bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Care for Atrial Fibrillation Before, During, and at Discharge From Hospitalization
Authors: Desai Nihar R. , Sciria Christopher T. , Zhao Xin , Piccini Jonathan P. , Turakhia Mintu P. , Matsouaka Roland , Fonarow Gregg C. , Lewis William R.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in the hospital. However, contemporary treatment of patients hospitalized with AF, including stroke prevention, switching between these therapies, and rhythm control interventions are not well studied. We aimed to examine trends in inpatient interventions for AF, including switching oral anticoagulation (warfarin to direct oral anticoagulants [DOACs]), cardioversion, catheter ablation, and amiodarone use in hospitalized patients with AF.

Methods:

Using data from the Get With The Guidelines—AFIB registry from the American Heart Association, we analyzed patterns of medication and procedure use among hospitalized patients with AF from January 3, 2013, to March 28, 2017. To identify significant predictors of switching, multivariable hierarchical regression models were developed with patient baseline characteristics and comorbidities.

Results:

Among 31 280 patients with AF from 97 participating hospitals, 47.1% were on anticoagulation at presentation (6695 warfarin and 7393 DOAC) and the majority were continued at discharge (91.1%). Of those who were not receiving anticoagulation before hospitalization, 60.6% started anticoagulation at discharge (25.0% warfarin and 75.0% DOAC). The prevalence of switching from warfarin to DOAC was 4.0% and was more likely with younger age and lower CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc. Among 28 143 patients (excluding those discharged from the emergency department or observation status), 32.0% underwent cardioversion (56.1% chemically assisted and 49.4% electrical), 6.4% AF ablation, and 1.0% left atrial appendage occlusion device implantation. Patients of White race, younger age, and lower CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc were significantly more likely to undergo cardioversion or AF ablation, while older patients with higher CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc were significantly more likely to be initiated on amiodarone.

Conclusions:

Despite guideline recommendations prioritizing DOAC therapy, there are relatively low rates of switching from warfarin to DOAC in patients hospitalized with AF. Moreover, there is substantial variation in switching and utilization of rhythm control strategies, highlighting opportunities for performance improvement.

Graphic Abstract:

A
graphic abstract
is available for this article.
Radiomics
Authors: Xu Pengpeng , Xue Yi , Schoepf U. Joseph , Varga-Szemes Akos , Griffith Joseph , Yacoub Basel , Zhou Fan , Zhou Changsheng , Yang Yuting , Xing Wei , Zhang Longjiang
Published: March 2021

Radiomics uses advanced image analysis to extract massive amounts of quantitative information from digital images, which is not otherwise distinguishable to the human eye. The mined data can be used to explore and establish new and undiscovered correlations between these imaging features and clinical end points. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a first-line imaging modality for evaluating coronary artery disease and has a primary role in the assessment of cardiac structures. Conventional interpretation of cardiac CT images relies mostly on subjective and qualitative analysis, as well as basic geometric quantification. To date, some proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated the feasibility and diagnostic performance of cardiac CT radiomics analysis. This review describes the current literature on radiomics in cardiac CT and discusses its advantages, challenges, and future directions. Although much evidences are needed in this field, cardiac CT radiomics has a lot to offer to patients and physicians with potential to define cardiac disease phenotypes on imaging with higher precision.
Phenology and temperature are the main drivers shaping the detection probability of the common wall lizard
Authors: Falaschi Mattia
Published: March 2021

Measuring the abundance of organisms is essential to provide information to ecology and biodiversity conservation. Hardly ever, the probability of detecting an animal during a survey is near one. Overlooking this observational process can lead to biased estimates of population size and vital rates. In this study, through Bayesian modeling, I evaluated the effects of temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, and phenology in determining changes in the detection probability of the common wall lizard, for which studies on the factors determining detection probability are currently not available. Additionally, I tested for two possible interactions: date-temperature and date-humidity, in order to assess if the relationships of these variables with detection probability vary through the sampling season. Detection probability was highest earlier in the season (April) and between 24 and 28 degrees. Rainfall during the survey showed a negative effect on detection probability. In contrast, cumulative precipitation in the 24 hours before the survey showed a positive relationship, indicating that lizards are easier to detect in surveys after rainy days. Furthermore, date and temperature showed a positive interaction, indicating that the relationship between detectability and temperature changed over the sampling season. Date and humidity showed a negative interaction: late in the sampling season, detectability was higher with lower humidity, however, this relationship was not found in the early season. Future studies can consider multiple sites to evaluate the extent of variation in the drivers of detection probability and to assess the factors related to abundance.
Hobbes on Property: Between Legal Certainty and Sovereign Discretion
Authors: van Apeldoorn Laurens
Published: March 2021

Hobbes treats individual property as regulated by stable law, yet dependent on the arbitrary will of the sovereign. In this paper I catalogue the different definitions of property present in his main political and legal works – The Elements of Law (1640), De Cive (1642, 2nd ed. 1647), Leviathan (1651) and A Dialogue between a philosopher and a student (1681) – with the aim of showing how he attempted to square those commitments. I record how the definitions of property affect his views about how sovereigns hold property, the nature of the liability of subjects to having their property confiscated by the sovereign, and the legal conflicts that may arise between subjects and their rulers regarding such confiscations.
Foreign Military Adventurers in the Taiping Rebellion, 1860–1864
Authors: Orbach Danny
Published: March 2021

Using Western and Chinese archival sources, the following paper explores the military intervention of freelance foreign adventurers, particularly a militia eventually known as the Ever-Victorious Army, in the waning years of the Taiping Rebellion (1860–1864). My goal here is not merely to retell the story of this force, or to reassess its contribution to the subjugation of the Taipings, a question already studied by several historians. Instead, I will analyze the complicated and ever-changing relationship between these adventurers and the powers around them: Qing local authorities, the imperial court in Beijing, and the various foreign countries, especially Great Britain. I argue that the opening for such a force as the Ever-Victorious Army was created by the need of all parties for informal cooperation against the Taiping while maintaining plausible deniability. Once this need had passed, the foreign military adventurers became redundant and could be discarded by their former sponsors.
Taxonomic studies on Amomum (Zingiberaceae) in China III: Amomum fangdingii, a new species from Guangxi
Authors: YE XING-ER , LEONG-ŠKORNIČKOVÁ JANA , BAI LIN , XIA NIAN-HE
Published: March 2021

A plant formerly misidentified as Amomum maximum in Guangxi, China, is described here as a new species, namely A. fangdingii. A detailed description, distribution map and illustrations are provided together with a taxonomic key distinguishing A. fangdingii from eight morphologically similar species characterised by cincinnate inflorescences occurring in Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam.
On some modern Ostracoda (Crustacea) from the Tibetan Plateau in SW China, with descriptions of three new species
Authors: PENG PING , ZHAI DAYOU , SMITH ROBIN J. , WANG QIANWEI , GUO YUN , ZHU LIPING
Published: March 2021

Studies of Holocene ostracods of the Tibetan Plateau have mostly centred around valves and carapaces collected from lake sediments, some at or near the substrate surface and others from short cores. Reports from habitats other than lakes are scarce, and few living species found in this region have appendages described, hindering further taxonomic and phylogenetic work. For this study collections of living ostracods were made in mostly ponds, as well as two rivers and one lake. Six species, including three previously undescribed, were recovered: Tonnacypris estonica (Järvekülg, 1960), Arctocypris edita n. sp., Cypris pubera O.F. Müller, 1776, Potamocypris variegata (Brady & Norman, 1889), Ilyocypris tibeta n. sp., and Fabaeformiscandona monticulus n. sp. Specimens of Tonnacypris estonica include males, previously unknown for this species, and suggesting it is a geographical parthenogen. A revision of the fifth limb morphology of the genus Arctocypris, and a subsequent amended diagnosis of the genus are given. Based on carapace and appendage features, Eucypris mareotica (Fischer, 1855) is transferred to this genus: Arctocypris mareotica (Fischer, 1855) com. nov. There are now ca. 100 ostracod species reported from modern or subsurface sediments on the Tibetan Plateau, but only 19 of those can be confirmed as alive when collected (i.e. had appendages intact). The families Limnocytheridae and Ilyocyprididae are both relatively diverse on the plateau compared with the Palaearctic zoogeographical region generally. About one third of ostracod species reported from the Tibetan Plateau are only known from there, suggesting a potentially very high rate of endemism.
Proper cleaning of keratin beetles reveals a cryptic species: Phoberus fumarius (Haaf, 1953) from southern Africa is reinstated as valid (Coleoptera: Trogidae)
Authors: STRÜMPHER WERNER P. , STALS RIAAN
Published: March 2021

Among the southern African Trogidae, Trox fumarius Haaf, 1953 is presently considered a junior subjective synonym of Phoberus cyrtus (Haaf, 1953). The availability of more specimens than were seen by previous workers, coupled with thorough removal of cuticular dirt and accumulated debris, allowed in-depth morphological study of these nominal taxa and reassessment of their synonymy. Consistent differences in external morphology and in aedeagal structure are observed. Trox fumarius is removed from synonymy with Phoberus cyrtus, reinstated as a separate species, and transferred to the genus Phoberus MacLeay, 1819. Both species are diagnosed and redescribed. Photographs of their holotypes and of cleaned specimens illustrate them. The distributions of these two putatively sister species are discussed along with their probable habitat associations. The species are allopatric and have non-overlapping associations with biomes and habitats. Phoberus cyrtus is reported from Botswana for the first time. The importance of properly cleaning terricolous beetles covered with dirt and debris that obscure taxonomic features is emphasised and guidelines to achieve this are presented.
A Climatology of Unstable Layers in the Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere: Some Early Results
Authors: Geller Marvin A. , Love Peter T. , Wang Ling
Published: March 2021

The 1-s-resolution U.S. radiosonde data are analyzed for unstable layers, where the potential temperature decreases with increasing altitude, in the troposphere and lower stratosphere (LS). Care is taken to exclude spurious unstable layers arising from noise in the soundings and also to allow for the destabilizing influence of water vapor in saturated layers. Riverton, Wyoming, and Greensboro, North Carolina, in the extratropics, are analyzed in detail, where it is found that the annual and diurnal variations are largest, and the interannual variations are smallest in the LS. More unstable layer occurrences in the LS at Riverton are found at 0000 UTC, while at Greensboro, more unstable layer occurrences in the LS are at 1200 UTC, consistent with a geographical pattern where greater unstable layer occurrences in the LS are at 0000 UTC in the western United States, while greater unstable layer occurrences are at 1200 UTC in the eastern United States. The picture at Koror, Palau, in the tropics is different in that the diurnal and interannual variations in unstable layer occurrences in the LS are largest, with much smaller annual variations. At Koror, more frequent unstable layer occurrences in the LS occur at 0000 UTC. Also, a “notch” in the frequencies of occurrence of thin unstable layers at about 12 km is observed at Koror, with large frequencies of occurrence of thick layers at that altitude. Histograms are produced for the two midlatitude stations and one tropical station analyzed. The log–log slopes for troposphere histograms are in reasonable agreement with earlier results, but the LS histograms show a steeper log–log slope, consistent with more thin unstable layers and fewer thick unstable layers there. Some radiosonde stations are excluded from this analysis since a marked change in unstable layer occurrences was identified when a change in radiosonde instrumentation occurred.
Educational Value of an Intern-Directed Vascular Access Team at a Community Teaching Hospital
Authors: Golden Sean , Weaver John , Russell Elliott , Park Benjamin , Sowa Patrick , Blecha Matthew
Published: March 2021

To gain additional experience in ultrasound-guided procedures, interventional radiology (IR)-bound surgical preliminary interns at an urban community hospital established a difficult intravenous access (DIVA) consult service. This study evaluates the efficacy, safety, and educational value for such a team. The first year of DIVA team results were followed from May 2019 to April 2020. The value of the experience for IR-bound residents vs. categorical general surgery residents (GS) was compared. 239 patients were evaluated by the DIVA team for a total of 4.3 consults per week. General surgery residents performed an additional estimated 2.5 consults per week. For IR residents, 218/230 (94.8%) PIV and 8/9 (88.9%) midline attempts were successful. There were no technical complications that required additional procedural interventions. All residents found educational value in participating in DIVA team. Residents designated to enter IR found participating in the DIVA team to be significantly more beneficial for overall educational value learning identification/access of vessels under ultrasound guidance ( P < .01). Interventional radiology residents had a higher mean number of procedures (average 60 vs. 24) before diminishing educational value was noted ( P < .05). 100% of GS and IR residents noted that upon entering PGY 2 they felt more adept than their peers at performing ultrasound-guided vascular access and all believed their experience working with DIVA team would benefit them throughout their careers. Establishment of an intern-directed difficult IV access team is beneficial to resident education as well as patient care. Monitoring of case load to avoid service over education is recommended.
Speaking of hybrid warfare: Multiple narratives and differing expertise in the ‘hybrid warfare’ debate in Czechia
Authors: Daniel Jan , Eberle Jakub
Published: March 2021

What do we speak of when we speak of ‘hybrid warfare’, a notion that has become prominent in discussions of European security? The article shows that this question is difficult to answer, as the hybrid warfare discourse is not only vague, but also consists of multiple, and at times contradictory, narratives. While talking and writing about supposedly the same thing, participants in the hybrid warfare debate often suggest markedly different ideas about the precise nature and target of the threat, offer different responses and draw upon different expertise. Grounding our argument in critical scholarship on narratives, security knowledge and hybrid warfare, we build a framework for studying security narratives around the four elements of threat, threatened value, response and underlying knowledge. This framework is utilised in a case study of Czechia, a country that has played a pioneering and outsized role in European hybrid warfare debates. We identify three narratives of hybrid warfare – defence, counterinfluence and education – which present markedly different understandings of ‘hybrid warfare’, and ways to defend against it. Our intervention hopes to contribute to disentangling the contradictions of the hybrid warfare discourse, itself a necessary precondition for both sound state policy and an informed public debate.
John Cassian’s Royal Road: Discretion, Balance, and the Tradition of the Fathers
Authors: Smith Peter J
Published: March 2021

Throughout John Cassian’s Institutes, he regularly exhorts his readers to ascetic discretion and moderation. He refers to this path of discretion as the ‘royal road’. To the left is negligence and acquiescence to temptation. On the right is over-zealous ascetic endeavors that often leave one weak and vulnerable to unclean thoughts and temptation. The royal road, meanwhile, is paved with ascetic moderation and continual discernment of one’s thoughts. This image of the royal road can be seen at work in Cassian’s discussions of grace and free will in both Institutes and Conferences. This royal road is also at work in his Christological treatise, On the Incarnation. Cassian positions Nestorius’ christology among the various heretics on the left and right of the tradition of the fathers that commits itself to the mysterious union of divinity and humanity in Christ.
Africana Cultural Memory in the Afroeuropean Context
Authors: Temple Christel N.
Published: March 2021

With the publication of Black Cultural Mythology (2020), the discipline of Africology and African American Studies has a better resource that answers the call for methodological and theoretical tools to institutionalize Africana cultural memory studies as a robust subfield. This content analysis tests the applicability of the critical framework of Black cultural mythology—which emerges from a study of the African American Diaspora of the United States—with the Afroeuropean Diaspora, namely the Black British experience. A feature of this study’s methodology is evaluating the efficacy of the genre of anthology—in this case Kwesi Owusu’s Black British Culture and Society: A Text Reader (2000)—as a comprehensive source suitable for content analysis and from which to infer a sense of the region’s approaches to cultural memory and memory-adjacent worldviews.
Identification of the effect of nanofiller morphology on interlaminar fracture toughness of hybrid composites
Authors: Kavosi Jamshid , Sarikaya Sevketcan , Creasy Terry S , Naraghi Mohammad
Published: March 2021

Nanoscale reinforcements have the potential to improve mechanical properties of fiber reinforced composite. Here, effect of nanofiller morphology and dispersion in augmenting mode I fracture toughness of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced composite materials is studied. The nanofillers used is electrospun carbon nanofibers (CNFs). Unlike most nanofillers which are in particulate form, CNFs exist in both continuous nanofiber mat and particulate forms. This trait allowed us to compare the effect of particulate nanofillers (CNFs dispersed in B-staged epoxy) vs. dry mats on fracture toughness of composites while all other parameters are kept constant. To enhance CNFs-matrix interactions, a novel approach was utilized to functionalize CNFs surface with melamine, so that epoxy functional groups can form strong bonds to matrix. The improvement in mode I initiation fracture toughness with CNF mats was statistically significant, while in B-staged samples, statistical analysis revealed insignificant improvement. In addition, in both CNFs reinforced samples, crack propagation fracture toughness decreased with crack growth and approached that of the composites with no CNFs. The decline was steeper in samples with B-staged CNFs. This behavior was explained by evaluating fracture path via SEM imaging. It was concluded that while CNFs bridge crack tip initially and delay crack initiation, crack deflects towards a lower resistance path by tearing CNFs mat and propagating along resin-rich interface between CNFs and microfibers. These alternative and weaker fracture planes are more readily available in B-staged samples due to poor integration of the B-staged epoxy with the rest of the composite.
Tales From the Dark Side: The Dark Tetrad of Personality, Supernatural, and Scientific Belief
Authors: Schofield Malcolm B. , Roberts Ben L. H. , Harvey Caroline A. , Baker Ian S. , Crouch Gemma
Published: March 2021

Theories such as the psychodynamic functions hypothesis, attribution theory, and the just world theory have been used to explain different types of supernatural belief. This study aims to examine “dark” personality traits and how they link to different beliefs using the Dark Tetrad. The Dark Tetrad” comprises narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism. Relationships have been found between dark personality traits and religious belief, but no studies have examined the Dark Triad or Tetrad and paranormal and scientific belief directly. An opportunity sample of 199 participants completed an online survey including scales measuring Dark Tetrad traits, religious and paranormal belief, and belief in science. Path analysis revealed five significant relationships. Belief in psychokinesis was negatively related to Machiavellianism, as was belief in common paranormal perceptions, which was also positively related to psychopathy. Religious belief was negatively related to psychopathy but positively related to sadism. Findings suggest some links between Dark Tetrad traits and elements of supernatural belief. The unexpected positive relationship between religiosity and sadism indicate that religious believers believe in a just world where people get what they deserve. These findings indicate that religious and paranormal experience, and dark personality are avenues for future research.
Effect of Pre-Exercise Music on Bench Press Power, Velocity, and Repetition Volume
Authors: Ballmann Christopher G. , Favre Mason L. , Phillips Matthew T. , Rogers Rebecca R. , Pederson Joseph A. , Williams Tyler D.
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of listening to pre-exercise music on bench press performance. We recruited 10 resistance trained males (M age= 22.8, SD = 5.8 years; M height= 173.7, SD = 8.3 cm; M body mass = 81.0, SD = 18.2 kg) for this crossover counterbalanced research design. Participants completed two bench press exercise trials of (a) No music (NM), and (b) Pre-exercise music (PreExM) separated by at least 48 hours. For each trial, following a warm-up, participants listened to music or no music for three minutes. After this 3-minute period, they completed one set of bench press repetitions with maximum explosive intent at 75% one repetition maximum (1 RPM). We used a rotary encoder to measure power and velocity of barbell movement. After a 3-minute rest during which they again listened to music or no music, participants completed another set of repetitions to failure (RTF) at 75% of 1RM. Immediately following this second set of repetitions, we measured exercise motivation with a visual analog scale (VAS). We found that the PreExM condition increased mean power output (p = 0.005; d = 0.792) and barbell velocity (p = 0.015; d = 0.722). RTF were significantly higher during the PreExM versus NM trial (p = 0.002; d = 0.985), and motivation was significantly higher in the PreExM trial versus NM (p = 0.001; d = 0.932). These findings suggest improved muscle power explosiveness and strength-endurance when listening to music before a bench press exercise. From a practical standpoint, athletes who have the option of listening to music immediately prior to resistance exercise may benefit from its use.
Evaluation of yarn appearance on a blackboard based on image processing
Authors: Wang Lei , Lu Yichen , Pan Ruru , Gao Weidong
Published: March 2021

Yarn evenness and hairiness are the appearance characteristics of yarn, which affect textile processing and product quality. To evaluate yarn appearance economically and effectively, an image-processing method is proposed in this paper to analyze yarn appearance on a blackboard. Firstly, an image of a yarn blackboard is captured by the scanner. Then, the yarn core and hairy fibers are segmented from the captured image with image-processing algorithms. The coefficients of variation of the yarn diameter ( CVbd) and the hairiness index ( M) are respectively calculated based on the information about the yarn core and hairy fibers in the image. Finally, the results of the proposed method are compared with those from the Uster Tester. The experimental results demonstrate that yarn appearance can be objectively evaluated using yarn blackboard images. The test results of different yarn blackboards made from the same yarn are stable and consistent. The correlation coefficient between the proposed method and the Uster Tester is 0.98, which proves that the H value can be accurately predicted by the hairiness prediction model. A hairiness prediction model built by the M value is also proven to be accurate when used to predict the corresponding value of the Uster Tester. Compared with the existing yarn evenness and hairiness test methods, the proposed method is more economical and practical.
Do local start-ups and knowledge spillovers matter for firm-level R&D investment?
Authors: Crowley Frank , Jordan Declan
Published: March 2021

What happens to firm-level research and development (R&D) when urban locations have more knowledge spillovers and are more entrepreneurial? This article explores the potential tension between knowledge spillovers, start-ups and innovation effort in existing firms. The relationship is empirically tested using Swedish firm-level data and municipality-level data on start-ups. The results indicate that having more start-ups in urban municipalities is associated with lower firm-level R&D expenditure. However, this relationship is not linear, where the negative association between the level of new firm formation and firm-level R&D expenditure decreases with scale. This suggests that the relationship between local entrepreneurship and a business’ R&D decisions is conditioned by the extent of that entrepreneurship.
Unusual non-trophic ulcerations in leprosy: A case series of 17 patients
Authors: Shukla Prakriti , Malhotra Kiran Preet , Verma Parul , Suvirya Swastika , Saraswat Abir , Jain Amita
Published: March 2021

Non-neuropathic ulcers in leprosy patients are infrequently seen, and atypical presentations are prone to misdiagnosis. We evaluated diagnosed cases of leprosy between January 2017 and January 2020 for the presence of cutaneous ulceration, Ridley–Jopling subtype of leprosy, reactions and histologic features of these ulcerations. Treatment was given as WHO recommended multi-bacillary multi-drug therapy. We found 17/386 leprosy patients with non-neuropathic ulcers. We describe three causes – spontaneous cutaneous ulceration in lepromatous leprosy (one nodular and one diffuse), lepra reactions (five patients with type 1; nine with type 2, further categorised into ulcerated Sweet syndrome-like who also had pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, pustulo-necrotic and necrotic erythema nodosum leprosum) and Lucio phenomenon (one patient). Our series draws attention towards the different faces of non-neuropathic ulcers in leprosy, including some atypical and novel presentations.
The segmental subsidence structure with immediate roof of gob side entry retaining in backfill mining
Authors: Zhao Xin-yuan , Li Xin-wang , Yang Ke , Wei Zhen , Fu Qiang
Published: March 2021

When gob side entry retaining is carried out in backfill mining, the roof will show different subsidence morphology due to the difference of compactness and supporting force of the backfill body at different positions. This paper analyzed the immediate roof subsidence structure under two extreme conditions, constructed the roof segmented subsidence structure and the mechanical model of roadside backfill body, and used FLAC3D software to investigate the roof migration and the force law of the roadside backfill body under the conditions of different goaf backfilled rates, different width and strength of roadside backfill body. Finally, the backfill practice of a mine in Shandong Province of China is taken as an example for analysis. The results show that the segmented subsidence structure of the immediate roof is related to the mechanical properties of the roadside backfill body and the goaf backfill body. When the backfilled rate of goaf decreases from 95% to 70%, the width of roadside backfill body decreases from 5 m to 1 m, and the elastic modulus decreases from 10 GPa to 0.5 GPa, the greater difference in the subsidence and inclination of the immediate roof on both sides of the roadside backfill body is, the more obvious the segmented subsidence structure characteristics of the immediate roof are, and the greater force on the roadside backfill body will be, the more unfavorable it is to maintain the stability of the roadway surrounding rock and the roadway backfill body. Therefore, when gob side entry retaining is carried out in backfill mining, the surrounding rock structure and the force on roadside backfill body should be considered comprehensively.
An Explanation of Personality Change in Organizational Science: Personality as an Outcome of Workplace Stress
Authors: Smallfield Jarvis , Kluemper Donald H.
Published: March 2021

Organizational scholarship has recently begun to treat personality as malleable in workplace settings and has called for personality change to be incorporated into current research. The lack of a comprehensive, theoretical model of organizational personality change is a critical impediment to this research. We integrate recent advances in biological and epigenetic fields with the cognitive appraisal, personality, and stress literatures to introduce a comprehensive model of short- and long-term organizational personality change. This model explains when, how, and why appraisal of workplace stress alters employee personality through three important neurochemical systems and the mechanisms through which changes in these systems differentially impact dimensions of the Five Factor personality framework. By examining epigenetic changes affecting neurochemical systems, we explain how appraisal of chronic workplace stress can lead to long-term changes in various personality traits—a relationship with substantial implications for both practice and research. This model further provides a roadmap to understand how short- and long-term employee personality change influences workplace outcomes at the individual, team, and organizational levels and how interventions at these levels can mitigate or reverse deleterious effects of workplace stressors on employee personality change. We outline the processes necessary for organizational scholars to test the propositions described here and more robustly incorporate personality change into organizational scholarship.
Fixing Technology with Society: The Coproduction of Democratic Deficits and Responsible Innovation at the OECD and the European Commission
Authors: Frahm Nina , Doezema Tess , Pfotenhauer Sebastian
Published: March 2021

Long presented as a universal policy-recipe for social prosperity and economic growth, the promise of innovation seems to be increasingly in question, giving way to a new vision of progress in which society is advanced as a central enabler of technoeconomic development. Frameworks such as “Responsible” or “Mission-oriented” Innovation, for example, have become commonplace parlance and practice in the governance of the innovation–society nexus. In this paper, we study the dynamics by which this “social fix” to technoscience has gained legitimacy in institutions of global governance by investigating recent projects at two international organizations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Commission, to mainstream “Responsible Innovation” frameworks and instruments across countries. Our analysis shows how the turn to societal participation in both organizations relies on a new deficit logic—a democratic deficit of innovation—that frames a lack of societal engagement in innovation governance as a major barrier to the uptake and dissemination of new technologies. These deficit politics enable global governance institutions to present “Responsible Innovation” frameworks as the solution and to claim authority over the coproduction of particular forms of democracy and innovation as intertwined pillars of a market-liberal international order.
A Novel Cough Simulation Device for Education of Risk Mitigation Techniques During Aerosol‐Generating Medical Procedures
Authors: Gomez Ernest D. , Ceremsak John J. , Leibowitz Akiva , Jalisi Scharukh
Published: March 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic has drawn attention to aerosol‐generating medical procedures (AGMPs) in health care environments as a potential mode of transmission. Many organizations and institutions have published AGMP safety guidelines, and several mention the use of simulation in informing their recommendations; however, current methods used to simulate aerosol generation are heterogenous. Creation of a high‐fidelity, easily producible aerosol‐generating cough simulator would meet a high‐priority educational need across all medical specialties. In this communication, we describe the design, construction, and user study of a novel cough simulator, which demonstrates the utility of simulation in raising AGMP safety awareness for providers of all roles, specialties, and training levels.
Vegetation ecology with anthropic drivers and consequences
Authors: Malanson George P , Talal Michelle L , Pansing Elizabeth R , Franklin Scott B
Published: March 2021

Current research on vegetation makes a difference in people’s lives. Plant community classification is a backbone of land management, plant communities are changing in response to anthropogenic drivers, and the processes of change have impacts on ecosystem services. In the following progress report, we summarize the status of classification and recent research on vegetation responses to pollution, especially nitrogen deposition, invasive species, climate change, and land use and direct exploitation. Two areas with human feedbacks are underscored: fire ecology and urban ecology. Prominent questions at the current research frontier are highlighted with attention to new perspectives.
Factors Associated With Clinical Improvement and the Disappearance of Calcifications After Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Lavage of Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendinopathy: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Dumoulin Nicolas , Cormier Grégoire , Varin Stéphane , Coiffier Guillaume , Albert Jean-David , Le Goff Benoit , Darrieutort-Laffite Christelle
Published: March 2021

Background:

Calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff is a frequent cause of shoulder pain. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous lavage (UGPL) is an effective treatment, but factors associated with good clinical and radiological outcomes still need to be identified.

Purpose:

To study the clinical, procedural, and radiological characteristics associated with improved shoulder function and the disappearance of calcification on radiograph after UGPL.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This is a post hoc analysis of the CALCECHO trial, a double-blinded randomized controlled trial conducted on 132 patients. The trial assessed the effect of corticosteroid injections after UGPL, and patients were randomly assigned to receive either corticosteroid or saline solution in the subacromial bursa. We analyzed all patients included in the randomized controlled trial as 1 cohort. We collected the patients’ clinical, procedural, and radiological characteristics at baseline and during follow-up (3, 6, and 12 months). Univariable analysis, followed by multivariable stepwise regression through forward elimination, was performed to identify the factors associated with clinical success (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH] score <15) or the disappearance of calcification.

Results:

Good clinical outcomes at 3 months were associated with steroid injections after the procedure (odd ratio [OR], 3.143; 95% CI, 1.105-8.94). At 6 months, good clinical evolution was associated with a lower DASH score at 3 months (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.890-0.956) and calcium extraction (OR, 10.7; 95% CI, 1.791-63.927). A lower DASH at 6 months was also associated with a long-term favorable outcome at 12 months (OR, 0.939; 95% CI, 0.912-0.966). Disappearance of calcification at 3 and 12 months occurred more frequently in patients in whom communication was created between the calcification and the subacromial bursa during the procedure (OR, 2.728 [95% CI, 1.194-6.234] at 3 months; OR, 9.835 [95% CI, 1.977-48.931] at 12 months). Importantly, an association between calcification resorption and good clinical outcome was found at each time point.

Conclusion:

Assessing patients at 3 months seems to be an essential part of their management strategy. Calcium extraction and creating a communication between the calcific deposits and subacromial bursa are procedural characteristics associated with good clinical and radiological evolution.
Laparoscopic versus open partial nephrectomy for the management of highly complex renal tumors with PADUA score ⩾10: A single center analysis.
Authors: Chiancone Francesco , Fabiano Marco , Meccariello Clemente , Fedelini Maurizio , Persico Francesco , Fedelini Paolo
Published: March 2021

Introduction:

The aim of this study was to compare laparoscopic and open partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal tumors of high surgical complexity (PADUA score ⩾10).

Methods:

We retrospectively evaluated 93 consecutive patients who underwent PN at our department from January 2015 to September 2019. 21 patients underwent open partial nephrectomy (OPN) (Group A) and 72 underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) (Group B). All OPNs were performed with a retroperitoneal approach, while all LPNs were performed with a transperitoneal approach by a single surgical team. Post-operative complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo system.

Results:

The two groups showed no difference in terms of patients’ demographics as well as tumor characteristics in all variables. Group A was found to be similar to group B in terms of operation time ( p = 0.781), conversion to radical nephrectomy ( p = 0.3485), and positive surgical margins ( p = 0.338) while estimated blood loss ( p = 0.0205), intra-operative ( p = 0.0104), and post-operative ( p = 0.0081) transfusion rates, drainage time ( p = 0.0012), pain score at post-operative day 1 (<0.0001) were significantly lower in Group B. The rate of enucleation and enucleoresection/polar resection was similar ( p = 0.1821) among the groups. Logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative factors were not independently associated with the surgical approach. There was a statistically significant difference in complication rate (<0.0001) between the two groups even if no significant difference in terms of grade ⩾3 post-operative complications ( p = 0.3382) was detected.

Discussion:

LPN represents a feasible and safe approach for high complex renal tumors if performed in highly experienced laparoscopic centers. This procedure offers good intraoperative outcomes and a low rate of post-operative complications.
Identifying Reading Disabilities: A Survey of Practitioners
Authors: Al Dahhan Noor Z. , Mesite Laura , Feller Melissa J. , Christodoulou Joanna A.
Published: March 2021

Accurate and timely identification of reading disabilities (RDs) is essential for providing appropriate and effective remediation for struggling readers. However, practices for identifying RDs lack sufficient documentation within and across educational and clinical settings. The wide range of possible practices intended to identify struggling readers can render the field vulnerable to inconsistencies in how the needs of struggling readers are recognized and supported. To better understand the range of current practices used to identify RDs in school-age children, we created and disseminated a survey nationally, and analyzed data from 965 practitioners. The findings indicate lengthy timelines to identify RDs; substantial variability in the composition of assessment teams, identification criteria, and diagnostic labels; and notable opportunities for enhancing practitioner training experiences. This study aims to promote cross-contextual dialogue about the identification of RDs and their implications for students’ educational experiences.
Foundational Knowledge and Skills in Community Development: A Comparison of Educator Perspectives
Authors: Rios Michael , Hains Bryan , Koundinya Vikram , Abrams Carolyn , Stanard Virginia
Published: March 2021

The challenges metropolitan regions, cities and towns, neighborhoods, and villages face require community development skills that address complex community problems, engage multiple publics, and pursue collective strategies. However, there is no consensus about how community development should be taught due to its various understandings, theories, and approaches. The article presents the results of a community development educator survey and illustrates a diversity of responses to educational delivery among forty-eight respondents representing twenty-seven community development programs in the United States. We compare the perspectives of respondents who teach in planning programs with other community development educators to discuss commonalities and differences.
Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of meropenem loaded-mesoporous silica nanoparticles against carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Memar Mohammad Yousef , Yekani Mina , Ghanbari Hadi , Nabizadeh Edris , Vahed Sepideh Zununi , Dizaj Solmaz Maleki , Sharifi Simin
Published: March 2021

The aims of the present study were the determination of antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of meropenem-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) on carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa) and cytotoxicity properties in vitro. The meropenem-loaded MSNs had shown antibacterial and biofilm inhibitory activities on all isolates at different levels lower than MICs and BICs of meropenem. The viability of HC-04 cells treated with serial concentrations as MICs and BICs of meropenem-loaded MSNs was 92–100%. According to the obtained results, meropenem-loaded MSNs display the significant antibacterial and antibiofilm effects against carbapenem resistant and biofilm forming P. aeruginosa and low cell toxicity in vitro. Then, the prepared system can be an appropriate option for the delivery of carbapenem for further evaluation in vivo assays.
Ready for a Close-Up: The Effect of Tax Incentives on Film Production in California
Authors: Workman Alec
Published: March 2021

Do motion picture incentives nudge productions to film in an adopting state, increase budgets, or hire more cast and filmmakers? Or do they simply subsidize productions that would have occurred regardless? Using California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, the author exploits incentives given out by lottery to answer these questions. The author finds that 19% of films would have filmed in California even without a tax incentive, but that the offering of an incentive increased the probability of a film being made in California by 16 percentage points. Both production budgets and the number of cast and filmmakers increased in response to the offering of a tax incentive, and, in California specifically, they increased budget spent by 267% and the number of cast and filmmakers hired by 123%. The program also had differential impacts based on film type, with only nonindependents increasing budgets and the number of cast and filmmakers in California.
Talking therapy: The allopathic nihilation of homoeopathy through conceptual translation and a new medical language
Authors: Brierley-Jones Lyn
Published: March 2021

The 19th century saw the development of an eclectic medical marketplace in both the United Kingdom and the United States, with mesmerists, herbalists and hydrotherapists amongst the plethora of medical ‘sectarians’ offering mainstream (or ‘allopathic’) medicine stiff competition. Foremost amongst these competitors were homoeopaths, a group of practitioners who followed Samuel Hahnemann (1982[1810]) in prescribing highly dilute doses of single-drug substances at infrequent intervals according to the ‘law of similars’ (like cures like). The theoretical sophistication of homoeopathy, compared to other medical sectarian systems, alongside its institutional growth after the mid-19th-century cholera epidemics, led to homoeopathy presenting a challenge to allopathy that the latter could not ignore. Whilst the subsequent decline of homoeopathy at the beginning of the 20th century was the result of multiple factors, including developments within medical education, the Progressive movement, and wider socio-economic changes, this article focuses on allopathy’s response to homoeopathy’s conceptual challenge. Using the theoretical framework of Berger and Luckmann (1991[1966]) and taking a Tory historiographical approach (Fuller, 2002) to recover more fully 19th-century homoeopathic knowledge, this article demonstrates how increasingly sophisticated ‘nihilative’ strategies were ultimately successful in neutralising homoeopathy and that homoeopaths were defeated by allopaths (rather than disproven) at the conceptual level. In this process, the therapeutic use of ‘nosodes’ (live disease products) and the language of bacteriology were pivotal. For their part, homoeopaths failed to mount a counter-attack against allopaths with an explanatory framework available to them.
The need for a unified ethical stance on child genital cutting
Authors: Earp Brian D , Shahvisi Arianne , Reis-Dennis Samuel , Reis Elizabeth
Published: March 2021

The American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Society for Pain Management Nursing, American Academy of Pediatrics, and other largely US-based medical organizations have argued that at least some forms of non-therapeutic child genital cutting, including routine penile circumcision, are ethically permissible even when performed on non-consenting minors. In support of this view, these organizations have at times appealed to potential health benefits that may follow from removing sexually sensitive, non-diseased tissue from the genitals of such minors. We argue that these appeals to “health benefits” as a way of justifying medically unnecessary child genital cutting practices may have unintended consequences. For example, it may create a “loophole” through which certain forms of female genital cutting—or female genital “mutilation” as it is defined by the World Health Organization—could potentially be legitimized. Moreover, by comparing current dominant Western attitudes toward female genital “mutilation” and so-called intersex genital “normalization” surgeries (i.e. surgeries on children with certain differences of sex development), we show that the concept of health invoked in each case is inconsistent and culturally biased. It is time for Western healthcare organizations—including the American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Society for Pain Management Nursing, American Academy of Pediatrics, and World Health Organization—to adopt a more consistent concept of health and a unified ethical stance when it comes to child genital cutting practices.