bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Budget impact analysis of a home-based colorectal cancer screening programme in Malaysia
Authors: Ngan Tran Thu , Ramanathan Kogila , Saleh Muhamad Raziq Bin Mohd , Schliemann Desiree , Ibrahim Tamin Nor Saleha Binti , Su Tin Tin , Donnelly Michael , O'Neill Ciaran
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The 2020–2022 research project ‘Colorectal Cancer Screening Intervention for Malaysia’ (CRC-SIM) evaluated the implementation of a home-based CRC screening pilot in Segamat District. This budget impact analysis (BIA) assessed the expected changes in health expenditure of the Malaysian Ministry of Health budget in the scenario where the pilot programme was implemented nationwide vs current opportunistic screening.

Design

Budget impact analysis. Assumptions and costs in the opportunistic and novel CRC screening scenarios were derived from a previous evaluation of opportunistic CRC screening in community health clinics across Malaysia and the CRC-SIM research project, respectively.

Setting

National level (with supplement analysis for district level). The BIA was conducted from the viewpoint of the federal government and estimated the annual financial impact over a period of 5 years.

Results

The total annual cost of the current practice of opportunistic screening was RM1 584 321 (~I$1 099 460) of which 80% (RM1 274 690 or ~I$884 587) was expended on the provision of opportunistic CRC to adults who availed of the service. Regarding the implementation of national CRC screening programme, the net budget impact in the first year was estimated to be RM107 631 959 (~I$74 692 546) and to reach RM148 485 812 (~I$103 043 589) in the fifth year based on an assumed increased uptake of 5% annually. The costs were calculated to be sensitive to the probability of adults who were contactable, eligible and agreeable to participating in the programme.

Conclusions

Results from the BIA provided direct and explicit estimates of the budget changes to when implementing a population-based national CRC screening programme to aid decision making by health services planners and commissioners in Malaysia about whether such programme is affordable within given their budget constraint. The study also illustrates the use and value of the BIA approach in low-income and middle-income countries and resource-constrained settings.
Prevalence of taste and smell dysfunction in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients during Omicron prevalent period in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional survey study
Authors: Wang Jia , Chen Yan , Huang Jing , Niu Chenguang , Zhang Pengfei , Yuan Keyong , Zhu Xiaohan , Jin Qiaoqiao , Ran Shujun , Huang Zhengwei
Published: March 2023

Objectives

COVID-19, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a severe threat to human health and the economy globally. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of taste and/or smell dysfunction and associated risk factors in mild and asymptomatic patients with Omicron infection in Shanghai, China.

Design

This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.

Setting

COVID-19 patients at the makeshift hospital in the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre were recruited from March to April 2022.

Participants

In total, 686 COVID-19-infected patients who were defined as mild or asymptomatic cases according to the diagnostic criteria of New Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Programme ninth edition (National Health Commission of China, 2022) were enrolled.

Measures

Data to investigate taste and smell loss and to characterise other symptoms were collected by the modified Chemotherapy-induced Taste Alteration Scale and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 questionnaires. The risk factors for the severity of taste/smell dysfunction were analysed by binary logistic regression models.

Results

379 males (379/686, 55.2%) and 307 females (307/686, 44.8%) completed the questionnaires to record recent changes in taste and smell ability. A total of 302 patients (44%) had chemosensory dysfunction with Omicron infection, of which 22.7% (156/686) suffered from both taste and smell dysfunction. In addition, cough (60.2%), expectoration (40.5%), fever (33.2%) and sore throat (32.5%) were common symptoms during Omicron infection. The quality-of-life-related indicators were negatively associated with participants’ self-reported taste and smell dysfunction.

Conclusions

The prevalence of taste or/and smell dysfunction in patients with Omicron infections was 44%. Individuals with chemosensory dysfunction had significantly higher rates of various upper respiratory influenza-like symptoms, xerostomia and bad breath. Moreover, smell dysfunction was a risk factor for the prevalence of taste dysfunction in patients with Omicron infection.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR 2200059097.
Protocol for the development of a core outcome set for studies on centralisation of healthcare services
Authors: Pfisterer-Heise Stefanie , Scharfe Julia , Kugler Charlotte Mareike , Shehu Eni , Wolf Tobias , Mathes Tim , Pieper Dawid
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Centralisation defined as the reorganisation of healthcare services into fewer specialised units serving a higher volume of patients is a potential measure for healthcare reforms aiming at reducing costs while improving quality. Research on centralisation of healthcare services is thus essential to inform decision-makers. However, so far studies on centralisation report a variability of outcomes, often neglecting outcomes at the health system level. Therefore, this study aims at developing a core outcome set (COS) for studies on centralisation of hospital procedures, which is intended for use in observational as well as in experimental studies.

Methods and analysis

We propose a five-stage study design: (1) systematic review, (2) focus group, (3) interview studies, (4) online survey, (5) Delphi survey. The study will be conducted from March 2022 to November 2023. First, an initial list of outcomes will be identified through a systematic review on reported outcomes in studies on minimum volume regulations. We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINHAL, EconLIT, PDQ-Evidence for Informed Health Policymaking, Health Systems Evidence, Open Grey and also trial registries. This will be supplemented with relevant outcomes from published studies on centralisation of hospital procedures. Second, we will conduct a focus group with representatives of patient advocacy groups for which minimum volume regulations are currently in effect in Germany or are likely to come into effect to identify outcomes important to patients. Furthermore, two interview studies, one with representatives of the German medical societies and one with representatives of statutory health insurance funds, as well as an online survey with health services researchers will be conducted. In our analyses of the suggested outcomes, we will largely follow the categorisation scheme developed by the Cochrane EPOC group. Finally, a two-round online Delphi survey with all stakeholder groups using predefined score criteria for consensus will be employed to first prioritise outcomes and then agree on the final COS.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane (MHB). The final COS will be disseminated to all stakeholders involved and through peer-reviewed publications and conferences.
Public reporting of clinical trial findings as an ethical responsibility to participants: a qualitative study
Authors: Morrow Richard L , Mintzes Barbara , Gray Garry , Law Michael R , Garrison Scott , Dormuth Colin R
Published: March 2023

Objective

To understand how the experiences and views of trial participants, trial investigators and others connected to clinical trial research relate to whether researchers have a duty to participants to publicly report research findings.

Design

Qualitative interview study.

Setting

Semistructured interviews held in person or by telephone between March 2019 and April 2021 with participants in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

Participants

34 participants, including 10 clinical trial participants, 17 clinical trial investigators, 1 clinical research coordinator, 3 research administrators and 3 research ethics board members.

Analysis

We conducted a thematic analysis, including qualitative coding of interview transcripts and identification of key themes.

Main outcome measures

Key themes identified through qualitative coding of interview data.

Results

Most clinical trial participants felt that reporting clinical trial results is important. Accounts of trial participants suggest their contributions are part of a reciprocal relationship involving the expectation that research will advance medical knowledge. Similarly, comments from trial investigators suggest that reporting trial results is part of reciprocity with trial participants and is a necessary part of honouring informed consent. Accounts of trial investigators suggest that when drug trials are not reported, this may undermine informed consent in subsequent trials by withholding information on harms or efficacy relevant to informed decisions on whether to conduct or enroll in future trials of similar drugs.

Conclusion

The views of trial participants, trial investigators and others connected to clinical trial research in Canada suggest that researchers have an obligation to participants to publicly report clinical trial results and that reporting results is necessary for honouring informed consent.
Efficacy of indocyanine green systemic administration for bile leak detection after hepatectomy: a protocol for a prospective single-arm clinical trial with a historical control group
Authors: Hanaki Takehiko , Goto Keisuke , Tokuyasu Naruo , Endo Yusuke , Sunada Hiroshi , Noma Hisashi , Sunaguchi Teppei , Murakami Yuki , Matsunaga Tomoyuki , Yamamoto Manabu , Sakamoto Teruhisa , Hasegawa Toshimichi , Fujiwara Yoshiyuki
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Bile leakage (BL) after hepatectomy cannot always be detected with conventional methods; moreover, BL cannot be completely prevented. Recently, navigation procedures with indocyanine green (ICG) have been reported. Furthermore, we previously reported the possibility of detecting BLs with high sensitivity during hepatectomy by administering ICG into the bloodstream, which is quickly excreted in the bile. This study aims to verify whether detecting and addressing ICG leakage from the hepatic dissection plane using an ICG camera can reduce the bilirubin concentration in the drainage fluid, and consequently, the incidence of BL.

Methods and analysis

This prospective single-centre non-randomised single-arm trial will be conducted with historical controls. Overall, 85 patients will be enrolled, including 40 and 45 in the ICG and historical control groups, respectively. In the ICG group, 10 mg/2 mL of ICG will be transvenously or transportally administered during liver surgery. After its uptake by liver cells and excretion into bile, it will be visualised using a camera following the completion of hepatectomy, and the site of ICG leakage will be sutured. Moreover, we will record the number of bile leak spots detected by the naked eye and ICG camera. The primary endpoint of the study will be the total bilirubin concentration in the drain fluid on postoperative day 3, and we will determine whether the concentration differs significantly between the ICG and historical control groups. The results of our study will be used to suggest whether intraoperative ICG administration and evaluation at the hepatic dissection plane can be widely used in liver surgery for more reliable detection of BL and consequent reduction of biliary fistula.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol was approved by the Certified Review Board of Tottori University Hospital (approval number: 21C002). Findings from this trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at academic conferences.

Trial registration number

jRCTs061210043.
Patients’ perceptions of self-administered dosing to opioid agonist treatment and other changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
Authors: Scott Gemma , Turner Sophie , Lowry Natalie , Hodge Annette , Ashraf Waniya , McClean Katie , Kelleher Mike , Mitcheson Luke , Marsden John
Published: March 2023

Objectives

During the COVID-19 pandemic, addiction treatment services received official guidance asking them to limit face-to-face contact with patients and to prescribe opioid agonist treatment (OAT) medication flexibly. With the aim for most patients to receive take-home supplies for self-administration rather than attendance for observed daily dosing.

Design

This was a theory-driven, clinically applied qualitative study, with data for thematic analysis collected by semi-structured, audio-recorded, telephone interviews.

Participants

Twenty-seven adults (aged ≥18 years) enrolled in sublingual (tablet) buprenorphine and oral (liquid) methadone OAT.

Setting

Community addictions centre in the London Borough of Lambeth operated by South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.

Results

Three major themes were identified: (1) dissatisfaction and perceived stigma with OAT medication dispensing arrangements before the pandemic; (2) positive adaptations in response to COVID-19 by services; (3) participants recommended that, according to preference and evidence of adherence, OAT should be personalised to offer increasing medication supplies for self-administration from as early as 7 days after commencement of maintenance prescribing.

Conclusions

In an applied qualitative study of patients enrolled in OAT during the COVID-19 pandemic, participants endorsed their opportunity to take medication themselves at home and with virtual addiction support. Most patients described a preference for self-administration with increased dispensing supplies, from as early as 7 days into maintenance treatment, if they could demonstrate adherence to their prescription.
Volunteer responder provision of support to relatives of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients: a qualitative study
Authors: Kragh Astrid Rolin , Grabmayr Anne Juul , Tjørnhøj-Thomsen Tine , Zinckernagel Line , Gregers Mads Christian Tofte , Andelius Linn Charlotte , Christensen Anders Korsgaard , Kjærgaard Jesper , Folke Fredrik , Malta Hansen Carolina
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Smartphone dispatch of volunteer responders for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is implemented worldwide. While basic life support courses prepare participants to provide CPR, the courses rarely address the possibility of meeting a family member or relative in crisis. This study aimed to examine volunteer responders’ provision of support to relatives of cardiac arrest patients and how relatives experienced the interaction with volunteer responders.

Design

In this qualitative study, we conducted 16 semistructured interviews with volunteer responders and relatives of cardiac arrest patients.

Setting

Interviews were conducted face to face and by video and recorded and transcribed verbatim.

Participants

Volunteer responders dispatched to cardiac arrests and relatives of cardiac arrest patients were included in the study. Participants were included from all five regions of Denmark.

Results

A thematic analysis was performed with inspiration from Braun and Clarke. We identified three themes: (1) relatives’ experiences of immediate relief at arrival of assistance, (2) volunteer responders’ assessment of relatives’ needs and (3) the advantage of being healthcare educated.

Conclusions

Relatives to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients benefited from volunteer responders’ presence and support and experienced the mere presence of volunteer responders as supportive. Healthcare-educated volunteer responders felt confident and skilled to provide care for relatives, while some non-healthcare-educated volunteer responders felt they lacked the proper training and knowledge to provide emotional support for relatives. Future basic life support courses should include a lesson on how to provide emotional support to relatives of cardiac arrest patients.
Sociodemographic factors associated to knowledge and attitudes towards dengue prevention among the Peruvian population: findings from a national survey
Authors: Fernandez-Guzman Daniel , Caira-Chuquineyra Brenda , Calderon-Ramirez Pablo M , Cisneros-Alcca Shanelin , Benito-Vargas Raysa M
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the frequency of knowledge and attitudes towards dengue prevention among the Peruvian population, as well as the sociodemographic factors associated with reported knowledge and attitude outcomes.

Design/setting

A cross-sectional study was conducted, based on information from the National Survey of Budget Programs of Peru, 2019.

Participants

We included 57 829 respondents with a mean age of 40.3±17.4 years, of whom 52.8% were women and 87.6% were from urban areas.

Primary and secondary outcomes

Knowledge about dengue infection (transmission, symptoms, importance of going to a health centre and not self-medicating) and preventive attitudes to avoid infection.

Results

Of all the respondents, 36.2% (n=23 247) presented good knowledge about dengue and 11.6% (n=7890) had a higher number of preventive attitudes (≥3 attitudes). In the multivariate regression analysis, we found that being female (for knowledge: aPR (adjusted prevalence ratio): 1.03; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.03; and for attitude: aPR: 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02), being married/cohabiting (for knowledge: aPR: 1.02; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03; and for attitude: aPR: 1.01; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02) and residing in the jungle (for knowledge: aPR: 1.14; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.16; and for attitude: aPR: 1.09; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.11) were associated with better knowledge and more preventive attitudes. In addition, we found that being an adolescent (for knowledge: aPR: 0.97; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99; and for attitude: aPR: 0.99; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99), and belonging to the Quechua ethnic group (for knowledge: aPR: 0.93; 95% CI 0.91 to 0.94; and for attitude: aPR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99) were associated with a lower proportion of adequate knowledge and fewer preventive attitudes.

Conclusions

Our study found a high proportion of poor knowledge and few preventive attitudes towards dengue in the Peruvian population. That highlights the requirement to implement national strategies to educate people about dengue and promote preventive attitudes, considering the factors found.
Malodour from oral malignant fungating wound: sprayed metronidazole – case report
Authors: Harano Haruka , Matsunuma Ryo , Tanaka-Yagi Yukako , Ito Madoka , Tasaki Junichi , Egawa Aki , Yamaguchi Takashi
Published: March 2023

Metronidazole gel or ointment is recommended for the treatment of malodour from malignant fungating wounds. However, this medication may not settle adequately in oral lesions because its texture causes discomfort and it tends to be washed out by saliva. We report a case of malodour due to an oral lesion that was well controlled with sprayed metronidazole.
Review of the causes of the unprecedented collapse of the United Grain Growers elevator in Thunder Bay, Ontario
Authors: Peck R.B. , Matich M.A.J. , Milligan V.
Published: March 2023

This is a case history of the unprecedented collapse of a pile-supported grain elevator which collapsed suddenly into the harbour in Thunder Bay, Ontario on September 23rd.,1959 after a service life without incident for over 30 years. Many similar grain elevators had been built and operated successfully in the area beginning in the 1880’s. Studies directed at establishing the possible cause(s) included: geotechnical investigations, interrogation of background on design, construction, operation and performance, and a forensic evaluation of evidence revealed during removal of the debris in preparation for reconstruction. The site soil conditions together with features of the collapse are described. The elevator had experienced only minor lateral movements which was in marked contrast to other pile-supported elevators in similar ground conditions nearby. This evidence was considered of particular significance. The collapse is attributed to several factors: the failure of the batter piles, followed by that of vertical piles; to the repairs of the revetment and the associated filling of voids, probably aggravated by a ship collision 6 days before the collapse.
Alkaline picritic volcanism on northern Ellesmere Island associated with initial rifting of the Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic
Authors: Koglin Nikola , Estrada Solveig , Läufer Andreas , Ruppel Antonia , Jacques Guillaume
Published: March 2023

The Caledonian and Ellesmerian orogenies were followed by extension and development of intracontinental rift basins since the late Paleozoic, as represented by the Sverdrup Basin along the Canadian Arctic Islands. The initial rifting was accompanied by pulses of volcanic activity during the Carboniferous and Permian. A new occurrence of mafic volcanic rocks, the “Taconite volcanics” (informal name), was discovered on northern Ellesmere Island between the head of Ayles Fiord and M’Clintock Inlet. The mainly alkali-picritic lavas are exposed within the central part of the Pearya Terrane as an outcrop in faulted contact with upper Carboniferous red beds of the Canyon Fiord Formation. The contact to the Ordovician island-arc volcanic rocks of the Pearya Terrane is unclear. The outcrop is characterized by a small circular magnetic anomaly. Ar–Ar whole-rock geochronology on the volcanic rocks yielded an age of 290 ± 19 Ma suggesting emplacement of the lavas during the early Permian. Whole rock geochemical analyses for eight samples revealed a geochemical affinity to ocean island basalt (OIB) and indicate variable mixing of low-degree melts in the fields of garnet and spinel peridotite (∼80–90 km depth). The involvement of a metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle is indicated by high Pb, Nb, and Ta concentrations. Geochemical differences (as enrichments in Ti, Nb, Zr, and the light rare earth elements (REE)) to the known Carboniferous and Permian spilitic altered basalt occurrences of northwestern Ellesmere and northern Axel Heiberg islands are probably based on differences in the mantle source. The Sr isotope ratios of the Taconite volcanics are primitive ((87Sr/86Sr)t: 0.7037–0.7042) and its Nd isotope ratios are moderately depleted (εNd(t): +2.20 to +2.85) in contrast to the enriched εNd(t) values of the Permian Esayoo formation.
Tachyon condensation in a chromomagnetic background field and the groundstate of QCD
Authors: Bordag M.
Published: March 2023

I consider the chromomagnetic vacuum in SU(2). The effective Lagrangian in one loop approximation is known to have a minimum below zero which results in a spontaneously generated magnetic field. However, this minimum is not stable; the effective action has an imaginary part. Over the past decades, there were many attempts to handle this situation which all were at some point unsatisfactory. I propose an idea for a new solution by assuming that the tachyonic mode, at low temperature, acquires a condensate and, as a result, undergoes a phase transition like in the Higgs model. I consider the approximation where all gluon modes are dropped except for the tachyonic one. For this mode, we have a O(2)-model with quartic self-interaction in two dimensions. I apply the CJT (2PI) formalism in Hartree approximation. As a result, at zero and low temperatures, a minimum of the effective action at a certain value of the condensate and of the background fields is observed and there is no imaginary part. Raising the temperature, this minimum becomes shallower and at a critical temperature, the perturbative state becomes that with lower effective potential; the symmetry is restored. The physical interpretation says that the unstable mode creates tachyons until these come into equilibrium with their repulsive self-interaction and form a condensate. The relation to the Mermin-Wagner theorem is discussed.
Enhancing Dynamic Multi-objective Optimization Using Opposition-based Learning and Simulated Annealing
Authors: Ilyas Kiran , Younas Irfan
Published: March 2023

There are many dynamic real-life optimization problems in which objectives increase or decrease over time, which usually leads to variations in the dimensions of a Pareto front. Dynamic multi-objective optimization (DyMO) approaches aim to keep track of the updated Pareto front to tackle the changes which are caused by the dynamic environment. However, the current DyMO approaches do not handle dynamic environments effectively. In this study, a new hybrid dynamic two-archive evolutionary algorithm with a newly added simulated annealing and opposition-based learning strategy is proposed. The proposed method helps to preserve solutions with reasonable diversity and improve convergence by searching for promising solutions within acceptable computational time and effort. To evaluate the efficacy of the suggested method, comprehensive experiments using different multi-objective quality measures such as generational distance, and inverted generational distance have been performed on several benchmark problems with varying numbers of objectives over time. The results of the experiments show that the suggested method outperforms the strategies already in use.
Application of the Solute-Solvent EMF Cell to Measure Activity of NiF2 in Molten FLiNaK
Authors: Lichtenstein Timothy , Patricelli Colin V. , Hawthorne Krista L.
Published: March 2023

Electromotive force (emf) measurements made using a combination of solute- and solvent-based electrodes were used to determine the activity of NiF2 in molten FLiNaK eutectic at 823 K across a concentration range of xNiF2 = 5.2 × 10-4–1.0 × 10-2. The solute emf values were measured using electrodes consisting of Ni wires immersed in FLiNaK with dissolved NiF2 contained in graphite crucibles. The measured emf values were then converted to the FLiNaK Eutectic Potassium Electrode (FEKE) potential and used to quantify the activity of dissolved NiF2. This quantification was based upon comparative measurements of a reference solvent electrode consisting of a K-Bi alloy immersed in pure FLiNaK contained in a boron nitride crucible and a solute electrode. Short cell lives were characteristic of the measurements due to the corrosive nature of the fluoride salts.Quantifying the activity of NiF2 will improve the utility of Ni2+/Ni reference electrodes in molten fluoride salts, which are notoriously difficult electrolytes to work with because of their reactivity. This work demonstrates the general nature of the solute-solvent approach as a repeatable, easily employed method for measuring the activity values of electroactive species in a variety of molten salts to improve understanding of the electroactive species behavior in these systems.
Impact of Long-Term Antithrombotic and Statin Therapy on the Clinical Outcome in Patients with Cavernous Malformations of the Central Nervous System: A Single-Center Case Series of 428 Patients
Authors: Wildi Saskia , Nager Selina , Akeret Kevin , Özkaratufan Sena , Krayenbühl Niklaus , Bozinov Oliver , Regli Luca , Velz Julia
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Literature regarding the safety and efficacy of antithrombotic (antiplatelet or anticoagulant) therapy and statins in patients with cavernous malformations (CMs) of the central nervous system is sparse, resulting in uncertainty about its use in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of antithrombotic therapy and statins on the risk of hemorrhage and focal neurological deficit in patients with CMs. Methods: The authors’ institutional database was screened for all patients with CMs of the central nervous system treated at their institution between 2006 and 2018. Patients with radiological and/or histological diagnosis of CMs, clinical baseline characteristics, available patient’s medication history, and follow-up data were included in this study. Time-to-event probability (hemorrhage or focal neurological deficit) as well as the number of events (hemorrhage or focal neurological deficit) during follow-up were assessed in patients who were categorized according to their medical treatment (antithrombotic therapy, statins, combined therapy, or no treatment). Results: Four hundred twenty-eight patients with CMs were eligible and included in the final analysis. Sixty-nine (16.1%) patients were on long-term antithrombotic therapy and 46 (10.6%) on long-term statins, of whom 31 patients were on a combination of both. The probability of experiencing first hemorrhage or focal neurological deficit was less likely in patients on antiplatelet therapy (HR 0.09, 95% CI 0.021–0.39, p = 0.001), anticoagulant therapy (HR 0.12, 95% CI 0.016–0.85, p = 0.034), or the combination thereof (HR 0.12, 95% CI 0.016–0.93, p = 0.043) compared to patients with no antithrombotic treatment. The number of hemorrhages and focal neurological deficits were significantly lower in patients on antithrombotic therapy compared to patients on no treatment during follow-up. In patients on statins alone, the time-to-event probability was comparable to that of patients on no treatment (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.438–1.91, p = 0.812), and the number of events was similar to patients on no treatment. Conclusion: The results of our study provide further evidence that antithrombotic therapy alone or in combination with statins in patients with CMs of the central nervous system does not increase the risk of hemorrhage or focal neurological deficit but, on the contrary, may have some benefit.
Locking the Revolving Door: Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Velarde Gladys , Bravo‐Jaimes Katia , Brandt Eric J. , Wang Daniel , Douglass Paul , Castellanos Luis R. , Rodriguez Fatima , Palaniappan Latha , Ibebuogu Uzoma , Bond Rachel , Ferdinand Keith , Lundberg Gina , Thamman Ritu , Vijayaraghavan Krishnaswami , Watson Karol
Published: March 2023

Racial disparities in cardiovascular disease are unjust, systematic, and preventable. Social determinants are a primary cause of health disparities, and these include factors such as structural and overt racism. Despite a number of efforts implemented over the past several decades, disparities in cardiovascular disease care and outcomes persist, pervading more the outpatient rather than the inpatient setting, thus putting racial and ethnic minority groups at risk for hospital readmissions. In this article, we discuss differences in care and outcomes of racial and ethnic minority groups in both of these settings through a review of registries. Furthermore, we explore potential factors that connote a revolving door phenomenon for those whose adverse outpatient environment puts them at risk for hospital readmissions. Additionally, we review promising strategies, as well as actionable items at the policy, clinical, and educational levels aimed at locking this revolving door.
Outcomes of Investigating T Wave Inversion With Echocardiography in an Unselected Young Male Preparticipation Cohort
Authors: Ho Wilbert H. H. , Lim Daniel Y. Z. , Thiagarajan Nishanth , Wang Hankun , Loo Wesley T. W. , Sng Gerald G. R. , Lee Joshua S. W. , Shen Xiayan , Dalakoti Mayank , Sia Ching‐Hui , Tan Benjamin Y. Q. , Lim Huai Yang , Wang Luo‐Kai , Chow Weien , Chua Terrance S. J. , Lim Paul C. Y. , Yeo Tee Joo , Chong Daniel T. T.
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Electrocardiography (ECG) may be performed as part of preparticipation sports screening. Recommendations on screening of athletes to identify individuals with previously unrecognized cardiac disease are robust; however, data guiding the preparticipation screening of unselected populations are scarce. T wave inversion (TWI) on ECG may suggest an undiagnosed cardiomyopathy. This study aims to describe the prevalence of abnormal TWI in an unselected young male cohort and the outcomes of an echocardiography‐guided approach to investigating these individuals for structural heart diseases, focusing on the yield for cardiomyopathies.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Consecutive young male individuals undergoing a national preparticipation cardiac screening program for 39 months were studied. All underwent resting supine 12‐lead ECG. Those manifesting abnormal TWI, defined as negatively deflected T waves of at least 0.1 mV amplitude in any 2 contiguous leads, underwent echocardiography. A total of 69 714 male individuals with a mean age of 17.9±1.1 years were studied. Of the individuals, 562 (0.8%) displayed abnormal TWI. This was most frequently observed in the anterior territory and least so in the lateral territory. A total of 12 individuals (2.1%) were diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy diagnoses were significantly associated with deeper maximum TWI depth and the presence of abnormal TWI in the lateral territory, but not with abnormal TWI in the anterior and inferior territories. No individual presenting with TWI restricted to solely leads V
1
to V
2
, 2 inferior leads or both was diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiomyopathy diagnoses were more strongly associated with certain patterns of abnormal TWI. Our findings may support decisions to prioritize echocardiography in these individuals.
Noninvasive Hemodynamic Evaluation Following TAVI for Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Grinberg Tzlil , Aviv Yaron , Vaturi Mordehay , Perl Leor , Wiessman Maya , Vaknin‐Assa Hanna , Codner Pablo , Shapira Yaron , Kornowski Ran , Orvin Katia
Published: March 2023

Background

Various hemodynamic changes occur following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) that may impact therapeutic decisions. NICaS is a noninvasive bioimpedance monitoring system aimed at hemodynamic assessment. We used the NICaS system in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) to evaluate short‐term hemodynamic changes after TAVI.

Methods and Results

We performed hemodynamic analysis using NICaS on 97 patients with severe AS who underwent TAVI using either self‐expandable (68%) or balloon‐expandable (32%) valves. Patients were more often women (54%) and had multiple comorbidities including hypertension (83%), coronary artery disease (46%), and diabetes (37%). NICaS was performed at several time points—before TAVI, soon after TAVI, at hospital discharge, and during follow‐up. Compared with baseline NICaS measurements, we observed a significant increase in systolic blood pressure and total peripheral resistance (systolic blood pressure 132±21 mm Hg at baseline versus 147±23 mm Hg after TAVI,
P
<0.001; total peripheral resistance 1751±512 versus 2084±762 dynes*s/cm
5
, respectively,
P
<0.001) concurrent with a decrease in cardiac output and stroke volume (cardiac output 4.2±1.5 versus 3.9±1.3 L/min,
P
=0.037; stroke volume 61.4±14.8 versus 56.2±15.9 mL,
P
=0.001) in the immediate post‐TAVI period. At follow‐up (median 59 days [interquartile range, 40.5–91]) these measurements returned to values that were not different from the baseline. A significant improvement in echocardiography‐based left ventricular ejection fraction was observed from baseline to follow‐up (55.6%±11.6% to 59.4%±9.4%,
P
<0.001).

Conclusions

Unique short‐term adaptive hemodynamic changes were observed using NICaS in patients with AS soon after TAVI. Noninvasive hemodynamic evaluation immediately following TAVI may contribute to the understanding of complex hemodynamic changes and merits favorable consideration.
Discontinuous Combinatory Constituency Parsing
Authors: Chen Zhousi , Komachi Mamoru
Published: March 2023

We extend a pair of continuous combinator-based constituency parsers (one binary and one multi-branching) into a discontinuous pair. Our parsers iteratively compose constituent vectors from word embeddings without any grammar constraints. Their empirical complexities are subquadratic. Our extension includes 1) a swap action for the orientation-based binary model and 2) biaffine attention for the chunker-based multi-branching model. In tests conducted with the Discontinuous Penn Treebank and TIGER Treebank, we achieved state-of-the-art discontinuous accuracy with a significant speed advantage.
Beleaguered City, Beleaguered Planet
Authors: Sklair Leslie
Published: March 2023

This article sets out to analyze the connections between three different but related phenomena (capitalist globalization, the Anthropocene, and the coronavirus epidemic) through the lens of iconic buildings and spaces and the cities in which they are mostly found. I argue that the transnational capitalist class uses cities as competitors in a global system of lucrative investment opportunities. Capitalist globalization is widely implicated in the Anthropocene (signifying human impacts on the Earth system, usually destructive) and together they facilitate the spread of the coronavirus. The concept of “administrative evil” is mobilized to highlight the ethical dimensions of city planning, and the increasingly “beleaguered city.”
Entangled Futures: Big Oil, Political Will, and the Global Environmental Movement
Authors: Darian-Smith Eve
Published: March 2023

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified a lack of “political will” by national leaders as the main obstacle to mitigating the climate emergency in its 2022 report. However, the report makes no mention that contributing to this political deficiency has been rising antidemocracy over the past two decades, furthered by the support of the powerful fossil fuel industry. This article explores the synergy between antidemocratic leaders embracing anti-climate agendas that prioritize oil and gas companies over the rights of their citizens. I conclude by reflecting on possible responses to this bleak reality from members of the global environmental movement. This involves acknowledging the deep complicity of liberal democratic states in extractive capitalism, while also rethinking democratic principles of social equality and political inclusion to ensure that historically underrepresented communities can engage in emancipatory pro-climate political mobilization.
The Socio-ecological Question, the Global Environmental Justice Movement and Anti-systemic Environmentalism
Authors: Yaşın Zehra Taşdemir
Published: March 2023

This article makes two central arguments: i) we can understand the current phase of anti-systemic movements predominantly through the globally expanding forms of resistance centered on environment, food, climate, soil, water, and so on as a collective socio-ecological critique and confrontation of the global capitalist relations of production; and ii) we can conceptually specify the global environmental justice movement through the notion of anti-systemic environmentalism expressing “the second contradiction of capitalism,” i.e., the socio-ecological crisis of the capitalist world system. In making these arguments, it introduces the concept of the socio-ecological question, theoretically grounded in the value theory of nature, in establishing the world-historical relationality among diverse place-based socio-environmental movements.
Neglecting the Marginalized: Corporate Valuation Discourses in Environmental Struggles
Authors: Llavero-Pasquina Marcel
Published: March 2023

The unequal distribution of environmental goods and pollution burdens is determined by valuation decisions dependent on the values present in the public sphere. Accordingly, corporations and movements of resistance adopt strategies to influence public value systems to prioritize their interests. However, pre-existing asymmetric relationships of power grant corporations a dominant position over the public sphere, eschewing environmental management towards instrumental and transactional modes of valuation. The hegemonic valuation of the environment is thus a product and source of power, and a key element for the reproduction of systems of oppression. This article will discuss the mechanisms used by extractive corporations to neglect alternative value systems, illustrated with examples from the oil giant TotalEnergies.
No Fear from Heaven: How Song Confucian Classicists Discredited the Omenology of the Five Phases
Authors: Lan Xing
Published: March 2023

This article employs Tzvetan Todorov’s ‘triggers of interpretation’ to examine how Song Confucian classicists disproved the omenology of the Five Phases. Since the first century, the omenology has shifted to being the paradigm of interpreting omens and disasters. However, many Confucian classicists during the Song dynasty grew dissatisfied with this paradigm and offered arguments to challenge its authority and validity. A few studies have noted this but have not dissected why Song Confucianists could discredit the system deeply ingrained in the Chinese intellectual landscape. To address this gap, I first revisit the omenology of the Five Phases and identify that its feasibility rests on the authority of Confucian learning and the analogy between signs and interpretants. Next, I discover that the counterarguments of most Song Confucianists not only elucidated this omenology as a misinterpretation of Confucian classics by Han Confucian classicists, but also found the analogy unreasonable and devoid of any ground.
Redefining ‘Sign’/‘Symbol’ and Semiotics
Authors: Zhao Yiheng
Published: March 2023

Both ‘sign’ and ‘symbol’ are words with a long and polysemic history in Western culture. Moreover, the 120-year history of the modern semiotics movement has failed to provide a highly needed definition of these most basic terms, thus resulting in ambiguity of the definition of the discipline itself. This paper proposes defining ‘sign/symbol’ as ‘a sensuous entity to be regarded as carrying meaning’. Furthermore, the terminological chaos that arises between ‘sign’ and ‘symbol’, which originated in Western languages, has caused chaos for translators in selecting the appropriate Chinese term from the options Fuhao and Xiangzheng, since a phonetic rendition is hardly possible in Chinese. On this basis, the paper attempts to define ‘semiotics’ as ‘the formal study of meaning-making’. In this understanding, semiotics covers not only signification but also communication and interpretation of meaning.
New species and records of Algonina Schillhammer & Brunke, 2018, mainly from China
Authors: LI CHONG , TANG LIANG
Published: March 2023

Five new species of the subtribe Algonina Schillhammer & Brunke, 2018 from China are described: Algon. kuankuoshuiensis sp. n. from Guizhou, A. daweishanus sp. n. from Yunnan, A. pseudotibetanus sp. n. from Xizang, A. huadongensis sp. n. from Zhejiang and Fujian, and Barypalpus maoershanus sp. n. from Guangxi. A new species group, Algon tibetanus species group, is established. Males of Algon tibetanus Schillhammer, 2006 and A. malayanus (Cameron, 1950) are discovered for the first time. Algon bramlettorum Schillhammer, 2006 is newly recorded from China. Additional records for nine species of Algon and one species of Barypalpus are provided. Diagnostic characters for new species are described and illustrated. A key to the genera of Algonina and a key to the Chinese species of Algon are provided.
Designing and implementation of IMU-based wearable real-time jump meter for vertical jump height measurement
Authors: Keskinoğlu Cemil , Özgünen Kerem Tuncay , Aydın Ahmet
Published: March 2023

The vertical jump height has been widely used in sports-related studies to track athletes’ development. Although many systems can measure vertical jump height, there are still problems with measuring it in real-time during sports activity. Therefore, the use of inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based systems in this area is increasing. In this study, a low-cost, small, wireless, and wearable jump meter has been designed to address the real-time measurement problem. The developed system has a high accuracy for vertical jump measurements and provides some extra parameters for performance evaluation. Fourteen volleyball players’ measurements were taken simultaneously with the designed system and a jump mat to evaluate the developed system’s performance (n = 350). The obtained results show that the system is highly correlated with jump mat (r2 = 0.92), and it also has a mean bias of −0.06 cm (95% limits of agreement −3.4 cm to 3.3 cm; p < 0.001).
Values in Romantic Relationships
Authors: van der Wal Reine C. , Litzellachner Lukas F. , Karremans Johan C. , Buiter Nadia , Breukel Jamie , Maio Gregory R.
Published: March 2023

There are substantive theoretical questions about whether personal values affect romantic relationship functioning. The current research tested the association between personal values and romantic relationship quality while considering potential mediating mechanisms related to pro-relational attitudes, communal strength, intrinsic relationship motivation, and entitlement. Across five studies using different measures of value priorities, we found that the endorsement of self-transcendence values (i.e., benevolence, universalism) was related to higher romantic relationship quality. The findings provided support for the mediating roles of pro-relational attitudes, communal strength, and intrinsic relationship motivation. Finally, a dyadic analysis in our fifth study showed that self-transcendence values mostly influence a person’s own relationship quality but not that of their partner. These findings provide the first evidence that personal values are important variables in romantic relationship functioning while helping to map the mechanisms through which this role occurs.
Understanding the Trajectories of Women who use Violence Through an Intersectional Feminist Analysis
Authors: Damant Dominique , Boulebsol Carole , Roy Valerie , Trudeau Matis
Published: March 2023

This article discusses the results of a collaborative research project aimed at understanding the life trajectories of women who have self-identified as having used violence in a context other than self-defense, which is an understudied topic. Based on semi-structured interviews and aided by an intersectional feminist framework applied to life course theory, we present a qualitative analysis of 26 women's experiences of violence, precarity, and services. The three groups of trajectories are distinguished by level of precarity as determined by the experience of violence in childhood, socioeconomic and family contexts, criminalization, intensity of violence, and whether the women received adequate support. This shows (1) the need for interventions to prevent the reproduction or aggravation of violence suffered and perpetrated; (2) the importance of considering the inter-related factors (gender, class race, etc.) that contribute to the women's precarity; and (3) that these factors must be considered to understand the contexts in which women have come to use violence, without trivializing or excusing it, but rather properly situating it with a view to better preventing and intervening in these situations. Our recommendations are aimed at ensuring that social work practices do not contribute to the enforcement of punitive measures, but support women in pursuing their path.
Emerging Roles of Neuronal Extracellular Vesicles at the Synapse
Authors: Mason Ashley J , Deppmann Christopher , Winckler Bettina
Published: March 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted from most, if not all, cell types and are implicated in short- and long-distance signaling throughout the body. EVs are also secreted from neurons and represent an emergent neuronal communication platform. Understanding the functional implications of EV signaling to recipient neurons and glia requires understanding the cell biology involved in EV biogenesis, cargo loading, secretion, uptake, and signal transduction in the recipient cell. Here we review these major questions of EV biology while highlighting recent new insights and examples within the nervous system, such as modulating synaptic function or morphogenesis in recipient neurons.