bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Positive association of Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers, not Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, with an increased vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients hospitalized for suspected COVID-19 pneumonia
Authors: Georges Jean-Louis , Gilles Floriane , Cochet Hélène , Bertrand Alisson , De Tournemire Marie , Monguillon Victorien , Pasqualini Maeva , Prevot Alix , Roger Guillaume , Saba Joseph , Soltani Joséphine , Koukabi-Fradelizi Mehrsa , Beressi Jean-Paul , Laureana Cécile , Prost Jean-François , Livarek Bernard
Published: September 2020

Background

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) type 2 is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 for entry into lungs cells. Because ACE-2 may be modulated by ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), there is concern that patients treated with ACEIs and ARBs are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection.

Aim

This study sought to analyze the association of COVID-19 with previous treatment with ACEI and ARB.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 684 consecutive patients hospitalized for suspected COVID-19 pneumonia and tested by PCR. Patients were split into 2 groups, whether (group 1, n=484) or not (group 2, n=250) COVID-19 was confirmed. Multivariate adjusted comparisons included a propensity score analysis.

Results

Age was 63.6±18.7 years, and 302(44%) were female. Hypertension was present in 42.6% and 38.4% patients of group 1 and 2, respectively (P=0.28). A treatment with ARBs (20.7% versus 12.0%, respectively, OR 1.92, 95% confidence interval [1.23-2.98], p=0.004) was more frequent in patients of group 1 than in group 2. No difference was found for treatment with ACEIs (12.7% vs 15.7%, respectively, OR 0.81 [0.52-1.26], p=0.35). Propensity score matched multivariate logistic regression confirmed a significant association between COVID-19 and a previous treatment with ARBs (adjusted OR 2.18 [1.29-3.67], p=0.004). Significant interaction between ARBs and ACEIs for the risk of COVID-19 was observed in patients aged>60, women, and hypertensive patients.

Conclusion

This study suggests that ACEIs and ARBs are not similarly associated with the COVID-19. In this retrospective series, patients with COVID-19 pneumonia received more frequently a previous treatment with ARBs, than patients without COVID-19.
Social Perception of Young Adults Prolongs the Lifespan of Aged Drosophila
Authors: Cho Li-Chun , Yu Chih-Chieh , Kao Chih-Fei
Published: September 2020

Lifespan is modulated at distinct levels by multiple factors, including genetic backgrounds, the environment, behavior traits, the metabolic status, and more interestingly, the sensory perceptions. However, the effects of social perception between individuals living in the same space remain less clear. Here, we used the Drosophila model to study the influences of social perception on the lifespan of aged fruit flies. We found the mean lifespan of aged Drosophila is markedly prolonged after being co-housed with young adults of the same gender. Moreover, the changes of lifespan were affected by several experimental contexts: (1) the ratios of aged and young adults co-housed, (2) the chronological ages of two populations, and (3) the integrity of sensory modalities. Together, we hypothesize the chemical/physical stimuli derived from the interacting young adults are capable of interfering with the physiology and behavior of aged flies, ultimately leading to the alteration of lifespan.
APOE2promotes longevity independent of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Shinohara Mitsuru , Kanekiyo Takahisa , Tachibana Masaya , Kurti Aishe , Shinohara Motoko , Fu Yuan , Zhao Jing , Han Xianlin , Sullivan Patrick M. , Rebeck William G , Fryer John D. , Heckman Michael G. , Bu Guojun
Published: September 2020

Objective

Although apolipoprotein E (APOE) allele associates with longevity, its mechanism is not understood. The protective effects ofAPOE2 and the deleterious effects ofAPOE4on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk may confoundAPOEeffects on longevity.

Methods

We analyzed a large number of subjects from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), and animal models expressing human apoE isoforms in the absence of AD.

Results

Clinically, theAPOE2allele was associated with longer lifespan, whileAPOE4associated with shorter lifespan, compared to the commonAPOE3allele. This effect was also seen irrespective of clinical AD status, and in subjects with little amyloid pathology or after adjustment for AD-related pathologies. In animal studies, apoE2-TR mice also exhibited longer lifespan, while apoE4 showed some trends of shorter lifespan. Notably, old apoE2-TR mice kept activity measured by open field assay, associated with longer lifespan. Evidence of preserved activity inAPOE2carrier was also obtained in clinical records. In animal studies, higher levels of apoE2 in brain and plasma were correlated with activity. Moreover, lower levels of total cholesterol in the brain and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides in the plasma of apoE2-TR mice were associated with apoE levels and more activity.

Interpretation

APOE2can contribute to longevity independent of AD. Preserved activity would be an early-observable feature of apoE2-mediated longevity, where higher levels of apoE2 and its-associated lipid metabolism might be involved.
Examining the intentions of a Ghanaian technical university students to use e-library
Authors: Okyere-Kwakye Eugene , Md Nor Khalil
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Electronic library (E-library) is a form of computer mediated system that uses electronic media, such as Web/internet devices and distributes resources to improve on the quality of teaching and learning. Students’ use of e-library for learning is essential and as such the government has invested hugely into its subscription for several university libraries in Ghana. However, most university students feel reluctant to use the e-library resources for their studies. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire was used to collect data from 200 students from one Technical University in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SmartPLS) was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The study found that accessibility, attitude, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and relevance to studies have positive significant effect on students’ attitude to use e-library. In addition, self-efficacy, subjective norm and attitude have positive significant influence on students’ intention to use e-library.

Research limitations/implications

Although the sample frame used for this study may be unique, but the total amount of data collected was limited to providing the general representative of the Ghanaian students in one particular university. Other researchers may consider collecting data from other universities to extend the sample frame for a larger sample size of students.

Practical implications

Academic administrators need to organize training and workshops on how to use the e-library portal for their search and other didactic assignments. Most importantly, students should be given IT or internet tutorials as foundation for the use of the e-library portal.

Social implications

Universities have to provide internet access such as hotspot and network routers at the labs, classrooms and other vantage points. It is believed that with these in place, adequate access to the internet would promote students’ engagement on the e-library facility.

Originality/value

The study examines the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies in Ghana.
Insight into the process of responsibility judgment of an audit failure
Authors: Chan Siew H. , Song Qian
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study tests a research model for promoting understanding of the responsibility attribution process.

Design/methodology/approach

A between-subjects experiment was conducted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results reveal that counterfactual thinking about how a system failure could have been prevented moderates the effect of cause of misstatement on perceived control. Counterfactual thinking about how an audit failure could have been avoided also moderates the effect of perceived control on causal account. Additionally, causal account mediates the effect of perceived control on responsibility judgment of an audit firm. Inclusion of audit firm size and auditor systems competency as control variables in the hypothesis tests and as grouping variables in the invariance tests does not alter the model results.

Research limitations/implications

Research can guide the audit profession on development of innovative strategies for detecting fraud to protect the interests of decision-makers. Strategies can also be devised to prompt users to consider relevant factors to enhance their ability to arrive at an accurate assessment of an audit firm’s responsibility for an audit failure.

Practical implications

Regulators may need to address whether availability of advanced data analytic tools increases the audit firms’ responsibility for presenting convincing evidence suggesting due diligence in the audit work in the event of an audit failure.

Originality/value

This study examines the process variables influencing responsibility judgment of an audit firm. Elicitation of counterfactual thoughts before the participants responded to the questions measuring the process and dependent variables facilitates discernment of the intensity of counterfactual thinking on the variables examined in the research model.
The force of globalization reshaping the local institutions: evidence from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member countries
Authors: Samargandi Nahla , Sohag Kazi , Kutan Ali , Alandejani Maha
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The authors reinforce the existing literature on the effect of overall globalization on institutional quality (IQ), while incorporating the effects of economic, political and social aspects of globalization, human capital, government expenditure and population growth. To this end, the authors estimate panel data models for a sample of 36 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) during 1984–2016.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lags (CS-ARDL) approach.

Findings

The study’s investigation affirms the presence of an inverted U-shaped (nonlinear) relation between overall globalization and IQ indexes for the sample countries, which suggests no additional room for improvement in IQ. It also underpins the existence of an inverted-U-shaped (nonlinear) relation between political globalization and IQ. In contrast, economic and social globalizations have a U-shaped relation with IQ, implying more scope for improvement.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have key policy implications. First, policy makers should consider a long-run approach for improving IQ and globalization over time. Second, quick reforms in the short run may not improve IQ.

Practical implications

The results suggest that policy makers should approach the globalization process from a long-run perspective as well by designing appropriate strategies to provide a continuous but gradual increase in globalization so as to systematically monitor the threshold limits to IQ from improving globalization

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to empirically investigate the overall role of globalization in promoting IQ under the conditions of short-run heterogeneity and long-run homogeneity. The authors focus on the member countries of the OIC, many of which are ruled by authoritarian regimes and suffer from a poor domestic institutional setting.
The business value of BIM for asset owners: a cross-case analysis
Authors: Munir Mustapha , Kiviniemi Arto , Jones Stephen W. , Finnegan Stephen
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the activity systems that drive building information modelling (BIM) business value in asset management (AM). The utilisation of BIM has widened in scope, functionality, flexibility and interoperability to support the AM business process. However, research concerning BIM business value in AM has been inadequate despite its considerable potential and significance in the attainment of organisational objectives. The realisation of BIM business value requires a concerted effort by the asset owner to be able to determine and appraise the critical activities that drive business value in AM.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a qualitative research approach based on a multi-case study strategy that aimed to identify the key business processes that drive BIM business value in AM. The study involved a three-stage research design using interviews and document analysis to facilitate a cross-case analysis from the perspective of the activity systems and dimensions of BIM governance.

Findings

The paper identified six critical activity systems that drive BIM business value for an asset owner: BIM strategy, contract management, lifecycle management, maintenance management, work-order management and value realisation management. The study found that the most developed activity system is the BIM strategy, and the least is value realisation management across all cases. Also, the paper points out that the most proficient BIM governance dimension is process, and the least is people across the three cases. The study noted that the ability of an asset owner to realise BIM business value has maturity undertones and that the asset owner could derive BIM business value, if the six activity systems are effectively executed and continuously improved to an advanced stage of maturity.

Originality/value

An original contribution of the study is the development of the understanding of asset owners in relation to the discovery of key activity systems that drive BIM business value in AM. Another significant contribution of this paper is the demonstration of a novel approach to evaluate organisational maturity of asset owners from the perspectives of the activity systems and BIM governance dimensions of people, process and technology.
Responsible education: what engages international postgraduate students – evidence from UK
Authors: Igwe Paul Agu , Rahman Mahfuzur , Ohalehi Paschal , Amaugo Amarachi , Anigbo Julian Amalachukwu
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Responsive educational approaches focus on a set of well-designed practices intended to create engaging, social cohesion, better knowledge outcomes and excellent students’ experience. Therefore, this paper aims to engage in the discourse of the intersection of psych-sociology of learning and student’s engagement, connected to the sense of belonging and theory of planned behaviour (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

By applying an ethnographic approach and interviews of 45 international students from three UK business schools, it proposes that a sense of “belongingness” is a prerequisite for learning, personal and professional development. Owing to the exploratory nature of the subject, the use of qualitative methodology turned out to be particularly useful. Indeed, the conduct of in-depth semi-structured interviews, participative observation enabled us to access perceptions of students and compare different points of view.

Findings

The findings indicate that international students measure their experience by “sense of belonging”, integration and engagement on many interrelated and influential factors. English proficiency and employability skills are the major concerns. The kinds of support they received from their faculties and the quality of feedback from tutors are important for international studies integration and sense of belonging.

Originality/value

The findings of the critical elements of the engagement and experience of international students have both policy and practical implications given the high demand for UK universities by foreign students. Although, this paper is based on findings from UK higher education institutions, the insights are of relevance to many countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, France and the USA, who have a significant proportion of overseas students.
Multiple jobholders and workplace learning: understanding strange attractor careers
Authors: Järvensivu Anu
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Multiple jobholders’ workplace learning is an under-researched theme, although it offers possibilities to add knowledge of learning at several workplaces at a time. The purpose of this study is to explore the career development and workplace learning of Finnish multiple jobholders with university degree.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative extreme case study of “elite multiple jobholders” was based on 45 in-depth interviews, which were analysed by abductive content analysis using the chaos theory of careers (CTC).

Findings

This study showed that elite multiple jobholders were attracted by meaningful jobs, which were significant, had broader purposes or offered possibilities for self-realization and self-development, whereas they criticized paid work organizations. They tried to anticipate the future working life and labour markets and adjusted their careers to them by educating and by choosing jobs with learning possibilities. However, they saw themselves as constructers of the future, which left them at vulnerable position concerning the institutional setting. They organized their work flexibly with different contracts and their professional identities were networked.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited in Finns with university degree. Future research should inspect multiple jobholders with lower degree educations, in different contexts and with other methodologies.

Originality/value

This study gives an example of applying CTC as a holistic framework to study how individual careers emerge contextually and how they are recursively connected to work organization and working life changes. Possibilities to understand fractals are offered.
Targeted isolation based on metagenome‐assembled genomes reveals a phylogenetically distinct group of thermophilic spirochetes from deep biosphere
Authors: Karnachuk Olga V. , Lukina Anastasia P. , Kadnikov Vitaly V. , Sherbakova Viktoria A. , Beletsky Alexey V. , Mardanov Andrey V. , Ravin Nikolai V.
Published: September 2020

Most microorganisms from deep terrestrial subsurface remain yet uncultured. Recent achievements in recovery of metagenome‐assembled genomes (MAG) provide clues for improving cultivation via metabolic reconstructions and other genomic characteristics. Here we report the isolation in pure culture of a thermophilic spirochete with the use of MAGs binned from metagenomes of the deep (>2 km) aquifers broached by two artesian boreholes in Western Siberia. The organism constitutes a minor share in the aquifer microbial community and could not be cultivated by traditional techniques. The obtained two pure culture isolates along with three bacteria identified by MAGs represent a novel family‐level lineage in the order Brevinematales. Based on genomic and phenotypic characteristics the novel spirochete is proposed to be classified as Longinema margulisiae gen. nov., sp. nov. within a novel family, Longinemaceae fam. nov. Both cultivated strains, NST and N5R, are anaerobic hemoorganoheterotrophes growing by fermentation of starch and a few sugars. They can form recalcitrant round bodies under unfavourable growth conditions, which survive up to 15 min at 95°C and can revert to the original helical cells. We suggest that the round bodies may facilitate global distribution of this lineage, detected from molecular signaturesand colonization of subsurface environments.
The impact of the Affordable Care Act on health care access and self‐assessed health in the Trump Era (2017‐2018)
Authors: Courtemanche Charles , Marton James , Ukert Benjamin , Yelowitz Aaron , Zapata Daniela
Published: September 2020

Objective

To estimate the impact of the major components of the ACA (Medicaid expansion, subsidized Marketplace plans, and insurance market reforms) on health care access and self‐assessed health during the first 2 years of the Trump administration (2017 and 2018).

Data Source

The 2011‐2018 waves of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), with the sample restricted to nonelderly adults. The BRFSS is a commonly used data source in the ACA literature due to its large number of questions related to access and self‐assessed health. In addition, it is large enough to precisely estimate the effects of state policy interventions, with over 300 000 observations per year.

Design

We estimate difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences (DDD) models to separately identify the effects of the private and Medicaid expansion portions of the ACA using an identification strategy initially developed in Courtemanche et al (2017). The differences come from: (a) time, (b) state Medicaid expansion status, and (c) local area pre‐2014 uninsured rates. We examine ten outcome variables, including four measures of access and six measures of self‐assessed health. We also examine differences by income and race/ethnicity.

Principal Findings

Despite changes in ACA administration and the political debate surrounding the ACA during 2017 and 2018, including these fourth and fifth years of postreform data suggests continued gains in coverage. In addition, the improvements in reported excellent health that emerged with a lag after ACA implementation continued during 2017 and 2018.

Conclusions

While gains in access and self‐assessed health continued in the first 2 years of the Trump administration, the ongoing debate at both the federal and state level surrounding the future of the ACA suggests the need to continue monitoring how the law impacts these and many other important outcomes over time.
Subjective suffering in patients with low back pain
Authors: Pereira Marta , Roios Edite , Leite Ângela , Pereira M. Graça
Published: September 2020

Aim

Low back pain (LPB) is a prevalent rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease and patients often experience physical discomfort and functional limitations. This study aimed to evaluate how subjective suffering relates to illness perceptions, pain intensity and psychological morbidity as well as to understand the mediator (direct and indirect) effects on functional disability.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study with 125 patients who received physiotherapy and answered the following instruments: Illness Perception Questionnaire‐Revised; Illness Subjective Suffering Inventory; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Oswestry LBP Incapacity Questionnaire.

Results

In the structural equation modeling analysis, subjective suffering totally mediated the relationship between both emotional response (estimate = 0.068, 95% highest posterior density interval [HPDI] = [0.017, 0.133]), consequences (estimate = 0.118, 95% HPDI = [0.035, 0.211]) and functional disability. The relationship between coherence and disability was partially mediated by subjective suffering (estimate = −0.067, 95% HPDI = [−0.134, −0.016]). Only identity and pain intensity showed direct effects on functional disability.

Conclusion

Intervention in patients with LBP should focus on subjective suffering to reduce functional disability, providing information and promoting the acceptance of disease and pain.
Riding the Energy Transition: Oil beyond 2040
Authors: Cherif Reda , Hasanov Fuad , Pande Aditya
Published: September 2020

Recent technological developments and past technology transitions suggest that the world could be on the verge of a profound shift in transportation technology. The return of the electric car and its adoption, like that of the motor vehicle in place of horses in early 20th century, could cut oil consumption substantially in the coming decades. Our analysis suggests that oil as the main fuel for transportation could have a much shorter life span left than commonly assumed. In the fast adoption scenario, oil prices could converge to the level of coal prices, about $15 per barrel in 2015 prices by the early 2040s. In this possible future, oil could become the new coal.
Maternal known drug allergy and long‐term neurological hospitalizations of the offspring
Authors: Davidesko Sharon , Pariente Gali , Wainstock Tamar , Sheiner Eyal
Published: September 2020

Problem

Drug allergies are increasingly common. Immunological factors, implicated in many neurological diseases, also influence an individual's susceptibility. We sought to ascertain a possible association between maternal drug allergy and long‐term neurological‐related hospitalizations in the offspring.

Method of study

This is a population‐based cohort analysis, comparing the long‐term risk of neurological‐related hospitalization, involving a predefined set of ICD9 codes as recorded in hospital records, of children born to mothers with and without drug allergies. Deliveries occurred between the years 1991 and 2014 in a tertiary medical center. Twin pregnancies, fetal malformations, and cases of perinatal mortality were excluded. A Kaplan‐Meier survival curve was constructed to compare cumulative neurological hospitalizations. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to control for time to event.

Results

The study included 242 342 patients, 9714 with known drug allergy (4%). Offspring born to mothers with drug allergies had significantly more neurological hospitalizations compared to controls (4.2% vs 3.1%; P ≤ .001; Kaplan‐Meier log‐rank test P ≤ .001), specifically for psychiatric disorders including eating disorders (0.3% vs 0.2%;P = .002), attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (0.124% vs 0.056%; P = .008), emotional disorders (0.8% vs 0.5%; P ≤ .001), and movement disorders (2.3% vs 1.8%; P = .002). While controlling for birth year, gestational age, maternal age, maternal diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and cesarean delivery, using a Cox proportional hazards model, maternal drug allergy was found to be an independent risk factor for neurological hospitalization of the offspring (adjusted HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.19‐1.45 P < .001).

Conclusion

Being born to a mother with known drug allergy is an independent risk factor for long‐term neurological hospitalization of the offspring.
Management of primary and metastatic malignant small bowel obstruction, operate or palliate. A systematic review
Authors: Banting Samuel P. , Waters Peadar S. , Peacock Oliver , Narasimhan Vignesh , Lynch Andrew C. , McCormick Jacob J. , Warrier Satish K. , Heriot Alexander G.
Published: September 2020

Background

The management of patients presenting with malignant small bowel obstruction is a challenging paradigm. The aim of this systematic review was to examine different management strategies in these complex patients. The primary outcomes evaluated were the type of intervention, 30‐day morbidity and mortality and overall survival rates.

Methods

A systematic literature review of EMBase, Medline, PubMed and the Cochrane Library was performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses for studies reporting on conservative and operative management of malignant small bowel obstruction.

Results

Fifteen studies (n = 882 patients) reporting on outcomes for malignant small bowel obstruction were analysed. Outcomes measured were primarily survival and relief of obstructive symptoms. The median age ranged from 52 to 66 years. The most common cause of malignant small bowel obstruction was gynaecological in nature (56%), followed by colorectal (19%). Four hundred and eighty‐six patients underwent primary surgical management and the remaining 396 patients were assigned to non‐surgical intervention. Median overall survival in the operative studies ranged from 2.5 to 7.4 months compared with 0.9 to 1.9 months (P < 0.05). The 30‐day mortality ranged from 13% to 28% in those who underwent surgical interventions versus 2% to 61% in the non‐surgical group (P = 0.09). No significant difference in median survival in gastrointestinal (GI) and gynaecological malignancies was observed (4.3 versus 5.0 months, P = 0.12). Morbidity ranged from 21% to 85% in the surgical group and 12% to 29% in the percutaneous groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Surgical intervention in malignant small bowel obstruction is associated with significant morbidity, although it may improve survival in selected patients with gynaecological and colorectal malignancy. It is imperative that realistic goals and expectations are discussed with patients preoperatively.
Territorialising Movement Parties: The Case of Nuevo Encuentro in Buenos Aires
Authors: Halvorsen Sam
Published: September 2020

How and why do political parties, seemingly focused on electoral politics, also mobilise within contentious arenas? Drawing on qualitative research with a centre‐left Argentine party called Nuevo Encuentro (NE) in the city of Buenos Aires this paper demonstrates the importance of a geographical reading of “movement parties” for responding to this question. Specifically, the paper analyses NE’s territorialisation, understood as a strategy for organisation building via the political appropriation of space, typically by opening branches and mobilising activists in neighbourhoods. Between 2007 and 2019 NE’s strategy of territorialisation mobilised across multiple scales—the neighbourhood, city and national—yet in so doing its organisation became overstretched and struggled to engage across both contentious and electoral arenas. Through an analysis of NE’s territorialisation, grounded in the historical and geographical context of contemporary Argentina, the paper provides an original attempt to spatialise the concept of movement party.
Burden of vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy in China from 1990 to 2017: findings from the global burden of disease study
Authors: Shan Yi , Xu Yufeng , Lin Xiling , Lou Lixia , Wang Yijie , Ye Juan
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To conduct a detailed analysis on the burden of vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy (DR) by year, age and gender in China from 1990 to 2017.

Methods

This is a between‐country, retrospective, comparative burden‐of‐disease study. Prevalence and Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) data caused by DR in China and relative territories were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2017 to observe the changing trends of vision loss.

Results

Prevalence and YLDs of DR in China increased significantly from 1990 to 2017. The age‐standardized prevalence and YLDs rate witnessed a slowly declining trend recently. Higher prevalence and YLDs were observed in female subjects in the past three decades. Middle‐aged and elderly people suffered from a higher burden of DR‐induced vision loss. The total age‐standardized prevalence rate of China in 1990 (17.68) and 2017 (21.88) was lower than that of other seven neighbouring countries. In 2017, moderate vision loss (MVL) (17.19) accounted for the largest proportion in China. The all‐age YLDs of DR showed the second‐highest increase (150.26%) while the age‐standardized YLDs rate showed the third‐highest increase (14.91%) among fifteen common causes of vision impairment (VI) from 1990 to 2017. China ranked 3rd among G20 countries in terms of all‐age YLDs while ranked 18th in age‐standardized YLDs rate in 2017.

Conclusions

In the past three decades, the prevalence and YLDs due to DR in China have improved in both genders. This study highlights the importance of prevention for DR, especially for women and the elderly.
Prescribing in a paediatric emergency: A PERUKI survey of prescribing and resuscitation aids
Authors: Jahn Haiko Kurt , Jahn Ingo Henry Johannes , Roland Damian , Behringer Wilhelm , Lyttle Mark ,   Paediatric Emergency Research in the United Kingdom, Ireland (PERUKI)
Published: September 2020

Aim

The aim was to investigate the use of paper‐based and electronic prescribing and resuscitation aids in paediatric emergency care from a departmental and individual physician perspective.

Methods

A two‐stage web‐based self‐report questionnaire was performed. In stage (i), a lead investigator at PERUKI sites completed a department‐level survey; in stage (ii), individual physicians recorded their personal practice.

Results

The site survey was completed by 46/54 (85%) of PERUKI sites. 198 physicians completed the individual physicians' survey. Individual physicians selected the use of formulary apps for checking of medication dosages nearly as often as hardcopy formularies. The APLS WETFLAG calculation and hardcopy aids were widely accepted in both surveys. A third of sites accepted and half of the individual physicians selected resuscitation apps on the personal mobile device as paediatric resuscitation aids.

Conclusion

Our survey shows a high penetrance of the British National Formulary app, a success of NHS digital policy and strategy. Despite potential advantages, many physicians in our survey do not use resuscitation apps. Reluctance to engage with apps is likely to be multifactorial and includes human factors. These obstacles need to be overcome to create a digital healthcare culture.
Higher poultry consumption was associated with an earlier age at menarche
Authors: Wu Youmei , Gu Qiuyun , Cui Xueying , Zhu Zhenni , Zang Jiajie , Wang Zhengyuan , Wu Fan , Shen Xiuhua
Published: September 2020

Aim

To examine the association between meat consumption and earlier age of menarche among schoolgirls in Shanghai.

Methods

The study randomly selected 1981 schoolgirls aged 6‐18 years in Shanghai using a two‐stage random sampling design. Information on meat intake was collected using a semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Menarche age, household income, physical activity and other covariates were obtained by standardised questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to analyse the association between intake of meat and earlier age of menarche. Earlier age of menarche was defined as first menstruation before 12 years of age.

Results

Among the 986 girls who had experienced menarche, 518/986 (52.5%) had earlier age of menarche. After adjusting for body mass index, age, physical activity, sleep, household income and parental education, consumption of poultry was positively associated with risk of earlier age of menarche (P‐trend = .03). Girls who never consumed poultry had a lower risk of earlier age of menarche (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39‐0.96). Neither the consumption of pork, beef, lamb, processed meat nor total meat consumption was associated with menarche age.

Conclusion

Higher consumption of poultry was associated with an earlier age at menarche.
An 8‐Week Study on Social‐Cognitive Variables for Physical Activity and Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Are there Stage Transitions?
Authors: Vergeld Vera , Wienert Julian , Reinwand Dominique Alexandra , Tan Shu Ling , Lippke Sonia
Published: September 2020

Background

Health behavior change can be modelled in terms of stages, and outcomes of transitions between stages can be categorized into progression, regression, and stagnation. Based on the Health Action Process Approach this study tested whether changes in social‐cognitive variables are associated with transitions between stages regarding physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable intake (FVI).

Methods

N = 132 participants (M = 50.86 years, SD = 13.17, 61.4% women) were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks later. Data were analysed using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) and post‐hoc comparisons.

Results

Changes in motivational self‐efficacy (η2 = 0.081), maintenance self‐efficacy (η2 = 0.119), and recovery self‐efficacy (η2 = 0.049) as well as positive outcome expectancies (η2 = 0.070), negative outcome expectancies (η2 = 0.055), and coping planning (η2 = 0.065) were associated with FVI stage progression. For PA, changes were not associated with stage progression.

Conclusion

To facilitate behavior change effectively, at least for FVI, it is essential to consider underlying mechanisms such as several aspects of self‐efficacy in performing the desired health behaviors, outcome expectations, and planning how to overcome barriers. Additionally, the adoption of a stage approach may be a useful starting point to develop stage‐matched interventions.
Canola oilseed‐ and Escherichia coli‐ derived hepatitis C virus (HCV) core proteins adjuvanted with oil bodies, induced robust Th1‐oriented immune responses in immunized mice
Authors: Mohammadzadeh Sara , Roohvand Farzin , Ehsani Parastoo , Salmanian Ali Hatef , Ajdary Soheila
Published: September 2020

Induction of broad Th1 cellular immune responses and cytokines is crucial characteristics for vaccines against intracellular infections such as hepatitis C virus (HCV). Plants (especially oilseed tissues) and plant‐immunomodulators (like oil bodies) offer cost‐effective and scalable possibilities for the production of immunologically relevant and safe vaccine antigens and adjuvants, respectively. Herein, we provide data of the murine immunization by transgenic canola oilseed‐derived HCV core protein (HCVcp) soluble extract (TSE) and Escherichia coli‐ derived rHCVcp in combination with Canola oil bodies (oil) compared to that of the Freund’s (FA) adjuvant. Mice immunized by TSE+ oil developed both strong humeral (IgG) and Th1‐biased cellular responses, manifested by high levels of IFN‐γ and lower IgG1/IgG2a ratio and IL‐4 secretion. Results of the intracellular cytokine staining indicated that TSE+ oil immunization in mice triggered both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to release IFN‐γ, while CD4+ cells were mostly triggered when FA was used. Analyses by qRT‐PCR indicated that a combination of rHCVcp/TSE with oil body induced high levels of IL‐10 cytokines compared to that of the FA adjuvant. These characteristics are important properties for the design of an HCV vaccine candidate and indicate the potential of Canola‐derived antigen and oil bodies in addressing these concerns.
Advancing the Applied Psychology of Inclusion and Diversity: A Special Issue by Fons van de Vijver
Authors: Stephan Ute
Published: September 2020

This introduction to the special issue outlines key issues in research on inclusion—as the process of recognizing an individual’s needs for both belonging and distinctiveness. Whereas past research often focuses on diversity in relation to discrimination, this special issue attempts to offer a positive lens and asks how we can build inclusive societies. The answers range from emphasizing similarities based on multiple group memberships (intersectionality); creating inclusive workplaces by nurturing leadership that is authentic, respectful, creating belonging and valuing individuals’ unique contributions (ideas, skills, etc.); to developing bridging social capital as a means of cultural integration (vs. separation). The methodological approaches employed by the contributions in this special issue include an experimental vignette study, comparative studies of different ethnicities within a country and cross‐culturally comparative work spanning multiple countries. The special issue is dedicated to the memory of Fons van de Vijver, who had initiated the special issue and sadly died last year.
Nonparametric matrix response regression with application to brain imaging data analysis
Authors: Hu Wei , Pan Tianyu , Kong Dehan , Shen Weining
Published: September 2020

With the rapid growth of neuroimaging technologies, a great effort has been dedicated recently to investigate the dynamic changes in brain activity. Examples include time course calcium imaging and dynamic brain functional connectivity. In this paper, we propose a novel nonparametric matrix response regression model to characterize the nonlinear association between 2D image outcomes and predictors such as time and patient information. Our estimation procedure can be formulated as a nuclear norm regularization problem, which can capture the underlying low‐rank structure of the dynamic 2D images. We present a computationally efficient algorithm, derive the asymptotic theory, and show that the method outperforms other existing approaches in simulations. We then apply the proposed method to a calcium imaging study for estimating the change of fluorescent intensities of neurons, and an electroencephalography study for a comparison in the dynamic connectivity covariance matrices between alcoholic and control individuals. For both studies, the method leads to a substantial improvement in prediction error.
Diagnostic performance of core needle biopsy as a first‐line diagnostic tool for thyroid nodules according to ultrasound patterns: Comparison with fine needle aspiration using propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Ahn Hye Shin , Youn Inyoung , Na Dong Gyu , Kim Soo Jin , Lee Mi Yeon
Published: September 2020

Objective

This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of core‐needle biopsy (CNB) to fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) as a first‐line diagnostic tool in initially detected thyroid nodules, according to ultrasound (US) patterns.

Materials and Methods

This study included 778 consecutive nodules from 705 patients who underwent CNB from one institution and 627 nodules from 583 patients who underwent FNA from two institutions. Adjustments for significant differences in patients' characteristics were facilitated via propensity score matching. We compared the diagnostic performance of CNB and FNA for thyroid malignancy according to three diagnostic criteria for all nodules and the US patterns.

Results

A 1:1 matching of 469 patients yielded no significant differences between CNB and FNA for any covariates. CNB showed a significantly higher sensitivity for malignancy than FNA with any criterion (criterion 1: category VI, criterion 2: category V and VI, criterion 3: category IV, V and VI) in overall and high suspicion nodules (90.1‐99.5% vs 69.7%–88.3%, all P‐values < 0.001) and low/intermediate suspicion nodules, except criterion 1 (61.9%–100% vs 36.4%–45.5%, all P ≤ .016). In ROC curve analysis, the areas under the ROC curve of CNB were significantly higher than those for FNA with any criterion in overall and high suspicion nodules (P < .001) and in low/intermediate suspicion nodules, except criterion 1 (P ≤ .008). CNB had a slightly higher minor complication rate than FNA (0.7% vs 0%, P ≥ .069).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that CNB has a complementary role as an alternative first‐line diagnostic tool to FNA for the initial diagnosis of thyroid nodules when performed by an experienced operator.
Otorhinolaryngology litigation in England: 727 clinical negligence cases against the National Health Service
Authors: Navaratnam Annakan Victor , Hariri Ahmad , Ho Cherrie , Machin John T , Briggs Tim WR , Marshall Andrew
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Litigation against the National Health Service (NHS) in England is rising. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and characteristics of otorhinolaryngology clinical negligence claims in England.

Methods

A retrospective review was undertaken of all clinical negligence claims in England held by NHS Resolution relating to otorhinolaryngology between April 2013 and April 2018. Analysis was performed using information for cause, patient injury and claim cost. Where claim information was adequately detailed, the authors categorised claims by subspecialty, diagnosis and surgery.

Results

A total number of 727 claims were identified with an estimated potential cost of £108 million. Out of these, 463 were closed claims. Including open claim reserves, the mean cost of a claim was £148 923. Head and neck surgery was the subspecialty with the highest number of claims (n = 313, 43%) and highest cost (£51.5 million) followed by otology (n = 171, £24.5 million) and rhinology (n = 171, £13.6 million). Over half of claims were associated with an operation (n = 429, 59%) where mastoid surgery (n = 46) and endoscopic sinus surgery (n = 46) were equally associated with the greatest number of claims. The most frequent causes for clinical negligence claims included failure or delay to diagnose (n = 178, 25%), failure or delay to treat (n = 136, 19%), intra‐operative complications (n = 130, 18%) and failure of the consent process (n = 107, 15%).

Discussion

Clinical negligence claims in otorhinolaryngology are related to several different components of patient management and are not limited to postoperative complications. This study highlights the importance of robust pathways in out‐patient diagnostics and the consenting process in order to deliver better patient care and reduce the impact of litigation.

Keywords

informed consent, malpractice, clinical negligence claims, litigation, otolaryngology
The sentence superiority effect in young readers
Authors: Massol Stéphanie , Grainger Jonathan
Published: September 2020

The sentence superiority effect observed with skilled adult readers has been taken to reflect parallel processing of word identities and the rapid construction of a preliminary syntactic structure. Here we examined if such processing is already present in primary school children in Grade 3 (average age 8.9 years). Children saw sequences of four horizontally aligned words presented simultaneously for 500 ms and followed by a post‐mask and post‐cue indicating the position for report of one of the four words. Word identification was more accurate in grammatically correct sequences compared with ungrammatical scrambled sequences of the same words, and this sentence superiority effect did not interact with position. This replicates the pattern found in prior research with adults and suggests that parallel word processing and the associated efficiency in syntactic processing arealready in place in Grade 3. We also found that accuracy in identifying words, independently of the surrounding context, correlated with reading age. This points to efficient word‐in‐sequence identification as one key ingredient of the process of becoming a skilled reader.
Infusing Social Justice into Decision Sciences Core Courses
Authors: Sebastianelli Rose , Isil Ozgur , Li Yibai
Published: September 2020

We measure the effectiveness of infusing social justice (SJ) issues into undergraduate business core courses in the decision sciences for promoting positive change in students’ attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors toward SJ. SJ issues are infused into the undergraduate business curriculum through five required core courses in the areas of statistics, management science, operations, and information management. Two sections of each course, taught by the same instructor, serve as the experimental (treatment) and control groups, respectively. The strategies used to infuse SJ into experimental sections depend on the subject matter. We use an established social justice scale (SJS), administered at the beginning (pre) and end (post) of the semester, to assess impact. Results reveal a significant treatment effect in the desired direction on both students’ attitudes toward and perceived norms around SJ, but not on their perceived control of, or intentions to engage in, behaviors related to SJ. This finding provides empirical evidence for opportunities to impact students’ attitudes and perceptions about SJ through integration of these issues into existing core courses. However, it indicates that a more holistic approach may be needed to alter their behaviors or actions on behalf of SJ. Our study is novel in its use of decision‐science core courses as the means to integrate SJ into an undergraduate business curriculum.