bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Childhood cumulative trauma, social support and stress as predictors of illness outcomes and quality of life in bipolar disorder
Authors: Rowe Amy-Leigh , Perich Tania , Meade Tanya
Published: November 2023

Objective:

Trauma, social support and stress have been identified as factors which may be associated with the bipolar disorder illness course. However, these are yet to be examined in prospective studies as predictors of illness outcomes and overall quality of life in bipolar disorder.

Method:

One hundred and fourteen participants ( N = 97; 85.1% female) living with bipolar disorder I (41.2%) or II (58.8%) completed a semi-structured interview and a range of self-report measures assessing trauma history, social support, perceived stress, depression, anxiety, mania, suicidality, number of mood episodes and quality of life, at baseline and 6-month follow-up.

Results:

Childhood cumulative trauma, social support and perceived stress accounted for a substantial and significant portion of the variance in quality of life (62%; 23.6%), anxiety severity (34.6%; 24.5%) and depression severity (49.6%; 26.7%), at both baseline and 6-month follow-up. Perceived stress made significant unique contributions to the prediction of all outcomes, and social support made significant unique contributions to depression and quality of life in bipolar disorder.

Conclusion:

Stress and social support play an important role in bipolar disorder and in quality of life for people living with this condition. Given that stress and social support are modifiable risk factors, this provides a promising direction for future intervention-based research.
The Resurgence of Chinese Exceptionalism Under Xi’s Leadership
Authors: Abdollahpour Behzad
Published: November 2023

This article examines a historical process of Chinese exceptionalism throughout history. Shedding light on different forms of exceptionalism from imperial China till now, I argue that a new form of exceptionalism appeared under Xi’s administration. Recent studies about this concept seem to dismiss the identity factor and its relations with Chinese exceptionalism. Additionally, the literature on the resurgence of exceptionalism under Xi’s era has been less discussed. In order to address this gap, I identify the common features of Chinese exceptionalism and underline the continuities and changes it has during Chinese history to better explain its traces under Xi’s leadership. The article concludes that Chinese exceptionalism is a narrative that helps Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping, to give credentials to their domestic and international politics. Furthermore, through my evaluation of the pertinent literature, I suggest that Xi’s exceptionalism is the combination of previous forms of exceptionalism in the past with a subtle difference that paves the way for China to be an active rising power.
Exploring Foreign Direct Investment in Railway Modernisation Projects in India
Authors: Shrivastva Chitresh , Syal Reetika
Published: November 2023

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) refers to the investment made by an external actor, business interests of another country. The article aims to examine the role of FDI in the modernisation projects in the Railways sector, using empirical and analytical approaches through the use of primary and secondary data sources. The study reveals that FDI has helped India undertake modernisation projects such as High-Speed Rail Corridors and Dedicated Freight Corridors. An essential outcome of the analysis is the need for stability in the policymaking process for attracting foreign players in the Railways modernisation projects.
Symptom Network Analysis Tools for Applied Researchers With Cross-Sectional and Panel Data – A Brief Overview and Multiverse Analysis
Authors: Freichel René
Published: November 2023

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in utilizing symptom-network models to study psychopathology and relevant risk factors, such as cognitive and physical health. Various methodological approaches can be employed by researchers analyzing cross-sectional and panel data (i.e., several time points over an extended period). This paper provides an overview of some commonly used analytical tools, including moderated network models, network comparison tests, cross-lagged network analysis, and panel graphical vector-autoregression (VAR) models. Using an easily accessible dataset (easySHARE), this study demonstrates the use of different analytical approaches when investigating (a) the association between mental health and cognitive functioning, and (b) the role of chronic disease in mediating or moderating this association. This multiverse analysis showcases both converging and diverging evidence from different analytical avenues. These findings underscore the importance of multiverse investigations to increase transparency and communicate the extent to which conclusions depend on analytical choices.
Queer Pedagogy in TESOL: Teachers’ Perspectives and Practices in Thai ELT Classrooms
Authors: Ulla Mark B , Paiz Joshua M
Published: November 2023

A growing number of gender and sexuality in language education studies has helped cement queer TESOL/applied linguistics as an essential sub-field. However, studies concentrating on English language teachers’ perspectives on queer pedagogies remain scarce, especially in the Thai ELT context. This study explores how language teachers view the notion of, adapt and experience queer pedagogies in their language classrooms. Using queer pedagogy as a framework and an open-ended questionnaire and online semi-structured individual interviews as methods, findings revealed that language teachers acknowledge that sexual and gender diversity extends beyond traditionally performed cisgender fe/males in the language classroom. However, they had limited knowledge about queer pedagogy. We argue that the language classroom remains a potent site for building inclusive and equitable teaching practices that welcome sexual and gender minority students, creating value around their voices and lived experiences. We also discuss the implications of our findings and offer recommendations for future scholarship, teacher education, and classroom practice.
Conspiracy Theories and Anxiety in Culture: Why is Threat-Related Misinformation an Evolved Product of Our Ability to Mobilize Sources in the Face of Un-represented Threat?
Authors: Palecek Martin , Hampel Václav
Published: November 2023

This paper argues that the allure of conspiracy theories lies in their evolutionary origins, specifically in our capacity to communicate unrepresented threats. Drawing on threat-detection psychology and error management theory, it posits that these theories serve as adaptive responses to perceived threats and social coalition-building, rather than as flaws in reasoning.
Absent, Repressive, and Criminalized States: Forced Internal Displacement and Irregular Migration in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala
Authors: Boerman Thomas J. , Aguilar Umaña Isabel , Jones Richard A.
Published: November 2023

Nearly a million people from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala have been internally displaced in recent years, and hundreds of thousands more have fled to Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Europe. An extensive literature provides evidence that direct and structural violence are the principal drivers of this phenomenon. Largely unexamined is the way in which the governments of the region contribute to and in certain critical respects create the conditions that underlie this mass human movement. Exploration of this gang-related forced displacement and irregular migration reveals the role of absent, repressive, and criminalized state postures and the corresponding neglect of the lower-income sectors as contributors to the crisis.

Casi un millón de habitantes en El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala han sido desplazados internamente en los últimos años, y cientos de miles más han huido a México, Estados Unidos, Canadá y Europa. Una extensa literatura muestra que la violencia directa y estructural han sido los principales impulsores de este fenómeno. Sin embargo, no se ha examinado la forma en que los gobiernos de la región contribuyen y, en ciertos aspectos críticos, generan las condiciones que subyacen este masivo movimiento humano. Una exploración de dicho desplazamiento forzado y migración irregular ligados a la violencia pandillera nos revela el papel que cumplen las posturas estatales ausentes, represivas y criminalizadas, así como el correspondiente abandono de los sectores de bajos ingresos como contribuyentes a la crisis.
Effects of Study Load on Science Achievement: Searching for a Turning Point with Multilevel Piecewise Regression
Authors: Ma Xin , Luo Xingkai
Published: November 2023

With an educational issue that has caught the attention of many countries in the world (study load), a population of 8th graders from a typical Chinese metropolitan city (40,536 from 118 schools), and an advanced statistical strategy (multilevel piecewise regression), we examined whether there was a turning point in terms of the effects of study load on science achievement. We did identify a turning point for each and every measure of study load. For weekday learning on science achievement, we identified a turning point of 22.50 hr for the effects of in-school learning, 7.50 hr for the effects of homework, and 12 hr for the effects of after-school learning. For weekend learning on science achievement, we identified a turning point of 1.50 hr for the effects of in-school learning, 5 hr for the effects of homework, and 1 hr for the effects of after-school learning. In each case, the difference in effects before and after the turning point was statistically significant, indicating that the effects of study load on science achievement were nonlinear. All of these turning points offered important implications for science education.
Are Retail Investors in Emerging Economies SRI Ready?
Authors: Joshi Heena Thanki , Dangi Meghna
Published: November 2023

Socially responsible investment (SRI) is a contemporary idea to describe investing that incorporates social, ethical and environmental dimensions. Under the Theory of Planned Behaviour lens, the current study examines the role of attitude, subjective norm, perceived control behaviour and moral norms in explaining retail investors’ investment intention towards SRI. The study adopted the quantitative approach of research and gathered the required data using the judgmental sampling method. This research uses structural equation modelling to present a model that better explains the role of attitude, subjective norm, perceived control behaviour and moral norms in understanding retail investors’ investment intentions for SRI. The current study proposes and successfully validates the use of subjective financial literacy as a perceived control behaviour variable in studying the investment intention of SRI. The finding suggests that retail investors’ intention to invest in SRI is significantly positively inﬂuenced by attitude, subjective norms, moral norms and subjective financial literacy.
The Efficacy of Salesforce Control Systems: Their Impact on the Pharmaceutical Industry in India
Authors: Fatima Zoha , Khan Adil , Mohammad Abdul Saboor
Published: November 2023

The salesforce control system plays an important role in salesforce performance and organization effectiveness. This study investigates the influence of behaviour-based and outcome-based control systems on eight performance-related variables. Data have been collected from sales executives of pharmaceutical companies in India on the basis of a self-administered survey. A standardized close-ended survey instrument was utilized to gather the data. Post screening, a usable sample of 346 responses was analysed by employing partial least square structural equation modelling. The results indicate that although both kinds of salesforce control systems are acceptable, the behaviour-based one appears to be slightly better. Academic and managerial implications are discussed in this article.
Prognostic factors for sublingual gland carcinoma: a population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database study
Authors: Qin Gang , Wu Lei , Li Chengxia , Zhang Qian , An Zhongjun , Qin Jianhua
Published: November 2023

Objective

To identify the clinical features and prognostic factors for sublingual gland carcinoma.

Methods

This was a case–control study. Patients with surgically treated sublingual gland carcinoma were retrospectively included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database and divided into adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and non-ACC groups. Primary outcome variables were disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS). Prognostic factors for each group were analyzed using Cox models.

Results

We included 251 patients (115 men and 136 women). Compared with the non-ACC group, the ACC group had a larger average tumor size and received more adjuvant radiotherapy. In patients with ACC, the pathologic grade had an independent impact on DSS and OS, and patients who were undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy had worse DSS than those who were not receiving chemotherapy. In the non-ACC group, pathologic grade IV, lymph node metastasis, and adjuvant chemotherapy were associated with poor DSS and OS, and tumor extension predicted worsening DSS.

Conclusions

In sublingual gland carcinoma, the pathologic grade and adjuvant chemotherapy were the most important prognostic factors, whereas lymph node metastasis had a negative impact in non-ACC patients but not in ACC patients.
Bus Operation Safety Business Intelligence Solution: Applying Analytics for Key Performance Indicator, Investigation, and Targeted Actions Analyses with a Centralized Data Warehouse
Authors: Ding Xiaotong , Maleyeff John , Valk Frans
Published: November 2023

A business intelligence (BI) system was designed to create a proactive, reactive, and precursor decision tool to improve safety of bus operations at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The system’s development was motivated in part by recommendations of a safety inspection by the Federal Transportation Administration, and the realization that the MBTA has access to vest amounts of data that are not being used to create information effectively. The developers reduced the complexity of the BI system by incorporating analytics to determine the areas of focus where safety has the most impact. Challenges were posed by the need to integrate internal and external databases with various formats and structures, and the desire to create a self-service BI solution for multiple MBTA users. The resulting BI solution includes applications that support key performance indicator analyses, root cause investigations, and targeted improvement actions. These applications represent an enhanced approach that combines data for a more holistic analysis and eliminates the need to transfer datasets or data analyses by email. The system includes various forms of visualizations to help users navigate the myriad of information, including geospatial maps, interactive pie, line, and bar charts, and word frequency and relationship mapping. The paper details the system’s development and how analytical approaches were used to expose important information that is hidden in the data. Examples of applications are shown using screenshots and a general workflow is presented that could be applicable to agencies with fewer resources.
Comparison of Discrete Choice and Machine Learning Models for Simultaneous Modeling of Mobility Tool Ownership in Agent-Based Travel Demand Models
Authors: Püschel Jasper , Barthelmes Lukas , Kagerbauer Martin , Vortisch Peter
Published: November 2023

Individual travel behavior, such as mode choice, is determined to a distinct degree by the respective portfolio of available mobility tools, such as the number of cars, public transit pass ownership, or a carsharing membership. However, the choice of different mobility tools is interdependent, and individuals weigh alternatives against each other. This process of parallel trade-offs is currently not reflected in typically used sequential logit models of agent-based travel demand models. This study fills this research gap by applying discrete choice and neural network models on a synthetic population to model multiple mobility tool ownership simultaneously. Using data from a national household travel survey, both model types approximated the given target distributions of mobility tools more accurately than the sequence of three corresponding logit models. Owing to its greater flexibility, the tested shallow and deep neural network exhibited higher predictive accuracy than simultaneous discrete choice models. The results indicated that neural networks with only one hidden layer were more robust and easier to formulate and interpret than deep networks with three hidden layers. Finally, the flat neural network was applied to a different synthetic population resulting in equally accurate results.
Fabrication, characterization, and in vivo implantation of eugenol-loaded nanogels and PCL/Cs electrospun nanofibers for wound healing applications
Authors: Noori Fariba , Osanloo Mahmoud , Moradi Hamid Reza , Ghaderi Jafarbeigloo Hamidreza , Jirehnezhadyan Mozhgan , Kouhpayeh Seyed Amin , Tirgare Mahtab , Bozorgi Azam , Goodarzi Arash
Published: November 2023

Developing wound dressings with a high potential to cover damaged skin tissue and facilitate cell adhesion and migration at the injury site is crucial in skin tissue engineering to accelerate wound healing. Electrospun nanofibers from natural/synthetic polymers are amongst the favorable wound dressings with appropriate physicochemical and biological properties. As well, nanoformulations of phenolic phytochemical “eugenol” have been shown to fasten wound healing via various anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Herein, we developed a bi-component wound dressing of PCL/Cs electrospun nanofibers and eugenol nanogel to investigate its effects on tissue healing in vivo. PCL/Cs nanofibers were fabricated using an electrospinning method at the 15:1 ratio, and eugenol-loaded nanogels were synthesized by adding carboxymethylcellulose as the gelling agent, and their physicochemical characteristics were assessed. Scaffolds were implanted in a full-thickness excision wound model in Wistar rats, followed up for 21 days. The results showed that electrospun nanofibers had an average diameter of 228 nm with uniform and smooth morphology aligned randomly. Eugenol-loaded nanogel showed an average size distribution of 126 nm. Eugenol-loaded nanogel and nanogel + nanofiber groups significantly reduced wound surface area over 21 days. Histological evaluations showed that Eugenol-loaded nanogel and nanogel + nanofiber groups developed the full-thickness epidermis with the complete epithelium and stratum corneum, angiogenesis, and low macrophage infiltration in which predominantly mature collagen fibers were poorly and well organized, respectively. The combination of eugenol-loaded nanogel + PCL/Cs nanofiber accelerated wound healing by reducing inflammation, and edema along with enhancing angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and re-epithelialization.
The saga of James Lucett and the process for curing insanity, Part 1 (1811–14): The rise and fall of Delahoyde and Lucett
Authors: Smith Leonard
Published: November 2023

James Lucett, a London clerk, claimed possession of a secret remedy for curing chronic insanity. In 1813, he and the Irish surgeon Charles Delahoyde secured royal and aristocratic patronage to implement their ‘process’ and opened a private asylum. They aroused great public interest after apparently remarkable results with hitherto intractable patients from Bethlem and Hoxton. Delahoyde and Lucett attained brief celebrity, but within a year it was evident that the dramatic recoveries were only temporary. Their venture collapsed in disarray and bankruptcy, and the episode was soon largely forgotten. Delahoyde fled to Ireland, but Lucett managed to re-establish himself in practice. This article narrates the origins, operation and failure of the enterprise. A second article will consider Lucett’s subsequent career.
A novel power conversion structure for grid-connected photovoltaic applications based on MLI and LeBlanc transformer using IRSA technique
Authors: Sonia C , Tamilselvi S
Published: November 2023

This article proposes a new energy conversion structure by employing a hybrid approach for grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) applications. This structure depends on the LeBlanc transformer and multilevel inverter (MLI). The proposed hybrid system combines the honey badger algorithm (HBA) and the reptile search algorithm (RSA). Crocodiles hunting behavior is enhanced by the HBA technique, also known as the IRSA technique. Voltage source inverters (VSI) are used in the proposed multilevel power converter. The MLI output is attached to the LeBlanc transformer. Multi-string technology is essential to the PV system's configuration. This innovative power converter's structural layout allows for an output voltage at the MLI's output. The proposed IRSA approach is utilized to regulate this power converter. This control system permits a fast and robust response from the MLI. This is also ensured by using the IRSA technique. The performance of the proposed hybrid method is run in MATLAB, and the performance is compared with various existing methods. From the simulation, the proposed approach-based efficiency is higher than the existing one. The proposed method shows a high efficiency of 99% compared with other existing methods, such as the salp swarm algorithm (SSA), bee colony optimization (BCO), and grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA).
Gastroschisis Associated Intestinal Dysmotility: What Can We Do?
Authors: Bottu Archana , Manzar Shabih
Published: November 2023

The cause of gastroschisis is not fully known, but risk factors like prenatal tobacco exposure, maternal infection and maternal drug use are often associated. When gastroschisis occurs with intestinal dysmotility, the enteric interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) implicate the dysmotility and may ultimately impact the growth of an infant. Furthermore, neonates experience growth weight failure when not taking any enteral feedings secondary to dysmotility. We had a case of an infant with gastroschisis and intestinal atresia who had a prolonged course of feeding intolerance and abdominal distention after his bowel resection. His growth was preserved because of careful management of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) via a judicious nutrition plan.
Walking a Tightrope: Assessing India’s Engagements with G20 and BRICS
Authors: Kumar Abhinandan
Published: November 2023

Both the G20 and BRICS forums were established roughly at around the same time. This article examines India’s engagement with both these forums in the context of its complex position as a leader representing the Global South and a newly emerged power seeking an elevated status in international diplomacy. The study begins by highlighting India’s initial scepticism towards the G20 and its preference for the transformative potential of BRICS. However, under Modi, India’s approach gradually shifted towards embracing the G20, driven by multiple factors. The article also explores the relevance of BRICS for India amidst its growing inclination towards the G20. It argues that India cannot afford to undermine BRICS, as it would strengthen China’s claims as the sole representative of the Global South. However, its aim to balance China within the BRICS has proven to be challenging owing to recent developments that have complicated matters for India.
Becoming and being a masters athlete: Class, gender, place and the embodied formation of (anti)-ageing moral identities
Authors: Hookway Nicholas , Palmer Catherine , Dwyer Zack , Mainsbridge Casey
Published: November 2023

Once discouraged or viewed as dangerous, Masters athletes are now seen as exemplars of how people should age. This paper qualitatively examines the sporting pathways, embodied experiences and the moral formation of ageing identities among ‘young-old’ athletes competing in the 16th Australian Masters Games. Held in regional Tasmania (Australia), the Games attracted over 5000 participants competing across 47 sports over an 8-day period. Contributing to a critical body of scholarship on Masters athletes, the paper shows that class and gender inequality shape processes of becoming and being a Masters athlete that are rarely acknowledged in the ‘heroic ageing’ accounts the participants narrate. Further, the paper develops a unique spatial perspective on Masters sport that recognises the potential of the Games to disrupt place-based stigma but also identifies its class dimensions both as a site of middle-class shame and consumer opportunity for affluent sports tourists. We draw upon Allen-Collinson's concept of ‘intense embodiment’ to spotlight the sensory pleasures, pain and injuries of training and competing as an older athlete but also as an important lens for analysing the construction of ageing moral identities that can stigmatise and exclude the inactive old.
The knowledge-leveraging corporation in the neoliberalisation-financialisation nexus
Authors: Muzaka Valbona
Published: November 2023

Before the Covid-19 pandemic brought the proprietary pharmaceutical sector to the attention of the lay public, scholars had constructed a rich body of knowledge covering almost all of its aspects. But this diverse literature displays a tendency to focus on specific practices, often unarticulated with each other and detached from the broader socio-economic-political context in which the sector operates. This article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the radical transformations that have occurred in the sector in the context of the neoliberalisation-financialisation nexus. This vantage point enables us to grasp better the depth of these changes, especially the emergence of a new kind of corporation preoccupied predominantly with leveraging knowledge of two kinds: knowledge protected by state-backed legal (IP) titles, and that specific to orchestrating the various networks where most of research, development, and production now occurs.
African American Women and Self-Esteem
Authors: Middleton Tanya J. , Owens Delila
Published: November 2023

Social support has been found to act as a buffer against the effects of racial microaggressions, which are known to have an adverse effect on self-esteem. The current quantitative study examined the effects of social support and racial microaggressions on the self-esteem of African American women enrolled in predominately White institutions (PWIs). The sample comprised 121 African American women enrolled at PWIs. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between perceived social support, racial microaggressions, and the self-esteem of African American women enrolled at PWIs. In analyzing individual subscales, family-based support and self-esteem were statistically significant. Implications for counseling are discussed.
Superior Vesical Fissure as an Incomplete Form of Bladder Exstrophy: A Case Report with Clinico-Pathological Correlation and a Comprehensive Literature Review
Authors: Arredondo Montero Javier , Bronte Anaut Mónica , Molina Caballero Ada Yessenia , Carracedo Vega Elena , Guarch Troyas Rosa , Pérez-Martínez Alberto
Published: November 2023

Multiple variants of classic bladder exstrophy have been described, all of them infrequent. Superior vesical fissure is a mild variant of this pathology in which genital involvement is scarce or absent. To date, there are only isolated reports of this entity. We report a full-term female patient of Arabian descent with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of superior vesical fissure that was surgically corrected in our center with a favorable evolution. Histological study, supported by immunohistochemical techniques, showed squamous and transitional epithelium and discrete chronic inflammation. Our literature review identified 26 reports of superior vesical fissure (including ours), with high heterogeneity in terms of clinical characterization and associated malformations and with only two histological reports. The clinical evolution of the patients reported in the literature was favorable, with lower morbidity and mortality than in classical forms of bladder exstrophy.
How Many Intersections? Theoretical Synergy as a Rationale for Intersectional Biographical Analysis
Authors: Varriale Simone
Published: November 2023

This article develops an innovative approach to intersectional biographical interviewing for researchers working with highly diverse, partly unknown populations and focusing on systems of intersecting inequality, rather than “groups” or “lists” of intersections. Drawing on fieldwork with Black and Muslim Italian migrants with different class backgrounds, the article discusses theoretical synergy as a tool to redraw analytical boundaries vis-à-vis emergent knowledge of intersecting inequalities, and to connect different analytical dimensions in biographical analysis. Moreover, I introduce field-specific questions as a technique that captures the contextual effects of intersecting inequalities, minimizing the risk of essentialising minority ethnic participants.
Patterns of prescription opioid use and opioid-related harms among adult patients with hematologic malignancies
Authors: Nabulsi Nadia A , Sharp Lisa K , Sweiss Karen I , Patel Pritesh R , Calip Gregory S , Lee Todd A
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Treatment advances for hematologic malignancies (HM) have dramatically improved life expectancy, necessitating greater focus on long-term cancer pain management. This study explored real-world patterns of opioid use among patients with HM.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study identified adults diagnosed with HM from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2019 using the Truven MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database. Across several HM types, we described rates of high-risk opioid use (based on Pharmacy Quality Alliance measures) and opioid-related harms, including incident opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses and opioid-related hospitalizations or emergency department (ED) visits. We used multivariable Cox regression to generate adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals comparing the risk of opioid-related harms between patients with versus without high-risk opioid use.

Results

Our sample included 43,190 patients with HM. Median age at HM diagnosis was 54 years (interquartile range  =  44–60). Most patients (61.9%) were diagnosed with lymphoma. Approximately half (49.2%) had an opioid dispensed in the follow-up period. Among all patients, 20.0% met criteria for high-risk opioid use, 0.9% had an OUD diagnosis, and 0.3% experienced an opioid-related hospitalization/ED visit in follow-up. High-risk opioid use increased the risk of an OUD diagnosis by 3.3 times (p < 0.0001) and an opioid-related hospitalization/ED visit 4.2 times (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

High-risk opioid use was prevalent among patients with HM and significantly increased the risk of opioid-related harms. However, rates of opioid-related harms were low. These findings highlight the importance of continually monitoring pain and opioid use throughout HM survivorship to provide safe, effective HM pain management.
Men’s Narratives of Sexual Intimate Partner Violence in Urban Mwanza, Northwestern Tanzania
Authors: Mchome Zaina , Mshana Gerry , Malibwa Donati , Aloyce Diana , Dwarumpudi Annapoorna , Peter Esther , Kapiga Saidi , Stöckl Heidi
Published: November 2023

Engaging men has been established as central in addressing intimate partner violence. Yet few studies on intimate partner violence explored men’s perspectives on what constitutes sexual violence in relationships only. To explore how men conceptualize sexual violence, we engaged a qualitative approach to unpack men’s narratives of sexual IPV. The study was conducted in Mwanza, Tanzania using in-depth interviews with 30 married men. Men shared a broad spectrum of unacceptable behaviors that clearly or potentially connote sexual violence. Some of the acts were deemed to constitute sexual violence when directed to both men and women, while some were perceived as sexual violence when directed to women or men only. Threatened manhood underpinned men’s conceptualization of sexual violence against them by their partners. Although a large part of men’s narratives of sexual violence towards women seemed to challenge the common sexual scripts existing in patriarchal societies, some of their accounts indicated the persistence of traditional presumptions of masculine sexual entitlement. Our findings uncover additional dimensions of sexual violence that go beyond what is included in the current global frameworks, underscoring the critical need of giving people a voice in their local contexts in defining what sexual intimate partner violence entails for them. This may increase the likelihood of interventions becoming more acceptable and effective when targeting sexual violence, thereby contributing to reduced levels of sexual intimate partner violence.
BH4 as a Therapeutic Target for ADHD: Relevance to Neurotransmitters and Stress-Driven Symptoms
Authors: Wilson Samson K. , Thomas Jaya
Published: November 2023

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is a critical cofactor in a variety of metabolic pathways that have been linked to ADHD. There have been no previous studies utilizing BH4 as a supplement for ADHD. BH4 has been approved as a treatment for phenylketonuria (PKU). Individuals with PKU and ADHD appear to have low DA levels in common, suggesting that the hypodopaminergic state seen in both illnesses could be a relationship between the two. Clinical research involving supplementation of BH4 has shown low occurrence of adverse. In experiments, BH4 has also been found to have good blood-brain barrier permeability. BH4 also has the ability in scavenging ROS activity, which is an implication of stress and is seen in ADHD. BH4’s significance in ADHD is reviewed in this paper because of its involvement in numerous neurodevelopmental metabolic pathways, and we anticipate that exogenous BH4 can be used to treat ADHD.
Branch retinal artery occlusion with unruptured retinal arterial macroaneurysm post–SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A case report
Authors: Murata Keigo , Nagasato Daisuke , Tanaka Hayato , Nakakura Shunsuke , Nagasawa Toshihiko , Mitamura Yoshinori , Tabuchi Hitoshi
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Many adverse occurrences in the eye have been reported after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination. This is the first report of a patient with an unruptured retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) who developed branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) one day after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (BNT162b2 by Pfizer-BioNTech).

Patient Report

A 75-year-old man with a pertinent history of type-2 diabetes mellitus visited the hospital complaining of sudden visual loss in his right eye 1 day after receiving the fourth dose of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine; his best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) decreased from 1.0 to 0.7 (Snellen decimal). The patient had previously been diagnosed with an unruptured RAM and superior paracentral acute middle maculopathy in the same eye. Fundus examination showed increased sheathing of blood vessels. Indocyanine green showed a hyperfluorescent area suggestive of RAM on the right eye disc. Fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography angiography revealed arterial obstruction findings in the upper retinal area.

Diagnosis and Intervention

The patient was diagnosed with BRAO with RAM and was followed up without any additional treatment. Follow-up examination after 4 months did not show any improvement in BCVA value.

Conclusion

This case suggested that BRAO could develop after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with unruptured RAM; however, more research is required to investigate the causes.
Hospital Discharge Planners Need More Information When Referring Patients to Home Health Care: Insights From the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
Authors: Li Jun , Jeffers Thomas , Ogunjesa Babatope , Raj Minakshi
Published: November 2023

Hospital discharge planners play an important role in helping patients choose appropriate home health care. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they may not have had enough information to make the best decisions for their patients. A study of 58 discharge planners from Michigan hospitals found that 90% of them wanted information about the quality of home health agencies and whether they were prepared for COVID-19. However, only about 20% had this information readily available. The study also found that discharge planners varied in how they incorporated quality information. Some did not incorporate any quality information at all, while others provided it to patients without explaining its significance. Only about 25% of discharge planners helped patients interpret different sources of information. These findings suggest that hospital discharge planners had an unmet need for quality information, and they also provided limited assistance to patients. This may have led to some patients receiving suboptimal care. Thus, we proposed that hospital discharge planners need more information about the quality of home health agencies. Discharge planners should be more transparent about the quality of information they have, and they should help patients interpret it.
A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Pulmonary Toxicities Caused by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Quality of Treatment Recommendations and Differences in Management Strategies Between Guidelines
Authors: Donkor Kofi N , Jang Hyeree , Sail Reena
Published: November 2023

Background:

Pulmonary toxicities caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors are a prominent concern for clinicians. Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are critical for managing these toxicities.

Methods:

A systematic search of CPGs on checkpoint-associated pulmonary toxicities (ca-PT) was conducted in October 2022. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched. AGREE II and AGREE-REX were used to appraise CPGs and recommendations quality, respectively. Descriptive statistics, intraclass correlation coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis (H) test, and Spearman’s correlation were used for analyses. P-values < .05 were considered statistically significant. Matrices were used to determine recommendation differences between CPGs. The study’s design was based on the PRISMA 2020 checklist for systematic reviews. Protocol registration number: CRD42022358435.

Results:

Eight CPGs (two high-quality, three moderate-quality, and three low-quality) were identified. All CPGs covered pneumonitis. One CPG covered pleural effusions and pneumonitis/SARs-CoV-2-infection. Three CPGs covered sarcoidosis-like-reactions. CPGs for pulmonary fibrosis, airway disease, bronchiolitis, and diffuse alveolar damage, were unavailable. No CPG recommendation was based on a prospective study, and none were appraised as high-quality. Also, recommendations were not specific to histopathologic subtypes. AGREE II’s “rigor of development,” the domain that evaluates a guideline’s methodological approach and strategies in gathering scientific evidence, correlated strongly with AGREE-REX’s “overall quality” pneumonitis recommendations, r = .952; P < .01. Approximately 73% of recommendations on pneumonitis were similar between high-quality CPGs. About 16% to 74% of low-quality CPGs were similar to those recommended by high-quality CPGs.

Conclusion:

Prospectively designed research projects focusing on all types of ca-PT and their histopathologic subtypes are urgently needed. Due to the lack of high-quality recommendations in available CPGs, the disparities in treatment recommendations between high-quality CPGs, and the similarities in recommendations that exists between high-quality and low-quality CPGs, clinicians should thoroughly assess and responsibly appraise all available CPG recommendations in formulating treatment strategies for ca-PT.
‘Just relax and ram it in’: Dimensions of power in workplace sexual humour
Authors: Humonen Kristina , Whittle Andrea
Published: November 2023

Sexual humour has been observed in organisations where it is actively encouraged and in organisations where it is officially proscribed. In this paper, we use Interactional Sociolinguistics to analyse fifteen ‘live’ recordings of walkie-talkie radio conversations in a Finnish restaurant where sexual behaviour was officially proscribed. Our findings illustrate how sexual humour can function as a means of ‘bonding’ or ‘biting’ in a mixed-gender work community, with each exchange carrying distinct power implications. Theoretically, we build on Butler’s notion of ‘linguistic injury’ by proposing that the nature and extent of the ‘injury’ associated with sexual humour varies depending on the function, target, initiator and response. We develop a conceptual framework that positions sexual humour within its interactional, organisational and societal context and which illuminates the distinct power relations enacted by sexual humour involving resistance, subjugation and exclusion.
Extended interval dosing of ocrelizumab in patients with multiple sclerosis is not associated with meaningful differences in disease activity
Authors: Bou Rjeily Nicole , Fitzgerald Kathryn C , Mowry Ellen M
Published: November 2023

Risk concerns related to ocrelizumab treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) during the COVID-19 pandemic caused infusion delays with extended interval dosing (EID). We reviewed medical records of patients on ocrelizumab to determine whether EID maintains its effectiveness compared to standard interval dosing (SID). Among 361 patients, 231 (64%) and 123 (34%) had at least one infusion with infusion intervals of ⩾8 months and ⩾12 months, respectively. There were no differences in demographics or clinical profiles between the SID and EID groups. No significant differences between rates of breakthrough activity among relapsing-remitting patients were observed between SID (three patients) and EID (seven patients).
Cognitive phenotypes predict response to restorative cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ziccardi Stefano , Fuchs Tom , Dwyer Michael G , Zivadinov Robert , Hulst Hanneke E , Calabrese Massimiliano , Benedict Ralph HB
Published: November 2023

Background:

Cognitive phenotyping may be useful for predicting rehabilitation response in multiple sclerosis.

Objective:

To evaluate the association between cognitive phenotype(s) and response to restorative cognitive rehabilitation (RRCR).

Methods:

In a post hoc retrospective analysis of the RRCR study including 51 multiple sclerosis patients, we evaluated both impairment within specific cognitive domains as well as overall global impairment severity to investigate their relationship to improvement following rehabilitation.

Results:

Greater improvement in executive function was predicted by impairment within this domain as well as by having fewer impaired cognitive domains overall. Similar results were observed for visuospatial memory.

Conclusions:

Patients most likely to benefit from restorative cognitive rehabilitation may exhibit impairment within the domain of interest yet lower cognitive burden overall.
Inclusion of optic neuritis in dissemination in space improves the performance of McDonald 2017 criteria in Hispanic people with suspected multiple sclerosis
Authors: Amezcua Lilyana , Robers Michael V , Soneji Deepak , Manouvakhova Olga , Martinez Andrea , Islam Talat
Published: November 2023

Background:

Hispanic people compared to White people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are two times more likely to present with optic neuritis (ON). ON in dissemination in space (DIS) after a single attack is not part of the current McDonald 2017 criteria.

Objective:

To evaluate if adding ON in DIS (ON-modified criteria) improves the performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria in the diagnosis of MS after a single attack of ON.

Methods:

Retrospective study of 102 patients of Hispanic background. Cases were reviewed between 2017 and 2021. Clinical ON was reported for 35 cases. ON in DIS was verified for 28 patients via MRI, optical coherence tomography, and/or visual evoked potential. We investigated the performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria and ON-modified criteria and calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy.

Results:

The ON-modified criteria significantly improved the performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria ( p = 0.003) and identified an additional nine patients. Both sensitivity and accuracy increased from 64% to 74% and 62% to 71%, respectively, while specificity remained unchanged (40% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10, 0.70)).

Conclusion:

This study provides evidence that the inclusion of ON in DIS improved the overall performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria among Hispanic people.
Shifting from Web2 to Web3: The adaptive creator experiences on blockchain-based video-sharing and streaming platforms
Authors: Järvekülg Madis , Ibrus Indrek , Rohn Ulrike
Published: November 2023

Blockchains have inspired imaginaries of a new iteration of the internet, hailed as Web3, where the power of centralized platform companies would be limited and the ownership of personal data and content could be retained by their individual owners and creators. Web3 is expected to facilitate the emergence of novel protocols and platforms that enable decentralized coordination of data and digital assets. This article examines critically the experiences and imaginaries of creators working on two blockchain-based video-sharing platforms: Theta.tv and Odysee. Building on the studies of creator culture and institutionalist blockchain economics and based on open-ended interviews with the early adopters of these platforms, the paper investigates how the creators experience these decentralized social media applications in terms of their processes of governance, community creation, and career development. We show how the affordances of blockchains and creator expectations can result in further convergence of community management and career-building functions potentially benefiting creators. We also show that the new wave of decentralization, against optimistic blockchain visions, has not yet led to the distributed ‘ownership’ of social media networks. Rather, while blockchains seem to have increased creator autonomy and added career opportunities, novel forms of platform governance and power have also introduced new perceptions of precarity among creators.
Changes in the concept of time among North Korean refugees: A socio-cultural perspective
Authors: Choi Jinhee
Published: November 2023

Refugees from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds and geopolitical locations face temporal challenges during their transition, yet more research needs to be conducted to understand their time conception in the host society. This study explores how North Korean refugees from remote rural areas in North Korea and China adjusted their time conception in a metropolitan city in South Korea. Data were collected through a pilot study (January-March 2017) and ethnographic fieldwork (February-July 2018), entailing semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, and field notes. Vygotsky’s psychological tool and Ricoeur’s interpretive approach were employed to solicit the mediation of time conception through organizational activities and narrative meanings. The analysis reveals themes that challenge refugees’ time conception reflecting North Korean values and daily activities—Kimilsungism, collectivism, and task-oriented attitude—and the changes in time conception on the sense of the self. Refugees’ learning in time conception is a holistic spiritual, social, and personal process.