bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Celiac Disease in Patients with IgA Nephropathy over Time
Authors: Nurmi Rakel , Pohjonen Jussi , Metso Martti , Pörsti Ilkka , Niemelä Onni , Huhtala Heini , Mustonen Jukka , Kaukinen Katri , Mäkelä Satu
Published: December 2020

Introduction: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) has been connected with increased intestinal permeability and subclinical intestinal mucosal inflammation as well as with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease – nevertheless, the results are controversial. The prevalence of bowel diseases has increased over time in Western populations. Whether similar trend is seen among IgAN patients remains obscure. Our aim was to study the prevalence of IBD and celiac disease in IgAN patients over time. Methods: The study cohort consisted of altogether 629 patients with newly diagnosed IgAN during years 1976–2012. Data on diagnosis of IBD and celiac disease were retrospectively collected from medical records. Further, to detect unrecognized celiac disease, IgA-class tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA) were measured from serum samples taken at the time of kidney biopsy during years 1980–2012 (defined as screen-detected celiac disease autoimmunity). Results: The prevalence of IBD among IgAN patients increased over time from 0 to 4.4%, while the prevalence of clinically diagnosed celiac disease decreased from 2.6 to 0.6%. Moreover, the number of screen-detected tTGA-positive cases decreased from the 1980s to the 21st century (2.8–0.7%). Conclusion: The prevalence of IBD increased over time in IgAN patients, which exceeds the prevalence of 0.6% in Finnish general population. In parallel, the prevalence of celiac disease and screen-detected celiac disease autoimmunity decreased over time. The coexistence of IBD and IgAN is not negligible. Whether this finding is caused by the increase in the prevalence of IBD in the population or shared pathophysiology between IgAN and IBD remains a matter of further studies.
Association between Prolonged Intermittent Renal Replacement Therapy and All-Cause Mortality in COVID-19 Patients Undergoing Invasive Mechanical Ventilation: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yang Yi , Shi Jia , Ge Shuwang , Guo Shuiming , Xing Xue , Wang Yanan , Cheng Anying , Liu Qingquan , Li Junhua , Ning Yong , He Fan , Xu Gang
Published: December 2020

Background: The mortality rate of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was high. We aimed to assess the association between prolonged intermittent renal replacement therapy (PIRRT) and mortality in patients with COVID-19 undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all COVID-19 patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation between February 12 and March 2, 2020. All patients were followed until death or March 28, and all survivors were followed for at least 30 days. Results: For 36 hospitalized COVID-19 patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, the mean age was 69.4 (±10.8) years, and 30 patients (83.3%) were men. Twenty-two (61.1%) patients received PIRRT (PIRRT group), and 14 cases (38.9%) were managed with conventional strategy (non-PIRRT group). There were no differences in age, sex, comorbidities, complications, treatments, and most of the laboratory findings. During the median follow-up period of 9.5 (interquartile range 4.3–33.5) days, 13 of 22 (59.1%) patients in the PIRRT group and 11 of 14 (78.6%) patients in the non-PIRRT group died. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated prolonged survival in patients in the PIRRT group compared with that in the non-PIRRT group (p = 0.042). The association between PIRRT and a reduced risk of mortality remained significant in 3 different models, with adjusted hazard ratios varying from 0.332 to 0.398. Increased IL-2 receptor, TNF-α, procalcitonin, prothrombin time, and NT-proBNP levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with PIRRT. Conclusion: PIRRT may be beneficial for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with invasive mechanical ventilation. Further prospective multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are required.
Novos registros arqueobotânicos sobre o uso de frutos na dieta alimentar sambaquiana
Authors: Melo Júnior João Carlos Ferreira de , Oliveira Gustavo Borba de
Published: December 2020

Inúmeros são os relatos da presença de “coquinhos” carbonizados, mas com imprecisões no reconhecimento das espécies associadas, resultando em lacuna sobre a dieta alimentar dos sambaquianos. Este estudo identificou taxonomicamente os macrovestígios do tipo fruto carbonizado de forma a ampliar os conhecimentos sobre a dieta alimentar sambaquiana. O material arqueológico analisado é proveniente do sítio Cubatão I localizado no município de Joinville, SC e pertence ao acervo do Museu de Sambaqui de Joinville. A identificação das espécies vegetais seguiu a análise morfo-tipológica e posterior comparação em coleção de referência. Amostras de frutos maduros de palmeiras foram coletadas para a determinação do seu teor nutricional. Foram analisados 905 macrovestígios vegetais tipificados como frutos carbonizados, com maior prevalência na camada estratigráfica de 2,03-2,08m de profundidade. Foram identificadas três espécies de frutos/sementes pertencentes a duas famílias botânicas: palmito juçara - Euterpe edulis, jerivá - Syagrus romanzoffiana (Arecaceae) e guaraparim - Vantanea compacta (Humiriaceae). As identificações realizadas ampliam o espectro de recursos florestais utilizados pelos sambaquianos no litoral de SC, seu conhecimento sobre as espécies vegetais e entendimento sobre a dieta alimentar de populações pretéritas.
Nonredundant Roles of Platelet Glycoprotein VI and Integrin αIIbβ3 in Fibrin-Mediated Microthrombus Formation
Authors: Perrella Gina , Huang Jingnan , Provenzale Isabella , Swieringa Frauke , Heubel-Moenen Floor C.J.I. , Farndale Richard W. , Roest Mark , van der Meijden Paola E.J. , Thomas Mark , Ariëns Robert A.S. , Jandrot-Perrus Martine , Watson Steve P. , Heemskerk Johan W.M.
Published: December 2020

Objective:

Fibrin is considered to strengthen thrombus formation via integrin αIIbβ3, but recent findings indicate that fibrin can also act as ligand for platelet glycoprotein VI.

Approach and Results:

To investigate the thrombus-forming potential of fibrin and the roles of platelet receptors herein, we generated a range of immobilized fibrin surfaces, some of which were cross-linked with factor XIIIa and contained VWF-BP (von Willebrand factor-binding peptide). Multicolor microfluidics assays with whole-blood flowed at high shear rate (1000 s
−1
) indicated that the fibrin surfaces, regardless of the presence of factor XIIIa or VWF-BP, supported platelet adhesion and activation (P-selectin expression), but only microthrombi were formed consisting of bilayers of platelets. Fibrinogen surfaces produced similar microthrombi. Markedly, tiggering of coagulation with tissue factor or blocking of thrombin no more than moderately affected the fibrin-induced microthrombus formation. Absence of αIIbβ3 in Glanzmann thrombasthenia annulled platelet adhesion. Blocking of glycoprotein VI with Fab 9O12 substantially, but incompletely reduced platelet secretion, Ca
2+
signaling and aggregation, while inhibition of Syk further reduced these responses. In platelet suspension, glycoprotein VI blockage or Syk inhibition prevented fibrin-induced platelet aggregation. Microthrombi on fibrin surfaces triggered only minimal thrombin generation, in spite of thrombin binding to the fibrin fibers.

Conclusions:

Together, these results indicate that fibrin fibers, regardless of their way of formation, act as a consolidating surface in microthrombus formation via nonredundant roles of platelet glycoprotein VI and integrin αIIbβ3 through signaling via Syk and low-level Ca
2+
rises.
18
F-Sodium Fluoride Positron Emission Tomography Activity Predicts the Development of New Coronary Artery Calcifications
Authors: Bellinge Jamie W. , Francis Roslyn J. , Lee Sing Ching , Phillips Michael , Rajwani Adil , Lewis Joshua R. , Watts Gerald F. , Schultz Carl J.
Published: December 2020

Objective:

The coronary calcium score (CCS) predicts cardiovascular disease risk in individuals with diabetes, and rate of progression of CCS is an additional and incremental marker of risk.
18
F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography (
18
F-NaF PET) detects early and active calcifications within the vasculature. We aimed to ascertain the relationship between
18
F-NaF PET activity and CCS progression in patients with diabetes.

Approach and Results:

We identified individuals between 50 and 80 years with diabetes and no history of clinical coronary artery disease. Those with a CCS ≥10 were invited to undergo
18
F-NaF PET scanning and then repeat CCS >2 years later.
18
F-NaF PET and CCS analysis were performed on a per-coronary and a per-patient level. We compared the proportion of CCS progressors in
18
F-NaF PET–positive versus
18
F-NaF PET–negative coronary arteries. Forty-one participants with 163 coronary arteries underwent follow-up CCS 2.8±0.5 years later.
18
F-NaF PET–positive coronary arteries (n=52) were more likely to be CCS progressors, compared with negative coronary arteries (n=111; 86.5% versus 52.3%,
P
<0.001). Adjusting for baseline CCS,
18
F-NaF PET–positive disease was an independent predictor of subsequent CCS progression (odds ratio, 2.92 [95% CI, 1.32–6.45],
P
=0.008). All subjects (100%, 15/15) with ≥2
18
F-NaF–positive coronary arteries progressed in CCS.

Conclusions:

In subjects with diabetes,
18
F-NaF PET positivity at baseline, independently predicted the progression of calcifications within the coronary arteries 2.8 years later. These findings suggest
18
F-NaF PET may be a promising technique for earlier identification of patients at higher risk of cardiovascular events.
Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Arepally Gowthami M. , Padmanabhan Anand
Published: December 2020

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is an immune-mediated disorder caused by antibodies that recognize complexes of platelet factor 4 and heparin. Thrombosis is a central and unpredictable feature of this syndrome. Despite optimal management, disease morbidity and mortality from thrombosis remain high. The hypercoagulable state in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is biologically distinct from other thrombophilic disorders in that clinical complications are directly attributable to circulating ultra-large immune complexes. In some individuals, ultra-large immune complexes elicit unchecked cellular procoagulant responses that culminate in thrombosis. To date, the clinical and biologic risk factors associated with thrombotic risk in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia remain elusive. This review will summarize our current understanding of thrombosis in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with attention to its clinical features, cellular mechanisms, and its management.
Religious Agency and Time Regimes in the Roman Empire: The Cult of Anubis as a Case Study
Authors: Gasparini Valentino
Published: December 2020

This article analyzes three different case studies related to the Graeco-Roman cult of Anubis, located in different historical periods (Early, Middle, and Late Roman Empire) and approached by the study of different types of material (namely literary, epigraphic/archaeological, and iconographic sources). The goal of this study is to explore the social dimension of religious practice, stressing its variety, creativity, multiplicity, fluidity, and flexibility of identities, changes in forms of individuality, and spaces for individual distinction. By means of a detailed inquiry of Mustafa Emirbayer and Ann Mische’s schema of “disaggregation” of agency into three component elements (iteration, projectivity, and presentification), this analysis will stress the historical variability of religious agency and will show how, across time, emerging situations forced religious actors to select among alternative possibilities of action by recovering patterns belonging to past routines and creating new future options that responded to present hopes and fears. The results of this investigation will then be conceptualized according to the methodological framework of the Lived Ancient Religion paradigm.
A note on Nuba Mountain verb extensions
Authors: Hyman Larry M.
Published: December 2020

Based on the available literature and personal communications with specialists, this paper surveys the rich occurrence of verb extensions in the Nuba mountain languages which mark different grammatical functions such as causative, dative and locative applicatives, comparative, passive, antipassive, reciprocal/reflexive, and associative/instrumental, as well as ventive, itive, habitual, iterative and pluractional marking. Given the diversity of forms among the different groups in the area, a set of guidelines is considered to determine whether specific extensions can be reconstructed or are recent innovations. An extensive table is provided which provides the forms of the reported extensions and compares them with those reconstructed in specific subbranches of Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, Afro-Asiatic, and in Khoe.
Mencius, Xunzi, and the Third Stage of Confucianism
Authors: Tu Weiming
Published: December 2020

According to Karl Jaspers’s theory of the Axial age, many important cultures in the world experienced a “transcendental breakthrough” between 800 and 200 BCE; no more transformations occurred until Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, which eventually ushered in the modern era. The implication of this theory is that only the West had a second cultural breakthrough, thus rendering moot the discussion of a third Confucian epoch. But, in reality, Confucianism had a second breakthrough during the Song—Ming period (tenth to seventeenth centuries) and spread from China to East Asia; this new form of Confucianism is called “neo-Confucianism” by Western scholars. The third Confucian epoch is a forward-looking concept that uses the lexicon of Western science and democracy to trace Confucianism’s philosophical transformation from a Chinese tradition into a part of world culture, and the integration of Mencian and Xunzian thought has to be treated in this light. Faced with Western cultural challenges, modern Confucianism has broken new ground in many ways. Mou Zongsan 牟宗三 is Mencian (as represented by Lu Xiangshan 陸象山, Wang Yangming 王陽明, and Liu Jishan 劉蕺山) in spirit and Xunzian (as represented by Zhu Xi 朱熹) in practice. Li Zehou 李澤厚, by contrast, exhorts us to talk the Mencian talk but walk the Xunzian walk; this contradictory stratagem, which he thinks will lead to a brighter and healthier future, only accentuates the power of Mencius 孟子 as a philosopher of the mind. Mencius and Xunzi 荀子 are very important in a modern deconstruction of Confucianism and the integration of their thought may very well become the impetus for another transcendental breakthrough. Is integration possible? How should they be integrated? We await the results of Confucian scholars’ open-minded explorations.
Pertya ferruginea (Asteraceae: Pertyeae), a new species from southeastern China, with a revision of P. cordifolia and P. pubescens

Authors: ZHANG CAI-FEI , LIU SHENG-LONG , LI LIANG-QIAN
Published: December 2020

Pertya ferruginea Cai F. Zhang, a new species of the genus Pertya (Asteraceae: Pertyeae) from southeastern China, is described and illustrated with a revision of P. cordifolia and P. pubescens. Specimens of the new species had been usually mis-identified as the latter two species because of unclear boundaries among most known species of the genus in southeastern China. Based on extensive field collections and much more herbarium specimens examined than previous studies, P. cordifolia and P. pubescens are revised with much narrower circumscriptions. Although very similar to P. pubescens, the new species differs in the indumentum, length of involucre, number of series of involucral bracts and corolla size. Conservation status of the new species and previous misidentifications relevant to the three species are briefly discussed.
Review of the Cyana rejecta (Walker, 1854) species-group, with descriptions of three new species from mainland Africa and a new subspecies from Madagascar (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini)
Authors: VOLYNKIN ANTON V. , LÁSZLÓ GYULA M.
Published: December 2020

The present paper provides an overview of the Cyana rejecta (Walker, 1854) species-group. Three new species (C. yao sp. n., C. occidentalis sp. n. and C. cornutissima sp. n.) and a new subspecies (C. rejecta viettei ssp. n.) are described. Adults, male and female genitalia of all taxa of the species-group are illustrated.
Citizens’ Perceptions of Over- and Under-Policing: A Look at Race, Ethnicity, and Community Characteristics
Authors: Boehme Hunter M. , Cann Deanna , Isom Deena A.
Published: December 2020

While there is substantial research on community-police relations, most studies examine the abstract outcome of “negative perceptions of police.” This study, however, examines over- and under-policing as two distinct, yet not mutually exclusive, constructs, suggesting that there is more to strained police-community relations than citizens perceiving the police “negatively.” Using the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods Community Survey, we assess the relationship between race and ethnicity and perceptions of over- and under-policing and explore how these associations are conditioned by neighborhood characteristics. Results reveal racialized perceptions of over- and underpolicing. Furthermore, while levels of both under- and over-policing vary across neighborhoods, the relationship between these outcomes and individual-level race/ethnicity was robust. Implications for policy and research are discussed.
Leans Illusion in Hexapod Simulator Facilitates Erroneous Responses to Artificial Horizon in Airline Pilots
Authors: van den Hoed Annemarie , Landman Annemarie , Van Baelen Dirk , Stroosma Olaf , van Paassen M. M. (René) , Groen Eric L. , Mulder Max
Published: December 2020

Objective

We tested whether a procedure in a hexapod simulator can cause incorrect assumptions of the bank angle (i.e., the “leans”) in airline pilots as well as incorrect interpretations of the attitude indicator (AI).

Background

The effect of the leans on interpretation errors has previously been demonstrated in nonpilots. In-flight, incorrect assumptions can arise due to misleading roll cues (spatial disorientation).

Method

Pilots ( n = 18) performed 36 runs, in which they were asked to roll to wings level using only the AI. They received roll cues before the AI was shown, which matched with the AI bank angle direction in most runs, but which were toward the opposite direction in a leans-opposite condition (four runs). In a baseline condition (four runs), they received no roll cues. To test whether pilots responded to the AI, the AI sometimes showed wings level following roll cues in a leans-level condition (four runs).

Results

Overall, pilots made significantly more errors in the leans-opposite (19.4%) compared to the baseline (6.9%) or leans-level condition (0.0%). There was a pronounced learning effect in the leans-opposite condition, as 38.9% of pilots made an error in the first exposure to this condition. Experience (i.e., flight hours) had no significant effects.

Conclusion

The leans procedure was effective in inducing AI misinterpretations and control input errors in pilots.

Application

The procedure can be used in spatial disorientation demonstrations. The results underline the importance of unambiguous displays that should be able to quickly correct incorrect assumptions due to spatial disorientation.
Investigating the Impact of Exchange Rate Volatility, Inflation and Economic Output on International Trade of India
Authors: Arora Aastha , Rakhyani Sarika
Published: December 2020

Four models have been constructed separately for exports of goods, imports of goods, exports of services and imports of services to explore the impact of exchange rate volatility, inflation and economic output on India’s foreign trade. AutoRegressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds test run on monthly data over the period of 2011–2020 reports that in the long run, growth in production positively impacts the trade in goods and services. Rise in level of prices negatively impacts the exports of goods. In the short run, a rise in volatility brings a decline in the imports of goods but in the long run, it has a positive impact on the exports of goods. Volatile exchange rate has no impact on trade in services. An increase in inflation in the short run leads to a rise in the imports of goods but brings a decline in the trade of services.
Effects of Tonic Drone Accompaniments on the Intonation of Collegiate Wind Instrumentalists
Authors: Springer D. Gregory , Silvey Brian A. , Nápoles Jessica , Warnet Victoria
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of tonic drone accompaniments on the intonation of collegiate wind instrumentalists. Participants ( N = 68) played an excerpt of the melody “Long, Long Ago” in three conditions: a mono drone (tonic note only), dyad drone (tonic plus fifth), and a control condition (no drone). Results indicated no significant effects on intonation performance due to drone condition. However, participants’ ratings of their own intonation accuracy differed significantly based on drone condition. The majority of the performances of the melody aligned more closely with equal temperament ( n = 159), and fewer aligned more closely with just intonation ( n = 45). Most participants believed the dyad drone (59.74%) resulted in their best intonation accuracy, followed by the mono drone (28.57%) and the control condition (11.68%). In response to open-ended questions, participants cited reasons why they preferred particular drone conditions, with the most common themes being “easier to hear and match,” “multiple reference pitches,” and “focused/directed listening.” Given that participants expressed preferences regarding drone use in the absence of performance differences, music educators may consider the role of comfort and familiarity with these instructional tools.
We need to talk about dialogue: Accomplishing collaborative sensemaking in homicide investigations
Authors: Jones Helen , Brookman Fiona , Williams Robin , Fraser Jim
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we explore the importance of dialogue for collaborative sensemaking during homicide investigation, focusing upon interactions between detectives, forensic scientists and other experts involved in managing and undertaking forensic work. Drawing on data from a 4-year ethnographic study of British homicide investigations, we provide insights from criminal justice actors about both the value of, and barriers to, inter-professional and cross-disciplinary dialogue. We explore how and why organisational arrangements may limit opportunities for forensic scientists and other experts to engage collaboratively with detectives and prosecutors. We conclude by considering ways to enhance collaborative sensemaking during the investigation of homicide.
Teaching Students to Pronounce English: A Motor Skill Approach in the Classroom
Authors: Messum Piers , Young Roslyn
Published: December 2020

Just as forming letters is the motor skill component of writing, pronouncing—forming sounds and other features of the spoken language—is the motor skill component of pronunciation. The motor task for L2 (second language) learners is to invent for themselves the actions needed for pronouncing L2, either from matching a model they hear (goal emulation) or in some other way, and then to automatise their use of these actions. Many students—and their teachers—are dissatisfied with the results they achieve in learning to pronounce through current teaching practices. As an alternative, we argue for taking an Articulatory Approach, based on a motor skill coaching paradigm. However, learning to pronounce an L2 differs from the learning of other socially transmitted motor skills because the learners cannot see most of the significant actions that produce the results which they and others hear. This means that the coaching paradigm for pronunciation cannot be the same as that used for those motor skills where learners can watch a performance. We explain how an appropriate paradigm is implemented in the teaching techniques we describe.
Bringing Research on Race and Crime Into the 21st Century: Reflections From Over the Years
Authors: Myers Samuel L.
Published: December 2020

A reflection on the changes in research on race and crime in the economics profession.
Ethnic Penalties and Hiring Discrimination: Comparing Results from Observational Studies with Field Experiments in the UK
Authors: Zwysen Wouter , Di Stasio Valentina , Heath Anthony
Published: December 2020

Ethnic minorities fare less well on average in the labour market than their white British counterparts. Experimental research shows that employers discriminate against ethnic minority applicants while hiring, but it is impossible to say from these studies how much of minorities’ overall disadvantage – which reflects compositional differences and search behaviour as well as hiring – is due to discrimination. This article connects results from two UK-based field experiments with ethnic penalties estimated from comparable samples of the UK Labour Force Survey and Understanding Society to show the relation between hiring discrimination and labour market penalties, for several ethnic minority groups. Higher hiring discrimination is indeed associated with worse ethnic employment penalties, but similarly discriminated against groups do not necessarily face the same ethnic penalties. We provide a discussion of possible reasons for this variation. Our research points to socio-economic resources and supply-side differences among ethnic groups as plausible explanations.
Metaphors for Scripture: taking up Dale Martin’s challenge
Authors: Thompson Geoff
Published: December 2020

New Testament scholar Dale Martin has called for doing away with speaking of the ‘authority of Scripture’. Constructively, he proposes a number of metaphors for Scripture, which, nevertheless, point very strongly to the Church’s dependence on it. This article brings Martin’s programmatic suggestions into conversation with some recent doctrinal writing on Scripture that has given attention to the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of Scripture. The doctrinal reflections pose the question of what it is about Scripture that makes the Church dependent on it and to what end. The article suggests two metaphors that help illuminate the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of Scripture.
Rehabilitation of the eunuch: biblical recognition of sexual diversity
Authors: Slomp Jan
Published: December 2020

A critical examination of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.26–39 in the light of sexual diversity.
Towards a non-reductionist view of the universe: meeting points for open-minded theists and atheists
Authors: Pearce Brian
Published: December 2020

This article explores concepts that may be of value in the dialogue between religion and atheism and possibilities for finding some common ground. In this context it considers the character of our universe, the nature of matter, non-reductionist naturalism, panentheism and an omnipresent rather than interventionist God, while maintaining a place for a ‘personal’ God.
Creation’s autonomy and the action of God
Authors: Lloyd John B.
Published: December 2020

Thomas Jay Oord has recently proposed that God’s relationship to the world and its human inhabitants is well described as one of uncontrolling love, and that God is constitutionally incapable of intervening unilaterally in human lives. Consequently, prayer for God so to act is misjudged and inappropriate. This article argues that this conclusion runs counter to the biblical record, which sees God’s relationship with the world as sustaining and upholding, but also allowing for specific willed actions. However, God has given the world functional autonomy, which would be abrogated by interventions too predictable or too attributable. It is proposed that intervention by God is real and not uncommon, but often of concealed and unprovable provenance. God’s self-limitation with regard to intervention is seen as consistent but chosen, in contrast to Oord’s proposal of an ‘essential’ kenosis.
Performing community: Lampedusa in Festival against the border spectacle of Mediterranean migrations
Authors: Scarabicchi Caterina
Published: December 2020

Over the last decade, Lampedusa has frequently been represented in the EU media as the setting of a supposed migration emergency due to the unprecedented number of displaced individuals transiting through its harbour. However, in contrast with such discourses, a growing number of social and artistic interventions have emerged, advancing a counter-narrative of solidarity and cultural dialogue. This article examines the case of Lampedusa in Festival, a community event organized by the Askavusa collective, which took place each year between 2009 and 2015. Interpreting its nature, evolution and limits in the light of event studies, this article argues that the festival constituted a collective performance of resistance which combined local and transnational resources, with the potential to re-spectacularize migration as a political and social opportunity.
Willingness and yield of screening for hepatitis B among outpatients of a tertiary care centre, Puducherry, South India
Authors: Kumar Swetha S , Chinnakali Palanivel , Dhodapkar Rahul , Mohan Pazhanivel , Olickal Jeby J , Hamide Abdoul
Published: December 2020

India’s National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme recommends screening outpatients for hepatitis B at tertiary care centres. We aimed to assess the yield of screening and reasons for refusal for testing. We included adult outpatients at a tertiary care centre, South India during September and October 2019. Participants’ willingness to be tested and the reasons for refusal were noted. Fingerstick blood sample was tested for HBsAg using rapid kit. Of a total of 700 participants, 157 (22%, 95% CI: 19.4–25.7%) were unwilling to be tested. Men were more unwilling (26%) compared to women (19%) (aPR 1.90 95% CI: 1.22–2.94; p = 0.004). ‘Lack of time’ was the most common reason reported for refusal (10%). Of 543 participants tested, 15 (2.8%, 95% CI: 1.6–4.5%) were positive for HBsAg. Similar studies from other regions in India are required for the estimation of yield of opportunistic approach.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students at elevated risk of self-injury: The importance of virtual and online resources
Authors: Hasking Penelope , Lewis Stephen P. , Bloom Elana , Brausch Amy , Kaess Michael , Robinson Kealagh
Published: December 2020

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), which involves deliberate damage to body tissue without suicidal intent, has long been a concern for schools and school staff. Secondary schools are an ideal setting in which to identify, and appropriately refer, students who self-injure as well as implement evidence-based prevention and early intervention programs. However, in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, schools have been closed and students sent home to learn online. This may result in the exacerbation of existing anxieties and pose several new stressors that cumulatively may increase risk of NSSI. In this article, we draw on recent research and our collective experience working with schools, as well as digital mental health, to outline some of these potential stressors and offer resources for school staff to help students who are engaging in or at risk of NSSI.
Legibility as a Design Principle: Surfacing Values in Sensing Technologies
Authors: Robbins Holly , Stone Taylor , Bolte John , van den Hoven Jeroen
Published: December 2020

This paper introduces the design principle of legibility as means to examine the epistemic and ethical conditions of sensing technologies. Emerging sensing technologies create new possibilities regarding what to measure, as well as how to analyze, interpret, and communicate said measurements. In doing so, they create ethical challenges for designers to navigate, specifically how the interpretation and communication of complex data affect moral values such as (user) autonomy. Contemporary sensing technologies require layers of mediation and exposition to render what they sense as intelligible and constructive to the end user, which is a value-laden design act. Legibility is positioned as both an evaluative lens and a design criterion, making it complimentary to existing frameworks such as value sensitive design. To concretize the notion of legibility, and understand how it could be utilized in both evaluative and anticipatory contexts, the case study of a vest embedded with sensors and an accompanying app for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is analyzed.
Green Design Tools: Building Values and Politics into Material Choices
Authors: Kokai Akos , Iles Alastair , Rosen Christine Meisner
Published: December 2020

Green design tools are emerging as a new response to the dilemmas that architects and designers face in preventing the toxic impacts of building construction. Environmental health advocates, scientists, and consulting firms are stepping in to provide designers with new tools—including science-based assessment methods, standards, databases, and software—intended to help structure and inform decision-making in sustainable design. We argue that green design tools play an important but largely uninvestigated role in giving designers new forms of influence while mediating how designers’ values are translated into actual design choices. Tool makers embed their own values and politics into the construction of the tools, which function as “black boxes”—their internal operations are understood as less important than their outputs for informing sustainable design. Using the green building movement as a case study, we consider three tools for selecting environmentally benign materials: the GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals, Pharos, and the Health Product Declaration. Examining controversies about the scientific validity of green design tools, we suggest that they are rooted in value conflicts and tensions in the politics of chemical knowledge. Transparent engagement with values and politics among tool developers and users could strengthen the legitimacy and credibility of green design tools.
Nietzsche’s shadow: On the origin and development of the term nihilism
Authors: Toribio Vazquez Juan Luis
Published: December 2020

While the term ‘nihilism’ has become increasingly widespread throughout the past two centuries, not only in academic discourses but in popular culture more widely, there is a surprising lack of consensus regarding its specific meaning. This is perhaps owing to the myriad contexts in which the word has appeared since its inception, which range from specialized works of philosophy to an array of mass-cultural products. This article overviews the emergence and development of the term ‘nihilism’, in order to clarify some of the principal reasons for its prevalence and ambiguity. Having discussed the word’s origin, the article scrutinizes its significance in the early work of Friedrich Nietzsche, who was largely responsible for its popularization, and overviews some of its major appearances throughout the 20th century, in order to show that while Nietzsche stands as the iconic founder of discursivity on nihilism, posthumous uses of the word deviate sharply from his own determinations.
Simulacra in the Age of Social Media: Baudrillard as the Prophet of Fake News
Authors: Morris James
Published: December 2020

“Fake News” has been a frequent topic in the last couple of years. The phenomenon has particularly been cited with regards to the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. The creation of “post truth” reports that are disseminated via the Web and social media has been treated as something new, a product of the digital age, and a reason to be concerned about the effects of online technology. However, this paper argues that fake news should be considered as part of a continuum with forms of media that went before in the 20th Century, and the general trend of postmodernity detailed by Baudrillard. The simulation of communications media and mass reproduction was already evident and has merely progressed in the digital age rather than the latter providing a wholly new context. The paper concludes by asking whether the political havoc caused by fake news has an antidote, when it appears to be a by-product of media simulacra’s inherent lack of connection to the real. In a communications landscape where the misrepresentations of the so-called “Mainstream Media” are decried using even more questionable “memes” on social media, is there any possibility for truth?
Poor Appetite and Eating Difficulties Can Predict the Long-Term Risk of Falling: A Longitudinal Study in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Lin Yu-Chun , Chang Yu-Hung
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

This study investigates whether self-reported nutritional status affects falling among middle-aged and older adults.

Method:

We used 8-year follow-up data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging. At baseline, respondents’ appetite, changes in amount of food intake, and eating difficulties were assessed in a questionnaire-based survey in addition to anthropometric measurements (body mass index, mid-arm circumferences, and involuntary body weight loss). Their associations with falls in the follow-up were examined using multivariable log-binomial regression.

Results:

The study included 2,519 respondents aged 50 years and older. Poor appetite (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.07, 1.46]) and eating difficulties (PR = 1.16, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.32]) significantly predicted falling 8 years later with adjustments for sociodemographics, health behaviors, comorbidities, and anthropometric measures by taking into account probabilities of follow-up.

Conclusion:

Poor appetite and eating difficulties can predict falling in the long-term independent of anthropometric measurements among middle-aged and older adults.
Free to succeed: Does press freedom influence the entrepreneurial orientation and the reader revenue performance of independent news media firms?—A cross-sectional study
Authors: Nel François , Milburn-Curtis Coral , Lehtisaari Katja , Kammer Aske
Published: December 2020

The notion of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) is operationalized here to explore the influence of press freedom (PF) on the performance of news media firms. We find that growth in reader revenues (RR)—digital and print—is statistically significantly correlated to both EO and PF, suggesting that subscriptions to independently produced news are likely to be better in countries with high degrees of PF, and in instances where the firm’s leaders are entrepreneurial.
In vitro characterization of novel multidrug-eluting soy protein wound dressings
Authors: Matsliah Lior , Goder Daniella , Giladi Shir , Zilberman Meital
Published: December 2020

Polymers derived from natural sources are of interest in the scientific and medical communities, especially soy protein which exhibits low immunogenicity and good mechanical properties, and supports cell proliferation. Soy protein is cost-effective compared to other natural polymers and is attractive also due to its non-animal origin and relatively long storage stability. In the current study, hybrid film structures were developed and studied as a novel wound dressing platform with controlled release of three bioactive agents. The dense top layer is designed to provide mechanical support, control the water vapor permeability and to elute the antibiotic drug cloxacillin and the analgesic drug bupivacaine to the wound site. The porous sub-layer is designed to absorb the wound exudates and release the hemostatic agent tranexamic acid for bleeding control. The results show that the formulation parameters, i.e. crosslinker and plasticizer concentrations, affected the mechanical properties of the wound dressings as well as relevant physical properties (water vapor transmission rate and swelling kinetics), but had almost no effect on the drug-release profiles. While the antibiotic drug and the analgesic drug were released within several hours, the hemostatic agent was released within several minutes, according to the well designed hybrid structure. In conclusion, our novel soy protein hybrid wound dressings are biocompatible, can deliver various drugs simultaneously in a controlled fashion for each drug individually, and can be adjusted to suit various types of wounds by altering their properties through formulation effects.
Promoting Physical Activity Among Older Adults Using Community-Based Participatory Research With an Adapted PRECEDE-PROCEED Model Approach: The AEQUIPA/OUTDOOR ACTIVE Project
Authors: Bammann Karin , Recke Carina , Albrecht Birte Marie , Stalling Imke , Doerwald Friederike
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

The PRECEDE-PROCEED model (PPM) is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework for health promotion, yet the direct application of the PPM into practice is unclear. This paper describes how the PPM was adapted for the development and application of a pilot intervention study to promote outdoor physical activity (PA) in older adults (OUTDOOR ACTIVE). We illustrate the steps and adaptations we applied to put the PPM into practice and present the developed interventions.

Design:

The PPM was adapted by incorporating a socio-ecological model. This ensured the design of any resultant intervention would explicitly address multi-level determinants of physical activity. The list of possible program components to select from for the design of an intervention was also extended.

Setting:

Bremen, Germany.

Participants:

Participants in the intervention development were 924 noninstitutionalized older adults, aged 65-75 years (response: 25.2%), living in Bremen-Hemelingen, Germany. For implementation of the intervention and to ensure sustainability, several groups of stakeholders were involved throughout the process.

Methods:

A mixed method design was employed (e.g., focus groups, quantitative survey) to identify determinants. A round table and participatory workshops were held to involve the target group and community stakeholders in the design of an intervention using the adapted PPM model.

Results:

A conceptual model was developed illustrating the integration of a socio-ecological model into the PPM. The model received ecological validity, as it was affirmed by community stakeholders as an appropriate method for designing a community-level PA intervention. Target goals to address PA determinants were selected by target group members. An intervention to meet the goals was developed and implemented with target group input.

Conclusion:

The adapted PPM is a promising starting point for developing multi-level interventions. Steps should be taken to ensure all social groups are participating in the process and all levels of determinants are addressed.
The Role of the Pharmacist in Optimizing Outcomes With Roflumilast, a PDE4 Inhibitor for the Treatment of COPD
Authors: Williams Dennis
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The pharmacology of roflumilast, recent dosing revisions, and the integral roles of pharmacists in effective chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management are reviewed here.

COPD is characterized by progressive airflow limitation and intermittent acute exacerbations of symptoms, which contribute to disease progression, worsening of comorbidities, and reduced health-related quality of life. Patients with COPD may use a variety of pharmacotherapies (in combination with nonpharmacological modalities) to prevent exacerbations, reduce the impact of symptoms, and reduce or prevent COPD progression. Given the complex and multifaceted nature of disease management, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to collaborate with other clinicians to improve treatment adherence and efficacy via a number of diverse avenues in patients with COPD. Central to this endeavor is patient education and counseling regarding their treatment regimen.

Conclusion

Recent findings from a phase 3 clinical trial demonstrate improved tolerability and reduced treatment discontinuation resulting from the use of an uptitration regimen in patients with severe COPD who initiate therapy with roflumilast. Pharmacists have a central role in effective COPD management, especially with respect to patient education about treatments.
Efficient and flexible simulation-based sample size determination for clinical trials with multiple design parameters
Authors: Wilson Duncan T , Hooper Richard , Brown Julia , Farrin Amanda J , Walwyn Rebecca EA
Published: December 2020

Simulation offers a simple and flexible way to estimate the power of a clinical trial when analytic formulae are not available. The computational burden of using simulation has, however, restricted its application to only the simplest of sample size determination problems, often minimising a single parameter (the overall sample size) subject to power being above a target level. We describe a general framework for solving simulation-based sample size determination problems with several design parameters over which to optimise and several conflicting criteria to be minimised. The method is based on an established global optimisation algorithm widely used in the design and analysis of computer experiments, using a non-parametric regression model as an approximation of the true underlying power function. The method is flexible, can be used for almost any problem for which power can be estimated using simulation, and can be implemented using existing statistical software packages. We illustrate its application to a sample size determination problem involving complex clustering structures, two primary endpoints and small sample considerations.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation From a Related Donor with Human Leukocyte Antigen 1-Antigen Mismatch in the Graft-Versus-Host Direction Using Low-dose Anti-thymocyte Globulin
Authors: Kanda Junya , Ando Toshihiko , Kimura Shun-ichi , Fujiwara Shin-ichiro , Imada Kazunori , Fujisawa Shin , Tachibana Takayoshi , Atsuta Yoshiko , Kanda Yoshinobu
Published: December 2020

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a related donor with an human leukocyte antigen (HLA) 1-antigen mismatch without in vivo T cell depletion is associated with an elevated risk of severe, acute, and chronic graft-versus-host (GVH) disease (GVHD) and poor survival. Therefore, we conducted a multicenter phase II trial of HSCT using low-dose anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG, thymoglobulin). We recruited patients aged 16–65 years with leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or lymphoma who planned to receive HSCT from a related donor with HLA 1-antigen mismatch in the GVH direction at the HLA-A, -B, or -DR locus. Pretransplantation ATG was administered with standard GVHD prophylaxis consisting of tacrolimus and methotrexate. Thirty-eight patients were eligible for the analysis. The 1-year GVHD-free relapse-free survival (GRFS) was 47%. The 3-year overall survival (OS) was 57%. Age of less than 50 years was associated with better OS. OS in patients with high/very high refined disease risk indexes (rDRIs) was comparable to that in those with low/intermediate rDRIs. The 100-day cumulative incidences of grades II–IV and III–IV acute GVHD were 45% and 18%, respectively. HSCT from a related donor with two allele mismatches showed higher incidences of grades II–IV and III–IV acute GVHD. Three-year cumulative incidences of moderate to severe or severe chronic GVHD were 13% and 3%, respectively. HSCT from a related donor with one locus mismatch at the antigen level using low-dose ATG showed lower incidences of acute and chronic GVHD, which led to acceptable GRFS, OS, relapse, and nonrelapse mortality.