bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Marble Faun
Authors: Hawthorne Nathaniel
Published: December 2020

Any narrative of human action and adventure – whether we call it history or Romance – is certain to be a fragile handiwork, more easily rent than mended.’ The fragility – and the durability – of human life and art dominate this story of American expatriates in Italy in the mid-nineteenth century. Befriended by Donatello, a young Italian with the classical grace of the ‘Marble Faun’, Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon find their pursuit of art taking a sinister turn as Miriam's unhappy past precipitates the present into tragedy. Hawthorne's ‘International Novel’ dramatizes the confrontation of the Old World and the New and the uncertain relationship between the ‘authentic’ and the ‘fake’, in life as in art. The author's evocative descriptions of classic sites made The Marble Faun a favourite guidebook to Rome for Victorian tourists, but this richly ambiguous symbolic romance is also the story of a murder, and a parable of the Fall of Man. As the characters find their civilized existence disrupted by the awful consequences of impulse, Hawthorne leads his readers to question the value of Art and Culture and addresses the great evolutionary debate which was beginning to shake Victorian society.
Desperate Remedies
Authors: Hardy Thomas
Published: December 2020

She was swayed into emotional opinions concerning the strange man before her; new impulses of thought…entered into her with a gnawing thrill.' Hardy's first published work, Desperate Remedies moves the sensation novel into new territory. The anti-hero, Aeneas Manston, as physically alluring as he is evil, even fascinates the innocent Cytherea, though she is in love with another man. When he cannot seduce her, Manston resorts to deception, blackmail, bigamy, murder, and rape. Yet this compelling story also raises the great questions underlying Hardy's major novels, which relate to the injustice of the class system, the treatment of women, probability and causality. This edition shows for the first time that the sensation novel was always Hardy's natural medium.
Reveries of the Solitary Walker
Authors: Rousseau Jean-Jacques
Published: December 2020

‘These hours of solitude and meditation are the only time of the day when I am completely myself.’ Reveries of the Solitary Walker is Rousseau's last great work, the product of his final years of exile from the society that condemned his political and religious views. Returning to Paris the philosopher determines to keep a faithful record of the thoughts and ideas that come to him on his perambulations. Part reminiscence, part reflection, enlivened by anecdote and encounters, the Reveries form a kind of sequel to his Confessions, but they are more introspective and less defensive: Rousseau finds happiness in solitude, walks in nature, botanizing, and meditation. Writing an account of his walks becomes a means of achieving self-knowledge and safeguarding for himself the pleasure that others, he is convinced, seek to deny him. The Reveries, shaped by the unmediated nature of Rousseau's thought processes, give powerfully lyrical expression to a painfully tortured soul in search of peace. This new translation is accompanied by an introduction and notes that explore the nature of the work and its historical, literary, and intellectual contexts.
Ruth
Authors: Gaskell Elizabeth
Published: December 2020

‘I think I must be an improper woman without knowing it, I do so manage to shock people.’ Elizabeth Gaskell's second novel challenged contemporary social attitudes by taking as its heroine a fallen woman. Ruth Hilton is an orphan and an overworked seamstress, an innocent preyed upon by a weak, wealthy seducer. When he heartlessly abandons her she finds shelter and kindness in the home of a dissenting minister and his sister, who do not reject her when she gives birth to an illegitimate child. But Ruth's self-sacrificing love and devotion are tested to the limit by a twist of fate that brings her past back to haunt her. Gaskell's depiction of Ruth lays bare Victorian hypocrisy and sexual double-standards, and her novel is a remarkable story of love, of the sanctuary and tyranny of the family, and of the consequences of lies and deception.
The Prime Minister
Authors: Trollope Anthony
Published: December 2020

‘Though a great many men and not a few women knew Ferdinand Lopez very well, none of them knew whence he had come.’ Despite his mysterious antecedents, Ferdinand Lopez aspires to join the ranks of British society. An unscrupulous financial speculator, he determines to marry into respectability and wealth, much against the wishes of his prospective father-in-law. One of the nineteenth century’s most memorable outsiders, Lopez’s story is set against that of the ultimate insider, Plantagenet Palliser, Duke of Omnium. Omnium reluctantly accepts the highest office of state; now, at last, he is ‘the greatest man in the greatest country in the world’. But his government is a fragile coalition and his wife’s enthusiastic assumption of the role of political hostess becomes a source of embarrassment. Their troubled relationship and that of Lopez and Emily Wharton is a conjunction that generates one of Trollope’s most complex and substantial novels. Part of the Palliser series, The Prime Minister’s tale of personal and political life in the 1870s has acquired a new topicality in the early twenty-first century.
Framley Parsonage
Authors: Trollope Anthony
Published: December 2020

‘The fact is, Mark, that you and I cannot conceive the depth of fraud in such a man as that.’ The Reverend Mark Robarts makes a mistake. Drawn into a social set at odds with his clerical responsibilities, he guarantees the debts of an unscrupulous Member of Parliament. He stands to lose his reputation, and his family, future, and home are all in peril. His patroness, the proud and demanding Lady Lufton, is offended and the romantic hopes of Mark's sister Lucy, courted by Lady Lufton's son, are in jeopardy. Pride and ambition are set against love and integrity in a novel that has remained one of Trollope's most popular stories. Set against ecclesiastical events in the Barchester diocese and informed by British political instability after the Crimean War, Trollope's fourth Barchester novel was his first major success. A compelling history of uncertain futures, Framley Parsonage is a vivid exploration of emotional and geographical displacement that grew out of Trollope's own experiences as he returned to England from Ireland in 1859.
Sherlock Holmes. Selected Stories
Authors: Doyle Arthur Conan
Published: December 2020

‘Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science.’ For more than a century the Holmes stories have held a strange, almost inexplicable grip on the popular imagination. They are intimately associated with late Victorian and Edwardian society, yet curiously timeless in their appeal. The characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, together with their housekeeper Mrs Hudson and their address at 221B Baker Street are as familiar today as when they made their first appearance in the late 1880s. The stories have been endlessly interpreted, adapted, and modernized, but still it is to Arthur Conan Doyle's originals that we return. This new selection of some of the best of them is designed to give readers a full sense of their world: the brooding fog of London, ruined heirs in creaking mansions, and hidden crimes in the farthest–flung corners of the British Empire. The stories take Holmes's career from its early days to its close, and include the book–length Sign of the Four. Barry McCrea's introduction investigates the currents that lie beneath their surface.
Under the Greenwood Tree
Authors: Hardy Thomas , Mallett Phillip
Published: December 2020

This edition presents a critically established text based on comparisons of every revised version. Hardy placed this tale among his Novels of Character and Environment, a group which is held to include his most characteristic work.
London Labour and the London Poor
Authors: Mayhew Henry
Published: December 2020

‘I go about the street with water-creases crying, “Four bunches a penny, water-creases.”’ London Labour and the London Poor is an extraordinary work of investigative journalism, a work of literature, and a groundbreaking work of sociology. Mayhew conducted hundreds of interviews with London’s street traders, entertainers, thieves and beggars which revealed that the ‘two nations’ of rich and poor in Victorian Britain were much closer than many people thought. By turns alarming, touching, and funny, the pages of London Labour and the London Poor exposed a previously hidden world to view. The first-hand accounts of costermongers and street-sellers, of sewer-scavenger and chimney-sweep, are intimate and detailed and provide an unprecedented insight into their day-to-day struggle for survival. Combined with Mayhew’s obsessive data gathering, these stories have an immediacy that owes much to his sympathetic understanding and highly effective literary style. This new selection offers a cross-section of the original volumes and their evocative illustrations, and includes an illuminating introduction to Henry Mayhew and the genesis and influence of his work.
The Language of Pain: Is There a Relationship Between Metaphor Use and Adjustment to Chronic Pain?
Authors: Munday Imogene , Kneebone Ian , Rogers Kris , Newton-John Toby
Published: December 2020

Objective

Metaphor, frequently used in chronic pain, can function as a communicative tool, facilitating understanding and empathy from others. Previous research has demonstrated that specific linguistic markers exist for areas such as pain catastrophizing, mood, as well as diagnostic categories. The current study sought to examine potential associations between the types of pain metaphors used and diagnostic category, disability, and mood.

Design

Online cross-sectional survey in Sydney, Australia.

Subjects

People with chronic pain (n = 247, age 19–78 years, M = 43.69).

Methods

The data collected included demographics, pain metaphors, the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Associations between metaphor source domains, obtained via Systematic Metaphor Analysis, and scores on the BPI, DASS-21, as well as diagnostic group were considered using binary logistic analysis.

Results

Use of different pain metaphors was not associated with pain intensity, however the extent to which pain interfered with daily life did have a relationship with use of metaphorical language. Preliminary support was found for an association between the use of certain pain metaphors and self-reported diagnostic categories, notably Endometriosis, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and Neuropathic pain.

Conclusions

There may be specific linguistic metaphorical markers to indicate pain interference and for particular diagnoses. Appreciation of pain metaphors has potential to facilitate communication and enhance understanding in interactions between clinicians and people with chronic pain.
The Asymptotic Behavior of Bootstrap Support Values in Molecular Phylogenetics
Authors: Huang Jun , Liu Yuting , Zhu Tianqi , Yang Ziheng
Published: December 2020

The phylogenetic bootstrap is the most commonly used method for assessing statistical confidence in estimated phylogenies by non-Bayesian methods such as maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood (ML). It is observed that bootstrap support tends to be high in large genomic data sets whether or not the inferred trees and clades are correct. Here, we study the asymptotic behavior of bootstrap support for the ML tree in large data sets when the competing phylogenetic trees are equally right or equally wrong. We consider phylogenetic reconstruction as a problem of statistical model selection when the compared models are nonnested and misspecified. The bootstrap is found to have qualitatively different dynamics from Bayesian inference and does not exhibit the polarized behavior of posterior model probabilities, consistent with the empirical observation that the bootstrap is more conservative than Bayesian probabilities. Nevertheless, bootstrap support similarly shows fluctuations among large data sets, with no convergence to a point value, when the compared models are equally right or equally wrong. Thus, in large data sets strong support for wrong trees or models is likely to occur. Our analysis provides a partial explanation for the high bootstrap support values for incorrect clades observed in empirical data analysis. [Bootstrap; model selection; star-tree paradox; support value.]
Authors and Authorship
Authors: Coogan Michael
Published: December 2020

Who wrote the Bible?

The simple fact is that we don’t know who wrote much of the Bible. Although the names of apparent authors are found in many biblical books and parts of books, scholars have concluded that not all of those individuals wrote the...
The Contexts of the Bible
Authors: Coogan Michael
Published: December 2020

Why is it important to study the contexts in which the biblical writers lived?

Because the Bible was not written in a vacuum, but in a world—or rather, many worlds—that are different from ours, understanding those worlds helps us understand the Bible. Reading the Bible...
The Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium: Key Drivers of Transformative Change
Authors: Lomis Kimberly D. , Santen Sally A. , Dekhtyar Michael , Elliott Victoria Stagg , Richardson Judee , Hammoud Maya M. , Hawkins Richard , Skochelak Susan E.
Published: December 2020

The American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) Accelerating Change in Medical Education (ACE) initiative, launched in 2013 to foster advancements in undergraduate medical education, has led to the development and scaling of innovations influencing the full continuum of medical training. Initial grants of $1 million were awarded to 11 U.S. medical schools, with 21 schools joining the consortium in 2016 at a lower funding level. Almost one-fifth of all U.S. MD- and DO-granting medical schools are represented in the 32-member consortium. In the first 5 years, the consortium medical schools have delivered innovative educational experiences to approximately 19,000 medical students, who will provide a potential 33 million patient care visits annually. The core initiative objectives focus on competency-based approaches to medical education and individualized pathways for students, training in health systems science, and enhancing the learning environment.

At the close of the initial 5-year grant period, AMA leadership sought to catalogue outputs and understand how the structure of the consortium may have influenced its outcomes. Themes from qualitative analysis of stakeholder interviews as well as other sources of evidence aligned with the 4 elements of the transformational leadership model (inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and idealized influence) and can be used to inform future innovation interventions. For example, the ACE initiative has been successful in stimulating change at the consortium schools and propagating those innovations broadly, with outputs involving medical students, faculty, medical schools, affiliated health systems, and the broader educational landscape. In summary, the ACE initiative has fostered a far-reaching community of innovation that will continue to drive change across the continuum of medical education.
Perspectives in Evaluating Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators in Human Hair: A Short Communication
Authors: Kintz Pascal , Gheddar Laurie , Ameline Alice , Raul Jean-Sébastien
Published: December 2020

Background:

As hair testing increases the window of drug detection and permits the differentiation of long-term use from a single exposure when performing segmental analyses (which also allows establishing the pattern of use), this matrix should be considered as a suitable complement to standard investigations in clinical, forensic, and sport toxicology. The authors were recently involved in 3 cases where hair analysis was used to demonstrate the use of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), including ligandrol (LGD-4033), andarine (S-4), and ostarine (S-22). SARMs are increasingly being abused as “safe” alternatives to steroids.

Methods:

After decontamination using dichloromethane, hair specimens were segmented, cut into very small segments (<1 mm), incubated overnight in a buffer, and extracted using a mixture of organic solvents. Drugs were tested using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and confirmed using liquid chromatography/HRMS.

Results:

The determined concentrations were as follows: ligandrol, 14–42 pg/mg; andarine, 0.1–0.7 pg/mg; and ostarine, 3–21 pg/mg.

Conclusions:

To enhance performance, SARMs must be used on a long-term basis, which can have serious clinical consequences, including liver damage, myocardial infarction, and blood clots. Hair testing for SARMs has additional benefits versus urine analysis as it can detect the parent compound and numerous metabolites.
Pneumatic Dissection for Large-Diameter (9-mm) Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty in Eyes With Previous Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty
Authors: Yu Angeli Christy , Myerscough James , Galante Giuditta , Furiosi Luca , Socea Sergiu , Bovone Cristina , Busin Massimo
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To evaluate the surgical and 3-year clinical outcomes of modified big-bubble 9-mm deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in eyes with previous ALK (ALK).

Methods:

In this interventional case series, 21 consecutive eyes with unsatisfactory vision after ALK (superficial ALK n = 9; laser-assisted ALK n = 7; and epikeratophakia n = 5) underwent large-diameter (9-mm) DALK. The surgery involved deep trephination based on the anterior segment optical coherence tomography pachymetry measurement at 9-mm diameter, pneumatic dissection from the base of the trephination and limited stromal clearance of the optical zone (6 mm). Main outcome measures were success rates of pneumatic dissection, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, and complication rates.

Results:

Pneumatic dissection with type 1 bubble formation succeeded in 19 (90%) eyes. In the 2 remaining cases, the 6-mm optical zone was cleared by manual dissection. Perforation occurred in one of the latter cases; no procedure was converted to penetrating keratoplasty. One month after complete suture removal, the preoperative mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (0.75 ± 0.23 logMAR) improved to 0.09 ± 0.10 logMAR (P < 0.001) and remained stable up to 3 years after surgery. At the final follow-up, refractive astigmatism was ≤4.5 and <6 D in 20 (95%) and 21 (100%) eyes, respectively. Stromal rejection was observed in 2 eyes (10%) and was treated successfully with steroids.

Conclusions:

Even in eyes with previous ALK, pneumatic dissection can be achieved through a modified DALK technique with a low risk of complications and excellent visual and refractive outcomes.
Conjunctival Vessels in Diabetes Using Functional Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy
Authors: Hwang Jodi , Karanam Veena , Wang Jianhua , Feuer William J. , Garg Rajesh K. , Tamariz Leonardo , Galor Anat
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

This study used functional slit lamp biomicroscopy (FSLB) to quantify conjunctival microvessel parameters in individuals with and without diabetes and examined whether these metrics could be used as surrogate markers of diabetes-related complications.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study of 98 controls (C), 13 individuals with diabetes without complications (D–C), and 21 with diabetes and related complications (D+C), which included retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular-, peripheral vascular-, and cerebrovascular diseases, was performed. Bulbar conjunctival metrics (venule diameter, length, axial velocity [Va], cross-sectional velocity [Vs], flow [Q], and branching complexity) were measured using FSLB (digital camera mounted on traditional slit lamp).

Results:

The mean age was 60 ± 11 years, and demographics were similar across the groups. Va and Vs significantly differed between groups. Va was 0.51 ± 0.17 mm/s, 0.62 ± 0.17 mm/s, and 0.45 ± 0.17 mm/s in the C, D–C, and D+C groups, respectively (P = 0.025). Similarly, Vs was 0.35 ± 01.12, 0.43 ± 0.13, and 0.32 ± 0.13 mm/s in the C, D–C, and D+C groups, respectively (P = 0.031). Black individuals had increased Va, Vs, and Q compared with White individuals (P < 0.05), but differences in velocities persisted after accounting for race. Among patients with diabetes, Va and Vs correlated with number of organ systems affected (Va: ρ = −0.42, P = 0.016; Vs: ρ = −0.41, P = 0.021). Va, Vs, and Q significantly (P ≤ 0.005) discriminated between diabetic patients with and without complications (area under the receiver operating curve for Va = 0.81, Vs = 0.79, Q = 0.81).

Conclusions:

Bulbar conjunctival blood flow metrics measured by FSLB differed between controls, diabetic patients without complications, and diabetic patients with complications. FSLB is a quick, easily accessible, and noninvasive alternative that might estimate the burden of vascular complications in diabetes.
Rehabilitation Outcomes for Patients With Severe Presentation of COVID-19: A Case Series
Authors: Solon Kathryn , Larson Allison , Ronnebaum Julie , Stevermer Catherine
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To provide an outline of the timeline from acute care admission to inpatient rehabilitation facility discharge and describe the functional progress and tolerance of 2 individuals who were hospitalized but not intubated because of COVID-19.

Method:

Retrospective data were collected from the electronic medical record to describe the rehabilitation course of the first 2 consecutive patients admitted to the rehabilitation facility who were recovering from COVID-19. Both patients were octogenarian men who experienced functional decline while hospitalized for symptoms of COVID-19 and were recommended for further inpatient rehabilitation services. Progress during inpatient rehabilitation was tracked using the following outcome measures: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Quality Indicators (QI), 6-Minute Walk Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, Timed Up and Go, and Berg Balance Scale.

Results:

Patient 1 had an 18-day acute care stay, a 13-day inpatient rehabilitation facility stay, and was discharged to home. Patient 2 had an interrupted 19-day acute care stay, a 15-day inpatient rehabilitation facility stay, and was discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Patient 1 improved 160.98 m in the 6-Minute Walk Test, 0.08 m/s in self-selected walking speed, and 85 points in the total Quality Indicators score. Patient 2 improved 115.22 m in the 6-Minute Walk Test, 0.14 m/s in self-selected walking speed, and 39 points in the total Quality Indicators score.

Conclusion:

The patients made clinically meaningful improvements in each outcome measure during their length of stay for inpatient rehabilitation. This reveals the positive rehabilitation potential of 2 older adult patients with COVID-19 and demonstrates the patients' ability to maintain inpatient rehabilitation facility level of activity. With individualized care and discharge planning, similar patients may make significant gains in function despite advanced age and comorbid conditions.
The Role of Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pressure Injury Prevention
Authors: Slayton Stephanie , Deppisch Michelle , Kennepp Lynda , Parent-Lew Steve , Samson Barbara , Thurman Kristen
Published: December 2020

Physical and occupational therapists are not always thought of when it comes to pressure injury prevention; however, their training and knowledge makes them key players in the interprofessional team. Pressure injuries are costly medical issues that can impact a patient's ability to rehabilitate. Therapists need to understand the causes of pressure injuries to help reduce a patient's risk. Nursing uses risk assessment instruments to identify patients who are risk for developing a pressure injury. Many of the elements that therapists address in an evaluation and daily treatment are those that are also being addressed in the risk assessment instruments. This article provides an overview to help therapists recognize ways to incorporate pressure injury prevention into their evaluation and daily practice and effectively communicate with other health care professionals.
Comparison of Cochlear Implant Device Fixation—Well Drilling Versus Subperiosteal Pocket. A Cost Effectiveness, Case–Control Study
Authors: Stern Shavit Sagit , Weinstein Emery P. , Drusin Madeleine A. , Elkin Elena B. , Lustig Lawrence R. , Alexiades George
Published: December 2020

Objective:

To compare surgical characteristics and complications between well drilling (WD) and subperiosteal pocket techniques (SPT) for receiver/stimulator (R/S) fixation of cochlear implant (CI), and conduct cost-effectiveness analysis.

Study Design:

Retrospective clinical study, decision-analysis model.

Setting:

Tertiary referral center.

Patients:

Three-hundred and eighty-eight CI recipients with a minimum of 6-months follow-up.

Interventions:

CI surgery using either WD or SPT for R/S fixation. A decision-analysis model was designed using data from a systematic literature review.

Main Outcome Measures:

Surgical operation time, rates of major and minor long-term complications were compared. Incremental cost-effectiveness was also estimated, comparing the two methods of fixation.

Results:

We compared 179 WD with 209 SPT. Surgery time was significantly shorter in SPT (148 versus 169 min, p = 0.001) and remained significant after adjustment for possible confounders. Higher rates of major complications requiring surgical intervention were found with SPT (10.5% versus 4.5%, p = 0.042), however, the difference was not significant after adjusting for follow-up time (47.8 versus 32.5 months for SPT, WD respectively; p < 0.001). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for WD (compared with SPT) was $48,795 per major complication avoided, which was higher than the willingness-to-pay threshold of $47,700 (average cost of 2 h revision surgery).

Conclusions:

SPT was found to be faster but potentially risks more complications, particularly relating to device failure. Further long-term studies are required to validate these differences. Based on data from the current literature, neither of the methods is compellingly cost-effective over the other, and surgeons can base their choice on personal preference, comfort, and previous training.
Job Strain, Overweight, and Diabetes: A 13-Year Prospective Study Among 12,896 Men and Women in Ontario
Authors: Gilbert-Ouimet Mahée , Glazier Richard H. , Brisson Chantal , Mustard Cameron , Smith Peter M.
Published: December 2020

Objective

The American Diabetes Association recently called for research on social and environmental determinants of diabetes to intensify primary prevention. Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that frequent and modifiable psychosocial stressors at work might contribute to the development of diabetes, but more prospective studies are needed. We evaluated the relationship between job strain and diabetes incidence in 12,896 workers followed up over a 13-year period in Ontario, Canada. We also examined the modifying effect of body mass index in this relationship.

Methods

Data from Ontario respondents (35–74 years of age) to the 2000–2001, 2002, and 2003 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey were prospectively linked to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan database for physician services and the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database for hospital admissions. The sample consisted of actively employed participants with no previous diagnosis for diabetes. Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed to evaluate the relationship between job strain, obesity, and the incidence of diabetes.

Results

Overall, job strain was not associated with the incidence of diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.83–1.34). Among women, job strain was associated with an elevated risk of diabetes, although this finding did not reach statistical significance (HR = 1.36; 95% CI = 0.94–1.96). Among men, no association was observed (HR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.65–1.22). Also, job strain increased the risk of diabetes among women with obesity (HR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.14–3.08), whereas these stressors reduced the risk among men with obesity (HR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.36–0.95).

Conclusions

The current study suggests that lowering job strain might be an effective strategy for preventing diabetes among women, especially the high-risk group comprising women with obesity.
Excessiveness in Symptom-Related Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors: An Investigation of Somatic Symptom Disorders in the General Population
Authors: Toussaint Anne , Hüsing Paul , Kohlmann Sebastian , Brähler Elmar , Löwe Bernd
Published: December 2020

Objective

The diagnostic criteria of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) emphasize that somatic symptoms receive disease value once they are accompanied by excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. The main objective of this study was to examine what constitutes excessiveness in psychological reactions to somatic complaints and how excessive symptom-related behavior influences self-reported health status and health care utilization.

Methods

A national, representative general population survey was performed between January and March 2016 in Germany, including 2395 individuals older than 13 years. Self-report questionnaires (Somatic Symptom Scale-8, Somatic Symptom Disorder—B Criteria Scale) were used to operationalize the SSD criteria. Group differences in the daily amount of time dedicated to physical complaints were analyzed between individuals with and without SSD. Stepwise linear regression analyses were performed to predict general mental and physical health status, and health care utilization.

Results

There was a significant effect of group (SSD yes/no) in daily time spent on symptoms, after controlling for age, sex, depression, and anxiety (F(1,2336) = 447.53, p < .001). The SSD group (n = 213) reported an average of 4 hours, whereas individuals without SSD reported 30 minutes. Results of the regression analyses showed that the combination of somatic symptoms and symptom-related psychological features is predictive of worsened self-reported physical and mental health status, and increased health care utilization.

Conclusions

A range of 3 to 4 hours per day spent on dealing with physical complaints seems indicative of excessiveness. If, during a clinical consultation, a patient reports such a large amount of time, a more comprehensive clinical examination of SSD should follow.
Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Bo Hai-Xin , Yang Yuan , Chen Jie , Zhang Meng , Li Yilin , Zhang Dong-Ying , Li Ying , Li Rui , Cheung Teris , Ng Chee H. , Wu Xin-Juan , Xiang Yu-Tao
Published: December 2020

Objective

According to recent studies, the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with an increased risk of mental health problems across many subpopulations including pregnant and postnatal women. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms (depression hereafter) in Chinese pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study comprising 1309 pregnant and postpartum women across 12 provinces in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression was assessed using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

The prevalence of depression in pregnant and postpartum women was 27.43% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 25.01%–29.85%). Women who were worried about themselves or their babies being infected with COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.562, 95% CI = 1.670–3.929), and those who had delayed regular medical checkups (OR = 2.434, 95% CI = 1.580–3.750) were at higher risk of depression. Compared with those living in central and western parts of China, women living in northern (OR = 0.513, 95% CI = 0.326–0.807) and southeastern parts of China (OR = 0.626, 95% CI = 0.463–0.846) were less likely to have depression.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increased likelihood of mental health problems among pregnant and postnatal women. Over a quarter of the pregnant and postpartum women in China had depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the negative health impact of depression, preventive measures, regular mental health screening, and medical checkups are needed with the goal to reduce the risk of depression in this vulnerable population during a pandemic.
Effects of Rivastigmine on Brain Functional Networks in Patients With Alzheimer Disease Based on the Graph Theory
Authors: Zhang Jiangtao , Cheng Jianan , Yang Hua
Published: December 2020

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of rivastigmine on brain function in Alzheimer disease (AD) by analyzing brain functional network based on the graph theory.

Methods

We enrolled 9 patients with mild to moderate AD who received rivastigmine treatment and 9 healthy controls (HC). Subsequently, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to establish the whole-brain functional network using a graph theory–based analysis. Furthermore, we compared systemic and local network indicators between pre- and posttreatment.

Results

Patients with AD exhibited a posttreatment increase in the Mini-Mental State Examination scores and a decrease in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale scores and activities of daily living. The systemic network for HC and patients with AD had good pre- and posttreatment clustering coefficients. There was no change in theCp,Lp, Gamma, Lambda, and Sigma in patients with AD. There were no significant between-group differences in the pre- and posttreatment systemic network measures. Regarding the regional network, patients with AD showed increased betweenness centrality in the bilateral caudate nucleus and right superior temporal pole after treatment with rivastigmine. However, there was no between-group difference in the pre- and posttreatment betweenness centrality of these regions. There were no significant correlations between regional network measure changes and clinical score alterations in patients with AD.

Conclusions

There are similar systemic network properties between patients with AD and HC. Rivastigmine cannot alter systemic network attributes in patients with AD. However, it improves the topological properties of regional networks and between-node information transmission in patients with AD.
Combination of experiments and CFD analysis for in-flight wings deflections estimation
Authors: Ovesy Hamid Reza , Gharibi Ali , Khaki Reza
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to develop a new correlation method for prediction of in-flight wings deflections by integration of the experimental ground tests with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The ground test results are implemented in the curve fitting process to determine deflections at 66 specific points (SPs) on the front and rear wing torque box. By using the obtained deflections and the corresponding applied loads, an experimental deflection equation (EDE) for each point is established through the Castigliano’s theorem. The CFD aerodynamic loads of typical aircraft, which have been obtained earlier by the authors, are once again used in the current research. The total applied loads to each part are achieved via summation of inertia and aerodynamic loads. The obtained loads are transformed to the equivalent concentrated loads at the SPs. By substituting the concentrated load values in the EDEs, the SPs deflections are achieved for mentioned flight conditions. The resulted deflections and the corresponding input flight parameters, i.e. M and α, are incorporated into a linear regression method for development of the appropriate in-flight deflection equations (IFDEs). The validity of IFDEs is approved by comparing IFDEs’ deflections with the corresponding ones calculated through EDEs for different flight conditions.

Findings

As an alternative approach to the fairly expensive flight tests, the IFDEs can be used to predict the in-flight wing deflections with comparable degree of accuracy.

Originality/value

Prediction of actual wing deflections distributions without flight tests execution at any given flight condition.
Examining the relationship between neuropsychological functioning assessed during admission to a high secure psychiatric care hospital and vulnerability to long-term segregation
Authors: McMichael Ishbel , Tiley Olivia , Broyd Josephine , Murphy David
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between neuropsychological functioning as assessed following admission to a high secure psychiatric care (HSPC) hospital and subsequent time spent in long-term segregation (LTS). Evidence from forensic populations suggests neuropsychological functioning difficulties can increase vulnerability to interpersonal violence. However, the impact of this relationship on restrictive interventions used in these settings is poorly understood.

Design/methodology/approach

This study quantitatively examined the neuropsychological profiles of 80 male HSPC patients as assessed during routine admission assessments, comparing data against any subsequent LTS duration during a one-year period, and a non-LTS control (n = 27).

Findings

Analysis found individuals who were willing and able to complete a routine neuropsychological admissions assessment spent significantly less time in LTS than those unable to complete the assessment. Performance within a test of novel problem solving (Key Search Test) was significantly worse in the LTS group than controls. Performance within a visual memory task (Immediate Recall section of the Rey Complex Figure Test) significantly correlated with LTS duration. Additional findings suggest the absence of self-reported planning difficulties as measured by a Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) negatively correlated with LTS duration, while self-reported restlessness was positively correlated with LTS.

Practical implications

This has implications for early assessment of LTS risk and potential use of cognitive interventions to reduce the use of restrictive practices.

Originality/value

The results suggest some aspects of neuropsychological performance as assessed during admission to a HSPC hospital appear to be related to subsequent time spent in LTS.
The manifestation of coordination failures in service triads
Authors: Kalra Jas , Lewis Michael , Roehrich Jens K.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate governance in service triads, specifically studying significant steering and connecting coordination failures, to reveal typically hidden characteristics and consequences.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focuses on coordination functions and activities between a buyer (a government department), a customer (a military service) and two service providers. Rich data on these normally confidential service ties are drawn from an official report into the causes of a fatal accident involving a UK reconnaissance aircraft and specifically from the evidence presented regarding the earlier development of its complex safety case. The authors also analysed a range of additional secondary data sources.

Findings

The authors examine the sources, drivers and manifestation of coordination failures. The authors uncover a series of coordination failures driven from the bridge position, revealing that while bounded rationality and opportunism influenced steering coordination failures, connecting coordination failures were associated with knowledge asymmetry, dyadic inertia and unethical practices.

Practical implications

Organisations and governments delivering complex projects and knowledge-intensive professional services should guard against outsourcing the “coordination” activity to a third party, thereby relinquishing the bridge position. Handing over the bridge position to an integrator would leave the client vulnerable to coordination dysfunctions such as bounded rationality, opportunism, knowledge asymmetry, dyadic inertia and unethical practices.

Originality/value

The study links the previously separate research streams of service triads and inter-organizational coordination. While extant research pays attention to mainly positive control functions, this study focuses on all three actors in two (failed) service triads – and highlights the impact of coordination activities and failures.
Economic valuation of environmental attributes of the Yanachaga–Chemillén National Park via contingent valuation and choice experiment
Authors: Amaya Pedro Manuel , Esenarro Vargas Doris , Rodriguez Rodriguez Ciro , Vega Violeta , López Bulnes Jorge
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the first economic valuation of four environmental attributes of the Yanachaga–Chemillén National Park (PNYCH – Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén) in Peru.

Design/methodology/approach

This study included households in three cities adjacent to the PNYCH and assessed the willingness to pay (WTP) for preservation efforts of these natural services to avoid the predicted loss in forest area by 2030 (currently 143,425 hectares per year).

Findings

The results showed that the average WTP was US$0.695 (2.3197 soles) per household annually. Added to all households in Peru (9 million), this is equivalent to approximately 6.255 million dollars annually.

Practical implications

The economic valuation of these attributes is complementary to the contingent valuation and can have a significant impact, as this data influences decision-making and public policies focused on conserving forests and biodiversity.

Social implications

Upon using the choice experiment (CE) model, the attributes that have the most significant impact on inhabitants’ well-being were economic benefits. The flora and fauna coverage attributes were beneficial for the inhabitants of the place because they valued the proposed recovery and conservation program in a positive and differential way.

Originality/value

From the collection of valuable economic data, the novelty lies in using the CE method, which has not yet been applied in valuations of natural ecosystem services in Peru.
Type IV pili are widespread among non‐pathogenic Gram‐positive gut bacteria with diverse carbohydrate utilization patterns
Authors: Rozman Vita , Accetto Tomaž , Duncan Sylvia H. , Flint Harry J. , Vodovnik Maša
Published: December 2020

Type IV pili (T4P) are bacterial surface‐exposed appendages that have been extensively studied in Gram‐negative pathogenic bacteria. Despite recent sequencing efforts, little is known regarding these structures in non‐pathogenic anaerobic Gram‐positive species, particularly commensals of the mammalian gut. Early studies revealed that T4P in two ruminal Gram‐positive species are associated with growth on cellulose, suggesting possible associations of T4P with substrate utilization patterns. In the present study, genome sequences of 118 taxonomically diverse, mainly Gram‐positive, bacterial strains isolated from anaerobic (gastrointestinal) environments, have been analysed. The genes likely to be associated with T4P biogenesis were analysed and grouped according to T4P genetic organization. In parallel, consortia of Carbohydrate Active enZYmes (CAZymes) were also analysed and used to predict carbohydrate utilization abilities of selected strains. The predictive power of this approach was additionally confirmed by experimental assessment of substrate‐related growth patterns of selected strains. Our analysis revealed that T4P systems with diverse genetic organization are widespread among Gram‐positive anaerobic non‐pathogenic bacteria isolated from different environments, belonging to two phylogenetically distantly related phyla: Firmicutes and Actinobacteria.
Fava bean (Vicia faba L.) for food applications: From seed to ingredient processing and its effect on functional properties, antinutritional factors, flavor, and color
Authors: Sharan Siddharth , Zanghelini Gabriela , Zotzel Jens , Bonerz Daniel , Aschoff Julian , Saint‐Eve Anne , Maillard Marie‐Noëlle
Published: December 2020

The food industry, along with the consumers, is interested in plant‐based diet because of its health benefits and environmental sustainability. Vicia faba L. (V. faba) is a promising source of pulse proteins for the human diet and can yield potential nutritional and functional ingredients, namely, flours, concentrates, and isolates, which are relevant for industrial food applications. Different processes produce and functionalize V. faba ingredients relevant for industrial food applications, along with various alternatives within each unit operation used in their production. Processing modifies functional properties of the ingredients, which can occur by (i) changing in overall nutritional composition after processing steps and/or (ii) modifying the structure and conformation of protein and of other components present in the ingredients. Furthermore, V. faba limitations due to off‐flavor, color, and antinutritional factors are influenced by ingredient production and processing that play a significant role in their consumer acceptability in foods. This review attempts to elucidate the influence of different ways of processing on the functional, sensory, and safety aspects of V. faba L. ingredients, highlighting the need for further research to better understand how the food industry could improve their utilization in the market.
Combined rotational and capillary rheomtery to determine slip coefficients and other rheological properties of orange pulp
Authors: Payne Elyse M. , Reyes‐De‐Corcuera José I.
Published: December 2020

The characterization of the rheological properties of orange pulp under typical processing temperatures is needed for the design and optimization of orange pulp processing systems. The flow of orange pulp produced slip at shear rates at ∼1 to 5 s−1. Rotational rheometry revealed that the flow behavior of orange pulp before slip occurrence followed the Power Law model for concentrations of ∼500 to 800 g/L at 4 to 80 °C. The consistency coefficient (K) ranged from 33 to 234 Pa·sn and the flow behavior index n ranged from 0.18 to 0.24. Both, K and n decreased with temperature. While K fitted well an Arrhenius‐like model, n best fitted a linear model. As concentration increased K increased linearly, while n was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected. The flow without slip was calculated using the Power Law parameters from rotational rheometry and the wall shear stress (σw) from capillary rheometry for the experimental flow rates. This allowed calculating the corrected slip coefficient βc and obviated the need for pipes with multiple diameters. βc decreased by one order of magnitude when temperature increased from 4 to 50 °C when σw was 0.1 kPa. The effect was exacerbated with increased flow rate. Similarly, βc increased by about one order of magnitude when pulp concentration increased from ∼550 to 850 g/L at 80 °C. The increase in βc with temperature indicated that the effect of temperature in the consistency of the bulk was different from its effect on the consistency of the liquid phase near the pipe wall.

Practical Application

Design and optimization of processes equipment and industrial handling systems of orange pulp require detailed knowledge of their rheological (flow) properties. Citrus pulp like fruit pastes and purees produce less friction than one would anticipate when they flow because the liquid fraction acts as a lubricant. This study presents an original method for such characterization and shows that wall slip is greatly affected by temperature and concentration.