bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SHARING Choices: A Pilot Study to Engage Family in Advance Care Planning of Older Adults With and Without Cognitive Impairment in the Primary Care Context
Authors: Wolff Jennifer L. , Scerpella Danny , Cockey Kimberly , Hussain Naaz , Funkhouser Tara , Echavarria Diane , Aufill Jennifer , Guo Amy , Sloan Danetta H. , Dy Sydney M. , Smith Kelly M. ,   the SHARING Choices Investigators
Published: December 2020

Context:

Few advance care planning (ACP) interventions proactively engage family or address the needs of older adults with and without cognitive impairment in the primary care context.

Objectives:

To pilot a multicomponent intervention involving: an introductory letter describing a new clinic initiative and inviting patients to complete a patient-family pre-visit agenda-setting checklist, share their electronic health information with family, and talk about their wishes for future care with a trained ACP facilitator (SHARING Choices).

Methods:

SHARING Choices was delivered to 40 patient-family dyads from 3 primary care clinics. Facilitators completed post-ACP reports. Patient and family participants completed baseline and 6-week surveys.

Results:

Patients were on average 75 years (range 65-90). Family were spouses (85.0%) or adult children (15.0%). At 6 weeks, nearly half of dyads participated in ACP conversations (n = 19) or used the agenda-setting checklist (n = 17), one-third (n = 13) registered family to access the patient’s portal account, and most (n = 28) provided the primary care team with a new or previously completed advance directive. Of 12 patients who screened positive for cognitive impairment, 9 completed ACP conversations and 10 provided the clinic with an advance directive. ACP engagement, measured on a 4-point scale, was comparatively lower at baseline and 6 weeks among family (3.05 and 3.19) than patients (3.56 and 3.54). Patients remarked that SHARING Choices clarified communication and preferences while family reported a better understanding of their role in ACP and communication.

Conclusion:

SHARING Choices was acceptable among older adults with and without cognitive impairment and may increase advance directive completion.
Foundations of Superintendent Trustworthiness: Perspectives of Elementary School Principals
Authors: Benna Justin V. , Hambacher Elyse
Published: December 2020

In this article, we draw on the literature on trust to examine how elementary school principals make sense of superintendent trustworthiness. We examine trust in the context of the principal–superintendent relationship because it is the “social glue” needed for effective professional relationships where student learning and success is at the core. We used purposeful sampling and conducted fifteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five elementary school principals. Drawing on constructivist grounded theory guidelines, we describe the principals’ foundations of superintendent trustworthiness, including how they conceptualize trust, the importance of superintendent competence, and shared values between both parties. Participants viewed trust as a reciprocal two-way path, requiring vulnerability from both parties and occurring over time. The experiences of the five participants are helpful for principals and superintendents who wish to strengthen trust relations for the purposes of their leadership and for creating healthy, thriving school communities.
A Nationwide Survey of Oral Health Related Quality of Life of Children With Orofacial Cleft in New Zealand
Authors: Fowler Peter V. , Ayrey S. Louise , Stone Peter R. , Thompson John M. D.
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

To describe (1) oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) for children with orofacial cleft (OFC) in New Zealand and (2) assess any differences in OHRQoL by sex, ethnicity, and cleft phenotype using the 16 item (and 8 item subset) of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ) and Parent version (P-CPQ).

Design and Setting:

Prospective cross-sectional nationwide study.

Methods and Materials:

Children with OFC and their parents completed the 16-item CPQ or the Parent CPQ, respectively, when attending cleft clinic appointments between January 2015 and December 2017.

Results:

Overall, 174 children (mean age 10.4 ± 1.2 years) and their parents (n = 181) completed the CPQ or P-CPQ. In multivariable analysis, neither the CPQ nor P-CPQ 16-item or 8-item subset showed significant differences in OHRQoL total score with cleft phenotype. Children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) had higher (worse) well-being scores than those with cleft palate alone (CP) on the P-CPQ. Pacific Island children had consistently higher scores across both CPQ and P-CPQ, total and subscales.

Conclusions:

Significant differences in OHRQoL among children with OFC were found for the well-being domain for children with CLP as reported by P-CPQ, but the symptom domain and total score showed no differences. Poorer scores were reported for children of Pacific Island descent using both questionnaires. The study findings indicate that children with OFC in New Zealand are a group who experience worse OHRQoL when referenced to normative non-OFC data. Further investigations are required to establish greater insight into specific factors influencing OHRQoL.
Real-world effectiveness of the pegfilgrastim on-body injector in preventing severe neutropenia
Authors: Maahs Lucas , Tang Amy , Saheli Zaid Al , Jacob Brigid , Polasani Rishika , Hwang Clara
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factors are used in medical oncology for the prevention of neutropenia. On-body injectors (OBI) have an advantage over the traditional injection (TI) method of not requiring a second visit to the clinic, but these devices are subject to failure. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of OBIs in the real-world.

Methods

Women with breast cancer diagnosed between June 2015 and June 2016 treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy and a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor were retrospectively identified from the medical records of Henry Ford Hospital. The primary outcome was the incidence of severe neutropenia (SN), defined as an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≤500. Secondary outcomes included incidence of neutropenia (ANC ≤ 1500), neutropenic fever, and mortality. A secondary analysis of the data was performed to identify predictors of SN.

Results

A total of 837 cycles of chemotherapy were analyzed. The OBI was used in 395 cycles and the TI in 442. The OBI group had patients that were older, had higher baseline ANC, and were more often white. The incidences of SN, neutropenic fever and neutropenia were not different between groups. Patients with a lower baseline ANC and white ethnicity were at a higher risk for SN. AC (doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide) was the most commonly used chemotherapy regimen (38% of total cycles).

Conclusions

There was no difference in the efficacy of the OBI and TI methods for preventing SN, neutropenic fever and neutropenia.
The effects of time and relative humidity on dry-aged beef: Traditional versus special bag
Authors: Bernardo Ana Paula Da Silva , Da Silva Astrid Caroline Muniz , Ferreira Felipe Marinelli Saraiva , Do Nascimento Maristela Da Silva , Pflanzer Sérgio Bertelli
Published: December 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of relative humidity (RH) and different dry aging methods on the quality of beef. Sixteen loins, from eight carcasses, were used in this experiment. Each pair of loin was cut into eight sections with equal size, which were evenly assigned to eight treatments, by the combination of two dry aging methods (traditional and highly moisture-permeable special bag), two relative humidity (65 and 85% RH) and two aging times (21 and 42 days). At 85% RH, neither special bag nor the traditional dry aging methods were viable, since samples presented high microbiological counts, mucus and bad odor. At 65% RH, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria were not detected in any treatment. The highest aerobic plate count and psychrotrophic count were observed in the samples of the traditional dry-aged process whereas the special bag showed the greatest mold and yeast count. Regarding dry aging in special bag, there was a reduction in the weight loss ( P < 0.05) and no change in the physical-chemical characteristics ( P > 0.05) compared to traditional dry aging. The values of pH, moisture and Warner-Bratzler shear force were not affected ( P > 0.05) by aging method and relative humidity. Thus, the results indicate that high RH should be avoided for both dry aging methods. Furthermore, the special bag dry aging can be considered an alternative to produce dry-aged beef, as it reduces weight losses even at conditions of lower relative humidity.
To Err Is Human(-oid): How Do Consumers React to Robot Service Failure and Recovery?
Authors: Choi Sungwoo , Mattila Anna S. , Bolton Lisa E.
Published: December 2020

Robots are the next wave in service technology; however, this advanced technology is not perfect. This research examines how social perceptions regarding the warmth and competence of service robots influence consumer reactions to service failures and recovery efforts by robots. We argue that humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid) service robots are more strongly associated with warmth (whereas competence does not differ). This tendency to expect greater warmth from humanoid robots has important consequences for service firms: (i) consumers are more dissatisfied due to lack of warmth following a process failure caused by a humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid; Study 1); (ii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can recover a service failure by themselves via sincere apology, restoring perceptions of warmth (Study 2A); (iii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can also effectively provide explanations as a recovery tactic (Study 2B); and, importantly, (iv) human intervention can be used to mitigate dissatisfaction following inadequate recovery by a nonhumanoid robot (Study 3), supporting the notion of human-robot collaboration. Taken together, this research offers theoretical implications for robot anthropomorphism and practical implications for firms employing service robots.
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Asaoka Mariko , Gandhi Shipra , Ishikawa Takashi , Takabe Kazuaki
Published: December 2020

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) had been developed as a systematic approach before definitive surgery for the treatment of locally advanced or inoperable breast cancer such as inflammatory breast cancer in the past. In addition to its impact on surgery, the neoadjuvant setting has a benefit of providing the opportunity to monitor the individual drug response. Currently, the subject of NAC has expanded to include patients with early-stage, operable breast cancer because it is revealed that the achievement of a pathologic complete response (pCR) is associated with excellent long-term outcomes, especially in patients with aggressive phenotype breast cancer. In addition, this approach provides the unique opportunity to escalate adjuvant therapy in those with residual disease after NAC. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer is a rapidly evolving topic with tremendous interest in ongoing clinical trials. Here, we review the improvements and further challenges in the NAC setting in translational breast cancer research.
Identification of Viscoelastic Property of Pile-Soil Interactions with Fractional Derivative Model
Authors: Zatar Wael , Xiao Feng , Chen Gang S. , Hulsey J. Leroy
Published: December 2020

The viscoelastic property of pile-soil interactions is modeled by fractional derivative method and is used to characterize the structural dynamics of pile and rheological behavior of a thawing frozen soil. A study of the thawing frozen soil impacts on pile structure’s dynamic characteristic is carried out. The frequency spectrum analysis and empirical modal decomposition are used to identify the pile structure dynamic properties. The rocking mode vibration in which pile behaviors like rigid body supported by viscoelastic soil is extracted to capture the viscoelastic property of pile-soil interactions. The rocking mode exhibiting time-varying frequency features is modeled with fractional derivative model and the fractional derivative order is identified. This study proposes a quick and reliable method to identify the viscoelastic property of pile-soil interactions.
Challenges in joining of unequal thickness materials for aerospace applications: A review
Authors: Majeed Tanveer , Mehta Yashwant , Siddiquee Arshad Noor
Published: December 2020

The increasing industrial demand to reduce structural weight, optimize structural strength, and high performance has led to the increasing use of tailors welded blanks. However, the joining of tailors welded blanks is an issue of concern to researchers owing to the difference in thickness between the materials in addition to the difference in physical and chemical properties in the case of dissimilar materials. These challenges in joining of tailors welded blanks are conquered by a recent solid phase joining process known as friction stir welding. This review work covers different methods of joining unequal thickness similar/dissimilar (or tailors welded blanks) aircraft materials in different joint configurations along with the challenges and failure modes encountered in these joining processes. From this article researchers and industrialists can take advantage and conquer relative limitations in order to meet the future challenges for joining of similar/dissimilar aircraft materials with unequal thickness
Enhancement of the properties of hybrid woods polymer composites by chemical pre-treatments
Authors: Khan Mohammad ZR , Srivastava Sunil Kumar , Gupta MK
Published: December 2020

The present work aims to enhance the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and water resistance behavior of hybrid Pinus/Shorea robusta wood particles reinforced epoxy composites employing the chemical pre-treatments. The hybrid wood composites were prepared by hand lay-up method keeping a constant of 25 wt% of wood particles concentration with equal proportions of Pinus and Shorea robusta wood particles. The performance of the hybrid wood composite was improved by improving the interfacial bonding between wood particles and epoxy resin by chemical pre-treatments of the wood particles using silane (APTES) with varying concentrations of 2, 4, and 6 wt% and alkali (NaOH) with varying concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15%. The mechanical properties (namely, tensile, flexural, impact, and microhardness) and water absorption properties (namely, maximum water uptake and sorption, diffusion, and permeability coefficients) of the prepared hybrid wood composites were measured. The investigations include the study of thermal degradation and crystalline behavior using thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. It was observed that the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and water resistance and crystalline behavior of the hybrid wood composites were significantly enhanced after these pre-treatments. Further, it was concluded that silane pre-treated hybrid composite with 6 wt% concentration provided the best performance than untreated as well as alkali pre-treated wood composites.
Dimensions of social rehabilitation: A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis
Authors: Kataja Kati , Lantela Pilvikki , Romakkaniemi Marjo
Published: December 2020

Social rehabilitation is conceived to encompass services that concentrate specifically on the social aspect of the rehabilitation process. This interpretive qualitative meta-synthesis of 25 social scientific research papers published between 1980 and 2019 dealing with the concept of social rehabilitation aims to unpack the different dimensions of the social within social rehabilitation in different contexts.

Findings

In most of the articles, the causes for social rehabilitation are located in the rehabilitee’s social environment, community, or structure, and for the rehabilitation to be successful, a change is expected to take place also in these parties. Moreover, personally significant values and wishes are emphasized in many approaches viewing the rehabilitee as an agent in his/her own rehabilitation process. In a few articles, however, the individual is viewed as aberrant, and his/her conforming to societal norms is seen as forming the core of social rehabilitation. In this approach, the individual is viewed as the object of rehabilitation without much control over his/her own rehabilitation process.

Applications

The results of our study suggest that, to improve existing social rehabilitation practices, more effort should be put into acknowledging and considering the rehabilitee’s autonomy as a relational concept. Also, the needs for, foci, and aims of social rehabilitation should not be reduced to a certain kind of practice directed to certain kinds of client groups, but, rather, social rehabilitation should be understood as an entity consisting of interrelated and interdependent components forming a constantly shifting assemblage.
Learning at home: What preschool children’s parents do and what they want to learn from their children’s teachers
Authors: Sonnenschein Susan , Stites Michele , Dowling Rebecca
Published: December 2020

This study investigated the beliefs parents of preschoolers ( N = 126) have for facilitating their children’s reading and mathematics development. The study used an online survey distributed via social media to examine parents’ views of their children’s home-based reading and mathematics engagement, parents’ confidence to support their children’s reading and mathematics development, and the information they received and would like to receive from their children’s teachers. The results demonstrated three patterns: (1) parents prioritized children’s reading over their mathematics development, (2) the difference in children’s reported engagement in such activities may come from parents lacking confidence in how to foster their children’s mathematics skills, and (3) almost two/thirds of the parents wanted to receive more information from their children’s teachers, typically about children’s progress and activities and apps to do with their children at home. Preschool teachers play an important role in supporting home learning of reading and mathematics. Preschool teachers and parents need to collaborate on home-based activities that support such learning. We have demonstrated that even highly educated parents may lack the confidence to support their young children’s academic growth, particularly in mathematics, and so the support teachers provide to parents is critical.
Hate Crimes and Race-Based Trauma on Latinx Populations: A Critical Review of the Current Research
Authors: Lockwood Sarah , Cuevas Carlos A.
Published: December 2020

Traditionally, the literature has sought to understand the impact of racial minority status and trauma as it relates to interpersonal violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault. What has not been as extensively reviewed and summarized is how racially or ethnically motivated hate crimes impact the mental health of minorities—particularly Latinx/Hispanic groups. This review aims to summarize the current body of literature on the intersection of race-motivated hate crime and trauma responses within Latinx community. To do so, the theoretical foundation for this inquiry will build from a race-based trauma perspective. Specifically, this review connects existing frameworks for race and trauma and integrates literature that examines Latinx or Hispanic populations that have experienced discrimination, bias, or hate crime as a result of their identity or perceived identity. The importance of situating bias or hate events within the trauma literature stems from a lack of overall formal evaluation of these events, and how these occurrences are historically overlooked as a traumatic stressor. The findings of this review suggest that (1) experiencing racially motivated victimization can cause adverse mental and physical health outcomes in Latinxs and (2) currently, there is only one study that has examined the impact of hate crime on Latinxs in the United States. This leaves the field with unanswered questions about the impact of hate crime victimization among Latinxs, which is an ever-growing area in need of attention.
Hybridization of time synchronous averaging, singular value decomposition, and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system for multi-fault bearing diagnosis
Authors: Touzout Walid , Benazzouz Djamel , Gougam Fawzi , Afia Adel , Rahmoune Chemseddine
Published: December 2020

Bearing diagnosis has attracted considerable research interest; thus, researchers have developed several signal processing techniques using vibration analysis to monitor the rotating machinery’s conditions. In practical engineering, features extraction with most relevant information from experimental vibration signals under variable operation conditions is still regarded as the most critical concern. Therefore, actual works focus on combining Time Domain Features (TDFs) with decomposition techniques to obtain accurate results for defect detection, identification, and classification. In this paper, a new hybrid method is proposed, which is based on Time Synchronous Averaging (TSA), TDFs, and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) for the feature extraction, then the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) which gathers the advantages of both neural networks and fuzzy logic is applied for the classification process. First, TSA is used to reduce noises in the vibration signal by extracting the periodic waveforms from the disturbed data; thereafter, TDFs are applied on each synchronous signal to construct a feature matrix; afterwards, SVD is performed on the obtained matrices to remove the instability of statistical values and select the most stable vectors. Finally, ANFIS is implemented to provide a powerful automatic tool for features classification.
The Animated Document: Animation’s Dual Indexicality in Mixed Realities
Authors: Ehrlich Nea
Published: December 2020

Animation has become ubiquitous within digital visual culture and fundamental to knowledge production. As such, its status as potentially reliable imagery should be clarified. This article examines how animation’s indexicality (both as trace and deixis) changes in mixed realities where the physical and the virtual converge, and how this contributes to the research of animation as documentary and/or non-fiction imagery. In digital culture, animation is used widely to depict both physical and virtual events, and actions. As a result, animation is no longer an interpretive visual language. Instead, animation in virtual culture acts as real-time visualization of computer-mediated actions, their capture and documentation. Now that animation includes both captured and generated imagery, not only do its definitions change but its link to the realities depicted and the documentary value of animated representations requires rethinking. This article begins with definitions of animation and their relation to the perception of animation’s validity as documentary imagery; thereafter it examines indexicality and the strength of indexical visualizations, introducing a continuum of strong and weak indices to theorize the hybrid and complex forms of indexicality in animation, ranging from graphic user interfaces (GUI) to data visualization. The article concludes by examining four indexical connections in relation to physical and virtual reality, offering a theoretical framework with which to conceptualize animation’s indexing abilities in today’s mixed realities.
The transmission of crime as work in Turkey: Identification and strategic mutuality
Authors: Mercan Boran Ali
Published: December 2020

Bourdieusian criminology has produced useful concepts such as the street-criminal field, capital and habitus. In employing these concepts, this article demonstrates the importance of the criminal role model-image, such as the respected career criminal, as an ego-ideal among lower class youths who identify with these role models, acquiring bodily and mental criminal dispositions using the results of ethnographic research conducted in a run-down district in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Focusing on a non-Western context with an original theoretical articulation, this article further suggests that the affective relationship between these disadvantaged lower class youths and respected older criminals lubricates the youths’ formation of criminal habitus and likewise constitutes a ‘strategic mutuality’ flowing through certain practices in the street-criminal fields. The original finding lies in revealing a strategic affinity transmitting knowledge of criminal techniques and skills across generations, and further making crime as work a reliable source of income for disadvantaged youths.
Exploring the processes of emergent leadership in a netball team: Providing empirical evidence through discourse analysis
Authors: Schnurr Stephanie , File Kieran , Clayton Daniel , Wolfers Solvejg , Stavridou Anastasia
Published: December 2020

In line with recent developments in leadership research which conceptualise leadership as a discursive and collaborative process rather than a set of static attributes and characteristics displayed by individuals, this paper explores some of the discursive processes through which leadership emerges in a sports team. Drawing on over ten hours of naturally occurring interactions among the players of a women’s netball team in the UK, and applying the concepts of deontic and epistemic status and stance, we identify and describe some of the specific processes through which leadership is claimed and assigned, as well as rejected, passed on, and eventually accepted by different team members at different points throughout an interaction. While the processes outlined in our analysis contribute to theoretical discussions regarding the notion of emergent leadership, this paper also demonstrates the benefits of taking a discourse analytical approach to leadership, and outlines how such an approach enables researchers to empirically capture emergent leadership in situ.
Introduction: Why read Reinhold Niebuhr now?
Authors: Hartnett Liane , Ashworth Lucian
Published: December 2020

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971) is perhaps the best known North American theologian of the twentieth century. Over the course of his life he was a Christian socialist, pacifist, a staunch anti-communist, and an architect of vital-centre liberalism. Niebuhr wrote on themes as diverse as war, democracy, world order, political economy and race. So significant was Niebuhr’s intellectual influence that George Kennan once described him as ‘the father of us all’. Indeed, from the thought of Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King Jr. to Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Hans Morgenthau to Kenneth Waltz, E.H. Carr to Jean Bethke Elshtain, Niebuhr has helped shape International Relations. Bringing together intellectual historians and international political theorists, this special issue asks whether Niebuhr’s thought remains relevant to our times? Can he help us think about democracy, power, race, the use of force, and cruelty in a moment when ethnonationalism appears ascendant and democracy in decline?
Statins, bone biology and revision arthroplasty: review of clinical and experimental evidence
Authors: Sorial Antony K. , Anjum Sami A. , Cook Michael J. , Board Tim N. , O’Neill Terence W.
Published: December 2020

Osteoarthritis is a painful, disabling condition which is increasing in prevalence as a result of an ageing population. With no recognized disease-limiting therapeutics, arthroplasty of the hip and knee is the most common and effective treatment for lower limb osteoarthritis, however lower limb arthroplasty has a finite life-span and a proportion of patients will require revision arthroplasty. With increasing life expectancy and an increasing proportion of younger (<65 years) patients undergoing arthroplasty, the demand for revision arthroplasty after implant failure is also set to increase.

Statins are cholesterol-modulating drugs widely used for cardiovascular risk reduction which have been noted to have pleiotropic effects including potentially influencing arthroplasty survival. In vitro studies have demonstrated pleiotropic effects in human bone cells, including enhancement of osteoblastogenesis following simvastatin exposure, and in vivo studies have demonstrated that intraperitoneal simvastatin can increase peri-implant bone growth in rats following titanium tibial implant insertion. There is evidence that statins may also influence osseointegration, enhancing bone growth at the bone–implant interface, subsequently improving the functional survival of implants. Data from the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Registry and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink in the UK suggest a reduction in the risk of lower limb revision arthroplasty in statin ever-users versus never-users, and a time-dependent effect of statins in reducing the risk of revision. In this article we review the clinical and experimental evidence linking statins and risk of revision arthroplasty.
Understanding RT’s Audiences: Exposure Not Endorsement for Twitter Followers of Russian State-Sponsored Media
Authors: Crilley Rhys , Gillespie Marie , Vidgen Bertie , Willis Alistair
Published: December 2020

The Russian state-funded international broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today) has attracted much attention as a purveyor of Russian propaganda. To date, most studies of RT have focused on its broadcast, website, and social media content, with little research on its audiences. Through a data-driven application of network science and other computational methods, we address this gap to provide insight into the demographics and interests of RT’s Twitter followers, as well as how they engage with RT. Building upon recent studies of Russian state-sponsored media, we report three main results. First, we find that most of RT’s Twitter followers only very rarely engage with its content and tend to be exposed to RT’s content alongside other mainstream news channels. This indicates that RT is not a central part of their online news media environment. Second, using probabilistic computational methods, we show that followers of RT are slightly more likely to be older and male than average Twitter users, and they are far more likely to be bots. Third, we identify thirty-five distinct audience segments, which vary in terms of their nationality, languages, and interests. This audience segmentation reveals the considerable heterogeneity of RT’s Twitter followers. Accordingly, we conclude that generalizations about RT’s audience based on analyses of RT’s media content, or on vocal minorities among its wider audiences, are unhelpful and limit our understanding of RT and its appeal to international audiences.
Diffusion tensor imaging analysis in scrub typhus meningoencephalitis to determine the alteration of microstructural subcortical white-matter integrity
Authors: Phukan Pranjal , Sarma Kalyan , Khan Aman Yusuf , Barman Bhupen , Jamil Md , Gogoi Sandhyamoni
Published: December 2020

Background and purpose

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in scrub typhus meningoencephalitis is non-specific, and in the majority of the cases, conventional MRI fails to detect any abnormality. However, autopsy reports depict central nervous system involvement in almost all patients. There is therefore a need for research on the quantitative assessment of brain parenchyma that can detect microstructural abnormalities. The study aimed to assess the microstructural integrity changes of scrub typhus meningoencephalitis by using different diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of scrub typhus meningoencephalitis. Seven patients and seven age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Different DTI parameters such as apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), relative anisotropy (RA), trace, volume ratio (VR) and geodesic anisotropy (GA) were obtained from six different regions of subcortical white matter at the level of the centrum semiovale. Intergroup significant difference was determined by one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to determine the accuracy of the DTI matrices.

Results

There was a significant decrease in FA, RA and GA as well as an increase in ADC and VR in the subcortical white matter in patients with scrub typhus meningoencephalitis compared to controls ( p < 0.001). The maximum sensitivity of the DTI parameters was 85.7%, and the maximum specificity was 81%.

Conclusion

There was an alteration of subcortical white-matter integrity in scrub typhus meningoencephalitis that represents the axonal degeneration, myelin breakdown and neuronal degeneration. DTI may be a useful tool to detect white-matter abnormalities in scrub typhus meningoencephalitis in clinical practice, particularly in patients with negative conventional MRI.
Overcoming the barriers to dissemination and implementation of quality measures for gastrointestinal endoscopy: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) and United European Gastroenterology (UEG) position statement
Authors: Bisschops Raf , Rutter Matthew D , Areia Miguel , Cristiano Spada  , Domagk Dirk , Kaminski Michel F , Veitch Andrew , Khanoussi Wafaa , Gralnek Ian M , Hassan Cesare , Messmann Helmut , Ponchon Thierry , Fockens Paul , Dignass Axel , Dinis‐Ribeiro Mario
Published: December 2020

The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) has developed performance measures and established a framework for quality assessment for gastrointestinal endoscopy in Europe. Most national societies actively undertake initiatives to implement and explicitly endorse these quality indicators. Given this, the ESGE proposes that, at a national level, strong leadership should exist to disseminate and implement quality parameters. Thus, understanding the potential barriers that may vary locally is of paramount importance. The ESGE suggests that each national society should prioritise quality and standards of care in gastrointestinal endoscopy in their activities and should survey/understand which measures area local priority to their members and make measuring quality intrinsic to daily endoscopy practice.
Validation of the International Classification of Disease 10th Revision Codes for Kidney Transplant Rejection and Failure
Authors: Massicotte-Azarniouch David , Sood Manish M. , Fergusson Dean A. , Knoll Greg A.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Clinical research requires that diagnostic codes captured from routinely collected health administrative data accurately identify individuals with a disease.

Objective:

In this study, we validated the International Classification of Disease 10th Revision (ICD-10) definition for kidney transplant rejection (T86.100) and for kidney transplant failure (T86.101).

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

A large, regional transplantation center in Ontario, Canada.

Patients:

All adult kidney transplant recipients from 2002 to 2018.

Measurements:

Chart review was undertaken to identify the first occurrence of biopsy-confirmed rejection and graft loss for all participants. For each observation, we determined the first date a single ICD-10 code T86.100 or T86.101 was recorded as a hospital encounter discharge diagnosis.

Methods:

Using chart review as the gold standard, we determined the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) for the ICD-10 codes T86.100 and T86.101.

Results:

Our study population comprised of 1,258 kidney transplant recipients. The prevalence of rejection and death-censored graft loss were 15.6 and 9.1%, respectively. For the ICD-10 rejection code (T86.100), sensitivity was 72.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.6-79.2), specificity 97.5% (96.5-98.4), and PPV 83.8% (78.3-89.4). For the ICD-10 graft loss code (T86.101), sensitivity was 21.2% (95% CI, 13.2-29.3), specificity 86.3% (84.3-88.3), and PPV 11.7% (7.0-16.4).

Limitations:

Single-center study which may limit generalizability of our findings.

Conclusions:

A single ICD-10 code for kidney transplant rejection (T86.100) was present in 84% of true kidney transplant rejections and is an accurate way of identifying kidney transplant recipients with rejection using administrative health data. The ICD-10 code for graft failure (T86.101) performed poorly and should not be used for administrative health research.
Gastrointestinal health: An investigation of mediating effects on mood and quality of life
Authors: Ross Emily J. , Vivier Helize , Cassisi Jeffrey E. , Dvorak Robert D.
Published: December 2020

High prevalence rates for depression, anxiety, and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are found in emerging adults. However, the consequences of mood, anxiety, and GI health on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are not well established. The biopsychosocial model and the gut-brain axis (GBA) explains the interactions of these psychological phenomenon on social and biological functioning. Following this theoretical framework, it was hypothesized that pathways between depression, anxiety, and HRQOL would be mediated by GI health. Data was cross-sectional. Undergraduates in psychology courses ( N = 956) were recruited for course credit as part of ongoing research monitoring physical and psychological health of students at a major southeastern university. Participants were between 18 and 25 years old and measures were administered online. Pathways between depression, anxiety, and HRQOL were investigated using SEM analysis. The SEM was tested and specified for mediating effects. A well-fitting latent variable of GI health was created from the PROMIS-GI® scales, advancing its utility. The mediation model demonstrated anxiety and depression have significant consequences for HRQOL in emerging adults. Direct pathways from GAD7 and PHQ9 scores were found between Physical and Mental HRQOL. Notably, the path from anxiety to Physical HRQOL was fully mediated by GI health. The direct path from depressive symptoms to Physical and Mental HRQOL was partially mediated by GI health, and anxiety to Mental HRQOL was partially mediated by GI health. Findings were consistent with the biopsychosocial model and GBA. The mediation model tested here has treatment and conceptual implications. Individuals presenting with anxiety or depression should be assessed for GI symptoms and conversely, those presenting with GI complaints should be evaluated for anxiety and depression. Research is needed to develop a scoring approach to combine the PROMIS-GI® scales, so the latent construct of GI health may be used in related applications.
Norwegian Policy Initiative of Offering Free Homework Assistance in Schools
Authors: Hu (胡爱华) Aihua , Huang (黄丽红) Lihong
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

Through reviewing an education policy blueprint in Norway, titled “An Offer of Homework Assistance” (issued by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training in June 2010), the present article aims to shed light on how Norway uses education as an arena to realize social equality and equity.

Design/Approach/Methods:

This is an analytical policy review.

Findings:

By examining the background, goals, contents, and implementation of the homework assistance program, we have found that the Norwegian government institutes evidence-based policies in education. Although there is criticism concerning the policy and its implementation, empirical evaluative investigations have found that it brings a variety of benefits.

Originality/Value:

The present article is useful to understand educational policymaking in Norway and how the country is making efforts to achieve social equality and equity through education.
A Quasi-Experimental Study of a Web-Based English Literacy Tool for Grade 3 Students in China
Authors: Gu (顾慧) Hui , Yao (姚继军) Jijun , Zhou (周龙军) Longjun , C. K. Cheung Alan , C. Abrami Philip
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

This study explores the effectiveness of a A Balanced Reading Approach for Children Always Designed to Achieve Best Results for All (ABRACADABRA; hereinafter, ABRA)—a web-based literacy program designed by Concordia University in Canada—on third-grade students in Nanjing, China.

Design/Approach/Methods:

Participants comprised 999 students from three treatment schools (N = 711) and three control schools (N = 288). Three different approaches were used in the treatment schools: namely, a computer laboratory once a week, noontime study after lunch, and single-game instruction (SG) during every English lesson. Interviews were also conducted with teachers, producing qualitative data.

Findings:

Following 20 weeks of intervention, the overall effect size was +0.05. The SG group reflected the smallest effect size (d = -0.52). The noontime study group produced an effect size of 0.39, and the laboratory group an effect size of 0.55. This study conducted interviews with teachers to gain a qualitative understanding of the differential impacts. In doing so, this study found that teachers in the SG group were poorly motivated due to a lack of school support and heavy workload, resulting in passive roles and low ABRA program intensity.

Originality/Value:

The results of this study indicate that ABRA is an effective means of improving Chinese students’ English literacy skills. Results also underscore the need for critical measures to encourage teachers to actively participate in the program.
Developing a Research Model for Mobile Wallet Adoption and Usage
Authors: George Ajimon , Sunny Prajod
Published: December 2020

The scope of the mobile wallet in a ‘Cashless India’, whose utility has been spurred by the exponentially growing smartphone technology, is a contemporary topic of deliberation. The reach of mobile wallets gets broader each day with the entry of new stakeholders into the scenario, making mobile wallets indispensible for meeting daily needs. Given the COVID-19 pandemic situation, increased reliance on mobile wallets, and its acceptability among the public and other associated e-services, researchers and service providers are eager to explore its adoption as well as its continued usage. This paper theoretically examines factors influencing behavioural intention and actual usage of mobile wallets through various technology adoption models and behavioural studies. Based on an extensive review of the literature, this paper attempts to draw a comprehensive conceptualization of mobile wallet adoption and actual use by exploring the influence of various key factors. This proposed model could successfully present the case of mobile wallet adoption and usage, as well as offer the possibility of deriving important managerial implications concerning effective marketing techniques.
An investigation in the remineralization and acid resistant characteristics of nanohydroxyapatite produced from eggshell waste via mechanochemistry
Authors: Onwubu Stanley Chibuzor , Naidoo Deneshree , Mkhize Sandile Cromwell , Mabaso Ntokozo Lihlithemba Ndumiso , Mdluli Phumlane Selby , Thakur Surendra
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

This study focuses on the properties of nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) in terms of remineralization and acid resistance. The nHAp were produced from waste eggshells via the mechanochemistry process.

Materials and methods:

The characterization was based on Fourier Transform Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Field Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and High-Resolution Electron Microscope to determine the surface morphology of the nHAp. The acid and remineralization properties were evaluated using bovine enamel and dentine models ( n = 5) while the buffering properties against acids were studied using a pH meter. The biocompatibility of the produce nHAp was assessed in vitro against NIH 3T3.

Results:

The XRD and FTIR results confirm that nHAp were successfully produced from eggshell waste after 5 h of milling. The HRTEM reveals a semi-sphere morphology with an average dimension of 9 to 20 nm. The buffering test suggests that nHAp were highly effective in neutralizing common dietary acids. Also, the nHAp exhibits outstanding remineralization and occluding properties. The cytotoxicity assay suggests that the nHAp had a low toxicity.

Conclusion:

The study concludes that using eggshell waste to produce nHAp will help in waste management and at the same time, provide valuable biomaterial for the treatment of tooth sensitivity.
Prevalence and Site of Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Injuries in Patients With Acute Lateral Patellar Dislocations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Kluczynski Melissa A. , Miranda Luis , Marzo John M.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) injuries are common in patients with acute lateral patellar dislocations, but the pattern of MPFL injuries is unclear, especially with respect to patient age.

Purpose:

The primary aim was to determine the prevalence of MPFL injuries according to the site of injury in patients with acute lateral patellar dislocations. The secondary aim was to compare the site of MPFL injuries in patients aged ≤16 versus >16 years.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A systematic literature search was performed with PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL to identify articles published from January 1, 1999, to May 31, 2019, that examined the site of MPFL injuries in patients with acute patellar dislocations. The study design, sample size, age at injury, technique used for diagnosing MPFL injuries (magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and/or surgery), and prevalence and site of MPFL injuries were extracted from each study. The pooled estimate of the proportion of MPFL injuries at each site was calculated (femur, patella, midsubstance, and combined sites of injury) as well as proportions stratified by age group (≤16 and >16 years).

Results:

The literature search yielded 420 unique articles, of which 52 were screened for eligibility; of these, 17 were excluded. Thus, a total of 35 articles (2558 patients) were included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of MPFL injuries was 94.7% (95% CI, 91.2%-96.8%). Most MPFL injuries occurred at the patella (37.1% [95% CI, 30.8%-43.9%]), followed by the femur (36.8% [95% CI, 31.0%-43.0%]), combined sites (25.1% [95% CI, 20.7%-30.1%]), and the midsubstance (15.6% [95% CI, 13.2%-18.4%]). In patients aged ≤16 years, most MPFL injuries occurred at the patella (39.3% [95% CI, 27.9%-51.9%]), and in patients aged >16 years, most MPFL injuries occurred at the femur (47.2% [95% CI, 40.6%-54.0%]).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of MPFL injuries in patients with acute patellar dislocations varied by site of injury and by age. MPFL injuries at the patella were most prevalent overall and in children and adolescents, and MPFL injuries at the femur were more prevalent in adults.