bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-world study of intranasal ketamine for use in patients with refractory chronic migraine
Authors: Yuan Hsiangkuo , Natekar Aniket , Park Jade S. , Lauritsen Clinton , Viscusi Eugene R. , Marmura Michael J.
Published: November 2022

Subanesthetic ketamine infusion has been used for managing refractory headache in inpatient or outpatient infusion settings. Intranasal (IN) ketamine may be an alternative option for outpatient care.

We performed a retrospective study at a single tertiary headache center to assess the clinical effectiveness and tolerability of IN ketamine in patients with refractory chronic migraine (rCM). Candidates who received IN ketamine between January 2019 and February 2020 were screened through an electronic medical record query. Manual chart reviews and structured phone interviews were conducted upon obtaining informed consent.

Among 242 subjects screened, 169 (age 44.3±13.8; female 79.9%) were interviewed. They reported 25.0±8.7 monthly headache days and tried 6.9±3.1 preventive medications. Overall, they used roughly 7.8±7.0 sprays (ie., 78 mg) per day and 11.6±8.9 days per month. Intranasal ketamine was reported as “very effective” in 49.1% and quality of life (QOL) was considered “much better” in 35.5%. However, 74.0% reported at least one adverse event (AE).

In this retrospective study, IN ketamine can serve as an acute treatment for rCM by reducing headache intensity and improving QOL with relatively tolerable AEs. Most patients found IN ketamine effective and continued to use it despite these AEs. The study is limited by its single-center design and selection/recall biases. Well-designed prospective placebo-controlled trials are necessary to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of IN ketamine in patients with migraine.

What is already known on this topic –Intravenous ketamine, although has been used for chronic pain and refractory headache, is limited to infusion settings. Intranasal ketamine, a more convenient alternative, has not been well-studied for refractory headache.

What this study adds –This real-world study describes the usage pattern, effectiveness, and adverse event profiles of intranasal ketamine in patients with refractory chronic migraine.

How this study might affect research, practice or policy –Intranasal ketamine is probably effective with minimal adverse events for refractory chronic migraine, but more well-designed studies are needed.
Real-time air pollution and bipolar disorder symptoms: a remote monitored cross-sectional study
Authors: Kandola Aaron , Hayes Joseph F
Published: November 2022

Air pollution is associated with unipolar depression and other mental health outcomes. We assessed the real-time association between localised mean air quality index and the severity of depression and mania symptoms in people with bipolar disorder. We found that as air quality worsened, symptoms of depression increased. We found no association between air quality and mania symptoms.
Associations between parental attitudes towards mental illness and self-reported mental health among young people: Evidence from the Health Survey for England
Authors: Gagné Thierry , Henderson Claire , McMunn Anne
Published: November 2022

Background

The prevalence of mental health problems among young adults has rapidly increased over the past decade. The argument that reductions in stigma lead to less under-reporting over time is often presented as a potential explanation. As a first step towards understanding how stigma influence self-reporting in this age group, we examine the extent to which parents’ attitudes are related to young people’s self-reported mental health.

Methods

We leveraged the household design of the 2014 Health Survey for England to test whether mothers’ (complete-casen= 630) and fathers’ (n= 428) prejudice and tolerance towards people with mental illness is associated with the self-reporting of any specific mental disorder and non-specific psychological distress (GHQ-12) in participants aged 13-24. Associations were tested in random-intercept Poisson models (nesting participants in households) adjusting for parents’ sociodemographics and mental health, and participants’ own sociodemographics.

Results

Mothers were on average less prejudiced (81.2 versus 74.1 out of 100) but as tolerant (72.0 versus 70.0 out of 100) as fathers. In fully-adjusted models: 1) those with a less prejudiced (PR for a one-unit increase = 1.036, 95%CI 1.007-1.066) and more tolerant (PR = 1.038, 95%CI 1.011-1.066) mother had a higher probability of reporting a mental disorder; 2) those with a less prejudiced (PR = 1.034, 95%CI 1.006-1.062) father had a higher probability of reporting a mental disorder; 3) those with a more tolerant father also had a higher probability of reporting a high level of psychological distress (PR = 1.024, 95%CI 1.008-1.041).

Conclusion

Parents’ attitudes were associated with their children’s mental health, more so with specific mental disorders compared with non-specific psychological distress. New data collection efforts are needed to understand changes in parental attitudes over time and its relationship with self-reporting among young people.
Multi-omics analysis of renal clear cell carcinoma progression
Authors: Guruacharya Anuj , Golden James R , Garrett Daniel , Atnoor Deven , Srinivasan Sujaya , Ratan Ujjwal , Pickard KT
Published: November 2022

Renal clear cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common type of kidney cancer, lacks a well-defined collection of biomarkers for tracking disease progression. Although complementary diagnostic and prognostic RCC biomarkers may be beneficial for guiding therapeutic selection and informing clinical outcomes, patients currently have a poor prognosis due to limited early detection. Withouta prioribiomarker knowledge or histopathology information, we used machine learning (ML) techniques to investigate how mRNA, microRNA, and protein expression levels change as a patient progresses to different stages of RCC. The novel combination of big data with ML enables researchers to generate hypothesis-free models in a fraction of the time used in traditional clinical trials. Ranked genes that are most predictive of survival and disease progression can be used for target discovery and downstream analysis in precision medicine. We extracted clinical information for normal and RCC patients along with their related expression profiles in RCC tissues from three publicly-available datasets: 1. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), 2. Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, 3. Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC). Our study found that among others, gene expression levels (mRNA) fromGNG7andBCRare potential predictors for RCC progression. For microRNA, we found hsa-mir-199a-2 and hsa-mir-129-1 to be potential predictors of RCC progression. Understanding how genes and protein expression levels change as RCC progresses will further guide the development of prognostic biomarkers and targets for RCC therapies.
Aberrant visual salience in participants with schizophrenia during free-viewing of natural images
Authors: Yoshida Masatoshi , Miura Kenichiro , Fujimoto Michiko , Yamamori Hidenaga , Yasuda Yuka , Iwase Masao , Hashimoto Ryota
Published: November 2022

Abnormalities in visual exploration affect the daily lives of patients with schizophrenia; however, its origin is unknown. In this study, we examined whether such abnormalities reflect aberrant processing of visual salience. Eye movements of 82 patients and 252 healthy individuals viewing natural and/or complex images were examined using saliency maps for static images to determine the contributions of low-level visual features to salience-guided eye movements. The results showed that the gazes of the participants with schizophrenia were attracted to position in the images with high orientation salience but not luminance or color salience. Further analyses revealed that orientation salience defined by the L+M channel of the DKL color space is specifically affected in schizophrenia, suggesting abnormalities in the magnocellular visual pathway. These results suggest aberrant processing of visual salience in schizophrenia, thereby connecting the dots between abnormalities in early visual processing and the aberrant salience hypothesis of psychosis.
Graph-Based Clinical Recommender: Predicting Specialists Procedure Orders using Graph Representation Learning
Authors: Fouladvand Sajjad , Gomez Federico Reyes , Nilforoshan Hamed , Schwede Matthew , Noshad Morteza , Jee Olivia , You Jiaxuan , Sosic Rok , Leskovec Jure , Chen Jonathan
Published: November 2022

Objective

To determine whether graph neural network based models of electronic health records can predict specialty consultation care needs for endocrinology and hematology more accurately than the standard of care checklists and other conventional medical recommendation algorithms in the literature.

Methods

Demand for medical expertise far outstrips supply, with tens of millions in the US alone with deficient access to specialty care. Rather than potentially months long delays to initiate diagnostic workup and medical treatment with a specialist, referring primary care supported by an automated recommender algorithm could anticipate and directly initiate patient evaluation that would otherwise be needed at subsequent a specialist appointment. We propose a novel graph representation learning approach with a heterogeneous graph neural network to model structured electronic health records and formulate recommendation/prediction of subsequent specialist orders as a link prediction problem.

Results

Models are trained and assessed in two specialty care sites: endocrinology and hematology. Our experimental results show that our model achieves an 8% improvement in ROC-AUC for endocrinology (ROC-AUC=0.88) and 5% improvement for hematology (ROC-AUC=0.84) personalized procedure recommendations over prior medical recommender systems. These recommender algorithm approaches provide medical procedure recommendations for endocrinology referrals more effectively than manual clinical checklists (recommender: precision=0.60, recall=0.27, F1-score=0.37) vs. (checklist: precision=0.16, recall=0.28, F1-score=0.20), and similarly for hematology referrals (recommender: precision=0.44, recall=0.38, F1-score=0.41) vs. (checklist: precision=0.27, recall=0.71, F1-score=0.39).

Conclusion

Embedding graph neural network models into clinical care can improve digital specialty consultation systems and expand the access to medical experience of prior similar cases.
Increased MRI-based brain age in chronic migraine patients
Authors: Navarro-González Rafael , García-Azorín David , Guerrero-Peral Ángel L. , Planchuelo-Gómez Álvaro , Aja-Fernández Santiago , de Luis-García Rodrigo
Published: November 2022

Neuroimaging has revealed that migraine is linked to alterations in both the structure and function of the brain. However, the re-lationship of these changes with aging has not been studied in detail. Here we employ the Brain Age framework to analyze migraine, by building a machine learning model that predicts age from neuroimaging data. We hypothesize that migraine pa-tients will exhibit an increased Brain Age Gap (the difference between the predicted age and the chronological age) compared to healthy participants. We trained a machine learning model to predict Brain Age from 2,771 T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans of healthy subjects. The processing pipeline in-cluded the automatic segmentation of the images, the extraction of 1,479 imaging features (both morphological and intensity-based), harmonization, feature selection and training inside a 10-fold cross-validation scheme. Separate models based only on morphological and intensity features were also trained, and all the Brain Age models were later applied to a discovery cohort composed of 247 subjects, divided into healthy controls (HC, n=82), episodic migraine (EM, n=91), and chronic migraine pa-tients (CM, n=74). CM patients showed an increased Brain Age Gap compared to HC (4.16 vs -0.56 years, P=0.01). A smaller Brain Age Gap was found for EM patients, not reaching sta-tistical significance (1.21 vs -0.56 years, P=0.19). No associa-tions were found between the Brain Age Gap and headache or migraine frequency, or duration of the disease. Brain imag-ing features that have previously been associated with migraine were among the main drivers of the differences in the predicted age. Also, the separate analysis using only morphological or intensity-based features revealed different patterns in the Brain Age biomarker in patients with migraine. The brain-predicted age has shown to be a sensitive biomarker of CM patients and can help reveal distinct aging patterns in migraine.
The impact of COVID-19 and socioeconomic status on psychological distress in cancer patients
Authors: Zeilinger Elisabeth L. , Knefel Matthias , Schneckenreiter Carmen , Pietschnig Jakob , Lubowitzki Simone , Unseld Matthias , Füreder Thorsten , Bartsch Rupert , Masel Eva K. , Adamidis Feroniki , Kum Lea , Kiesewetter Barbara , Zöchbauer-Müller Sabine , Raderer Markus , Krauth Maria T. , Staber Philipp B , Valent Peter , Gaiger Alexander
Published: November 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected psychological wellbeing in many aspects, but its influence on cancer patients it not yet clear, and studies show mixed results.

Aims

We aimed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on psychological symptom burden against the socio-economic background of cancer patients using data from routine assessments before and during the pandemic.

Methods

Standardised assessment instruments were applied inN= 1,329 patients to screen for symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and fatigue from 2018 to 2022. Two MANOVAs with separate ANOVAs and Bonferroni pairwise comparisons as post-hoc tests were computed. First, only time was included as predictor to examine the isolated impact of the pandemic. Second, income level and education level were included as further predictors to additionally test the predictive power of socioeconomic risk factors. All tests were two-sided.

Results

Once indicators of socioeconomic status were included in the analysis, the seeming influence of the pandemic became negligible. Only income had a significant impact on all aspects of psychological symptom burden, with patients with low income being highly burdened (partial η2= .01,p= .023). The highest mean difference was found for depressive symptoms (MD= 0.13,CI= [0.07; 0.19],p< .001). The pandemic had no further influence on psychological distress.

Conclusions

Although the pandemic is a major stressor in many respects, poverty is by far the most important risk factor for psychological symptom burden in cancer outpatients and outweighs the impact of the pandemic.
The economic impact of premature mortality in Cabo Verde: 2016 - 2020
Authors: Fernandes Ngibo Mubeta , Silveira Silva Janilza Solange Gomes , Varela Domingos Veiga , Lopes Edna Duarte , de Jesus Xavier Soares Janice
Published: November 2022

Mortality analysis studies in Cabo Verde are rare and those that are available are limited to short periods of analysis and to specific population groups. Traditionally used mortality data does not quantify the burden resulting from premature mortality. This study focused on the years of potential life lost (YPLL), years of potential productive life lost (YPPLL) and the costs associated with them in Cabo Verde from 2016 to 2020 and aimed to elucidate the patterns of early mortality in the period analyzed.

Mortality data were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Cabo Verde. Deaths that occurred from 2016 to 2020, aged between one (1) and 73 years old, were analyzed by sex, age group, municipality and cause of death. YPLL, YPPLL and cost of productivity lost (CPL) were estimated using life expectancy and the human capital approach.

A total of 6100 deaths were recorded in the sample population and males represented 68.1% (n = 4,154) of the deaths. The total number of deaths verified corresponded to 145,544 YPLL, of which 69.0% (100,389) were attributed to males. There were 4,634 deaths of individuals of working age, and these resulted in 80 965 YPPLL, with males contributing 72.1% (58,403) of the total YPPLL. The total estimated CPL due to premature death was 98,659,153.23 USD with trauma accounting for the highest estimated losses of 21,580,954.42 USD (21.9%), followed by diseases of the circulatory system 18,843,260.42 USD (19.1%), and certain infectious and parasitic diseases accounted for 16,633,842.70 USD (16.9%).

The study demonstrated the social and economic burden of premature mortality. The YPLL, YPPLL and CPL measures can be used to complement measures traditionally used to demonstrate the burden and loss of productivity due to premature mortality and to support resource allocation and public health policies making in Cabo Verde.
Characterizing vibrational behavior of a large airship based on scaled model test and analysis
Authors: Xu Mingxuan , Jin Tao , Kong Weihong , Li Yazhi , Shen Xing , Liu Cheng , Zhu Tianyang
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to assess the vibrational behavior of a large transport airship based on finite element (FE) simulation and modal testing of its scaled model.

Design/methodology/approach

A full-size parametric FE model of the airframe was established according to the structural layout of the composite beam-cable airframe of the airship, and vibrational analysis of the airframe was conducted. The influence of cable pre-tension load on the inherent properties of the airframe was investigated. Based on the simplification of the full-size FE model, scaled numerical and test models of the airframe, with a geometric scale factor of 1:50, were established and built.

Findings

The simulation and test results of the scaled models indicated that the mode shapes of the full-size and scaled models were similar. The natural frequencies of both the full-size and scaled models complied with the theoretical similarity relation of the frequency response.

Originality/value

This study demonstrated that the vibrational test results of the scaled model with very large scaling can be used to characterize the modal properties of the beam-cable airframe of a large transport airship.
Size matters: comparing the MDMA content and weight of ecstasy tablets submitted to European drug checking services in 2012–2021
Authors: Vrolijk Ruben Quirinus , Measham Fiona , Quesada Adrià , Luf Anton , Schori Dominique , Radley Sarah , Acreman Dean , Smith Josie , Verdenik Marko , Martins Daniel , Cunha Mar , Paulos Carlos J. , Piccinin Ilaria Fineschi , Gerace Enrico , Karden Alexandra , Koning Raoul Pieter Joost , Smit-Rigter Laura Alexandra , Ventura Mireia
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA) content in ecstasy tablets has increased enormously throughout Europe across the past decade. This study aims to determine whether this is caused by the production of “stronger” tablets (more mg MDMA per mg of tablet), or if tablets have simply been getting larger and heavier (more mg of tablet in total).

Design/methodology/approach

A data set of 31,716 ecstasy tablets obtained in 2012–2021 by 10 members of the Trans European Drug Information (TEDI) network was analysed.

Findings

The MDMA mass fraction in ecstasy tablets has remained virtually unchanged over the past 10 years, with increased MDMA contents being attributed almost exclusively to increased tablet weight. These trends seem to be uniform across Europe, despite varying sampling and analytical techniques being used by the TEDI participants. The study also shows that while tablet weight correlates perfectly with MDMA content on a yearly basis, wide variations in the MDMA mass fraction make such relations irrelevant for determining the MDMA content of individual tablets.

Research limitations/implications

These results provide new opportunities for harm reduction, given that size is a tangible and apparently accurate characteristic to emphasise that one tablet does not simply equate to one dose. This is particularly useful for harm reduction services without the resources for in-house quantification of large numbers of ecstasy tablets, although the results of this study also show that chemical analysis remains crucial for accurate personalised harm reduction.

Originality/value

The findings are both new and pertinent, providing a novel insight into the market dynamics of ecstasy tablet production at a transnational level.
Psychoactive substance use and drug checking practices among participants at electronic dance music events in Ukraine
Authors: Kushakov Vyacheslav , Dvoriak Vira , Morozova Olga , Azbel Lyu , Sergienko Galyna
Published: November 2022

Purpose

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has previously examined the use of psychoactive substances (PASs) at electronic dance music (EDM) events in Ukraine. Addressing this gap in the research literature, this study aims to: describe the recreational drug scene associated with Ukrainian EDM culture; identify clusters of EDM participants who use PAS, based on their drug use patterns; and assess the uptake of drug checking and investigate associations between drug checking and subsequent drug-related behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2021 (N = 1,307) among EDM festival participants in Ukraine. The authors performed cluster analysis to identify distinct profiles of PAS users. Trends in drug checking were analysed based on cross-sectional surveys conducted at one recurring festival in 2018 (N = 99), 2019 (N = 195) and 2021 (N = 237).

Findings

The substances most often used at EDM events were 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (37%), amphetamine (16%), lysergic acid diethylamide (11%) and cocaine (9%). Between 2018 and 2021, the proportion of participants who reported to have ever tested their drugs has increased from 2% to 26% (p < 0.001). Unexpected or inconclusive test results led to a significantly lower chances of drug consumption (p = 0.003). The authors identified three distinct clusters of PAS users among the EDM festival attendees in Ukraine.

Originality/value

This study will inform the development of harm reduction interventions tailored to various subgroups of recreational PAS users taking into account gender-specific patterns of use suggested by the authors’ cluster analysis. Increased availability of drug checking is crucial to reduce the risks of drug-related harm associated with the consumption of mis-sold, mislabeled and/or adulterated substances.
JML’s “Callisto Lite”: is the brand extension a problem or the product itself?
Authors: Aggarwal Ashita , Iyer Shriram R.
Published: November 2022

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are as follows: to understand how organizations can leverage the built-in brand equity; outline the challenges of extending a strong brand; and ability to think about the core-essence of the brand impact and its perception among customers before deciding to extend.

Case overview/synopsis

JML was a 74-year-old company and was a No.1 player in the domestic market and No. 4 globally. It maintained this leadership position through a robust product portfolio and serving new needs and opportunities. Customers associated JML's products (buses and trucks) with high-quality performance, sturdiness & reliability. JML had a well-established brand – “Callisto”, in the heavy bus segment but saw an opportunity in light buses, which could be used within the city and for school and office commute purposes. They launched Callisto Lite, a variant of successful Callisto buses, in 2015 for cashing this opportunity. Though initially, the brand showed positive signs but soon lost the novelty value and saw low returns on marketing investments. Callisto Lite was also diluting the strong brand equity of the successful parent brand. The management was undecided as to what to do. Should they move out of the segment or continue? Each had its own pros and consequences, and the decision was not easy.

Complexity academic level

The case can be used in an undergraduate or a post-graduate management program to teach the core concepts of branding and brand extension. The case can be used in an introductory marketing course or elective courses like Brand Management and Marketing Strategy.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing.
Designated Community: uncertainty and risk
Authors: Frank Rebecca D. , Rothfritz Laura
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This article explores the tension between the concept of a Designated Community (DC) as a foundational element in Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR) certification and curators' uncertainty about how to interpret and apply this concept in practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employs a qualitative research design involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the Trustworthy Digital Repository Audit and Certification (TRAC) process.

Findings

The authors' findings indicate that stakeholders in the audit and certification process viewed their uncertainty about how to apply the concept of a DC in the context of an audit as a source of risk for digital repositories and the repositories' collections.

Originality/value

This article brings new insights to digital preservation by applying social theories of risk to trustworthy digital repository audit and certification processes, with an emphasis on the concept of DC.
Digital serious game to engage business students in active lectures: a pilot study
Authors: Endress Tobias , Pussep Anton , Schief Markus
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate an integrated approach that stimulates engagement and interaction in the online learning environment. A simulation game was developed to support the specific learning objectives (LOs) of the lecture and give students the opportunity to apply relevant practical skills (management and group decision-making). The simulation is designed to engage students, facilitate group work in teams and actively apply the knowledge from the lectures.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative research methods and a pilot version of the simulation game in an actual classroom setting were used. The primary LO was to apply decision-making in groups and experience the consequences of decisions on business success. The students were assigned randomly to five groups representing different competing companies.

Findings

This study revealed that a simulation game with a reduced scope can facilitate interaction and participation in online lectures. It demonstrated that it is possible to obtain the main benefits of simulation-based learning with a simple game that consists of few decision variables and requires minimal training.

Research limitations/implications

There are limitations to this pilot study, some of which need to be address in future research. One limitation is the small number of participants (21). Another limitation is that all participants were from a class at an Asian university. While adding to existing research that focused primarily on Anglo-America and Europe, this study’s approach should be evaluated with more subjects from varying cultural backgrounds to validate the findings. The evaluation could be improved with more participants but also additional questions to measure how and why this study’s approach benefits learning success. E.g. it should be explored what component of decision-making or group learning was most significant. With this, it would also be interesting to explore incremental learning and learning across groups along the study duration.

Practical implications

The simulation game can be used in business education. Students enjoyed the interaction with their peers and the instructor. The students stated that it was a good learning experience for them and they made good learning progress.

Originality/value

The prototype demonstrated the general feasibility and the smooth handling of the practical application and integration in online lectures. The aim to develop a serious simulation game for online classes was achieved. It was possible to obtain the main benefits of simulation-based learning with a simple game that consists of few decision variables and therefore requires minimal training and time.
Passive variable acoustic technology for classroom reverberation time: a case study
Authors: Burfoot Megan , GhaffarianHoseini Ali , Ghaffarianhoseini Amirhosein , Naismith Nicola
Published: November 2022

Purpose

To maximise acoustic comfort in a classroom, the acoustic conditions of the space should be variable. So, the optimal acoustic state also changes when the classroom changes from a study environment into a lecture environment. Passive Variable Acoustic Technology (PVAT) alters a room’s Reverberation Time (RT) by changing the total sound absorption in a room. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the improvements to classroom acoustic comfort when using PVAT.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is conducted in an existing tertiary classroom at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. The PVAT is prototyped, and the RTs are measured according to international standards before and after classroom installation. The acoustic measurement method used is a cost-effective application tool where pre- and post-conditions are of primary concern.

Findings

PVAT is found to offer statistically significant improvements in RT, but the key benefits are realised in its’ ability to vary RT for different classroom situations. It is predicted that the RT recommendations for two room types outlined in the acoustic standard AS/NZS 2107:2016 are satisfied when using PVAT in a single classroom space. By optimising RT, the acoustic comfort during both study and lecture is significantly improved.

Originality/value

When PVAT is combined with an intelligent system – Intelligent Passive Room Acoustic Technology (IPRAT) – it can detect sound waves in real time to identify the optimal RT. This paper details a pilot case study that works towards quantifying the benefits of IPRAT, by prototyping and testing the PVAT component of the system.

Highlights

A pilot case study outlines the development and test of a variable acoustic prototype in a tertiary classroom

A method is adopted to measure acoustic conditions, using three under-researched Android applications

The benefits of PVAT are realised in its ability to vary RT by adjusting the prototypes’ sound absorption

By using PVAT in a single space, the recommended RTs for two room types outlined in the acoustic standard AS/NZS 2107:2016 can be satisfied

The improvements in acoustic comfort due to PVAT are statistically significant
Engaging consumers via online brand communities to achieve brand love and positive recommendations
Authors: Paruthi Mandakini , Kaur Harsandaldeep , Islam Jamid Ul , Rasool Aaleya , Thomas George
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the influence of brand relationship quality and consumer community identification on consumer engagement. This study also examines the mediating role of consumer engagement between brand relationship quality and consumer community identification with brand love. Positive word of mouth is taken as an outcome variable.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the proposed relationships, data were collected from 580 social media-based brand community followers and analysed through structural equation modelling.

Findings

Results corroborate brand relationship quality and consumer community identification as critical drivers of consumer engagement on the online platforms. The results further reveal a positive association between consumer engagement and brand love which consequently foster positive word of mouth. The findings also corroborate the partial as well as full mediating role of consumer engagement on different proposed associations.

Originality/value

This study offers an in-depth insight of specific motivations to engage consumers in the virtual domain, make them adore their brands and spread a positive word. All of these outcomes are crucial in offering competitive advantages to firms. This study validates the relevance of consumer engagement interactions in contemporary firms’ relationship marketing strategies.
Risks of malignancies among patients with psoriasis: A cohort study of 360 patients
Authors: Watanabe Tomoya , Watanabe Yuko , Asai Chika , Asami Miho , Watanabe Yukihiko , Saigusa Yusuke , Yamaguchi Yukie
Published: November 2022

Psoriasis is a systemic, chronic, immunologically‐mediated disease affecting approximately 2%–4% of the worldwide population. It is well known that psoriasis is associated with several comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and malignancy. Although meta‐analyses and large prospective cohort studies have shown an increased risk of malignancies in patients with psoriasis worldwide, an association between psoriasis and malignancy onset has not yet been established in Japan. We retrospectively analyzed 360 patients with psoriasis at our hospital to evaluate the incidence and types of malignancies in these patients. The incidence rate of malignancy was 14.4% (52/360). Colorectal cancer was the most commonly associated malignancy (20.9%), followed by skin cancer (16.4%), gastric cancer (10.4%), and lung cancer (10.4%). The calculated age‐ and sex‐standardized incidence ratio of malignancies was 1.235 (95% CI 0.952–1.601) which indicated that the malignancy rate was higher in patients with psoriasis than in the general population, although the difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis revealed increased risk of malignancy in males (HR = 3.15; 95% CI 1.381–7.187; p < 0.001), psoriasis onset at older age (HR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.058–1.111; p < 0.01), and psoriatic erythroderma (HR = 4.44; 95% CI 1.354–14.581; p < 0.05). We also observed that treatment with biological agents tends to reduce the risk of developing malignancy; however, no statistical significance was found. These results suggest that periodic screening for malignancy should be recommended in patients with psoriasis having these risk factors and in those with poorly controlled psoriatic inflammation.
Distressed comps
Authors: Conklin James N. , Coulson N. Edward , Diop Moussa
Published: November 2022

We consider the use and impact of distressed properties as comparables in residential appraisals. First, we describe the incidence of their use and their relative comparability; second, we estimate their impact on the appraisal value itself; and third, we consider their impact on the probability that the appraisal is below the proposed transaction price. We find, generally, that distressed comps are largely good matches to their subject properties, which suggests that they are not necessarily used as a last resort. We find that they are not a drag on appraised value because appraisers learn to make the right adjustments over time. The use of distressed comps is associated with a higher probability of a below‐price appraisal due to the increased spread of appraisals around the contract price, particularly for higher priced homes. Overall, the use of distressed comps increased the uncertainty in the valuation process, but appraisers learned the appropriate adjustments over time.
Tribal ties around the cooking fire in South Arabia: Some ethnographic lexical notes
Authors: Atbuosh Mohammed A.
Published: November 2022

This paper reflects on some Arabic terms, previously noted by scholars, of small‐scale monument types, which have a symbolic and semantic conflation of ‘cooking fire’ and ‘permanent occupation’, such asraḍfa,jamara,ʾaṯfiyaandrabaʿa. The paper discusses more terms that confirm this conflation and widen it to include the concept of tribal protection, as a parallel with the pre‐Islamic practice of the ‘fire of alliance’, described by classical Muslim writers and alluded to in Ancient South Arabian inscriptions. The association of fire terminology with tribal protection concepts appears to be related to the idea of food‐sharing alliances.
How should we think about employers’ associations?
Authors: Bryson Alex , Willman Paul
Published: November 2022

We maintain that employer associations are a specific form of employer collusion that is overt, formal and labour market‐focused which encompasses but is by no means confined to collective bargaining. We consider the conditions under which this form of collusion might emerge, and how it might develop. Since the context is the decline of employers’ associations in collective bargaining, we look at how collective bargaining involvement (and its disappearance) might relate to the growth or decline of other forms of collusion in areas such as product and financial markets, and political influence. Our central contention is that employers’ associations continue to perform an important role in helping employers set the terms of trade, albeit one that has adapted to the demise of sectoral bargaining.
A scoping review of interventions to improve oral health in prison settings
Authors: Booth Joelle , O'Malley Lucy , Meek Rosie , Goldrick Niall Mc , Maycock Matthew , Clarkson Janet , Wanyonyi‐Kay Kristina
Published: November 2022

Objective

To describe the characteristics of oral health interventions implemented in prison settings and explore the barriers and facilitators towards implementation.

Methods

Following Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology, six databases were searched including Medline (R), Emcare, Embase, AMED, Cochrane and PsycINFO. A total of 978 studies were returned and screened. The inclusion criteria were those studies conducted in a prison population, with an intervention to address oral health and published since 2000.

Results

Ten studies published between 2008 and 2021 were included. All were conducted in high‐income countries. Three intervention types were identified: health education (n = 5), teledentistry (n = 3) and screening or triaging (n = 2). The barriers and facilitators to successful implementation were grouped into a framework of four overarching concepts. These included prison environment, population makeup, compliance and staffing.

Clinical Significance

Evidence suggests that oral health interventions in prisons are focused on improving access to services and oral health messages. A range of drivers including the prison environment, staffing levels, recruitment and intervention compliance influence implementation and the success of interventions.
Risk factors associated with readmission within 30 days following stoma surgery: Development of a ‘traffic light’ prediction model
Authors: Plonkowski Alexander , Allison Callum , Philipson Pete , Brady Richard R. W.
Published: November 2022

Aim

Patients undergoing stoma surgery have a higher risk for early readmission. Some patients may benefit from closer postdischarge surveillance to provide early detection of complications and timely intervention. However, there is a paucity of validated tools to identify those at higher risk of readmission. Here, we aim to determine the independent risk factors associated with readmission within 30 days of discharge following stoma surgery, attempt to validate previous predictive models and develop a novel prediction tool.

Method

A retrospective review of 423 patients who underwent ileostomy or colostomy stoma formation at a UK tertiary colorectal centre between 2019 and 2021. Univariate, multivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to analyse a large number of demographics and risk factors and the association with readmission.

Results

This study cohort included 220 ileostomy and 203 colostomy patients. Of these, 87 (20.6%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge following index surgery. A large number of demographics were evaluated for association with readmission. Readmission was associated with chronic heart failure (p < 0.05), postoperative stoma‐specific complications (bleeding, p = 0.02; high‐output stoma, p = 0.01) and those with a loop ileostomy (34.0% vs. 18.6%; p = 0.01). A previous predictive model was ineffective in this cohort, therefore a simplified ‘traffic light’ risk scoring system was developed and found to have improved discrimination.

Conclusion

Readmission following stoma formation is associated with key variables that could provide the means to triage, risk score and potentially predict readmissions. We found that a novel and simplified scoring system may provide improved prediction.
Gracilis muscle interposition for complex perineal fistulas: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the literature
Authors: Garoufalia Zoe , Gefen Rachel , Emile Sameh Hany , Silva‐Alvarenga Emanuela , Horesh Nir , Freund Michael R. , Wexner Steven D.
Published: November 2022

Aim

Complex perineal fistulas (CPFs) are among the most challenging problems in colorectal practice. Various procedures have been used to treat CPFs, with none being a panacea. Our study aimed to assess the overall success and complication rates after gracilis muscle interposition in patients with CPF.

Method

PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases were systematically searched until January 2022 according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies including children <18 years or <10 patients were excluded, as well as reviews, duplicate or animal studies, studies with poor documentation (no report of success rate) and non‐English text. An open‐source, cross‐platform software for advanced meta‐analysis openMeta [Analyst]™ version 12.11.14 and Cochrane Review Manager 5.4® were used to conduct the meta‐analysis of data.

Results

Twenty‐five studies published between 2002 and 2021 were identified. The studies included 658 patients (409 women). Most patients had rectovaginal (50.7%) or rectourethral fistulas (33.7%). The most common causes of CPF were pelvic surgery (29.4%) and inflammatory bowel disease (25.2%). A history of radiotherapy was reported in approximately 18% of the patients. 498 (75.7%) patients with CPF achieved complete healing after gracilis muscle interposition. The weighted mean rate of success of the gracilis interposition procedure was 79.4% (95% CI 73.8%–85%, I2 = 75.3%), the weighted mean short‐term complication rate was 25.7% (95% CI 18.1–33.2, I2 = 84.1%) and the weighted mean rate for 30‐day reoperation was 3.6% (95% CI 1.6–5.6, I2 = 42%). The weighted mean rate of fistula recurrence was 16.7% (95% CI 11%–22.3%, I2 = 61%).

Conclusion

The gracilis muscle interposition technique is a viable treatment option for CPF. Surgeons should be familiar with indications and techniques to offer it as an option for patients. Given the relatively infrequent use of the operation, referral rather than performance of graciloplasty is an acceptable option.
Does biodiversity‐focused protection of the seabed deliver carbon benefits? A U.K. case study
Authors: Epstein Graham , Roberts Callum M.
Published: November 2022

Subtidal seabed sediments are one of the planet's biggest organic carbon stores, but have been poorly considered in nature‐based climate change mitigation. Protection of the seabed is predominantly through establishment of marine protected area (MPA) networks, but their emphasis on biodiversity may limit their carbon value. The United Kingdom has one of the most extensive networks of MPAs in the world, yet damaging human activities are excluded from only a small portion. We calculate that full protection of the MPA network would offer limited carbon benefit, due to below average organic carbon stocks and disturbance from mobile fishing gears when compared to the entire U.K. seabed. We find that inshore exclusion zones (where mobile gears are restricted from nearshore areas to benefit biodiversity and low‐impact fishers) could offer greater carbon benefits compared to MPAs. However, neither of these biodiversity‐focused protection strategies are as effective for seabed carbon as targeted protection.
Split‐dose versus day‐before regimen of sodium picosulfate plus magnesium citrate for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy in children: Randomized controlled trial
Authors: Di Nardo Giovanni , Felici Enrico , Zenzeri Letizia , Mennini Maurizio , Evangelisti Melania , Parisi Pasquale , Massolo Anna Claudia , Hassan Cesare , Piccirillo Marisa , Lucchini Livia , Furio Silvia , Quatrale Giovanna , Strisciuglio Caterina
Published: November 2022

Objectives

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) split‐dose regimen is recommended as the option of choice for colon preparation before colonoscopy in children and adults. Sodium picosulfate plus magnesium citrate (SPMC) is equally effective but better tolerated than PEG for bowel preparation before colonoscopy in children. The aim of this study was to assess the superiority of SPMC split‐dose regimen compared with SPMC day‐before regimen for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy in children.

Methods

This was a multicenter, randomized, single‐blind study. Pediatric inpatients undergoing colonoscopy received SPMC either in the day‐before dosing or in split dosing. Overall bowel cleansing was assessed using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) and was rated as successful when BBPS was ≥6. Patient tolerability, acceptability, and compliance were recorded.

Results

The rate of successful cleansing level was significantly higher in the split‐dose group than in the day‐before group (P < 0.001). The BBPS scores were significantly higher in the split‐dose group than in the day‐before group for the whole colon (P < 0.001), the right colon (P < 0.001) and transverse colon (P < 0.001). Patient acceptability was better in the split‐dose group (P = 0.0003; P = 0.005). The percentage of children needing nasogastric tube placement was better in the split‐dose group (P = 0.007).

Conclusions

The split‐dose regimen of SPMC was superior to the day‐before regimen in terms of successful colon cleansing and acceptability.
Animal models for the evaluation of antipsychotic agents
Authors: Ayyar Porkodi , Ravinder Jamuna Rani
Published: November 2022

Schizophrenia, the most serious among psychoses, has negative symptoms such as anhedonia, avolition and apathy, and cognitive defects in addition to positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions characterising all psychotic disorders. Traditional antipsychotics had dopamine D2 receptor antagonism as their principal mechanism of action, with disabling extrapyramidal symptoms as corollary. Newer atypical agents with diverse receptor actions introduced to circumvent this issue, nevertheless, had varied side effects such as agranulocytosis, insulin resistance, seizures, and cardiac events. Also, symptoms in cognitive and negative domains do not respond well even to newer agents creating an unmet need. Designing a valid animal model with translational relevance for a complex disease such as schizophrenia is a tedious process. Induction or suppression of certain animal behaviours by test compounds (behavioural models) and antagonising effects induced by compounds with psychotic potential (pharmacological models) are the conventional models used. One among the major disadvantages with conventional models is that these paradigms are induced acutely and relate to aberration of a single neurotransmitter system, which is in sharp contrast to the chronic nature and interplay of multiple neurotransmitter systems in psychotic diseases. However, with progress in elucidation of disease mechanisms, novel models are generated utilising developmental, genetic, and environmental factors (neurodevelopmental models) to effectively reflect the human disease pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, but with paucity of studies assessing the impact of drugs on them. This review presents an overview of schizophrenia hypotheses, requisites of a valid animal model, available animal models with their advantages and disadvantages.