bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Theoretical Discussion of How Common Understanding and Reflection Upon Need for Resources Can Prevent Risks Underlying Social Innovations
Authors: Gjertsen Hege
Published: January 2023

The welfare state is facing complex challenges. Social innovation is considered as the solution to social challenges and so-called wicked problems, problems in the welfare state that are important, but difficult to solve. This implies being willing to take the risk that is involved when being innovative. A discussion of how different kinds of social innovations carry various risks and how some of these can be prevented, is still limited. This article looks at experiences from previous social innovations and ask what we can learn from them. It elaborates on why social innovation is challenging and what we can do to reduce the risk of failure. The research question is: What risks are at stake in different social innovations, and how can these be prevented? The article highlights risks and issues associated with social or collaborative innovation related to welfare services. It is theoretical and based on innovation theory and previous research, with examples from Norwegian welfare services. The purpose is to explore challenges and risks involved in 4 stereotype versions of social innovation as a result of crossing 2 dimensions of social innovation described above: (a) the degree of novelty and (b) who has initiated the innovation. The article enlightens some aspects of the implementation phase that are important to be aware of if we want to minimize the risk of failure. This concerns the importance of creating a common understanding of the innovation and reflecting on the need for extra resources.
Anxiety, humour and (geo)politics: warfare by other memes
Authors: Browning Christopher S , Brassett James
Published: January 2023

Humour is usually overlooked in analyses of international politics, this despite its growing prevalence and circulation in an increasingly mediatised world, with this neglect also evident in the growing literature on ontological security and anxiety in IR. Humour, though, needs to be taken seriously, crossing as it does the high-low politics divide and performing a variety of functions. In the context of the Covid pandemic we argue that the link between humour and anxiety has been evident in three notable respects: (i) functioning as a (sometimes problematic) form of stress relief at the level of everyday practices of anxiety management, (ii) working to reaffirm biographical narratives of (national) community and status and (iii) most significantly for IR, as a form of anxiety geopolitics.
Beyond hegemony, world order as domination: Iran’s Green Movement and the nuclear sanctions regimes
Authors: Holliday Shabnam J
Published: January 2023

Contributing to neo-Gramscian IR and debates regarding world order, this article puts forward Gramsci’s domination as a framework for better understanding the dynamics of a so-called ‘western liberal order’. It shows how Gramsci can be used to explore the power relations of world order that moves beyond Eurocentrism by highlighting the agency of the ‘non-West’ or ‘Global South’. In so doing, it illustrates the contradictions of a liberal world order. To make its case, it examines the relationship between Iran’s Green Movement, and the EU, US and UN sanctions regimes imposed on Iran in response to its nuclear programme. It is argued that domination, rather than hegemony, allows for a better understanding of the power relations in this case.
Resilience to COVID-19 challenges: Lessons for school psychologists serving school-attending youth with experiences of marginalization
Authors: Matsopoulos Anastassios , Theron Linda
Published: January 2023

This special issue is focused on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 health crisis, showcasing new cross-cultural research from different countries, such as rural/urban US, South Africa, and Australia. The aim οf the special issue is to highlight new knowledge related to pandemic-related impacts, as well as underscore variables that will promote children's resilience and especially vulnerable and marginalized children. We argue that all adults associated with schools (e.g., teachers, school psychologists, administrators, aides, parents, and social workers) need to synergize in creating a caring school community that is purposefully committed to supporting student resilience, especially among students with experiences of marginalization. A multisystemic resilience approach has been adopted and the focus has been on caring adults in the school communities and how they can support the most vulnerable students if the adults (school psychologists parents, caregivers, teachers, and other role-players) take co-ownership of championing student resilience in times of crisis. The studies included in this special issue highlight important issues especially for school psychologists, such as girls’ school engagement as a buffering factor to school disruptions, the value of multigenerational supports, the value of spirituality in dealing with crises, the sense of supportive connectedness with schools and finally teacher empowerment to support student wellbeing.
Highlights on molecular targets in the management of COVID-19: Possible role of pharmacogenomics
Authors: Thabet Romany H. , Massadeh Noor A. , Badarna Omar B. , Al-Momani Omar M.
Published: January 2023

By the end of 2022, there had been a reduction in new cases and deaths caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). At the same time, new variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus were being discovered. Critically ill patients with COVID-19 have been found to have high serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines, especially interleukin (IL)-6. COVID-19-related mortality has been attributed in most cases to the cytokine storm caused by increased levels of inflammatory cytokines. Dexamethasone in low doses and immunomodulators such as IL-6 inhibitors are recommended to overcome the cytokine storm. This current narrative review highlights the place of other therapeutic choices such as proteasome inhibitors, protease inhibitors and nuclear factor kappa B inhibitors in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
Pourquoi terroir? Reflections on French influences on Australian winemakers’ senses of place
Authors: Dutton Jacqueline
Published: January 2023

Terroir is an untranslatable, unstable, and often undefinable French term frequently used in the global wine industry. This article focuses on the transnational potentialities and cultural transferability of terroir in reflecting on French influences on Australian winemakers’ senses of place. After outlining the evolution of terroir in France to demonstrate how and why it appears to have become a floating signifier, I examine the use of terroir in the Australian winemaking context. I thereby provide an example of how this French concept has travelled and been translated by Australian proponents of the term at the other end of the New World of wine. Finally, I present conclusions drawn from the particular case of French-Australian cultural transfers to demonstrate key features of the current state of terroir's globalisation.
Surgical Corrections: Correct Timing
Authors: Arora Rohit , Bagga Deepak , Arya Sugandha
Published: January 2023

Many congenital anomalies amenable to surgery, while not incompatible with life may seriously hamper the growth and development of the infant if allowed to remain uncorrected. Knowledge of optimal age for correction of the lesions is of great value to the physician, since needless premature surgical referrals and prolongation beyond the optimal time may be avoided. This article brings forward few of the important surgical conditions commonly encountered in neonatal and pediatric practice and briefly reviews the optimal age for their surgical correction.
Quality of Life of Mothers of Preterm and Term Babies
Authors: Sharma Monika , Sohi Inderpreet
Published: January 2023

Premature birth is a situation with its added burdens of special child care requirements, which is likely to have an impact on the quality of life of the parents, especially the mother. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the self perceptions of quality of life of mothers of preterm babies with that of mothers of term babies. Material and Methods: This prospective study was carried out in the well baby clinic and the high risk clinic of a tertiary care centre using the WHO-Quality of Life questionnaire for adults. 50 mothers of preterm babies were enrolled as cases and 50 mothers of term babies were enrolled in the control group. Results: Final derived scores of the two groups were compared by the χ2 test. Statistically, the scores of the two groups were comparable, with no significant differences found in various subgroups of maternal age, parity, family type, working status and the gestation, gender and birth weight of the child.
Vascular Anomalies in the Neonate: Dilemmas in Management
Authors: Khunger Niti
Published: January 2023

Precise diagnosis and appropriate management of cutaneous vascular anomalies have been confounded by confusion in nomenclature and dilemmas in management. Vascular anomalies are now classified into vascular tumors and vascular malformations. They are not only cosmetically disfiguring but can also be associated with serious medical disorders and can even be life threatening. The absolute indications for referring a neonate with vascular anomalies include a rapidly proliferative hemangioma, ulceration, bleeding, destruction, distortion, obstruction, and congestive heart failure. Multidisciplinary clinics effectively address these complicated and troubling disorders by providing accurate diagnoses, clear treatment recommendations, and counseling from a team of specialists.
Medical Pneumoperitoneum in a Neonate: A Diagnostic Dilemma
Authors: Agarwal S , Rattan KN , Ratan SK , Rawal M
Published: January 2023

We report a case of medical pneumoperitoneum in a newborn female child. She had severe birth asphyxia. Various resuscitative measures were carried out, following which she developed massive pneumoperitoneum. Since the child did not respond to medical measures an exploratory laparotomy was performed which revealed no underlying cause.
Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices around Newborn Resuscitation in Hilly Tribal Homebirth Settings: A Qualitative Observational Study
Authors: Samakya Srividhya , Pati Sanghamitra , Acharya Subhendu Kumar
Published: January 2023

Objective

The study explores home-based newborn resuscitation methods among the Porja hilly tribe in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Methods

This study was community-based qualitative observational study conducted between October 2021 and March 2022 at 3 intervals. Among the 28 homebirths, 13 were saved with home-based newborn resuscitation methods. The role of traditional birth attendants to save newborn life were found to be highly appreciable. To document its importance, 28 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and two focus group discussions (FGDs) were employed in the study. The participants were 28 mothers of neonates including 13 mothers whose newborns’ first breaths were initiated with different cultural methods and were purposively selected for the IDIs. The data was cross-checked with five untrained traditional birth attendants and 12 elderly female members involved in home deliveries to manage the newborns’ lives. Data collection was carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire on traditional practices, which measured demographic characteristics and women’s perceptions and practices of home-based newborn resuscitation methods.

Results

The materials used in neonatal awakening were loud sounds with heavy metals, splattering water, thumb pressures on the forehead, chest, and soles region. Four themes were generated: (a) newborn resuscitation is not required on crying neonates, (b) newborn resuscitation is required on noncrying neonates, (c) knowledge of loss of first breath in newborns, (d) post-resuscitation care methods.

Conclusion

Culture-specified newborn health practices and traditional beliefs still play a crucial role in shaping newborn care practices among hilly tribal communities. The qualitative studies on tribal newborn resuscitation are most important to preserve beneficial traditional methods and preventing harmful practices can help improve the health status of tribal newborn babies, where there are inadequate neonatal services in poor socio-economical resource settings.
Prevalence, Associated Factors and Adverse Outcomes of Demoralization in Cancer Patients: A Decade of Systematic Review
Authors: Wang Yuejuan , Sun Haichao , Ji Qiaoying , Wu Qiwei , Wei Jinrong , Zhu Pingting
Published: January 2023

Demoralization has been extensively studied in oncology and palliative care settings, and is characterized by a loss of meaning and purpose in life, a sense of powerlessness over life events, and a sense of helplessness. The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize the prevalence, associated factors, and adverse outcomes of demoralization in cancer patients by reviewing the literature of the last decade. Seven databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases) were systematically searched from January 2012 to June 2022. Roughly speaking, the prevalence of demoralization in cancer patients ranges from 13.50% to 49.4%. A total of 45 factors are associated with demoralization, of which psychological factors have been studied more frequently in the last decade. There are nine outcomes related to demoralization, with the strongest evidence for the correlation between demoralization and suicidal ideation. The study emphasizes the complexity of factors associated with demoralization in cancer patients. There appears to be a intersection between the constructs of demoralization and depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, which may explain the correlation between them.
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Bereaved
Authors: Janus Soraya A. , King Steff , Lam Vienna C. , Anderson Gail S.
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed millions across the world in only two years. Government health restrictions aimed at preventing transmission have impacted typical mourning practices such as funeral gatherings and in-person grief support services. This research examines the potential impacts that the pandemic may have had on people's ability to grieve. We employed a mixed methods study design to ask those who have lost a loved one during this time to reflect on their mourning practices with an anonymous survey. Our results present themes of complicated grief, the uncertainty of who to blame for frustrations, and common needs requested by the bereaved to help them mourn during these unprecedented times. These findings may help inform grief support and bereavement services during current and future mass death and pandemic health concerns.
Securitizing the nation beyond the state: diasporas as threats, victims, and assets
Authors: Abramson Yehonatan
Published: January 2023

Securitization theory has paid extensive attention to transnational issues, actors, and processes. Surprisingly, however, only little attention has been paid to the securitization of diaspora communities, defined as overseas citizens or co-nationals abroad. This article fills this gap by developing an analytical framework to study the securitization of diasporas, focusing on three discursive formations: diasporas as threatening actors, as objects under threat, or as security resources. Building upon the recent literature on state–diaspora engagement and drawing on an analysis of Israeli elite discourse (from 1948 to 2022), this article demonstrates how the securitization of diasporas serves as a discursive mechanism that naturalizes and legitimizes extra-territorial policies towards Jews abroad. Thus, the article complements structural and rational explanations of state–diaspora engagement by examining the intersubjective process that endows diaspora policymaking with meaning. Against the backdrop of extensive securitization scholarship that focuses on attempts to keep “foreigners” out, this article shows how securitization justifies bringing certain people in or governing their national identity abroad.
Comparing COVID-19 pandemic health responses in two high-income island nations: Iceland and New Zealand
Authors: Grout Leah , Gottfreðsson Magnús , Kvalsvig Amanda , Baker Michael G. , Wilson Nick , Summers Jennifer
Published: January 2023

Aims:

We aimed to compare COVID-19 control measures, epidemiological characteristics and economic performance measures in two high-income island nations with small populations, favorable border control options, and relatively good outcomes: Iceland and New Zealand (NZ).

Methods:

We examined peer-reviewed journal articles, official websites, reports, media releases and press articles for data on pandemic preparedness and COVID-19 public health responses from 1 January 2020 to 1 June 2022 in Iceland and NZ. We calculated epidemiological characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as measures of economic performance.

Results:

Both nations had the lowest excess mortality in the OECD from the start of the pandemic up to June 2022. Iceland pursued a mitigation strategy, never used lockdowns or officially closed its border to foreign nationals, and instead relied on extensive testing and contact tracing early in the pandemic. Meanwhile, NZ pursued an elimination strategy, used a strict national lockdown to stop transmission, and closed its international border to everyone except citizens and permanent residents going through quarantine and testing. Iceland experienced a larger decrease in gross domestic product in 2020 (relative to 2019) than NZ (–8·27% vs. –1·22%, respectively). In late 2021, NZ announced a shift to a suppression strategy and in 2022 began to reopen its border in stages, while Iceland ended all public restrictions on 25 February 2022.

Conclusions:

Many of Iceland’s and NZ’s pandemic control measures appeared successful and features of the responses in both countries could potentially be adopted by other jurisdictions to address future disease outbreaks and pandemic threats.
Investigating municipal and company influences on employment of people with chronic health conditions
Authors: Bolvig Iben , Rangvid Beatrice S.
Published: January 2023

Aims:

In many countries, people with chronic health conditions have a weaker attachment to the labour market and fewer chances of re-employment. Much of the existing literature estimates the importance of institutional factors at the level of the municipality of residence or employer accommodation at the company level individually. This study examined the two levels simultaneously to disentangle the separate effects of municipal-level and of company-level factors.

Methods:

Using full population data from Denmark, we estimated cross-classified multilevel models for people newly diagnosed with chronic conditions in 2010–2013 (more than 60,000 individuals in 20,000 companies). We tracked their employment outcomes for up to 5 years after diagnosis.

Results:

The findings suggest that, in the short term, factors at the company level explain differences in the employment levels of individuals with chronic conditions more than institutional factors at the municipal level. A combination of average wage, company-level seniority, company size, and industry seem to explain much of company-level influence. In the longer term, the importance of company-level factors seemed to decline. Company-level factors explained blue collar workers’ employment rates better than those of white collar workers, which is in line with the notion that blue collar workers expend more physical effort in their work so that they may be more reliant on company accommodation than white collar workers in the case of chronic conditions.

Conclusions:

Company-level factors affected the employment of persons newly diagnosed with chronic health conditions in the short term (in particular among workers in blue collar jobs), while municipal-level factors did not.
Investigation on the indoor environment during a whole cooking process under constant make-up air organization in a Chinese-style residential kitchen
Authors: Liu Yu , Li Chong , Ma Hongqiang , Dong Jiankai
Published: January 2023

A large amount of heat and particles generated from cooking have a negative impact on occupants’ thermal comfort as well as the indoor environment in the kitchen and adjacent rooms. Although heat generation rate and emission strength of particles are largely affected by oil temperature and cooking duration, there is a lack of quantification on the impact of the indoor environment during the whole cooking process. This study applies a computational fluid dynamics method to simulate air temperature, velocity and particle distribution in a kitchen and indoor environment during a 10-min and after 2-min cooking process with constant make-up air organization from window opening in a Chinese-style residential kitchen. User-defined function was defined for dynamic oil temperature and emission rate based on experimental results from previous studies and was interpreted in FLUENT for transient simulation within 12 min. Results indicate that heat spread remarkably after 30 s of oil heating. Air temperature experienced an increase of about 10.0°C around the occupant during the whole cooking process. For particle distribution, a large variation in the kitchen was observed after 4 min. Particle concentration in an indoor environment was increased dramatically after 6 min. Further studies on the transmission mechanism of heat and particles from the kitchen space to an adjacent room under different cooking scenarios are needed for the design and control of kitchen ventilation.
A literature review and future research agenda on fault detection and diagnosis studies in marine machinery systems
Authors: Orhan Muhittin , Celik Metin
Published: January 2023

Fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) have great potential to enable safety, efficiency, and reliability measures of critical machinery systems. However, it is clear that there is a lack of systematic literature review to identify and classify the FDD studies conducted within the scope of marine engineering. This paper offers a systematic review of FDD models particular to marine machinery and systems. The numbers of 72 core articles were highlighted through a comprehensive literature review conducted in the 2002–2022 period. The studies are classified based on the mostly utilized methods such as data-driven, model-based, knowledge-based, and new generation-hybrid. In addition, new generation and hybrid methods are discussed in detail. The experimental environment (i.e. shipboard, labs, simulator) and technical details of the conducted studies are extensively discussed. While 56.94% of the examined studies are related to the main engine, 43.06% of them are related to auxiliary engines. In addition, the main and auxiliary engine studies are also divided into subject headings and examined in detail. Given the recent developments in green and smart maritime concepts, a future research agenda of the FDD studies on marine machinery systems is then pinpointed. Consequently, the study stimulates scholars interested in FDD while it enables innovative ideas for marine engineers, technology providers, ship operators, and maritime entrepreneurs.
A study of the frequency response of fluid-structure interactions in a three-dimensional fluid-filled pipe system using an impedance synthesis method
Authors: Wu Jiang-hai , Yin Zhi-yong , Sun Yu-dong
Published: January 2023

Fluid-filled pipelines are widely used in engineering and industry. An analysis of the frequency dynamic responses of three-dimensional pipes is presented in this paper. A general formulation is developed based on an impedance matrix transmission approach in which a T-shaped pipe system can be assembled from three straight pipes. For validation purposes, numerical results are compared with data given by finite element method (FEM) software, previous literature, and an experiment. In the experiment, the three-dimensional pipe system is suspended horizontally on spring wires and is excited in the X and Y directions. It is found that the results calculated using the proposed method match the experimental results well. A dimensionless analysis of Poisson’s coupling is then carried out, and the junction coupling of the branch pipe is analyzed as a function of its angle. Through this work, it is shown that the proposed method is efficient and can be used to predict the vibration of three-dimensional pipes.
The visual size is enough to automatically induce the potentiation of grasping behaviours
Authors: Heurley Loïc P , Harrak Mohamed Halim , Guerineau Ronan , Ferrier Laurent P , Morgado Nicolas
Published: January 2023

Seeing objects usually grasped with a power or a precision grip (e.g., an apple vs a cherry) potentiates power- and precision-grip responses, respectively. An embodied account suggests that this effect occurs because object conceptual representations would lie on a motor simulation process. A new account, named the size-coding account, argues that this effect could be rather due to an overlapping of size codes used to represent both manipulable objects and response options. In this article, we investigate whether this potentiation effect could be merely due to a low-level visual feature that favours a size-coding of stimuli: the visual size in which objects are presented. Accordingly, we conducted two experiments in which we presented highly elementary and non-graspable stimuli (i.e., ink spots) either large or small rather than graspable objects. Our results showed that the mere visual size automatically potentiates power- and precision-grip responses that are in line with the size-coding account of the potentiation effect of grasping behaviours. Moreover, these results appeal to improve the methodological control of the size of stimuli especially when researchers try to support the embodied account.
Mediating memories: Individual remembering of two mass protests in Hong Kong
Authors: Chu Donna
Published: January 2023

This article aims to discuss the roles of media in shaping and sustaining personal memories of social movements. Through 24 in-depth interviews with witnesses of and participants in two mass protests in Hong Kong, it examines how media might contribute to differences in individual remembering. First, it found that individual remembering was characterized by a strong embodiment of various senses, experiences, and emotions. Second, personal memory was articulated and embedded in layers of social relations. Finally, media were often remembered as tools of mobilization by activists in protests. It argued that two key conditions were crucial for the formation of lasting personal memory: the presence of embodied experiences, and meaningful social connections. It shed light on the roles of media in terms of technology and generations. It identified how changing media technologies facilitated information environments that emphasized on different senses and hence favoring certain experiences, emotions, interpretations, and participation in the memory-making process.
Yarning about pain: Evaluating communication training for health professionals at persistent pain services in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Bernardes Christina M , Ekberg Stuart , Birch Stephen , Claus Andrew , Bryant Matthew , Meuter Renata , Isua Jermaine , Gray Paul , Kluver Joseph P , Malacova Eva , Jones Corey , Houkamau Kushla , Taylor Marayah , Lin Ivan , Pratt Gregory
Published: January 2023

Background

Providing cultural education to health professionals is essential in improving the quality of care and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. This study reports the evaluation of a novel training workshop used as an intervention to improve communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients of persistent pain services.

Methods

In this single-arm intervention study, health professionals undertook a one-day workshop, which included cultural capability and communication skills training based on a clinical yarning framework. The workshop was delivered across three adult persistent pain clinics in Queensland. At the end of the training, participants completed a retrospective pre/post evaluation questionnaire (5 points Likert scale , 1 = very low to 5 = very high), to rate their perceived importance of communication training, their knowledge, ability and confidence to communicate effectively. Participants also rated their satisfaction with the training and suggested improvements for future trainings.

Results

Fifty-seven health professionals were trained ( N = 57/111; 51% participation rate), 51 completed an evaluation questionnaire ( n = 51/57; 90% response rate). Significant improvements in the perceived importance of communication training, knowledge, ability and confidence to effectively communicate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients were identified ( p < 0.001). The greatest increase was in the perceived confidence pre-training mean of 2.96 (SE = 0.11) to the post-training mean of 4.02 (SE = 0.09).

Conclusion

This patient-centred communication training, delivered through a novel model that combines cultural capability and the clinical yarning framework applied to the pain management setting, was highly acceptable and significantly improved participants’ perceived competence. This method is transferrable to other health system sectors seeking to train their clinical workforce with culturally sensitive communication skills.
An Explanatory Model of Work-family Conflict and Resilience as Predictors of Job Satisfaction in Nurses: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement and Communication Skills
Authors: Huaman Nilda , Morales-García Wilter C. , Castillo-Blanco Ronald , Saintila Jacksaint , Huancahuire-Vega Salomón , Morales-García Sandra B. , Calizaya-Milla Yaquelin E. , Palacios-Fonseca Alin
Published: January 2023

Background:

The Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) model is used to examine predictors of well-being, work engagement, and individual or organizational outcomes. According to the model, work engagement and communication skills play a mediating role between work-family conflict and resilience to job satisfaction in nurses.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted considering 431 Peruvian nurses of mean age ( M = 40.31 years; SD = 10.94) ranging from 22 to 68 years working in public hospitals in the Lima region. Data were collected using a self-reported form of the Job Satisfaction Scale, communication skills, work engagement, work-family conflict, and resilience. The theoretical model was evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Results:

A theoretical model with adequate fit was obtained [χ2(2) = 6.0, P < .001, CFI = 0.995, RMSEA = 0.068, SRMR = 0.015]. Results indicated an inverse relationship between work-family conflict with communication skills (β = −.24, P < .001) and work engagement (β = −.10, P = .003). Likewise, resilience had an influence on communication skills (β = .55, P < .001) and work engagement (β = .33, P < .001). In addition, the model explains 71% of job satisfaction. Also, the results indicate the influence of work-family conflict and resilience through the mediating role of work engagement and work-family conflict on job satisfaction.

Conclusions:

The model confirmed that work engagement and communication skills are valid moderators to mitigate work-family conflict and strengthen resilience that favors job satisfaction in nurses.
Higher Mortality Rate in Patients with Vertebral Compression Fractures is due to Deteriorated Medical Status Prior to the Fracture Event
Authors: Zohar Ariel , getzler Itamar , Behrbalk Eyal
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Vertebral compression fractures (VCF) are the most common low-energy fractures in older people and are associated with increased mortality. To assess mortality risk in patients suffering from VCF, we conducted a retrospective observational long-term cohort study.

Patients and Methods

The study included 270 patients. 221 patients were treated conservatively, and 49 were treated with vertebroplasty. The study group was compared to a control group of 1641 random individuals age and sex-matched. Electronic healthcare data extracted included monthly chronic medications taken regularly 3 months before hospitalisation, analgesics excluded, and date of death.

Results

Patients who suffer from VCF tend to consume more chronic medications. The mean count of chronic medication prescriptions in the 3 months before hospitalisation was 16.41 (±9.11) in the VCF group and 11.52 (± 7.17) in the control cohort ( P < .0001). In univariate analysis, patients with VCF showed decreased long-term survival ( P < .00). However, when controlled for age, sex, and chronic medications uptake, no significant difference was observed between the groups in a multivariate model ( P = .12).

Conclusions

The study demonstrates that VCF as an independent variable has a marginal effect on mortality. The higher mortality prevalent in these patients is due to the deteriorated health status of the patients before fracture.
Investigating the Finance-Energy-Growth Trilogy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence From the NARDL Framework
Authors: Kassi Diby Francois , Li Yao , Gnangoin Yobouet Thierry , N’Drin Morié Guy-Roland , Gnahe Franck Edouard , Edjoukou Akadje Jean Roland
Published: January 2023

This paper analyzes the nexus between energy consumption, financial development, and economic growth in twenty-one (21) sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations by using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) framework from 1990Q1 to 2014Q4. First, the study reveals that energy consumption and financial development have asymmetrical impacts on economic growth in most countries in the short and long term. Second, positive shocks to financial development favor economic growth in only a few nations compared to the negative shocks in the short term, whereas they have mixed effects in the long term. Third, we found that adverse shocks to energy consumption boost economic growth in several nations in the short term, unlike the positive shocks, but the scenario has reversed in the long term. We also found that gross fixed capital formation and labor force remain key factors promoting economic growth in many SSA countries, in contrast to the mixed effects of trade openness over time. Accordingly, our study recommends implementing energy-saving policies in specific SSA countries to stimulate sustainable development. Policymakers must embrace an effective credit allocation to the private sector supporting productive investments. Governments should also optimize domestic investments in physical capital, upgrade the labor force, and implement efficient strategies in international trade. These policy recommendations need to be implemented according to the unique socio-economic characteristics of each SSA country.
Inequitable Interactions: A Critical Quantitative Analysis of Mentorship and Psychosocial Development Within Computing Graduate School Pathways
Authors: Wofford Annie M.
Published: January 2023

Mentorship is vital to increasing graduate school access in computing; however, mentorship must be structured in power-conscious, developmental ways to ensure equitable access to and support within computing graduate pathways. I engage a critical quantitative lens to examine mentoring support among undergraduates with reported graduate aspirations, taking a nuanced look at departmental mentorship to investigate how organizational power in computing may maintain inequitable mentoring outcomes. Descriptive and regression analyses draw from a longitudinal sample of 442 graduate aspirants in computing who completed an introductory course survey (between 2015–2017) and a follow-up survey (fall 2019). Results document significant variation in forms of mentoring support and disciplinary psychosocial beliefs (i.e., computing identity and self-efficacy), with key patterns across graduate aspirants’ social identities and mentors’ organizational power (via their departmental roles). I conclude by discussing structural and social inequities in mentorship, which may underscore disparities in students’ realization of their computing graduate aspirations.
Transforming Post-disaster Recovery: Participatory Mechanisms for Community Feedback and Responding to Government’s Real-time Data Needs with a Focus on Persons with Disability
Authors: Andharia Janki , Puri Anu , Namboothiripad Arya
Published: January 2023

This article discusses possibilities of transforming the methods of conceiving policy research with a commitment to action, making the process more participatory, accountable and helping the most affected to be part of the decision-making process. It was carried out in the Indian state of Kerala post the devastating 2018 floods caused by unexpected and abnormal precipitation that resulted in severe flooding in 11 out of 14 districts in the state. For the first time, a community feedback mechanism was introduced in the country by the government, using their community structures, resulting in India’s first and largest post-disaster primary database with 19,646 responses. A significant aspect of the study is the inclusion of a large sample ( n = 521) of persons with disability. As a methodological innovation, new and dedicated pathways were created for receiving community feedback including grievances from the most marginalised and vulnerable households and individuals. Instituting these within the government itself, to guide the recovery process, was a clear innovation. It suggests that it is possible for a government to listen to the vulnerable within communities and respond while building on their feedback as well as addressing their grievances, which need immediate redressal during disaster recovery.
Strontium-90 in Baby Teeth as a Basis for Estimating U.S. Cancer Deaths From Nuclear Weapons Fallout
Authors: Mangano Joseph , S. Gaus Kelli , Mousseau Timothy A. , Ketterer Michael
Published: January 2023

Nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere during the 1950s and 1960s deposited fallout throughout the world, exposing all humans to food and water before the Limited Test Ban Treaty ended large-scale tests. The largest effort to measure in vivo fallout in humans, performed by Washington University (USA), collected over 300,000 deciduous teeth to document a sustained increase in Strontium-90 (Sr-90) during testing and a sharp decline after the test ban. Sr-90 patterns and trends in teeth were consistent with those of bones and milk. Sr-90 is still detectable in about 100,000 of the teeth, which were never tested. Tooth donors were born during atmospheric testing (1946–1965) and thus exposed to fallout in utero and during infancy/childhood, when exposures pose the greatest health risk. Preliminary analysis of global fallout's health risk in the United States indicates recent cancer mortality in several high-fallout areas exceeded that of states with the lowest fallout, peaking for the cohort born in the early 1960s, when fallout was highest. These findings support subsequent measurement of Sr-90 in deciduous teeth of persons who died of diseases such as cancer, along with controls, a novel approach to assessing fallout hazards.
Activity of eftozanermin alfa plus venetoclax in preclinical models and patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Tahir Stephen K. , Calvo Emiliano , Carneiro Benedito A. , Yuda Junichiro , Shreenivas Aditya , Jongen-Lavrencic Mojca , Gort Eelke , Ishizawa Kenichi , Morillo Daniel , Biesdorf Carla , Smith Morey , Cheng Dong , Motwani Monica , Sharon David , Uziel Tamar , Modi Dimple A. , Buchanan Fritz G. , Morgan-Lappe Susan , Medeiros Bruno C. , Phillips Darren C.
Published: January 2023

Activation of apoptosis in malignant cells is an established strategy for controlling cancer and is potentially curative. To assess the impact of concurrently inducing the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathways in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we evaluated activity of the TRAIL receptor agonistic fusion protein eftozanermin alfa (eftoza; ABBV-621) in combination with the B-cell lymphoma protein-2 selective inhibitor venetoclax in preclinical models and human patients. Simultaneously stimulating intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathways with venetoclax and eftoza, respectively, enhanced their activities in AML cell lines and patient-derived ex vivo/in vivo models. Eftoza activity alone or plus venetoclax required death receptor 4/5 (DR4/DR5) expression on the plasma membrane but was independent of TP53 or FLT3-ITD status. The safety/tolerability of eftoza as monotherapy and in combination with venetoclax was demonstrated in patients with relapsed/refractory AML in a phase 1 clinical trial. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 2 of 4 (50%) patients treated with eftoza monotherapy and 18 of 23 (78%) treated with eftoza plus venetoclax. An overall response rate of 30% (7/23; 4 complete responses [CRs], 2 CRs with incomplete hematologic recovery, and 1 morphologic leukemia-free state) was reported in patients who received treatment with eftoza plus venetoclax and 67% (4/6) in patients with myoblasts positive for DR4/DR5 expression; no tumor responses were observed with eftoza monotherapy. These data indicate that combination therapy with eftoza plus venetoclax to simultaneously activate the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathways may improve clinical benefit compared with venetoclax monotherapy in relapsed/refractory AML with an acceptable toxicity profile. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03082209.
Refractory ventricular tachycardia and heart failure due to anti-mitochondrial antibody-positive inflammatory myopathy
Authors: Huang Rong , Zhang Xinlin , Han Zhonglin , Wu Xiang , Li Guannan , Chen Jianzhou , Xu Biao , Gu Rong , Wang Lian
Published: January 2023

Background

Anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA)-positive inflammatory myopathy, a rare type of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy which was frequently difficult to diagnose, can affect muscles and the structure and electrical conduction of the heart. Early identification and treatment of this myopathy can prevent serious cardiovascular adverse events and improve cardiac function.

Case presentation

We report a patient who experienced repeated syncope, ventricular tachycardia (VT) and heart failure accompanied by weakness and muscle atrophy. He was initially diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and received implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy. He was subsequently misdiagnosed as muscular dystrophy due to progressive muscular atrophy. However, the patient developed repeated and refractory VT storms that were not alleviated by conventional therapy. Finally, he was diagnosed with AMA-positive inflammatory myopathy with cardiac injuries. The patient was markedly recovered by being treated with immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapy.

Conclusion

AMA could be screened when discovering myopathies accompanied by unexplained cardiac symptoms. Our findings provide insights into the diagnosis and therapy of this rare and severe disease.
Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding child maltreatment amongst Iranian medical students through internship course: an 18-month longitudinal study
Authors: Boroon Mahsa , Mokhtari Saba , Nojomi Marzieh , Hadi Fatemeh , Soraya Shiva , Shalbafan Mohammadreza
Published: January 2023

Background

Child maltreatment has been a major worldwide problem and has remained a persistent public health challenge in all countries. Physicians have a significant role in the prevention and intervention of child maltreatment. An educated physician that can effectively identify and report child maltreatment can fill one of the most significant gaps in reducing child abuse.

This study was performed to examine the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding child maltreatment among Iranian medical students through an internship course.

Method

All the medical students (235 students) of the Iran University of Medical Sciences who passed the internship entrance exam in the 2019–2020 academic year participated in this study. The participants completed a 49-item scale questionnaire built by combining three other validated questionnaires that evaluate their attitude, knowledge, and practice skills in the first month of their internship course and then completed the same questionnaire 18 months later, at the end-point of the internship period.

Results

One-hundred thirty nine (59.1%) participants were female, and 96 (40.9%) were male. The mean age of the subjects was 24.35 ± 0.76. Only 7 (3%) of them formerly received any education about child maltreatment. There was a significant improvement in scores of the knowledge of prevention (p-value = 0.001), the practice of prevention (p-value < 0.001) and the general subscale of the practice section (p-value < 0.001) during the internship course. However, the performance of participants decreased significantly in the subscales of the attitude towards diagnosis (p-value = 0.001) and the attitude towards reporting (p-value < 0.001) of child maltreatment. At the end of the study, the result of graduated physicians was: The total knowledge and attitude of participants were satisfactory, and the majority were at reasonable levels. Although in the practice subscale, 70.6% of the participants didn’t identify, 84.7% didn’t refer, and 86.4% didn’t report a child abuse case in the past year.

Conclusion

The knowledge and attitude of Iranian physicians regarding child maltreatment are at a satisfactory level. Although, the practice level has deficiencies. In addition, our findings show that Iranian interns have a shallow experience regarding child maltreatment, particularly despite the higher scores in attitude and knowledge, which can be the reason for deficiencies in the practice level.