bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Swami Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga and Seligman’s PERMA Model: A Conceptual Study
Authors: Umashankar K  , Charitra HG
Published: November 2021

The contemporary human civilization has reached the peaks of accomplishment in various knowledge domains. However, people are so obsessed with their extrinsic achievements that they have forgotten to see the psychological damage caused to themselves. So, it is very crucial to explore the remedies for psychological aberrations caused by the strains of modernization. In this regard, the research article attempts to explore two psychological frameworks: Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga and Seligman’s PERMA (Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) Model. Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga places character as the centre of influence and the positive character produces appropriate behavioural or cognitive patterns. He also infers on other dimensions of positive psychology such as integration of three Gunas (Samkhya Philosophy), altruism in work and the concept of Vasudeva Kutumbakam. Besides, the article tries conceptualizing the dimensions of Karma Yoga with the PERMA Model. Seligman’s PERMA Model acts as the foundation to the western concept of positive psychology and offers objective strategies to nurture positivity in people. Although there is a subjective or objective variation in these Indian and Western frameworks, there is a commonality in each dimension of these frameworks. The research article tries to exemplify commonalities among these dimensions and their applicability in achieving personal transformation. The article also exemplifies the application value of Karma Yoga and PERMA model at the workplace and how these two frameworks may be integrated to infuse more intrinsic and extrinsic positivity in the professionals. The scope of the conceptual study is widely elaborated in the article and it may be an enlightening outcome for the professional working in the corporate world.
Was India Right in Not Joining RCEP? A Cost–Benefit Analysis
Authors: Jain Monika
Published: November 2021

India dropped out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)—which included the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, China, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan and Australia—after negotiating for almost seven years in November 2018 on the grounds of national interest and also that free trade agreements (FTAs) did not amount to free trade and led to more trade diversion than trade creation. The cost and benefit of a regional agreement depend on the amount of trade creation with respect to trade diversion (Panagriya, 2000). This study tries to examine India’s concerns and, at the same time, highlights the cost of not joining RCEP. India’s trade deficit with 11 out of the 15 RCEP nations has been a major cause of concern. Unfavourable trade balance, concerns about the impact on dairy sector, economic slowdown, past experience with FTA’s, China factor, data localisation, rules of origin and the experience of ASEAN countries with Sino-FTA have been some of the reasons behind India’s decision to opt out of this mega multilateral agreement. Also, bilateral trade agreements with some RCEP countries such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea were operational. A multilateral trade agreement with ASEAN countries was very much in place. So, trade between India and 12 of the RCEP member countries would not have changed much after India’s inclusion in the RCEP. The impact of lower tariffs would have been evident for the remaining three countries: China, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, there was fear of a massive surge in imports of manufactures from China and dairy imports from Australia and New Zealand. This study also examines the long-term impact of this decision and if India has missed out on becoming a part of the global value chain and gaining greater market access in the Asia-Pacific region. India’s policy of import substitution and protectionism did not capitulate desired results in the past. Hence, a critical evaluation of India’s decision and some validation on her concerns and fears have been done.
Understanding Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness Through a Qualitative Approach
Authors: Donaldson Linda Plitt , McIntyre Bonnie L. , Moore Sarah
Published: November 2021

This article presents a non-experimental, exploratory study of the experiences of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC. Using a community-based participatory action approach, researchers conducted open-ended survey interviews with 57 participants, all of whom identified as persons of color. Findings offer insight on where youth stay most evenings, what precipitated youths’ most recent experience of homelessness, strategies used to cope or survive on the streets, primary service needs, and advice from youth experiencing homelessness. The youth’s family experiences were an important factor in their experiences of homelessness. Implications for social work practice, policy, and research are discussed.
Teaching and Promoting Generalization of Peer Imitation With Preschoolers With Disabilities
Authors: Todt Mollie J. , Barton Erin E. , Ledford Jennifer R. , Robinson Gabriela N. , Skiba Emma B.
Published: November 2021

Researchers have identified effective instructional strategies for teaching peer imitation, including embedded classroom-based interventions. However, there is a dearth of strategies that have been effective for teaching generalization of imitation skills to novel contexts. Building on previous research, we examined the use of progressive time delay to increase peer imitation in the context of a play activity for four preschoolers with disabilities. We conducted preference and reinforcer assessments to identify effective reinforcers for each child prior to intervention. We conducted a multiple baseline across participants design meeting contemporary single case standards and used visual analysis to identify a functional relation: the intervention package was associated with an increase in the participants’ peer imitation in training contexts. The intervention also led to levels of peer imitation comparable to those of typically developing peers, as measured by a normative peer sample, and generalization to novel contexts.
Political Crisis in Central Government and Bureaucrats’ Responses in Provincial Government: The Impact of Governors’ Characteristics
Authors: Park Soonae , Lee Don S.
Published: November 2021

Scholars have debated the question of what influences bureaucrats’ policy implementation in provincial government, some taking the top-down and some the bottom-up approaches. However, less well understood in this debate is the impact of governors’ characteristics, particularly at a time of national political crisis. Given that their roles have been proven important for the performance of provincial governments, this is a significant oversight. To fill this gap, we examine the effect of governors’ political characteristics on provincial bureaucrats’ responses to the center by leveraging a unique setting, that of presidential impeachment in South Korea. Using original survey data on 655 civil servants from all 17 provincial governments, gathered as part of a representative survey, we find that bureaucrats are less responsive to the central government after impeachment. Our results show that this difference between pre- and post-impeachment is driven by several political characteristics, such as governors’ political ideology and tenure in office. Our findings have implications for the role of governors in intergovernmental relations and the management of provincial governments’ performance.
Factors predicting classroom WTC in English and French as foreign languages among adult learners in Spain
Authors: Barrios Elvira , Acosta-Manzano Irene
Published: November 2021

This study aimed to identify associations and predictors of willingness to communicate (WTC) of adult foreign language (FL) learners and whether they are contingent upon the FL being learned. To this end, our research investigated learner variables associated with WTC in adult FL learners of English and of French in an under-researched field of WTC studies in Spain. More specifically, the following variables were studied: gender, age, level of multilingualism, perceived relative standing in the class, language proficiency, teacher’s use of the FL in class, out-of-class foreign language use (OCFLU) and the two emotions of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). Of the 9 independent variables examined, FLCA and language proficiency were found to be predictors of the WTC of both English and French language learners; additionally, enjoyment was found to be a predictor of WTC of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) and OCFLU, of learners of French as a foreign language (FFL). Our findings indicate that the construct of WTC needs to be further studied as research may produce dissimilar results depending on the instructional setting, population and foreign language. Pedagogical implications for language teaching practices seeking to enhance adult FL learners’ WTC were also drawn from the study results.
Developing crosslinguistic awareness through plurilingual consciousness-raising tasks
Authors: Woll Nina , Paquet Pierre-Luc
Published: November 2021

If maximal exposure were the key to success in language learning, then adult learners at the university level would be doomed to fail. Not only are they presumably too old to learn additional languages effectively, but target language (TL) input appears to be insufficient, especially when other languages are allowed in class. Nevertheless, learners were shown to build on knowledge of previously acquired languages, to rely on language learning experience and to develop metalinguistic awareness. This study explores the perceived usefulness of a plurilingual consciousness-raising task that aims at helping learners make and strengthen connections between the TL and other previously acquired languages. Two university-level language courses were targeted: Spanish in Quebec and French in Mexico. Two customized tasks were implemented and recorded in each course throughout the semester. Each task included an input-based (discovery) phase, a reflective (metalinguistic) phase during which participants were asked to make assumptions on underlying patterns and correspondences across languages, and a validation phase where they presented their assumptions until reaching a consensus as a group. While tasks were generally perceived as useful, analyses of post-task questionnaires also revealed mixed feelings regarding its inductive stance. However, the verbal data collected demonstrated that the collaborative and metalinguistic reflective nature of the task permitted learners to find correspondences between languages and to engage in knowledge construction. Moreover, the various reflections collected indicate that learners benefitted from the task as groups engaged in metalinguistic reflections, activated their plurilingual repertoire and were able to create accurate assumptions regarding the targeted structure.
Melancholia is (geo)political! Postcolonial geography in the Wednesday Demonstration in Seoul
Authors: Lee Jaeyeon
Published: November 2021

This article examines how melancholia constitutes a psycho-geopolitical space interweaving Korean subjects’ psychic and political lives with the dynamics of the (post) Cold War alliance between Japan and the US. The Wednesday Demonstration is the weekly protest in Seoul that calls for an official apology and legal compensation from the Japanese government for comfort women who worked in the sexual slavery system under the Japanese Empire during WWII. The fact that the weekly protests have continued for 30 years since 1992 signifies that the comfort women issue has remained an unresolved (geo)political issue between South Korea and Japan for three decades, despite apologies and monetary compensations by the Japanese government. This article offers a psychoanalytic-geopolitical rationale for the endless grief of Korean postcolonial subjects who cannot accept the measures of the Japanese government regarding the comfort women issue. Based on 1-year’s participant observations and in-depth interviews with Korean activists who engaged in the Wednesday Demonstration from September 2019 to August 2020, this article aims to accomplish three goals. Firstly, this article shows how Korean postcolonial subjects were/are haunted by colonial past. Secondly, I examine why Koreans cannot complete mourning for comfort women in the context of ROK-US-Japan geopolitical relations. Lastly, this article interrogates how ethno-nationalists intervene to turn melancholia into a motivation for ethnic solidarity and how their attempt might have failed by exploring a Korean postcolonial subject’s psychic lives. In doing so, I argue that the wounds of Koreans related to the comfort women issue are not simply from colonial history, but they are postcolonial wounds that have not healed ‘appropriately’ under the (US-sponsored) South Korean/Japanese (post-)Cold War security arrangement.
Practical considerations for ray casting shear layer corrections
Authors: Schultz Todd
Published: November 2021

Aircraft noise reduction technology development has been aided by the use of acoustic phased arrays to identify component-level locations of noise sources. Acoustic phased arrays are commonly used in both closed-wall and open-jet wind tunnels, thus requiring accurate acoustic propagation models to focus the array. In particular, open-jet wind tunnels have complex flow fields including a free shear layer that the acoustic waves must propagate through. A method using ray tracing is reviewed and an enhancement proposed to reduce the computational time for cases requiring a large number of rays. The proposed reduced ray casting method uses ray tracing to the extreme edges of the region of interest and limits all casted acoustic rays to within that region. The results showed that a hemispherical spiral discretization had lower error in the estimated acoustic propagation time than uniform angular discretization. The proposed reduced ray casting method showed similar accuracy as the original ray casting method but with improvement in the computational times when the number of cast rays was greater than 3200 as needed for modeling acoustic propagation in larger industrial sized open-jet wind tunnels.
COVID-19 and crises of higher education: Responses and intensifying inequalities in the Global South
Authors: Husain Matt M
Published: November 2021

This special issue contributes to the vibrant debates concerning the ‘responses and intensifying inequalities in the Global South’ underway with regard to COVID-19 and the subsequent crises of higher education. With neoliberal globalization in a deeper crisis by the pandemic, transforming higher education and teaching configurations in ways that appease the rich and powerful players, while simultaneously seeking to neutralize forms of equity in education. Rather than pointing fingers at the broken structures and wider external economic framework, we argue that re-centring the humanistic, holistic and bottom-up approach that frames the post-pandemic higher education offers a more useful framework for understanding educational transformation in the contemporary period.
Development of a numerical approach to assess the effect of coupled heat and moisture transfer on energy consumption of residential buildings in Moroccan context
Authors: Chbani Idrissi Yassine , Belarbi Rafik , Ferroukhi Mohammed Yacine , Feddaoui M’barek , Agliz Driss
Published: November 2021

Hygrothermal properties of building materials, climatic conditions and energy performance are interrelated and have to be considered simultaneously as part of an optimised building design. In this paper, a new approach to evaluate the energy consumption of residential buildings in Morocco is presented. This approach is based on the effect of coupled heat and moisture transfer in typical residential buildings and on their responses to the varied climatic conditions encountered in the country. This approach allows us to evaluate with better accuracy the response of building energy performance and the indoor comfort of building occupants. Annual energy consumption, cooling and heating energy requirements were estimated considering the six climatic zones of Morocco. Based on the results, terms related to coupled heat and moisture transfer can effectively correct the existing energy consumption calculations of the six zones of Morocco, which currently do not consider energy consumption due to coupled heat and moisture transfer.
Initial Clinical Experience with a Simple, Home System for Early Detection and Monitoring of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: The Foot Selfie
Authors: Swerdlow Mark , Shin Laura , D’Huyvetter Karen , Mack Wendy J. , Armstrong David G.
Published: November 2021

Background:

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a leading cause of disability and morbidity. There is an unmet need for a simple, practical, home method to detect DFUs early and remotely monitor their healing.

Method:

We developed a simple, inexpensive, smartphone-based, “ Foot Selfie” system that enables patients to photograph the plantar surface of their feet without assistance and transmit images to a remote server. In a pilot study, patients from a limb-salvage clinic were asked to image their feet daily for six months and to evaluate the system by questionnaire at five time points. Transmitted results were reviewed weekly.

Results:

Fifteen patients (10 male) used the system after approximately 5 minutes of instruction. Participants uploaded images on a median of 76% of eligible study days. The system captured and transmitted diagnostic quality images of the entire plantar surface of both feet, permitting clinical-management decisions on a remote basis. We monitored 12 active wounds and 39 pre-ulcerative lesions (five wounds and 13 pre-ulcerative lesions at study outset); we observed healing of seven wounds and reversal of 20 pre-ulcerative lesions. Participants rated the system as useful, empowering, and preferable to their previous methods of foot screening.

Conclusions:

With minimal training, patients transmitted diagnostic-quality images from home on most days, allowing clinicians to review serial images. This system permits inexpensive home foot screening and monitoring of DFUs. Further studies are needed to determine whether it can reduce morbidity of DFUs and/or the associated cost of care. Artificial intelligence integration could improve scalability.
Marx as a guide for a critical geographer
Authors: Webber Michael
Published: November 2021

This paper provides an account of my intellectual journey. Beginning with an un-theorised concern with inequality, this journey has taken me through jousts with statistical models of social systems to theoretical and empirical investigations of primitive accumulation, capitalist dynamics and human–nature interactions. Marx has played an essential role in this intellectual journey, though increasingly his insights have been supplemented by other traditions of social scientific thought, including feminism, physical geography and ecology. For me, as (seemingly) for most on the left, it has proved a frustrating task to reconcile the core insights of Marx about capitalist dynamics with the knowledge provided by these other traditions – a task that remains incomplete.
Do Working Capital Decision and Efficiency of Working Capital Management Contribute to the Profitability? Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Meah Mohammad Rajon , Sen Kanon Kumar , Sahabuddin Mohammad
Published: November 2021

This study attempts to explore how working capital decision, that is, aggressive investment and finance decision and efficiency of the working capital management (WCM) contribute to the profitability operationalised by gross operating profit (GOP) and return on assets of listed manufacturing firms in Bangladesh. To investigate this relationship, the study has taken into consideration of 468 sample observations from 108 listed firms covering the year from 2013 to 2017. This study finds that aggressive investment and finance decision significantly contribute to the profitability of the firm. Besides, the efficiency of WCM has significant impact on the profitability. In addition, the constructs of efficiency of WCM—that is, days in inventory outstanding, days in sales outstanding—has significant negative impact on the profitability of the firm. Unfortunately, this study finds no significant impact of days in payables outstanding on firm’s profitability.
Identification of Dominant Bacteria Isolated From Periodontal Abscesses
Authors: Karacam Kubra , Demir Turgut , Baris Ozlem
Published: November 2021

Aim:

Various methods investigating the bacterial content causing periodontal abscesses have been applied in studies conducted until today. However, these studies have focused on periodontopathogens. Our study was carried out to research whether different pathogens other than the known periodontopathogens are present in periodontal abscess formation. Therefore, dominant bacterial samples obtained from the periodontal abscess content using the culture-dependent method were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing.

Materials and Methods:

Samples were obtained using a syringe or a periopaper from periodontal abscesses of 20 volunteers who met the research criteria. The three different bacterial colonies that were observed most intensely in each sample were selected and purified, and the isolates obtained were kept until the next characterization. Genomic DNA was isolated from each isolate; 16S rRNA genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and identified using DNA sequencing analyses.

Results:

As a result of culture-dependent methods, bacterial species belonging to Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Neisseria, Actinomyces, Morococcus, Moraxella, and Enterococcus genera were isolated from a total of 60 bacterial isolates, three of which were the most densely growing colonies from each periodontal abscess sample.

Conclusion:

In our study, most of the bacterial species detected were identified for the first time in the bacterial content of periodontal abscesses. In some previously done studies, most of these bacteria species were shown to cause abscesses in different parts of the body. It was concluded that further studies are needed to determine the number and proportion of these bacteria species in total bacterial content to evaluate whether they cause periodontal abscesses.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty Estimates in India: A Study Across Caste, Class and Religion
Authors: Ram Krishna , Yadav Shivani
Published: November 2021

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty estimates is humongous. The economic tumult caused by the pandemic over the past two years has the potential to double the nation’s poverty, erasing the decade-long gains from the fight against poverty and inequality. Our calculations show that around 150–199 million additional people will fall under poverty in 2021–2022; a majority of which are from rural areas, owing to the immiserate nature of the rural economy. Further disaggregation reveals that the SC/ST, casual labour and the self-employed are the most impacted groups. Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha are the most affected states facing poverty ranging from 50% to 80% in the rural area and 40% to 70% in the urban area. Our analysis also identifies the rippling effect of poverty on the inter-group disparities in India.
Development of a prognostic signature of patients with esophagus adenocarcinoma by using immune-related genes
Authors: Zhang Xiangxin , Yang Liu , Kong Ming , Ma Jian , Wei Yutao
Published: November 2021

Background

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. The immune-related genes (IRGs) are crucial to immunocytes tumor infiltration. This study aimed to construct a IRG-related prediction signature in EAC.

Methods

The related data of EAC patients and IRGs were obtained from the TCGA and ImmPort database, respectively. The cox regression analysis constructed the prediction signature and explored the transcription factors regulatory network through the Cistrome database. TIMER database and CIBERSORT analytical tool were utilized to explore the immunocytes infiltration analysis.

Results

The prediction signature with 12 IRGs (ADRM1, CXCL1, SEMG1, CCL26, CCL24, AREG, IL23A, UCN2, FGFR4, IL17RB, TNFRSF11A, and TNFRSF21) was constructed. Overall survival (OS) curves indicate that the survival rate of the high-risk group is significantly shorter than the low-risk group (P = 7.26e−07), and the AUC of 1-, 3- and 5- year survival prediction rates is 0.871, 0.924, and 0.961, respectively. Compared with traditional features, the ROC curve of the risk score in the EAC patients (0.967) is significant than T (0.57), N (0.738), M (0.568), and Stage (0.768). Moreover, multivariate Cox analysis and Nomogram of risk score are indicated that the 1-year and 3-year survival rates of patients are accurate by the combined analysis of the risk score, Sex, M stage, and Stage (The AUC of 1- and 3-years are 0.911, and 0.853).

Conclusion

The 12 prognosis-related IRGs might be promising therapeutic targets for EAC.
Current practice of thoracic anaesthesia in Europe – a survey by the European Society of Anaesthesiology Part I – airway management and regional anaesthesia techniques
Authors: Defosse Jerome , Schieren Mark , Loop Torsten , von Dossow Vera , Wappler Frank , de Abreu Marcelo Gama , Gerbershagen Mark Ulrich
Published: November 2021

Background

The scientific working group for “Anaesthesia in thoracic surgery” of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI) has performed an online survey to assess the current standards of care and structural properties of anaesthesia workstations in thoracic surgery.

Methods

All members of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) were invited to participate in the study.

Results

Thoracic anaesthesia was most commonly performed by specialists/board-certified anaesthetists and/or senior/attending physicians. Across Europe, the double lumen tube (DLT) was most commonly chosen as the primary device for lung separation (461/ 97.3%). Bronchial blockers were chosen less frequently (9/ 1.9%).

Throughout Europe, bronchoscopy was not consistently used to confirm correct double lumen tube positioning. Respondents from Eastern Europe (32/ 57.1%) frequently stated that there were not enough bronchoscopes available for every intrathoracic operation. A specific algorithm for difficult airway management in thoracic anaesthesia was available to only 18.6% (n = 88) of the respondents. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is the most commonly used form of regional analgesia for thoracic surgery in Europe. Ultrasonography was widely available 93,8% (n = 412) throughout Europe and was predominantly used for central line placement and lung diagnostics.

Conclusions

While certain „gold standards “are widely met, there are also aspects of care requiring substantial improvement in thoracic anaesthesia throughout Europe.

Our data suggest that algorithms and standard operating procedures for difficult airway management in thoracic anaesthesia need to be established. A European recommendation for the basic requirements of an anaesthesia workstation for thoracic anaesthesia is expedient and desirable, to improve structural quality and patient safety.
Prevalence, subtypes and risk factors of Blastocystis spp. infection among pre- and perimenopausal women
Authors: Kosik-Bogacka Danuta , Lepczyńska Małgorzata , Kot Karolina , Szkup Małgorzata , Łanocha-Arendarczyk Natalia , Dzika Ewa , Grochans Elżbieta
Published: November 2021

Background

Blastocystisspp. are considered pathogenic or commensal organisms, although the majority of researchers suggest that these are neglected pathogens. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and subtype distribution ofBlastocystisspp. in pre- and perimenopausal women, with respect to socio-demographic (age and place of residence), and epidemiological factors, as well as drinking tap water, contact with domestic animals, traveling abroad, health status, and presence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, the objective was to compare hematological and biochemical parameters ofBlastocystisspp. infected and uninfected women.

Methods

The study included 425 women aged 45–60. Their stool samples were examined microscopically and analyzed by a conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR).

Results

Blastocystisspp. were detected in 6.1% of pre- and perimenopausal women. Molecular analysis of the stool samples identified sevenBlastocystissubtypes (ST1–ST4, ST6, ST7, and ST9).Blastocystissubtypes 2 and 3 were the most prevalent. The presence ofBlastocystisspp. was not significantly related to socio-demographic and epidemiological factors. There were also no significant associations betweenBlastocystisspp. and blood parameters, or gastrointestinal symptoms.

Conclusion

This study complements the limited available data on the prevalence ofBlastocystisspp. in pre- and perimenopausal women. It is also the first report showing the presence ofBlastocystissubtype 9 in Poland.
The serotype distribution of Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) carriage isolates among pregnant women having risk factors for early-onset GBS disease: a comparative study with GBS causing invasive infections during the same period in Denmark
Authors: Slotved Hans-Christian , Møller Jens Kjølseth , Khalil Mohammad Rohi , Nielsen Stine Yde
Published: November 2021

Background

We describe the serotype distribution of Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) carriage isolates from women in labor and among GBS isolates causing invasive infections during the same period to see if the distribution of carriage serotypes reflects the GBS serotypes causing invasive diseases including early-onset disease (EOGBS).

Methods

Data on invasive isolates from 2019 including serotype, erythromycin and clindamycin susceptibility was retrieved from the Danish national reference laboratory, Statens Serum Institut. Carriage isolates were collected from women with risk factors for EOGBS enrolled at delivery at the maternity ward at a Danish University Hospital, first half of 2019.

Results

Among carriage isolates, the dominant serotype was IX (21 %) followed by serotype III (19 %). The resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin was 21 and 26 %, respectively. Among invasive GBS isolates, no case of EOGBS with serotype IX was detected but the distribution of serotypes were otherwise similar to the GBS carrier strains. The corresponding resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin was 23  and 15 %, respectively. Penicillin resistance was not detected among carriage nor invasive isolates.

Conclusions

The distribution of serotypes among carriage and invasive GBS reflects the assumption that EOGBS occur following transmission of GBS from mother to newborn, with the exception of serotype IX.
Adrenal function testing in dialysis patients – a review of the literature
Authors: Brotzer Lara , Nickler Manuela , Kim Min Jeong , Mueller Beat , Blum Claudine A.
Published: November 2021

Background

Secondary adrenal insufficiency is a frequent issue in patients with renal replacement therapy. There are concerns about metabolism and clearance for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol in addition to hemoconcentration as confounding factors during hemodialysis (HD). Therefore, ACTH testing is currently performed before or in between HD sessions. This review of the literature aims to evaluate the current evidence for validity of testing for adrenal insufficiency in patients on chronic renal replacement therapy.

Methods

A literature search of PubMed database for interventional and observational clinical trials was performed. Case reports and reviews were excluded. The search included all articles published until July 2020.

Results

Of 218 potentially eligible articles, 16 studies involving 381 participants were included. Seven studies performed an ACTH test before HD or in between HD sessions. There was no data available regarding ACTH testing during HD. But there was evidence of decreased cortisol levels during HD as compared to afterwards. All included 16 studies measured basal cortisol, and seven studies performed an ACTH test. Seven trials had comparable data of baseline cortisol for a quantitative analysis. Standardized mean difference of overall cortisol was 0.18 nmol/l (95%CI − 0.08 to 0.44) in the case group.

Conclusions

In patients undergoing renal replacement therapy, basal serum cortisol values are comparable to healthy volunteers. There is limited data on the validity of stimulated cortisol in these patients, especially during HD.

Trial registration

Registration no. CRD42020199245.
Dynamic survival analysis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs): a 10-year follow-up based on conditional survival
Authors: Xu Shao-jun , Zhang Si-yu , Dong Ling-yi , Lin Guo-sheng , Zhou Yong-jian
Published: November 2021

Background

The prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is generally evaluated at the time of diagnosis but does not reflect the survival dynamics of patients in the future. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to evaluate the conditional survival (CS) of Chinese patients with GISTs after radical resection.

Methods

This retrospective study included 451 patients who underwent radical surgery for GISTs. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the prognostic factors of disease-free survival (DFS). The 3-year conditional DFS (CDFS3) of patients who survived for x years was expressed as CDFS3=DFS(x + 3)/DFS(x).

Results

The traditional 3-year DFS rate decreased gradually from 94.0% at 3 years to 77.3% at 7 years, while the CDFS3 rate increased from 94.0 to 95.2% over the survival time of the patients. In addition, classic clinicopathological prognostic factors had different effects on CDFS3, with changes observed in survival time, but these effects were only slight or moderate (|d|<0.5). Although multivariate analysis showed that age, sex, mitotic index and tumor rupture were independent risk factors for DFS at baseline, all adverse prognostic factors, except for the mitotic index, lost their predictive significance at 5 years after operation. When the Modified NIH criteria were included, the risk staging was found to be an independent risk factor for recurrence or death. Time-dependent Cox regression analysis showed that the modified NIH criteria independently affected the recurrence or death of GIST patients within 2 years after operation.

Conclusion

CS provides detailed dynamic survival information about Chinese patients with primary resected GISTs. The mitotic index is of great clinical significance for the monitoring and follow-up of patient populations with a high risk of tumor recurrence or death until 5 years after surgery.
The association of paid medical and caregiving leave with the economic security and wellbeing of service sector workers
Authors: Goodman Julia M. , Schneider Daniel
Published: November 2021

Background

Service-sector workers in the U.S. face extremely limited access to paid family and medical leave, but little research has examined the consequences for worker wellbeing. Our objective was to determine whether paid leave was associated with improved economic security and wellbeing for workers who needed leave for their own serious health condition or to care for a seriously ill loved one.

Methods

We analyzed data collected in 2020 by the Shift Project from 11,689 hourly service-sector workers across the US. We estimated the impact of taking paid leave on economic insecurity and wellbeing relative to taking unpaid leave, no leave, or not experiencing a need to take leave.

Results

Twenty percent of workers needed medical or caregiving leave in the reference period. Workers who took paid leave reported significantly less difficulty making ends meet, less hunger and utility payment hardship, and better sleep quality than those who had similar serious health or caregiving needs but did not take paid leave.

Conclusions

Access to paid leave enables front line workers to take needed leave from work while maintaining their financial security and wellbeing.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care providers trained in responding to violence against women: a pre- and post-intervention study
Authors: Arora Sanjida , Rege Sangeeta , Bhate-Deosthali Padma , Thwin Soe Soe , Amin Avni , García-Moreno Claudia , Meyer Sarah R.
Published: November 2021

Background

Violence against women is a serious public health concern, and is highly prevalent globally, including in India. Health-care providers [HCPs] can play an important role in addressing and reducing negative consequences of violence against women. We implemented a pre-post intervention study of HCP training in three tertiary care facilities in Maharashtra, India.

Methods

The study used a pre-post intervention design with assessment of HCPs’ (n = 201) knowledge, attitudes, perceived preparedness and practice at three time points: before training, after training and at 6 months follow- up.

Results

Total median score of knowledge about common signs and symptoms of violence (8.89 vs, 10.00), attitudes towards acceptability of violence (9.05 vs. 10.00), individual (6.74 vs. 10.00) and system level preparedness (6.11 vs. 8.14) improved from pre to post- training. The generalized estimating equation [GEE] model, adjusted for age, sex, site and department, showed an improvement in knowledge, attitudes and preparedness post- training. The change from pre to 6 months follow- up was not significant for attitude.

Conclusions

This package of interventions, including training of HCPs, improved HCPs’ knowledge, attitudes and practices, yet changes in attitudes and preparedness did not sustain over time. This study indicates feasibility and positive influence of a multi-component intervention to improve HCP readiness to respond to violence against women in a low-resource setting. Future phases of intervention development include adapting this intervention package for primary and secondary health facilities in this context, and future research should assess these interventions using a rigorous experimental design. Finally, these results can be used to advocate for multi-layered, systems-based approaches to strengthening health response to violence against women.
The evaluation of bone marrow edema in sacroiliac joint in patients with ankylosing spondylitis using magnetic resonance imaging Dixon sequence
Authors: Du Ming-Shan , Xiong Xuan-Qi , Liu He , Qin Xin , Hu Xiao-Fei , Chen Wei
Published: November 2021

Background

Bone marrow edema of the sacroiliac joint is the early imaging manifestation, an indicator of inflammatory activity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (Yang R, et. al. Medicine (Baltimore) 98:e14620, 2019).

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Dixon sequence in the diagnosis of marrow edema of the sacroiliac joint in patients with AS.

Methods

Forty-five patients with AS admitted in our hospital between November 2016 and February 2019 were selected retrospectively as the case group. Forty-five healthy subjects recruited between November 2016 and February 2019 served as the control group. Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI), Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were recorded after admission to the hospital. The Dixon sequence water-fat ratio of the iliac and sacral surfaces of the bilateral sacroiliac joints in the study group were compared with indicators above in order to find the correlation.

Results

The water-fat ratio under the bilateral sacroiliac joints on Dixon sequence images in the case group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (P<0.05). The Dixon sequence water-fat ratio of the iliac and sacral surfaces of the bilateral sacroiliac joints in the study group were positively correlated with spinal arthritis research (SPARCC), BASFI and BASDAI score (all P < 0.05), but did not correlate with ESR and CRP.

Conclusion

The water-fat ratio of magnetic resonance Dixon sequence can be used as a reference index to evaluate the degree of bone marrow edema in active stage of sacroiliac arthritis.
The contribution of musculoskeletal factors to physical frailty: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Tembo Monica C. , Mohebbi Mohammadreza , Holloway-Kew Kara L. , Gaston James , Sui Sophia X. , Brennan-Olsen Sharon L. , Williams Lana J. , Kotowicz Mark A. , Pasco Julie A.
Published: November 2021

Background

Musculoskeletal conditions and physical frailty have overlapping constructs. We aimed to quantify individual contributions of musculoskeletal factors to frailty.

Methods

Participants included 347 men and 360 women aged ≥60 yr (median ages; 70.8 (66.1–78.6) and 71.0 (65.2–77.5), respectively) from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Frailty was defined as ≥3, pre-frail 1–2, and robust 0, of the following; unintentional weight loss, weakness, low physical activity, exhaustion, and slowness. Measures were made of femoral neck BMD, appendicular lean mass index (ALMI, kg/m2) and whole-body fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2) by DXA (Lunar), SOS, BUA and SI at the calcaneus (Lunar Achilles Insight) and handgrip strength by dynamometers. Binary and ordinal logistic regression models and AUROC curves were used to quantify the contribution of musculoskeletal parameters to frailty. Potential confounders included anthropometry, smoking, alcohol, prior fracture, FMI, SES and comorbidities.

Results

Overall, 54(15.6%) men and 62(17.2%) women were frail. In adjusted-binary logistic models, SI, ALMI and HGS were associated with frailty in men (OR = 0.73, 95%CI 0.53–1.01; OR=0.48, 0.34–0.68; and OR = 0.11, 0.06–0.22; respectively). Muscle measures (ALMI and HGS) contributed more to this association than did bone (SI) (AUROCs 0.77, 0.85 vs 0.71, respectively). In women, only HGS was associated with frailty in adjusted models (OR = 0.30 95%CI 0.20–0.45, AUROC = 0.83). In adjusted ordinal models, similar results were observed in men; for women, HGS and ALMI were associated with frailty (ordered OR = 0.30 95%CI 0.20–0.45; OR = 0.56, 0.40–0.80, respectively).

Conclusion

Muscle deficits appeared to contribute more than bone deficits to frailty. This may have implications for identifying potential musculoskeletal targets for preventing or managing the progression of frailty.
A mixture model for signature discovery from sparse mutation data
Authors: Sason Itay , Chen Yuexi , Leiserson Mark D.M. , Sharan Roded
Published: November 2021

Mutational signatures are key to understanding the processes that shape cancer genomes, yet their analysis requires relatively rich whole-genome or whole-exome mutation data. Recently, orders-of-magnitude sparser gene-panel-sequencing data have become increasingly available in the clinic. To deal with such sparse data, we suggest a novel mixture model, . In application to simulated and real gene-panel sequences, is shown to outperform current approaches and yield mutational signatures and patient stratifications that are in higher agreement with the literature. We further demonstrate its utility in several clinical settings, successfully predicting therapy benefit and patient groupings from MSK-IMPACT pan-cancer data. Availability: https://github.com/itaysason/Mix-MMM.
Determinants of the continuous operations of micro and small enterprises during COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia
Authors: Kassa Erstu Tarko
Published: November 2021

The main objective of this study is to assess determinant factors for the continuous operations of micro and small enterprises during COVID-19 pandemic. The study adopted a cross-sectional  design, with both descriptive and explanatory research design. To achieve the objectives of the study, 276 respondents were selected from 890 micro and small enterprise owners. The sample of the study was selected through proportional stratified random sampling technique from the business types (manufacturing, construction, urban agriculture, service and trade). To collect the primary data, questionnaires were dispatched to owners/operators of micro and small enterprises. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive, correlation and regression analysis techniques. The finding of the study revealed that people and administrative factors, regulatory factors, economic factors, partnerships, leadership of owner have a positive relationship to micro–small enterprise continuous operations during COVID-19 pandemic with the value of r = 0.457, 0.558, 0.572, 0.519 and 0.654, respectively. The study regression analysis result assured that partnership, economic factors, and leadership of the owner has a positive statistical significant effect on the continuous operations of the micro and small enterprise during COVID-19 pandemic with the value of (p < 0.05). The researcher recommended that strenghtening partnership with stakeloders and excersing best leadership practices are essential to ensure the continuous operations of the micro and small enterpreses.
The effect of the family presence on anxiety and agitation of patients under mechanical ventilation after open heart surgery: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Nouri Jamileh Mokhtari , Safaeipour Leila , Vafadar Zohreh , Moradian Seyed Tayeb
Published: November 2021

Background

Family-centered care has been considered as a philosophy of care. Family presence in intensive care units (ICUs), especially in the acute phase of the disease is controversial. This study has been carried out in order to determine the effect of the family presence on anxiety and agitation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Materials and methods

In a clinical trial, 70 patients were randomly allocated into groups of experimental and control. In the experimental group, during the weaning process from the mechanical ventilation, a family member was present at the bedside. The degree of anxiety and Richmond’s Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS) were compared in seven consecutive time stages, including the time of entry into the ICU, the first respiratory drive, the family entrance, 20 min and 1 h after the presence of the family member, the time of extubation, and 1 h after extubation.

Results

There was a significant difference between the two groups in the mean scores of the anxiety scale in the first (P =0.008), second (P=0.002), and third stages (P =0.005). This difference was not significant in the fourth to seventh stages (P>0.05). As the baseline anxiety levels were different, a covariate adjustment was used for comparisons between treatments, adjusting the main analyses for baseline anxiety levels. Analysis showed that groups were not different. Also, there was no significant difference in the mean scores of RASS between the two experimental and control groups at any of the seven stages (P> 0.05).

Conclusion

According to the findings of the present study, the presence of a family member does not reduce the level of anxiety and agitation of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, it can be concluded that this intervention is feasible in acute and complex situations after open heart surgeries.

Trial registration

This study has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the code IRCT201609014299N4.