bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nelfinavir restricts A549 cell growth by inhibiting STAT3 signaling
Authors: He Fangli , Wang Gang , Xu ZhengQing , Huang Zhihui
Published: June 2021

Objective

To investigate the anticancer effect of nelfinavir (NFV) on human A549 cells.

Methods

The inhibitory effects of NFV on the proliferation of human A549 cells were assessed using a MTT assay. Apoptotic cells were observed by fluorescence microscopy following Hoechst 33342 staining. Apoptosis of A549 cells was assessed using Annexin-V/propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry. Expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and p-STAT3 were measured by western blotting. STAT3 RNA silencing was used to investigate the pro-apoptotic mechanism of NFV in A549 cells.

Results

NFV dose-dependently suppressed proliferation of human A549 cells and induced significant apoptosis. Western blotting showed that the antitumor function of NFV might be mediated by STAT3 inhibition. A549 cell apoptosis in response to 20 µM NFV was significantly increased following STAT3 silencing. NFV significantly impeded the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-xL and Bcl-2, by increased the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Cle-PARP.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight STAT3 as a promising therapeutic target. NFV is a novel anti-cancer drug for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer.
Prevalence and clinical characteristics of septicemia in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia
Authors: Liu Li , Maharjan Shobha , Sun Jia-Liang , Li Yan-Chun , Cheng Huan-Ji
Published: June 2021

Background

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) pneumonia in children can be challenging to treat, and the impact of MP blood infection is unclear. The present study aims to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of MP septicemia among pediatric patients.

Methods

Children hospitalized at our center for MP pneumonia between October 2017 and June 2018 were included. Healthy controls visiting our outpatient clinic for regular physical examinations were also enrolled. MP was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis of plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples.

Results

Sixty-one children with MP pneumonia and 30 healthy children were included. Among children with MP infection, 31 (50.8%) were positive for MP by qPCR (19 in plasma samples, 8 in PBMC samples, and 4 in both). All healthy controls were negative for MP by qPCR.

Conclusions

The prevalence of MP septicemia in children with MP pneumonia is moderate. However, detection of MP in blood samples may have limited clinical value for guiding treatment.
PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 Gene Expression and Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Canine Melanoma
Authors: Stevenson Valentina B. , Perry Samantha N. , Todd Michelle , Huckle William R. , LeRoith Tanya
Published: June 2021

Melanoma in humans and dogs is considered highly immunogenic; however, the function of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is often suppressed in the tumor microenvironment. In humans, current immunotherapies target checkpoint molecules (such as PD-L1, expressed by tumor cells), inhibiting their suppressive effect over TILs. The role of PD-L2, an alternative PD-1 ligand also overexpressed in malignant tumors and in patients with anti-PD-L1 resistance, remains poorly understood. In the current study, we evaluated the expression of checkpoint molecule mRNAs in canine melanoma and TILs. Analysis of checkpoint molecule gene expression was performed by RT-qPCR (real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction) using total RNA isolated from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded melanomas ( n = 22) and melanocytomas ( n = 9) from the Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services archives. Analysis of checkpoint molecule expression revealed significantly higher levels of PDCD1 ( PD-1) and CD274 ( PD-L1) mRNAs and an upward trend in PDCD1LG2 ( PD-L2) mRNA in melanomas relative to melanocytomas. Immunohistochemistry revealed markedly increased numbers of CD3+ T cells in the highest PD-1-expressing subgroup of melanomas compared to the lowest PD-1 expressors, whereas densities of IBA1+ cells (macrophages) were similar in both groups. CD79a+ cell numbers were low for both groups. As in human melanoma, overexpression of the PD-1/PD-L1/PD-L2 axis is a common feature of canine melanoma. High expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 correlates with increased numbers of CD3+ cells. Additionally, the high level of IBA1+ cells in melanomas with low PD-1 expression and low CD3+ cells levels suggest that the expression of checkpoint molecules is modulated by interactions between T cells and cancer cells rather than histiocytes.
Gender Differences between Cyberbullying Victimization and Meaning in Life: Roles of Fatalism and Self-Concept Clarity
Authors: Geng Jingyu , Wang Yuhui , Wang Pengcheng , Zeng Pan , Lei Li
Published: June 2021

Despite widely linking cyberbullying victimization (CV) to some poorer mental health outcomes, CV also negatively impacts the internal strengths that make life worth living, such as meaning in life, which has received less attention. This study thus aimed to examine the relationship between CV and presence of meaning in life as well as the mediating roles of fatalism and self-concept clarity in this relationship. Gender differences in the mediation model were also examined. A sample of 766 Chinese junior school students ( M = 13.11 years, SD = 1.19 years) completed questionnaires regarding CV, presence of meaning, self-concept clarity, and fatalism. The results revealed that CV was significantly and positively correlated with presence of meaning. Structural equation modeling indicated that self-concept clarity and fatalism completely mediated the link between CV and presence of meaning in parallel and sequential manners. The multigroup analysis further showed that CV was positively related to fatalism only among girls and had a stronger negative association with self-concept clarity for girls compared with boys. Thus, the indirect link between CV and presence of meaning was stronger for girls (versus boys). Findings suggested that CV was associated with poor self-concept clarity, stronger fatalism, and low levels of presence of meaning in life among adolescents, especially for girls. Increasing self-concept clarity and decreasing fatalistic beliefs are thus necessary to help cyberbullying victims to develop meaning in life.
Perceived Discrimination, Retention, and Diabetes Risk Among American Indians and Alaska Natives in a Diabetes Lifestyle Intervention
Authors: Gonzales Kelly L. , Jiang Luohua , Garcia-Alexander Ginny , Jacob Michelle M. , Chang Jenny , Williams David R. , Bullock Ann , Manson Spero M.
Published: June 2021

Objectives: To examine the association of perceived discrimination with participant retention and diabetes risk among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Methods: Data were drawn from the Special Diabetes Program for Indians–Diabetes Prevention Demonstration Project ( N = 2553). Results: Perceived discrimination was significantly and negatively associated with short-term and long-term retention and diabetes risk without adjusting. After controlling for socioeconomic characteristics and clinical outcomes, perceived discrimination was not associated with retention but was significantly associated with less improvement in body mass index (BMI) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Every unit increase in the perceived discrimination score was associated with 0.14 kg/m2 less BMI reduction (95% CI: [0.02, 0.26], p = 0.0183) and 1.06 mg/dl lower HDL at baseline (95% CI: [0.36, 1.76], p = 0.0028). Discussion: Among racialized groups, improving retention and health in lifestyle interventions may require investigating perceived discrimination and the broader context of structural racism and colonialism.
Older and Wiser? Age Moderates the Association Between Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms in American Indians and Alaska Natives
Authors: Danyluck Chad , Blair Irene V. , Manson Spero M. , Laudenslager Mark L. , Daugherty Stacie L. , Jiang Luohua , Brondolo Elizabeth
Published: June 2021

Objectives: To examine age differences in the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms among urban American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Methods: A sample of 303 urban AI/AN (18–78 years old) reported on lifetime and past-week experiences of racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were regressed on racial discrimination, age, and their interaction, adjusting for demographic factors and other life stressors. Results: Lifetime and past-week discrimination were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, and these associations were stronger among younger than older adult AI/AN. Discussion: The results are consistent with prior reports in other populations, but this is the first such study to focus on AI/AN, and it highlights the importance of considering life course perspectives. Conclusions are limited by the cross-sectional nature of the data. Longitudinal and qualitative work is needed to understand why discrimination may have a stronger effect on mental health for younger than older AI/AN.
Why do state-owned utilities become subject to financial logics? The case of energy distribution in Flanders
Authors: Deruytter Laura , Juwet Griet , Bassens David
Published: June 2021

According to political economists, the state’s governance of infrastructure is becoming prone to processes of financialization. To date, however, research on how state owners of infrastructure enable and react to the entry of financial logics into such domains remains limited. This paper mobilizes the case of Eandis, a Flemish energy grid company, as a typical case to examine the causal mechanisms involved when state-owned utilities become subject to financial logics. During the 2000s, Flemish municipalities increased their ownership of Eandis, while the company deepened its debt exposure to optimize return on capital. In 2016, Eandis aimed to attract private financial equity and selected a Chinese investment fund as a potential co-shareholder. Although this buy-in was blocked, the conditions under which the state-owned company became increasingly entangled with financial markets remain unchanged and warrant a deeper examination. To explain this trajectory, we identify two causal mechanisms in the fields of market-making and ownership strategies by the multiscalar state. First, we show how regulatory models caused Eandis to focus on financial metrics such as credit ratings, subjecting management to financial market disciplines. Second, we find that budgetary constraints, combined with top-down utility governance, have made municipalities dependent on financial returns on utilities. The interaction between market-making and financial ownership strategies institutionalizes a financialized gridlock, in which municipal shareholders’ interests conflict with the need for low consumer fees and green grid investment. We argue that reforming the regulatory framework and strengthening fiscal solidarity across state layers would allow states to develop non-financialized strategies.
Enhanced frequency synchronization for concurrent aeroelastic and base vibratory energy harvesting using a softening nonlinear galloping energy harvester
Authors: Chen Shun , Eager David , Zhao Liya
Published: June 2021

This paper proposes a softening nonlinear aeroelastic galloping energy harvester for enhanced energy harvesting from concurrent wind flow and base vibration. Traditional linear aeroelastic energy harvesters have poor performance with quasi-periodic oscillations when the base vibration frequency deviates from the aeroelastic frequency. The softening nonlinearity in the proposed harvester alters the self-excited galloping frequency and simultaneously extends the large-amplitude base-excited oscillation to a wider frequency range, achieving frequency synchronization over a remarkably broadened bandwidth with periodic oscillations for efficient energy conversion from dual sources. A fully coupled aero-electro-mechanical model is built and validated with measurements on a devised prototype. At a wind speed of 5.5 m/s and base acceleration of 0.1 g, the proposed harvester improves the performance by widening the effective bandwidth by 300% compared to the linear counterpart without sacrificing the voltage level. The influences of nonlinearity configuration, excitation magnitude, and electromechanical coupling strength on the mechanical and electrical behavior are examined. The results of this paper form a baseline for future efficiency enhancement of energy harvesting from concurrent wind and base vibration utilizing monostable stiffness nonlinearities.
Catching My Anger: How Political Elites Create Angrier Citizens
Authors: Stapleton Carey E. , Dawkins Ryan
Published: June 2021

Anger is a common feature in contemporary American politics. Through the process of affect linkage, we argue that one way the electorate becomes angrier about politics is by observing angry displays from political elites. Affect linkage occurs when a person’s emotional state of mind changes to match the emotions displayed by someone else. Using an online experiment in which subjects are randomly exposed to an angry or unemotional debate between a Democrat and Republican running for Congress, we show that exposure to an angry in-party politician significantly increases the amount of anger, disgust, and outrage expressed by co-rank-and-file partisans. This increase in aversive emotions, moreover, increases the likelihood that citizens report the intention to vote, and this affect linkage effect is most pronounced in those who are most likely to stay home on election day: the weakest partisans. Interestingly, angry rhetoric by political elites does not have any effect on out-partisans, suggesting that anger via emotional contagion does not cross party lines.
Psychometric Properties of the Coercion in Intimate Partner Relationships Scale
Authors: Wilson Kathleen D. , Fritz Patti A. Timmons
Published: June 2021

Coercive control is defined as the systematic use of demands, threats, and surveillance behaviors to gain control over an individual. Content validity appears to be an issue for existing measures of coercive control tactics, as they do not assess all of these behaviors. This study investigated the validity and reliability of the Demand, Threat, Surveillance, and Response to Demands subscales of the Coercion in Intimate Partner Relationships (CIPR) scale. Participants ( N = 541) completed online measures of coercive control, physical intimate partner violence, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology. Confirmatory factor analyses, linear regressions, and correlational analyses investigated the construct (i.e., concurrent, convergent, and discriminant) validity of the CIPR subscales. Internal consistency of the subscales and test–retest reliability were also examined. Results provided support for the validity and reliability of the CIPR. Implications and usage of the CIPR in research and practice are discussed. We report how we determined our sample size, all data exclusions, all manipulations, and all measures in the study.
“He Acted as If He Owned Me”: An Exploratory Case Study Analysis of Correctional Staff Sexual Misconduct Against Women on Parole
Authors: Fedock Gina , Darcy Kathleen M. , Kubiak Sheryl
Published: June 2021

While the Prison Rape Elimination Act focuses on sexual victimization in correctional settings, staff-perpetrated sexual misconduct against women under community-based correctional supervision has received little attention. This study explored women’s experiences of sexual victimization by correctional staff while on parole and used a case study approach to examine sexual victimization incidents experienced by ten women. Women described how staff’s misuse of power permeated the abuse tactics. Officers used their status to gain access to women, applied individualized tactics with promises and threats, and controlled when the abuse ended. Practices and policies are needed to build safety for women under community-based correctional supervision.
Perception of Health and Well-being Among the Chinese Immigrant Population in Seville (Spain): Does Territorial Concentration Matter?
Authors: Badanta Bárbara , Iglesias-Pascual Ricardo , Barrientos-Trigo Sergio
Published: June 2021

This study analyzes the relationship between the territorial concentration of the Chinese immigrant population and their perception of health and well-being in Seville, a city in southern Europe, where this ethnic community has seen one of the fastest growth rates in recent times. An ethnographic design and a merging strategy by data transformation were adopted. The results show that there is a greater perception of good health and well-being among the Chinese population, who live mainly in neighborhoods with a high concentration of Chinese immigrants with a high socioeconomic status. However, this territorial concentration does not result in a lower perception of integration, affection or support from the host society. This apparent contradiction could be explained by the importance of relations with their fellow nationals at work as a key element in the socialization of the Chinese population.
A survey of software implementations used by application codes in the Exascale Computing Project
Authors: Evans Thomas M , Siegel Andrew , Draeger Erik W , Deslippe Jack , Francois Marianne M , Germann Timothy C , Hart William E , Martin Daniel F
Published: June 2021

The US Department of Energy Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration initiated the Exascale Computing Project (ECP) in 2016 to prepare mission-relevant applications and scientific software for the delivery of the exascale computers starting in 2023. The ECP currently supports 24 efforts directed at specific applications and six supporting co-design projects. These 24 application projects contain 62 application codes that are implemented in three high-level languages—C, C++, and Fortran—and use 22 combinations of graphical processing unit programming models. The most common implementation language is C++, which is used in 53 different application codes. The most common programming models across ECP applications are CUDA and Kokkos, which are employed in 15 and 14 applications, respectively. This article provides a survey of the programming languages and models used in the ECP applications codebase that will be used to achieve performance on the future exascale hardware platforms.
Video-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Does the camera perspective matter? A randomized, controlled simulation trial
Authors: Wetsch Wolfgang A. , Ecker Hannes M. , Scheu Alexander , Roth Rebecca , Böttiger Bernd W. , Plata Christopher
Published: June 2021

Background

Dispatcher assistance can help to save lives during layperson cardiopulmonary resuscitation during cardiac arrest. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different camera positions on the evaluation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance during video-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Methods

For this randomized, controlled simulation trial, seven video sequences of cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance were recorded from three different camera positions: side, foot and head position. Video sequences showed either correct cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance or one of the six typical errors: low and high compression rate, superficial and increased compression depth, wrong hand position or incomplete release. Video sequences with different cardiopulmonary resuscitation performances and camera positions were randomly combined such that each evaluator was presented seven individual combinations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and camera position and evaluated each cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance once. A total of 46 paramedics and 47 emergency physicians evaluated seven video sequences of cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance from different camera positions. The primary hypothesis was that there are differences in accuracy of correct assessment/error recognition depending on camera perspective. Generalized linear multi-level analyses assuming a binomial distribution and a logit link were employed to account for the dependency between each evaluator's seven ratings.

Results

Of 651 video sequences, cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance was evaluable in 96.8% and correctly evaluated in 74.5% over all camera positions. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance was classified correctly from a side perspective in 81.3%, from a foot perspective in 68.8% and from a head perspective in 73.6%, revealing a significant difference in error recognition depending on the camera perspective ( p = .01). Correct cardiopulmonary resuscitation was mistakenly evaluated to be false in 46.2% over all perspectives.

Conclusions

Participants were able to recognize significantly more mistakes when the camera was located on the opposite side of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation provider. Foot position should be avoided in order to enable the dispatcher the best possible view to evaluating cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality.
Autism spectrum disorder: An examination of sex differences in neuropsychological and self-report measures of executive and non-executive cognitive function
Authors: Demetriou Eleni A , Pepper Karen L , Park Shin Ho , Pellicano Liz , Song Yun Ju C , Naismith Sharon L , Hickie Ian B , Thomas Emma E , Guastella Adam J
Published: June 2021

Sex differences in autism may in part be understood by an atypical sex profile of executive function and non-executive function. In this study, we compared females and males with autism against non-autistic individuals on neuropsychological and self-report measures to examine whether any sex differences in executive function and non-executive function might be unique to autism. Our study showed a significant overall female advantage for measures of psychomotor speed, cognitive flexibility, verbal learning and memory and semantic fluency. There was no significant interaction effect between diagnosis and sex. No sex differences were observed on the self-report measure of executive function. Our results suggest that while females show different cognitive performance to males, these sex differences were not specific to the autistic cohort.

Lay abstract

Research comparing females and males with a diagnosis of autism suggests that there are sex differences in some characteristics such as behaviour regulation. One area not studied in detail is whether females and males with autism perform differently in tests of cognitive ability. The results of previous research are quite mixed. One explanation may be that some research comparing females and males with autism did not include a neurotypical control group for comparison. As a result, it is not clear whether the sex differences in cognitive ability observed in people with autism are similar to differences between neurotypical males and females. To better understand whether there are unique differences between males and females with autism, it is important to also compare them with neurotypical males and females. In our research, we included a neurotypical group and compared males and females with and without a diagnosis of autism. We found that the sex differences in autism are similar to what we observe in males and females without autism. Our study showed that compared with males, females (with and without autism) do better in assessments of processing speed, cognitive flexibility, verbal learning and memory and semantic fluency. Our results suggest that although females show different cognitive performance to males, these sex differences were not specific to the group with a diagnosis of autism.
How behavioral homophily on social media influences the perception of tie-strengthening within young adults’ personal networks
Authors: Figeac Julien , Favre Guillaume
Published: June 2021

This study examines how social media and information-sharing behavior can influence young adults’ perceptions of changes in tie strength within their own personal networks. By focusing on the extended personal networks (27.56 relationships) of young adults, we show that social media leads them to feel closer to their “friends” whom they think of as exhibiting online behaviors similar to their own. This behavioral homophily mainly stems from frequent reactions between friends, when they like or comment upon each other’s posts. Such homophily is also related to the sharing of political news and entertaining content, which constitute a salient affordance in the “pervasive awareness” of social media and lead users to feel closer to those exhibiting similar content-sharing behavior. This similarity reveals how social media platforms help to shape personal networks over time, particularly by influencing user relationships with weak ties who share similar online behavior.
Reparative justice: The final stage of decolonization
Authors: Agozino Biko
Published: June 2021

Taking inspiration from Neo-colonialism: the last stage of imperialism, by Kwame Nkrumah of the thesis by Lenin that Imperialism (is) the highest stage of capitalism, I postulate that reparative justice is the final stage of decolonization (Nkrumah 1968). Based on the argument in Counter-Colonial Criminology that imperialism is the general form of all types of deviance in the sense that all acts of deviance seek to invade and colonize the private and public spaces of others, I conclude that reparative justice programs addressing the legacies of crimes committed by empires and corporations would signal the final stages of decolonization. Contrary to the conventional assumptions in criminology that poverty and powerlessness are the major causes of deviance, I suggest that power, not powerlessness, is a more significant cause of all deviance by the powerful and by the relatively powerless alike because the relatively powerless prey on those even more powerless in the community while the majority of the poor remain overwhelmingly law abiding and the rich get away with bloody murder, as Steve Box and Jeffrey Reiman theorized (Box, 1993; Reiman and Leighton, 2020). Accordingly, the preferred societal response to deviance should be reparative rather than punitive justice in keeping with the decolonization paradigm in criminology and justice towards a more humane world devoid of immigration control, repressive policing, the prison-industrial complex, racism-sexism-imperialism, militarism, homophobia, the war on drugs, capital punishment, homelessness, illiteracy, and without state power as class domination to make way for the principles of taking from all according to their abilities and giving to all according to their needs (Pfohl, 1994).
Nonlinear Relationship Between Age and Likelihood of Undergoing Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing, and the Predictive Factors of Testing at Different Ages
Authors: He Hairong , Liu Tianjie , Zhao Fanfan , Feng Xiaojie , Lyu Jun , Gao Ye
Published: June 2021

Objective:

To investigate the nonlinear relationship between age and the likelihood of undergoing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, and the difference of factors influencing the test likelihood among subjects aged 40–54, 55–69, and ≥70 years.

Methods:

Data were extracted from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, with the primary outcome defined as receipt of a PSA test within the previous 12 months. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess the relationship between age and the likelihood of undergoing PSA testing. Backward conditional logistic regression analyses were used to identify the predictors of undergoing PSA testing among subjects aged 40–54, 55–69, and ≥70 years.

Results:

Finally, 92,177 people were identified. The likelihood of PSA testing increased up to around 71 years old and then decreased rapidly for higher ages, showing a clear nonlinear inverted U-shaped relationship with age ( p < .001). Insurance status, shared decision-making, whether a recommendation for PSA testing had been accepted, income level, smoking status, and age were the common predictors of testing in the three age groups. However, the predictors differed somewhat among the three groups: being overweight or obese was only positively associated with increased testing among people aged 40–54 and ≥70 years, being retired only greatly impacted the test likelihood among those aged 40–54 years, and the general health status, marital status, and race affected people aged ≥55 years.

Conclusion:

The factors influencing PSA screening differ with age, which should be fully considered when screening different target age groups.
Numerical analysis of lost foam casting for large-caliber water meter shell
Authors: Huang Jie , Lin You-xi , Chen Wei-ping , Qi Xian-jun
Published: June 2021

Large-caliber water meter shells are prone to shrinkage porosity, wrinkles, air entrapment, slag inclusion, and other defects during the lost foam casting process. Taking the vertical spiral wing WS-100 water meter as the research object, through the analysis of the structure of the water meter shell, the flow field and temperature field of the design of outer bottom injection-vertical pouring, outer bottom injection-horizontal pouring and inner bottom injection-horizontal pouring involved in the filling and solidification process are numerically simulated and solve analysis, respectively. The results showed that: when the inner bottom injection-horizontal pouring process was adopted, the filling process of the casting was stable, the isolated liquid phase area of the solidification process was relatively small, and the possibility of forming defects was less. The casting performance is excellent, and the numerical analysis is verified to be effective.
Audience engagement with news on Chinese social media: A discourse analysis of the People’s Daily official account on WeChat
Authors: Wu Geqi , Pan Chunlei
Published: June 2021

Delivering news on social media platforms is an increasingly important consideration in journalism practice. However, little attention has been paid to audience engagement with news on social media, especially the discursive presentation of news on the Chinese social media platform WeChat. Based on 36 news reports collected from the People’s Daily official account, this study analyses how news discourse is constructed and presented to engage audiences. The results suggest that highlighting proximity, personalisation, positivity and human interest in news values are the strategies adopted by journalists to engage audiences. The headline tends to use forward-referring terms and performs the speech acts of assertives and expressives to construct news values of proximity and positivity. The news story makes use of particular addressing terms, reported speeches and evaluative markers to construct news values of personalisation, positivity and human interest. The study enriches the analysis of journalistic practice of news on social media in the Chinese context.
Intrathoracic scapular dislocation following radical surgical chondrosarcoma resection from chest wall
Authors: Lotan Youval , Essa Ahmad , Yaseen Naser Haj , Tamir Eran , Golan Nir , Agar Gabriel , Beer Yiftah
Published: June 2021

Locked scapula or intrathoracic scapular dislocation is an extremely rare entity encountered in the emergency department, with very few cases reported in literature. Conservative vs surgical approach in treating intrathoracic scapular dislocation is not well defined in literature. In this case report, we present a rare case of intrathoracic scapular dislocation, following multiple ribs resection due to malignant bone tumour, which was treated by closed manipulation reduction technique.
Perception on research methods course’s online environment and self-regulated learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Calamlam Jose Mari , Ferran Fritz , Macabali Lee Gerard
Published: June 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic brought an education crisis that forced schools to abruptly shift to online distance learning. Regardless of the challenges in this migration, the teaching–learning process should continue. Self-regulated learning skills are essential in learning in an online environment; hence, the study aims to explore learners’ perception in an online learning environment, self-regulated learning skills, and academic achievement during a research methods course. Perception on the online learning environment, self-regulated learning skills, and academic achievement were collected periodically throughout the online course. The analysis included repeated measures of ANOVA to examine the trends between periods of measurement. A linear regression analysis was used to determine the impact of perception on the online learning environment to self-regulated learning. Results of repeated measures of ANOVA suggest a subtle decrease in the perception of the online learning environment at the start of the course. Still, ratings consistently increased viewing online distance learning the same with pre-quarantine set-up. On the other hand, self-regulated learning remained virtually the same throughout the implementation of research methods online course. A rise in the learning playlist scores has been observed at the start of the research methods course, but scores began to decline at the latter phases of the course. Results of regression analysis imply the influence of perception on the online learning environment on self-regulated learning skills. However, perception does not affect learners’ academic achievement. The study recommends using strategies to further develop perseverance in adjusting to online learning amid initial setbacks. Also, interventions specific to improving learners’ self-regulated learning skills are highly recommended.
The School Counselor STEM Advocacy Survey (SC-STEM-AS)
Authors: Martinez Robert R. , Foxx Sejal Parikh , Olsen Jacob , Kennedy Stephen D.
Published: June 2021

We examined data from a national sample of 917 school counselors to determine the factor structure of the School Counselor STEM Advocacy Survey. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported use of the two-factor model. Survey scores demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity. We discuss differences between key demographics and school counselors.
Screening of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Upper Limb Disorders Using the SALTSA Protocol: A Work-Site Study in Belgium
Authors: Van Dyck Lieve , Baecke Monique , Grosjean Marie , Isaie Habyalimana , Gregoire Yannick , Barbieux Christine , Tock Ryan , Verbrugghe Mathieu
Published: June 2021

Background:

Long-term absenteeism continues to rise in Belgium and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been considered a primary cause. However, there is still uncertainty about the prevalence of MSDs, and about the contribution of work-related factors in the etiology of MSDs. SALTSA, which was developed in 2001, is a European diagnostic criterion document that aims to standardize the reporting of work-related upper limb MSDs (ULMSDs). The purpose of this work-site study was to implement SALTSA in daily occupational health practice and to determine the prevalence of ULMSDs in a Belgian company.

Methods:

During health examinations, occupational health nurses and an occupational health physician screened employees in a company with ergonomically high-risk activities for the occurrence of ULMSDs using the SALTSA protocol. In order to explore associations between ULMSDs and lifestyle and work-related factors, bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed.

Findings:

Three hundred and eight (94.0%, 308/328) employees were screened resulting in an ULMSD prevalence of 20.5% (95% CI = [16.0–25.3]). Rotator cuff syndrome was the most common condition. Prevalence varied significantly between men (9.6%, 95% CI = [5.6–14.9]) and women (35.0%, 95% CI = [26.9–43.9]). Being female ( p < .001) and working in the cabling assembly unit ( p = .002) were found to be significant predictors of ULMSDs.

Conclusion/Application to Practice:

By using the SALTSA protocol in occupational health practices, ULMSDs can be screened unequivocally, enabling comparisons between different occupational sectors and countries. Occupational health nurses can play an important role in detecting and screening MSDs among workers.
Wise-Pattern Superomedial Dermoglandular Pedicle Technique: Improves Breast Upper Pole Fullness and Breast Proportions
Authors: Eroglu Sinem , Duran Alpay , Akalın Bora
Published: June 2021

Background: This study aimed to analyze postoperative upper pole fullness, upper/lower pole ratios, bottoming-out deformity, and complication rates for patients who underwent planned bilateral reduction mammoplasty for gigantomastia using the superomedial dermoglandular pedicle technique and Wise-pattern skin excision. Methods: A total of 105 consecutive patients were evaluated postoperatively within a year in full lateral position, and the upper pole was between the lines drawn horizontally from the nipple meridian, where the breast became evident on the chest wall. Flat and slightly convex upper pole slopes were considered well-rounded; the concave ones were evaluated as exhibiting decreased fullness. The lower pole was the height between the horizontal line passing through the level of the inframammary fold and nipple meridian. Bottoming-out deformity was evaluated according to the 45/55% ratio developed by Mallucci and Branford, where the bottom pole was above 55%, at which it was held to be leaning toward bottoming-out deformity. Results: The upper and lower pole ratios were 44.79% ± 2.80% and 55.21% ± 2.80%, respectively. In 4 cases, a lower pole distance of >55% was leaning toward bottoming-out deformity. A minimum of 12 months was required after surgery to detect upper pole fullness and any possible bottoming-out deformity. The upper pole fullness was achieved in 94% of cases that underwent superomedial dermoglandular pedicle Wise-pattern breast reduction. Conclusion: The use of the superomedial dermoglandular pedicle technique with the Wise-pattern in breast reduction operations helps in ensuring upper pole fullness, resulting in less bottoming-out deformity and requiring less revision.
Biomechanical Effects of Combined Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Kelly Shayne R. , Cutter Brendan M. , Huish Eric G.
Published: June 2021

Background:

Combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) and anterolateral ligament reconstruction (ALLR) are performed with the intention to restore native knee kinematics after ACL tears. There continue to be varying results as to the difference in kinematics between combined and isolated procedures, including anterior tibial translation (ATT) and internal tibial rotation (IR).

Purpose:

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the kinematic changes of a combined ACLR/ALLR versus isolated ACLR and to assess the effects of different fixation techniques.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 human cadaveric biomechanical studies evaluating combined ACLR/ALLR versus isolated ACLR and their effects on ATT and IR in 149 specimens. The primary outcomes were ATT and IR. Secondary outcomes included graft type and size as well as fixation methods such as type, angle, tension, and position of fixation. Meta-regression was used to examine the effect of various cofactors on the resulting measures.

Results:

Compared with isolated ACLR, combined ACLR/ALLR decreased ATT and IR by 0.01 mm (95% CI, –0.059 to 0.079 mm; P = .777) and 1.64° (95% CI, 1.30°-1.98°; P < .001), respectively. Regarding ACLR/ALLR, increasing the knee flexion angle and applied IR force led to a significant reduction in IR ( P < .001 and P = .044, respectively). There was also a significant reduction in IR in combined procedures with semitendinosus ALL graft, higher flexion fixation angles, and tension but no change in IR with differing femoral fixation points ( P < .001, P < .001, and P = .268, respectively). Multivariate meta-regression showed that the use of tibial-sided suture anchor fixation significantly reduced IR ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

These results suggest that a combined ACLR/ALLR procedure significantly decreases IR compared with isolated ACLR, especially at higher knee flexion angles. Semitendinosus ALL graft, fixation at higher knee flexion, increased tensioning, and tibial-sided interference screw fixation in ALLR may help to further reduce IR.
Reward Enhances Online Participants’ Engagement With a Demanding Auditory Task
Authors: Bianco Roberta , Mills Gordon , de Kerangal Mathilde , Rosen Stuart , Chait Maria
Published: June 2021

Online recruitment platforms are increasingly used for experimental research. Crowdsourcing is associated with numerous benefits but also notable constraints, including lack of control over participants’ environment and engagement. In the context of auditory experiments, these limitations may be particularly detrimental to threshold-based tasks that require effortful listening. Here, we ask whether incorporating a performance-based monetary bonus improves speech reception performance of online participants. In two experiments, participants performed an adaptive matrix-type speech-in-noise task (where listeners select two key words out of closed sets). In Experiment 1, our results revealed worse performance in online ( N = 49) compared with in-lab ( N = 81) groups. Specifically, relative to the in-lab cohort, significantly fewer participants in the online group achieved very low thresholds. In Experiment 2 ( N = 200), we show that a monetary reward improved listeners’ thresholds to levels similar to those observed in the lab setting. Overall, the results suggest that providing a small performance-based bonus increases participants’ task engagement, facilitating a more accurate estimation of auditory ability under challenging listening conditions.
Treatment Choices in Managing Bethesda III and IV Thyroid Nodules: A Canadian Multi‐institutional Study
Authors: Kuta Victoria , Forner David , Azzi Jason , Curry Dennis , Noel Christopher W. , Munroe Kelti , Bullock Martin , McDonald Ted , Taylor S. Mark , Rigby Matthew H. , Trites Jonathan , Johnson‐Obaseki Stephanie , Corsten Martin J.
Published: June 2021

Objective

Patient‐centered decision making is increasingly identified as a desirable component of medical care. To manage indeterminate thyroid nodules, patients are offered the options of surveillance, diagnostic hemithyroidectomy, or molecular testing. Our objective was to identify factors associated with decision making in this population.

Study Design

This is a retrospective cross‐sectional study of patients with Bethesda III and IV thyroid nodules.

Setting

Multi‐institutional.

Methods

Factors of interest included age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), nodule size, institution, attending surgeon, surgeon payment model, and hospital type. Our outcome of interest was the initial management decision made by patients.

Results

A total of 956 patients were included. The majority of patients had Bethesda III nodules (n = 738, 77%). A total of 538 (56%) patients chose surgery, 413 (43%) chose surveillance, and 5 (1%) chose molecular testing. There was a significant variation in management decision based on attending surgeon (proportion of patients choosing surgery: 15%‐83%; P≤.0001). Fee‐for‐service surgeon payment models (odds ratio [OR], 1.657; 95% CI, 1.263‐2.175; P <. 001) and community hospital settings (OR, 1.529; 95% CI, 1.145‐2.042; P <. 001) were associated with the decision for surgery. Larger nodule size, younger patients, and Bethesda IV nodules were also associated with surgery.

Conclusion

While it seems appropriate that larger nodules, younger age, and higher Bethesda class were associated with decision for surgery, we also identified attending surgeon, surgeon payment model, and hospital type as important factors. Given this, standardizing management discussions may improve patient‐centered shared decision making.
A pilot study of the feasibility of a Swedish multimodal group intervention for severe migraine—The migraine patient school
Authors: Helmerson Birgitta , Sundholm Anna , Hedborg Kerstin , Waldenlind Elisabet , Kierkegaard Marie , Remahl A Ingela M Nilsson
Published: June 2021

Objectives:

To evaluate a multidisciplinary group intervention, the migraine patient school (MPS), for patients with severe, mostly chronic migraine.

Method:

A 13-week group intervention program including seven sessions of patient education, practical body awareness and relaxation exercises, and home assignments was performed in small groups with 5–11 participants. Four groups were consecutively included from spring 2014 to fall 2015. Headache diaries and standardized and study-specific questionnaires were used for evaluation at baseline before MPS (pre-interventional phase), and at follow-up.

Results:

Twenty-four of 30 included patients completed the study, i.e. attended ≥ four sessions. Most participants found it rewarding to participate in the MPS and easy to take part in, understand and complete home assignments. Validated standardized questionnaires delivered before, and after (follow-up) MPS showed that the impact on life (HIT-6) and avoidance behavior (PIPS-A) were significantly improved whereas quality of life (MSQL), anxiety and depression (HAD) and perceived stress (PSS-14) did not show a statistically significant change.

Conclusion:

The Migraine patient school with a multimodal educational and behavioral group intervention program was feasible to perform and seem to benefit patients with severe (high-frequency or chronic) migraine.
Pornography and Sexual Violence Against Women in India: A Scoping Review
Authors: Vinnakota Divya , Arafat S. M. Yasir , Kar Sujita Kumar , Sivasubramanian Madhini , Hossain Sayeda Razia , Parsa Ali Davod , Kabir Russell
Published: June 2021

In recent decades, surge in the usage of pornography is promoting a severe negative impact on health and well-being throughout the world. In recent times, there is a surge in rape cases in India. There may be a relation between pornography addiction and an increase in sexual crime against women. This review aims to document the association between sexual violence and addiction to pornography in India. Six original articles were retrieved from databases for the initial review of the literature, such as PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCOhost, CINAHL plus, and PubMed Central. Out of the six included cross-sectional research, 50% reported primary (sample sizes range from 100 to 600), 33.3% secondary data, and 16.7% study assessed data from Google trend. Only 16.7% of included articles unveiled a significant association between the number of Internet users and increased sexual violence (rapes and or crimes) toward females that revealed an insignificant association when variables were controlled. About 33.3% of studies reported that the male gender was more vulnerable to pornography addiction among medical students than females. Pornography search had no significant association with literacy level. Female population ratio in Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes positively and urbanization and female workforce participation negatively impacted crime against women.