bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Single-Center Pilot Study to Classify Signs of Dorsal Hand Aging Using 3 Grading Scales
Authors: Wamsley Christine E , Vingan Nicole , Barillas Jennifer , Culver Abby , Turer David M , Kenkel Jeffrey M
Published: February 2022

Background

While validated scales must be created in order to systemically evaluate patients and quantify outcomes of aesthetic hand treatments, scales currently available are limited to the analysis of volume loss alone.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to develop 3 validated scales for the assessment of dorsal hand aging that also take into consideration wrinkling and pigmentation.

Methods

Fifty (50) healthy volunteers (40 females and 10 males) with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV were recruited, and standard photographs of their left and right dorsal hands were taken with a Nikon D7100 (Nikon; Minato, Tokyo, Japan) camera. Using 25 randomized photographs, 11 plastic surgery physicians (3 chief residents, 6 senior residents, and 2 aesthetic surgery fellows) were trained on the 3 scales under investigation as well as the already-validated Merz Hand Grading Scale (MHGS). The evaluators then viewed the remaining 75 photographs independently and assigned a grade for each of the 4 scales to each photograph. Inter-rater variability was calculated for each scale.

Results

The Kappa score for the MHGS was 0.25, indicating fair agreement; 0.40 for wrinkle scale, indicating fair agreement; and 0.48 and 0.46 for the pigmentation density and intensity scales, respectively, indicating moderate agreement (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The results show that after receiving training, the inter-rater agreement for the 3 scales under investigation was similar or slightly higher than that for the MHGS. These 3 photographic classification systems can be used consistently and reliably to characterize multiple signs of dorsal hand aging.

Level of Evidence: 2
Refining Reproduction Number Estimates to Account for Unobserved Generations of Infection in Emerging Epidemics
Authors: Brizzi Andrea , O’Driscoll Megan , Dorigatti Ilaria
Published: February 2022

Background

Estimating the transmissibility of infectious diseases is key to inform situational awareness and for response planning. Several methods tend to overestimate the basic (R0) and effective (Rt) reproduction numbers during the initial phases of an epidemic. In this work we explore the impact of incomplete observations and underreporting of the first generations of infections during the initial epidemic phase.

Methods

We propose a debiasing procedure that utilizes a linear exponential growth model to infer unobserved initial generations of infections and apply it to EpiEstim. We assess the performance of our adjustment using simulated data, considering different levels of transmissibility and reporting rates. We also apply the proposed correction to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) incidence data reported in Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Results

In all simulation scenarios, our adjustment outperforms the original EpiEstim method. The proposed correction reduces the systematic bias, and the quantification of uncertainty is more precise, as better coverage of the true R0 values is achieved with tighter credible intervals. When applied to real-world data, the proposed adjustment produces basic reproduction number estimates that closely match the estimates obtained in other studies while making use of a minimal amount of data.

Conclusions

The proposed adjustment refines the reproduction number estimates obtained with the current EpiEstim implementation by producing improved, more precise estimates earlier than with the original method. This has relevant public health implications.
Language Use and Identity in Minority Hungarian and Hungarian–Romanian Deaf Families
Authors: Belenyi Emese , Flora Gavril
Published: February 2022

This paper discusses language use and identity patterns in families set up by deaf partners living in Romania, where at least one of the spouses belongs to the ethnic Hungarian minority. Language use and transmission of identity to children in ethnically homogenous (Hungarian) or heterogeneous (Hungarian–Romanian) families of deaf are explored. The research is based on a survey conducted among members of the ethnic Hungarian Deaf community (including ethnic Romanian spouses), life-path interviews with selected deaf persons and interviews with special school educators. The research results denote that in the case of deaf people living in ethnically homogeneous marriages who graduated from Hungarian language special school the transmission of Hungarian identity, Hungarian sign language/oral language knowledge—combined with the components of Deaf culture—tends to be a natural and usually undisturbed process. However, if one of the spouses is Romanian, the language of communication within the family will probably be the Romanian sign language/oral language. On the other hand, in the families where ethnic minority and ethnic majority family members are present, with typical and atypical hearing, complex, multifaceted linguistic communication models might prevail, favoring specific multicultural modes of intrafamilial identity development and transmission.
The value and limitations of new oral anticoagulant plasma level assessments
Authors: Van der Linden Lorenz , Hias Julie , Vanassche Thomas
Published: February 2022

abstract

The class of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) has been developed to provide reliable oral anticoagulation without the need for therapeutic drug monitoring. Based on phase I and II trials and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling, fixed drug doses have been selected for large phase III clinical trials for each currently available NOAC. In these trials, the use of the fixed dose without plasma level assessments was shown to be at least as effective and at least as safe as vitamin K antagonists with continuous therapeutic drug monitoring. Real world evidence reaffirms that the use of a fixed NOAC dose without plasma level assessment is safe and effective in a large variety of patients. Nevertheless, measurement of NOAC plasma levels can add information that may be useful in some clinical scenarios. This review discusses the possible use cases, the limitations, and the practical implementation of measuring NOAC plasma concentrations.
Involvement of HECT-type E3 ubiquitin ligase genes in salt chemotaxis learning in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Ike Yasuaki , Tomioka Masahiro , Iino Yuichi
Published: February 2022

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is associated with various phenomena including learning and memory. In this study, we report that E3 ubiquitin ligase homologs and proteasome function are involved in taste avoidance learning, a type of associative learning between starvation and salt concentrations, in Caenorhabditis elegans. Pharmacological inhibition of proteasome function using bortezomib causes severe defects in taste avoidance learning. Among 9 HECT-type ubiquitin ligase genes, loss-of-function mutations of 6 ubiquitin ligase genes cause significant abnormalities in taste avoidance learning. Double mutations of those genes cause lethality or enhanced defects in taste avoidance learning, suggesting that the HECT-type ubiquitin ligases act in multiple pathways in the processes of learning. Furthermore, mutations of the ubiquitin ligase genes cause additive effects on taste avoidance learning defects of the insulin-like signaling mutants. Our findings unveil the consequences of aberrant functions of the proteasome and ubiquitin systems in learning behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans.
RNA-sequencing Reveals a Gene Expression Signature in Skeletal Muscle of a Mouse Model of Age-associated Postoperative Functional Decline
Authors: Asche-Godin Samantha L , Graham Zachary A , Israel Adina , Harlow Lauren M , Huang Weihua , Wang Zhiying , Brotto Marco , Mobbs Charles , Cardozo Christopher P , Ko Fred C
Published: February 2022

This study aimed to characterize the effects of laparotomy on postoperative physical function and skeletal muscle gene expression in male C57BL/6N mice at 3, 20, and 24 months of age to investigate late-life vulnerability and resiliency to acute surgical stress. Pre and postoperative physical functioning was assessed by forelimb grip strength on postoperative day (POD) 1 and 3 and motor coordination on POD 2 and 4. Laparotomy-induced an age-associated postoperative decline in forelimb grip strength that was the greatest in the oldest mice. While motor coordination declined with increasing age at baseline, it was unaffected by laparotomy. Baseline physical function as stratified by motor coordination performance (low functioning vs high functioning) in 24-month-old mice did not differentially affect postlaparotomy reduction in grip strength. RNA sequencing of soleus muscles showed that laparotomy-induced age-associated differential gene expression and canonical pathway activation with the greatest effects in the youngest mice. Examples of such age-associated, metabolically important pathways that were only activated in the youngest mice after laparotomy included oxidative phosphorylation and NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response. Analysis of lipid mediators in serum and gastrocnemius muscle showed alterations in profiles during aging and confirmed an association between such changes and functional status in gastrocnemius muscle. These findings demonstrate a mouse model of laparotomy which recapitulated some features of postoperative skeletal muscle decline in older adults, and identified age-associated, laparotomy-induced molecular signatures in skeletal muscles. Future research can build upon this model to study molecular mechanisms of late-life vulnerability and resiliency to acute surgical stress.
Experimental investigation of hot water cogeneration using a carbonizer fit out with a preheating system
Authors: Kpelou Pali , Kongnine Damgou Mani , Asse Roger , Mouzou Essowè
Published: February 2022

Carbonization is a thermochemical process that generates thermal energy and charcoal. The system allowing to recover the heat energy for co-, tri- and multi-generation is currently more investigated. The use of multi-generation systems is beneficial from the standpoint of increasing the usage of biomass, energy efficiency and reducing the impact on forests.

The aim of this article was to design a carbonizer fit out with a thermal insulation layer and use it for the carbonization of some local biomasses, namely wood chips and teak wood. A heat recovery system was then incorporated into the carbonizer to cogenerate hot water from the thermal energy induced by the carbonization process. The results obtained with the designed carbonizer were 20% and 26% in mass yield respectively for teck wood and wood chips. The system developed that heat recovery was able to generate 25 L/h hot water at 45°C and 50°C during the first and the last phases respectively for wood chips and teak wood carbonization. The introduction of the preheating system induced a significant rise of the water’s temperature. The highest maximum value of the hot water temperature was 62°C obtained during the carbonization of both studied fuels.
The Metaverse: Is it the Future?
Authors: Hughes Ian
Published: February 2022

Thanks to Facebook, the metaverse concept is a hot topic. Dr Ian Hughes, Chair of the BCS Animation and Games SG, takes us on a tour of tomorrow’s virtual worlds.
Fear and the Importance of Security Awareness
Authors: Cooper Martin
Published: February 2022

The importance of security awareness is clear but scaring users won’t enhance its impact. Martin Cooper MBCS discusses human security with Wendy Goucher MBCS.
How Knowledge Graphs are Changing Data Analytics
Authors: Natarajan Maya
Published: February 2022

Knowledge graphs are a big trend in the advanced data science world, but aren’t as widely known as they could be. Graph Database Expert Maya Natarajan says that needs to change.
Business Analysis
Authors: Lovelock Christina
Published: February 2022

Are you losing BAs? Christina Lovelock explores the push and pull factors at play.
Vicarious Interactions in Online Support Communities: The Roles of Visual Anonymity and Social Identification
Authors: Dai Yue (Nancy) , Shi Jingyuan
Published: February 2022

Online information seekers often do not actively post or engage in interactions with others, inviting research on how passive users of online communities benefit from the information they see. Based on the social identity model of deindividuation effects model (SIDE) and social identity theory, we proposed and tested the idea that observers of a supportive interaction online could relate to the observed support seeker based on their shared gender and, in turn, become vicariously influenced by the support provider’s message to the support seeker. An experiment using a sample of young adults (N = 326) in the United States provided support to the proposition. Furthermore, the outcomes of the vicarious interaction were qualified by the genders of the observed interactants and enhanced by the lack of profile photos. The findings advance the understandings of vicarious interaction in online context and guide the design of online communities to promote mental well-being.

Lay Summary

Ample evidence shows that people benefit tremendously from participating in online health support communities, but less is understood about how people who do not actively participate in interactions benefit from these communities. We conducted an online experiment using a sample of young adults in the United States. The results showed that females, compared with males, are more likely to be persuaded to seek professional counseling for mental health issues from observing a supportive conversation online. The persuasive effect of reading supportive interactions was enhanced when female participants shared the same gender with the observed support seeker and when the observed interactants had no profile photos.
An efficient IoT forensic approach for the evidence acquisition and analysis based on network link
Authors: Khalid Alabdulsalam Saad , Duong Trung Q , Raymond Choo Kim-Kwang , Le-Khac Nhien-An
Published: February 2022

In an Internet of Things (IoT) environment, IoT devices are typically connected through different network media types such as mobile, wireless and wired networks. Due to the pervasive nature of such devices, they are a potential evidence source in both civil litigation and criminal investigations. It is, however, challenging to identify and acquire forensic artefacts from a broad range of devices, which have varying storage and communication capabilities. Hence, in this paper, we first propose an IoT network architecture for the forensic purpose that uses machine learning algorithms to autonomously detect IoT devices. Then we posit the importance of focusing on the links between different IoT devices (e.g. whether one device is controlled or can be accessed from another device in the system), and design an approach to do so. Specifically, our approach adopts a graph for modelling IoT communications’ message flows to facilitate the identification of correlated network traffic based on the direction of the network and the associated attributes. To demonstrate how such an approach can be deployed in practice, we provide a proof of concept using two IoT controllers to generate 480 commands for controlling two IoT devices in a smart home environment and achieve an accuracy rate of 98.3% for detecting the links between devices. We also evaluate the proposed autonomous discovering of IoT devices and their activities in a TCP network by using real-world measurements from a public dataset of a popular off-the-shelf smart home deployed in two different locations. We selected 39 out of 81 different IoT devices for this evaluation.
Superspreading potential of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variants under intensive disease control measures in China
Authors: Zhao Shi , Guo Zihao , Chong Marc Ka Chun , He Daihai , Wang Maggie H
Published: February 2022

Given the heterogeneity in individual transmissibility, we estimated the superspreading potential of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variants. Using case series of Delta variants in Guangdong, China, we found 15% (95%CrI: 12, 19) of cases seeded 80% of offspring cases.
Ethnic Jokes: Mocking the Working Irish Woman: Winning Essay, Journal of Victorian Culture Graduate Essay Prize 2021
Authors: Healy Catherine
Published: February 2022

The figure of the laughably ignorant Irish maid was one of the most recognizable Irish stereotypes in Anglo-American print culture over the late nineteenth century. Jokes about ‘Bridget’ and ‘Biddy’ crossed the Atlantic in both directions, contributing to a transnational repository of comic Irish tropes. While the cultural representation of Irish immigrants was often shaped by regional concerns, Irish servant gags were comparable, and at times identical, across locations – an indication of just how interlinked domestic sensibilities were in England and the United States. Ethnic humour of this kind partly reflected the prevalence of anti-Irish sentiment, echoing older anti-Irish caricatures. The class and racial biases revealed by transatlantic depictions of the Irish is stressed in the existing literature on Irish diaspora history, and certainly such biases help to explain many of the jokes told about servants. This essay moves beyond these perspectives, however, in arguing that comic representations of domestic service also spoke to the anxiety of the middle and upper classes reliant on external help to maintain household order, an intricate endeavour in the context of elaborate Victorian domestic protocols. The huge volume of social commentary devoted to the so-called servant question over these years was a marker of the discomfort felt by employers about managing domestic labour, and joking about the competence of maids and cooks was one means of alleviating some of the tensions prompted by servant-keeping.
Embracing Green Computing in Molecular Phylogenetics
Authors: Kumar Sudhir
Published: February 2022

Molecular evolutionary analyses require computationally intensive steps such as aligning multiple sequences, optimizing substitution models, inferring evolutionary trees, testing phylogenies by bootstrap analysis, and estimating divergence times. With the rise of large genomic data sets, phylogenomics is imposing a big carbon footprint on the environment with consequences for the planet’s health. Electronic waste and energy usage are large environmental issues. Fortunately, innovative methods and heuristics are available to shrink the carbon footprint, presenting researchers with opportunities to lower the environmental costs and greener evolutionary computing. Green computing will also enable greater scientific rigor and encourage broader participation in big data analytics.
Structure of plant RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 2, an enzyme involved in small interfering RNA production
Authors: Du Xuan , Yang Zhenlin , Ariza Alfredo Jose Florez , Wang Qian , Xie Guohui , Li Sisi , Du Jiamu
Published: February 2022

In plants, the biogenesis of small interfering RNA (siRNA) requires a family of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases that convert single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) into double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is subsequently cleaved into defined lengths by Dicer endonucleases. Here, we determined the structure of maize (Zea mays) RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 2 (ZmRDR2) in the closed and open conformations. The core catalytic region of ZmRDR2 possesses the canonical DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (DdRP) catalytic sites, pointing to a shared RNA production mechanism between DdRPs and plant RDR-family proteins. Apo-ZmRDR2 adopts a highly compact structure, representing an inactive closed conformation. By contrast, adding RNA induced a significant conformational change in the ZmRDR2 Head domain that opened the RNA binding tunnel, suggesting this is an active elongation conformation of ZmRDR2. Overall, our structural studies trapped both the active and inactive conformations of ZmRDR2, providing insights into the molecular mechanism of dsRNA synthesis during plant siRNA production.
Hexose transporter SWEET5 confers galactose sensitivity to Arabidopsis pollen germination via a galactokinase
Authors: Wang Jiang , Yu Ya-Chi , Li Ye , Chen Li-Qing
Published: February 2022

Galactose is an abundant and essential sugar used for the biosynthesis of many macromolecules in different organisms, including plants. Galactose metabolism is tightly and finely controlled, since excess galactose and its derivatives are inhibitory to plant growth. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), root growth and pollen germination are strongly inhibited by excess galactose. However, the mechanism of galactose-induced inhibition during pollen germination remains obscure. In this study, we characterized a plasma membrane-localized transporter, Arabidopsis Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporter 5, that transports glucose and galactose. SWEET5 protein levels started to accumulate at the tricellular stage of pollen development and peaked in mature pollen, before rapidly declining after pollen germinated. SWEET5 levels are responsible for the dosage-dependent sensitivity to galactose, and galactokinase is essential for these inhibitory effects during pollen germination. However, sugar measurement results indicate that galactose flux dynamics and sugar metabolism, rather than the steady-state galactose level, may explain phenotypic differences between sweet5 and Col-0 in galactose inhibition of pollen germination.
From ‘Immoral’ Users to ‘Sunbed Addicts’: The Media–Medical Pathologising of Working-class Consumers and Young Women in Late Twentieth-century England
Authors: Creed Fabiola
Published: February 2022

Drawing on the changing representations of sunbed consumers within everyday entertainment media and national newspapers from the late 1980s to early 1990s, this article will demonstrate how sunbed use was framed, at first, as an ‘immoral’ working-class activity, and later as a growing addictive threat to white adolescent women. Medical experts had finally confirmed that sunbeds increased the risk of developing skin cancer, and the media had taken this ‘public health’ matter into their own hands. As this occurred during a backlash against Thatcherism, their anti-sunbed coverage became entangled with moralised concerns about class, women and consumerism. These sunbed warnings stigmatised both ‘yuppies’ and young women who exercised their new economic freedoms. Unravelling these complex political, economic and social tensions will also show how historians can use fictional and ‘low-brow’ media sources (from television soaps, cartoons and the Daily Mail) to further develop the history of public health approaches.
Applying the exposome concept to working life health
Authors: Pronk Anjoeka , Loh Miranda , Kuijpers Eelco , Albin Maria , Selander Jenny , Godderis Lode , Ghosh Manosij , Vermeulen Roel , Peters Susan , Mehlum Ingrid Sivesind , Turner Michelle C. , Schlünssen Vivi , Goldberg Marcel , Kogevinas Manolis , Harding Barbara N. , Solovieva Svetlana , Garani-Papadatos Tina , van Tongeren Martie ,   The EPHOR Consortium, Stierum Rob
Published: February 2022

Exposures at work have a major impact on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Current risk reduction policies and strategies are informed by existing scientific evidence, which is limited due to the challenges of studying the complex relationship between exposure at work and outside work and health. We define the working life exposome as all occupational and related nonoccupational exposures. The latter includes nonoccupational exposures that may be directly or indirectly influenced by or interact with the working life of the individual in their relation to health. The Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research aims to advance knowledge on the complex working life exposures in relation to disease beyond the single high exposure–single health outcome paradigm, mapping and relating interrelated exposures to inherent biological pathways, key body functions, and health. This will be achieved by combining (1) large-scale harmonization and pooling of existing European cohorts systematically looking at multiple exposures and diseases, with (2) the collection of new high-resolution external and internal exposure data. Methods and tools to characterize the working life exposome will be developed and applied, including sensors, wearables, a harmonized job exposure matrix (EuroJEM), noninvasive biomonitoring, omics, data mining, and (bio)statistics. The toolbox of developed methods and knowledge will be made available to policy makers, occupational health practitioners, and scientists. Advanced knowledge on working life exposures in relation to NCDs will serve as a basis for evidence-based and cost-effective preventive policies and actions. The toolbox will also enable future scientists to further expand the working life exposome knowledge base.
Comparison of Ustekinumab Trough Concentrations Measured by 2 ELISA Kits and Evaluation of Clinical Response in Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Kwon Yiyoung , Kang Ben , Kim Eun Sil , Choe Yon Ho , Kim Mi Jin
Published: February 2022

Background:

Ustekinumab is a recently introduced biological agent for the treatment of Crohn’s disease. The clinical use of the trough concentration of ustekinumab is not as standardized as that of infliximab. The authors aimed to introduce a measurement method and the results of trough concentrations of ustekinumab in clinical applications.

Methods:

Thirty-two blood samples from 10 young adult patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease were analyzed. During the maintenance treatment, injection intervals were shortened from 12 weeks to 8 weeks in 4 patients who exhibited a loss of response. Ustekinumab trough concentrations were measured using 2 commercial ELISA kits, kit A and kit B.

Results:

The median trough concentrations measured with kits A and B were 0.26 and 0.38 mcg/mL, respectively. In the case of kit A, low trough concentrations were undetected on many occasions and measured as zero, whereas kit B displayed their relative values even at low concentrations. Poor clinical parameters, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and calprotectin levels were significantly correlated with lower trough concentrations (P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of kit B (0.921) was greater than that of kit A (0.744). The optimal cutoff values for prediction clinical responses were 0.17 and 0.41 mcg/mL for kit A and kit B, respectively.

Conclusions:

The trough concentration of ustekinumab measured by the 2 ELISA kits correlated with laboratory results that indicated the activity of Crohn’s disease. Furthermore, kit B detected even minute changes in trough concentrations.
ELEVATED LEVEL OF URIC ACID, BUT NOT GLUCOSE, IN AQUEOUS HUMOR AS A RISK FACTOR FOR DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES
Authors: Qin Yong Jie , Zhang Yu Lin , Zhang Yu Qiao , He Bei Ting , Wang Sheng , Yu Hong Hua , Chan Sun On , Zhang Hong Yang
Published: February 2022

Purpose:

To determine the association of uric acid (UA) and glucose in aqueous humor with diabetic macular edema (DME) in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods:

Patients with DME or diabetes mellitus without retinopathy were enrolled from August 2016 to December 2020. Nondiabetic patients with age-related cataract or age-related macular degeneration were included as controls.

Results:

A total of 585 eyes from 585 patients were included for this study. Statistical analysis showed that aqueous UA was associated with central retinal thickness (r = 0.39, P < 0.0001), with higher levels of UA in severe DME and lower levels in mild DME, suggesting an ocular source of UA from the diabetic retina. Aqueous UA {odds ratio (OR), 6.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.61–18.12)}, but not aqueous glucose (0.95 [95% CI, 0.73–1.23]) or serum UA (0.90 [95% CI, 0.66–1.23]), was a stronger predictor for DME than the duration of DM (1.26 [95% CI, 1.12–1.42]) or hemoglobin A1c (1.35 [95% CI, 0.99–1.83]). If aqueous UA (<2.46 mg/dL) and aqueous glucose (<6.43 mmol/L) were used as reference, high UA (≥2.46 mg/dL) alone was associated with 5.83-fold increase in risk of DME, but high glucose (≥6.43 mg/dL) alone was not associated with DME.

Conclusion:

Increased aqueous UA, but not glucose, is an independent risk factor for DME. These data suggest that an intravitreal UA-lowering therapy could be beneficial for DME.
RESPONSE TO TREATMENT OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN HIGHLY MYOPIC EYES WITH DOME-SHAPED MACULA
Authors: Pozzo Giuffrida Francesco , Leone Gaia , Mainetti Claudia , Galli Davide , Dell’Arti Laura , Mapelli Chiara , Nassisi Marco , Viola Francesco
Published: February 2022

Purpose:

To compare the 2-year outcome to antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy for myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the eyes with or without dome-shaped macula (DSM).

Methods:

Data from treatment-naive myopic CNV with a 2-year follow-up were retrospectively collected and divided into two groups according to the presence of DSM. The best-corrected visual acuity was acquired at baseline, 3, 12, and 24 months. The association between visual outcomes and CNV type and area, presence of scleral-derived feeder vessel, macular atrophy, and lacquer cracks at baseline was also evaluated.

Results:

Fifty-four eyes of 54 patients were included; 18 eyes (33.4%) had DSM. Choroidal neovascularization was foveal in 10 DSM eyes (55.6%) and in 30 non-DSM eyes (83.9%), P = 0.033. At baseline, the mean best-corrected visual acuity was significantly higher in the DSM group (68.33 ± 12.04 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters, 20/40 Snellen) compared with the non-DSM group (57.75 ± 13.46 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters, 20/72 Snellen; P = 0.007). This difference disappeared after 3 months and did not reoccur afterward. All other parameters were not significantly associated with visual outcomes.

Conclusion:

Overall, DSM does not represent a negative prognostic factor in response to antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy in myopic CNVs after 2 years. However, in DSM eyes, CNVs tend to be extrafoveal, thus ensuring a good visual prognosis from the earliest stage of the disease.
BILATERAL SERPIGINOUS-LIKE CHORIORETINITIS ASSOCIATED WITH CILIOCHOROIDAL MELANOMA
Authors: Al-Moujahed Ahmad , Lin Jonathan H. , Gagnon Michael R. , Pulido Jose , Mruthyunjaya Prithvi , Jung Jesse J.
Published: February 2022

Purpose:

To report the clinicopathologic correlation of a case of bilateral serpiginous-like chorioretinitis (SLC) associated with unilateral ciliochoroidal melanoma.

Methods:

A 71-year-old white woman was diagnosed with progressive SLC in both eyes associated with ciliochoroidal melanoma in the right eye. Clinical findings and imaging before and after enucleation in the right eye were correlated to histologic and immunohistochemistry sections.

Results:

Examination and imaging identified a peripheral bilobed amelanotic lesion with low reflectivity on B-scan ultrasound with an associated exudative detachment in the right eye. Additionally, multiple areas of new SLC lesions in the macula and peripapillary region in the right eye and along the inferior arcade in the left eye were observed. Oncologic evaluation confirmed a Class 2, ciliochoroidal melanoma, and the eye was enucleated. Autoimmune and infectious laboratory evaluations for the etiology of the SLC lesions were negative. Histopathology of the enucleated eye confirmed the diagnosis of uveal melanoma with lymphocytic inflammation at the edges of the tumor itself and in the areas of discrete SLC lesions. Immunohistochemistry identified similar predominantly CD3 and CD8 T cells and fewer CD20 B cells in both regions.

Conclusion:

Serpiginous-like chorioretinitis may present as a paraneoplastic, predominantly T-lymphocyte inflammation associated with intraocular tumor such as uveal melanoma.
PRIMARY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND VITREORETINAL LYMPHOMA MIMICKING VIRAL RETINITIS IN A YOUNG PATIENT
Authors: Mehta Nitish , Scholle Tahira , Chevez-Barrios Patricia , Schefler Amy C. , Weng Christina Y.
Published: February 2022

Background/Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to report a young immunocompetent patient with primary central nervous system and vitreoretinal lymphoma initially presenting with peripheral retinitis.

Methods:

This study is a case report.

Results:

A 31-year-old woman presented with 20/60 vision in her left eye, vitreous haze, and peripheral retinal whitening. Intravitreal and oral antivirals were initiated for presumed acute retinal necrosis. Anterior chamber paracentesis was negative for viral nucleotide. Subretinal infiltrates developed, and vitreous biopsy was performed and interpreted as “negative except for rare yeast.” Antifungal therapy was initiated. She developed multiple unilateral cranial neuropathies with multifocal areas of enhancement on neuroimaging. Lumbar puncture cytology was negative for neoplastic cells. After further worsening, aforementioned specimens were sent to a specialized ophthalmic pathology laboratory and the diagnosis revised to lymphoma of the diffuse B-cell type. Initial disease regression was seen after combined systemic and intraocular chemotherapy; unfortunately, the patient suffered a central nervous system recurrence and died from systemic complications 1 year later.

Conclusion:

There has been an increased incidence of primary central nervous system and vitreoretinal lymphoma in young patients. Although vitreous biopsy is the diagnostic gold standard for vitreoretinal lymphoma, a risk of false negative interpretation exists. A high index of suspicion and expert interpretation of pathology may be necessary to secure the correct diagnosis.
Flexibility in a Crisis
Authors: Sulmonte Kimberlyann , Bourie Patricia Q. , Carnevale Kerry , Clark Lauren T. S. , Joseph Bridgid G. , Midura Michelle , Wandel Jane C. , Maurer Marsha L.
Published: February 2022

Our city was significantly impacted by the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. We describe how members of our Quality and Safety team were able to leverage skills in relational coordination and process improvement to respond to rapidly changing needs in a flexible and effective way.
Adherence to Analgesics Among Outpatients Seriously Ill With Cancer
Authors: Stapleton Stephen J. , Dyal Brenda W. , Boyd Andrew D. , Suarez Marie L. , Ezenwa Miriam O. , Yao Yingwei , Wilkie Diana J.
Published: February 2022

Background

Adherence to prescribed analgesics for patients seriously ill with cancer pain is essential for comfort.

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine the analgesic adherence in seriously ill patients with cancer and its association with clinical and demographic characteristics.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study. At home, 202 patients with cancer (mean age, 59.9 ± 14.2 years; 58% female, 48% Black, and 42% White) admitted to hospice/palliative care completed measures on a pen tablet: PAINReportIt, Symptom Distress Scale, mood state item, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index item, and Pain Management Index.

Results

The mean current pain intensity was 4.4 ± 2.9, and the mean worst pain in the past 24 hours was 7.2 ± 2.7. More than one-half of participants were not satisfied with their pain level (54%) and reported their pain was more intense than they wanted to tolerate for 18 hours or longer in the last 24 hours (51%). Only 12% were not prescribed analgesics appropriate for the intensity of their pain. Adherence rates were variable: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (0.63 ± 0.50), adjuvants (0.93 ± 0.50), World Health Organization step 2 opioids (0.63 ± 0.49), and step 3 opioids (0.80 ± 0.40). With setting/clinical/demographic variables in the model, dose intervals of less than 8 hours were associated with less adherence (P < .001).

Conclusion

Little progress has been made toward improving analgesic adherence even in settings providing analgesics without cost. Research focused on targeting analgesic dose intervals and barriers not related to cost is needed.

Implication for Practice

Dose intervals of 8 hours or longer were significantly associated with higher adherence rates; therefore, use of longer-acting analgesics is one strategy to improve pain control at the end of life.
Evaluation of the Cranial Aperture of the Optic Canal on Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Images and its Clinical Implications for the Transcranial Approaches
Authors: Adanir Saliha Seda , Bakşi Yusuf Emin , Beger Orhan , Bahşi Ilhan , Kervancioğlu Piraye , Yalçin Eda Didem , Orhan Mustafa
Published: February 2022

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate morphometric properties of the cranial aperture (CA) of the optic canal.

Methods:

Cone-beam computed tomography images of 400 individuals (200 males and 200 females) aged 37.32 ± 15.87 years were retrospectively examined to assess the morphometry and morphology of the CA.

Results:

The height and width of CA were found as 4.22 ± 0.74 mm and 7.27 ± 1.15 mm, respectively. The distances between the CA and the midsagittal line, the anterior and lateral boundaries of the anterior skull base were measured as 5.77 ± 1.32 mm, 64.97 ± 6.36 mm, and 41.00 ± 4.05, respectively. The angle of the optic canal in the sagittal plane was measured as 7.57° ± 3.95°, whereas in the horizontal plane as 38.96° ± 4.36°. The aperture shape was defined as the tear-drop (413 foramina, 51.62%), triangular (180 foramina, 22.50%), oval (158 foramina, 19.75%), round (30 foramina, 3.75%), and polygonal (19 foramina, 2.38%).

Conclusions:

The authors observed that the diameters, and angulations of the CA may change relative to gender and the shape. The anatomic features of CA are important for the positioning of the patient’s head, the choice of the appropriate surgical approach or equipment, and the detection of anatomical landmarks during interventions. In this context, our dataset may be beneficial for surgeons helpful as a reference for radiological evaluations.
Antibiotic resistance among clinical Ureaplasma isolates from Cuban individuals between 2013 and 2018
Authors: Preval Nadia María Rodríguez , Spiller Owen B. , Mondeja Rodríguez Brian A. , Morales Ruxana Sardiñas , Cintra Yenis Ramírez , Rivera-Tapia José A.
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Acquired resistance against the antibiotics that are active against

Ureaplasma

species has been described.

Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Diagnostics combined with antimicrobial sensitivity testing are required for therapeutic guidance.

Aim. To report the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among Cuban

Ureaplasma

isolates and the related molecular mechanisms of resistance.

Methodology. Traditional broth microdilution assays were used for antimicrobial sensitivity testing in 262 clinical

Ureaplasma

species isolates from Cuban patients between 2013 and 2018, and a subset of samples were investigated in parallel with the commercial MYCO WELL D-ONE rapid culture diagnostic assay. The underlying molecular mechanisms for resistance were determined by PCR and sequencing for all resistant isolates.

Results. Among the tested isolates, the tetracycline and erythromycin resistance rates were 1.9 and 1.5%, respectively, while fluoroquinolone resistance was not found. The tet(M) gene was found in all tetracycline-resistant isolates, but also in two tetracycline-susceptible Ureaplasma clinical isolates. We were unable to determine the underlying mechanism of erythromycin resistance. The MYCO WELL D-ONE kit overestimated tetracycline and erythromycin resistance in

Ureaplasma

spp. isolates.

Conclusions. Although low levels of antibiotic resistance were detected in Cuban patients over a 5-year period, continued surveillance of the antibiotic susceptibility of

Ureaplasma

is necessary to monitor possible changes in resistance patterns.
Transient internalization of Campylobacter jejuni in Amoebae enhances subsequent invasion of human cells
Authors: Nasher Fauzy , Wren Brendan W.
Published: February 2022

The ubiquitous unicellular eukaryote, Acanthamoeba, is known to play a role in the survival and dissemination of Campylobacter jejuni. C. jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial foodborne gastroenteritis world-wide and is a major public health problem. The ability of

C. jejuni

to interact and potentially invade epithelial cells is thought to be key for disease development in humans. We examined

C. jejuni

grown under standard laboratory conditions, 11168HCBA with that harvested from within Acanthamoeba castellanii (11168HAC/CBA) or Acanthamoeba polyphaga (11168HAP/CBA), and compared their ability to invade different cell lines.

C. jejuni

harvested from within amoebae had a ~3.7-fold increase in invasiveness into T84 human epithelial cells and a striking ~11-fold increase for re-entry into A. castellanii cells. We also investigated the invasiveness and survivability of six diverse representative

C. jejuni

strains within Acanthamoeba spp., our results confirm that invasion and survivability is likely host-cell-dependent. Our survival assay data led us to conclude that Acanthamoeba spp. are a transient host for

C. jejuni

and that survival within amoebae pre-adapts

C. jejuni

and enhances subsequent cell invasion. This study provides new insight into

C. jejuni

interactions with amoebae and its increased invasiveness potential in mammalian hosts.
Bis[1,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene-1,2-dithiolato(1–)]nickel(II)
Authors: Koehne Sydney , Mirmelli Bailey , Mague Joel T. , Donahue James P.
Published: February 2022

The title compound, [Ni(S2C2(C6H4-p-Cl)2)2] or [Ni(C14H8Cl2S2)2], crystallizes in the triclinic space group P\overline{1} as pairs of molecules disposed about an inversion center at the bc face of the cell. Close intermolecular C—H...S (2.884 Å) and C—H...Ni (3.032 Å) contacts that are less than the sum of the van der Waals radii appear to induce slight bowing of the molecular planes toward one another. The angles at which the four p-ClC6H4- rings join the NiS2C2 chelate rings [39.37 (9)– 53.41 (6)°] are similarly influenced by these intermolecular contacts. In the larger packing arrangement, sheets of molecules extend in the direction of the ac face diagonal.
Climate change perceptions, impacts and adaptation practices of fishers in southeast Bangladesh coast
Authors: Alam Edris , Mallick Bishawjit
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The small-scale artisanal fishers in coastal Bangladesh are comparatively more vulnerable to climate risks than any other communities in Bangladesh. Based on practicality, this paper aims to explain the local level climate change perception, its impact and adaptation strategies of the fisher in southeast coastal villages in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the above objective, this study used structural, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion in two coastal communities, namely, at Salimpur in the Sitakund coast and Sarikait Sandwip Island, Bangladesh. It reviews and applies secondary data sources to compare and contrast the findings presented in this study.

Findings

Results show that the fishers perceived an increase in temperature, frequency of tropical cyclones and an increase in sea level. They also perceived a decrease in monsoon rainfall. Such changes impact the decreasing amount of fish in the Bay of Bengal and the fishers’ livelihood options. Analysing seasonal calendar of fishing, findings suggest that fishers’ well-being is highly associated with the amount of fish yield, rather than climatic stress, certain non-climatic factors (such as the governmental rules, less profit, bank erosion and commercial fishing) also affected their livelihood. The major adaptation strategies undertaken include, but are not limited to, installation of tube well or rainwater harvesting plant for safe drinking water, raising plinth of the house to cope with inundation and use of solar panel/biogas for electricity.

Originality/value

Despite experiencing social stress and extreme climatic events and disasters, the majority of the fishing community expressed that they would not change their profession in future. The research suggests implementing risk reduction strategies in the coastal region of Bangladesh that supports the small-scale fishers to sustain their livelihood despite climate change consequences.
R&D spending intensity of private vs public firms: the role of cash flow, leverage and information quality
Authors: Adu-Ameyaw Emmanuel , Danso Albert , Hickson Linda , Lartey Theophilus
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study provides a large sample comparison of research and development (R&D) spending intensity in private and public firms and the extent to which these firms' unique characteristics affect their R&D spending rate.

Design/methodology/approach

The study compares both private and public data from UK firms for the period 2006–2016, generating a total matched 232,029 firm-year observations, and applies a probability model technique to our large panel datasets.

Findings

The authors uncover that private firms show lower R&D spending intensity compared to their public counterparts. The authors evidence also shows that privately owned firms in the technological (non-technological) sector display higher (lower) probability of R&D spending intensity. Compared with public firms, the authors further observe that the intensity of private firms' R&D spending increases with higher internal cash flow, leverage and industry information quality. The authors results remain robust to alternative econometric models.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the findings of this study, the authors would like to point out that the use of a single country's data limits the generalisability of our findings. Thus, future studies may also consider extending this study across multiple countries.

Practical implications

A key implication of our study is that private firms are more likely to finance R&D intensity from the internally generated cash flow compared to the public ones. This stems from the fact that private firms are more likely to experience higher costs in raising external finance for innovative activities than public firms. Thus, easy access to funding for private firms is vital for enhancing R&D activities of the private firms.

Originality/value

By combining both private and public firms' datasets, the authors are able to provide new evidence to suggest that the intensity of private firms' R&D spending is dependent on internal cash flow, leverage and the industry information level. In fact, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explores these relationships.
Impact of digitalization on employee's autonomy: evidence from French firms
Authors: Zeshan Muhammad , Qureshi Tahir Masood , Saleem Irfan
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to clarify the relationship between digitalization and the employees’ autonomy. It proposes a positive relationship between digitalization and employees. It explains why strategic human resource management (HRM) is essential in this relationship. The study aims to solve the control autonomy paradox related to the use of technology in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper opted for the explanatory study using a cross-sectional design. Responses were received from the alumni of a French business school using the survey strategy. Structural equation modelling has been used to validate the measure and to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The paper provides empirical evidence for the positive relationship between digitalization and employees’ autonomy. It suggests that an enabling control-based HRM system mediates the positive relationship between digitalization and autonomy.

Originality/value

The study enriches the literature in information technology by solving the control autonomy paradox associated with information technology. Moreover, the study also highlights the importance of an enabling control-based HRM system by underlining its role in developing the empowering organizational context.