bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences of chronological seasonality in drug overdose
Authors: Lo Chih-Hung , Liao Chen-Hao , Tan Sheng-Teck , Su Yu-Jang
Published: August 2023

Objective

To investigate the association between seasonality and intentional drug overdose (IDO), a commonly seen method of self-harm in daily emergency medicine practice.

Methods

Cases of IDO were retrospectively selected using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 coding system (codes T36–T50), in patients who attended the Emergency Department of MacKay Memorial Hospital between January 2018 and August 2019. Data regarding age, sex, arrival time, marital status, vital signs, comorbidities, psychiatric history, social conflicts, substance of overdose, and length of hospital stay by season, were analysed using Student’s t-test and χ2-test.

Results

Of all included cases ( n = 196), IDO occurred most frequently in spring (32.1%), particularly in male patients (28/49 male cases). First-time IDO occurred most frequently in spring (51/133 first-time cases) and most spring cases were first-time IDO (51/63 spring cases). Repeat IDO occurred most frequently in autumn (20/63 repeat cases). Female conflict with father and/or boyfriend, and personality disorder in patients who overdosed, showed seasonality with a spring peak. Hospital admission rate was highest in winter (10/45 winter cases [22.2%]).

Conclusion

Episodes of IDO exhibited seasonality, with a spring peak, particularly for male patients, female patients in conflict with father and/or boyfriend, and those with personality disorder. Clinicians should pay close attention to the abovementioned patient groups.
Adenocarcinoma arising from heterotopic pancreas at the first portion of the duodenum: a case report
Authors: Woo Chang Gok , Lee Jisun , Son Seung-Myoung
Published: August 2023

Malignant transformation of a heterotopic pancreas in the duodenum is very rare. To our knowledge, only 15 cases have been reported worldwide, including the present case. We herein report a rare case of malignant transformation of a heterotopic pancreas in the duodenum along with a review of the literature.

A 65-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of dyspepsia and vomiting. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a stricture of the duodenal bulb. Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was performed. Although a duodenal tumor had not been suspected, histopathological examination of the surgical specimen showed adenocarcinoma arising from a heterotopic pancreas (Heinrich type III) in the duodenum. Four months postoperatively, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. He was still alive without recurrence at 24 months of follow-up.

Adenocarcinoma arising in a heterotopic pancreas is rare; therefore, preoperative diagnosis is difficult to obtain. Effective management of a heterotopic pancreas depends on the presence or absence of symptoms. Awareness of the possibility of malignant change in a heterotopic pancreas of the duodenum prior to surgery is helpful for the diagnosis and appropriate management of such patients.
“To Whom the Sirens Wail.” Poland’s Post-2022 Geopolitical Debates on Central and “Eastern Europe”
Authors: Kazharski Aliaksei
Published: August 2023

The article conducts a social constructivist analysis of the post-2022 debate in Poland to trace how the geopolitical notions of “Central” and “Eastern” Europe have been affected by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It shows that the attack stimulated a powerful wave of identification with Ukraine across the political spectrum rooted in Polish collective memories. New opportunities also opened for Poland’s self-positioning as a leader in Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, this consolidation did not overcome the enduring domestic political antagonism and the rival political camps continued to promote competing imaginaries of the European order.
This World and the “Other”: Muslim Identity and Politics on the Indo-Bangladesh Border
Authors: Kolås Åshild
Published: August 2023

This article investigates the “othering” of Muslims in two Northeast Indian states: Assam and Tripura, in a region known for its ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity, and long history of militancy and civil unrest. Northeast Indian politics thrives on disagreement between “Us” and “Them” and tensions over illegal migration, drawing on overlapping or intersecting frames of “othering.” This study asks why and how the political “othering” of Muslims persists, and why the religious frame, or the Hindu–Muslim divide, is more salient in some parts of the region than in others. Drawing on fieldwork on the Indian side of the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura and southern Assam, historical records and contemporary print media archives, this study compares the role of Hindu–Muslim contention in the politics of the two neighboring states and finds reproduction of the Hindu–Muslim divide in Assam and resistance to Muslim “othering” in Tripura. The theoretical contribution of this article is to confront the concept of “othering” with colonial and post-colonial frameworks of representation to understand how contemporary non-Western “worlds of difference” capitalize on, reproduce and resist vestiges of colonial representations.
Resource flows in a multi-directional integrated value creation model
Authors: Arabie Hope , Fox Corey J , Rayburn Steven W
Published: August 2023

This research reveals a multi-directional value creation model that highlights the role of customers as partners in a network of reciprocal resource exchanges. Customer-partners are conceptualized as customers that go beyond purchasing and using a product or service. They voluntarily engage end-customers to help the end-customers use the firms’ products and services, or to otherwise solve the end-customer’s problems with the firms’ products or services. To illustrate the importance of the customer-partner to the value creation process, the authors integrate various value creation perspectives with social and resource exchange theories to illuminate the various resources exchanged when firms and their various types of customers engage in social interactions. The resultant model is derived from a netnography in the context of a high-tech firm’s online support community. Findings point to three important activities (platform design, customer profiling, and platform engagement) for firms to consider if they hope to successfully integrate their customers in the value creation process.
Digital reading in Vietnamese universities: The situation and influencing factors
Authors: Nguyen Lan Thi , Tuamsuk Kulthida
Published: August 2023

The development of digital technologies, devices and resources impacts students’ digital reading habits and learning performance. This article aims to explore the situation of digital reading in Vietnamese universities and survey the factors influencing digital reading. Questionnaires were distributed to library staff and bachelor’s degree students at six universities in Vietnam; 906 valid questionnaires were received back from the students and 96 from the librarians. The data was analysed by using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The findings reveal that the universities, academic libraries and lecturers had prepared the necessary conditions to support digital reading (i.e. regulations, processes, programmes, digital resources). Another highlighted result indicates that factors concerning students and lecturers had the most important influence on digital reading based on the responses of the library staff and students. The findings of this study will be useful for administrators, faculty members and library staff in designing appropriate solutions and programmes to support digital reading for undergraduate students.
AI policies across the globe: Implications and recommendations for libraries
Authors: Lo Leo S
Published: August 2023

This article examines the proposed artificial intelligence policies of the USA, UK, European Union, Canada, and China, and their implications for libraries. As artificial intelligence revolutionizes library operations, it presents complex challenges, such as ethical dilemmas, data privacy concerns, and equitable access issues. The article highlights key themes in these policies, including ethics, transparency, the balance between innovation and regulation, and data privacy. It also identifies areas for improvement, such as the need for specific guidelines on mitigating biases in artificial intelligence systems and navigating data privacy issues. The article further provides practical recommendations for libraries to engage with these policies and develop best practices for artificial intelligence use. The study underscores the need for libraries to not only adapt to these policies but also actively engage with them, contributing to the development of more comprehensive and effective artificial intelligence governance.
Analysis of a Survey to Identify Factors to Accept Electric Airplanes
Authors: Fu Mengying , Moeckel Rolf
Published: August 2023

Introducing airplanes powered by renewable energy, such as electricity or hydrogen, is seen as one of the options to contribute to achieving climate neutrality in aviation, especially for regional and short-haul applications. It also brings new possibilities to connect small regional airports and reduce access and egress times to/from airports. This research aimed to gain insights into the acceptance and factors that may affect passenger acceptance of hybrid-electric airplanes for short-haul regional applications. In working toward the aims, a questionnaire was designed and distributed online to active long-distance travelers in Germany. Two structural equation models were estimated to identify the influential factors and their impacts on attitudes and the intention to accept hybrid-electric airplanes. The results confirmed not only the relevance of service attributes, such as travel time, safety, comfort, and climate impact, but also the impacts of psychological and behavioral factors. Generally, safety and security had the highest impact on passenger acceptance. Stronger concerns about the safety and comfort of the new airplanes and of conventional airplanes flying today might reduce the intention to use the new airplanes, whereas stronger climate concerns and trust of new mobility technology might lead to stronger acceptance. Moreover, passengers’ previous experience taking similar types of conventional propeller-driven airplanes might affect their safety concerns about the new airplanes. Information about new aircraft technology and test flying experience may help to overcome psychological barriers.
Calcutta position: A new modified supine decubitus for supine PCNL
Authors: Choudhury Sunirmal , Sinha Roy Partha Pratim , Pal Dilip Kumar
Published: August 2023

Introduction:

PCNL (percutaneous nephrolithotripsy) is considered the gold standard treatment for renal stone more than 2 cm. In today’s scenario, supine PCNL is considered equally effective as prone PCNL. The ideal position for supine PCNL is still debatable. We hereby describe our initial experiences of supine PCNL in a novel position.

Methods and materials:

This prospective study includes 60 patients who underwent supine PCNL in the ‘Calcutta position’ in our institute from August 2021 to August 2022. Successful procedure was defined as a complete stone free rate or a clinically insignificant residual stone (<4 mm).

Results:

Average Operative room (OR) occupancy time was 130.9 ± 19.63 min. The immediate stone free rate was 84.2%, 71.4% and 37.5% for single, multiple and staghorn calculus respectively. Complications include fever, requirement of blood transfusions and renal colic. The average hospital stay was 83.6 ± 17.42 h. Eight patients (13.3%) required secondary procedures like extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) or relook PCNL. At 3 months average stone free rates were 92%, 85%, 75% for single, multiple and staghorn calculus respectively. We performed supine PCNL in Calcutta position in obese, kyphoscoliosis, poliomyelitis, autosomal polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), malrotated kidney and diverticular stone with comparable success.

Conclusion:

Supine PCNL in Calcutta position is a safe and effective option for nephrolithiasis management. Apart from the inherent advantages of supine PCNL it also has the advantages of better C-Arm and nephroscope manoeuvrability. Supine PCNL in Calcutta position was performed in a variety of scenarios with comparable results.
Comparing the Cost–Accuracy Ratios of Multiple Approaches to Reading Screening in Elementary Schools
Authors: Barrett Courtenay A. , Johnson Lindy J. , Truckenmiller Adrea J. , VanDerHeyden Amanda M.
Published: August 2023

U.S. elementary schools administer reading screeners to identify students in need of remedial instruction. However, the administration of additional assessments comes with a cost. It is unclear the extent to which multiple types of reading screeners warrant the increase in resources that could be used for instruction. This study compared cost–accuracy ratios for three types of reading screeners in Grade 3: curriculum-based measurement (Acadience), computer adaptive assessment (Star), informal reading inventory (Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System), and the cost–accuracy of using all three in conjunction. We used classification and regression tree analysis to identify local cut-scores and identify how measures could be combined to maximize classification accuracy. Results suggested that oral reading fluency score (Acadience) yielded the best cost–accuracy ratio, but the combination of Star and oral reading fluency identified important instructional groups. Cost tables provide additional insight to schools on critical decision points for choosing and implementing reading screeners.
Managing cybersecurity risk in healthcare settings
Authors: Clarke Matthew , Martin Kevin
Published: August 2023

Cybersecurity attacks have been steadily increasing in the healthcare sector over the past decade. Health data is a valuable source of reliable and permanent personal information making it an attractive target. Institutions that have faced limited cybersecurity funding must now augment their approach to combat this threat. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the connection of physical operational devices to digital networks allowing for communication between devices. In the healthcare setting, this includes patient monitoring, diagnostics, and even robotic surgery devices. This increased connectivity increases the importance of agile and robust cybersecurity measures. A progressive approach must involve collaboration between information technology, clinical, and administrative leaders to be successful. Adequate protection of patient data and the integrity of digital infrastructure must be a priority mandate at the enterprise level.
Canadian Association of Radiologists Musculoskeletal System Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guideline
Authors: Hamel Candyce , Avard Barb , Gorelik Natalia , Heroux Martin , Mai David , Sheikh Adnan , Vo Anthony , Watson Mary-Lynn , Rakhra Kawan
Published: August 2023

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Musculoskeletal System Expert Panel consists of musculoskeletal radiologists, a family physician, a sports and exercise medicine physician, emergency medicine physicians, a patient advisor, and an epidemiologist/guideline methodologist. After developing a list of 25 musculoskeletal clinical/diagnostic scenarios, a systematic rapid scoping review was undertaken to identify systematically produced referral guidelines that provide recommendations for 1 or more of these clinical/diagnostic scenarios. Recommendations from 41 guidelines (50 publications) and contextualization criteria in the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) for guidelines framework were used to develop 124 recommendation statements across the 25 scenarios related to the evaluation of the musculoskeletal system. This guideline presents the methods of development and the recommendations for imaging in the context of musculoskeletal pain, infection, tumors, arthropathies, metabolic bone disease, stress injuries, orthopedic hardware, avascular necrosis/bone infarction, and complex regional pain syndrome.
Kidney Increase Natriuresis but Not Glomerular Filtration Under Veno-venous ECMO, a Retrospective Study
Authors: Penaud Victor , Duburcq Thibault , Bureau Côme , Salmon Gandonnière Charlotte , Arrestier Romain , Henri Samuel , Dres Martin , Jacquier Sophie , Prost Nicolas De , Giraud Raphael , Ricard Jean-Damien , Roux Damien , Uhel Fabrice , Legouis David , Verney Charles
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Acute kidney injury is a frequent complication of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We aim to study the evolution of kidney function in patients presenting severe ARDS and requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO).

Methods

We conducted a multicenter retrospective study, including adult patients requiring VV ECMO for ARDS. The primary outcome was the evolution of the serum creatinine level after VV ECMO initiation. Secondary outcomes were change in urine output, and urine biochemical parameters after VV ECMO initiation.

Results

One hundred and two patients were included. VV ECMO was initiated after a median of 6 days of mechanical ventilation, mainly for ARDS caused by COVID-19 (73%). Serum creatinine level did not significantly differ after VV ECMO initiation ( P = .20). VV ECMO was associated with a significant increase in daily urine output (+6.6 mL/kg/day, [3.8;9.3] P < .001), even after adjustment for potential confounding factors; with an increase in natriuresis. The increase in urine output under VV ECMO was associated with a reduced risk of receiving kidney replacement therapy (OR 0.4 [0.2;0.8], P = .026).

Conclusions

VV ECMO initiation in severe ARDS is associated with an increase in daily urine output and natriuresis, without change in glomerular filtration rate.
Cheap, Quick, and Rigorous: Artificial Intelligence and the Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Atkinson Cameron F.
Published: August 2023

The systematic literature review (SLR) is the gold standard in providing research a firm evidence foundation to support decision-making. Researchers seeking to increase the rigour, transparency, and replicability of their SLRs are provided a range of guidelines towards these ends. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Techniques (MLTs) developed with computer programming languages can provide methods to increase the speed, rigour, transparency, and repeatability of SLRs. Aimed towards researchers with coding experience, and who want to utilise AI and MLTs to synthesise and abstract data obtained through a SLR, this article sets out how computer languages can be used to facilitate unsupervised machine learning for synthesising and abstracting data sets extracted during a SLR. Utilising an already known qualitative method, Deductive Qualitative Analysis, this article illustrates the supportive role that AI and MLTs can play in the coding and categorisation of extracted SLR data, and in synthesising SLR data. Using a data set extracted during a SLR as a proof of concept, this article will include the coding used to create a well-established MLT, Topic Modelling using Latent Dirichlet allocation. This technique provides a working example of how researchers can use AI and MLTs to automate the data synthesis and abstraction stage of their SLR, and aide in increasing the speed, frugality, and rigour of research projects.
COVID-19 and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program in Puerto Rico: Anti-Corruption, Fraud Prevention, and Punishment
Authors: Atiles Jose
Published: August 2023

The US and Puerto Rican governments’ anti-corruption and anti-fraud legislation and policies exacerbated the socio-economic impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico (PR). This article demonstrates how anti-corruption interventions prevented those in most need from receiving the economic benefits of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program and other unemployment insurance benefits. Analyzing this specific instance of anti-corruption and anti-fraud interventions amid the COVID-19 pandemic allows for a deeper examination of how colonial interventions undermined PR’s capacity to handle the pandemic, exacerbated its socio-economic impact and created an unequal recovery. Thus, the article illustrates the contradictions of anti-corruption as punitive governance and the way in which a specific notion of corruption is reproduced through governmental actions, legal practices, and policies. Altogether, this article aims to contribute to the discussion on how colonial and punitive anti-corruption interventions enhance social exclusion, disproportionately harm racialized communities, and undermine people’s capacity to address period of crisis.
Analysis of reaction forces in fixture locating points: An Analytical, numerical, and experimental study
Authors: Parvaz Hadi , Hosseini Seyed Vahid
Published: August 2023

Reaction forces are important parameters in fixture design. They are generated by the clamping forces and machining loads at the fixture locating points. These forces are used as input values in the determination of clamping forces, fixture stiffness, and workpiece deformation. In this paper, an analytical model based on the minimum norm principle was developed to calculate these forces. Numerical simulations and experimental tests were performed on a 3D polyhedral workpiece to validate the model. The simulations were conducted using Abaqus® software and the experimental tests used a fixture and a 3D polyhedral workpiece. The theoretical, numerical, and experimental results showed good agreement for the normal component of reaction forces. The maximum errors of 3.9% and 15% were observed between the theoretical predictions compared to the numerical and experimental results, respectively. The model was also used to study the effects of two influential parameters, the coefficient of friction and clamping force, on the reaction forces. The good agreement between the theoretical, numerical, and experimental results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed model in the rapid calculation of reaction forces for fixturing 3D polyhedral workpieces.
Analytical and numerical study on absorption of viscoelastic multilayers with variable cross section and cavity
Authors: Ashrafi Mohammad Javad
Published: August 2023

Polymeric layers or multilayers with air cavities or solid particles have considerable attenuation properties and can be tailored to have acoustic impedance close to water. So, many underwater sound absorbers are made from such multilayer structures. In this work, first, we present a transfer matrix method (TMM) based on force equilibrium to be used for variable cross-section viscoelastic multilayers with cavities. The method can be used for layers with various cavity designs; also, the outer boundary can be conical or any other axisymmetric shape. The formulation is derived for different outer impedance-matched boundary conditions. The study of anechoic coatings with periodic holes is then studied as a special case of the developed TMM. In this regard, the difference between the present formulation and related literature is explained and the TMM results are compared with numerical simulations which are performed using COMSOL. Moreover, the effect of cavity shape and bulk loss factor on the echo reduction properties of the coatings are investigated. It is concluded that for small cavity sizes and with an abrupt change of multilayer cross sections, the echo reduction values are more dependent on bulk loss factor, especially near the resonance frequency.
The psychiatric work villages in Israel: a micro working community
Authors: Keidar Efrat
Published: August 2023

This paper examines the psychiatric work villages in Israel, which have so far had little historiographic attention. In the 1950s and 1960s, four work villages were established for people with psychiatric disabilities. They were intended to create a long-term rehabilitative alternative to the common hospitalization practice. These villages were organized around employment in various branches of farming and also offered recreational and cultural activities to alleviate the patients’ loneliness and to create a community life. The villages echoed central values of the new country: labour, manufacturing, cooperativity, and cultural and community life. I will discuss the similarities between the psychiatric work villages and earlier, mostly Western, psychiatric therapeutic models, such as moral treatment and the therapeutic community model.
Numerical analysis of the internal biased flow mechanism of the siphon outlet pipe under the action of axial flow pump
Authors: Yang Fan , Sun Shengjie , Jin Xiaoyu , Li Sihai , Xu Xudong , Jin Yan
Published: August 2023

One of the often employed flow structures in vertical pumping stations is the siphon outlet pipe. It has a complicated geometric structure and internal flow field, which directly affects how effectively, safely, and steadily pumping stations operate. The entire flow conduit of the vertical axial flow pump device was adopted as the study object in order to elucidate the mechanism of the internal biased flow of the siphon outlet pipe caused by the axial flow pump under different flow conditions, and the three-dimensional unsteady flow field of the vertical axial flow pump device was numerically solved using the numerical simulation technique. Physical model tests were used to confirm the results of the numerical simulation. The findings demonstrate that there is a horizontal bias in the flow of the inlet surface and outlet surface of the elbow pipe of the siphon outlet pipe, and that when the flow rate rises, the degree of the horizontal bias in the flow gradually diminishes, and the ratio of biased flow gradually decreases. The flow in hump segment presents up-and-down flow, and when the flow rate increases, the ratios of biased flow first rises before falling. The major causes of the production of biased flow in the outlet pipe are residual velocity circulation at the guide vane's outlet, wall constraint at the elbow pipe, and flow inertia; Under various flow conditions, the morphologies of the vortex structures in the outlet pipe vary; the characteristics of the energy conversion of each part of the pump device are disclosed, with the inlet pipe having the lowest proportion of energy conversion. Under the optimal flow condition, the elbow-inlet pipe's proportion of energy conversion is only around 1.04%, and the proportions of the guide vane, 60° elbow pipe, and siphon outlet pipe's energy conversion are significant and fluctuate with time. The proportion of energy conversion in the elbow-inlet pipe and siphon outlet pipe steadily increases as flow rate rises, but the proportion in the guide vane and 60° elbow pipe drops initially before increasing.
The varying national agenda in variable hours contract regulation: Implications for the labour market regimes in the Netherlands and Finland
Authors: Sippola Markku , Jonker-Hoffrén Paul , Ojala Satu
Published: August 2023

In the article, the regulatory trajectories of variable hours contracts (VHCs, denoting on-call contracts, and zero-hours contracts) are analysed in two countries, the Netherlands and Finland. The unity or disunity in social partners’ readiness for bringing the issue of VHCs to the agenda of collective bargaining has implications for the labour market regimes. From the institutional change perspective, the shared agenda in regulating the VHCs implies conversion of the labour market regime in the Netherlands. In Finland, layering was seen in the development of labour legislation, whereas the disregard of VHCs in collective bargaining implies drift. In Finland, the ‘legislative route’ of regulating conditions of labour may strengthen, undermining the negotiatory autonomy of social partners, earlier embedded in the structure of the Nordic labour market regime.
Adherence patterns to medications and their association with subsequent hospitalization in adult Egyptian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Tharwat Samar , Shaker Eman Ali
Published: August 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the adherence pattern to medications and the influence of non-adherence on hospitalization rate among Egyptian patients who were diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

This cross-sectional interview-based study was conducted in an Egyptian rheumatology outpatient clinic. Individuals with SLE who were prescribed oral medications were included in the study. The 19-item Compliance Questionnaire of Rheumatology (CQR) was employed to evaluate drug adherence. Patients were classified as non-adherent and adherent group based on their CQR score Sociodemographic variables, clinical and therapeutic data, and the frequency of outpatient visits and hospitalization were collected and compared between the two groups.

Results

In total, there were 161 SLE patients who participated in the study with mean age 30.70 ± 9.62 years, 129 females and 32 males (F:M 5.4:1). Of them, 93 patients were assigned to the non-adherent group, whereas 68 patients were assigned to the adherent group. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of marital status ( p = 0.009), employment ( p = 0.032), and the frequency of physical activity ( p = 0.045) between the two groups. The adherents had a higher rate of administration of antimalarials (88.2% vs 75.3%, p = 0.039). The frequency of recurrent fever was lower in adherents (23.5% vs 38.7%, p = 0.042), lymphadenopathy (11.8% vs 31.2%, p = 0.004), recurring oral ulcers (25% vs 50.5%, p = 0.001), and substantial hair loss (87.1% vs 98.5%, p = 0.009) in comparison to non-adherents. The number of yearly outpatient visits was considerably greater in adherents ( p = 0.007), while the number of prior hospitalizations was higher in non-adherents ( p < 0.001). Non-adherents believed that taking medicines disrupt patients’ daily routine ( p < 0.001) and were more afraid of the occurrence of an adverse drug reaction ( p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Egyptian SLE patients have an alarmingly high percentage of medication non-adherence. There is a strong association between medication non-adherence and frequency of hospitalization and cumulative clinical manifestations.
The Role and Applications of Exosomes in Gynecological Cancer: A Review
Authors: Wang Kai-Hung , Ding Dah-Ching
Published: August 2023

Exosomes are phospholipid bilayer vesicles that are released by all types of cells, containing proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids such as DNAs and RNAs. Exosomes can be transferred between cells and play a variety of physiological and pathological regulatory functions. Noncoding RNAs, including micro RNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs, are the most studied biomolecules from exosomes and more and more studies found that noncoding RNAs play an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of diseases, including various types of cancer. Gynecological malignancies such as ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer seriously threaten women’s life. Therefore, this article reviews the roles and applications of exosomes in gynecological malignancies, including the promotion or inhibition of tumor progression and regulation of tumor microenvironments, and as potential therapeutic targets for treating gynecological cancers.
Challenges and gaps in regulating medical laboratories in India
Authors: Gupta Pallavi , Nandraj Sunil
Published: August 2023

Accurate diagnosis is an essential component of healthcare delivery. However, research on the delivery of diagnostic services is lacking in low- and middle-income countries. This article examines the issues related to the provision of medical laboratory services in India, including licencing, geographic distribution, charging practices, quality, personnel requirements, information sharing, and newer technologies that impact the sector. The challenges and gaps in regulatory mechanisms governing these services are discussed, highlighting the need for improvements. Legislation to regulate medical laboratories in many Indian states is either outdated or non-existent, with some states recently updating or enacting their laws. A registry of medical laboratories in the country will assist in assessing and meeting the shortfall. Universal adoption of external and inter-laboratory quality control mechanisms will help in standardization and ensuring quality. Clarity and consensus on who can operate medical laboratories and the responsibility of different cadres of technical staff are required. The provision for making information on registered laboratories publicly available under the Central and some state legislations can be very useful to the users in choosing laboratories. Mandatory reporting to the government by both public- and private-sector laboratories will help in maintaining data on disease burden and in planning health services. However, the lack of data protection laws in the country creates the potential for violation of the users’ privacy when laboratories store data digitally and report it online on government web portals. Caution is warranted in the use of newer technologies until the regulations governing these matters are strengthened. A combination of voluntary and statutory mechanisms such as accreditation and regulation would be useful instruments for ensuring quality in diagnostic services. Research on the effectiveness of existing provisions at the state level would help in understanding their impact and suggest ways of further improvement.
A scoping review of the moral distress of military nurses in crisis military deployment
Authors: Chen Juan , Li Fan , Hu Xiaomeng , Yang Pu , He Ying
Published: August 2023

Background

“Crisis military deployment” was defined as a situation in which military personnel are suddenly ordered to duty to support an operation away from their home station and in a potentially dangerous environment. As a result of complex changes in the global political and economic landscape, military nurses are assuming an increasing number of crisis military deployment tasks. Moral distress has been widely studied among civilian nurses. However, little is known about the moral distress military nurses experience during military deployments in crisis.

Aim

This review discussed the current state of research on the phenomenon, unique factors, specific sources, and measurement tools.

Methods

The scope of the study was defined using a framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley. Following English databases were searched: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase, using MeSH terms and free word combinations; furthermore, Chinese databases: CNKI and CBMDisc, were explored using thematic terms from inception until January 20, 2023. Data were selected and defined by the inclusion and exclusion criteria and independently screened by two researchers.

Ethical considerations

The scoping review adhered to sound scientific practice and respected authorship and reference sources.

Results

Finally, 21 articles were included in the review. The moral distress of military nurses in crisis military deployments had unique and specific sources and reported positive aspects. The deployment environment and nature of the mission, responsibilities and obligations of military nurses, and the limited rights of patients were unique factors. Specific sources included third-party intervention, military triage, resource allocation, futile care, care of the enemy, and return to the battlefield. Military nurses in deployment reported positive aspects. They grow in their inner strength, build deep friendships and gain a greater sense of professional value.

Conclusion

It is important to understand the unique factors and specific sources of moral distress faced by military nurses in crisis military deployments and to identify the positive aspects. This research will help prepare military nurses for future deployments in advance by providing useful information to mitigate and eliminate moral distress.
From systemic to sustainability transitions: An emerging economy perspective on urban sprawl and the automobile revolution
Authors: Kołsut Bartłomiej , Kudłak Robert
Published: August 2023

There is mounting evidence that the current model of economic development negatively affects many ecological processes and creates serious threats to the sustainability of economic processes and welfare. In response to those threats, policies have been introduced at supranational and national levels to alleviate the most burning environmental challenges and mitigate their consequences for humanity. At the same time, however, there is a growing understanding that economy–environment relations have to be analysed and approached from a geographical perspective, as this sheds more light on spatial differences and specificities, the unevenness of transition processes and their social consequences as well as the need to perform the transition towards sustainability in a spatially sensitive manner. This article seeks to reconstruct and analyse two processes – urban sprawl and the automobile revolution – that took place in the Polish urban regions during the systemic transformation period and to discuss their potential consequences for the transition to sustainability from a geographical perspective. We show that different places, due to their specificities and legacies, start sustainability transitions from different initial conditions that might affect the pace of this process as well as its environmental and social consequences.
Factors Associated With Binge Eating Among Chinese University Students in Hong Kong
Authors: Sze Katherine Y. P. , Yeung Juni S. K. , So Lai Kit , Kim Jean H.
Published: August 2023

Binge eating (BE), defined as uncontrolled overconsumption of food, is associated with poorer health status. We aimed to characterize the factors associated with BE among Chinese college students. University students from two universities in Hong Kong ( n = 267) completed an anonymous online questionnaire that contained background questions, the Binge Eating Disorder Screener–7, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales–21 (DASS-21), and Adolescent Lifestyle Questionnaire (ALQ) between June and August 2022. Multiple logistic regression and two-sample independent t-test were conducted to test the association of study variables with BE. In this university sample, 36.8% of males and 21.4% of females were classified as engaging in BE in the last three months. BE was statistically significantly associated with higher body mass index (BMI), more depressive symptoms, and lower ALQ nutrition scores among males and lower BMI, more depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms among females. BE was significantly associated with various factors in both male and female university students in Hong Kong; thereby, university health promotion programs should include the management of BE. BE should be a prominent focus of health promotion interventions in conjunction with mental health promotion in the region.
Prescription of sodium valproate to women of childbearing potential in Southern District Mental Health Services in New Zealand
Authors: Corfe-Tan Julia , McLay Linda , Mentzel Charlie
Published: August 2023

Objective

This study aimed to assess the adherence to guidelines in the prescription of sodium valproate (SV) to women of childbearing potential (WOCP) in Southern District Mental Health Services (SMHS) in New Zealand (NZ).

Methods

Electronic records of women aged 18–54 who were newly prescribed SV by SMHS between the 1st of January 2018 and the 31st of December 2019, were retrospectively reviewed. Documentation of the following criteria was examined: pre-commencement pregnancy test, education on the teratogenic potential of SV and/or the importance of avoiding unplanned pregnancy, information on contraception, and the rationale for prescribing SV over alternative treatments.

Results

Among the 3065 WOCP who had contact with SMHS during the study period, 51 women were newly prescribed SV and at risk of pregnancy. Twenty-one women (41%) had a recorded reason for prescribing SV over alternative treatments, four women (8%) underwent a pre-commencement pregnancy test, 10 women (20%) received information about the teratogenic potential of SV and/or the importance of avoiding unplanned pregnancy, and 21 women (41%) had documentation regarding contraception.

Conclusion

The study findings indicate heterogeneous and suboptimal documentation of specific risks associated with SV use in WOCP in SMHS. Interventions are needed to improve prescribing and documentation practices.
Interpreters as Translation Machines: Telephone Interpreting Challenges as Awareness Problems
Authors: Cho Jinhyun
Published: August 2023

Telehealth has been widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this article examines challenges faced by telephone interpreters in working with healthcare providers in the context of the Australian healthcare system. Based on one-on-one interviews with 67 healthcare interpreters in Australia, it explores various elements which affect communication processes in telephone interpreting and interpreters’ views on healthcare providers’ abilities to collaborate with interpreters. Data analysis indicates that telephone interpreting is often affected by a lack of briefing, poor acoustics and the absence of visual cues. While these factors pose significant challenges to telephone interpreters, a provider’s tendency to see interpreters as ‘translation machines’ was perceived as a deeper underlying problem by the interpreters. The mechanistic approaches to interpreting among healthcare providers pose barriers to interpreter–provider collaboration and exacerbate communication problems caused by the external elements in telephone-interpreted encounters. The article calls for urgent need to raise awareness of interpreting among healthcare providers as a key to ensuring desirable health outcomes for patients from minority backgrounds.
Barriers to and Facilitators of Adjustment Among Iranian Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Goliroshan Soghra , Babamohamadi Hassan , Mohammadi Eesa , Baghbanian Seyed Mohammad , Asgari Mohammad Reza
Published: August 2023

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience various physical symptoms and psychosocial problems that disrupt their normal life, and adapting to these conditions is vital for them. Many factors that serve as facilitators of and barriers to achieving adjustment should be identified to be able to help the patients. This study was conducted to explain the experiences of patients with MS regarding the facilitators of and barriers to adjustment using conventional content analysis. The participants consisted of 18 patients, one nurse, one physician, and one patient companion, who were selected from the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic of BouAli, northern Iran, through purposive sampling. Data were collected through individual, in-depth, and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the method recommended by Elo and Kyngäs (2008). The data analysis generated five subcategories as facilitators and five subcategories as barriers. The subcategories of facilitators included family’s appropriate behavior with the patient, occupation, studying and information gathering, religious beliefs, and turning attitude into disease simplification and optimism. The subcategories of barriers were concerns about the uncertain future of the disease, physicians’ poor communication and behavior, society’s poor attitude, economic problems, and unsatisfactory support by the government and insurance companies. The results showed that a set of individual, environmental, and social factors serves as facilitators of or barriers to the process of adjustment to MS in patients. Gaining knowledge about these factors in congruence with the sociocultural context of the society, as derived from people’s real experiences, can help healthcare staff and the family of these patients provide more efficient assistance to the patients for achieving adjustment earlier.
Paraphilias, Sociodemographic and Forensic Profiles of Men Convicted of Sexual Offenses in Turkey
Authors: Kok Kendirlioglu Burcu , Ipekcioglu Derya , Havle Nedim , Ilnem Mehmet Cem
Published: August 2023

This study investigated the psychiatric, paraphilic, and forensic profiles of men who were convicted of sexual offenses. It also examined childhood trauma exposure in the group with potential paraphilia. The study was performed in the closed prison located in the Istanbul Silivri Penal Institutions Campus. The interview data of 100 men convicted of sexual offenses were obtained from the psychiatric interview notes based on the DSM-5 criteria, the results of the 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire administered to the participants with paraphilia, and the forensic profiles from examination files. It was found that 39% of individuals were drug users and 36% were alcohol users. Considering the crime scenes, 42% of men convicted of sexual offenses committed the offense in their own house. Pedophilia was the most common among men with paraphilia (59%). The victim age was significantly lower ( p < .001), and the male victim ratio was higher ( p < .05) in the group with paraphilia than in the group without paraphilia. Sexual offenses against children aged 10 years and below and against males may be suggestive of paraphilia and an increased risk of recidivism.
Does the Label Fit the Channel? How “Bricks” and “Clicks” Influence Demand for Environmental and Social Sustainability Labels
Authors: Fröberg Emelie , Kolesova Svetlana , Rosengren Sara
Published: August 2023

Service firms are increasingly trying to make their offers more sustainable. In this paper, we contribute to the literature on sustainability in service by investigating the impact of the shopping channel on consumer purchases of alternatives labeled as environmentally and socially sustainable. We theorize that the salience of self-oriented (vs. other-oriented) motives in the online (vs. in-store) channel has a higher fit with self-oriented (vs. other-oriented) benefits signaled by environmental (vs. social) labels, especially for utilitarian (vs. hedonic) products. To test this expectation, we conduct three studies using real-world grocery and beauty retailer datasets that include almost 900,000 purchases either in-store (“bricks”) or online (“clicks”). Using both between-consumer and within-consumer analysis, we find empirical support for our hypotheses. Our conceptual framework and findings suggest that service firms that want to promote environmentally and socially sustainable alternatives will benefit from adapting their strategies to different domains of sustainability labels and shopping channels.
Authenticity of Craft Brewery Visitor Experience: A Scale Development Study
Authors: Xu Shuangyu , Bauman Matthew Joseph , Ponting Sandra Sun-Ah , Slevitch Lisa , Webster Craig , Kirillova Ksenia
Published: August 2023

Although craft breweries have grown rapidly over the last decade, previous research has primarily focused on the aspects of marketing and consumer preferences. Little is known about authenticity of visitor experiences or perceptual differences that might exist between local and non-local visitors. Furthermore, a valid scale applicable to craft beer settings and authentic hospitality experiences at large is non-existent. This study addressed these research gaps by developing an authenticity scale for measuring craft brewery visitor experiences using a mixed-methods approach (participant observations, semi-structured interviews among brewery visitors, and two waves of survey data collection). A three-factor scale (Core Product Authenticity, Authenticity of Care, and Authenticity of Ambiance) was developed and validated through thematic analysis, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. No significant differences were found between local and non-local brewery visitors. This study sheds light on visitor experience management at craft breweries.