue. These findings inspire opportunities for action in sustainable anesthesia and broaden the capacity to decrease the climate impact of health care.
Estimating the number of probable new SARS-CoV-2 infections among tested subjects from the number of confirmed cases
Authors: Diarra YM , Wimba PM , Katchunga PB , Bengehya J , Miganda B , Oyimangirwe M , Tshilolo L , Ahuka SM , Iwaz J , Étard JF , Écochard R , Vanhems P , Rabilloud M
Published: November 2023

Objectives

In most African countries, confirmed COVID-19 case counts underestimate the number of new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases. We propose a multiplying factor to approximate the number of biologically probable new infections from the number of confirmed cases.

Methods

Each of the first thousand suspect (or alert) cases recorded in South Kivu (DRC) between 29 March and 29 November 2020 underwent a RT-PCR test and an IgM and IgG serology. A latent class model and a Bayesian inference method were used to estimate (i) the incidence proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infection using RT-PCR and IgM test results, (ii) the prevalence using RT-PCR, IgM and IgG test results; and, (iii) the multiplying factor (ratio of the incidence proportion on the proportion of confirmed –RT-PCR+– cases).

Results

Among 933 alert cases with complete data, 218 (23%) were RT-PCR+; 434 (47%) IgM+; 464 (~ 50%) RT-PCR+, IgM+, or both; and 647 (69%) either IgG + or IgM+. The incidence proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infection was estimated at 58% (95% credibility interval: 51.8–64), its prevalence at 72.83% (65.68–77.89), and the multiplying factor at 2.42 (1.95–3.01).

Conclusions

In monitoring the pandemic dynamics, the number of biologically probable cases is also useful. The multiplying factor helps approximating it.
Sustainability of integrated hypertension and diabetes with HIV care for people living with HIV at primary health care in South Ethiopia: implication for integration
Authors: Badacho Abebe Sorsa , Mahomed Ozayr Haroon
Published: November 2023

Background

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) have an increased risk of developing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) compared with people without HIV. The multimorbidity of NCDs and HIV increases the need for integrated care. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the implementation of integrated sustained hypertension and diabetes with HIV care to address the multiple chronic care needs of PLWH in Ethiopia.

Objective

This study aimed to determine the sustainability of integrated hypertension and diabetes within HIV care for PLWH in primary healthcare (PHC) in southern Ethiopia.

Methods

The National Health Service Institute for Innovation and Improvement Sustainability Model (NHS- SM) self-assessment tool was used to assess sustainability. HIV care and NCD team members from five PHC facilities in South Ethiopia were included. Participants completed the self-administered NHS-SM assessment tool independently.

Result

The overall mean sustainability was 43.74 (95% CI: 42.15–45.33). All facilities had an overall sustainability score of less than 55. The perceived benefit beyond helping the patient, the likelihood of adaptability, and perceived alignment with the organizational goal were identified as potential factors promoting sustainability. The perceived lack of an effective system to monitor progress, staff behavior, inadequate staff involvement and training, inadequate senior leadership support and clinical leadership engagement, and infrastructure limitations could negatively affect sustainability.

Conclusions

Integrating hypertension and diabetes with HIV care sustainably at PHC requires staff involvement and training, staff behavior change communication, ensuring PHC management and clinical leadership (doctors and senior clinicians) engagement, and addressing infrastructure limitations.