bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel insights into weight loss: acupuncture combined with a very low-carbohydrate diet—a Swiss experience
Authors: Fumagalli Massimo , Landgraaf Raymond G , Schiavi-Lods Nadège N , Golcea Sorin S , Büller Harry R , Nieuwdorp Max
Published: October 2023

Objective:

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of an acupuncture–diet program for treatment of overweight and obesity.

Methods:

The program consisted of weekly acupuncture sessions combined with a very low-carbohydrate diet in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or above. Data were collected retrospectively between 2002 and 2021 in seven clinics in Switzerland through automated data extraction of existing medical records. The treatments described are standard care at the facilities where they took place.

Results:

A total of 11,233 patients were included. In those with a BMI of 25 kg/m2 or above, a positive effect on body weight was noted with a peak average body weight loss of approximately 17.5 kg reached after 7 months. Long-term stabilization was at about 15.5 kg after 18 months. Significant male–female differences (p < 0.01) were observed with women losing less weight. Differences were also noted between overweight, obese and extremely obese patients suggesting a BMI-dependent effect. Maximum weight loss of patients with BMI of 35 kg/m2 or above was 29.8 ± 12 kg, while it was 18.8 ± 8 kg for obese patients (BMI = 30–34.9 kg/m2) and 12 ± 7 kg for overweight patients (BMI = 25–29.9 kg/m2), reflecting a significant overall difference between groups (p < 0.01). Compliance to the protocol by patients and physicians seemed to be another differentiating factor; more adherent patients appeared to lose more weight and preserve body weight loss better over time.

Conclusion:

Although this study lacked a control group and was retrospective and observational in nature, a program of acupuncture combined with a very low-carbohydrate diet appeared to be effective at inducing weight loss among obese patients. The observed weight reduction in this retrospective chart review represents a good starting point for further investigation of this approach via a comparative evaluation.
Hypertension in Individuals with Normal-Weight Obesity and Normal-Weight Central Obesity: A Study on Sunni Muslims of Uttar Pradesh, North India
Authors: Shimrah Chonsing , Kaur Sukhmani , Chandel Shivani
Published: October 2023

In practice, individuals who are found normal through various adiposity indicators are screened out from the risk of obesity and subsequently from other cardiometabolic syndromes like hypertension. Against this backdrop, this study aims to examine the prevalence of hypertension among individuals having normal-weight obesity (NWO) and normal-weight central obesity (NWCO). In the present study, Cross-sectional data of 214 participants (100 males and 114 females) were collected using purposive sampling. Adiposity indices like body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. Individuals were then categorized into NWO and NWCO. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure were also measured. All the data were analyzed using SPSS software. The prevalence of generalized obesity measured through BMI and PBF were 15% and 69.6% respectively. Central obesity measured through WC, WHR, and WHtR was 33.6%, 60.3%, and 11.2%, respectively. The prevalence of NWO in the total population was 21.9%. On the other hand, the prevalence of NWCO was 3.3%, 21.5%, and 12.1% as per WC, WHR, and WHtR respectively. The mean value of SBP and DBP was higher in individuals with NWO and NWCO. Preventive, interventional, and community-specific studies on NWO, NWCO, and their association with hypertension should be taken up by researchers who will help our policymakers in managing hypertension.
Living Democracy: Social Structures that Promote Civic Learning
Authors: Hoggan Chad , Hoggan-Kloubert Tetyana , Owen Renee
Published: October 2023

Democracy is not only a system of government, but also an overarching way of living together. It is through the social structures we live in and the resulting social relations, behaviors, and norms emanating from those structures, that we learn how to live together, democratically or otherwise. Adult education can promote the learning of democracy by helping people develop social structures that are democratic in form and function. Drawing on examples from Europe and the U.S., this article presents two such structures: (1) the system of voluntary associations in Germany; and (2) sociocracy as a form of democratic institutional governance. This article discusses how these structures can promote processes through which participants practice living democratically. Six principles for adult civic learning are thus derived: Inclusivity, Horizontal Relationships, Polycentricity, Confluence of Expert and Amateur, Interdependence between Specific Situations and Larger Contexts, and the Reciprocal Nature of Civic Learning and Solidarity.
The Learning Democracy: The Relationship Between Adult Informal Learning, Lifelong Learning Mindset, and Civic Engagement
Authors: Haren Conely Linnea M , Cordie Leslie A
Published: October 2023

Using structural regression analyses, data from the U.S. 2017 Program on International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) background survey were examined to test the effect of informal learning (observed through everyday activities, such as reading the newspaper or using the Internet to find information about issues) on civic engagement (observed through volunteerism, political self-efficacy, and social trust). Results showed a positive relationship between informal learning and civic engagement with ICT-related activities having the strongest effect. This effect was mediated by presence of a lifelong learning mindset (LLM) observed through traits related to learning motivation and persistence. Although a majority of respondents indicated agreement with LLM attitudes and behaviors, they also reported low frequencies of volunteerism and less agreement with political self-efficacy and social trust statements. The need for governments to provide meaningful opportunities for citizens to contribute their knowledge to the community, thus enabling a learning democracy, is discussed in light of these findings.
Physicians’ Lived Experience of Breaking Bad News in Clinical Practice: Five Essentials of a Relational Process
Authors: Tranberg Mattias , Brodin Eva M.
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this study was to develop deeper knowledge about physicians’ lived experiences of breaking bad news by identifying their common meanings and interrelatedness along with their potential alignment with process-oriented and relational aspects. Based on the methodology of descriptive phenomenology, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 physicians from a wide variety of specialties. The participants were invited to freely reflect upon their experiences of breaking bad news by describing situations that had worked well and less well. Results showed that breaking bad news was fundamentally experienced as a relational process constituted by the five essentials of Becoming the bad messenger, Expecting the unpredictable, Being on stage, Professionally managing hope, and Mindfulness of the emotional relationship. In line with recent research, this study confirms that clinical communication involves much more than just delivering the message. However, it also contributes to existing knowledge by focusing on the phenomenology of physicians’ experiences, which enables deeper understanding of the medical profession and the relational process of breaking bad news. As such, our findings are important to enable broader learning in, for example, medical education and continuing courses for clinical staff.
Nonlinear dynamics of spur gear systems with time-varying misalignment errors
Authors: Xie Shenghua , Du Qungui , Hu Yuhang
Published: October 2023

The mesh stiffness excitation of conventional dynamic models for misaligned spur gear systems is obtained under constant misalignment errors, which inevitably neglects the additional fluctuation of mesh stiffness caused by the influence of dynamic response on misalignment errors. The uneven load distribution and contact state alteration resulting from misalignment errors will produce nonlinear tilting moments that cause pendular vibration in gears. The pendular vibration of the gears, in turn, contributes to the time-varying property of misalignment errors. In this study, misalignment errors consist of an initial constant component that may originate from mounting errors and a time-varying component caused by the pendular vibration of gears. Subsequently, a nonlinear coupled lateral-torsional-axial-pendular vibration model for spur gear systems with time-varying misalignment errors (TVME) is constructed. Parametric analyses reveal that the dynamic behavior of the proposed TVME model and the conventional model differ due to the presence of an initial misalignment error. In contrast to the conventional model, the proposed model exhibits richer nonlinear characteristics, mainly in the high-speed zone, and is more prone to sub-harmonic resonance and contact loss owing to the time-varying property of misalignment errors. At 11,400 r/min, the proposed model undergoes sub-harmonic resonance, and its root-mean-square (RMS) value of dynamic transmission error (DTE) increases from 0.27 to 1.15 and 2.96 as the initial misalignment error increases from 0 to [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], whereas the corresponding values of the conventional model remain almost unchanged at 0.27.
Norman Denzin and America
Authors: Carless David
Published: October 2023

A personal appreciation of the life and work of Norman Denzin.
Archival Attunements: Researching Children’s Drawings “About the War”
Authors: Schulte Christopher M.
Published: October 2023

Based on the author’s experiences of working with materials from the Dale B. Harris Papers, specifically a series of children’s drawings “about the war,” this article engages the concept of attunement as a strategy to address the challenges of encountering children’s creations from the past. The article begins with an introduction to the concept of attunement, drawing into dialogue the work of Erin Manning and Jane Bennett, for example, as well as related scholarship from art education, qualitative studies, and childhood studies. This introduction is then used to express how the concept of attunement has been central to the author’s approach to researching childhood art. After discussing the connection between attunement and the author’s practice as a researcher, the idea of archival attunements is introduced, a turn of phrase used to animate the experiences, potentials, and challenges of encountering children’s art from the past.
Purtscher-like retinopathy following carotid angioplasty and stenting in the treatment of severe carotid stenosis
Authors: Solaz-Ruiz M G , Sevilla-Redoreda N , Cauto-Picazo C , Azorín-Pérez L , Neira-Fonseca C , España-Gregori E
Published: October 2023

We present a case of Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR) following carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). A 56-year-old man with a history of severe stenosis of the left carotid artery and treated by CAS refers acute and painless visual loss on the left eye (OS) 48 h after the procedure. Funduscopic examination showed cotton wool spots and intraretinal hemorrhages confined to the peripapillary and posterior pole of the OS. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed retinal thickening and hyperintense lesions in the inner nuclear layer retina.
A quality analysis of internet patient information for immediate, sequential, bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS)
Authors: Carlisle Aaron , Patterson Timothy , Bonnar Jonathan
Published: October 2023

Background

Due to surgical capacity pressures, induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, immediate bilateral simultaneous cataract surgery (ISBCS) has been utilised increasingly throughout the U.K. This surgical method comes with both novel risks and benefits, so the consent process must be modified. Prior randomised trials have demonstrated that appropriate online information may act as an adjunct to the surgical consent process. This study aims to assess the quality of available internet information for ISBCS.

Methods

Terms searched were ‘bilateral cataract surgery patient information’, ‘double cataract surgery patient information’, and ‘immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery patient information’. The Google search engine was used. The DISCERN instrument and JAMA benchmarks were used to assess healthcare information for quality. The Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRE), Flesch Kincaid Grade (FKG) Level and Gunning Fog Score (GFS) were used to assess for readability. HONcode certification was used to assess transparency and quality.

Results

Forty-six websites were found. The average DISCERN score was 41.3, meaning a “fair” quality which is below what many patients would anticipate discovering when trying to find information. National Healthcare Service websites had higher DISCERN scores than private healthcare-provided websites ( p < 0.01; 95% CI: 1.13–1.88.)

Conclusions

Fair patient information for ISBCS has been demonstrated. Specific internet information sources with appropriate information should be further developed, with cited sources, and patients signposted to them if felt appropriate.
Noninvasive and invasive imaging of lower-extremity acute and chronic venous thrombotic disease
Authors: Li Xin , Ruff Christer , Rafailidis Vasileios , Grozinger Gerd , Cokkinos Demosthenes , Kirksey Levester , Levitin Abraham , Gadani Sameer , Partovi Sasan
Published: October 2023

The spectrum of venous thromboembolic (VTE) disease encompasses both acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and chronic postthrombotic changes (CPC). A large percentage of acute DVT patients experience recurrent VTE despite adequate anticoagulation, and may progress to CPC. Further, the role of iliocaval venous obstruction (ICVO) in lower-extremity VTE has been increasingly recognized in recent years. Imaging continues to play an important role in both acute and chronic venous disease. Venous duplex ultrasound remains the gold standard for diagnosing acute VTE. However, imaging of CPC is more complex and may involve computed tomography, magnetic resonance, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, or intravascular ultrasound. In this narrative review, we aim to discuss the full spectrum of venous disease imaging for both acute and chronic venous thrombotic disease.
Investigations on the role of Inconel 82 additions on improving fatigue and corrosion behaviour of gas tungsten arc AISI 316L stainless steel claddings
Authors: Kaur Harshdeep , Malhotra Dikshant , Kumar Siddharth , Singh Harpreet
Published: October 2023

In the present work, single- and double-weld layers of Inconel 82 were added to 316L stainless steel claddings using the gas tungsten arc welding process with the aim of improving the fatigue and sensitization performance of such clad overlays. These overlays were subjected to a high-temperature sensitization treatment of 750˚C/24 h (air-cooled) to induce precipitation, and then solution treated at 1050˚C/2 h (furnace-cooled) to mitigate the ill effects of intermetallic precipitation. Carbides of types Cr23C6 and Cr7C3 were detected in the aged 316L clad, which occurred interdendritically. These deleterious phases decreased the fatigue crack growth resistance of conventional 316L, but the addition of Inconel 82 resulted in inducing crack-arresting tendencies in it and thus significantly increasing its resistance against fatigue crack propagation. Solution annealing treatment resulted in the dissolution of deleterious phases, due to which the fatigue performance of these clads improved significantly. Among all the specimens, 316L clad with the double layer of Inconel 82 in the solution-annealed condition offered the highest resistance to fatigue crack growth. Corrosion performance evaluated via sensitization studies shows that ageing degraded the corrosion performance of 316L weld overlays, but the addition of Inconel 82 improved it. This study establishes that the addition of Inconel 82 can significantly improve the fatigue and corrosion performance of conventional 316L weld claddings.
Cost-Effectiveness of Endovascular Thrombectomy in M2 Occlusion Stroke: Real-World Experience Versus Clinical Trials
Authors: Gao Lan , Tan Elise , Chen Chushuang , Kleinig Timothy , Yan Bernard , Cheung Andrew , Levi Chris , Garcia-Esperon Carlos , Cordato Dennis , Blair Chris , Lin Longting , Parsons Mark , Bivard Andrew
Published: October 2023

Objectives:

This study sought to establish the cost-effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in M2 occlusions compared with patients who did not have EVT using both real-world and clinical trial evidence.

Methods:

The effectiveness of EVT in M2 occlusions was informed by the International Stroke Perfusion Imaging Registry (INSPIRE, real-world data for a wide range of strokes) and HERMES collaboration, trial data. Patients who received EVT and non-EVT treatment from INSPIRE were matched according to baseline characteristics. A Markov model with 7 health states defined by the 3-month modified Rankin scale (mRS) was constructed. Endovascular thrombectomy and non-EVT-treated patients in real-world, and clinical trials were run through the Markov model separately to generate the results from a limited societal perspective. National statistics and published literature informed the long-term probability of recurrent stroke, mortality, costs of management post-stroke, non-medical care, and nursing home care.

Results:

A total of 83 (42 EVT and 41 non-EVT) patients were matched of 278 (45 EVT and 233 non-EVT) patients in INSPIRE who had M2 occlusion stroke at presentation. The long-term simulation estimated that offering EVT to M2 occlusion stroke patients was associated with greater benefits (5.48 EVT vs 5.24 non-EVT quality-adjusted life year [QALY]) and higher costs (A$133 457 EVT vs A$126 127 non-EVT) compared with non-EVT treatment in real-world from a limited societal perspective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of EVT in real-world was A$29 981 (€19 488)/QALY. The analysis using the data from HERMES collaboration yielded consistent results for the EVT patients. Comparison with real-world cost-effectiveness analyses of EVT in internal carotid artery/middle cerebral artery-M1 (ICA/MCA-M1) occlusion suggested a potential reduced QALY gains and increased ICER in M2 occlusions.

Conclusions:

Our study suggested that the benefits gained from EVT in M2 occlusion stroke in the real-world were similar to that derived from the clinical trials. The clinical and cost benefits from EVT appeared to be reduced in M2 compared with that from the ICA/MCA-M1 occlusions.

Clinical Impact

Our study has provided valuable insights into the clinical significance of endovascular therapy (EVT) in the context of M2 occlusion stroke within a real-world setting. It is noteworthy that our findings indicate that the benefits obtained from EVT in M2 occlusion stroke closely align with those observed in controlled clinical trials. However, it is essential to recognize that there is a reduction in the clinical and cost-related advantages when comparing M2 occlusions to more proximal ICA/MCA-M1 occlusions.
Do Computerized Tomography Scans Change Management in Carpometacarpal Dislocations and Fracture-Dislocations?
Authors: Sendek Gabriela , Reghunathan Meera , Beeson Summer , Ewing Emily , Hinchcliff Katharine M.
Published: October 2023

Background:

Concomitant carpal injuries with dislocations and fracture-dislocations of the carpometacarpal joints (CMCD/FD) are often hard to see on plain radiographs, making advanced imaging a useful diagnostic adjunct. We aim to: (1) characterize bony injury patterns with CMCD/FD; and (2) determine the frequency that preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans change surgical management.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent operative fixation of CMCD/FD from 2006 to 2021. X-ray and CT scan diagnoses were reviewed and correlated to intraoperative findings and procedures performed. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the frequency in which CT scans changed management and the frequency of new intraoperative diagnoses.

Results:

Seventy-five patients were identified. All patients had a preoperative x-ray, and 27 patients (36%) additionally had a CT scan. Patients who sustained high-velocity trauma were significantly more likely to obtain a CT scan than patients with low-velocity trauma ( P = .019); however, the number of additional diagnoses was not significantly associated with trauma velocity ( P = .35). Computed tomography scans significantly increased the number of diagnoses ( P < .001) and changed operative management in 58% of cases. Six of the 48 patients (12.5%) that did not receive a CT scan had new intraoperative diagnoses, which changed the procedure for five of these patients. New intraoperative diagnoses were identified significantly more when patients did not have a CT scan ( P = .04).

Conclusions:

Obtaining a CT scan in CMCD/FD patients changed the patient’s diagnosis at a significant rate and changed operative management roughly half of the time. The authors recommend routine CT scans be obtained in patients with CMCD/FD.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s occupations
Authors: Blanta Maria , Karathanasi Anetta , Tzonichaki Ioanna
Published: October 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the daily lives and limited everyday activities of children worldwide.

Objectives

To document the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s occupations, the associated factors, and the impact on children’s health, wellbeing, and development.

Methods

A narrative review was conducted by searching four databases (Scopus, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews).

Results

A total of 35 articles met the inclusion criteria. Out of the 34 articles, 23 were relevant to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupations related to leisure ( n = 17), productivity ( n = 11), and self-care ( n = 9). Ten articles highlighted specific factors that had been linked to changes in occupational engagement and child behavior. Ten articles focused on the impact of occupational disruption during COVID-19 on health, wellbeing, and general development.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have had a negative impact on children’s occupations, while the restrictions were still in effect. Further research is needed to establish reliable conclusions.
General medication adherence scale in patients with chronic illnesses: Persian translation and psychometric evaluation
Authors: Jalali Amir , Mohammadi Mohammad Mehdi , Ghasemi Hooman , Darvishi Niloufar , Khodamorovati Mahbod , Moradi Khalil
Published: October 2023

Objectives

This study was conducted with the aim of determining the validity and reliability of the Persian version of “General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS)” in chronic patients in Iran.

Methodology

The study was conducted among patients with chronic diseases in five hospitals of Iran. In this study, after cultural validation, using the steps of Content, Response Reaction, and Internal structure evaluations, the research sample was increased to 150 individuals for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 313 chronic patients for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to confirm the construct validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess internal consistency, and test-retest method was used to evaluate the reliability of the tool.

Findings

The results of EFA and CFA confirmed the tool with three factors and 11 items. The R2 index in the above model was estimated at 0.99, indicating that 99% of the variation in medication adherence scores in research units was explained by GMAS with 11 items. The main indices of the model in factor analysis were all above 0.9, indicating a good fit for the model.

Discussion

Overall, the study results showed that the Persian version of GMAS has acceptable and practical characteristics for evaluating medication adherence, and it can be used as a valid tool in various related fields.
An infodemiology study on exploring the quality and reliability of colorectal cancer immunotherapy information
Authors: Mohamed Hind , O’Malley Laura , Kelly Dervla
Published: October 2023

Background

Immunotherapy is a new treatment modality which promises hope for advanced colorectal cancer patients. To our knowledge, no previous studies have evaluated the quality of patient information available on this topic online.

Objective

This study will explore the quality and reliability of colorectal cancer immunotherapy information using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and DISCERN tools.

Methods

Design thinking methodology was integrated with systematic scoping reviews framework to inform our descriptive observational media analysis study. Google Chrome was used to run four searches using prespecified search terms selected according to the top patient concerns about immunotherapy. The first 20 relevant results were identified (n = 80) and then duplicates were removed. Descriptive narrative univariate and bivariate analysis was done for the relevant variables.

Results

The total of included websites was 17. Most websites score <3 points on JAMA and fair/poor on DISCERN. Most of the websites that score ≥3 points on JAMA and excellent/good on DISCERN have a charity affiliation. A total of 58.8% of the websites present the date, 41.2% demonstrate authorship, and sources are mentioned in 29.4% of the websites. Lack of content was noticed in providing the prognosis of patients if no treatment is given, clear aim and the effect of treatments on patient's quality of life.

Conclusion

Assessing the reliability of information about cancer treatments online remains a challenge. Further research is required to understand the patient perceptions and use of online information and whether it has an impact on their behavioural health outcomes.
The Happiness-Economic Well-Being Nexus: New Insights From Global Panel Data
Authors: Lee Yok-Yong , Goh Kim-Leng
Published: October 2023

This paper explores whether happiness-led growth policies implemented in some countries are viable for achieving better economic well-being proxied by GDP per capita using a panel dataset covering 104 countries from 2006 to 2018. While past studies showed that economic growth promotes happiness, this paper applied the panel Granger causality test to show that GDP per capita is also determined by happiness. Accordingly, the pooled ordinary least squares, random-effects model, fixed-effects model, and two-step generalized method of moments were employed to estimate the effect of changes in happiness on economic growth. The empirical results suggest that economic growth of 1% to 3% can be obtained by increasing happiness. The positive effect of happiness is about four times greater in developed countries than in developing countries. This paper reveals that happiness should be included in conventional economic growth models to achieve a holistic approach in designing development policies.
The Heartbeat Conversations: Enabling Employees to Feel Psychologically Safe
Authors: Vineesh U. S. , Murugesan R.
Published: October 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people work. When people started working from their homes, it also made them disconnected from the workplace. A majority of employees expected to continue to work from home, and organisations across the world saw high attritions during the latter half of the year 2021, and the main reason was that the employees did not feel a sense of belonging. Irrespective of whether the organisation adopts work from home, work from office, or even hybrid, it has become important for organisations to reinvent how they connect with their employees, to ensure that the employees feel that they are part of a larger cause. This study captures the evolution of ‘The Heartbeat Conversations’ (THBC), which is the critical component of The Heartbeat Framework (THBF). THBC is an outcome of a study within a product development company in South India with about 33 members over a period of 22 months. This study includes the iterative approach to refine the employee connect on a cadence, based on the feedback received. Through this work, we desire to provide a reference approach to initiate THBC to help practitioners. Two significant observations are (a) Keep the approach flexible and (b) People open up when they feel safe, and their opinions are valued. Hence, practitioners must ensure that they create a safe space for people to express themselves, which may sometimes need coaching at the leadership level.
The Role, Nature and Contribution of Indian Emerging Market Multinational Companies in African Countries
Authors: Horwitz Frank Martin , Ronnie Linda , Kamoche Ken
Published: October 2023

This article examines factors pertaining to the development of Indian emerging market multinational companies (EMNCs) in African countries. India is a member of the BRICS grouping of developing countries, the others being Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa. Therefore, understanding its role, scale and dynamics of internationalising in the African context is particularly important. The following key areas are examined: the historical and socio-economic context, internationalisation strategies of Indian MNCs in African countries, home and host country factors, labour markets in host countries and human resource management (HRM) approaches of selected Indian EMNCs in particular African countries. Most work on international business and international HRM in Africa focuses on the Sino-Africa nexus. Both China and India are members of the BRICS grouping but have followed different trajectories in internationalising in the African context. This analysis helps fill a gap by evaluating the Afro-Indian relationship in business, particularly EMNCs from India. The analysis finds the following abiding themes in the historical connections and relationships of Indian EMNCs: the role of family-owned businesses, human resource development and long-term host country commitment.
Finding Black Joy in a World Where We Are Not Safe
Authors: Combs Barbara Harris
Published: October 2023

In this essay, I reflect on my lived experience as a Black, female scholar doing critical scholarship on racism in the vein of Critical Race Theory (CRT). I am particularly attentive to the ways that the current backlash against those who use critical perspectives that center the experience of marginalized persons to illuminate continuing racial oppression in society is meant to silence and frighten scholars through challenging our very livelihoods and even our sanity. Amid widespread legislative attacks in numerous states across the nation, I comment on both the emancipatory power of using the agency of Black joy to speak truth to power in a White supremacist world and the constancy of its companion-pain. I do this to better answer the question: in a place where race scholarship is under attack or heavy scrutiny, what are your experiences with leaving or staying and why?
Disorientation in Community Service-Learning: A Phenomenological Inquiry
Authors: Leroux Janette S. , de Lannoy Louise , Baillie Colin P. T.
Published: October 2023

Community service-learning (CSL) is commonly featured in health promotion curriculum. Lauded for its pedagogical richness and transformative potential, CSL is also pedagogically messy and often experienced as a struggle. And yet, the content, contexts and conditions of that which students find disorienting in CSL have garnered little attention in the literature. In this qualitative, phenomenological study, we explore the “disorienting dilemma” as an understated concept in CSL. Our aim is to better understand the disorienting dilemma to “make CSL a smoother experience for everyone.” We draw upon reflections from 39 students enrolled in a full-year undergraduate health promotion CSL course. Using directed content analysis, we read and coded 390 reflections. In mapping the codes ( n = 2104), we found them to cluster around three domains: (i) aspects of the CSL learning experience that were most disorienting, (ii) course aspects that enabled students to navigate their disorientation, and (iii) how students relate their learning to the disorientation. Students often shared their emotional experience of CSL as a pedagogy, and that they struggled with the process of real program planning, and uncertainty with how they related to the community. Often, it was the practical, social, and relational content that students struggled with that morphed into support for students to navigate their disorientation. We found students to relate their disorientation to new self-learning, a changed and more collectivist criteria of success, and an altered sense of self in relation to community. We discuss theoretical and pedagogical implications of the disorienting dilemma.
Widening the nation-territory gap: Transitional justice, development and spatial state-building in Colombia
Authors: Vera Lugo Juan Pablo
Published: October 2023

This article argues that contemporary humanitarian bureaucracies in Colombia have gradually produced and reproduced specific socio-spatial and epistemological hierarchies through a conceptual device commonly referred to as the nation-territory ( nación-territorio) divide. The nation-territory divide is a way in which public servants, experts, international cooperation officers, and scholars refer to practices and strategies to “territorialize public policy” or to “bring the state down to the territories.” Through an ethnographic study of the mechanisms involved in the implementation of victims’ reparation and land restitution policy in Colombia, I describe the everyday spatial state building practices of national bureaucrats and experts tasked with “territorializing” transitional justice and development paradigms. I discuss how expert knowledge created to implement transitional justice policies fail in that they produce and reproduce the very spatial hierarchies they attempt to mitigate. I argue that in order to strengthen democracy, transitional justice paradigms and practices must challenge the hegemonic configuration of spatial state building and bureaucratic approaches to spatial representation and local governance. By exploring these bureaucratic practices, as well as spatial representations within humanitarian and transitional justice institutions in Colombia, this article contributes to a larger discussion of the implementation of territorial approaches to transitional justice and development.
Fluocinolone Acetonide Implant Removal From the Vitreous Cavity
Authors: Valikodath Nita , Vajzovic Lejla
Published: October 2023

Purpose: To describe a technique for fluocinolone acetonide implant removal from the vitreous cavity. Methods: A case report and review of surgical methods were performed. Results: The technique to remove a fluocinolone acetonide implant from the vitreous cavity was safe and effective. The vitreous cutter was used to align the implant coaxially with a 25-gauge cannula. The valve of the cannula was opened, creating pressure that drew the implant into the cannula. Conclusions: Fluocinolone acetonide implants can be efficiently removed from the vitreous cavity by creating a pressure differential using the valved cannula. Advantages of this technique include avoiding invasive maneuvers such as enlarging the sclerotomy or creating a corneal wound.
Estimation of historical earthquake-induced liquefaction in Fraser River delta using NBCC 2020 GMPEs in deterministic and probabilistic frameworks
Authors: Javanbakht Alireza , Molnar Sheri , Sadrekarimi Abouzar , Ghofrani Hadi
Published: October 2023

Paleo-liquefaction features of sand dykes and sand blows were identified in the 1990s at multiple host sediments in the Fraser River delta in southern British Columbia all younger than 3500 BP. These paleo-liquefaction sites could be linked to Cascadia subduction earthquakes. Empirical magnitude-bound relationships are often used to estimate paleo-earthquake magnitudes. To determine the lower bound magnitude of Cascadia interface earthquakes that could have generated the paleo-liquefaction features, we use ground motion prediction equations for interface earthquakes from the sixth Canadian seismic hazard model of the 2020 National Building Code of Canada. We estimate the minimum M and its peak ground acceleration ( amax) of an interface earthquake required to initiate paleo-liquefaction in the study region. Starting with three full-rupture deterministic scenarios of varying source-to-site distance, we determine the minimum M required from Cascadia subduction zone interface mega-thrust earthquakes to induce liquefaction in the Fraser River delta spans 8.0–8.9 with a corresponding amax range of 0.09–0.13 g. We also perform a back-calculation paleo-liquefaction analysis in a probabilistic framework to incorporate aleatory uncertainties (cone penetration resistance, groundwater table, and amax) and epistemic uncertainties (liquefaction simplified model) via the Monte Carlo simulation. The developed probabilistic methodology is also applicable to a forward liquefaction assessment and other liquefaction sites globally. The median M from this probabilistic paleo-liquefaction for the four investigated sites lies between 8.8 and 9.0. Our probabilistic results also reveal that Cascadia interface earthquakes with M > 8.9 lead to a 31%–57% probability of liquefaction triggering in the Fraser River delta. In addition, we developed deterministic and probabilistic magnitude-bound curves specific to Cascadia interface earthquakes and representative site class E conditions. These curves provide more accurate magnitude estimations for predicting seismic-induced liquefaction from Cascadia interface earthquakes for sites in the Pacific Northwest than empirical bound curves.
Anatomy of a km-scale fault zone controlling the Oligo-Miocene bending of the Ligurian Alps (NW Italy): integration of field and 3D high-resolution digital outcrop model data
Authors: Manna Ludovico , Perozzo Michele , Menegoni Niccolò , Tamburelli Silvia , Crispini Laura , Federico Laura , Seno Silvio , Maino Matteo
Published: October 2023

We report the first description of a ~ 15 km long NE-SW-striking transtensive fault network crosscutting the metamorphic units of the Ligurian Alps. The main fault zone, hereby named Horse Head Fault Zone, is up to 250 m thick, involves quarzite, metarhyolite, marble and alternation of dolostone and limestone and minor pelite. Relatively narrow (~ 1–3 m-thick) fault cores are characterized by gouge and cataclasites, surrounded by brecciated damage zones as thick as tens to hundreds of meters. Damage zones show widespread evidence for dilation in the form of dilation breccia, large calcite crystals and aggregates, and centimeter- to meter-thick veins. Moreover, the fault zone contains a multitude of polished slip surfaces with multiple sets of slickensides and slickenfibers. Oblique to strike-slip kinematics dominates over the large part of the fault mirrors and both overprint and are overprinted by down-dip slip surfaces. The fault network includes dominant NE-SW right-lateral faults with a minor normal component and NW–SE left-lateral steep faults with a negligible reverse component, consistent with a km-size dextral NE-SW-striking Riedel shear zone, in turn representing an antithetic R’ of the regional sinistral shear zone constituted by the Ligurian Alps after the nappe stacking. The Horse Head Fault Zone accommodated km-scale displacement before the Early Miocene, as it is sealed by the sedimentary deposits of the Finale Ligure Basin, thus predating the Corsica-Sardinia drifting. Results of this work constraint the bending of the Ligurian Alps as part of the Western Alpine arc as accomplished through two consecutive, late Oligocene and Early Miocene, stages driven by the combination of Adria rotation and the rollback of the Apennine subduction.
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on advanced life support units’ prehospital management of the stroke code in four Spanish regions: an observational study
Authors: Riera-López Nicolás , Aranda-Aguilar Francisco , Gorchs-Molist Montse , Iglesias-Vázquez Jose Antonio
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Stroke is the most common time-dependent pathology that pre-hospital emergency medical services (EMS) are confronted with. Prioritisation of ambulance dispatch, initial actions and early pre-notification have a major impact on mortality and disability. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in the operation of EMS due to the implementation of self-protection measures and increased demand for care. It is crucial to evaluate what has happened to draw the necessary conclusions and propose changes to improve the system’s strength for the future. The study aims to compare prehospital time and neuroprotective care metrics for acute stroke patients during the first wave of COVID-19 and the same periods in the years before and after.

Methods

Analytical, observational, multicentre study conducted in the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Catalonia, Galicia, and Madrid in the pre-COVID-19 (2019), “first wave” of COVID-19 (2020) and post-COVID-19 (2021) periods. Consecutive non-randomized sampling. Descriptive statistical analysis and hypothesis testing to compare the three time periods, with two by two post-hoc comparisons, and multivariate analysis.

Results

A total of 1,709 patients were analysed. During 2020 there was a significant increase in attendance time of 1.8 min compared to 2019, which was not recovered in 2021. The time of symptom onset was recorded in 82.8% of cases, and 83.3% of patients were referred to specialized stroke centres. Neuroprotective measures (airway, blood glucose, temperature, and blood pressure) were performed in 43.6% of patients.

Conclusion

During the first wave of COVID-19, the on-scene times of pre-hospital emergency teams increased while keeping the same levels of neuroprotection measures as in the previous and subsequent years. It shows the resilience of EMS under challenging circumstances such as those experienced during the pandemic.
Increasing C-reactive protein levels in a patient with glioblastoma with lymph node metastasis: a case report
Authors: Kanemitsu Takuya , Furuse Motomasa , Kuwabara Hiroko , Yagi Ryokichi , Hiramatsu Ryo , Kameda Masahiro , Nonoguchi Naosuke , Kawabata Shinji , Takami Toshihiro , Arai Motohiro , Wanibuchi Masahiko
Published: October 2023

Background

Glioblastoma usually recurs locally and extracranial metastases are rare. Most patients with extracranial metastases experience recurrence of the primary intracranial tumor. Lymph node metastases are often detected based on lymphadenopathy or symptoms caused by other metastatic sites.

Case presentation

Herein, we report a case of glioblastoma with lymph node metastasis in which the patient was asymptomatic but exhibited gradually increasing C-reactive protein levels prior to becoming febrile 9 months after the initial C-reactive protein increase. Diagnosis of lymph node metastasis that was delayed because the patient had a fever of unknown origin, no signs of infection, and the primary intracranial tumor did not recur. Chest computed tomography indicated supraclavicular, mediastinal, and hilar lymphadenopathy, and biopsy identified lymph node metastasis of glioblastoma. This is the fifth reported case of lymph node metastasis without intracranial recurrence.

Conclusions

C-reactive protein levels may be a diagnostic marker for lymph node metastasis in patients with glioblastoma. Further evaluation is needed to elucidate the role of CRP in glioblastoma with lymph node metastasis.
Integrated bioinformatics analysis for the identification of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis–related genes and potential therapeutic drugs
Authors: Zhang Zhenzhen , Guan Qingzhou , Tian Yange , Shao Xuejie , Zhao Peng , Huang Lidong , Li Jiansheng
Published: October 2023

Objective

The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains unclear. We sought to identify IPF-related genes that may participate in the pathogenesis and predict potential targeted traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).

Methods

Using IPF gene-expression data, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks, hub genes, and competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed or identified by Cytoscape. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments in TGF-β1-induced human fetal lung (HFL) fibroblast cells and a pulmonary fibrosis mouse model verified gene reliability. The SymMap database predicted potential TCMs targeting IPF. The reliability of TCMs was verified in TGF-β1-induced MRC-5 cells.

Materials

Multiple gene-expression profile data of normal lung and IPF tissues were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. HFL fibroblast cells and MRC-5 cells were purchased from Wuhan Procell Life Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (Wuhan, China). C57BL/12 mice were purchased from Beijing Vital River Laboratory Animal Technology Co., Ltd. (Beijing, China).

Results

In datasets GSE134692 and GSE15197, DEGs were identified using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests (both p < 0.05). Among them, 1885 DEGs were commonly identified, and 87% (1640 genes) had identical dysregulation directions (binomial test, p < 1.00E-16). A PPI network with 1623 nodes and 8159 edges was constructed, and 18 hub genes were identified using the Analyze Network plugin in Cytoscape. Of 18 genes, CAV1, PECAM1, BMP4, VEGFA, FYN, SPP1, and COL1A1 were further validated in the GeneCards database and independent dataset GSE24206. ceRNA networks of VEGFA, SPP1, and COL1A1 were constructed. The genes were verified by qPCR in samples of TGF-β1-induced HFL fibroblast cells and pulmonary fibrosis mice. Finally, Sea Buckthorn and Gnaphalium Affine were predicted as potential TCMs for IPF. The TCMs were verified by qPCR in TGF-β1-induced MRC-5 cells.

Conclusion

This analysis strategy may be useful for elucidating novel mechanisms underlying IPF at the transcriptome level. The identified hub genes may play key roles in IPF pathogenesis and therapy.