bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Akzeptanz und Nebenwirkungen einer Virtuellen-Realitäts-Intervention bei Menschen mit Psychose und gesunden Kontrollprobanden
Authors: Dietrichkeit Mona , Grzella Karsten , Nagel Matthias , Moritz Steffen
Published: September 2020

Hintergrund: Virtuelle Realität (VR) wird zunehmend als Alternative zu klassischen Verhaltensexperimenten genutzt, um dysfunktionale Annahmen zu überprüfen und kognitive Verzerrungen zu korrigieren. Dieser Artikel untersucht die Akzeptanz sowie Cybersickness (z.B. Übelkeit) eines neuen Ansatzes zur Korrektur von Überkonfidenz in Fehlerinnerungen bei Psychose mithilfe einer VR-Intervention im Vergleich zu gesunden Probanden. Methodik: Neununddreißig Patienten mit Psychose und 20 gesunde Probanden navigierten an zwei Terminen durch eine VR. Die (subklinische) psychotische Symptomatik sowie Cybersickness wurden jeweils vor und nach Durchlaufen der VR mittels dem Community Assessment of Psychic Experiencesund Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) über insgesamt 4 Messzeitpunkte gemessen. Ergebnisse: Die Patientengruppe zeigte über alle Messzeitpunkte höhere Werte im SSQ im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe, allerdings keine Cybersickness, da der SSQ-Wert im Verlauf abnahm. Es zeigten sich Hinweise für einen Geschlechtereffekt. Korrelationen zeigten positive Zusammenhänge zwischen SSQ-Werten und nachfolgender psychotischer Symptomatik. Diskussion: Cybersickness als Nebenwirkung von VR-Interventionen mit einer VR-Brille scheint kein spezifisches Problem bei Menschen mit Psychose zu sein. Allerdings zeigten die Patienten ausgeprägte somatische Symptome, die ohne Möglichkeit zur Attribution im SSQ fälschlicherweise auf die VR-Intervention zurückgeführt werden könnten. Um Abbrüche zu verhindern, sollte in zukünftigen Studien Habituation ermöglicht werden. Geschlechtereffekte (d.h. Anfälligkeit von Frauen für Cybersickness) sollten weiter untersucht werden. Wir empfehlen, den SSQ um Items zur Ursachenattribution zu erweitern, um Cybersickness von somatischen Symptomen in Folge von körperlichen Erkrankungen oder Nebenwirkungen der Medikation abzugrenzen. Schließlich sollte weiter untersucht werden, inwieweit somatische Probleme vorhandene psychotische Symptome weiter anfachen.
Effects of Additional Use of Bioactive Glasses or a Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste on Remineralization of Artificial Lesions in vitro
Authors: Körner Philipp , Schleich Jana A , Wiedemeier Daniel B. , Attin Thomas , Wegehaupt Florian J.
Published: September 2020

Objectives: This in vitro study aimed to evaluate and compare the effect of two different bioactive glasses, a hydroxyapatite-containing, fluoride-free toothpaste (HTP) and a fluoride toothpaste (FTP) on the remineralization behavior of initial caries lesions. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 bovine enamel samples were randomly allocated to five groups of 20 samples each: NC = negative control group (artificial saliva); HTP = HTP group (Karex); FTP = FTP group (Elmex caries protection, 1,400 ppm); FTP + BGnano = FTP followed by Actimins bioactive glass; FTP + BGamorph = FTP followed by Schott bioactive glass. Radiographic documentation (advanced transversal microradiography; aTMR) was applied before and after all samples were exposed to a demineralizing gel for 10 days. Over a period of 28 days, samples were covered twice a day (every 12 h) with a toothpaste slurry of the respective test group or with artificial saliva in NC for 60 s and brushed with 15 brushing strokes. Samples in FTP + BGnano and FTP + BGamorph were additionally treated with the respective bioactive glass slurry for 30 s after brushing with the FTP. In the meantime, all samples were stored in artificial saliva. After 28 days, the structure of all samples was assessed again using aTMR and compared to the values measured after demineralization. The statistical evaluation of the integrated mineral loss was performed using Kruskal-Wallis test followed by a post hoc Conover test. Results: The FTP revealed the significantly highest increase of mineral content while the HTP showed the significantly lowest remineralization. Compared to artificial saliva, the use of the HTP or the combined application of FTP followed by bioactive glasses (FTP + BGnano and FTP + BGamorph) showed no significant remineralization. Conclusion: Under remineralizing in vitro conditions, brushing with 1,400 ppm FTP induced significantly more remineralization compared to storage in artificial saliva. The additional administration of both bioactive glasses as well as the substitutional brushing with an HTP resulted in significantly less remineralization compared to brushing with 1,400 ppm FTP.
Everyday Life, Dietary Practices, and Health Conditions of Adult PKU Patients: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Klimek Annemarie , Baerwald Christoph , Schwarz Martin , Rutsch Frank , Parhofer Klaus G. , Plöckinger Ursula , Heddrich-Ellerbrok Margret , vom Dahl Stephan , Schöne Klaus , Ott Markus , Lang Frauke , Hennermann Julia B.
Published: September 2020

Background: Only few data on dietary management of adult phenylketonuria (PKU) patients are published. Objectives: This study aimed to assess living situation, dietary practices, and health conditions of early-treated adult PKU patients. Methods: A total of 183 early-treated PKU patients ≥18 years from 8 German metabolic centers received access to an online survey, containing 91 questions on sociodemographic data, dietary habits, and health conditions. Results: 144/183 patients (66% females) completed the questionnaire. Compared with German population, the proportion of single-person households was higher (22 vs. 47%), the rate of childbirth was lower (1.34 vs. 0.4%), but educational and professional status did not differ. 82% of the patients adhered to a low-protein diet, 45% consumed modified low-protein food almost daily, and 84% took amino acid mixtures regularly. 48% of the patients never interrupted diet, and 14% stopped diet permanently. 69% of the patients reported to feel better with diet, and 91% considered their quality of life at least as good. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was high (29%) and correlated significantly to phenylalanine blood concentrations (p = 0.046). However, depressive symptoms were only mild in the majority of patients. Conclusion: This group of early-treated adult German PKU patients is socially well integrated, reveals a surprisingly high adherence to diet and amino acid intake, and considers the restrictions of diet to their daily life as low.
TERT Promoter Mutation in Serum Cell-Free DNA Is a Diagnostic Marker of Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Akuta Norio , Kawamura Yusuke , Kobayashi Mariko , Arase Yasuji , Saitoh Satoshi , Fujiyama Shunichiro , Sezaki Hitomi , Hosaka Tetsuya , Kobayashi Masahiro , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Suzuki Fumitaka , Ikeda Kenji , Kumada Hiromitsu
Published: September 2020

Introduction: It remains unclear whether TERT promoter mutation (TERT C228T) in serum cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is useful for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the relationships between TERT C228T in serum cfDNA and levels of AFP and PIVKAII in 57 Japanese patients with histopathologically confirmed NAFLD background, consisting of 36 patients with HCC and 21 without HCC. We also examined the liver-related survival rate and HCC recurrence rate after the initial treatment for HCC. TERT C228T was detected using a highly sensitive method based on wild-type blocking PCR (detection limit in excess of 0.7% mutant-type DNA). Results: In all of the 57 patients, multivariate analysis identified TERT C228T positive as significant determinant of primary HCC. In the 36 patients with HCC, the percentage of patients positive for TERT C228T was 63.9%. The percentage of patients positive for TERT C228T with normal AFP and PIVKAII was 35.3%. The positive predictive value and specificity for prediction of BCLC stage 0 or A were both high. In 6 patients, TERT C228T was repeatedly negative during follow-up but became positive at the time of HCC diagnosis. Four patients who underwent HCC surgical resection had well-differentiated solitary HCC measuring <30 mm, and all were TERT C228T positive with normal AFP and PIVKAII. TERT C228T status had no influence on the cumulative liver-related survival rate and HCC recurrence rate. Conclusions: Our results highlight the superiority of TERT C228T in serum cfDNA compared with AFP and PIVKAII in the early diagnosis of primary HCC in NAFLD patients.
High-Grade Epstein-Barr Virus-Negative Biphenotypic Lymphoma with Expression of B- and T-Cell Markers and Leukemia Presentation: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Kohla Samah , Ibrahim Feryal A. , Mudawi Deena , Akiki Susanna , Soliman Dina , Al-Sabbagh Ahmad , Youssef Reda R.H. , Yassin Mohamed A.
Published: September 2020

Lymphomas are presently categorized according to their origin from B or T lymphocytes. The co-expression of CD3 in B-cell lymphomas or CD20 in T-cell lymphomas has been rarely reported. Immature and less often mature lymphomas may incorporate the rearrangements of both B- and T-cell antigen receptor genes (dual genotype or bigenotype). Lymphoma cells with a sole genotype hardly concurrently express both B- and T-cell markers (biphenotypic lymphomas). We describe a 63-year-old female who was presented with obstructive jaundice and epigastric pain of 10 days. Initial CBC revealed 43x103/μL white blood cells, 11.2 g/dL hemoglobin, and 88x103/μL platelets. CT abdomen revealed hepatomegaly and suspected pancreatic mass with large retroperitoneal lymph nodal mass. Peripheral smear showed 56% lymphoid cells with blast morphology. The bone marrow (BM) aspirate smear was infiltrated by 83% immature-looking cells. BM biopsy showed interstitial to diffuse extensive infiltration by primitive-looking cells, positive for pan-B-cell antigens CD20, CD79, and PAX5 as well as the T-cell antigen CD4, CD5, CD3, while negative for all immaturity markers (CD34, TdT, and CD1a). In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNA (EBER) was negative. Flow cytometry on BM aspirate showed an abnormal population (50%) expressing the B-cell antigens (CD19, CD20, CD79, CD22) and CD10, and showed lambda light chain restriction as well as the T-cell antigens cCD3 and CD4 with partial CD5. The analysis showed, also, another abnormal population of lambda restricted monotypic B cells (8%) with dimmer CD45 (blast gate) and showed the same immunophenotype (expressing the B-cell antigens), but negative for CD10, cCD3, CD5, and CD4. Conventional cytogenetic revealed complex karyotype. Molecular studies revealed rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain region consistent with a clonal B-cell population. TCR gene rearrangement analysis was equivocal concerning clonality but was not conclusive for clonal T-cell disease. Our final diagnosis was peripheral blood and BM involvement by EBV-negative high-grade lymphoid neoplasm (in leukemic phase with blast morphology) and an ambiguous immunophenotype with a differential diagnosis that may include the rare entity of bigenotypic lymphoma or an unusual case of high-grade B-cell lymphoma with aberrant expression of T-cell markers (biphenotypic lymphomas).
Eyes See what the Mind Knows: Clues to Pattern Recognition in Single Enzyme Deficiency-Related Peroxisomal Disorders
Authors: Arora Veronica , Bijarnia-Mahay Sunita , Dubey Sudhisha , Saxena Renu
Published: September 2020

Peroxisomal disorders are a heterogeneous group of inborn errors of metabolism that result in impaired function of the peroxisome. Within this, single enzyme deficiencies are known to cause a constellation of symptoms not very different from the peroxisome biogenesis defects. Thus, there is a need to identify features that differentiate the two. We present 3 molecularly confirmed families: 1 with Acyl CoA oxidase deficiency and 2 with D-bifunctional protein deficiency. The clinical, biochemical, and radiological features of these patients have been discussed. We attempt to highlight the overlap in facial features as well as strikingly similar MRI findings of cerebellar atrophy and white matter hyperintensities. This unique clinical profile will not only help in reaching a quick diagnosis, but in this era of variants of uncertain significance, it will prove as supporting evidence. Finally, we expand the genotypic spectrum with a description of 3 homozygous novel mutations (HSD17B4: c.670C>T, c.1807T>C; ACOX1: 1.03-kb exonic deletion) and discuss the role of protein modeling its establishing pathogenicity.
Characteristics and Graft Survival of Kidney Transplant Recipients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Machhi Rushad , Mandelbrot Didier A. , Al-Qaoud Talal , Astor Brad C. , Parajuli Sandesh
Published: September 2020

Background: The incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is higher in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) compared to the general population. However, the risk factors and outcomes based on the diagnosis of RCC after kidney transplantation are limited. Methods: We analyzed risk factors for the development of RCC in KTRs transplanted at our institution between 1994 and 2016. We compared the incidence of graft failure and mortality in KTRs with RCC to matched controls using 5:1 event density sampling. Identifying the risk factors of RCC and patient and graft survival were outcomes of interest. Results: There were 4,178 KTRs performed at our institution during the study period, and 51 patients were diagnosed with RCC. Recipients were followed until graft failure or death. We did not identify commonly looked at baseline characteristics associated with the risk of RCC. Comparing KTRs with RCC to matched controls, RCC patients were younger (47.5 vs. 49.6 years, p < 0.01), received basiliximab induction more commonly (p = 0.01), had hypertension and glomerulonephritis as causes of end-stage renal disease (p = 0.01), and were more likely to be smokers (p < 0.01). RCC was significantly associated with death-censored graft failure (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.02–3.03; p = 0.04) but not patient death (adjusted HR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.50–1.83; p = 0.89). Conclusion: In our experience, RCC had a detrimental impact on graft survival among KTRs, highlighting the potential benefit of early diagnosis and optimal immunosuppression management in optimizing graft survival.
Cardiac Inflammation Impedes Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients With Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Verdonschot Job A.J. , Merken Jort J. , van Stipdonk Antonius M.W. , Pliger Philipp , Derks Kasper W.J. , Wang Ping , Henkens Michiel T.H.M. , van Paassen Pieter , Abdul Hamid Myrurgia A. , van Empel Vanessa P.M. , Knackstedt Christian , Luermans Justin G.L.M. , Crijns Harry J.G.M. , Brunner-La Rocca Hans-Peter , Brunner Han G. , Poelzl Gerhard , Vernooy Kevin , Heymans Stephane R.B. , Hazebroek Mark R.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established therapy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and conduction disorders. Still, one-third of the patients with DCM do not respond to CRT. This study aims to depict the underlying cardiac pathophysiological processes of nonresponse to CRT in patients with DCM using endomyocardial biopsies.

Methods:

Within the Maastricht and Innsbruck registries of patients with DCM, 99 patients underwent endomyocardial biopsies before CRT implantation, with histological quantification of fibrosis and inflammation, where inflammation was defined as >14 infiltrating cells/mm
2
. Echocardiographic left ventricular end-systolic volume reduction ≥15% after 6 months was defined as response to CRT. RNA was isolated from cardiac biopsies of a representative subset of responders and nonresponders.

Results:

Sixty-seven patients responded (68%), whereas 32 (32%) did not respond to CRT. Cardiac inflammation before implantation was negatively associated with response to CRT (25% of responders, 47% of nonresponders; odds ratio 0.3 [0.12–0.76];
P
=0.01). Endomyocardial biopsies fibrosis did not relate to CRT response. Cardiac inflammation improved the robustness of prediction beyond well-known clinical predictors of CRT response (likelihood ratio test
P
<0.001). Cardiac transcriptomic profiling of endomyocardial biopsies reveals a strong proinflammatory and profibrotic signature in the hearts of nonresponders compared with responders. In particular,
COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL5A1, POSTN, CTGF, LOX, TGFβ1, PDGFRA, TNC, BGN
, and
TSP2
were significantly higher expressed in the hearts of nonresponders.

Conclusions:

Cardiac inflammation along with a transcriptomic profile of high expression of combined proinflammatory and profibrotic genes are associated with a poor response to CRT in patients with DCM.
Development of Helical Myofiber Tracts in the Human Fetal Heart: Analysis of Myocardial Fiber Formation in the Left Ventricle From the Late Human Embryonic Period Using Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Nishitani Saori , Torii Narisa , Imai Hirohiko , Haraguchi Ryo , Yamada Shigehito , Takakuwa Tetsuya
Published: September 2020

Background

Detection of the fiber orientation pattern of the myocardium using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging lags ≈12 weeks of gestational age (WGA) behind fetal myocardial remodeling with invasion by the developing coronary vasculature (8 WGA). We aimed to use diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging tractography to characterize the evolution of fiber architecture in the developing human heart from the later embryonic period.

Methods and Results

Twenty human specimens (8–24 WGA) from the Kyoto Collection of Human Embryos and Fetuses, including specimens from the embryonic period (Carnegie stages 20–23), were used. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired with a 7T magnetic resonance system. Fractional anisotropy and helix angle were calculated using standard definitions. In all samples, the fibers ran helically in an organized pattern in both the left and right ventricles. A smooth transmural change in helix angle values (from positive to negative) was detected in all 16 directions of the ventricles. This feature was observed in almost all small (Carnegie stage 23) and large samples. A higher fractional anisotropy value was detected at the outer side of the anterior wall and septum at Carnegie stage 20 to 22, which spread around the ventricular wall at Carnegie stage 23 and in the early fetal samples (11–12 WGA). The fractional anisotropy value of the left ventricular walls decreased in samples with ≥13 WGA, which remained low (≈0.09) in larger samples.

Conclusions

From the human late embryonic period (from 8 WGA), the helix angle arrangement of the myocardium is comparable to that of the adult, indicating that the myocardial structure blueprint, organization, and integrity are already formed.
The Anomalous Sun
Authors: Gessner Samuel , Korey Michael , Gaulke Karsten
Published: September 2020

Four clockwork-driven planetary automata built to show the true motion of the planets according to Ptolemaic theory, not just their mean motion, survive from the sixteenth century: one each in Paris, Vienna, Kassel, and Dresden. Close, on-site examination of their mechanisms by a team of historians of science and clockmakers has gone beyond existing accounts and revealed that, though they share a common aim, the machines differ fundamentally in their realization of even the “simplest” of the planetary motions, namely that of the Sun. Indeed, three different ways have been detected for producing the solar anomaly, the Sun’s non-uniform motion along the ecliptic in the course of a year. The oldest of the surviving machines (Paris) uses the uniform motion of an eccentric gear, another (Vienna) adapts what would be a geometrically equivalent epicycle, and the two other machines (Kassel and Dresden) make use of a centered gear with non-uniformly spaced teeth. This paper discusses these findings in detail. It argues that such differing approaches not only reflect varying degrees of collaboration among the actors involved in the construction of these four technical masterpieces – princely commissioners, learned astronomers, and artful craftsmen (with these categories sometimes overlapping) – but also that they offer a further, mechanical contribution to the centuries-old reception and refinement of Ptolemaic planetary theory.
Lunar Crater Models
Authors: Devoy Louise E.
Published: September 2020

This article traces the story of three amateur astronomers who created relief models to help them depict the changing illumination of certain lunar craters, examples of which can be found in UK museum collections today. English chemist Henry Blunt (1806–1853) adopted the emerging technology of electrotyping to reproduce and distribute his plaster model of the Eratosthenes crater to a wider audience. Scottish industrial engineer James Nasmyth (1808–1890) used a combination of drawing, modelling and photography to support his thesis on the volcanic origin of lunar craters in his popular book The Moon Considered … (1874). Spanish sculptor Dionis Renart (1878–1946) produced a series of plaster models for the Exposición General De Estudios Lunares (1912) that eventually came to Greenwich via the British selenographer Hugh Percy Wilkins (1896–1960). These three case studies provide us with valuable insights into the rationale behind the production, use and distribution of lunar crater models within amateur and popular astronomy.
To Boldly Remember Where We Have Already Been
Authors: Moir Nathaniel L.
Published: September 2020

This article revisits the Cutter Incident in the United States in April 1955 when mass-produced doses of polio vaccine containing insufficiently inactivated (killed) live polio virus were released to the U.S. public. The Cutter Incident also affected subsequent vaccine development and these lessons remain relevant in the international quest to create a rapidly developed vaccine for COVID-19. The Cutter Incident shows how things can go wrong when a vaccine is manufactured in haste and without adequate safety precautions during mass-production. In the article’s later section, liability without fault, among other consequences resulting from the incident, are also assessed in the context of current vaccine development through Operation Warp Speed, the public-private partnership funded by the U.S. government to develop a remedy for COVID-19.
Luteoporia citriniporia sp. nov. (Polyporales, Basidiomycota), evidenced by morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis

Authors: LIU ZHAN-BO , YUAN YUAN
Published: September 2020

A new poroid wood-inhabiting fungus in the Polyporales, Luteoporia citriniporia sp. nov., is described from Sri Lanka based on morphological and molecular evidence. L. citriniporia is characterized by an annual growth habit; resupinate basidiocarps with lemon yellow pores when fresh becoming buff to clay pink upon drying, a distinct snow white and fimbriate sterile margin, tissues becoming pink in KOH, a monomitic hyphal system, generative hyphae thin- to distinctly thick-walled, usually encrusted with fine yellow crystals, and oblong-ellipsoid to subcylindrical basidiospores measuring 3.4–4.2 × 1.8–2.1 µm. The phylogenetic analysis based on ITS + nLSU rDNA sequences shows that the new species belongs to Luteoporia, forming a monophyletic lineage with strong support (100% BS, 100% BP, 1.00 BPP) and is closely related to L. albomarginata; the lineage groups with Crustodontia chrysocreas, Phlebiporia bubalina and Mycoacia uda. Both morphological and molecular characters confirm the placement of the new species in Luteoporia.
A new species of Pouteria (Sapotaceae) from Northeastern Brazil

Authors: ALVES-ARAÚJO ANDERSON
Published: September 2020

Pouteria alvesii (Chrysophylloideae, Sapotaceae) a new species from Atlantic Forest is here described, and it is morphologically related to Pouteria pachyphylla, which occurs in Amazon Rainforest. Herein, description, illustration, comments on geographic distribution and phenology information are provided. Based on its distribution and habitat, the new species is assigned as Vulnerable, according to the IUCN criteria.
A mid-Cretaceous land snail Euthema truncatellina sp. nov. (Caenogastropoda, Cyclophoroidea, Diplommatinidae) from Burmese amber
Authors: BALASHOV IGOR A. , PERKOVSKY EVGENY E. , VASILENKO DMITRY V.
Published: September 2020

Diplommatinidae Pfeiffer, 1857 is a speciose family of minute operculate land snails that includes more than 500 extant species occurring mainly in Southeastern Asia and northern Oceania with some species in tropical America and, arguably, in Madagascar (Kobelt 1902; Wenz 1938-1939; Haas 1961; Egorov. 2013; Yamazaki et al. 2013; Neubert & Bouchet 2015; Nurinsiyah & Hausdorf 2017; Páll-Gergely et al. 2017a; Greke, 2017). The fossil record of Diplommatinidae is very sparse; it was recorded from the Miocene of Poland (Harzhauser & Neubauer 2018) and four species were recently described from Cretaceous Burmese amber, being the oldest known diplommatinids (Yu et al. 2018; Hirano et al. 2019; Bullis et al. 2020).
Concomitant Traumatic Brain Injury and Hemorrhagic Shock: Outcomes Using the Spanish Trauma ICU Registry (RETRAUCI)
Authors: Chico-Fernández Mario , Barea-Mendoza Jesús A. , Pérez-Bárcena Jon , García-Sáez Iker , Quintana-Díaz Manuel , Marina Luis , Mayor-García Dolores M. , Serviá-Goixart Luis , Jiménez-Moragas José M. , Llompart-Pou Juan A.
Published: September 2020

Background

To compare the main outcomes of trauma patients with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI), hemorrhagic shock, and the combination of both using data from the Spanish trauma intensive care unit (ICU) registry (RETRAUCI).

Methods

Patients admitted to the participating ICUs from March 2015 to May 2019 were included in the study. The main outcomes were analyzed according to the presence of TBI, hemorrhagic shock, and/or both. Comparison of groups with quantitative variables was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, and differences between groups with categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test as appropriate. A P value <.05 was considered significant.

Results

Overall, 310 patients (3.98%) were presented with TBI and hemorrhagic shock. Patients with TBI and hemorrhagic shock received more red blood cell (RBC) concentrates, fresh frozen plasma (FFP), a higher ratio FFP/RBC, and had a higher incidence of trauma-induced coagulopathy (60%) ( P < .001). These patients had higher mortality ( P < .001). Intracranial hypertension was the leading cause of death (50.4%).

Conclusions

Concomitant TBI and hemorrhagic shock occur in nearly 4% of trauma ICU patients. These patients required a higher amount of RBC concentrates and FFP and had an increased mortality.
A Contemporary Analysis of Delayed Diagnoses After Traumatic Injury
Authors: Hatchimonji Justin S. , Sharoky Catherine E. , Kaufman Elinore J. , Ma Lucy W. , Garcia Whitlock Anna E. , Smith Brian P. , Holena Daniel N.
Published: September 2020

Background

Factors associated with delayed injury diagnosis (DID) have been examined, but incompletely researched.

Methods

We evaluated demographics, mechanism, and measures of mental status and injury severity among 10 years’ worth of adult trauma patients at our center for association with DID in a multivariable regression model. Descriptions of DID injuries were reviewed to highlight characteristics of these injuries.

Results

We included 13 509 patients, 89 (0.7%) of whom had a recognized DID. In regression analysis, ISS (OR 1.04 per point, 95% CI 1.02-1.06) and number of injuries (OR 1.08 per injury, 95% CI 1.04-1.11) were associated with DID. Operative patients had twice the odds of DID (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.18-3.44). The most common category of DID was orthopedic extremity injury (22/89).

Conclusion

DID is associated with injury severity and operative intervention. This suggests that the presence of an injury requiring operation may distract the trauma team from additional injuries.
Death obsession’s potential mediational role in the relation between pregnancy-related anxiety and prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Bambo Sadi Cordelia , Mashegoane Solomon
Published: September 2020

The study investigated the mediator role of death obsession in the relationship between pregnancy-related anxiety and prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder among pregnant women in the Capricorn district, South Africa. Two hundred and six conveniently selected respondents completed questionnaires individually. Statistically significant associations were found between pregnancy-related anxiety and death obsession, death obsession and prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder, and pregnancy-related anxiety and prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder ( ps ⩽ .05). Analysis further showed that death obsession mediates the relationship between pregnancy-related anxiety and both composite scores of a prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder measure (Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory–Revised) and most of its components. The findings suggest that death obsession is a likely mediator that has to be studied further.
Women’s participation in teacher unions: Implications of a ‘triple burden’ for union gender equality strategies
Authors: Gavin Mihajla , McGrath-Champ Susan , Stacey Meghan , Wilson Rachel
Published: September 2020

Amidst declining union influence, teacher unions have retained power. However, work intensification, arising from increasing reform in school education, has potentially undermined union participation, particularly women’s. Using a mixed-method approach, this article examines how the tangled combination of women’s paid work, union participation and family/domestic responsibilities (the ‘triple burden’) affects women’s roles as unionists. Examining the case of Australian teachers, the article finds that while demands of ‘work’ and ‘life’ can stifle union participation, it is specifically the cultural and historical legacies in unions that hinder women’s participation. The findings offer new insights around issues affecting the participation of women in female-dominated unions, and the intersection between union organisation and operation and the member-workers whom they represent.
Metaheuristic searching genetic algorithm based reliability assessment of hybrid power generation system
Authors: Abdalla Ahmed N , Nazir Muhammad Shahzad , Jiang MingXin , Kadhem Athraa Ali , Wahab Noor Izzri Abdul , Cao Suqun , Ji Rendong
Published: September 2020

Generating systems are known as adequately reliable when satisfying the load demand. Meanwhile, the efficiency of electrical systems is currently being more influenced by the growing adoption of the Wind/Solar energy in power systems compared to other conventional power sources. This paper proposed a new optimization approach called Metaheuristic Scanning Genetic Algorithm (MSGA) for the evaluation of the efficiency of power generating systems. The MSGA is based on a combination of metaheuristic scanning and Genetic Algorithm. The MSGA technique is used for evaluating the reliability and adequacy of generation systems integrated with wind/Solar energy is developed. The usefulness of the proposed algorithm was tested using Reliability Test System ‘IEEE-RTS-79’ which include both of wind power and solar power generation. The result approve the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in improving the computation time by 85% and 2% in comparison with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and differential evolution optimization algorithm (DEOA) respectively. In addition, the proposed model can be used to test the power capacity forecasting scheme of the hybrid power generation system with the wind, solar and storage.
Leader Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior and Employee Unethical Conduct: Social Learning of Moral Disengagement as a Behavioral Principle
Authors: Lian Huiwen , Huai Mingyun , Farh Jiing-Lih , Huang Jia-Chi , Lee Cynthia , Chao Melody M.
Published: September 2020

Unethical behavior in organizations has attracted much attention among researchers, yet we know little about when and why unethical behavior conducted by leaders that is intended to benefit the organization—or leader unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB)—might translate into employee unethical behavior. Drawing on a social-learning-of-principle perspective, which proposes that people can learn the principles that govern observed behaviors, we propose that employees, especially those with a high power distance orientation, can abstract and learn a moral disengagement behavioral principle by observing leader UPB. This learned moral disengagement behavioral principle then enables them to engage in unethical behaviors that may be intended to benefit or harm their organizations. In two multiwave field studies with data collected from real estate agents, we found overall support for our theoretical model but the moderating effect of power distance orientation. We discuss some key theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
Incorporating Mortality in Health Utility Measures
Authors: Dewitt Barry , Torrance George W.
Published: September 2020

The creation of multiattribute health utility systems requires design choices that have profound effects on the utility model, many of which have been documented and studied in the literature. Here we describe one design choice that has, to the best of our knowledge, been unrecognized and therefore ignored. It can emerge in any multiattribute decision analysis in which one or more essential outcomes cannot be described in terms of the multiattribute space. In health applications, the state of being dead is such an outcome. When the remaining health is conceptualized as a multidimensional space, determining the utility of the state of being dead requires using the interval-scale properties of cardinal utility, combined with elicited utilities for the state of being dead and the all-worst state, to produce a utility function in which the state of being dead has a utility of 0 and full health has a utility of 1 (i.e., the quality-adjusted life-year scale). Although previously unrecognized, there are two approaches to accomplish that step, and they produce different results in almost all cases. As a corollary, the choice of approach determines the proportion of states rated as worse than dead by the system. For example, in the Health Utility Index 3 (HUI3), the method used classifies 78% of the 972,000 unique health states in the classification system as worse than dead, and that proportion increases to 85% when the HUI3 is recalculated using the alternative approach. Studies of populations with significant morbidity are the most likely to be sensitive to the design choice. Those who design utility measures should be aware that they are using a researcher degree of freedom when they decide how to scale the state of being dead.
Neuroprotective effect of apigenin against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury
Authors: Ling Chengli , Lei Chang , Zou Manshu , Cai Xiong , Xiang Yun , Xie Yu , Li Xuran , Huang Dan , Wang Yuhong
Published: September 2020

Objective

The therapeutic efficacy of apigenin in PC12 cells and rats remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of apigenin against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, both in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

We first treated PC12 cells with cobalt chloride (CoCl2) to create a model of oxidative stress injury. Cell viability was then determined using a multifunctional microplate reader. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potentials (MMPs) were examined using high-content cytometer analysis. The efficacy of apigenin treatment was also analyzed in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model using TTC staining and neurological deficit scores.

Results

The half-inhibitory concentration of CoCl2 was 1.2 mM. Pretreatment with 10 µg ⋅ mL−1 apigenin significantly enhanced cell viability, reduced ROS levels, alleviated apoptosis, and improved MMP in PC12 cells with CoCl2-induced injury in vitro. In addition, apigenin treatment in vivo significantly improved neurological deficit scores and reduced infarct areas in MCAO rats. These results suggest that the neuroprotective mechanisms of apigenin may be related to mitochondrial activation.

Conclusions

Apigenin had excellent neuroprotective effects for the treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in vitro and in vivo.
Bayesian non-parametric Bragg-edge fitting for neutron transmission strain imaging
Authors: Hendriks Johannes , O’Dell Nicholas , Wills Adrian , Tremsin Anton , Wensrich Christopher , Shinohara Takenao
Published: September 2020

Energy resolved neutron transmission techniques can provide high-resolution images of strain within polycrystalline samples allowing the study of residual strain and stress in engineered components. Strain is estimated from such data by analysing features known as Bragg-edges for which several methods exist. It is important for these methods to provide both accurate estimates of strain and an accurate quantification the associated uncertainty. Our contribution is twofold. First, we present a numerical simulation analysis of these existing methods, which shows that the most accurate estimates of strain are provided by a method that provides inaccurate estimates of certainty. Second, a novel Bayesian non-parametric method for estimating strain from Bragg-edges is presented. The numerical simulation analysis indicates that this method provides both competitive estimates of strain and accurate quantification of certainty, two demonstrations on experimental data are then presented.
Take back the city: Building an interracial class coalition to fight for ‘Homes for All’
Authors: Sassi Juliana
Published: September 2020

This article draws on empirical data collected through in-depth interviews conducted with Irish and migrant activists from the Take Back the City housing coalition to incite the debate about the potential of interracial class coalitions and to point out the challenges of migrant activism in Ireland. Take Back the City was a movement from below, which through the praxis aimed to challenge common sense with good sense. It questioned the commodification of housing in Ireland by reframing the housing crisis as a result of political and economic decisions, as well as in its strategy of occupying empty buildings. Claiming Homes For All, activists noticed that this slogan was not all-encompassing and as such was insufficient to help recognise that it also referred to those who came to Ireland to study, work or seek asylum. As the hegemonic narrative understands the world through concepts such as the nation-state, borders and citizenship, it automatically excludes non-nationals as the people, the subject of rights within a nation-state. This article locates Take Back the City experience within the discussion on race and class dynamics addressed by anti-racist and anti-capitalist scholars and activists.
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Children Enrolled in Head Start, 2012–2018
Authors: Imoisili Omoye , Dooyema Carrie , Kompaniyets Lyudmyla , Lundeen Elizabeth A. , Park Sohyun , Goodman Alyson B. , Blanck Heidi M.
Published: September 2020

Purpose:

Determine prevalence of overweight and obesity as reported in Head Start Program Information Reports.

Design:

Serial cross-sectional census reports from 2012–2018.

Setting:

Head Start programs countrywide, aggregated from program level to state and national level.

Subjects:

Population of children enrolled in Head Start with reported weight status data.

Measures:

Prevalence of overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥85th percentile to <95th percentile) and obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile).

Analysis:

Used descriptive statistics to present the prevalence of overweight and obesity by state. Performed unadjusted regression analysis to examine annual trends or average annual changes in prevalence.

Results:

In 2018, the prevalence of overweight was 13.7% (range: 8.9% in Alabama to 20.4% in Alaska). The prevalence of obesity was 16.6% (range: 12.5% in South Carolina to 27.1% in Alaska). In the unadjusted regression model, 34 states and the District of Columbia did not have a linear trend significantly different from zero. There was a statistically significant positive trend in obesity prevalence for 13 states and a negative trend for 3 states.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of obesity and overweight in Head Start children remained stable but continues to be high. Head Start reports may be an additional source of surveillance data to understand obesity prevalence in low-income young children.
Brand image to loyalty through perceived service quality and patient satisfaction: A conceptual framework
Authors: Taneja Udita
Published: September 2020

Brand image (BI) is a relatively new concept in the healthcare sector and its value is important for healthcare organizations to survive in this competitive era. Extant research in academics shows the diversity in determinants of patient satisfaction (PS), perceived service quality (PSQ), loyalty and brand image (BI) in the healthcare sector. The large numbers of existing studies mainly emphasize constructs such as PS, PSQ or the relationship between these two, taking into consideration other factors like cost and loyalty. The purpose of this study is to systematically review and summarize current research as well as propose a conceptual model of hospital brand image and its impact on patient loyalty through PSQ and PS. We provide a research framework for future theoretical and empirical studies on the impact of BI on patient loyalty.
Knockdown of ANGPTL2 Protects Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells Against Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Injury via Suppressing TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway and Activating Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xiang Heli , Xue Wujun , Li Yang , Zheng Jin , Ding Chenguang , Dou Meng , Wu Xiaoyan
Published: September 2020

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a particular threat faced by clinicians in kidney transplantation. Previous studies have confirmed the importance of oxidative stress and inflammation in the pathogenesis of I/R injury. Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) belongs to the angiopoietin-like family and has been found to be involved in the regulation of kidney function as well as oxidative and inflammatory response. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the role of ANGPTL2 in renal I/R injury in vitro. The human proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2 cells) was subjected to hypoxia/ reoxygenation (H/R) to mimic I/R injury in vitro. We found that the expression level of ANGPTL2 was markedly increased in H/R-induced HK-2 cells. Knockdown of ANGPTL2 improved the decreased cell viability of HK-2 cells in response to H/R stimulation. Knockdown of ANGPTL2 significantly inhibited the H/R-caused increase in levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, as well as a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity in the HK-2 cells. Besides, the increased bax expression and caspase-3 activity and decreased bcl-2 expression in H/R-induced HK-2 cells were also attenuated by knockdown of ANGPTL2. Moreover, ANGPTL2 overexpression showed the opposite effects. Further mechanism investigations proved that the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and the inhibition of toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells signaling pathway were both implicated in the renal-protective effects of ANGPTL2 knockdown on H/R-induced HK-2 cells. Collectively, these findings suggested that ANGPTL2 might be a new possible target for the treatment and prevention of renal I/R injury.
The role of empirical methods in investigating readers’ constructions of authorial creativity in literary reading
Authors: Parente Fabio , Conklin Kathy , Guy Josephine M , Scott Rebekah
Published: September 2020

The popularity of literary biographies and the importance publishers place on author publicity materials suggest the concept of an author’s creative intentions is important to readers’ appreciation of literary works. However, the question of how this kind of contextual information informs literary interpretation is contentious. One area of dispute concerns the extent to which readers’ constructions of an author’s creative intentions are text-centred and therefore can adequately be understood by linguistic evidence alone. The current study shows how the relationship between linguistic and contextual factors in readers’ constructions of an author’s creative intentions may be investigated empirically. We use eye-tracking to determine whether readers’ responses to textual features (changes to lexis and punctuation) are affected by prior, extra-textual prompts concerning information about an author’s creative intentions. We showed participants pairs of sentences from Oscar Wilde and Henry James while monitoring their eye movements. The first sentence was followed by a prompt denoting a different attribution (Authorial, Editorial/Publisher and Typographic) for the change that, if present, would appear in the second sentence. After reading the second sentence, participants were asked whether they had detected a change and, if so, to describe it. If the concept of an author’s creative intentions is implicated in literary reading this should influence participants’ reading behaviour and ability to accurately report a change based on the prompt. The findings showed that readers’ noticing of textual variants was sensitive to the prior prompt about its authorship, in the sense of producing an effect on attention and re-reading times. But they also showed that these effects did not follow the pattern predicted of them, based on prior assumptions about readers’ cultures. This last finding points to the importance, as well as the challenges, of further investigating the role of contextual information in readers’ constructions of an author’s creative intentions.
Studies on mechanical properties, dielectric behavior and DC conductivity of neodymium oxide/poly (butyl methacrylate) nanocomposites
Authors: Suhailath K , Thomas Meenu , Ramesan MT
Published: September 2020

The current article aims to develop poly (butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) nanocomposites with enhanced electrical and mechanical properties by incorporating neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) nanoparticles between the PBMA chains. The morphological, thermal and structural profiles of the PBMA nanocomposites reinforced with different loading of Nd2O3 nanoparticles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The SEM images revealed that the morphology of the PBMA was significantly influenced by the insertion of Nd2O3. The uniform dispersion of Nd2O3 in the polymer composite was visible at 5 wt% loading of nano-filler. The main crystalline peaks of Nd2O3 nanoparticles in the amorphous PBMA structure were revealed by the X-ray diffraction analysis. The thermal stability of PBMA was greatly enhanced by the dispersion of Nd2O3 in the PBMA matrix. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the composites were measured and both results showed the enhanced mechanical properties of PBMA due to the reinforcement of Nd2O3 nanoparticles. The various parameters affecting the increased tensile strength of composite by the incorporation of nanoparticles were studied by different theoretical modeling. The electrical properties such as dielectric constant and the dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) of PBMA nanocomposites were enhanced with the addition of nanoparticles. Also, the DC conductivity of polymer composites was estimated and the applicability of different theoretical models for predicting the conductivity properties of PBMA/Nd2O3 nanocomposites were examined.