bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Somatic Mutation of BAP1 Can Lead to Expression Loss in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: Next Generation Sequencing and IHC Analysis in A Large Single Institute Cohort
Authors: Sun Tong , Wang Xi , Wang Minhua , Minerowicz Christine , Sanchez Harold , Laskin William , Cohen Paul , Zhong Minghao
Published: December 2021

Introduction. As a tumor suppressor, germline and somatic inactivation of BRCA1 associated protein 1 gene ( BAP1) is a common finding in mesothelioma, melanocytic tumors, clear cell renal cell carcinoma and several other epithelial, mesenchymal and neural tumors. Incidence of BAP1 genetic alterations and subsequent expression loss has not been well established in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) by large-scale studies. Design. After IRB approval, a total of 356 NSCLC cases of our institution between July 2016 and June 2020 were reviewed. The study cohort consisted of 214 (60%) adenocarcinomas, 89 (25%) squamous cell carcinomas, and 53 (15%) diagnosed as “non-small cell lung carcinoma” without specified subtype. All tumors underwent comprehensive target cancer gene next generation sequencing (Oncomine Assay). The protein expression status of BAP1 was subsequently evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results. BAP1 somatic mutations were detected in 8 NSCLC tumors (incidence: 2.2%). Tumors harboring BAP1 mutations were all diagnosed at advanced stage and carried at least one additional genetic alteration. Immunohistochemically, four tumors showed complete loss of BAP1 protein expression, including two adenocarcinomas which harbored different missense BAP1 mutations and another two with bioinformatically predicated deleterious frameshifting mutations. Conclusion. Compared with known BAP1 loss associated other malignancies, such as mesothelioma, inactivation of BAP1 by somatic mutation is a rare occurrence in NSCLC. BAP1 mutations and loss of expression in NSCLC are accompanied by other complex genetic alternations, suggesting BAP1 mutation maybe a late event NSCLC carcinogenesis.
Extragenital endometrial stromal sarcoma of transverse mesocolon: A diagnostic conundrum
Authors: Sharma Aishwarya , Bal Munita , Menon Santosh
Published: December 2021

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is a rare uterine neoplasm infrequently arising in extra-genital sites. Herein, we report an extremely rare case of primary extra-genital ESS of transverse mesocolon occurring in a 51-year-old female presenting with gradually increasing abdominal mass. The clinical diagnosis considered was a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Intra-operatively, the mass was confined exclusively to the transverse mesocolon. Microscopy revealed a cellular tumor composed of oval to elongate neoplastic cells with hyperchromatic nuclei, inconspicuous nucleoli and were immunoreactive for CD10, progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor (ER), and PAX8; negative for KIT, CD34, SMA, S100, synaptophysin, chromogranin, WT1, and calretinin. A distinct arborizing network of arterioles along with foci of endometriosis was also seen. We present this case for its extreme rarity and the challenges entailed in its diagnosis.
Generating Science Buzz: An Examination of Multidimensional Engagement With Humorous Scientific Messages on Twitter and Instagram
Authors: Su Leona Yi-Fan , McKasy Meaghan , Cacciatore Michael A. , Yeo Sara K. , DeGrauw Alexandria R. , Zhang Jennifer Shiyue
Published: December 2021

This study investigates the types of humor embedded in funny scientific posts on social media and their effects on engagement. We mapped the landscape of such posts on Twitter and Instagram through content analysis of their message attributes. Regression analyses were then conducted to examine how different humor types, communicative functions, and visual attributes were associated with liking, retweeting, and commenting. On Twitter, wordplay and satire were found to be positively related to posts’ engagement levels, while anthropomorphic humor was negatively associated with the presence of comments. On Instagram, humor had no relation to engagement.
Rethinking the Politics of Creativity: Posthumanism, Indigeneity, and Creativity Beyond the Western Anthropocene
Authors: Henriksen Danah , Creely Edwin , Mehta Rohit
Published: December 2021

With the emergence of Western posthuman understandings, new materialism, artificial intelligence (AI), and the growing acknowledgment of Indigenous epistemologies, an ongoing rethinking of existing assumptions and meanings about creativity is needed. The intersection of new technologies and philosophical stances that upend human-centered views of reality suggests that creativity is not an exclusively “human” activity. This opens new possibilities and assemblages for conceiving of creativity, but not without tensions. In this article, we connect multiple threads, to reimagine creativity in light of posthuman understandings and the possibilities for creative emergence beyond the Anthropocene. Creativity is implicated as emerging beyond non-human spaces, such as through digitality and AI or sources in the natural world. This unseats many understandings of creativity as positioned in Euro-Western literature. We offer four areas of concern for interrogating tensions in this area, aiming to open new possibilities for practice, research, and (re)conceptualization beyond Western understandings.
Quantum Creativity: Afracting New Materialism in the Anthropocene
Authors: jagodzinski jan
Published: December 2021

This essay engages the vicissitudes of new materialism at the quantum level, attempting to differentiate what I take to be fundamental differences in the theoretical positions of vitalist theories as developed by Karen Barad and Deleuze and Guattari in relation to the Anthropocene. I treat matter at the quantum level to differentiate conceptions of apparatus and assemblage. It is argued that one should not treat them under the same signifiers. There is the question of creativity that runs through the essay which also raises questions concerning an “affirmative” Deleuze, the dominant position when it comes to the arts, humanities, and pedagogy. Against these particular developments, anorganic life as in|different comes to fore where issues of creative destruction must be faced.
A theoretical method of mechanical analysis for a circular tunnel reinforced by fully grouted rock bolts
Authors: Liu Yijie , Lu Aizhong , Zeng Xiangtai
Published: December 2021

Analysis of the mechanical behavior of rock mass reinforced by fully grouted rock bolts is introduced based on the interaction between the rock mass and the bolts. The model is based on the following premises: (1) the elastic behavior of the rock mass and rock bolts; (2) the plane strain condition; (3) a deeply buried circular tunnel; (4) complete contact between the bolts and the surrounding rock, that is, they are bonded together; (5) the loads on the surrounding rock from the fully grouted rock bolts are replaced by innumerable concentrated forces along the longitudinal direction of the bolts. For this, the analytical radial displacement solution for a deeply buried circular tunnel subjected to concentrated forces at arbitrary points in surrounding rock is derived. As long as this displacement solution is integrated along the length direction of the bolt, the effect of the bolt on the surrounding rock can be obtained. According to the complete contact condition at the anchoring interface and the force balance condition of the bolts, under the action of the in situ stress, linear equations made up of shear stresses on the bolts are established, from which the distribution of shear stresses and axial forces along the bolts can be solved. Model simulations confirm the previous findings that each installed bolt has a pick-up length, an anchor length and a neutral point. Besides, the influence of the parameters of the rock bolts and the surrounding rock are discussed. The conclusion is consistent with the results of a practical project without adopting any empirical equations. The results of this method can provide a theoretical basis for the design and layout of rock bolts in underground caverns.
Circumventing coalition oversight in multiparty governments: Bill referral to parliamentary committees in the Finnish Eduskunta
Authors: Lin Nick , Yordanova Nikoleta
Published: December 2021

Existing research largely agrees that to minimize ministerial drift, political parties in multiparty governments tend to use parliamentary committees to monitor each other. Particularly, they strive to chair parliamentary committees corresponding to ministerial departments to keep tabs on their ruling partners. Yet, policing ministerial activities through a chair-based monitoring system requires perfect correspondence of jurisdictions between ministries and committees. We suggest that when perfect correspondence is absent, ministerial parties may strategically circumvent committee oversight. Specifically, motivated by policy preference divergence with the coalition partner, ministers can draft proposals to make their referral to a friendlier committee more likely than referral to a hostile watchdog committee chaired by the partner. Our analysis of committee referrals of over 2800 ministerial proposals from the Finnish Eduskunta (2001–2015) confirms this expectation. The results, therefore, bring important new insights to our understanding of parliamentary scrutiny and partner oversight under coalition governments.
The issue is moot: Decolonizing art/artifact
Authors: Phillips Ruth B.
Published: December 2021

This article seeks to step back from the long-standing debate between art and artifact—aesthetics and science-- understood as terms that reference central concerns of the quintessentially modern Western disciplines of art history and anthropology. In their landmark edited volume The Traffic in Culture: Refiguring Art and Anthropology, George Marcus and Fred Myers explored the growing convergences exhibited by the concerns and methods of practitioners of the two disciplines, both in the academy and the museum. By training our attention on contemporary artworlds—understood as systems—they illuminated the exchanges of aesthetic and conceptual ideas and forms that have brought Western and non-Western arts into shared discursive and real spaces. Yet in the quarter century since the book’s publication there has been a noticeable retreat from attempts by the proponents of visual studies and an expanded visual anthropology to actualize disciplinary convergences. The boundaries that separate art and anthropology have not been dissolved. Art historians and anthropologists continue to ask different questions and to support different regimes of value.

From the author’s vantage point in a settler society currently directing considerable energies to institutional projects of decolonization the old debates have rapidly been receding as a new ‘third term’ – Indigenous Studies-- intrudes itself on the well trodden terrain. Not (yet) definable as a discipline but, rather, maintaining itself as an orientation, Indigenous Studies nevertheless renders the earlier disciplinary debates moot. Place, rather than time-based, collective rather than individual, holistic rather than either disciplinary or interdisciplinary, Indigenous Studies formulations exert decolonizing pressures on institutions that are rapidly mounting. Using Anishinaabeg: Art and Power, a show in 2017 at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), as a case study, this article shows how an exhibition moved representation away from the art/artifact dichotomy as well as from contested strategies of ‘inclusion’ and pro forma recognitions of ‘Indigenous ontology’ toward a genuine paradigm shift.
The company you keep: Social network characteristics and political participation disparity among adolescents and young adults
Authors: Ahmed Saifuddin , Gil-Lopez Teresa
Published: December 2021

The role of social network characteristics in further dissipating political participation among adolescents and young adults or mobilizing them into participatory action is debatable. This study analyzes survey data from 10 Southeast European democracies to examine the influence of informational use of online media (Internet and social media) and social network characteristics on political interest–based participatory gaps among adolescents and young adults. The findings support the reinforcement thesis that politically interested individuals exploit the benefits of online media use, thereby exacerbating participation gaps between low- and high-interest groups. These gaps are further amplified in more heterogeneous networks for both adolescents and young adults. In contrast, politically interested adolescents are more likely to politically disengage within more extensive social networks and, hence, resemble politically detached young adults. Overall, the findings support the reinforcement thesis across age groups where greater network heterogeneity amplifies participatory gaps for both adolescents and young adults, but network size plays a conditional role for adolescents.
A study of web ecology: The use of trackers on pro science climate change and climate denier websites
Authors: Alperstein Neil M
Published: December 2021

In this article, the website infrastructures of both pro science climate change and climate denier websites are examined. The focus is on the backstage of the website, defined as the use of widgets, ad trackers, beacons, and analytics and not the website content, or what might be described as the front stage. This research addresses questions about the presence and use of trackers within the commodification of user attention, the audience economy. The study concludes that organizations on both sides of the climate issue use similar strategies in monetizing their websites and tracking user behavior. Moreover, the infrastructure that is created among the platforms reflects the major role that big tech plays in developing an interconnected web of tracker technologies. While website transparency may remain an ideal, the study advocates for a responsible approach to website development, one that acknowledges the complexity of the issue within a stronger regulatory environment.
From story to book: Discourse analysis between teacher and student in the creation of a culturally relevant text
Authors: Jennerjohn Anna
Published: December 2021

Lack of representation of children from nondominant cultural and linguistic backgrounds continues to be problematic in children’s literature, and especially within early literacy texts for beginning readers. One remedy is for children to tell their own stories through the language experience approach, which can then be printed into culturally relevant texts and used for beginning reading material in classrooms. To truly capture a student’s story, especially if the student is an emergent bilingual, a teacher must listen very closely and take care when adjusting the child’s story. Two Bakhtinian concepts support the careful examination of a teacher’s scribing of story in this study: chronotope, used here as the time-space sphere above the text, and revoicing, or the retelling of a child’s story that is paraphrased or altered. Findings show that gesture within the chronotope of the story is an especially generative tool for student storytelling and that teachers must reflect closely on intentional or unintentional reasons for revoicing a child’s story. Language experience approach holds possibilities for the creation of children’s culturally relevant texts. As such, it is important that teachers reflect on their language experience approach techniques so that the book remains true to the child’s story.
Aspirational taste regime: Masculinities and consumption in pick-up artist training in China
Authors: Liu Haiping
Published: December 2021

Based upon 2 years of ethnographic fieldwork, this study proposes “aspirational taste regime” as a critical concept through which to examine the emergence of a discursively constructed normative system in China’s Pick-Up Artist (PUA) training programs. By unpacking how taste is practiced both digitally and corporeally in these programs, the paper argues that Chinese PUA learners carefully curate taste for an illusionary, at times even deceptive, presentation of idealized masculinities to increase their matrimonial chances. In doing so, this paper extends the literature on taste regimes by moving beyond its typically Western focus. It directs attention to an aspirational taste regime that capitalizes on young men’s aspirations for idealized masculinities and prescribes a seemingly effortless but in fact highly curated online presentation of cultural-capital-oriented consumption.
Co-designing complex interventions with people living with dementia and their supporters
Authors: Lord Kathryn , Kelleher Daniel , Ogden Margaret , Mason Clare , Rapaport Penny , Burton Alexandra , Leverton Monica , Downs Murna , Souris Helen , Jackson Joy , Lang Iain , Manthorpe Jill , Cooper Claudia
Published: December 2021

Background and objectives

We engaged people living with dementia, family carers and health and social care professionals in co-designing two dementia care interventions: for family carers and people living with dementia (New Interventions for Independence in Dementia Study (NIDUS)-family and home-care workers (NIDUS-professional training programme).

Research design and methods

Over October 2019–March 2020, we invited public and patient (PPI) and professional members of our NIDUS co-design groups to complete the PPI Engagement Evaluation Tool (designed to assess engagement activities), and non-professional PPI members to participate in qualitative telephone interviews. We thematically analysed and integrated mixed-methods findings.

Results

Most (15/20; 75%) of the PPI members approached participated. We identified four themes: (1) Creating the right atmosphere: participants found group meetings positive and enabling, though one health professional was unsure how to position themselves within them; (2) Participants influencing the outcome: while most members felt that they had some influence, for one carer consultation seemed too late to influence; (3) Having the right information: several carers wanted greater clarity and more regular updates from researchers; (4) Unique challenges for people living with dementia: memory problems presented challenges in engaging with substantial information, and within a large group.

Discussion and implications

We reflect on the importance of providing accessible, regular updates, managing power imbalances between co-design group members with lived and professional experiences; and ensuring needs and voices of people living with dementia are prioritised. We encourage future studies to incorporate evaluations of co-design processes into study design.
Contrasts in freedom: Comparing the experiences of imprisonment in open and closed prisons in England and Wales and Norway
Authors: Mjåland Kristian , Laursen Julie , Schliehe Anna , Larmour Simon
Published: December 2021

Open prisons are portrayed as less harmful custodial institutions than closed prisons, and prison systems that rely more heavily on low security imprisonment are typically considered to have a more humane and less punitive approach to punishment. However, few studies have systematically compared the subjective experiences of prisoners held in open and closed prisons, and no study has yet compared the role and function of open prisons across jurisdictions. Drawing on a survey conducted with prisoners (N = 1082) in 13 prisons in England and Wales and Norway, we provide the first comparative analysis of experiences of imprisonment in closed and open prisons, conducted in countries with diverging penal philosophies (‘neoliberal’ vs. ‘social democratic’). The article documents that open prisons play a much more significant role in Norway than in England and Wales; that prisoners in both countries rate their experience significantly more positively in open compared to closed prisons; and that while imprisonment seems to produce similar kinds of pains in both types of prisons, they are perceived as less severe and more manageable in open prisons. These findings suggest important implications for comparative penology, penal policy, and prison reform.
Formal grammar methodology for digital visualization of Islamic geometric patterns
Authors: Refalian Ghazal , Coloma Eloi , Moya Joaquim N
Published: December 2021

In the oriental practice of art and architecture, and among the regions under their influence, Islamic geometric patterns (IGPs) have been widely used, not only due to aesthetics and decoration but also to make it possible to cover wide flat surfaces, curved surface of domes, and perforated surfaces of window and partitions, with perfectly tessellated shapes. However, with advances in time and technology, these techniques could not connect to the new technologies and benefit from the capacities of digitalization. Recent progress in science and technology tends to open new doors to study geometrical patterns by digitalizing the old ones and developing new variations. This study looks at formal grammar and computer science to introduce a new approach to digital visualization of available IGPs, particularly, star patterns.

We investigate the potentials of developing a re-writing system for simulation of IGPs to provide a flexible platform, which allows introducing IGP to CAD/CAM software without previous knowledge on their design or drawing techniques. This methodology allows designers to directly develop various scenarios of IGP applications and implement them on related CAD/CAM tools.

Formal language and grammar theories, based on applied mathematics are contributing to the advancements of computer science and digital modeling. They can provide an opportunity to express relational definition and written equivalents of the geometries by using strings and symbols. It is supposed that by using the formal grammar frameworks, certain languages could be developed to visualize IGPs in a machine-friendly way, and consequently, this computational interpretation of IGPs facilitates their application and further developments, for example, regards to digital fabrication.

The presented method of IGP visualization is developed as a C#-based add-on for Grasshopper in Rhino3D, one of the main modeling tools used by architects and product designers.
Integration of Arts and Health Sciences in Developing an Opera on Veteran Resilience and Recovery
Authors: Wells Kenneth B. , Skrine Jeffers Kia , Mango Joseph
Published: December 2021

There is an emerging literature on research interviews to inform arts projects, but little on opera. This case study illustrates how research data informed an opera on Veteran recovery. Deidentified interviews were selected from 280 adults with a history of depression at 10-year follow-up to a randomized trial. Interviews were used to inform characters, storyline, and libretto. Ethical strategies included: changing details and merging stories and characters to create two Veterans and one spouse as leads, a storyline, and choral passages, with a focus on recovery from post-traumatic stress and homelessness. To engage a broad audience and address stigma, accessible composition techniques (melody, harmony) were used. We found that qualitative/mixed data can inform libretto and composition for an opera on Veteran recovery, through integrating art and health science.
Endovascular Treatment of Aortic Pathologies in Patients With Marfan Syndrome: Single-Center Experience
Authors: Kölbel Tilo , Eleshra Ahmed , Aldag Mustafa , Rohlffs Fiona , Debus Sebastian E. , Honig Susanne , Detter Christian , von Kodolitsch Yskert , Tsilimparis Nikolaos , Panuccio Giuseppe
Published: December 2021

Objectives:

To study the outcome of endovascular treatment of aortic pathologies in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) at a single institution.

Methods:

Consecutive MFS patients who underwent endovascular repair or hybrid procedures for aortic pathologies from January 2010 to May 2020 were identified. Several endovascular and hybrid strategies have been used. Technical success, short- and mid-term survival, complications, and re-interventions were retrospectively analyzed.

Results:

During the study period, 24 patients with MFS (median age, 48 [13–78] years; 58% males) were treated. Indications for intervention were chronic aortic dissection with aneurysm degeneration in 16 patients (67%), acute type B aortic dissection in 4 patients (17%), aortic aneurysm without any dissection in 3 patients (13%), and aortic intramural hematoma in 1 patient (4%). Most patients were asymptomatic (83%), three (13%) were symptomatic and one (4%) had a contained rupture. The median aneurysm diameter was 56 (35–86) mm. Hybrid procedures were performed in 7 (29%) patients. Thoracic endovascular repair was performed in 12 (50%) patients, a fenestrated or branched endovascular aortic repair in 4 (17%) patients, and placement of an iliac artery stent-graft in 1 (4%) patient. Procedures were staged in 12 (50%) patients. Technical success was achieved in all patients. The median intensive care unit stay was 6 (range, 1–30) days, and the median hospital stay was 23 (range, 3–112) days. Early mortality was reported in 1 (4%) patient. Wound infection was seen in 7 (29%) patients and gastrointestinal complications in 3 (13%) patients. The median follow-up was 42 (range, 1–127) months. The cumulative survival rate was 87% at 24 months. The cumulative freedom from re-intervention was 77% at 12 months.

Conclusions:

Endovascular treatment of aortic pathologies in patients with MFS appears feasible with acceptable early and mid-term outcomes in terms of mortality and re-intervention rates. Endovascular therapy plays an increasing role in MFS patients with aortic pathology.
Review on the performance characteristics and quality standards of motorcycle protective clothing
Authors: Natarajan Gayathri , Rajan T Palani
Published: December 2021

Motorcycle protective clothing is designed to protect motorcyclists from injuries during accidents. It helps to protect the motorcyclist and pillion passengers during the collision and acts as a barrier between the rider’s skin and tarmac surface. Soft tissue trauma is common in motorcycle accidents and protective clothing can protect the soft tissue of the riders up to a certain extent during accidents. Though there are many reasons for road accidents and injuries, the reasons such as uncomfortable clothing, thermally inefficient protective clothing during hot climatic conditions, and ineffective performance of the personal protective equipment (PPE) are also to be considered seriously. Motorcycle clothing is specially designed in such a way that it could give better protection against impact and abrasion during the collision. An increase in the usage of the motorcycle has also in turn increased the crash statistics. This paper deals with the significance of motorcycle clothing, materials, test standards, and their performance characteristics. As per the review results, most of the motorcycle protective clothing has failed to meet out the quality standard protocols. Impact resistance, abrasion resistance, thermal comfort, and ergonomics are the major areas where more focus is required. Design of appropriate fabrics assuring requisites of motorcycle clothing is very challenging and extensive research is still intended in these areas.
Straight to the (Revenue) Source: Contextual and Individual-Level Determinants of Attitudes Toward Local Taxes
Authors: Holbrook Thomas M. , Heideman Amanda J.
Published: December 2021

In this article, we investigate the relative roles of local tax policies and respondent attitudes and characteristics in shaping support for local taxes. Using a unique set of survey data collected across dozens of cities over several years, combined with contextual data on local tax systems, we can offer a comprehensive picture of who supports, and who opposes local taxes. The contributions of our approach are three-fold: We use measures of satisfaction with local taxes, using data gathered across dozens of localities; we incorporate measures of the local tax systems to help account for city-to-city variation in local tax attitudes; and we incorporate measures of racial attitudes to account for an important non-material element heretofore not incorporated in studies of local tax attitudes. Integrating these factors into an explanation of local tax policies rounds out and offers a more realistic understanding of attitudes in this critical policy area.
Development and Initial Validation of the Early Elementary Writing Rubric to Inform Instruction for Kindergarten and First-Grade Students
Authors: McKenna Meaghan , Dedrick Robert F. , Goldstein Howard
Published: December 2021

This article describes the development of the Early Elementary Writing Rubric (EEWR), an analytic assessment designed to measure kindergarten and first-grade writing and inform educators’ instruction. Crocker and Algina’s (1986) approach to instrument development and validation was used as a guide to create and refine the writing measure. Study 1 describes the development of the 10-item measure (response scale ranges from 0 = Beginning of Kindergarten to 5 = End of First Grade). Educators participated in focus groups, expert panel review, cognitive interviews, and pretesting as part of the instrument development process. Study 2 evaluates measurement quality in terms of score reliability and validity. Data from writing samples produced by 634 students in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms were collected during pilot testing. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the EEWR. A one-factor model fit the data for all writing genres and all scoring elements were retained with loadings ranging from 0.49 to 0.92. Internal consistency reliability was high and ranged from .89 to .91. Interrater reliability between the researcher and participants varied from poor to good and means ranged from 52% to 72%. First-grade students received higher scores than kindergartners on all 10 scoring elements. The EEWR holds promise as an acceptable, useful, and psychometrically sound measure of early writing. Further iterative development is needed to fully investigate its ability to accurately identify the present level of student performance and to determine sensitivity to developmental and instruction gains.
Critical Factors to Approach the Emergency Online Teaching Due to the COVID-19
Authors: Avolio Beatrice , Benzaquen Jorge , Bazán Carlos
Published: December 2021

This study analyzed the critical factors to approach the emergency online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a business school in Latin America. The data were collected through a semi-structured online questionnaire administered to 94 full-time and part-time faculty members. The study identified 10 critical factors for the successful implementation of emergency online teaching. The originality of the study lies in analyzing the experience in migrating to online teaching in a Hispanic higher education academic institution.
Psychometric evaluation of the Relative Mastery Scale: An Occupational Adaptation instrument
Authors: George-Paschal Lorrie , Krusen Nancy E. , Fan Chia-Wei
Published: December 2021

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Relative Mastery Scale (RMS). Valid and reliable client-centered instruments support practice in value-based health care and community-based settings. Participants were 368 community-dwelling adults aged 18 to 95 years. Researchers conducted validity and reliability examinations of the RMS using classical test theory and Rasch measurement model. A partial credit model allowed exploration of individual scale properties. Spearman’s correlation coefficients between items were statistically significant at the .01 level. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .94 showing strong internal consistency. In exploratory factor analysis, Factor 1 accounted for 71% of variance with an eigenvalue of 4.26. In Rasch analysis, the 5-point rating scale demonstrated adequate functioning, confirmed unidimensionality, and person/item separation. The RMS instrument demonstrates sound psychometric characteristics. A valid and reliable measure of internal occupational adaptation supports application to monitor progress of internal occupational adaptation across a variety of individuals.
Emergency Endovascular Total Arch Exclusion With an Off-the-Shelf Bimodular Device
Authors: Cibin Giorgia , D’Onofrio Augusto , Antonello Michele , Battocchio Piero , Gerosa Gino
Published: December 2021

A patient with a history of surgery for type A acute aortic dissection was readmitted for aortic arch and descending aortic dissection with rupture at the isthmus and periaortic hematoma. Due to the high surgical risk, the aortic team chose an endovascular approach, and the patient successfully underwent emergency total arch exclusion with an off-the-shelf, bimodular, single-branch device. The main module was deployed in the aortic arch and in the brachiocephalic trunk, and the second module was deployed in the ascending aorta. Despite the good perioperative outcome with no cerebrovascular events, the patient died 20 days later because of sudden iliac rupture.
Endoleak outcomes with different stent-graft generations in a 25-years thoracic endovascular aortic repair experience
Authors: Gennai Stefano , Leone Nicola , Maria Bartolotti Luigi A , Covic Tea , Lauricella Antonio , Andreoli Francesco , Saitta Giuseppe , Silingardi Roberto
Published: December 2021

Introduction

To compare endoleak outcomes after thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) with different stent-graft generations into long-term follow-up.

Design

retrospective, observational, and single-center cohort study.

Methods

TEVAR procedures performed between November 1995 and December 2020 were analyzed. The primary endpoint of this study was the freedom from endoleak (type I/III) in four stent-graft generations during the follow-up period. The first generation (GEN1) included: Vanguard; AneuRx and Talent; Stentor; Excluder; Endologix; EndoFit. The second generation (GEN2) included: TAG and TX. The third (GEN3) included: Relay Plus; Valiant Captivia; Zenith Alpha and custom-made. The fourth (GEN4) included: Relay Pro; Conformable C-TAG; Navion; E-Vita; Najuta; Nexus; standard and custom-made thoraco-abdominal devices. Nonaortic and aorta-related survival was considered as secondary outcome.

Results

A total of 509 TEVAR were included with a 44.3 ± 42.5 months mean follow-up. Freedom from endoleak at 5 years was 65.6%, 61.4%, 76.2%, and 69.1% for GEN1, GEN2, GEN3, and GEN4, respectively ( p = 0.368). The first two generations demonstrated a higher endoleak rate when compared with the two most recent ones (27.2 vs 18.2%, respectively; p = 0.043). GEN1 was an independent risk factor ( p = 0.014) and GEN4 was an independent protective factor ( p = 0.001) for endoleak. GEN1 was found to be a risk factor for type-Ia endoleak ( p = 0.059). GEN4 demonstrated a protective association regarding type-Ib endoleak ( p = 0.012). Overall survival was 75.3%, 44.4%, 27.2%, and 17.6% at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Survival distinguished as non-related versus aortic-related was 86.7% vs 23.5%, 52.7% vs 9.8%, 32.9% vs 2.0%, 21.2% vs 0% at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively ( p< 0.000).

Conclusion

Endoleak occurred in a non-negligible percentage of TEVAR patients. A significant reduction of endoleak incidence over evolving stent-grafts generations was registered. Newer stent-graft generations demonstrated better long-term endoleak. Data about long-term outcomes require ongoing updates to prove both the reliability and the durability of newer stent-graft generations.
To shelter or unshelter? An analysis of international students’ experience in introductory communication courses
Authors: Hingle Aayushi , Davidson Mhonde Rochelle , Broeckelman-Post Melissa
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which sheltered versus unsheltered contexts of introductory communication courses impact communication skill development and overall learning outcomes for international students. Specifically, this study examined the following outcome variables: public speaking anxiety, engagement, communication mindset, communication efficacy, and student performance to investigate whether it is beneficial to sheltered international students in introductory courses. Results showed that there was no significant difference between groups for the public speaking anxiety, student engagement, or overall course performance, except for the final group presentation performance. However, there was a significant interaction effect for communication mindset and communication efficacy; students in sheltered sections saw increases in these outcomes over the course of the semester, while unsheltered students experienced the opposite.
Rhabdomyolysis: An evidence-based approach
Authors: Burgess Sarah
Published: December 2021

A 76-year-old lady was found on the floor following a fall at home. She was uninjured, but unable to get up, and had been lying on the floor for roughly 18 hours before her son arrived. She had been unwell for the past 3 days with a cough and shortness of breath. She had a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and atrial fibrillation (AF). On examination, she was alert but distressed, clinically dehydrated, febrile and tachycardic. She was treated for community acquired pneumonia with co-amoxiclav and was fluid resuscitated with Hartmann’s solution. Her hyperkalaemia was treated with 50 mL of 50% glucose containing 10 units of rapid-acting insulin. Her creatinine kinase (CK) on admission was 200,000, and she had an acute kidney injury (AKI). Urine dipstick was positive for blood. However, her renal function continued to deteriorate over the succeeding 48 h, when she required renal replacement therapy (RRT) due to fluid overload and anuria.
You Mean the World to Me: The Role of Residential Mobility in Centrality of Romantic Relationships
Authors: Yilmaz Cansu , Selcuk Emre , Gunaydin Gul , Cingöz-Ulu Banu , Filiztekin Alpay , Kent Oya
Published: December 2021

Integrating the suffocation model of marriage with research on residential mobility, the current studies examined for the first time whether long-term romantic relationships are more central for residentially mobile (vs. stable) individuals (total N across three studies = 5,366; age range = 18–95). In Study 1, individuals who moved away from their place of birth (vs. not) were more likely to first confide in their spouse over other network members on important matters. In Study 2, history of frequent residential moves was associated with greater importance ascribed to romantic partners in the attachment hierarchy. In Study 3, the slope of perceived partner responsiveness predicting eudaimonic well-being got steeper as residential mobility increased. By showing the role of residential mobility in romantic relationships, our findings highlight the importance of studying socioecological factors to gain a deeper understanding of how relationship processes unfold.
From Brexit to Biden: What Responses to National Outcomes Tell Us About the Nature of Relief
Authors: Lorimer Sara , McCormack Teresa , Jaroslawska Agnieszka J. , Hoerl Christoph , Beck Sarah R. , Johnston Matthew , Feeney Aidan
Published: December 2021

Recent claims contrast relief experienced because a period of unpleasant uncertainty has ended and an outcome has materialized (temporal relief)—regardless of whether it is one’s preferred outcome—with relief experienced because a particular outcome has occurred, when the alternative was unpalatable (counterfactual relief). Two studies ( N = 993), one run the day after the United Kingdom left the European Union and one the day after Joe Biden’s inauguration, confirmed these claims. “Leavers” and Biden voters experienced high levels of relief, and less regret and disappointment than “Remainers” and Trump voters. “Remainers” and Trump voters showed an effect of precursor, experiencing little relief about the outcome that had occurred but stronger relief that a decision had been implemented. Only Trump voters who believed the election was over showed this precursor effect. Results suggest at least two different triggering conditions for relief and indicate a role for anticipated relief in voting behavior.
Communication Vulnerability within Singapore’s Healthcare Environment
Authors: William Go Teck W. , Mok Hoi T. , Acharyya Sanchalika , Suelo Darlin C. , Ho Eu C.
Published: December 2021

Communication difficulties can, and often do, create barriers between patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). We examined the perceptual differences between patients and caregivers; and HCWs with regards to their perceived communication vulnerabilities and identified communication needs in a tertiary hospital. A survey was conducted in selected outpatient settings among patients, their caregivers and HCWs, in a cross-sectional study. Respondents rated the reasons and frequency of encountering the communication difficulties during a hospital visit. Fifty-four percent of patients and caregivers cited poor hearing in the presence of noise, while HCWs cited patient’s poor vision (87%) as their primary communication barrier that requires improvement. Majority of HCWs (90%) had encountered patients who presented multiple communication barriers a quarter of the time. A third of HCWs felt that such encounters were especially challenging during communication, with very limited strategies available to deal with such communication vulnerable individuals. Patients, caregivers and HCWs universally experience communication challenges, even if their perceived barriers to communication happen to differ. Such perceptual difference between patients and HCWs may lead to inconsistent use of communication strategies by HCWs, potentially compromising patient’s healthcare needs. Nonetheless, the onus is on healthcare providers to bridge this communication gap to improve patient care.
Dune(s): Fiction, history, and science on the Oregon coast
Authors: Gaspar de Freitas Joana
Published: December 2021

What connects the sci-fi book Dune with coastal dunes and geoengineering? The answer lies in humans and their world-making activities. This paper proposes an innovative approach to coastal dunes as hybrid environments by analyzing the dunes stabilization programs developed on the US Pacific Coast. It looks into the shifting sands of the Oregon coast and how they influenced Frank Herbert to write his novel, why local communities and federal authorities were interested in fixing the moving dunes and how these works ended up having unexpected consequences. It explores how human features acting as forcing mechanisms on beach-dune systems caused changes that turned into controlling influences in their own right, creating new environments and concerns. The paper ends with a reflection on how fiction and the history of dunes can be used to critically think about the anthropocentric hubris of building futures by geoengineering the planet for environmental repair.
‘Pathetic earthlings! Who can save you now?’ Science fiction, planetary crisis and the globalisation of Chinese culture
Authors: Hartley John
Published: December 2021

Chinese policy has turned to the globalisation of communication and stories. Beyond the diplomatic ‘voice’, one of the ways that Chinese culture is reaching out to the rest of the world is through science fiction. Sci-fi can be construed as a specialist thinking-circuit for cultures to build and explore experimental models of collective action at global and planetary scale. What do its stories tell us about the globalisation of Chinese culture? When the need to ‘save the world’ has crossed over from sci-fi to science, from entertainment to activism, and from a thought experiment to imminent danger, humans as a whole face challenges of their own making: climate change, environmental pollution, pandemics, extinctions, exclusions and nuclear annihilation. Can sci-fi inspire collective action at species scale? What role will globalising China play?
The great dichotomy: How experiences of history and transcendence explain Ukraine’s political life
Authors: Kushnir Ostap
Published: December 2021

The article uses Eric Voegelin’s ontology to address domestic processes in contemporary Ukraine. It explains how interpretations of experiences of history and transcendence evoke political order and justice. It also outlines the nature of political symbols deriving from these experiences. The article argues that Ukraine’s social architecture is constructed according to a set of arrangements that are generally regarded as moral and functional under given circumstances. As a result, it provides political elites a platform from which to build a plan of action and gain legitimacy. The article not only shows how Voegelin’s ontology can be used to explain Zelensky’s 2019 presidential election victory but also highlights its interpretative advantages over competing analytical approaches from within the frameworks of institutionalism and behaviorism.
A randomized phase 2 trial of azacitidine with or without durvalumab as first-line therapy for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Zeidan Amer M. , Boss Isaac , Beach C. L. , Copeland Wilbert B. , Thompson Ethan , Fox Brian A. , Hasle Vanessa E. , Ogasawara Ken , Cavenagh James , Silverman Lewis R. , Voso Maria Teresa , Hellmann Andrzej , Tormo Mar , O’Connor Tim , Previtali Alessandro , Rose Shelonitda , Garcia-Manero Guillermo
Published: December 2021

Azacitidine-mediated hypomethylation promotes tumor cell immune recognition but may increase the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules. We conducted the first randomized phase 2 study of azacitidine plus the immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab vs azacitidine monotherapy as first-line treatment for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS). In all, 84 patients received 75 mg/m2 subcutaneous azacitidine (days 1-7 every 4 weeks) combined with 1500 mg intravenous durvalumab on day 1 every 4 weeks (Arm A) for at least 6 cycles or 75 mg/m² subcutaneous azacitidine alone (days 1-7 every 4 weeks) for at least 6 cycles (Arm B). After a median follow-up of 15.25 months, 8 patients in Arm A and 6 in Arm B remained on treatment. Patients in Arm A received a median of 7.9 treatment cycles and those in Arm B received a median of 7.0 treatment cycles with 73.7% and 65.9%, respectively, completing ≥4 cycles. The overall response rate (primary end point) was 61.9% in Arm A (26 of 42) and 47.6% in Arm B (20 of 42; P = .18), and median overall survival was 11.6 months (95% confidence interval, 9.5 months to not evaluable) vs 16.7 months (95% confidence interval, 9.8-23.5 months; P = .74). Durvalumab-related adverse events (AEs) were reported by 71.1% of patients; azacitidine-related AEs were reported by 82% (Arm A) and 81% (Arm B). Grade 3 or 4 hematologic AEs were reported in 89.5% (Arm A) vs 68.3% (Arm B) of patients. Patients with TP53 mutations tended to have a worse response than patients without these mutations. Azacitidine increased programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1 [CD274]) surface expression on bone marrow granulocytes and monocytes, but not blasts, in both arms. In summary, combining azacitidine with durvalumab in patients with HR-MDS was feasible but with more toxicities and without significant improvement in clinical outcomes over azacitidine alone. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02775903.